Abstract: A balanced heat coil protector protects telecommunications equipment from excessive sneak currents through a telecommunications circuit having a ring conductor and a tip conductor. An electrically conductive grounding pin is supported within and extends through the base for providing a path to ground potential. A first electrically conductive line pin and a first electrically conductive central office pin are supported in the base and extend therethrough, the first line pin and first central office pin being electrically connected to each other by a first conductive wire to provide a normal circuit current path from the first line pin to the first central office pin.

Abstract: A silencer for connection to the air intake of a machine such as a turbocharger compressor. The silencer comprises a housing containing a plurality of axially spaced annular noise attenuating baffles. Each baffle has an outer circumference and an inner circumference defining a central aperture, the central apertures of each baffle collectively defining an axial outlet flow passage to an outlet aperture.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of transmitting information using an information transmission system adapted to transmit information to a plurality of subscribers from preferably one content provider. The system is adapted to receive at least one electronic transmission of source information from a content provider where this source information incorporates a plurality of subscriber details and content information. The system employed can then initiate a telephone call to each of the plurality of subscribers detailed to deliver a portion of the content information supplied. Preferably the invention described may also be employed within an inspirational message provisioned service, where the content provider can deliver an inspirational message to a plurality of subscribers using a telecommunication network.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved approach for the treatment of microbial infections in mammals. Specifically, the invention provides methods and reagents for expressing in mammalian cells, proteins having anti-microbial activity. The invention provides both genes, which have been modified to allow expression and preferably secretion of active protein in desired mammalian cells or tissues, and methods of introducing such modified genes into desired mammalian cells and/or tissues. Most specifically, genes encoding anti-staphylococcal proteins are delivered to mammalian cells and/or tissues by methods of gene delivery, including gene therapy and the production of transgenic animals, for the treatment of mastitis in ruminant animals.

Abstract: A method of defining a link between first and second applications windows on a processing system. The processing system has a database and at least one remote end station coupled to the database via a communications system.

Abstract: Assessing the accuracy with which a round fired from a gun hits an intended target is achieved and alignment of the gun is corrected by monitoring the target with an image sensor which is associated with a computer enabling a frame by frame analysis and comparison of the fired round's trajectory with computer-generated alternative trajectories.

Abstract: A transformer of a Tesla type, and energy supply and particle accelerator devices that include such transformers. The electrical transformer includes a primary winding, a secondary winding which is electromagnetically coupled to the primary winding, and is characterized in that the primary winding consists of one single turn. The transformer operates without any soft magnetic core. The single turn is formed by at least two sector segments of a rotationally symmetric body, over which segments a voltage is applied. Preferably, the segments are equal in size, the voltages are equal in magnitude and one end of each segment is kept at ground potential. In an energy supply and an accelerator according to the present invention, a switch controlling the application of the voltage over the primary winding has controlled turn-on and turn-off preferably is an IGBT switch.

Abstract: The invention relates to a power modulator of pulse transformer type. The pulse transformer includes at least one secondary winding and a number of primary windings. The primary windings share a common ground terminal, but each "hot" terminal is independently connected to a respective dedicated pulse generating module, which includes a pulse switch, such as an IGBT-switch, connected to an energy storage capacitor. The pulse switch is electronically controllable at turn on and turn off, and eliminates the need for Pulse Forming Networks. The electronic pulse switch control is preferably used in combination with pulse voltage droop-compensating circuits that connect the switches to the primary windings. Furthermore, the transformer design is such that each primary winding only surrounds a portion of the total magnetic core cross section, giving an effect of a fractional turn primary.

Abstract: A process for etching of silicon oxide such as silicon dioxide, or oxynitride. The process includes etching a silicon oxide layer to expose an underlying electrically conductive titanium silicide layer and provide a contact opening extending through the silicon oxide layer to the electrically conductive titanium silicide layer. The etching is performed by exposing the silicon oxide layer to an etching gas in an ionized state in a reaction chamber of a plasma generating device. The etching gas includes a fluoride-containing gas and a passivating nitrogen gas which is present in an amount effective to suppress a removal rate of the electrically conductive titanium silicide layer when it is exposed to the etching gas during the etching step. The fluoride-containing gas can be CF.sub.4, CHF.sub.3, C.sub.2 F.sub.6, CH.sub.2 F.sub.2, SF.sub.6, other Freons and mixtures thereof. The etching gas can also include a carrier gas such as Ar, He, Ne, Kr or mixtures thereof.

Abstract: A process for etching of silicon oxide/nitride such as silicon dioxide, silicon nitride or oxynitride. The process includes etching a silicon oxide/nitride layer to expose an underlying electrically conductive layer and provide a via extending through the silicon oxide/nitride layer to the electrically conductive layer. The etching is performed by exposing the silicon oxide/nitride layer to an etching gas in an ionized state in a reaction chamber of a plasma generating device. The etching gas includes a fluoride-containing gas and a passivating gas which is present in an amount effective to suppress sputtering of the electrically conductive layer when it is exposed to the etching gas during the etching step. The passivating gas can be nitrogen gas and the fluoride-containing gas can be CF.sub.4, CHF.sub.3, C.sub.2 F.sub.6, CH.sub.2 F.sub.2, SF.sub.6, other Freons and mixtures thereof. The etching gas can also include a carrier gas such as Ar, He, Ne, Kr or mixtures thereof.

Abstract: An interferometric procedure, such as electronic speckle pattern interferometry, involves generating two signals representing the point-by-point variations in intensity of respective patterns of electromagnetic radiation resulting from the interference of first and second beams of such radiation derived from a coherent source, with at least the first beam from each pattern being scattered, before interference with its respective second beam, from a common object surface, and with a corresponding pair of the beams, one for each pattern, having a predetermined relative phase difference of other than a multiple of .pi.; and determining from the two signals values for a datum phase of the radiation at the object surface. Preferably, as a preliminary to this last determination. DC components are removed from the two signals. Conveniently, to simplify the determination, the phase difference is an odd multiple of .pi./4 or .pi./2.

Abstract: For energizing an X-ray tube in a diagnostic X-ray unit, a group of capacitors are each charged up to a voltage lower than that required by the X-ray tube, and then the capacitors are discharged one after another through the primary winding of a voltage step-up transformer in such a manner as to produce AC in the secondary winding which is then rectified and applied to the X-ray tube.