Abstract: Devices for cleaning vessels, especially swimming pools, are discussed. The devices may include a non-linear flow path in a gap surrounding an in-line valve. This non-linearity permits lengths of concentric pipes forming the gap to be decreased without sacrificing operational performance of the devices. Valves forming parts of the cleaning devices may be diaphragms but shaped, sized, reinforced, or configured differently than existing valves and may have collapsible segments whose interior shape resembles an ellipse in transverse cross-section. Co-molding of diaphragms and pipes may occur, and inner and outer cups may be used to fix relative positions of various components of the devices.

Abstract: A differential pH probe design uses a container having an outer surface and an inner volume, where the inner volume is divided into a first chamber and a second chamber. A first pH-sensitive area is located on the outer surface of the first chamber where the first pH-sensitive area is configured to be exposed to a sample. A second pH-sensitive area is located on the outer surface of the second chamber where the second pH-sensitive area is shielded from the sample and is exposed to a buffer solution. A first electrode is configured to detect a first voltage in the first chamber and a second electrode is configured to detect a second voltage in the second chamber. Circuitry is coupled to the first and second electrodes and configured to process the first voltage and the second voltage to determine a pH of the sample.

Abstract: An anti computer virus program uses a library of virus drivers that includes an indication of whether a particular virus can cause irreparable damage and data indicating enhanced user warnings and actions that might be associated with such viruses. If a detected computer virus is one that can cause irreparable damage, then an enhanced user warning (16) is issued indicating this to the user and a notification (28) of the possibility of such corruption is added into the repaired computer file. The notification may take the form of an electronically signed (30) banner message or the like.

Abstract: A method for preventing or inhibiting fouling in a gas-phase polyolefin polymerization process. The method includes maintaining the inside surface temperature of the process equipment below the dew point temperature of the gas mixture passing through the equipment.

Abstract: An event report, such as a virus detection event, is sent from a reporting computer 2 to a receiving computer 6 via an internet link 4. The report data may take the form of a URL requesting a web page 28 to be provided by the receiving computer 6, the URL bearing an encrypted form 24 of the report data that is used to identify the requested web page as well as pass further information to the receiving computer 6. Alternatively, the report data may be collated in the reporting computer 2 and passed to the receiving computer 6 when a computer virus definition data update is requested. The report data seeks to uniquely identify the event by incorporating the MAC address of the reporting computer 2, the date, time, computer product identifier, version identifier, update identifier and driver triggered. Additionally, a checksum derived from the infected file together with an indication of the corrective action, if any, taken by the reporting computer 2 may be included.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for the phytoremediation treatment of a medium contaminated with at least one element selected from the group consisting of (preferably water soluble and volatile) organic pollutants, heavy metals, radionuclides or a mixture thereof, comprising the step of cultivating upon the contaminated medium a plant associated with an endophytic microorganism able to improve the phytoremediation of the plant, to reduce phytotoxicity of chemicals. The invention further relates to methods for improving phytoremediation by directly modifying members of the endogenous endophytic community of a plant, via horizontal gene transfer. Another part of the invention relates to plants associated with such endophytes and/or plants with a modified endogenous endophytic community.

Abstract: A health care enterprise management system and method of management are disclosed. The system and method include a routing layer, a plurality of applications in an application layer, wherein the application layer communicates external to the enterprise manager via communicative contact through the routing layer, a business rules layer of a plurality of health care provision business rules, and a core layer.

Abstract: A computer file may be scanned for suspicious words 18 occurring within suspicious contexts 20. Thus, messages embedded by malware authors within their malware may be detected. The detection of such embedded messages may be used to identify otherwise unknown items of malware or as a pre-filtering technique for controlling the use of further scanning techniques.

Abstract: A push side pool cleaner (1) has a spheroidal overall shape, within this shape two outer segments (9, 10) serve as wheels and a central zone (8) carries a suction passage (33) and a debris collector (32) also located entirely within the overall shape. The wheels are driven directly by water jets (44, 45) without any gears or other transmission. A flow splitter is provided in the cleaner (1) to divide push side water flow between the jets (44, 45) which drive the wheels and jets (43) which provide impulsion to the suction passage (33).

Abstract: Mobile apparatus, typically in the form of automatic swimming pool cleaners, capable of indicating temperatures (or pressures) of the pool water in which they are deployed are discussed. The indication may, but need not necessarily, occur through change in color of one of more components of the cleaners. Some versions may have floats adapted to provide this color change. These or other versions may include floats that are not spherical in shape as well. Alternatively, temperature (or pressure) indication may be provided by other aspects of a water-circulation system.

Abstract: A method for the phytoremediation treatment of a contaminated medium with at least one element selected from the group consisting of (preferably water soluble and volatile) organic pollutants, heavy metals, radionuclides or a mixture thereof, comprising the step of cultivating upon said contaminated medium a plant associated with an endophytic microorganism able to improve the phytoremediation of said plant, to reduce phytotoxicity of chemicals, and the step of recovering the elements present in said plant.

Abstract: Disclosed are hair treatment compositions and methods based on the use of, in addition to active treatment compounds, a maintaining agent comprising a reducing saccharide and non-reducing saccharide. In certain preferred embodiments, the weight ratio of non-reducing saccharide to reducing saccharide is from about 9:1 to about 1:2.

Abstract: A pressure type pool cleaner includes a head (10) propelled forwardly (34) over a surface (12). Different portions of water pumped (14, 16) to the head inducts debris into a cleaner system, and is ejected via a thrust nozzle (42) onto a deflector (68) and thence along a thrust line (80) to thrust the head along the line (80). The deflector (68) is pivotal via a saddle (48) about a longitudinal axis such as to be displaced laterally relative to the thrust nozzle (42). The deflector includes obliquely opposed deflection surfaces which are respectively aligned with the nozzle in dependence on its relatively laterally displaced position to deflect the water ejected along the line (80) to respectively different oblique directions to adjust the direction of thrust and to effect lateral steering.

Abstract: A pressure type pool cleaner includes a head (10) propelled forwardly (34) over a surface (12). Water pumped (14, 16) to the head drives wheels (22) turbine fashion; inducts debris into a cleaner system; and is ejected via a thrust nozzle (42) onto a guide (68) and thence along a thrust line (80) to thrust the head along the line (80). A pivoted director (44) mounts the guide (68) and includes a surface member (56) exposed to the water. During forward movement, water pressure on the member (56) counteracts jet stream pressure on the guide and maintains the guide's orientation for the thrust line (80) to above a wheel rotation axis (24). When an obstacle stops forward motion, pressure on the member (56) and its counteracting stop, the guide (68) is reoriented and redirects the thrust to well below the axis (24) to pivot the head (10) about the axis to assist the wheels (22) to scale the obstacle.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a hot and a cold fluid reservoirs joined through a conduit and valving system to one or more pair of expandable bladders. A pump is engaged with the conduit system so as to enable the directing of the hot fluid from one of the reservoirs to one or more of the bladders and to enable directing the cold fluid from the other of the reservoirs to one or more of the other of the bladders. The bladders are mutually joined such that with either the hot or the cold bladders filled, both of the bladders are pressed against one or more workpieces, whereby heat is delivered to the workpieces when the one of the bladders, of each pair, is filled, and heat is extracted from the workpieces when the other, of each pair, of the bladders is filled while the other is deflated.

Abstract: A golf club head is fixed to one end of a golf club shaft. The head provides a face, a toe, a sole and a neck. A plurality of slots are spaced apart with each of the slots extending from the sole upwardly medially within the head. The slots are in generally parallel correspondence and are uniformly spaced and are uniform in width, where the uniform slot width exceeds the uniform slot spacing. The slots have flat side walls and terminate with a circular surface, so that they present the least resistance to the ground surface and are the easiest to clean of captured debris.

Abstract: A novel continuous gas phase polymerization process for producing polyethylene and interpolymers of ethylene and at least one other olefin is provided wherein a non-aromatic halogenated hydrocarbon(s) is used in a specified amount such that the activity of the titanium, zirconium and/or hafnium containing Ziegler-Natta catalyst is increased.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for identifying electronic files under test. According to the invention, this process of identification involves reading a master file including a master signal sequence, dividing the master signal sequence into segments, generating a reference indicator representing each master signal segment, storing the respective reference indicators as a master profile, reading a test file including a test signal sequence, dividing the test signal sequence into segments, generating respective test indicators for successive segments of the test signal sequence to form a test profile, comparing the reference indicators and the test indicators successively for respective corresponding segments of the master and the test signal sequences, determining whether the reference indicators and the test indicators match, and generating a corresponding indication.

Abstract: An irrigation control system and method for controlling irrigation based on weather data. Weather data such as wind, temperature, solar radiation, humidity, and rainfall, may be collected at one or more weather stations for a region. The weather data may be compiled on a computer and transmitted to a paging broadcast service. The weather data may then be transmitted by the paging broadcast service to controller interfaces associated with irrigation systems throughout the region. The controller interfaces may adjust irrigation controllers associated with the irrigation systems based on the weather data such that the proper amount of water is applied. This allows the water to be used more efficiently and the health of the landscape to be improved.