Abstract: A fiber reinforced core panel is formed from strips of plastics foam helically wound with layers of rovings to form webs which may extend in a wave pattern or may intersect transverse webs. Hollow tubes may replace foam strips. Axial rovings cooperate with overlying helically wound rovings to form a beam or a column. Wound roving patterns may vary along strips for structural efficiency. Wound strips may alternate with spaced strips, and spacers between the strips enhance web buckling strength. Continuously wound rovings between spaced strips permit folding to form panels with reinforced edges. Continuously wound strips are helically wrapped to form annular structures, and composite panels may combine both thermoset and thermoplastic resins. Continuously wound strips or strip sections may be continuously fed either longitudinally or laterally into molding apparatus which may receive skin materials to form reinforced composite panels.

Abstract: A control for a water heater is provided that comprises a pressure switch for sensing a predetermined level of airflow sufficient for maintaining proper burner operation, and a temperature sensing means for sensing the temperature of the water in the tank. The control further comprises a processor for controlling the operation of the burner to maintain the water temperature above a predetermined value. When the processor receives a signal from the pressure switch or temperature switch indicating a malfunction, the processor shuts down the burner and subsequently attempts to restart the burner. The processor will lock-out further burner operation after a predetermined number of consecutive shut downs occurs, and will communicate any malfunction information to a remote display device.

Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to the general art of connector links, and to the particular field of coupling links for coupling to one or more chain links. Particular embodiments include coupling links having a body with a central portion that has an aperture passing therethrough, a closed first end that is integral, and a second end that has an opening, and a retaining member in the form of a removable, deformable, or pivotable member that may selectively provide a closure to the opening. Other embodiments include retaining members on both ends of the coupling link.

Abstract: A fiber reinforced core panel is formed from strips of plastics foam helically wound with layers of rovings to form webs which may extend in a wave pattern or may intersect transverse webs. Hollow tubes may replace foam strips. Axial rovings cooperate with overlying helically wound rovings to form a beam or a column. Wound roving patterns may vary along strips for structural efficiency. Wound strips may alternate with spaced strips, and spacers between the strips enhance web buckling strength. Continuously wound rovings between spaced strips permit folding to form panels with reinforced edges. Continuously wound strips are helically wrapped to form annular structures, and composite panels may combine both thermoset and thermoplastic resins. Continuously wound strips or strip sections may be continuously fed either longitudinally or laterally into molding apparatus which may receive skin materials to form reinforced composite panels.

Abstract: A system, method and GUI for displaying and controlling vision system operating parameters includes an automated region of interest (ROI) graphic image that is applied to a discrete region of a selected image in response to a single click by a user. At least one automated operating parameter is generated automatically in response to the single click by the user at the discrete region, so as to determine whether a feature of interest (such as a pattern, a blob or an edge) is in the automated ROI graphic image. Illustratively, the automated ROI graphic image (a pass/fail graphic image) is user-movable to allow the user to move the automated ROI graphic image from a first positioning to a second positioning, to thereby automatically reset the operating parameter to a predetermined value in accordance with the second positioning.

Abstract: The air admittance vent (“AAV”) includes a cup shaped vent body and a vertically reciprocating valve element that seats against a valve seat that has two separate contact areas defined by an annular ridge and a conical face formed in the bottom of the vent body. When the valve element moves into its closed position, the pliable diaphragm of the valve element initially contacts the annular ridge, which forms a first part of the valve seat before moving fully into sealing contact with the conical face, which forms the second part of the valve seat. The contact with the annular ridge provides a first initial seal before the diaphragm nests into contact with the conical face to form a second seal with the valve seat.

Abstract: A ring pliers can be adjusted to work with internal rings and external rings.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for plasma etching are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus for etching a plurality of features on a wafer comprises a chamber, a feature plate disposed in the chamber for holding the wafer, a gas channel configured to receive a plasma source gas, an anode disposed above the feature plate, a cathode disposed below the feature plate, a radio frequency power source configured to provide a radio frequency voltage between the anode and the cathode so as to generate plasma ions from the plasma source gas, a pump configured to remove gases and etch particulates from the chamber, and a clamp configured to clamp the wafer against the feature plate. The clamp includes at least one measurement hole for passing a portion of the plasma ions to measure a DC bias of the feature plate.

Abstract: A system is provided for improved quality assurance (QA) in remote-access elections by a QA unit that evaluates an election service provider (ESP) that tallies votes, each of which includes a vote-identification number (VIN) and a vote content. The QA unit assures a likelihood that no votes have been deleted, inserted or changed by the ESP. The QA unit does this by allocating QA VINs and voting QA votes and then checking the ESP's report of all VINs included in the tally and the content of all QA votes. The ESP, if unaware of which votes are QA votes and which are voter voters, is prevented from deleting, inserting, or changing votes without risk of detection by the check of the QA votes. The system includes capability of ensuring defined confidence levels for a given quantity of voters and an expected voter turnout by incorporation of a suitable number of QA VINs.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a concrete good and an identifier. The concrete good includes information relating to a particular person, such as a deceased person. The identifier is on or near the concrete good and indicates that additional information relating to the particular person is available online. The identifier may be configured to provide automatic acquisition of the additional information available online in response to scanning the identifier. For instance, the identifier may include a bar code or some other kind of identifier.

Abstract: The air admittance vent (“AAV”) includes a cup shaped vent body and a vertically reciprocating valve element that seats against a valve seat that has two separate contact areas defined by an annular ridge and a conical face formed in the bottom of the vent body. When the valve element moves into its closed position, the pliable diaphragm of the valve element initially contacts the annular ridge, which forms a first part of the valve seat before moving fully into sealing contact with the conical face, which forms the second part of the valve seat. The contact with the annular ridge provides a first initial seal before the diaphragm nests into contact with the conical face to form a second seal with the valve seat.

Abstract: A biological sample such as a tissue section is stained with one or more quantum dots and possibly other fluorophores (total number of fluorophores N). A camera coupled to a microscope generates an image of the specimen at a plurality of different wavelengths within the emission spectral band of the N fluorophores. An analysis module calculates coefficients C1 . . . CN at each pixel from the set of images and reference spectral data for the N fluorophores. The coefficients C1 . . . CN are related to the concentration of each of the individual fluorophores at each pixel location. Morphological processing instructions find biological structures, e.g., cells, cellular components, genes, etc., in the images of the specimen. Quantitative analysis is performed on the identified biological structures. A display module displays the quantitative analysis results to the user, along with images of the specimen. The images can include images constructed from one or more of the coefficients C1 . . . CN.

Abstract: A biological sample such as a tissue section is stained with one or more quantum dots and possibly other fluorophores (total number of fluorophores N). A camera coupled to a microscope generates an image of the specimen at a plurality of different wavelengths within the emission spectral band of the N fluorophores. An analysis module calculates coefficients C1 . . . CN at each pixel from the set of images and reference spectral data for the N fluorophores. The coefficients C1 . . . CN are related to the concentration of each of the individual fluorophores at each pixel location. Morphological processing instructions find biological structures, e.g., cells, cellular components, genes, etc., in the images of the specimen. Quantitative analysis is performed on the identified biological structures. A display module displays the quantitative analysis results to the user, along with images of the specimen. The images can include images constructed from one or more of the coefficients C1 . . . CN.

Abstract: A biological sample such as a tissue section is stained with one or more quantum dots and possibly other fluorophores (total number of fluorophores N). A camera coupled to a microscope generates an image of the specimen at a plurality of different wavelengths within the emission spectral band of the N fluorophores. An analysis module calculates coefficients C1 . . . CN at each pixel from the set of images and reference spectral data for the N fluorophores. The coefficients C1 . . . CN are related to the concentration of each of the individual fluorophores at each pixel location. Morphological processing instructions find biological structures, e.g., cells, cellular components, genes, etc., in the images of the specimen. Quantitative analysis is performed on the identified biological structures. A display module displays the quantitative analysis results to the user, along with images of the specimen. The images can include images constructed from one or more of the coefficients C1 . . . CN.

Abstract: A biological sample such as a tissue section is stained with one or more quantum dots and possibly other fluorophores (total number of fluorophores N). A camera coupled to a microscope generates an image of the specimen at a plurality of different wavelengths within the emission spectral band of the N fluorophores. An analysis module calculates coefficients C1 . . . CN at each pixel from the set of images and reference spectral data for the N fluorophores. The coefficients C1 . . . CN are related to the concentration of each of the individual fluorophores at each pixel location. Morphological processing instructions find biological structures, e.g., cells, cellular components, genes, etc., in the images of the specimen. Quantitative analysis is performed on the identified biological structures. A display module displays the quantitative analysis results to the user, along with images of the specimen. The images can include images constructed from one or more of the coefficients C1 . . . CN.

Abstract: A control system for a water heater generally includes a water heater controller configured to receive upper and lower sensor temperatures associated with water in the respective upper and lower portions of the tank. The water heater controller is configured to determine a value indicative of a portion of water in the tank at a desired set-point temperature as a function of the upper sensor temperature, the lower sensor temperature, and the desired set-point temperature. The water heater controller is configured to wirelessly transmit at least one signal indicative of said value indicative of the portion of water in the tank at the desired set-point temperature. A user interface includes a plurality of selectively illuminated segmented portions. The user interface is configured to receive said value from the water heater controller and to selectively illuminate a number of segmented portions representative of said value.

Abstract: A biological sample such as a tissue section is stained with one or more quantum dots and possibly other fluorophores (total number of fluorophores N). A camera coupled to a microscope generates an image of the specimen at a plurality of different wavelengths within the emission spectral band of the N fluorophores. An analysis module calculates coefficients C1 . . . CN at each pixel which are related to the concentration of each of the individual fluorophores. Morphological processing instructions find biological structures. A display module displays quantitative analysis results to the user. The quantitative analysis display includes histograms of the biological structures, scatter plots of fluorophore concentrations, statistical data, spectral data, image data and still others.

Abstract: Techniques include determining coefficients of a complex auto regression (AR) model to fit a complex average spectrum at a base frequency resolution of a set of one or more measured acoustic beams during a time block. Residuals derived by filtering actual data through an inverse of the AR model are determined at frequencies below a first threshold frequency. A quantized spectrum of the residuals is determined at the base frequency resolution. Magnitude, phase, and frequency bin at the base frequency resolution are determined for each peak of a set of one or more narrowband peaks above a second threshold frequency for the set of one or more measured acoustic beams. A message is sent, which indicates without loss the coefficients of the AR model, the quantized spectrum of the residuals, and the frequency bin, magnitude and phase for each peak of the set of one or more narrowband peaks.

Abstract: A biological sample such as a tissue section is stained with one or more quantum dots and possibly other fluorophores (total number of fluorophores N). A camera coupled to a microscope generates an image of the specimen at a plurality of different wavelengths within the emission spectral band of the N fluorophores. An analysis module calculates coefficients C1 . . . CN at each pixel from the set of images and reference spectral data for the N fluorophores. The coefficients C1 . . . CN are related to the concentration of each of the individual fluorophores at each pixel location. Morphological processing instructions find biological structures, e.g., cells, cellular components, genes, etc., in the images of the specimen. Quantitative analysis is performed on the identified biological structures. A display module displays the quantitative analysis results to the user, along with images of the specimen. The images can include images constructed from one or more of the coefficients C1 . . . CN.

Abstract: The invention provides methods for the PEGylation of an N-terminal cysteine of a polypeptide such that the thiol group of the cysteine is unreacted in the fmal PEGylated polypeptide. In one embodiment, the invention comprises a method of PEGylating a polypeptide having an N-terminal cysteine, the method comprising: contacting the polypeptide with a polyethylene glycol (PEG) derivative having a free aldehyde group in a reaction mixture under reducing conditions such that the N-terminal cysteine in the resultant PEGylated polypeptide has a free thiol group.