Abstract: A floor care appliance is provided including a nozzle assembly having a suction inlet and a mechanical housing including a control handle. A dirt collection vessel is held in the mechanical housing. A suction generator is held in one of the nozzle assembly and the mechanical housing. A universal framework receives and holds the mechanical housing and pivotally connects the mechanical housing to the nozzle assembly. In addition a model line of floor care appliances is provided. Further a method is provided for providing a product line of floor care appliance models while reducing production and tooling costs.

Abstract: An inbred sunflower line, designated CN1229R, the plants and seeds of the inbred sunflower line CN1229R, methods for producing a sunflower plant, either inbred or hybrid, produced by crossing the inbred sunflower line CN1229R with itself or with another sunflower plant, and hybrid sunflower seeds and plants produced by crossing the inbred line CN1229R with another sunflower line or plant and to methods for producing a sunflower plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic sunflower plants produced by that method. This invention also relates to inbred sunflower lines derived from inbred sunflower line CN1229R, to methods for producing other inbred sunflower lines derived from inbred sunflower line CN1229R and to the inbred sunflower lines derived by the use of those methods.

Abstract: An inbred sunflower line, designated CN2343, the plants and seeds of the inbred sunflower line CN2343, methods for producing a sunflower plant, either inbred or hybrid, produced by crossing the inbred sunflower line CN2343 with itself or with another sunflower plant, and hybrid sunflower seeds and plants produced by crossing the inbred line CN2343 with another sunflower line or plant and to methods for producing a sunflower plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic sunflower plants produced by that method. This invention also relates to inbred sunflower lines derived from inbred sunflower line CN2343, to methods for producing other inbred sunflower lines derived from inbred sunflower line CN2343 and to the inbred sunflower lines derived by the use of those methods.

Abstract: Compounds useful to control pests are provided.

Abstract: A method is provided for laminating optical substrates and in particular for manufacturing a thin combiner for an optical display that preserves the flatness of the component parts and ensures an even separation of layers, in particular an optical substrate and a thin cover plate that is to be bonded to the substrate. In the method, spacer particles in a predetermined size range are included within a glue layer at a required density to ensure cover plate flatness and uniform separation during assembly.

Abstract: A floor care apparatus includes a housing having a nozzle assembly and a canister assembly. A suction inlet is provided on the nozzle assembly. A dirt collection vessel, a suction generator and a wand receiver are carried on the housing. The cleaning wand assembly includes a telescoping subassembly, including two telescoping wand sections, and a handle subassembly including a third wand section.

Abstract: Dental appliances including multiple components and a system and method for constructing the same are disclosed herein. The dental components are designed to fit together to form the dental appliance. The components of the dental appliance are electronically modeled, printed, and pressed sequentially, separately, or as a unitary piece. Forming the dental appliance from multiple components enables each component of the dental appliance to be formed from a different material, each material having different features associated with it. In various embodiments, different materials have different colors, textures, opacities, and transformation factors associated with them. Furthermore, each component can be formed from multiple components. In some other embodiments, a support structure is designed and constructed in order to minimize deformation of a dental component during fabrication of the component.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and software are disclosed for simulating a running median value for a set of input data values, and for simulating a selected percentile value other than the median. A current estimated value is compared to an input data value. If the input data value is greater than the current estimated value, the current estimated value is increased in accordance with a first adjustment function. If the input data value is less than the current estimated value, the current estimated value is decreased in accordance with the second adjustment function. Different adjustment functions are disclosed for increasing or decreasing the current estimated value. The magnitude of each increase or decreases provided by an adjustment function is independent of the magnitude of the difference between the current input data value and the current estimated value.

Abstract: A floor cleaning apparatus includes a housing and a dirt collection vessel carried on that housing. The dirt collection vessel includes a first air inlet, a second air inlet, a dirt collection chamber, a filter chamber and a clean air outlet. A filter is received in the filter chamber. A suction generator is carried on the housing. The floor cleaning apparatus also includes a flow control valve assembly. The flow control valve assembly is selectively displaceable between a first or home position wherein dirt and debris are captured in the dirt collection vessel and a second or filter cleaning position wherein clean air is drawn through at least a portion of the filter to clean the filter. An activator is provided for automatically displacing the flow control valve assembly between the first and second positions.

Abstract: Improved processes for surface treating expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is disclosed and improved surface-treated devices made from the processes. The processes employ a laser to surface-modify an expanded PTFE structure to create a macro-roughened surface that has the capability to remain microporous throughout. The unique process of the present invention creates a ridge and valley structure on the surfaces of devices that includes unique gnarled nodes along valley floors.

Abstract: Dental appliances including multiple components and a system and method for constructing the same are disclosed herein. The dental components are designed to fit together to form the dental appliance. The components of the dental appliance are electronically modeled, printed, and pressed sequentially, separately, or as a unitary piece. Forming the dental appliance from multiple components enables each component of the dental appliance to be formed from a different material, each material having different features associated with it. In various embodiments, different materials have different colors, textures, opacities, and transformation factors associated with them. Furthermore, each component can be formed from multiple components. In some other embodiments, a support structure is designed and constructed in order to minimize deformation of a dental component during fabrication of the component.

Abstract: Embodiments provide systems and methods to create new media. Collaborating users can create new media using a network hosted media production functionality of an embodiment. In one embodiment, a network hosted media production system can be used to create new media, wherein the system includes a sound library component, a video component, a live input component, a sequencer component, and a synchronization component.

Abstract: A messaging system and method are provided to enable transactional work, done as a result of a recipient processing an asynchronous message, to be involved in the transaction under which message was sent. Involvement may be directly in the senders transaction or indirectly through a separate transaction which can be a subordinate to, a child of, or merged with the transaction under which message was sent. The message is delivered by calling an operation, a definition of which has been registered for the queue. If the message is added to a queue for subsequent delivery to a recipient, details of the transaction under which message was sent are added to the message. As a result the recipient can take appropriate action to ensure that any transactional work, it causes to happen, will be done directly or indirectly under the scope of the transactions under which message was sent.

Abstract: A spreadsheet package allows a base formula to be copied to at least one adjacent cell to form a referencing array. The package maintains a list of bound arrays, at least one cell of a bound array being referred to from a referencing array formula. If a formula within a referencing array cell includes a reference to a cell outside a bound array, the package indicates an error in the formula.

Abstract: Compounds useful to control pests are provided.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and computer programs are provided for managing service requests. The invention mitigates problems within a data processing environment that includes a data store running on a highly available data processing system. A plurality of distributed service requestors input service requests, and the service requests are replicated to at least two of a plurality of request processing components that are located within a communication path between the requestors and the data store. The method includes: preventing any request processing component that has not successfully claimed the service request from processing the service request; a first request processing component claiming responsibility for the service request; and the first request processing component processing its replica of the claimed service request, including accessing data within the data store.

Abstract: Improved processes for surface treating expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is disclosed and improved surface-treated devices made from the processes. The processes employ a laser to surface-modify an expanded PTFE structure to create a macro-roughened surface that has the capability to remain microporous throughout. The unique process of the present invention creates a ridge and valley structure on the surfaces of devices that includes unique gnarled nodes along valley floors.

Abstract: A system and method for managing financial data for a store that enables management to track and monitor the actual cost of items sold in each store of an enterprise. The system tracks the number, type and cost of each case received at a store within an enterprise and calculates a cost for each item capable of being produced using the components of the cases. The system receives information regarding items sold by the store and retrieves a cost for the items sold. The system may use the cost and retail sales information to generate financial data. The system may also be used to determine the costs associated with the store inventory.

Abstract: Compounds useful to control pests are provided.

Abstract: A heating apparatus or platen is provided with a heating surface adjacent a heat exchange fluid area defined by the heating surface attached by side walls and end plates to a retainer plate. A flow through system pumps heat exchange fluid through a platen with holes in end plates. Optional walls partition the heat exchange fluid area into flow channels in the platen. An alternative circulating flow system circulates heat exchange fluid in a closed platen with solid end plates. A u-shaped wall and at least one internal wall create a continuous fluid flow channel inside the closed platen. Flow systems pump a heat exchange fluid through heat exchange fluid area for heating by at least one internal heating element within the platen. The temperature of the heat exchange fluid remains relatively constant as it passes through the platen from heat conduction by the internal heating elements.