Abstract: A sling for use with a noninvasive blood pressure monitor which is designed to minimize contact by external objects with an inflatable cuff which surrounds a patient's limb during blood pressure measurements. The sling comprises an arm rest having supporting straps for supporting the patient's limb at at least two locations so as to define an unsupported space therebetween adapted to accept the inflatable cuff such that the inflatable cuff does not touch the straps or external objects. Preferably, the sling comprises two braces having bottom surfaces to serve as a base for the sling, linking members having ends which are attached to the braces so that the linking members extend between the braces, and two supporting straps, attached to and extending between two linking members, for supporting the patient's arm.

Abstract: A method of printing an image on a print medium uses an ink jet printer, with the print medium being movable in an advance direction in the printer. An image area defined on the print medium includes a plurality of rasters extending in a direction transverse to the advance direction. The plurality of rasters are arranged sequentially adjacent to each other in the advance direction. A printhead includes a first array of ink jetting orifices and a second array of ink jetting orifices. Each of the first array and second array are configured for jetting a respective color ink onto the print medium. A plurality of first interlace levels associated with the first array of ink jetting orifices and a plurality of second interlace levels associated with the second array of ink jetting orifices are assigned to the plurality of rasters. Each of the first and second interlace levels are associated with only one of the rasters.

Abstract: Surfactant compositions including end-capped hydrocarbyl polyalkoxylate and/or fatty acid polyalkoxylate and organopolysiloxane having one or more polyoxyalkylene side chains are good immediate and long term spreaders particularly on fibrous hydrophobic synthetic polymeric substrates such as spun-bonded, non-woven materials made e.g. form polyolefins, especially polypropylene, or PET. Particularly useful alkoxylates are of one of the formulae (Ia to Id): R.sup.1 O.(AO.sup.1).sub.n.R.sup.2 (Ia); R.sup.3.CO.sub.2.(AO.sup.1).sub.n.R.sup.2 (Ib); R.sup.14 O.?EO.sub.i.PO.sub.j !.R.sup.15 (Ic); or R.sup.14 O.(AO.sup.2).sub.k.(AO.sup.3).sub.l.(AO.sup.2).sub.m.R.sup.15 (Id), where the various substituents and indices have defined meanings and useful silicones include those of the formula (II): R.sup.4.sub.3 SiO.?R.sup.4.sub.2 SiO!.sub.x.{(R.sup.4 Si?(O.R.sup.5.(AO.sup.2).sub.m.R.sup.6 !O}.sub.y.SiR.sup.4.sub.3, where the various substituents and indices have defined meanings.

Abstract: In an arrangement for transmitting traffic in asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) cells in downstream and upstream frames between an out station and a base station, upstream traffic cells are queued in each outstation in sequential order for subsequent transmission in upstream frames to the base station. Each outstation sends requests for allocation of timeslots to the base station, each said allocation request being transmitted to the base station in a respective time slot of a said upstream frame. The base station includes means for performing a periodic ranging measurement with each outstation whereby to determine a corresponding timing offset between the base station and that outstation and for communicating that timing offset to the outstation. Each outstation controls the timing of its cell allocation requests such that the cell allocation requests received by the base station in each upstream frame are each in a respective predetermined time slot of that frame.

Abstract: In a distribution telecommunications system, channel data for performing equalisation on a channel between a central station and an outstation is determined from measurements on pairs of pulses transmitted from the outstation. Each pulse pair comprises a first in-phase pulse and a second quadrature pulse having a predetermined time/phase separation. Coefficients for an active filter provided at the outstation are calculated from the multipath transmissions of the pulses and from the received time/phase separation of those pulses. The filter is then used to pre distort signals transmitted from the outstation.

Abstract: An automated sphygmomanometer in which the timeout duration of respective deflation periods during which oscillatory complexes may be detected is alternated so that the monitor cannot synchronize with the heart rate for more than one deflation step. The timeout durations at each deflation step are alternated to have long-short-long-short durations so that the overall duration of the measurement cycle is preferably about the same as in conventional monitors in which the timeout periods all have the same duration. Once the oscillatory complexes are detected, the timeout is typically not needed and the processing proceeds to the next deflation step in a conventional manner.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for operating a steam turbine using turbine reserve capacity for attaining operation at elevated loads. In a preferred form of the invention, a bypass overload valve is provided in parallel with the steam admission control valves but is connected to discharge steam to a lower pressure stage of the turbine. During operation of the turbine at less than full load, the bypass overload valve is maintained closed and the control valves are positioned to sustain a preselected load. As load on the turbine increases, the control valves are increasingly opened until they have all reached their fully opened position corresponding to a nominal rated capacity of the turbine. Then, at the discretion of operating personnel, the bypass overload valve is fully opened while simultaneously one or more of the control valves is throttled to offset any steam passing through the bypass overload valve in excess of the amount required to sustain the preselected turbine load.

Abstract: Portable target apparatus includes a variable size aperture for a baseball pitcher and includes a net which comprises a catcher or a stop for the balls which are pitched through the selectively variable target area. The size of the target aperture area can be varied by horizontally and vertically movable straps which are mounted on the target frame structure.