Abstract: An ankle foot orthosis (“AFO”) is provided. The AFO includes an upright portion that can be attached to the user's calf. It also includes a footbed with symmetrical lateral and medial sides such that the AFO may be worn on the user's right or left foot. Further, a non-slip coating may be applied to the underside of the footbed, such that the AFO may be worn without a shoe. Additionally, the AFO may be reversibly attached to a walking boot to keep it clean and dry. A removable liner may be attached to the AFO for sanitary and comfort purposes.

Abstract: A modular orthopedic bracing system is provided. The orthopedic bracing system includes a walking boot configured to cover at least the plantar aspect of the user's foot, a support detachably connectable to the walking boot and configured to suspend the weight of the user and an ankle-foot orthosis (“AFO”) detachably connectable to the walking boot. Also disclosed is a method for supporting an injured lower extremity, which includes the steps of attaching a first support member to the patient's leg, providing a second support member for an area at or beneath the foot and posterior portion of the lower leg, providing a first upward force on the patient's leg with the first support member, providing a second upward force on the foot with the second support member. By adjusting the amounts of the first upward force and the second upward force, the foot and lower leg, supported by the AFO, may be fully suspended, partially suspended or rest completely on the foot bed of the walking boot.

Abstract: According to one aspect, the invention relates to a device (1, 2, 3) for laser nanomachining a sample made of a material having a given transparency band, the device comprising: a focusing module (203, 703) allowing a nondiffracting beam (210, 710) to be generated, along a focusing line generally oriented along the optical axis of the focusing module, from a given incident beam; first means (202, 702) for emitting a first light pulse (I1) of spectral band comprised in the transparency band of said material, able to generate in said material, after focusing by said focusing module, a plasma of free charges along said focusing line via multi-photon absorption, thus forming a “plasma channel”; and second means (202, 702) for emitting at least one second electromagnetic wave (I2) of spectral band comprised in the transparency band of said material, which wave(s) is/are intended to be spatially superposed on said plasma channel in order to heat said material via absorption by the free charges of the plasma.

Abstract: According to one aspect, the invention relates to a device (1, 2, 3) for laser nanomachining a sample made of a material having a given transparency band, the device comprising: a focusing module (203, 703) allowing a nondiffracting beam (210, 710) to be generated, along a focusing line generally oriented along the optical axis of the focusing module, from a given incident beam; first means (202, 702) for emitting a first light pulse (I1) of spectral band comprised in the transparency band of said material, able to generate in said material, after focusing by said focusing module, a plasma of free charges along said focusing line via multiphoton absorption, thus forming a “plasma channel”; and second means (202, 702) for emitting at least one second electromagnetic wave (I2) of spectral band comprised in the transparency band of said material, which wave(s) is/are intended to be spatially superposed on said plasma channel in order to heat said material via absorption by the free charges of the plasma.

Abstract: A transaction product for use as a cake topper includes a body portion, an auxiliary portion and a machine readable account identifier. The body portion defines a support member and a flange extending from the support member. The flange is configured for placement into a frosting layer on a cake. The body portion defines a first part of a character. The auxiliary portion is formed separately from the body portion and defines a second part of the character. The auxiliary portion defines a lip configured for placement into the frosting layer on the cake. The account identifier is coupled to at least one of the body portion and the auxiliary portion and links the transaction product to an account or record for tracking a value associated with the transaction product. Other cards, products, assemblies and methods of encouraging use of such cards, products and assemblies are also disclosed.

Abstract: A transaction product for use as a cake topper includes a body portion, an auxiliary portion and a machine readable account identifier. The body portion defines a support member and a flange extending from the support member. The flange is configured for placement into a frosting layer on a cake. The body portion defines a first part of a character. The auxiliary portion is formed separately from the body portion and defines a second part of the character. The auxiliary portion defines a lip configured for placement into the frosting layer on the cake. The account identifier is coupled to at least one of the body portion and the auxiliary portion and links the transaction product to an account or record for tracking a value associated with the transaction product. Other cards, products, assemblies and methods of encouraging use of such cards, products and assemblies are also disclosed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to administering and automating operations in a component based application and provide a method, system and computer program product for the pattern based administration of operations in a component based computing solution. In one embodiment of the invention, a composite application data processing system enabled for pattern based administration of an operation can include a dependency matrix model, a set of artifacts, each artifact associated with a particular action for a particular computing platform, and a pattern generated operation task control enabled to process an instance of the dependency matrix model through an invocation of selected ones of the artifacts.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for autonomically configuring a virtual log. In accordance with the present invention, events flowing into the virtual log can be heuristically processed to determine if any events have been lost. When an event is considered to have been lost, the size of the log associated with the event can be increased. Also, the interval in which the virtual log interacts with the associated log can be decreased so as to ensure that the events will not continue to be lost. When a period of time has elapsed during which no events are heuristically determined to have been lost, either or both of the interval and associated log can be adjusted so as to increase the interval and decrease the size of the associated log.

Abstract: A demultiplexer and method for a high speed time division multiplex optical communication system uses an opto-electronic device in which two photon absorption can occur configured in circuit. The received optical multi-channel signal and a control optical signal at the repetition rate of and synchronized to the selected channel to be detected are applied to the device, which is configured in circuit as to generate by non-linear two photon absorption effect a current similar to the original signal.