Abstract: The invention provides the nucleotide sequence and amino acid sequences of the parthenogenesis gene of Taraxacum as well as (functional) homologues, fragments and variants thereof, which provides parthenogenesis as a part of apomixis. Also parthenogenetic plants and methods for making these are provided, as are molecular markers and methods of using these.

Abstract: An apparatus for adding an additional rotational axis in a multi-axis tooling machine is disclosed. The apparatus includes a base unit, an indexer disk, a securement mechanism, and a pointer mechanism. The base unit is supported by the tooling machine, and the indexer disk is supported by the base unit. The indexer disk includes a periphery with a plurality of grooves spaced at radial angles with respect to a rotation axis of the indexer disk. The securement mechanism is adjustable to a fixed state in which it prevents the indexer disk from rotating, and to a released state in which the securement mechanism releases the indexer disk for rotation. The pointer mechanism is disposed at the periphery of the indexer disk for releasable engagement with the plurality of grooves. A method for adding an additional rotation axis to a multi-axis tooling machine is also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus for adding an additional rotational axis in a multi-axis tooling machine is disclosed. The apparatus includes a base unit, an indexer disk, a securement mechanism, and a pointer mechanism. The base unit is supported by the tooling machine, and the indexer disk is supported by the base unit. The indexer disk includes a periphery with a plurality of grooves spaced at radial angles with respect to a rotation axis of the indexer disk. The securement mechanism is adjustable to a fixed state in which it prevents the indexer disk from rotating, and to a released state in which the securement mechanism releases the indexer disk for rotation. The pointer mechanism is disposed at the periphery of the indexer disk for releasable engagement with the plurality of grooves. A method for adding an additional rotation axis to a multi-axis tooling machine is also disclosed.

Abstract: A submersible pump component is provided. The component includes a substrate including an outer surface in a plurality of orientations, wherein a first portion of the outer surface is configured to be worn by a first wear mechanism, and a second portion of said outer surface is configured to be worn by a second wear mechanism. The component also includes at least one layer of a first coating applied to the outer surface, and at least one layer of a second coating applied over said first coating at said second portion of said outer surface. The first coating is configured to inhibit the first wear mechanism at the first portion of the outer surface, and the second coating is configured to inhibit the second wear mechanism at the second portion of the outer surface.

Abstract: A weather cap for gas valve comprising a gas valve vent attachment member for securing to a gas valve vent outlet, a cover connected to the gas valve vent attachment member with the cover and the gas valve attachment member forming a housing having a chamber therein, a vent limiter located in the chamber, a first gas passage in the housing for permitting ingress and egress of gas into the chamber from a gas valve, and a second gas passage in the housing with the second gas passage opened to the atmosphere to permit venting of gas to the atmosphere with the second gas passage being located on an underside of the chamber to thereby shield the vent limiter from blockage by preventing rain or snow from entering the chamber.

Abstract: An encode control strategy is provided for variable bit rate encoding of a sequence of video frames in a single pass. The control strategy includes determining whether a video frame has a complexity level statistically outside a defined range from a complexity level of at least one preceding frame of the sequence of video frames, and if so, determining a new average bit rate target for the video frame. The new average bit rate for the video frame is determined employing at least one of spatial complexity and temporal complexity of the video frame. The new average bit rate target for the video frame is used to set frame level bit rate control parameter(s), and the video frame is encoded using the set frame level bit rate control parameter(s).