Abstract: An assembly can include a turbine housing that includes a bore, a wastegate seat and a wastegate passage that extends to the wastegate seat; a bushing configured for receipt by the bore; a rotatable wastegate shaft configured for receipt by the bushing; a wastegate arm extending from the wastegate shaft; and a wastegate plug extending from the wastegate arm where the wastegate plug includes a profile, defined in part by a portion of a torus, for contacting the wastegate seat to cover the wastegate passage and, for example, defined in part by a portion of a modified sphere or a portion of a cone. Various other examples of devices, assemblies, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.

Abstract: One exemplary embodiment is a method for determining an ophthalmic prescription. An examination room is lighted to simulate daytime viewing and a conventional eye chart is used as a visual stimulus. A first corrective spherical lens power is determined by varying spherical lens power and identifying when perceived vision is best. The examination room is kept dark to simulate nighttime viewing conditions. The visual stimulus utilized is a white point source on a dark background, or a self illuminated symbol on a dark background. A second corrective spherical lens powered is determined by varying spherical lens power and identifying when perceived vision is best. An ophthalmic prescription such as one or more lenses, one or more surgical corrections or a combinations thereof is provided including a first corrective component including the first preferred spherical lens power, and a second corrective component including the second preferred spherical lens power.

Abstract: An analysis method for determining a morphological property of an optic disc and/or a retinal nerve fiber layer of an eye is, performed an ophthalmological device, in particular a perimeter, and also means for data processing using a database with functional data of a field of vision and morphological data of the optic disc and/or retinal nerve fiber layer, wherein, by the ophthalmological device, functional data of a field of vision of the eye are measured, a retina being divided into points representing the field of vision, optical stimuli of a defined intensity being provided to the points of the retina, a reaction to a stimulus being determined as a measuring result of a point, the measuring results having a statistically significant relation to morphological data of the optic disc and/or the retinal nerve fiber layer, the morphological data nerve fiber layer being derived from the measuring results and the datasets.

Abstract: Based on the identification by colorimetry of a colour image of the fundus of the eye of an individual, obtained by specialised cameras (fundus camera or retinograph). The method and the device of the present invention enable establishing a direct relation between the chromatic properties of the various tissues of the optic nerve (10) and the amount of haemoglobin (Hb) in the optic nerve head (10), allowing identification and clearly distinguishing the irrigated regions of the optic nerve (10) from the non-irrigated regions or those with atrophy, constituting a tool of great interest in monitoring and diagnosis of glaucomatous disease and other optic diseases affecting vascularisation. This method also allows taking into account the effect of loss of transparency of the lens in patients with cataracts, as this effect is compensated without affecting the final results of the determination of the amount of haemoglobin (Hb).

Abstract: Method and probe device for quality measuring in IP streaming of audio, video, or a synchronized mix of both, performing: receiving a streaming media flow at a user's end, measuring at least one network parameter which indicates QoS and/or QoE, extracting frames from the streaming at the user's end, analyzing the frames at the user's end by searching for determined errors and delivering at least a quality parameter defined by certain results of said searching; correlating each measured network parameter and each delivered quality parameter at the user's end and returning the results to the IP network operator though a control and configuration interface. The operator uses the control and configuration interface to configure at the user's end how to perform the correlation between the parameters, taking into account in said correlation the user's preferences described by an ontology.

Abstract: Electrical-stimulation device with gel-dispensing kit, and a method of making and using the parts of the kit. A convenient and easy-to-use system to provide an electrically conductive path from a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) device to the skin surface of a patient to supply transcutaneous stimulation, even through hair. The invention provides improved prevention and treatment for headache, depression, alertness, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), epilepsy, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and behavioral and/or other disorders. Some embodiments provide a headache-treatment system that includes an electrode base shaped to conform to a back of a human head; a TENS having projecting spring electrodes each connected to the electrode base; means for holding an electrically conductive gel in a plurality of sealed pockets; and means for unsealing the means for holding the gel and applying the gel substantially simultaneously to the projecting spring electrodes.

Abstract: An assembly can include a turbine housing that includes a bore, a wastegate seat and a wastegate passage that extends to the wastegate seat; a bushing configured for receipt by the bore; a rotatable wastegate shaft configured for receipt by the bushing; a wastegate arm extending from the wastegate shaft; and a wastegate plug extending from the wastegate arm where the wastegate plug includes a profile, defined in part by a portion of a torus, for contacting the wastegate seat to cover the wastegate passage and, for example, defined in part by a portion of a modified sphere or a portion of a cone. Various other examples of devices, assemblies, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention reveals a nucleic acid sequence from Nicotiana megalosiphon encoding for an anti-pathogenic protein. The invention comprises the use of this nucleic acid molecule in transgenic plants of agricultural interest to confer resistance to pathogens. The invention also includes a bioproduct that comprises this anti-pathogenic protein to control plant pathogen agents.

Abstract: The invention relates to a perimetric method for measuring a visual field of an eye, carried out with an ophthalmological device, particularly a perimeter or similar device, and an apparatus for data processing provided with a data base, wherein the data base includes data sets of visual fields, wherein a retina of the eye is divided into points that represent the visual field, wherein the points of the retina are exposed to optical stimuli of a defined intensity, wherein a reaction to a stimulus is calculated as a measurement result, wherein at least two predefined points are measured, wherein the predefined points each lie in anatomically independent nerve fiber regions and are in a statistically significant relation to each other, wherein a visual field of the eye is derived from the measurement results and the data sets.

Abstract: Disclosed embodiments include methods for cleaning wax, substantially equivalent impurities, and other contaminants from porous stones in historical monuments and artworks using nondestructive means. According to one embodiment the method for removal of contaminants from porous stones using laser comprises the following method steps: (a) identifying regions of a contaminant on the porous stone monument; (b) characterizing the contaminant on the porous stone monument; (c) exposing the contaminant on the porous stone monument to irradiation from a laser characterized by a wavelength, a pulse length, a repetition rate, and a laser energy fluence determined and optimized for a given contaminant-porous stone system and the laser characteristics; and (d) adaptively evaluating the cleaning results by quantifying the thickness of the remaining contaminant.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of determining the risk of developing acute renal failure (ARF) in an individual, or of determining an ARF, and a method of predicting the progression of an ARF, by detecting and/or quantifying the protein Ganglioside GM2 Activator Protein (GM2AP). The failure can be due to the administration of at least one nephrotoxic agent, wherein the nephrotoxic agent can be an aminoglycoside antibiotic as for example gentamicin.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a guarantee seal with a pull tab for containers includes applying adhesive to a polymeric film in intermittent strips, laminating the polymeric film with the adhesive in intermittent strips to a second film, the second film including an EPE or PE layer, an aluminium foil layer and a sealing substrate to obtain a laminated film with strips of adhesive and strips without adhesive, die cutting the laminated film to form cut bands in the shape of circles so that a first side of the circle has the strip with adhesive and a second side of the circle has the strip without adhesive.

Abstract: A system for printing documents 100 having a position identifying pattern 108 on them comprises a memory 403 arranged to have a document definition 410 stored therein which defines a document having at least one pattern area 107 and a printing control system 400, 408, 306, 307, 309 arranged to print a document instance from the definition by allocating an identity to the document instance, associating an area 700, 718, 720, 721, 722 of pattern space with the document instance, and printing the document instance, wherein the printing control system is arranged to move the boundaries of the defined pattern area before printing the document instance.

Abstract: Supporting element for boards, panels and the like. The support of the invention is suitable for handling flat pieces of large size and for carrying them from one place to another, and to that end has a main body, formed by an inclined handle located in a plane different from that of the rest of the support, and an elongated section from which extends at least one pair of parallel bars for receiving the board to be transported.

Abstract: A product 100 having a data encoding pattern 108 printed on it, the pattern defining a grid having a grid spacing, wherein the grid spacing has discontinuities arranged to compensate for a mismatch between the resolution at which the pattern 108 is printed and a required value for the grid spacing, the discontinuities being irregularly spaced across the product.

Abstract: An assembly (30) controls the amount of downward movement of a counterweight (24) within an elevator system (20). By limiting the downward movement of the counterweight (24), a desired overhead clearance above an elevator car (22) can be maintained. One example includes at least one safety device (80, 84, 86, 88) on top of the elevator car (22) to provide an indication for when a holding member (34) should allow a stop member of the assembly (30) to move into a position to limit the downward movement of the counterweight (24). In one example, the stop member (32) moves into an employed position by the force of gravity and is manually moveable back into a retracted position when it is not needed. One example includes a guide member (60) that facilitates controlling the position of the stop member (32) when it is in the employed position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a perimetric method for measuring a visual field of an eye, carried out with an ophthalmological device, particularly a perimeter or similar device, and an apparatus for data processing provided with a data base, wherein the data base includes data sets of visual fields, wherein a retina of the eye is divided into points that represent the visual field, wherein the points of the retina are exposed to optical stimuli of a defined intensity, wherein a reaction to a stimulus is calculated as a measurement result, wherein at least two predefined points are measured, wherein the predefined points each lie in anatomically independent nerve fibre regions and are in a statistically significant relation to each other, wherein a visual field of the eye is derived from the measurement results and the data sets.

Abstract: Provided is a method (400) for determining a location on a surface (200) from an image of a region of said surface, said surface being divided into a plurality of cells (302; 304) arranged in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to said first direction, each cell comprising a plurality of marks (202; 204; 206; 208), forming a pattern which uniquely identifies a cell, the method comprising: determining at least part of a boundary of a first cell from locations where marks of said plurality of marks are adjacent in with said first direction or said second direction (402); determining a location of said first cell from said pattern in said first cell (404).

Abstract: The present invention reveals a nucleic acid sequence from Nicotiana megalosiphon encoding for an anti-pathogenic protein. The invention comprises the use of this nucleic acid molecule in transgenic plants of agricultural interest to confer resistance to pathogens. The invention also includes a bioproduct that comprises this anti-pathogenic protein to control plant pathogen agents.

Abstract: Controlling a transmission rate of packet traffic includes receiving packets from a network processor. The packets are stored in a buffer associated with a processor. If an occupancy level of the buffer is greater than a predetermined threshold, it is determined that the processor is congested. A message is transmitted to the network processor indicating the processor is congested.