Abstract: Apparatus for measuring the operating parameters of espresso coffee machines, including: a filter-holder body configured to be associated with a water dispensing nozzle of an espresso coffee machine; said body internally defining a chamber for the passage of the water dispensed by said nozzle; a filling element arranged in said chamber and having a cavity for the passage of the water dispensed by the nozzle towards an outlet duct; a water outlet terminal element associated with said filter-holder body downstream of said chamber and defining said water outlet duct; and reading means for the water pressure and temperature values passing from the chamber to the outlet duct; said reading means include at least one pressure reading device operatively engaged with said water outlet terminal element and at least one temperature reading device operatively engaged at said cavity obtained in the filling element.

Abstract: A totemic system and method operating to sell preselected goods and services proximal to a totem and simultaneously to a remote consumer of beauty products in communication with an optimized remote beauty-consultant, to stimulate the consumer to travel to the totem's location for said goods or services. The method displays transactional information and facilitates beauty product sales, comprising at least one remote offer from a beauty consumer, at least one remote response from a beauty consultant regarding appropriate products available nearby as displayed to said consultant by a content database. The method facilitates brand and store loyalty, combining software and human interaction, preferably at retail location or by closing online sales.

Abstract: Apparatus for measuring the operating parameters of espresso coffee machines, comprising: a filter-holder body configured to be associated with a water dispensing nozzle of an espresso coffee machine; said body internally defining a chamber for the passage of the water dispensed by said nozzle; a filling element arranged in said chamber and having a cavity for the passage of the water dispensed by the nozzle towards an outlet duct; a water outlet terminal element associated with said filter-holder body downstream of said chamber and defining said water outlet duct; and reading means for the water pressure and temperature values passing from the chamber to the outlet duct; said reading means comprise at least one pressure reading device operatively engaged with said water outlet terminal element and at least one temperature reading device operatively engaged at said cavity obtained in the filling element.

Abstract: A totemic system and method operating to sell preselected goods and services proximal to a totem and simultaneously to a remote consumer of beauty products in communication with an optimized remote beauty-consultant, to stimulate the consumer to travel to the totem's location for said goods or services. The method displays transactional information and facilitates beauty product sales, comprising at least one remote offer from a beauty consumer, at least one remote response from a beauty consultant regarding appropriate products available nearby as displayed to said consultant by a content database. The method facilitates brand and store loyalty, combining software and human interaction, preferably at retail location or by closing online sales.

Abstract: A totemic beauty-consultation method to stimulate said beauty consumer to travel to retail location for preselected goods or services. The method displays transactional information and facilitates beauty product sales, comprising at least one remote offer from a beauty consumer, at least one remote response from a beauty consultant regarding appropriate products available nearby as displayed to said consultant by a content database. The method facilitates brand and store loyalty, combining software and human interaction, preferably at retail location or by closing online sales.

Abstract: A detector for luminous radiation transmitted by an optical fiber comprises an avalanche photodiode whose light-receiving surface, separated by a high-resistivity portion of a semiconductor body from a reverse-biased p/n junction, is serrated with major sawtooth flanks substantially parallel and minor sawtooth flanks substantially perpendicular to the direction of incident radiation. The optical fiber emitting that radiation is laterally offset from the semiconductor body and has an axis including a small angle with the plane of the p/n junction.

Abstract: A junction transistor with a collector layer, a base layer and an emitter layer formed in a monocrystalline semiconductor body is provided with an ancillary layer of the same conductivity type as the emitter layer to accelerate the sweep-out of minority carriers at the instant of cutoff, the ancillary and base layers being bridged by a common metallic contact layer. The ancillary layer, which may be divided into several zones, is wholly surrounded by the base layer so as to be bounded by one or more closed lines along a body surface carrying the contact layer, the latter partly or completely overlying these lines. The ancillary and emitter layers may be formed in a single diffusion step through a common mask.