Abstract: An epilation device is proposed that has at least an epilation element having a skin side intended for contacting the skin in an operation state of the epilation device, the epilation element having at least two adjoining clamping elements that are arranged on a base structure and that each have a clamping surface so that the clamping surfaces lie opposite to each other, a support in which the epilation element is mounted, and an actuation arrangement that during operation of the epilation device repeatedly actuates the epilation element between a first bending state in which the base structure has a first curvature and a second bending state in which the base structure has a second curvature different to the first curvature, wherein the clamping surfaces the clamping elements are separated by a gap at the skin side in the first bending stage and are in clamping contact in the second bending stage.

Abstract: For watermark embedding, without full Dolby AC-3 decoding, mantissa bits in the AC-3 bit stream are changed by exploiting the fact that during AC-3 encoding more bits than required by the perceptual masking curve are used for the quantization of the MDCT coefficient mantissa values. In addition to the bap values, truly required bap values are determined and the mantissa values are changed accordingly, controlled by the watermark information. The advantages are efficient watermark embedding, other bit stream parameters and values remain unchanged except for CRC checks, and the audio quality of the watermarked signal remains perceptually unchanged.

Abstract: A connecting device for an electromedical implant having a housing, the connecting device including a feedthrough and a header. The feedthrough and the header are formed in one piece so as to reduce the cost of the production process.

Abstract: For protecting by watermarking against non-authorised use, e.g. non-authorised recording or copying, original audio or video data which are to be presented in a digital cinema, a sender site generates from the original signal at least two differently pre-watermarked versions for successive blocks or frames of the signal, wherein these versions are derived by applying a repeated watermark symbol value to a version and different watermark symbol values to the different versions. The pre-watermarked signal versions are encrypted and transferred e.g. as data files to a digital cinema unit in which they are decrypted. According to the values of a desired watermark information word, corresponding frames or blocks from said decrypted and pre-watermarked versions are assembled in a successive manner, so as to provide and present a watermarked version of said original audio or video signal that carries said watermark information word.

Abstract: An in particular frustoconical hollow body (1) which can be stabilized by positive air pressure and which can be anchored to a base support (30) by way of bracing means is composed of a plurality of flexible material webs (4 to 12) which each extend in the peripheral direction of the hollow body (1). The mass in relation to surface area of the material webs (4 to 12) varies over the length of the hollow body (1).

Abstract: Watermark symbol detection requires a detection metric for deciding at decoder side which candidate symbol is embedded inside the audio or video signal content. The invention provides an improved detection metric processing that achieves a reliable detection of watermarks in the presence of additional noise and echoes, and that is adaptive to signal reception conditions and requires a decreased computational power. This is performed by taking into account the information contained in the echoes of the received audio signal in the decision metric and comparing it with the corresponding metric obtained from decoding a non-marked audio signal, based on recursive calculation of false positive detection rates of Correlations for all REFP Reference Pattern peaks in correlation result values. The watermark symbol corresponding to the reference sequence having the lowest false positive error is selected as the embedded one.

Abstract: Various audio signal watermarking systems are known, which are also applied to digitally encoded audio signals. However, in current audio signal watermarking systems the watermark signal and its watermark payload do not survive very low bit rate audio coding, in particular parametric coding. According to the invention, a watermarked uncompressed audio signal bit-stream is low-bit rate compressed, but the water-marking is removed and the watermark's payload only is transmitted together with the compressed audio signal bit-stream. At decoder side, the received audio signal bit stream is de-compressed and water-marked again using the transmitted watermark payload. Advantageously, it does not matter that the compressed bitstream is not watermarked because the compressed bitstream can be encrypted prior to transmission.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes an apparatus to reduce downspout noise. The apparatus includes a first and second portion. The first portion has a first diverting angle relative to the water flowing through the downspout. The second portion is coupled to the first portion and has a second diverting angle relative to the water flow. The second angle is greater than the first angle, thereby providing incremental diversion of the water flow. At least a portion of the surfaces may also include a surface detail to provide micro-diversions of the water flow. The diversions of the water may reduce the impact of the water flow and reduce downspout noise.

Abstract: Digital audio signal watermarking in real-time is difficult in an environment that has limited processing power. According to the invention, the channels in a data block-based audio multi-channel signal are prioritized with respect to watermarking importance, whereby the channel priority can change for different input signal data blocks. For a current input signal block, the most important channel is watermarked and the required processing time is determined. If this required processing time is shorter than a predefined application-dependent threshold, the next most important channel is marked and the additionally required processing time is determined, and so on. Due to the block-based nature of the audio watermarking including block overlap/add and due to the sensitivity of the resulting audio quality against blocking artifacts, several problems are solved in order to lead to acceptable performance and quality.

Abstract: Many watermarking systems make use of correlation for calculating a detection metric, which means that several reference patterns are generated at encoder side and one or more of them are embedded inside the content signal, dependent on the message to be embedded. To decode the embedded message, it is necessary to discover which reference pattern was embedded at encoder side by correlating the known reference patterns with the content signal. In the case where watermarked audio is emitted by a loudspeaker and then captured with a microphone, the received signal echoes are used for watermark detection instead of treating them as noise by integrating the correlation values resulting from echoes into the main correlation peak, thereby using correlation result amplitude values located within a predetermined neighborhood of a correlation result peak amplitude value and exceeding a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: Watermarking of audio signals intends to manipulate the audio signal in a way that the changes in the audio content cannot be recognized by the human auditory system. The watermark data are decoded from the received watermarked audio signal by correlation with corresponding candidate reference sequences. One or more of the sync symbols are embedded twice in the watermark data frame in the encoder. Thereafter a circular correlation is calculated instead of a standard correlation.

Abstract: Every watermarking processing needs a detection metric to decide at decoder side whether audio signal content is marked, and which symbol is embedded inside the audio signal content. The invention provides a new detection metric that achieves a reliable detection of watermarks in the presence of additional noise and echoes. This is performed by taking into account the information contained in the echoes of the received audio signal in the decision metric and comparing it with the corresponding metric obtained from decoding a non-marked audio signal, based on calculating the false positive detection rates of the reference sequences for multiple peaks. The watermark symbol corresponding to the reference sequence having the lowest false positive error is selected as the embedded one.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method for assaying oxygenase activity the method comprising monitoring oxygenase activity of Mina53.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a multi-tone glass vessel includes depositing a molten-glass first gob of a first glass color into a mold having a lower end and an upper end. An initial quantity of gas is injected into the mold in order to form a gob cavity within the first gob and cause the first gob to partially inflate and expand toward the upper end of the mold. A molten-glass second gob of a second glass color is deposited into the mold over the partially-inflated first gob. The introduction of a second quantity of gas into the gob cavity within the mold forms the first and second gobs into a single, multi-tone vessel of predetermined shape.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a decoratively-cracked glass vessel includes gathering a gob of molten glass and depositing the molten-glass gob into a pre-form mold. A quantity of gas is injected into the pre-form mold in order to form the gob into a pre-form vessel having at least one pre-form wall defining a pre-form vessel exterior surface and a pre-form vessel interior surface defining a pre-form cavity. The self-supporting, but still hot, pre-form vessel is removed from the pre-form mold and a surface of the pre-form vessel is rapidly cooled in order to crack in the cooled surface. The heated pre-form vessel is situated within a finish mold and a quantity of gas is injected into the pre-form cavity in order to seal cracks and form the pre-form vessel into a finished vessel having at least one finished vessel wall defining finished vessel interior and exterior surfaces between which cracks are visible.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a randomly-colorized glass vessel includes gathering an initial gob of molten primary glass. A quantity of secondary-glass particles is introduced into the initial gob in order to form a particle-containing gob. The secondary-glass particles are made from a secondary glass that contrasts in color with the primary glass. The particle-containing gob is then heated sufficiently to melt the secondary-glass particles and create flows of the secondary glass within the primary glass. Once the desired flows have been created, the gob of primary and secondary glass is introduced into a vessel-defining mold. The mold is sealed and a quantity of gas is injected into the mold in order to form the gob of primary and secondary glass into a vessel.

Abstract: Every watermarking processing needs a detection metric to decide at decoder side whether audio signal content is marked, and which symbol is embedded inside the audio signal content. The invention provides a new detection metric that achieves a reliable detection of watermarks in the presence of additional noise and echoes. This is performed by taking into account the information contained in the echoes of the received audio signal in the decision metric and comparing it with the corresponding metric obtained from decoding a non-marked audio signal, based on calculating the false positive detection rates of the reference sequences for multiple peaks. The watermark symbol corresponding to the reference sequence having the lowest false positive error is selected as the embedded one.

Abstract: An epilation device is proposed that has at least an epilation element having a skin side intended for contacting the skin in an operation state of the epilation device, the epilation element having at least two adjoining clamping elements that are arranged on a base structure and that each have a clamping surface so that the clamping surfaces lie opposite to each other, a support in which the epilation element is mounted, and an actuation arrangement that during operation of the epilation device repeatedly actuates the epilation element between a first bending state in which the base structure has a first curvature and a second bending state in which the base structure has a second curvature different to the first curvature, wherein the clamping surfaces the clamping elements are separated by a gap at the skin side in the first bending stage and are in clamping contact in the second bending stage.