Abstract: The disclosed jack assembly is used to raise the frame of a railroad car to a sufficient height above a wheeled truck assembly coupled to the railroad car in order to perform maintenance or remove the truck assembly. The jack assembly comprises an air-operated bellows which raises and lowers a plate that engages the railroad car for the raising and lowering action. Telescoping posts and other support members aid in stabilizing the jack assembly during use in order to prevent failure of the bellows due to buckling under the weight of the railroad car. The jack assembly is readily mobile between locations, and can be operated by a single user.

Abstract: Improved techniques for transmission and display of video data are described. A point of sale terminal includes a processor, memory and software executed by the processor to create frames of data and to analyze the frames of data to create differential data defining differences between preceding and succeeding frames of data. The differential data can be applied to the preceding frames to construct the succeeding frames. At least one frame is transmitted to an external video interface using an external connection such as a universal serial bus port. Differential data is also transmitted to the external video interface. The differential data is applied to the frame which has been transmitted in order to create succeeding frames. The frames of video data are displayed using a display connected to the video interface.

Abstract: An apparatus for and method of cleaning cutting residue from one or both sides of cut meat. Meat, after being cut, for example with a band saw or the like, is passed through a curtain of fluid to impinge fluid on to at least one side of the meat for removing a substantial portion of the deleterious residue. The cleaned meat surface may then be passed through a drying area for removing cleaning fluid if the cleaning fluid contains liquid. After passing through a drying zone, brine or other ingredients may be applied to one or both sides of the cut meat.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an integrated client-server configuration for real-time teaching and conferencing sessions. There are, for example, two graphical user interface (GUI) clients—a presentation client that can originate sessions, and a participant client that can join an ongoing session or receive a replay of a recorded session. The primary role of the server is multiplexing the output of the presentation client to many participants, potentially numbering in thousands, who are able to participate in the session from other network locations, e.g., the Internet, using participant client software that functions as a plug-in to an Internet Web browser on an off-the-shelf computer with sound presentation capability. One or more presenters may control the entire session through a connection from a network location. The server is capable of storing the entire delivered contents of the session and providing for its asynchronous playback to thousands of individual participants on demand.

Abstract: An adjustable length carrying strap that can be automatically adjusted, with little user manipulation, to tighten around an object to be carried. By utilizing two free-sliding connectors on each end of the carrying strap, the device easily and automatically tightens around the object to be carried when the object is lifted by the strap and easily and automatically loosens up when the user puts the object and strap down. This leaves the hands of the user free to perform other tasks. Although not required, an adjuster is provided to enable the length of the strap to be lengthened or shortened depending on the desires of the user. Further, the user may also quickly and easily release the object by uncoupling the two free-sliding connectors on either or both ends of the strap, thereby opening securing loops and releasing the carried object(s).

Abstract: An isolated Pseudomonas cepacia strain having the identifying characteristics of Pseudomonas cepacia NCSU strain 5.5B (A.T.C.C. No. 55,344) is disclosed. Also disclosed are a biocontrol agent comprising the aforementioned strain and a method of controlling Rhizoctonia comprising the step of administering such a biocontrol agent in an amount sufficient to inhibit the growth of Rhizoctonia solani.

Abstract: An installation creates a source I/O definition file (IODF), defining a current system I/O configuration, and a target IODF, defining a future I/O configuration. An activate function is initiated to change the system's hardware and software definition to correspond to the target IODF. A compare function compares the source and target IODFs, and creates a Configuration Change Block (CCB) to efficiently drive the change process. A validation function validates that the proposed change is valid, and the change process updates the hardware and software configuration definitions. If the change process is successful, a notification is sent; if not, a back-out process restores the I/O configuration to its initial state.

Abstract: An installation creates a source I/O definition file (IODF), defining a current system I/O configuration, and a target IODF, defining a future I/O configuration. When the configuration definition is dynamically changed from the current to the target, a serialization mechanism--comprising a "device pin" technique and a "group serialization" technique to handle changed device group definitions--insures that data integrity is not lost on devices undergoing reconfiguration; and a change detection mechanism insures that changes to control structures affected by the dynamic reconfiguration, are noticed by programs accessing those control structures while the structures are changing.