Abstract: A variety of applications involve transmission of video data in real time. However, bandwidth limitations may result in degradation of the quality of the transmitted video. To address such limitations, a video stream may be limited to ‘regions of interest’ within each frame of the video stream. This can be accomplished by setting areas outside of the regions of interest to an a priori known color or ‘blanking’ color, and the resulting ‘blanked’ video stream can be compressed and transmitted without extensive modifications to existing transmission apparatus. The original video can be reconstituted by superimposing the received region-of-interest video data onto a background image of the environment that contains the regions-of-interest. The background image can be satellite imagery or other stored imagery that matches the perspective of the video stream. Geographical tag data can be used to superimpose the region-of-interest video data onto the background image.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a wound dressing in the form of a bandage having a seal strength that is sufficient to allow it to be used in medical applications, and a low trauma, peel-off releasability for the convenience and comfort of the patient. An adhesive for use with such a bandage is also provided. The adhesive comprises a polyurethane adhesive including a mixture of: (a) a polyol mixture, (b) an isocyanate, and (c) a catalyst mix. The adhesive may have a thickness in the range of about 50 to about 525 pm and may have an adhesion value of less than about 150 g/cm against a metal plate.

Abstract: A variety of applications involve transmission of video data in real time. However, bandwidth limitations may result in degradation of the quality of the transmitted video. To address such limitations, a video stream may be limited to ‘regions of interest’ within each frame of the video stream. This can be accomplished by setting areas outside of the regions of interest to an a priori known color or ‘blanking’ color, and the resulting ‘blanked’ video stream can be compressed and transmitted without extensive modifications to existing transmission apparatus. The original video can be reconstituted by superimposing the received region-of-interest video data onto a background image of the environment that contains the regions-of-interest. The background image can be satellite imagery or other stored imagery that matches the perspective of the video stream. Geographical tag data can be used to superimpose the region-of-interest video data onto the background image.

Abstract: A nuclear reactor fuel bundle assembly including: a fuel bundle including an array of fuel rods and water rods mounted in an upper tie plate and housed in walls of a channel, and a pore type debris shield mounted at least partially in the channel, above or below the upper tie plate, the shield extending to or over the walls of the channel, whereby deflecting and/or capturing falling debris from entering the fuel assembly, wherein the shield is design to be durable, yet flexible, and porous.

Abstract: A system and method includes a communication interface of a customer service system that receives, via a network, a request from a customer device to link a social media account and at least one customer device with the customer service system, a social linking application programming interface that enables a social network system to interact with the customer service system and links the customer device to the social media account, a database that stores the link between the customer device and the social media account, a location detector that detects the at least one linked customer device when the at least one customer device is within a predetermined range of a customer service device associated with the customer service system, an alert system that generates a notification based on the customer device being within a predetermined range of the customer service device, a processor that interacts with the social linking application programming interface analyzes the linked social media account to determine

Abstract: A system and method includes a data store that stores information about a plurality of product offerings, a communication interface that receives, via a network, social signals information, a social signals processor coupled to an application programming interface that enables transmission of the social signals information, wherein the social signals processor detects a change in profile information, geo-social information, status information, or social media preference, and a product offering processor that determines a product offering from among the plurality of product offerings based on the detected change in profile information, geo-social information, status information, or social media preference.

Abstract: A method to capture, retain and remove debris falling into a nuclear reactor fuel bundle assembly including a bundle of fuel rods mounted below an upper tie plate and housed in a hollow metal channel, the method includes: inserting a debris shield in the upper tie plate; maintaining the shield in the upper tie plate and above the fuel rods, and water rods, while the fuel bundle assembly is in an operating nuclear reactor core; capturing debris falling in the fuel assembly on the debris shield; after capturing the debris, removing the fuel bundle assembly with the inserted debris shield from the nuclear reactor core to a maintenance/fuel inspection pool and thereafter removing the debris shield from the upper tie plate, cleaning and then reinserting the cleaned debris shield back into the upper tie plate, and moving the fuel bundle assembly from the maintenance/fuel inspection pool back into the nuclear reactor core.

Abstract: The apparatus is arranged to supply a flow of substantially pure oxygen to a person, and comprises a source of substantially pure oxygen gas, means for release of the substantially pure oxygen gas from the source into an ambient atmosphere; and means for cooling the substantially pure oxygen gas released from the source to a temperature below that of the ambient atmosphere. The substantially pure oxygen gas when cooled by the cooling means can be allowed to sink under ambient pressure by convection into a zone including the ambient atmosphere, the zone being beneath, and in convective communication with, the cooled substantially pure oxygen gas, whereby the cooled and sunken substantially pure oxygen gas can come into contact with the skin of a person in that zone. At least one parameter (such as temperature, oxygen concentration, sound or vibration) is monitored in the zone and operation of the release means is only permitted when the parameter is in a predetermined range.

Abstract: A method to prevent debris falling into a nuclear reactor fuel assembly including a bundle of fuel rods mounted below an upper tie plate and housed in a channel including: inserting a debris shield in the upper tie plate; maintaining the shield in the upper tie plate and above the fuel rods, while the fuel assembly is in an operating nuclear reactor core; flowing coolant through the bundle and the debris shield during operation of the nuclear reactor core, and capturing or deflecting debris falling in the fuel assembly with the debris shield.

Abstract: A method to capture, retain and remove debris falling into a nuclear reactor fuel bundle assembly including a bundle of fuel rods mounted below an upper tie plate and housed in a hollow metal channel, the method includes: inserting a debris shield in the upper tie plate; maintaining the shield in the upper tie plate and above the fuel rods, and water rods, while the fuel bundle assembly is in an operating nuclear reactor core; capturing debris falling in the fuel assembly on the debris shield; after capturing the debris, removing the fuel bundle assembly with the inserted debris shield from the nuclear reactor core to a maintenance/fuel inspection pool and thereafter removing the debris shield from the upper tie plate, cleaning and then reinserting the cleaned debris shield back into the upper tie plate, and moving the fuel bundle assembly from the maintenance/fuel inspection pool back into the nuclear reactor core.

Abstract: A nuclear reactor fuel bundle assembly including: a fuel bundle including an array of fuel rods and water rods mounted in an upper tie plate and housed in walls of a channel, and a pore type debris shield mounted at least partially in the channel, above or below the upper tie plate, the shield extending to or over the walls of the channel, whereby deflecting and/or capturing falling debris from entering the fuel assembly, wherein the shield is design to be durable, yet flexible, and porous.

Abstract: A nuclear reactor fuel assembly including: an upper tie plate having apertures to receive and support fuel rods of a fuel bundle; the fuel bundle includes an array of the fuel rods mounted and housed in the walls of a channel, and a load bearing or non-load bearing debris shield may be mounted in the upper tie plate, wherein the debris shield is porous to prevent the passage of debris. The debris shield is mounted in the frame of the upper tie plate. The debris shield can be either a removable unit, or it can be attached as a permanent integrated structure within the upper tie plate. The upper tie plate frame is also porous, e.g., has small vertical openings to allow fluid to pass through the frame and block passage of debris. The openings in the frame increase the effective flow area of passages through the upper tie plate and thereby compensate or offset any flow restrictions due to the debris shield.

Abstract: A flashlamp drive circuit including a storage capacitor which is charged and selectively discharged in order to drive a flashlamp. A capacitor (116) is connected in parallel with each respective flashlamp (106) in a bank of flashlamps. Each capacitor (116) has a comparatively small capacitance so as to be capable of storing only a portion of the total energy pulse required to be delivered to the respective flashlamp (106). A controller, comprising a digital signal processor (118) and a microprocessor (120) is provided to control the operation of all of the flashlamps (106) in the bank via respective switch mechanisms (110). In use, each energy (or drive) pulse delivered to a flashlamp (106) is comprised of a plurality of smaller energy packets resulting from repeated charging and discharging of the respective capacitor (116).

Abstract: In a method of producing isotopes in a light water power reactor, one or more targets within the reactor may be irradiated under a neutron flux to produce one or more isotopes. The targets may be assembled into one or more fuel bundles that are to be loaded in a core of the reactor at a given outage. Power operations in the reactor irradiate the fuel bundles so as to generate desired isotopes, such as one or more radioisotopes at a desired specific activity or stable isotopes at a desired concentration.

Abstract: A rod assembly for a fuel bundle of a nuclear reactor may include an upper end piece, lower end piece and a plurality of rod segments attached between the upper and lower end pieces and to each other so as to form an axial length of the rod assembly. The rod assembly may include an adaptor subassembly provided at given connection points for connecting adjacent rod segments or a given rod segment with one of the upper and lower end pieces. The connection points along the axial length of the rod assembly may be located where the rod assembly contacts a spacer in the fuel bundle. One (or more) of the rod segments may include an irradiation target therein for producing a desired isotope when a fuel bundle containing one (or more) rod assemblies is irradiated in a core of the reactor.

Abstract: Wrinkles are cosmetically removed from a superficial area of mammalian skin tissue having an epidermal layer, a basal layer, and a dermal layer, by irradiating the dermal layer through the basal layer, the irradiation being selected to be absorbed by a chromophore in the dermal layer such that collagen present in the dermal layer is heated, while the basal layer remains intact so as to substantially inhibit contact of the dermal layer with ambient air.

Abstract: Wrinkles are cosmetically removed from a superficial area of mammalian skin tissue having an epidermal layer, a basal layer, and a dermal layer, by irradiating the dermal layer through the basal layer, the irradiation being selected to be absorbed by a chromophore in the dermal layer such that collagen present in the dermal layer is heated, while the basal layer remains intact so as to substantially inhibit contact of the dermal layer with ambient air.

Abstract: Wrinkles are cosmetically removed from a superficial area of mammalian skin tissue having an epidermal layer, a basal layer, and a dermal layer, by irradiating the dermal layer through the basal layer, the irradiation being selected to be absorbed by a chromphore in the dermal layer such that collagen present in the dermal layer is heated, while the basal layer remains intact so as to substantially inhibit contact of the dermal layer with ambient air.

Abstract: Dental cream in contact with a polyolefin resin surface of a package such as a laminate tube, a mechanical dispenser or a flexible sachet. The dental cream contains a dentally acceptable water-insoluble alkaline earth metal salt, a liquid vehicle and a gelling agent. The liquid vehicle contains water, glycerine and sorbitol and, as an additive to prevent syneresis due to contact between the dental cream and the polyolefin resin, polyethylene glycol of average molecular weight or about 200-1000.