Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit for the processing of conditional access television signals that includes an input interface for receiving encrypted television signals and an output interface for output of decrypted television signals. The semiconductor integrated circuit is provided with some functionality restricted in some way by preventing one or more hardware circuit elements from operating, such as an MPEG decoder, display engine, IO ports or main CPU. To enable the functionality, a subscriber must pay for a service and then receives an encrypted message broadcast to the semiconductor integrated circuit that is decrypted and instructs functionality to be turned on or off.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for address book owners to link to a publisher's contact information profile, and establish an automatic updates relationship with the publisher. Upon establishing this relationship, when a publisher modifies his or her profile to reflect updated contact information, the publisher's updated profile information may then automatically be published to an address book owner's address book so that the address book owner's contact for the publisher is automatically updated to reflect the new information in the profile. Thus, the publisher's contact in the address book owner's address book may be automatically updated as a result of a publisher updating his or her profile, and without any action on the part of the address book owner.

Abstract: An RFID tag that is integrated into a substantially cylindrically-shaped structure that can be attached to an object to be identified through radio frequency identification techniques by sliding the substantially cylindrically-shaped structure over at least a portion of the object.

Abstract: A device for releasably attaching a towel to clothing of a user. The device includes a towel having an eyelet passing therethrough and a clasp for extending through the eyelet and releasably connecting with an article of clothing of a user. The towel may be removed from engagement with the clasp for cleaning when desired. The attachment of the device to the clothing of the user allows a towel to be readily available to the user for drying the user or cleaning an object.

Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying surgical instruments by use of radio-frequency identification tags (RFID) are disclosed. In the systems and methods, each of a plurality of surgical instruments is provided with at least one RFID transponder tag storing identification information associated with the corresponding instrument. The tag may be adhered to, embedded, or potted within a portion of the instrument. Using an RFID reading device, a user may interrogate the tag, thereby identifying the particular instrument. This identification information may be used to index a database and retrieve a data record unique to that instrument. The systems and methods allow a user to track, inspect, and verify inbound and outbound surgical instruments, to assess, for example, the surgical instruments' duty life cycle usage.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically identifying surgical implants by use of a radio-frequency tag (RFID) is disclosed. The method, apparatus, and system enable a radio-frequency tagged implant to receive an interrogation signal from a reader and to respond to the interrogation signal with identifying information about the tagged implants. The interrogation signal interrogates the implant to ascertain its information, and the RFID tag affixed on the implant in turn transmits a signal back to the reader. The method, apparatus, and system can track, inspect, and verify surgical implants, to assess, for example, any wear and tear on implants, and/or positional displacement of components of the implant.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatus, data structures, and computer-readable media are described which provide techniques for managing data storage. In an implementation, a method includes examining a role map to determine which of a plurality of roles are applicable to a request to interact with at least one of a plurality of items. The request is received via an application programming interface (API) that is available over a network and one or more of the items reference a respective item of data. Access to the at least one item is permitted based on a role definition which describes differing access rights available for the item based on which of the roles is applicable to the request.

Abstract: An RFID tag that is integrated into a substantially cylindrically-shaped structure that can be attached to an object to be identified through radio frequency identification techniques by sliding the substantially cylindrically-shaped structure over at least a portion of the object.

Abstract: A network element receives frames from multiple ring networks. Each ring network linked to the network element is supported by a designated support program. The received frames are monitored for conditions indicative of a failure in one of the ring networks. Upon detection of a failure condition, the designated support program for the failing ring network is determined and notified. The designated support program then addresses the failure condition by, for example, switching to a backup link. In one example, the multiple ring networks are SONET BLSR networks.

Abstract: A clock source selector for selecting either a first clock signal A or a second clock signal B in accordance with a switch request signal includes three retiming circuits each consisting of two clocked flip-flops. The switch request signal is first retimed relative to clock A to give a signal P, is then retimed relative to clock B to give a signal Q, and finally is retimed relative to clock A to give a signal R. Selector circuitry operates such that when signal Q is asserted, the second clock signal B is output, when neither signal P nor signal R, as combined by a NOR gate, are asserted, the first clock signal A is output, and at other times a zero level is output. The clock source selector can be used in an integrated circuit to form a glitch-free multiplexer.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to subtilisin protease conjugate comprising a protease moiety and one or more addition moieties. Each addition moiety is covalently attached to an epitope protection position of the protease moiety. The protease conjugates have decreased immunogenicity relative to a parent protease. The present disclosure further relates to cleaning and personal care compositions comprising the protease conjugates.

Abstract: The present invention relates to variants of serine proteases having decreased immunogenicity relative to their corresponding wild-type proteases. More particularly, the present invention relates to variants having a modified amino acid sequence of a wild-type amino acid sequence, wherein the modified amino acid sequence comprises a deletion and, optionally, a substitution of one or more specifically identified positions corresponding to subtilisin BPN?. The invention further relates to mutant genes encoding such variants and cleaning and personal care compositions comprising such variants.

Abstract: A bridge circuit includes two FIFO circuits each having an associated FIFO control circuit. In each FIFO control circuit, a write pointer register and a read pointer register for controlling the storage location for writing to and reading from the FIFO circuit are each controlled by control logic. The control logic is responsive to comparators which receive and compare the write pointer value and the retimed read pointer value to control the write pointer register, and receive and compare the read pointer value and the retimed write pointer value to control the read pointer register. The retiming circuits are configurable in response to a mode signal to provide different degrees of retiming. The maximum number of storage locations that can be full at any one time is a fixed limit.

Abstract: A wood floor system comprises a plurality of parallel rows of floorboards laid end-to-end, and each of the floorboards includes a compression nub extending along a side surface thereof, adjacent the top surface. These compression nubs affirmatively engage an opposing side surface of an adjacent floorboard row, thereby sealing, or isolating, the top surface of the floor from the side surfaces of the floorboard rows. This uniformly distributes expansion and contraction forces throughout the floor, due to uniform spacing between the floorboard rows. The isolation of the upper floorboard surface from the side surface also prevents undesired downward migration or flow of liquid finishing solution, which can have serious adverse affects for a wood floor. The invention reduces the total volume of finishing solution necessary for finishing the floor, and it also reduces “overwood” during floor installation.

Abstract: A clock source selector for selecting either a first clock signal A or a second clock signal B in accordance with a switch request signal includes three retiming circuits each consisting of two clocked flip-flops. The switch request signal is first retimed relative to clock A to give a signal P, is then retimed relative to clock B to give a signal Q, and finally is retimed relative to clock A to give a signal R. Selector circuitry operates such that when signal Q is asserted, the second clock signal B is output, when neither signal P nor signal R, as combined by a NOR gate, are asserted, the first clock signal A is output, and at other times a zero level is output. The clock source selector can be used in an integrated circuit to form a glitch-free multiplexer.

Abstract: A system and method for metering electricity supplied to a customer is described. The system includes a source of electricity at a primary voltage, and a transformer unit for decreasing the primary voltage of the electricity before supplying the electricity at a decreased voltage to the customer. The system also includes a metering apparatus for metering the electricity supplied to the customer. The metering apparatus includes a metering control unit that is near the transformer unit.

Abstract: A clock source selector for selecting either a first clock signal A or a second clock signal B in accordance with a switch request signal includes three retiming circuits each consisting of two clocked flip-flops. The switch request signal is first retimed relative to clock A to give a signal P, is then retimed relative to clock B to give a signal Q, and finally is retimed relative to clock A to give a signal R. Selector circuitry operates such that when signal Q is asserted, the second clock signal B is output, when neither signal P nor signal R, as combined by a NOR gate, are asserted, the first clock signal A is output, and at other times a zero level is output. The clock source selector can be used in an integrated circuit to form a glitch-free multiplexer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a topical, liquid, cosmetic composition for effecting immediate improvements in the appearance and feel of skin, in particular for providing a more even skin tone. The composition comprises: a) from 0.3% to 1.5% of an optically neutral phyllosilicate; and b) a green pigment in an amount effective to give the composition a &Dgr;a colour shift value of from −1 to −5 and a &Dgr;b colour shift value of from −2 to −5, when applied to the skin or a skin substitute at a coverage of 2.4 mg/cm−2., wherein the total level of inorganic particles in the composition is less than 5%. In a second aspect of the invention, the composition comprises: a) from 0.3% to 1.5% of an optically neutral phyllosilicate; and b) a green platelet-type interference pigment, having a TiO2 layer thickness of from 120 nm to 160 nm or a whole number multiple thereof, in an amount of from 0.1% to 0.

Abstract: The present invention relates to variants of serine proteases having decreased immunogenicity relative to their corresponding wild-type proteases. More particularly, the present invention relates to variants having a modified amino acid sequence of a wild-type amino acid sequence, wherein the modified amino acid sequence comprises a substitution of one or more specifically identified positions corresponding to subtilisin BPN′. The invention further relates to mutant genes encoding such variants and cleaning and personal care compositions comprising such variants.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to subtilisin protease conjugate comprising a protease moiety and one or more addition moieties. Each addition moiety is covalently attached to a clip site protection position of the protease moiety, wherein the clip site protection positions are selected from 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 84, 85, 88, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 170, 186, 191, 192, 193, 194, 196, 259, 260, 261, 262, and 274 corresponding to subtilisin BPN′. The protease conjugates have decreased immunogenicity relative to a parent protease. The present disclosure further relates to cleaning and personal care compositions comprising the protease conjugates.