Abstract: An authoritative domain name system (DNS) server receives DNS requests for domains. The authoritative DNS server transmits DNS responses to the DNS requests with address records that include IP addresses that are selected from a larger pool of IP addresses, where a first DNS response can include IP addresses different from IP addresses included in a second DNS response for the same domain. Also, the same IP addresses may be returned for a first domain and a different, second domain. The authoritative DNS server may select the IP addresses to include in DNS responses to the DNS requests using a round-robin process.

Abstract: The application relates to a needle protection assembly (1) comprising:—a supporting element (18) and a needle shield (8),—one locking element (20) located within said needle protection assembly (1) and not accessible to the user,—urging means (24) for displacing said needle shield (8),—a peg (19) located on said supporting element (18) or on said needle shield (8), and a cam (9) located on said needle shield (8) or on said supporting element (18), and—said locking element (20) is not formed by said peg (19) and cam (9). The respective longitudinal axis of the needle shield (8) and of the locking element (20) are merged when said needle shield (8) is in its before use or in use positions, and they form an angle (a) when said needle shield (8) is in its after use position.

Abstract: The application relates to a needle protection assembly (1) comprising: —a supporting element (18) and a needle shield (8), —one locking element (20) located within said needle protection assembly (1) and not accessible to the user, —urging means (24) for displacing said needle shield (8), —a peg (19) located on said supporting element (18) or on said needle shield (8), and a cam (9) located on said needle shield (8) or on said supporting element (18), and —said locking element (20) is not formed by said peg (19) and cam (9). The respective longitudinal axis of the needle shield (8) and of the locking element (20) are merged when said needle shield (8) is in its before use or in use positions, and they form an angle (a) when said needle shield (8) is in its after use position.

Abstract: A method of testing for thickness loss in a metal wall is disclosed. The method includes mounting a first and a second ultrasonic transducer to the metal such that the transducers are in ultrasonic communication along a beam line and moving the first and second ultrasonic transducers along a scan line. A series of composites of received signal measurements are obtained by, at multiple locations along the scan line, using the first ultrasonic transducer to transmit ultrasonic signals through the metal wall along the beam line at a plurality of transmission angles and obtaining composites of received signal amplitudes by combining signal amplitudes measured by the second ultrasonic transducer. The series of composites are input into a predetermined relationship to obtain a thickness profile indicative of a proportion of remaining wall thickness. The predetermined relationship is experimentally obtained to characterize a given metal wall of nominal thickness.

Abstract: A method of testing for thickness loss in a metal wall is disclosed. The method includes mounting a first and a second ultrasonic transducer to the metal such that the transducers are in ultrasonic communication along a beam line and moving the first and second ultrasonic transducers along a scan line. A series of composites of received signal measurements are obtained by, at multiple locations along the scan line, using the first ultrasonic transducer to transmit ultrasonic signals through the metal wall along the beam line at a plurality of transmission angles and obtaining composites of received signal amplitudes by combining signal amplitudes measured by the second ultrasonic transducer. The series of composites are input into a predetermined relationship to obtain a thickness profile indicative of a proportion of remaining wall thickness. The predetermined relationship is experimentally obtained to characterize a given metal wall of nominal thickness.

Abstract: The application relates to a needle protection assembly (1) comprising: —a supporting element (18) and a needle shield (8), —one locking element (20) located within said needle protection assembly (1) and not accessible to the user, —urging means (24) for displacing said needle shield (8), —a peg (19) located on said supporting element (18) or on said needle shield (8), and a cam (9) located on said needle shield (8) or on said supporting element (18), and —said locking element (20) is not formed by said peg (19) and cam (9). The respective longitudinal axis of the needle shield (8) and of the locking element (20) are merged when said needle shield (8) is in its before use or in use positions, and they form an angle (a) when said needle shield (8) is in its after use position.

Abstract: The application relates to a needle protection assembly (1) comprising: —a supporting element (18) and a needle shield (8), —one locking element (20) located within said needle protection assembly (1) and not accessible to the user, —urging means (24) for displacing said needle shield (8), —a peg (19) located on said supporting element (18) or on said needle shield (8), and a cam (9) located on said needle shield (8) or on said supporting element (18), and—said locking element (20) is not formed by said peg (19) and cam (9). The respective longitudinal axis of the needle shield (8) and of the locking element (20) are merged when said needle shield (8) is in its before use or in use positions, and they form an angle (a) when said needle shield (8) is in its after use position.

Abstract: The application relates to a needle protection assembly (1) comprising:—a supporting element (18) and a needle shield (8),—one locking element (20) located within said needle protection assembly (1) and not accessible to the user,—urging means (24) for displacing said needle shield (8),—a peg (19) located on said supporting element (18) or on said needle shield (8), and a cam (9) located on said needle shield (8) or on said supporting element (18), and—said locking element (20) is not formed by said peg (19) and cam (9). The respective longitudinal axis of the needle shield (8) and of the locking element (20) are merged when said needle shield (8) is in its before use or in use positions, and they form an angle (a) when said needle shield (8) is in its after use position.

Abstract: The application relates to a needle protection assembly (1) comprising:—a supporting element (18) and a needle shield (8),—one locking element (20) located within said needle protection assembly (1) and not accessible to the user,—urging means (24) for displacing said needle shield (8),—a peg (19) located on said supporting element (18) or on said needle shield (8), and a cam (9) located on said needle shield (8) or on said supporting element (18), and—said locking element (20) is not formed by said peg (19) and cam (9). The respective longitudinal axis of the needle shield (8) and of the locking element (20) are merged when said needle shield (8) is in its before use or in use positions, and they form an angle (a) when said needle shield (8) is in its after use position.

Abstract: The application relates to a needle protection assembly (1) comprising:—a supporting element (18) and a needle shield (8),—one locking element (20) located within said needle protection assembly (1) and not accessible to the user,—urging means (24) for displacing said needle shield (8),—a peg (19) located on said supporting element (18) or on said needle shield (8), and a cam (9) located on said needle shield (8) or on said supporting element (18), and—said locking element (20) is not formed by said peg (19) and cam (9). The respective longitudinal axis of the needle shield (8) and of the locking element (20) are merged when said needle shield (8) is in its before use or in use positions, and they form an angle (a) when said needle shield (8) is in its after use position.

Abstract: A pipeline inspection tool has a spirally arranged series of blocks, with each block having a magnet and at least one magnetic flux sensor. An axially extending support may be provided which terminates in mounts and the series of blocks may be mounted between the mounts. The support may be arranged so as to permit bending of said series of blocks but resist torsion of said series of blocks. A supporting tendon may extend from a second of the mounts through a first opening in each block around a tendon supporting pulley of the first of the mounts and back through a second opening in each block to the second mount. A compression spring surrounding each arm of the tendon between the tendon support and the series of blocks. The magnet of each block may be arranged such that a like pole of each magnet is at one side of the series of blocks. The poles of each magnet may be longitudinally elongated and the longitudinally elongated poles may be directed along an axis of said tool.

Abstract: A phototherapy bandage capable of providing radiation to a localized area of a patient for accelerating would healing and pain relief, photodynamic therapy, and for aesthetic applications. The phototherapy bandage may include a flexible light source that is continuous across the bandage for providing a selected light, such as a visible light, a near-infrared light, or other light, having substantially similar intensity across the bandage. The bandage may also be flexible and capable of being attached to a patient without interfering with the patient's daily routine. The phototherapy bandage may easily conform to the curves of a patient and may come in a variety of exterior shapes and sizes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to fluorescent, radio-opaque and magnetic quantum nanoparticles, useful as multifunctional contrast agents or probes for in vivo bioimaging, and methods of their use. The invention provides for multifaceted bioimaging (e.g., intra-arterial pre-operative brain mapping and broad based in vivo diagnostic imaging), including imaging of various cell types, such as stem cells.

Abstract: A partially passivating core shell particle includes a luminescent nanocrystal core, and a partially passivating semiconducting core shell on a surface of the nanocrystal. The shell allows selected analytes to alter a luminescent response of the core shell particle. A quantum dot-based sensing system includes at least one partially passivating core shell particle, a light source for irradiating the partially passivating core shell particle, and a light detector for receiving emissions from the particle, wherein emissions from the core shell particle change in response to the presence of at least one analyte.

Abstract: A system and method for identifying explosive or other target materials includes the steps of irradiating a first location and a second location spaced apart from the first location from a sample suspected of including explosives with ultraviolet, visible or infrared light, measuring reflected light emanated from the first sample location (R1) and reflected light emanated from the second sample location (R2), and calculating a normalized difference in reflectivity (?R/ R), wherein R=(R1+R2)/2 is an average reflectivity. A differential reflection spectrum (DRS) is then generated for the sample where ?R=R2?R1 is the difference of the reflectivities of the first and the second sample location. One or more explosives if present are identified in the sample based on comparing the DRS for said sample to at least one reference DRS.

Abstract: A pipeline inspection tool has a spirally arranged series of blocks, with each block having a magnet and at least one magnetic flux sensor. An axially extending support may be provided which terminates in mounts and the series of blocks may be mounted between the mounts. The support may be arranged so as to permit bending of said series of blocks but resist torsion of said series of blocks. A supporting tendon may extend from a second of the mounts through a first opening in each block around a tendon supporting pulley of the first of the mounts and back through a second opening in each block to the second mount. A compression spring surrounding each arm of the tendon between the tendon support and the series of blocks. The magnet of each block may be arranged such that a like pole of each magnet is at one side of the series of blocks. The poles of each magnet may be longitudinally elongated and the longitudinally elongated poles may be directed along an axis of said tool.

Abstract: An imaging device (30) can include a plurality of lenses (51, 52, 53, 54) mounted on a multi-dimensional support structure (32), a plurality of optical detectors (40) corresponding to the plurality of lenses for capturing an optical signal from at least two lenses among the plurality of lenses, and a processor (34) for combining the optical signal from at least two lenses to form an image and electronically controlling the field of view and a resolution of the image. The plurality of lenses each can include an array of sub-wavelength apertures or a plurality of photon sieve lenses (36).