Abstract: A sensor assembly for use in an apparatus comprising at least one moving part and at least one stationary part is provided. The assembly comprises a probe and means for mounting the sensor to a stationary part of the apparatus. The probe comprises a portion of an incomplete circuit which, when completed, produces a signal. In use, when the probe is engaged by a moving part of the apparatus, a signal is produced. A vacuum pump or a compressor pump comprising the sensor and a method for preventing failure of an apparatus are also provided.

Abstract: An adapter and base plate that may be retrofitted to existing industry standard toilets to provide a capability to vent foul odors from bodily waste deposited into the toilet bowl. The toilet includes a bowl having flush holes disposed around a rim of the bowl for discharging water into the bowl, a water tank for containing a volume of water sufficient to cause the toilet to flush when the volume of water is discharged into the bowl, a flush and refill mechanism for flushing and then refilling the toilet, the flush mechanism controlling a flush valve that covers a drain at the bottom of the water tank. The adapter is fitted between the water tank and bowl with a first opening receiving the flush valve and a second opening connected to an exhaust fan by plumbing. The base plate may be translucent to allow LED lighting mounted to adapter to be cast about the bowl.

Abstract: A neutron detector includes a pressure vessel, an electrically conductive field cage assembly within the pressure vessel and an imaging subsystem. A pressurized gas mixture of CF4, 3He and 4He at respective partial pressures is used. The field cage establishes a relatively large drift region of low field strength, in which ionization electrons generated by neutron-He interactions are directed toward a substantially smaller amplification region of substantially higher field strength in which the ionization electrons undergo avalanche multiplication resulting in scintillation of the CF4 along scintillation tracks. The imaging system generates two-dimensional images of the scintillation patterns and employs track-finding to identify tracks and deduce the rate and direction of incident neutrons. One or more photo-multiplier tubes record the time-profile of the scintillation tracks permitting the determination of the third coordinate.

Abstract: A neutron detector includes a pressure vessel, an electrically conductive field cage assembly within the pressure vessel and an imaging subsystem. A pressurized gas mixture of CF4, 3He and 4He at respective partial pressures is used. The field cage establishes a relatively large drift region of low field strength, in which ionization electrons generated by neutron-He interactions are directed toward a substantially smaller amplification region of substantially higher field strength in which the ionization electrons undergo avalanche multiplication resulting in scintillation of the CF4 along scintillation tracks. The imaging system generates two-dimensional images of the scintillation patterns and employs track-finding to identify tracks and deduce the rate and direction of incident neutrons. One or more photo-multiplier tubes record the time-profile of the scintillation tracks permitting the determination of the third coordinate.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an adapter and base plate that may be retrofitted to existing industry standard toilets to provide a capability to vent foul odors from bodily waste deposited into the toilet bowl. The toilet includes a bowl having flush holes disposed around a rim of the bowl for discharging water into the bowl, a water tank for containing a volume of water sufficient to cause the toilet to flush when the volume of water is discharged into the bowl, a flush and refill mechanism for flushing and then refilling the toilet, the flush mechanism controlling a flush valve that covers a drain at the bottom of the water tank. The bowl also includes a water feed conduit connecting the drain to the holes around the rim of the bowl. The adapter is fitted between the water tank and bowl with a first opening receiving the flush valve and a second opening connected to an exhaust fan by plumbing.

Abstract: Inventive systems and methods for the generation of energy using thermophotovoltaic cells are described. Also described are systems and methods for selectively emitting electromagnetic radiation from an emitter for use in thermophotovoltaic energy generation systems. In at least some of the inventive energy generation systems and methods, a voltage applied to the thermophotovoltaic cell (e.g., to enhance the power produced by the cell) can be adjusted to enhance system performance. Certain embodiments of the systems and methods described herein can be used to generate energy relatively efficiently.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining a direction of travel of a neutron emitted from a source includes: a chamber containing (i) nuclei that recoil upon interaction with an incoming neutron and (ii) atoms capable of being ionized by the recoiled nuclei thereby releasing electrons; an electron-interaction material disposed at the chamber and configured to receive electrons released by the ionized atoms and to emit photons upon the interaction with the received electrons; an imager configured to form an image of photons emitted by the electron-interaction material, wherein the image comprises a path having the direction of travel of the incoming neutron; and an orientation sensor configured to sense an orientation of the imager in order to relate the direction of travel of the incoming neutron to the orientation of the imager.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining a location of a neutron emitting source includes: a plurality of neutron detectors configured to receive incoming neutrons from an area of interest, each neutron detector being configured to produce an image of a path of light depicting a direction of travel of an incoming neutron; and a central processor coupled to each neutron detector in the plurality of neutron detectors and configured to receive the direction of travel of the incoming neutron from each neutron detector and to compute the location using the received directions.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining a location of a neutron emitting source includes: a plurality of neutron detectors configured to receive incoming neutrons from an area of interest, each neutron detector being configured to produce an image of a path of light depicting a direction of travel of an incoming neutron; and a central processor coupled to each neutron detector in the plurality of neutron detectors and configured to receive the direction of travel of the incoming neutron from each neutron detector and to compute the location using the received directions.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining a direction of travel of a neutron emitted from a source includes: a chamber containing (i) nuclei that recoil upon interaction with an incoming neutron and (ii) atoms capable of being ionized by the recoiled nuclei thereby releasing electrons; an electron-interaction material disposed at the chamber and configured to receive electrons released by the ionized atoms and to emit photons upon the interaction with the received electrons; an imager configured to form an image of photons emitted by the electron-interaction material, wherein the image comprises a path having the direction of travel of the incoming neutron; and an orientation sensor configured to sense an orientation of the imager in order to relate the direction of travel of the incoming neutron to the orientation of the imager.

Abstract: Inventive systems and methods for the generation of energy using thermophotovoltaic cells are described. Also described are systems and methods for selectively emitting electromagnetic radiation from an emitter for use in thermophotovoltaic energy generation systems. In at least some of the inventive energy generation systems and methods, a voltage applied to the thermophotovoltaic cell (e.g., to enhance the power produced by the cell) can be adjusted to enhance system performance. Certain embodiments of the systems and methods described herein can be used to generate energy relatively efficiently.

Abstract: A welding method is disclosed in which a structural weld overlay is re-oriented from a circumferential orientation to an axial orientation during deposition. The axial welding orientation provides a more favorable condition to prevent weld cracking and shrinkage distortion. The axial welding orientation also allows two or more weld machines to be used simultaneously so that two or more welding arcs can simultaneously deposit filler material or the overlay, thereby reducing the time required to complete the structural weld overlay.

Abstract: The invention provides novel dye-labeled ribonucleotide analogs and methods for synthesizing those analogs. The compounds of the invention are especially useful for DNA sequencing by the polymerase chain reaction.

Abstract: Systems and methods of rendering images may include rendering images by coupling a first rendering device and a second rendering device, obtaining electronic image data comprising a first image data and a second image data, and providing at least the first image data to the first rendering device and providing at least the second image data to the second rendering device. The systems and methods may also include rendering a first image on a recording medium based on the first image data using the first rendering device, transferring the recording medium from the first rendering device to the second rendering device, and rendering a second image on the recording medium based on the second image data using the second rendering device.

Abstract: Fluorescent dyes, fluorescence energy transfer dye couples, multi-color dye sets, can be employed in art-recognized assays and certain novel methods, such as in proximity assays.

Abstract: Data packet transmission involves transmitting a plurality of data packets from said first station to a second station at a first rate of transmission. Acknowledgement data is returned from the second station to the first station to acknowledge the receipt of data packets at the second station. Data packets that are not acknowledged are retransmitted from said first station to said second station. The first station monitors retransmit information indicating how many packets are retransmitted and adjusts said rate of transmission from said first rate to a second rate in response to an output of a control procedure that receives said retransmit information as an input.

Abstract: A hybrid document automation system manages a hybrid printing job, such as PostScript (PS) job with a mix of color and monochrome (B/W) sheets containing variable data. The print job may contain any number of sets, each differing in size and ratio of color and B/W sheets. The system includes a color printer, a monochrome printer, a print manager, a splitter for separating color pages from monochrome pages in the print job and automatic jam recovery. A graphical user interface (GUI) may be provided to give a user/operator information on the status of the print job. The system may also include a document integrity system for insuring the correct output of the merged color and monochrome pages.

Abstract: The invention provides novel dye-labeled ribonucleotide analogs and methods for synthesizing those analogs. The compounds of the invention are especially useful for DNA sequencing by the polymerase chain reaction.