Abstract: Ultrasonic probes are provided to abate unwanted signal noise. An ultrasonic probe includes a bundle of rods configured to sample data at a first end and propagate a signal encoding the sampled data to a second end. Each of the rods in the bundle of rods has a substantially similar length and a substantially similar diameter. The ultrasonic probe also includes a shell concentrically disposed around the bundle of rods. The shell is configured to pack the bundle of rods together. The shell includes a plurality of grooves configured to abate a prevailing bulk wave sampled by the first end.

Abstract: A computing platform is configured to: (a) generate a predicted health distribution of an asset for a failure mode based on a prior health distribution and a wear rate distribution. The computing platform is further configured to (b) update, the predicted health distribution based on (i) an observed state distribution corresponding to an observed state associated with the asset and (ii) a normalized value representative of a probability of the observed state over one or more health values of the asset. The computing platform is further configured to (c) generate a survival curve of the asset based on the predicted health distribution and a set of wear rates; iteratively perform (a)-(c) for each failure mode of the set of failure modes; aggregate the survival curve for each failure mode into an aggregate survival curve; and cause a client device to display a visual representation of the aggregate survival curve.

Abstract: The present invention relates to or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester prodrug thereof for use in the treatment of a mycobacterial infection or disease resulting from a mycobacterial infection, such as tuberculosis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester prodrug thereof for use in the treatment of a mycobacterial infection or disease resulting from a mycobacterial infection, such as tuberculosis.

Abstract: A vehicle air conditioner with a refrigerant circuit has as components at least one evaporator, a refrigerant compressor, a refrigerant condenser, an expansion valve associated with the evaporator and at least one heat exchanger with an associated expansion valve for coupling with a coolant circuit of a heat source, wherein the components are connected by a refrigerant line. A refrigerant container is provided which is connected on the high-pressure side of the refrigerant compressor with the refrigerant line and has a refrigerant-receiving chamber with a controllable volume, and a control unit is provided with which the volume of the chamber of the refrigerant container is controlled as a function of operating parameters of the refrigerant circuit. Alternatively, the refrigerant container is connected on the high-pressure side of the refrigerant compressor with the refrigerant line by way of a branch line.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and system to access personal data of a consumer (generated when said user is operating with a first service provider) by a second service provider, maintaining the privacy of the consumer. The proposed invention allows accessing data belonging to a certain consumer (for example, data generated when using a certain telecommunications service) by another entity providing services to the user (for example a bank) without sending the personal identification of the consumer. The proposed invention adds more flexibility, saves resources and increases scalability, efficiency and privacy.

Abstract: Disclosed is a new use for water soluble cellulosic paper, which is triangular, planar, foldable, biodegradable, and non-toxic to the user and environment. It has been found that water soluble paper is effective as a substitute for foil in the hair color-highlighting process. Numerous benefits have been found with this invention, among them: it is eco-friendly, more comfortable to the user than foil, leaves hair conditioned and shiny, and does not damage hair as foil tends to.

Abstract: A vehicle air conditioner with a refrigerant circuit has as components at least one evaporator, a refrigerant compressor, a refrigerant condenser, an expansion valve associated with the evaporator and at least one heat exchanger with an associated expansion valve for coupling with a coolant circuit of a heat source, wherein the components are connected by a refrigerant line. A refrigerant container is provided which is connected on the high-pressure side of the refrigerant compressor with the refrigerant line and has a refrigerant-receiving chamber with a controllable volume, and a control unit is provided with which the volume of the chamber of the refrigerant container is controlled as a function of operating parameters of the refrigerant circuit. Alternatively, the refrigerant container is connected on the high-pressure side of the refrigerant compressor with the refrigerant line by way of a branch line.

Abstract: Disclosed is a new use for water soluble cellulosic paper, which is triangular, planar, foldable, biodegradable, and non-toxic to the user and environment. It has been found that water soluble paper is effective as a substitute for foil in the hair color-highlighting process. Numerous benefits have been found with this invention, among them: it is eco-friendly, more comfortable to the user than foil, leaves hair conditioned and shiny, and does not damage hair as foil tends to.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for quickly and easily installing a safety cord in the butt of a racquet, without damaging the safety cord, includes a handle and an elongate structure having a loop for engaging the safety cord.

Abstract: A fat harvesting container, having a transparent container assembly with a top edge, a base, an exterior wall with first and second sections, and an incline wall. The first section extends from the top edge to the base. The second section extends from the top edge to the inclined wall, and the inclined wall extends from the second section to the base. The transparent container assembly also comprises a first outlet. The fat harvesting container also comprises a lid assembly, a tubing assembly, and a first valve assembly. The inclined wall biases liquid matter towards the first outlet, thus facilitating its exit therethrough with minimum movement of liquid matter and fat matter within the transparent container assembly. This way liquid matter and fat matter remain separate and a probability of remixing is reduced and prevented.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for quickly and easily installing a safety cord in the butt of a racquet, without damaging the safety cord, includes a handle and an elongate structure having a loop for engaging the safety cord.

Abstract: A fat harvesting container that safely harvests human body fat, whereby it minimizes exposure to air and bacteria to reduce contamination risks. It comprises a container assembly. A funnel structure is secured within the container assembly. The funnel structure comprises a top edge, an aperture, a sidewall, and a connecting line that extends from the aperture. A lid assembly comprises a top wall having a first outlet and a first inlet. The lid assembly also comprises a sidewall and a channel that aligns with to receive the first top edge when the lid assembly is placed thereon with a predetermined force to seal the container assembly. The instant invention also comprises a tubing assembly. The container assembly further comprises a first valve assembly, and the tubing assembly comprises at least first, second, third, and fourth tubes, and a second valve assembly.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving the operation of a computer processor by utilizing an asymmetric clustered processor architecture are disclosed. The asymmetric clustered processor apparatus includes a narrow cluster, a wide cluster, a steering logic utilizing a cluster predictor for providing a decoded instruction to either the narrow cluster or the wide cluster; address registers which are not part of the ISA, and a translation look-aside buffer for translating the virtual address of a load/store instruction in parallel with an execute stage. The method includes the steps of: predictably steering the instruction to either a W-bit Wide integer cluster or an N-bit Narrow integer cluster, managing the Address register file, and processing any instruction in the Wide integer cluster but processing only N-bit instructions in the Narrow integer cluster.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving the operation of a computer processor by utilizing an asymmetric clustered processor architecture are disclosed. The asymmetric clustered processor apparatus includes a narrow cluster, a wide cluster, a steering logic utilizing a cluster predictor for providing a decoded instruction to either the narrow cluster or the wide cluster; address registers which are not part of the ISA, and a translation look-aside buffer for translating the virtual address of a load/store instruction in parallel with an execute stage. The method includes the steps of: predictably steering the instruction to either a W-bit Wide integer cluster or an N-bit Narrow integer cluster, managing the Address register file, and processing any instruction in the Wide integer cluster but processing only N-bit instructions in the Narrow integer cluster.

Abstract: A method of generating an object oriented interactive multimedia file, including encoding data comprising at least one of video, text, audio, music and/or graphics elements as a video packet stream, text packet stream, audio packet stream, music packet stream and/or graphics packet stream respectively, combining the packet streams into a single self-contained object, said object containing its own control information, placing a plurality of the objects in a data stream, and grouping one or more of the data streams in a single contiguous self-contained scene, the scene including format definition as the initial packet in a sequence of packets. An encoder for executing the method is provided together with a player or decoder for parsing and decoding the file, which can be wirelessly streamed to a portable computer device, such as a mobile phone or a PDA.

Abstract: A dynamic publishing system for delivery and presentation of multimedia on a wireless device, such as a PDA or mobile telephone. A presentation server dynamically compiles application data based on scene description data for one or more media objects, and sends the application data to the wireless device for presentation of the media objects. The wireless device has a media player that is able to process the application data at an object level for the objects in response to events, and control the presentation. The application data includes content, layout and control logic data for the media objects.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are peptides comprising a leptin sequence and methods for their use in preventing ObR signaling in a leptin-responsive cell. A leptin peptide of the present invention binds to but does not activate ObR signaling in a leptin-responsive cell, thereby inhibiting the up-regulatory effects of leptin on ObR signaling in the leptin-responsive cell. Administration of the peptide effectively prevents embryo implantation in a mammal to which the peptide has been administered. Also disclosed herein is a method for identifying a peptide antagonist of ObR, wherein the peptide comprises a leptin sequence.