Abstract: Described herein are the use of fluid complex coacervates that produce solid adhesives in situ to anchor medical devices such as catheters in a blood vessel. The anchored devices permit the targeted delivery of bioactive agents. The anchored devices can perform as an embolic agent by reducing or preventing blood flow in the vessel. Additionally, the embolic produced from the solid adhesive produced in situ can also include one or more bioactive agents that can be released in a controlled manner.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for animal health monitoring. Load data can be obtained from an animal monitoring device including three or more load sensors associated with a platform carrying contained litter thereabove, wherein individual load sensors of the three or more load sensors are separated from one another and receive pressure input from the platform independent of one another, wherein the three or more load sensors individually sample loads at from 2.5 Hz to 110 Hz. An animal behavior property associated with the animal can be recognized if it is determined based on load data that the interaction with the contained litter was due to the animal interaction with the contained litter. The animal behavior property can be classified into an animal classified event using a machine learning classifier.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for animal health monitoring. Load data can be obtained from a plurality of load sensors associated with a platform carrying contained litter thereabove, wherein individual load sensors of the plurality of load sensors are separated from one another and receive pressure input from the platform independent of one another. If the load data is determined or not to be from an animal interaction with the contained litter, an animal behavior property associated with an animal is recognized if a determination is made based on load data that the interaction with the contained litter was due to the animal interaction. The animal behavior property is classified into an animal classified event using a machine learning classifier. A change in the animal classified event is identified as compared to a previously recorded event associated with the animal.

Abstract: Described herein are the use of fluid complex coacervates that produce solid adhesives in situ to anchor medical devices such as catheters in a blood vessel. The anchored devices permit the targeted delivery of bioactive agents. The anchored devices can perform as an embolic agent by reducing or preventing blood flow in the vessel. Additionally, the embolic produced from the solid adhesive produced in situ can also include one or more bioactive agents that can be released in a controlled manner.

Abstract: A portable sound-masking device for placing on a roll-up door having a number of horizontally-extending elements. The sound-masking device has a fixture, a magnet, and a transducer. The fixture has an inner face, an outer face, and a pair of spaced-apart tabs protruding from the inner face, the tabs being configured to engage one of the horizontally-extending elements of the roll-up door. The magnet is fastened to the inner face of the fixture and provides a force that tethers the sound-masking device to the roll-up door. The transducer is fastened to the outer face and is configured to emit sound-masking noise.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of controlling distribution of content can include: sending authentication instructions from a server to a disc player having a disc inserted therein, where the disc includes media content without a plurality of files that are required by the disc player for playback of the media content; determining if the disc in the disc player is valid by comparing information received from the disc player against information stored in a database; receiving viewer verification information from the disc player to determine if the viewer is authorized to view the playback of the media content on the disc; sending an error indication if the disc is not valid and/or the viewer is not authorized; and sending the plurality of files that are required for the playback of the media content from the server to the disc player if the viewer is authorized and the disc is valid.

Abstract: Described herein is the synthesis of adhesive complex coacervates. The adhesive complex coacervates are composed of a mixture of one or more polycations, one or more polyanions, and one of more multivalent cations. The polycations and polyanions in the adhesice complex coacervate are crosslinked with one another by covalent bonds upon curing. The adhesive complex coacervates have several desirable features when compared to conventional bioadhesives, which are effective in water-based applicatgions. The adhesive complex coacervates described herein exhibit good interfacial tension in water when applied to a substrate (i.e., they spread over the interface rather than being beaded up). Additionally, the ability of the complex coacervate to crosslink intermolecularly increases the cohesive strength of the adhesive complex coacervate. The adhesive complex coacervates have numerous biological applications as bioadhesives and drug delivery devices.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of controlling playback of media content can include: receiving a delivery indication that a disc having media content stored thereon has been physically received by a user at a delivery location; receiving an authorization code and a disc identifier via a web interface, where the authorization code is determined by a disc player in response to the disc being inserted into the disc player; determining whether the user is authorized to playback the media content on the disc player based on the disc identifier, the delivery indication, and the authorization code; and providing an unlock code via the web interface if the user is determined to be authorized to playback the media content on the disc player, where the unlock code is to be entered via the disc player to allow the playback of the media content.

Abstract: A panel jack includes a clamp with opposing jaws spaced apart upon a frame or bar, and a jack mounted onto the clamp at the base of the jack, the shaft or piston of the jack attached to an elongated brace. The brace may turn about the longitudinal axis of the jack and the jack may turn about the longitudinal axis of the clamp in order for the device to be folded into either a storage position or operational position. When in use, the longitudinal axis of the brace is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the jack and the jack is attached proximate to the center of the brace so that force exerted by the jack upon the brace may be distributed generally evenly along the length of the brace.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of controlling playback of media content can include: receiving a delivery indication that a disc having media content stored thereon has been physically received by a user at a delivery location; receiving an authorization code and a disc identifier via a web interface, where the authorization code is determined by a disc player in response to the disc being inserted into the disc player; determining whether the user is authorized to playback the media content on the disc player based on the disc identifier, the delivery indication, and the authorization code; and providing an unlock code via the web interface if the user is determined to be authorized to playback the media content on the disc player, where the unlock code is to be entered via the disc player to allow the playback of the media content.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of controlling distribution of content can include: sending authentication instructions from a server to a disc player having a disc inserted therein, where the disc includes media content without a plurality of files that are required by the disc player for playback of the media content; determining if the disc in the disc player is valid by comparing information received from the disc player against information stored in a database; receiving viewer verification information from the disc player to determine if the viewer is authorized to view the playback of the media content on the disc; sending an error indication if the disc is not valid and/or the viewer is not authorized; and sending the plurality of files that are required for the playback of the media content from the server to the disc player if the viewer is authorized and the disc is valid.

Abstract: The polymer systems of the present invention degrade in the presence of an ejaculate. They may further provide degradable sequences that degrade upon contact with an ejaculate and/or microbicides. The polymer systems of the present invention are of use in the oral, rectal or vaginal cavities of an individual for such purposes as the treatment or prevention of sexually transmitted disease, the prevention or promotion of fertility or for hormone replacement therapy.

Abstract: A stimuli-responsive, hybrid hydrogel wherein the bulk of the polymer is made up of relatively inexpensive water soluble polymer strands crosslinked by protein domains. The responsiveness of the gel is controlled or modulated by the protein component. The physical and biological properties of the hydrogel are determined by specifically designed or engineered protein domains. The crosslinking of the protein domains to the water soluble polymers is by means of non-covalent bonding such as chelation or coordination bonding, biotin-avidin bonding, protein—protein interaction and protein-ligand interaction, or by means of covalent bonding. Methods of making and using the polymer-protein hydrogels are disclosed in this application.

Abstract: An electrical connector, for use in conjunction with or forming part of, a thermocouple probe has a body of electrically Insulating material, preferably formed by moulding, a plurality of apertured blocks of ferrite material within the body, and a corresponding plurality of elongate metallic conductors within the body and positioned through and projecting from a respective block of ferrite material. In a preferred form, the metallic conductors are made of metals of different alloy designation, as appropriate to the metal alloys used in the associated thermocouple probe. Further, the metallic conductors are advantageously made of different cross-sectional dimensions and/or different cross-sectional shape, such that the connector may be mated with a corresponding connector in only one manner of plug and socket.

Abstract: The invention relates to electrical devices which include at least one pair of dissimilar metal members with respective surfaces for bringing into contact with each other or with other receptors to establish an electrical connection, and antenna-effect inhibiting means such as a ferrite composition are disposed adjacent to the connection surface of at least one of the contact members. In a form of the invention for use with single wires or a pair of multiple wires, each wire is provided with an individual antenna-effect inhibiting means, such as a ferrite housing, adjacent to a connector thereon.

Abstract: A modified surfactant of the PLURONIC.TM.-type compound and method for manufacture is disclosed. The surfactant compound has at least one PEO block attached at a first end to at least one PPO block, with at least one of the PEO block having an organic metal-chelating end group (R) attached to a second end, the remaining PEO blocks having an unmodified hydroxyl group at the second end. The metal-chelating group is charged with an metal-ion. A protein with a metal-affinity tag, e.g., a histidine tag, is then complexed with the metal-chelating group to form a complex of the modified surfactant, the metal ion, and the protein. The modified surfactant may be adsorbed upon a hydrophobic surface, charged with a metal ion, and then complexed with a protein with a metal-affinity tag. A surface with specific activity toward proteins is the presented, which is suitable for applications where a protein is immobilized upon a surface to give the surface specific protein activity.

Abstract: An electrical connector device is described and illustrated which includes a ferrite element and an integral conductor lead. The ferrite element and connector are preassembled to a thermocouple by a pair of dissimilar metal elongated wire leads. The connector, which includes the ferrite element, is attached to the leads at the end of the leads remote from the thermocouple. The leads pass through the connector housing in which the ferrite element is embedded and through the ferrite element.

Abstract: This invention provides an electrical connection connector, particularly for devices having a low signal level, for example, thermocouple sensor circuits. The connector has plural terminals for attachment of electrical leads; and connections for engagement electrically with mating conductors of an electrical component; and plural bodies of ferrite material inside the connector housing. There is an electrically conductive element passing axially through each ferrite body and having ends of each element connected respectively to the terminals and to the connections to complete a circuit therebetween.

Abstract: The invention relates to electrical devices which include at least one pair of dissimilar metal members with respective surfaces for bringing into contact with each other or with other receptors to establish an electrical connection, and antenna-effect inhibiting means such as a ferrite composition are disposed adjacent to the connection surface of at least one of the contact members. In a form of the invention for use with single wires or a pair of multiple wires, each wire is provided with an individual antenna-effect inhibiting means, such as a ferrite housing, adjacent to a connector thereon.

Abstract: This invention provides an electrical connector, particularly for devices having a low signal level, for example, thermocouple sensor circuits. The connector has: plural terminals for attachment of electrical leads; and connections for engagement electrically with mating conductors of an electrical component; and a body of ferrite material. There is an electrically conductive winding with multiple turns passing about the exterior of the ferrite body and having the winding ends electrically connected respectively to the terminals and to the connections to complete a circuit therebetween.