Abstract: Method for detecting response to damage or disease in a plant or crop comprising detecting Active Oxygen Species (AOS), in a quantitative assay; diagnostic reagent comprising an extract of damaged or diseased plant or crop tissue, or active component thereof, or synthetic equivalent or derivative thereof; use of the method or reagent in detecting response to damage or disease in a plant or crop selected from potato (seed, processor or consumer), apple, lychee, pear, apricot, peach, orange (juice), banana, leaf or stem browning in cut flowers, lettuce, pomegranate, grape, mushroom, logan fruit, loquat fruit, blueberry, carambola, dog rose, rambutan, coconut, avocado, plantain, pineapple, walnut, artichoke, sugarbeet and onion; apparatus and kit therefor; and associated methods for modifying and selecting varieties, growth or environmental conditions of a plant or crop; and use therein of a computer programmed with data relating to susceptibility of a plurality of plants and crops to damage or disease.

Abstract: The invention relates to regulating access by users to a scarce resource, wherein the resource is capable of handling multiple concurrent accesses. A request for access to the scarce resource is received and it is determined whether the access level for the scarce resource is at a desired maximum. Responsive to determining that said access level is at a desired maximum, the requester is placed in a queue for access to said scarce resource. The requester is then provided with a notification that the request has been enqueued. Access is available to the requester upon reaching the head of the queue when the access level drops below the desired maximum.

Abstract: The invention relates to regulating access by users to a scarce resource. A request for access to the scarce resource is received. It is determined whether the access level for the scarce resource is at a desired maximum and responsive to determining that it is, the requester is allocated to an access slot. The requester is then provided with a notification of their allocated access slot. Access is available to the requester when the allocated slot is enabled.

Abstract: An extensible file access method for accessing a first foreign file system from a data processing system with a first native file system, said first foreign file system and said first native file system implementing different file system protocols. The foreign file system is accessed by issuing a request according to the native file system protocol for data stored in the foreign file system; translating the native file system request to an intermediate programming interface, wherein the intermediate programming interface is different from both the native file system protocol and the foreign file system protocol; translating the intermediate file system request to the foreign file system protocol; and returning to the client a response from the foreign file system responsive to the translated request.

Abstract: There is provided a process for the preparation of 1,1,1-trichlorotrifluororethane in which 1,1-dichloro-2,2,2-trifluoroethane is subjected to chlorination by bringing the 1,1-dichloro-2,2,2-trifluoroethane into contact with chlorine within a reaction vessel characterised in that the process is conducted in the liquid phasein the presence of a chemical free radical initiator under a pressure of from 1 to 20 bar and at a temperature within the range 50 to 120° C., and the product is separated from the reaction mixture by fractional distillation. The product is useful in the manufacture of insecticides.

Abstract: A computer based system and method for designing an automotive vehicle based on occupant vision orients an occupant representation, in electronic form, with respect to a three-dimensional electronic representation of a portion of the vehicle. At least one vehicle system is represented, also in electronic form, with respect to a common reference point, at least one human factors vision study is electronically performed to determine occupant vision with at least one vehicle system, and an outcome of that study is reported to a vehicle designer. The designer then has an option to vary, or alter, the occupant orientation, the location of the vehicle system, or both, so that the design meets a predetermined vision criteria of the study. However, the designer may opt to retain the design despite non-compliance with the vision criteria.

Abstract: A computer based system and method orients an occupant representation, in electronic form, with respect to a three-dimensional electronic representation of a portion of the vehicle. At least one vehicle system is represented, also in electronic form, with respect to a common reference point, at least one human factors reach study is electronically performed to determine occupant reach with respect to the at least one vehicle system, and an outcome of that study is reported to a vehicle designer. The designer then has an option to vary, or alter, the vehicle, the occupant orientation, the location of the vehicle system, or any combination thereof, so that the design meets the reach criteria of the study. However, the designer may opt to retain the design despite non-compliance with the reach criteria.

Abstract: A computer based system and method for designing an automotive vehicle orients an occupant representation, in electronic form, with respect to a three-dimensional electronic representation of a portion of the vehicle. At least one vehicle system is represented, also in electronic form, with respect to a common reference point, at least one human factors study is electronically performed to determine occupant interaction with at least one vehicle system, and an outcome of that study is reported to a vehicle designer. The designer then has an option to vary, or alter, the occupant orientation, the location of the vehicle system, or both, so that the design meets a predetermined criteria of the study. However, the designer may opt to retain the design despite non-compliance with the criteria.

Abstract: A computer based system and method for designing an automotive vehicle orients an occupant representation, in electronic form, with respect to a three-dimensional electronic representation of a portion of the vehicle. At least one vehicle system is represented, also in electronic form, with respect to a common reference point, at least one human factors occupant-to-vehicle interaction study is electronically performed to determine occupant interaction with at least one vehicle system, and an outcome of that study is reported to a vehicle designer. The designer then has an option to vary, or alter, the occupant orientation, the location of the vehicle system, or both, so that the design meets a predetermined interaction criteria of the study. However, the designer may opt to retain the design despite non-compliance with the interaction criteria.

Abstract: A computer based system and method for designing an automotive vehicle orients an occupant representation, in electronic form, with respect to a three-dimensional electronic representation of a portion of the vehicle. At least one vehicle system is represented, also in electronic form, with respect to a common reference point, at least one human factors reflection study is electronically performed to determine occupant reflection reception with at least one vehicle system, and an outcome of that study is reported to a vehicle designer. The designer then has an option to vary, or alter, the occupant orientation, the location of the vehicle system, or both, so that the design meets a predetermined reflection criteria of the study. However, the designer may opt to retain the design despite non-compliance with the reflection criteria.

Abstract: A computer based system and method for designing an automotive vehicle orients an occupant representation, in electronic form, with respect to a three-dimensional electronic representation of a portion of the vehicle. At least one vehicle system is represented, also in electronic form, with respect to a common reference point, at least one human factors study is electronically performed to determine occupant interaction with at least one vehicle system, and an outcome of that study is reported to a vehicle designer. The designer then has an option to vary, or alter, the occupant orientation, the location of the vehicle system, or both, so that the design meets a predetermined criteria of the study. However, the designer may opt to retain the design despite non-compliance with the criteria.

Abstract: A server computer connectable to a network and having a plurality of processors (20, 30, 40) arranged to provide a service to one or more client computers connected to the network. The service Involves the provision of blocks of information to a client computer (50), and the processors have access to a data storage (120) in which data for the blocks of information is stored. Each processor in the server has block retrieval means (80), employed in response to a request from a client computer (50) for a particular block of information from that processor, to retrieve data from the data storage (120) to construct a file representing the requested block of information, the file including references to subsequent blocks of information requestable by the client (50). Additionally, load determining means (100) periodically determines activity data for the processor for inclusion In a load distribution record maintained for all of the processors of the server.