Abstract: A food waste monitoring system and related methods are disclosed. The food waste monitoring system may include a local food waste monitoring device that is coupled to an electronic scale for weighing food waste. The monitoring device may capture and record the weight of food waste as well related information, such as the type of food wasted, the reason for the food becoming waste, the user weighing the food waste, and the type of container the food waste is weighed in. The system may also include a host device in communication with the local monitoring device that provides remote configuration and control of the local monitoring device.

Abstract: A prone-operated board-type sailboat that incorporates a dual-use device to counterbalance the force of the wind. This device comprises a handlebar extending bilaterally from the vessel, mountable to the deck forward of the sailor and adjustable with respect to the longitudinal axis of the deck for grasping and leaning out to windward from a forward-prone position. It dually performs as an outrigger for flotation devices adjustably affixed to each lateral protrusions of the device to stabilize the vessel to leeward.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a turbine rotor is provided. The method includes fabricating a plurality of substantially cylindrical disks. Fabricating each disk includes fabricating a substantially cylindrical body and extending a bore substantially concentrically through the body. The method also includes coupling at least two of the plurality of disks together to form a rotor having a bore extending axially therethrough.

Abstract: The steampath for a steam turbine includes stacked stator rings each mounting inwardly directed nozzles and stacked rotor wheels each mounting outwardly directed buckets mounting blades. By alternately stacking the stator rings and rotor wheels, the nozzles and buckets of the various stages are interdigitated to form a steampath. Each bucket includes a blade and a root received in a generally complementary shaped groove on a wheel.

Abstract: Genes encoding Class II EPSPS enzymes are disclosed. The genes are useful in producing transformed bacteria and plants which are tolerant to glyphosate herbicide. Class II EPSPS genes share little homology with known, Class I EPSPS genes, and do not hybridize to probes from Class I EPSPS's. The Class II EPSPS enzymes are characterized by being more kinetically efficient than Class I EPSPS's in the presence of glyphosate. Plants transformed with Class II EPSPS genes are also disclosed as well as a method for selectively controlling weeds in a planted transgenic crop field.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically generating URLs which reference one or more data sources or data targets connected to a computer. The data sources/targets may be of any type including files, http servers, ftp servers, hardware devices, etc. The generated URLs may be used together with a system such as the Data Socket system to seamlessly read data from disparate data source types or write data to disparate data target types without having to manually perform configuration, connection operations, data format conversion, etc. The URLs are generated automatically and contain all the information necessary for accessing the data source/target. This greatly abstracts a user or application from the I/O process.

Abstract: A system and method for implementing a secondary lottery game with a first instant lottery game in an instant lottery game ticket is disclosed. The player purchases an instant lottery game, where chances for winning instant prizes are provided to the player. The player may also be provided a chance to win entry with predetermined entry indicia into a secondary lottery game if the instant lottery ticket indicates that the player has won a ticket to the secondary lottery game.

Abstract: Nitrogen is rejected from a pressurised feed gas stream comprising methane and nitrogen by cooling the feed gas stream in a main heat exchanger 10 and rectifying the cooled feed gas stream in a double rectification column 20 comprising a higher pressure rectification column 22, a lower pressure rectification column 24, and a condenser-reboiler 25 placing the higher pressure column 22 in heat exchange relationship with the lower pressure column 24. A pump 50 withdraws a methane product stream from the column 24. The methane product stream is pressurised by the pump 50 and is vaporised in the main heat exchanger 10. The pressurised feed gas stream is expanded with the performance of external work in an expansion turbine 6 upstream of the main heat exchanger 10.

Abstract: A motor mounting and a motor configured for simplified assembly. The motor mounting is configured for including a bearing, the bearing for receiving a rotor shaft therein. The motor mounting is configured to accept a brush assembly received from an exterior surface. The brush assembly and motor mounting may be constructed to permit coupling in a tool-less manner. The brush assembly and mounting may be secured by a friction fit engagement.

Abstract: The coupling between discrete axially aligned first and second turbine shafts includes a flange on one end of one shaft and a rotor wheel on the other shaft. Holes in axial alignment with one another through the flange and rotor wheel receive fastening elements securing the rotor wheel and flange to one another, thereby securing the shaft sections to one another. The fastening elements engage segments on the side of the rotor wheel remote from the flange to facilitate clamping of the flange and rotor wheel to one another. The segments also include outer arcuate surfaces which form sealing surfaces with radially opposed labyrinth teeth of packing ring segments forming part of the turbine diaphragms.

Abstract: A food waste monitoring system and related methods are disclosed. The food waste monitoring system may include a local food waste monitoring device that is coupled to an electronic scale for weighing food waste. The monitoring device may capture and record the weight of food waste as well related information, such as the type of food wasted, the reason for the food becoming waste, the user weighing the food waste, and the type of container the food waste is weighed in. The system may also include a host device in communication with the local monitoring device that provides remote configuration and control of the local monitoring device.

Abstract: The coupling between discrete axially aligned first and second turbine shafts includes a flange on one end of one shaft and a rotor wheel on the other shaft. Holes in axial alignment with one another through the flange and rotor wheel receive fastening elements securing the rotor wheel and flange to one another, thereby securing the shaft sections to one another. The fastening elements engage segments on the side of the rotor wheel remote from the flange to facilitate clamping of the flange and rotor wheel to one another. The segments also include outer arcuate surfaces which form sealing surfaces with radially opposed labyrinth teeth of packing ring segments forming part of the turbine diaphragms.

Abstract: A method is described for grinding a crankpin of a crankshaft using computer controlled wheelfeed and headstock drives (44,30,24). During a final grinding step leading to finish size the cutting force is maintained on the wheelhead (38) to keep the wheel (34) and pin under a moderate constant load and the rotational speed of the headstock drive (24) is reduced. This serves to prevent bounce and chatter marks appearing in the surface of the pin. The rotational speed is typically in the range of 1 to 5 rpm. During the final step of grinding each pin, the wheelfeed is adjusted so as to remove a sufficient depth of material during a single rotation of the crankshaft, to bring the crankpin to finish size.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of treating a respiratory condition wherein said condition results from an infection by a pathogan and wherein said infection is characterised by a differing T helper cell response, said method including administering an effective amount of an agent to induce an equivalent T helper cell response which favours treatment of the respiratory condition.

Abstract: Vias (12) with substantially straight walls and no undercut regiosn at the bottom can be formed in a laminated substrate (10) by combining percussion drilling and trepanning drilling techniques and using different types of lasers. The top copper foil (13) of the laminated substrate (10) is first cut through, along the boundary of the via (12) to be drilled, to form a peripheral channel. This is accomplised by trepanning drilling using a UV laser (21). Then, an IR laser is applied to ablate the dielectric material (14) inside the via (12). During this step, a cutoff copper piece (40), which remains in the central regions of the via (12) after the trepanning drilling, will be removed as well. The IR laser reflects off a copper capture pad (131) at the bottom of the via (12), effectively cleaning the capture pad (131) surface for later plating processes.

Abstract: Nitrogen is rejected from a pressurised feed gas stream comprising methane and nitrogen by cooling the feed gas stream in a main heat exchanger 10 and rectifying the cooled feed gas stream in a double rectification column 20 comprising a higher pressure rectification column 22, a lower pressure rectification column 24, and a condenser-reboiler 25 placing the higher pressure column 22 in heat exchange relationship with the lower pressure column 24. A pump 50 withdraws a methane product stream from the column 24. The methane product stream is pressurised by the pump 50 and is vaporised in the main heat exchanger 10. The pressurised feed gas stream is expanded with the performance of external work in an expansion turbine 6 upstream of the main heat exchanger 10.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of pre-clinical and clinical diagnosis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, characterised in that the altered expression of a marker protein is measured. In particular embodiments, in the method according to the invention, the marker protein measured is the prion protein PrP-sen or interferon gamma (IFN&ggr;) or the laminin receptor (LR) or the laminin receptor precursor (LRP). The invention also relates to a test kit using antibodies specific to the marker protein according to the invention. The invention further relates to a test kit using oligonucleotides which are capable of hybridising under stringent conditions with the nucleic acid coding for the marker protein according to the invention. The invention further relates to the use of antibodies or oligonucleotides which are specific for the above-mentioned marker proteins in a method according to the invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ornament with a rotating display that has an outer frame assembly that includes two integrally formed pivot supports and a display assembly disposed within the frame assembly having two opposing pivot members integrally formed on the display assembly that pivotably engage the pivot supports. The integrally formed pivot supports include a central ring and two connecting arms, each connected to the central ring at two points on the diameter of the ring on one end and the frame member on the other. The central ring and connecting arms are formed integrally with the frame member by stamping or photochemically blanking the shape and rotating the ring into its final position by twisting the connecting arms. By forming the pivot supports in this manner, the opening in the central ring is maintained substantially in alignment with the plane of the frame member.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of pre-clinical and clinical diagnosis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, characterised in that the altered expression of a marker protein is measured. In particular embodiments, in the method according to the invention, the marker protein measured is the prion protein PrP-sen or interferon gamma (IFN&ggr;) or the laminin receptor (LR) or the laminin receptor precursor (LRP). The invention also relates to a test kit using antibodies specific to the marker protein according to the invention. The invention further relates to a test kit using oligonucleotides which are capable of hybridising under stringent conditions with the nucleic acid coding for the marker protein according to the invention. The invention further relates to the use of antibodies or oligonucleotides which are specific for the above-mentioned marker proteins in a method according to the invention.

Abstract: Genes encoding Class II EPSPS enzymes are disclosed. The genes are useful in producing transformed bacteria and plants which are tolerant to glyphosate herbicide. Class II EPSPS genes share little homology with known, Class I EPSPS genes, and do not hybridize to probes from Class I EPSPS's. The Class II EPSPS enzymes are characterized by being more kinetically efficient than Class I EPSPS's in the presence of glyphosate. Plants transformed with Class II EPSPS genes are also disclosed as well as a method for selectively controlling weeds in a planted transgenic crop field.