Abstract: A non-compliant medical balloon may be changed from a deflated state to an inflated state by increasing pressure within the balloon. The non-compliant medical balloon is composed of a matted fabric layer composed of at least two matted fabric fibers forming an angle. The angle remains substantially unchanged when the balloon changes from a deflated state to an inflated state..

Abstract: A rail wagon (100, 400, 500, 700) is disclosed for the deployment of a panel of track or sleeper set from the wagon to an adjacent substantially parallel track bed in a single laying operation. Each wagon comprises a crane hoist (102, 403, 504) moveable from a transit position to an operational position and at least one stabilizing member in the form of an outrigger having an arm (108) and foot portion (109) to prevent tipping of the rail wagon during track or sleeper deployment. Methods of deployment of panels of pre-formed track and sleeper sets are also disclosed.

Abstract: Scissors are provided in which each blade 1, 2 has a handle 3, 4 and respective finger rings 5, 6, all formed from metal sheet. Each handle 3, 4 and finger ring 5, 6 has moulded thereover a relatively hard plastics material 9, 10 and at least the portion around the finger rings 5, 6 has moulded thereover a relatively soft plastics material 11, 12. With this arrangement the scissors' mechanical strength is primarily derived from the metal sheet, the relatively rigid plastics material is moulded thereover, following which the relatively soft plastics material then provides a soft covering which is protected from the metal part of the finger ring by the layer of relatively hard plastics material.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of reducing the effects of interfering compounds in the measurement of analytes and more particularly to a method of reducing the effects of interfering compounds in a system wherein the test strip utilizes two or more working electrodes. In one embodiment of the present invention, a first potential is applied to a first working electrode and a second potential, having the same polarity but a greater magnitude than the first potential, is applied to a second working electrode.

Abstract: A system and method for delivering interactive video and audio content items, e.g., movie clips, music videos, adverts, to a user playback device, such as a television (TV) set. In a preferred embodiment, the content items are delivered within a video on demand (VoD) environment. Each content item has associated attributes that detail the navigational properties for that content item. The content items are delivered as entries in a content sequence. Nonlinear navigation of the video content sequence is facilitated by querying the associated attributes for the current content item and enabling navigational actions (e.g. FF/REW/PAUSE/SKIP/Jump to target) for that content item accordingly. The content items thus permit varying degrees of user interaction. The user interaction is not bound by predetermined navigational rules, since the user is free to experience the sequenced VoD content items in any order.

Abstract: The present invention teaches a method and apparatus for making measurement of an object on a machine, such as a machine tool, using an optical measuring apparatus which includes a light source for generating a beam of light which is incident on a detector. A detection signal is generated within the detector each time the beam is interrupted. The duration and/or frequency of the detection signals are evaluated and an output signal is emitted from the detection only if a further detection signal is present within the detector in a specified time interval from the generation of an earlier detection signal.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of reducing interferences in an electrochemical sensor wherein the method includes the step of measuring a first current at a first working electrode, the first working electrode being covered by an active reagent layer, the step of measuring a second current at a second working electrode, the second working electrode being covered by an inactive reagent layer and the step of calculating a corrected current value representative of a glucose concentration using a ratio of an active area of the first working electrode to an inactive area of the second working electrode.

Abstract: Compounds of the formula 1

Abstract: Compositions comprising (a) an ethylene-mixed unsaturated ester copolymer or (b) two or more ethylene-unsaturated ester copolymers differing, for example, in their ester chains improve the low temperature properties of fuel oils.

Abstract: Paging areas aligned with wireless terminals are dynamically created. A first base station passes to the wireless terminal a list of all the base stations that it knows and are within a prescribed number of handoffs of the first base station. The wireless terminal uses this list to define its own “personal” paging area. Each time the wireless terminal emerges from a sleep state, it listens for the base station having the best signal and compares its identification against the list of base stations in its personal paging area. If the best signal base station is on the list, any paging messages for the wireless terminal are automatically broadcast by that base station. Otherwise, the wireless terminal must conduct a handoff to that base station to obtain a new personal paging area centered on that base station with that base station as paging agent. Messages originating elsewhere in the network are forwarded to the paging agent for delivery to the wireless terminal.

Abstract: The penalties associated with relying on layer-4 to handle packets lost as a result of a handoff can be reduced by forwarding, in response to a handoff request from a first base station to a second base station, at least one layer-2 frame of a layer-3 packet destined to/from the wireless terminal that has been passed down from layer-3 to layer-2, and so is indicated to have been transmitted at layer-3 even though not all of the layer-2 frames of the layer-3 packet have actually been transmitted. In one embodiment of the invention, each of the at least one layer-2 frames may be encapsulated together in a special layer-3 packet that is transferred from the first base to the second base station in the usual manner of inter-base-station communication. Advantageously, packets are not lost at layer-4 due to handoffs. Thus, layer-4 retransmissions are not required, and so delays in the network are reduced.

Abstract: A vending machine includes a plurality of vending channels defined by parallel upright walls spaced across an upper part of the vending machine. Each wall of the vending machine defining the vending channels ends at a common lower height with escape openings at the lower ends of each vending channel. A plurality of circular cross sectional containers, being cans or bottles, can be stacked in a lying position within the vending channels and can escape through the respective lower escape openings. A dispensing arrangement is located below the plurality of the vending channels and includes a plurality of releasing mechanisms located adjacent each other and able to be separately or jointly controlled so that the vending channels can be divided into defined portions to receive different sized containers or different content containers and the required separate or adjacent releasing mechanisms can be activated to dispense the required container from the defined portion of the vending channel.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel method of inserting viral DNA, which optionally may contain cargo-DNA, into plants or viable parts thereof, but preferably into plants of the monocotyledon class, and most preferably into plants of the family Gramineae, using suitable transfer microorganisms. Further comprised by the invention are recombinant DNA, plasmid and vector molecules suitably adapted to the specific conditions of the process according to the invention and the transgenic plant products obtainable in accordance with the said process.

Abstract: Compositions comprising an ethylene/vinyl acetate or propionate/vinyl branched carboxylate terpolymer improve the low temperature properties of fuel oils.

Abstract: Compositions comprising copolymers of ethylene and an ester of an unsaturated alcohol and a carboxylic acid having at least 3 carbon atoms improve the low temperature properties of fuel oils.

Abstract: Compositions comprising an ethylene/vinyl acetate or propionate/vinyl linear carboxylate terpolymer improve the low temperature properties of oils having wax contents of at least 3% wt.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel method of inserting viral DNA, which optionally may contain cargo-DNA, into plants or viable parts thereof, but preferably into plants of the monocotyledon class, and most preferably into plants of the family Gramineae, using suitable transfer microorganisms. Further comprised by the invention are recombinant DNA, plasmid and vector molecules suitably adapted to the specific conditions of the process according to the invention and the transgenic plant products obtainable in accordance with the said process.

Abstract: The lubricity of low sulphur fuels is enhanced by incorporation of a lubricity enhancing additive in combination with a polyoxyalkylene compound.

Abstract: Additives are blended with a stream of liquid, for example of diesel fuel, by injecting at least two different additive compositions into the stream, and adjusting the rates of injection and the relative proportions of the injected additive compositions. This enables the consumption of additives to be minimized while enabling desired fuel characteristics to be maintained despite variations in the characteristics of the untreated liquid. The rates of injection may be adjusted by an automatic controller (32) in response to signals from sensors (28, 30) representing characteristics of the liquid before and after treatment.