Conventional gas mask seals or gaskets are merely rubber flaps integral to and extending from the main body or shell of a gas mask that are conformed to the face of a wearer by tightening straps. The described gas masks comprise a separate gas mask seal and a gas mask shell. Some of the gas mask seals are individualized or customized to more tightly fit and conform to the face of the individual wearer and to provide greater comfort and protection. The gas mask seals may be made from three-dimensional image files developed directly from the wearer's facial features.

An example method for detecting respiratory disturbances experienced by a subject can include receiving an airflow signal and at least one of an acoustic or vibration signal, where the airflow, acoustic, and/or vibration signals are associated with the subjects breathing. At least one feature can be extracted from the airflow signal and at least one feature can be extracted from at least one of the acoustic or vibration signal. Based on the extracted features, at least one respiratory disturbance can be detected. The respiratory disturbance can be flow limited breath or inspiratory flow limitation (“IFL”).

Provided are systems, methods, and electronic vapor devices configured to provide spirometer functionality and respiratory medication dispensing which can couple and function symbiotically with a portable electronic communication device.

Several embodiments of straps and headgear assemblies are described. Some of the embodiments provide straps that can had varied elasticity over the length of the straps. Some of the embodiments provide adjustment mechanisms that facilitate customization of headgear to a user.

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described that indicate an amount at which various gas flow rates should be manually adjusted in order to achieve targeted total flow rates and concentration levels.

A folded planar antenna device for radio frequency identification (RFID) reading is provided. The folded planar antenna device includes an RFID chip, a conductor member comprising a binocular-shaped slot; and a substrate. The conductor member is mounted on the substrate and the substrate is connected to the RFID chip through the binocular-shaped slot. The folded planar antenna device can be mounted on different objects, such as metal, meat, or liquid container, without being completely de-tuned.

In one aspect, a biological sequencing device comprising a cartridge configured to be removed from the instrument is disclosed. In various embodiments the cartridge can include one or more capillaries suitable for capillary electrophoresis, a reservoir and a pump. In various embodiments the reservoir can contain a separation matrix. In various embodiments the pump can load a capillary with separation matrix. In another aspect the biological sequencing device can include one or more capillaries and an integrated valve assembly. In various embodiments the integrated valve assembly can provide a polymer to the one or more capillaries.

The present disclosure relates, in some embodiments, to an apparatus for conducting a capillary electrophoresis assay. The apparatus can comprise a capillary array comprising an anode end and a cathode end, the capillary array provided in a housing further comprising a reservoir configured to house a separation medium and an anode buffer. The system can also comprise an injection mechanism configured to deliver sample to the cathode end of the capillary array, and a temperature control zone, wherein the temperature control zone is configured to control the temperature of the interior of the housing.

A film formation apparatus and a film-formed workpiece manufacturing method which are capable of forming a film with a uniform thickness on a workpiece like a three-dimensional object that includes a plurality of surfaces by a simple structure are provided. A film formation apparatus includes a target 21 that is a film formation material including a plane SU3, a power supply unit 3 applying power to the target 21, a rotating unit 4 rotating a workpiece W that is a film formation object around a rotation axis AX1, and a revolving unit 5 revolving the rotating unit 4 around a revolution axis AX2 separate from the rotation axis AX1 to repeatedly make the workpiece W to come close to and move apart from the target 21.

A force-biased spring probe pin assembly includes a barrel member having a barrel wall defining an elongate internal cavity with a lower end and an upper end. The assembly also includes a first plunger member reciprocally mounted in the internal cavity proximate the lower end of the internal cavity. A spring member is positioned in the internal cavity between the plunger member and the second end of the internal cavity. At least one rectangular cavity formed in the plunger member with a movable cylindrical bearing in the cavity that applies a slight transverse force to the plunger member ensuring good electrical contact between the plunger and the wall of the barrel member. A force-biased spring probe pin assembly includes a barrel member having a barrel wall defining an elongate internal cavity with a lower end and an upper end. The assembly also includes a first plunger member reciprocally mounted in the internal cavity proximate the lower end of the internal cavity and a second plunger member reciprocally mounted in the internal cavity proximate the upper end of the internal cavity. A spring member is positioned in the internal cavity between the first plunger member and the second plunger member. At least one rectangular cavity formed in the first plunger member with a first movable cylindrical bearing in the cavity that applies a slight transverse force to the first plunger member ensuring good electrical contact between the first plunger member and the wall of the barrel member and at least one rectangular cavity formed in the second plunger member with a second movable cylindrical bearing in the cavity that applies a slight transverse force to the second plunger member ensuring good electrical contact between the second plunger member and the wall of the barrel member

A force biased spring probe pin assembly includes a barrel member having a barrel wall defining an elongate internal cavity with a lower end and an upper end. The assembly also includes a split plunger member comprised of an upper split plunger part separated from a lower split plunger part separated by a diagonal cut reciprocally mounted in the internal cavity proximate the lower end of the internal cavity. A spring member is positioned in the internal cavity between the upper split plunger part and the second end of the internal cavity. A force biased spring probe pin assembly includes a barrel member having a barrel wall defining an elongate internal cavity with a lower end and an upper end. The assembly also includes a first split plunger member reciprocally mounted in the internal cavity proximate the lower end of the internal cavity and a second split plunger member reciprocally mounted in the internal cavity proximate the upper end of the internal cavity. The first and second split plunger members are each comprised of two parts: a first upper plunger part separated from a first lower plunger part by a diagonal cut. A spring member is positioned in the internal cavity between the first and second upper split plunger parts. In each split plunger the diagonal surface of the upper split plunger part exerts a transverse force to the diagonal surface of the lower split plunger part ensuring good electrical contact between the lower split plunger member part and the barrel wall.

A universal, modular, temperature controlled MRI phantom for calibration and validation for anisotropic and isotropic imaging comprises an outer insulating shell configured to be received within an MRI chamber; an inner shell received within the outer insulating shell; a fluid conduits adjacent the inner shell for receiving temperature controlling fluid or gas cycling there-through; and a series of stacked layers of frames containing test points for the MRI phantom, each layer including at least one fiducial and including at least some anisotropic imaging test points in at least one frame and at least one isotropic imaging test point in at least one frame. The anisotropic imaging comprises hollow tubular textile fibers, wherein each hollow tubular fiber has an outer diameter of less than 50 microns and an inner diameter of less than 20 microns, wherein at least some hollow tubular fibers are filled with a fluid.

Disclosed is a piezoelectric material including stereocomplex crystals of poly(D-lactic acid) (PDLA) and poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA), wherein poly(D-lactic acid) and poly(L-lactic acid) are crystallized into a stereocomplex, thus exhibiting superior heat resistance and piezoelectric properties. This piezoelectric material, which is obtained using poly(lactic acid), can be produced at very low cost compared to when using PVDF, and is configured to include stereocomplex crystals of PDLA and PLLA and can thus manifest high thermal stability and piezoelectric properties, compared to when using conventional PLLA alone. Such a piezoelectric material can be efficiently utilized in a variety of fields in which low production cost, high processing temperature in the manufacturing process, or high-temperature stability of piezoelectric material products is required.

A sensing device includes an array of sensing elements. Each sensing element includes a photodiode, including a p-n junction, and a local biasing circuit, coupled to reverse-bias the p-n junction at a bias voltage greater than a breakdown voltage of the p-n junction by a margin sufficient so that a single photon incident on the p-n junction triggers an avalanche pulse output from the sensing element. A bias control circuit is coupled to set the bias voltage in different ones of the sensing elements to different, respective values that are greater than the breakdown voltage.

An analyser 10 for identifying or verifying or otherwise characterising a liquid based drug sample 16 comprising: an electromagnetic radiation source 11 for emitting electromagnetic radiation 14a in at least one beam at a sample 16, the electromagnetic radiation comprising at least two different wavelengths, a sample detector 17 that detects affected electromagnetic radiation resulting from the emitted electromagnetic radiation affected by the sample, and a processor 18 for identifying or verifying the sample from the detected affected electromagnetic radiation, wherein each wavelength or at least two of the wavelengths is between substantially 1300 nm and 2000 nm, and each wavelength or at least two of the wavelengths is in the vicinity of the wavelength(s) of (or within a region spanning) a spectral characteristic in the liquid spectrum between substantially 1300 nm and 2000 nm.

A debris collecting and retaining magnet structure for removable disposition in a motor vehicle transmission. The magnet structure is cylindrical and defines a plurality of axially and circumferentially extending and intersecting bars or ribs. The intersecting bars or ribs form a cylindrical cage. The cage is secured to a mounting structure having a radially extending arm or lug with a mounting opening in which a threaded fastener may be installed to secure the magnet assembly to a transmission housing. The mounting structure includes a gasket such as an O-ring to seal it within the transmission. The cylindrical magnet cage exhibits significantly increased surface area relative to conventional magnets thereby increasing the amount of metal particles that may be attracted to and retained by the magnet.

The present invention is directed to systems, apparatus and methods for creating derivatives of at least one form of HDL without substantially affecting LDL. These derivatives of HDL are particles with reduced lipid content, particularly reduced cholesterol content. These particles have the capacity to bind cholesterol and are administered to a patient to enhance cellular cholesterol efflux and reduce cholesterol levels in cells, tissues, organs, and blood vessels. The present method is useful for treating atherogenic vascular disease and may be combined with other therapies such as statins, inhibitors of cholesterol absorption, niacin, anti-inflammatories, exercise and dietary restriction.

A method of manufacturing a refined pitch includes the steps of providing a pitch and performing a heated blending process thereon to produce a pitch solution; adding an aromatic additive to the pitch solution; adding an aliphatic additive to the pitch solution; performing a quiescent sedimentation process on the pitch solution; and separating a liquid part from the pitch solution. Therefore, the method allows a concentrated mesophase pitch to be manufactured quickly and by heat processing.

Blood separation systems and methods are provided for detecting lipids in plasma that has been separated from a plasma-containing fluid, such as blood. The system includes a fluid processing region in which a plasma-containing fluid is separated into plasma and other fluid components. A plasma flow path is associated with the fluid processing region for the flow of at least a portion of the separated plasma into or out of the region. A lipid detector shines blue and/or ultraviolet light through the separated plasma in the plasma line to optically detect the presence of lipids therein. The lipid detector may be used alone or in combination with a hemoglobin detector to reduce the number of false hemoglobin alarms or an interface detector for improved detection and correction of the location of an interface between separated fluid components in the fluid processing region.

First, a loud siren seared my ears. When I turned, I saw four men draped in bandages standing atop a white hearse.…

Here are photos from today's Warriors' championship parade.

The organization sets up at 27th Street and Northgate Avenue and at 6th and Castro streets. Blair Hippolyte and Jannie Rutledge, two Oakland residents who are homeless, sat on the sidewalk of 27th Street.…

Once Were Brothers celebrates the timeless sound of The Band. Here's a quiz for roots music fans. Multiple choice.…

Raucous satire Greed throws billionaire Steve Coogan to the lions. British actor Steve Coogan has made a successful comic character-acting career using two basic ingredients: his own voice and someone else’s writing. Time and again, in such outings as In the Loop, Coffee and Cigarettes, the Alan Partridge TV shows, and Stan and Ollie (with Coogan in deep character as Stan Laurel), Coogan arrives in a hail of dialogue, showering the audience with witticisms from his favored point of view – a man so exasperated with his situation that the best response he can think of is to stew in his own juices, noisily.…

From plain cheese slices to pan pizza to slices drizzled with balsamic reduction, Graffiti Pizza has you covered. After the clock strikes midnight in Oakland, there's no shortage of tacos, burritos, or won ton noodle soup. But one of the most classic of late-night foods — pizza by the slice — was hard to find in Oakland during the wee hours.…

The invention relates to the field of virology. The invention provides an isolated essentially mammalian negative-sense single-stranded RNA virus (MPV) within the subfamily Pneumovirinae of the family Paramyxoviridae and identifiable as phylogenetically corresponding to the genus Metapneumovirus and components thereof.

The present invention relates to methods of determining if a subject has an increased risk of suffering from memory impairment. The methods comprise analyzing at least one sample from the subject to determine a value of the subject's exosomal profile or combined biomarker profile (lipids plus exosomal cargo) and comparing the value of the subject's exosomal or combined biomarker profile with the value of a normal exosomal or biomarker profile, respectively. A change in the value of the subject's exosomal or combined biomarker profile, including a change in the subject's exosomal or combined biomarker profile, over normal values is indicative that the subject has an increased risk of suffering from memory impairment compared to a normal individual.

Benchmark Pizzeria in Old Oakland has closed permanently.

A notice now posted at the restaurant's website, addressed "to our Friends, Regulars, and Supporters," reads:

"We have made the very tough decision to close Benchmark Oakland permanently.…

Together with a team of volunteers — including the Street Royalty Motorcycle Club — popular pitmaster Matt Horn prepared and served 600 pork and chicken sandwiches to feed the entire staff at Valley Children's Hospital in Fresno.

Rather than lament the delayed opening of his eagerly awaited Horn Barbecue brick-and-mortar restaurant in the heart of Oakland, last month the pitmaster created a philanthropic project, the Horn Initiative, which has since mid-March facilitated the making and serving of over 4,000 meals to frontline workers and others in need.…

Stories you shouldn’t miss:

1. Alameda County Public Health Director Muntu Davis contends that gentrification should be examined in terms of health impacts because of the displacement and stress it causes for low-income residents, the Bay Area News Group$ reports.…

If you happen to run into any medical residents anytime soon, they may look a little fatigued and broke, especially if they happen to be residents or pediatricians of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital of Oakland. Today, the CIR/SEIU Healthcare union that represents resident physicians and pediatricians said it plans to rally in front of the hospital on Friday at 12:15 p.m. along with nurses and community leaders to demand better wagers and working conditions.…

The invention relates to a device for thermally disconnecting or tripping an overvoltage protection device, comprising: a locking element (A1), on which a first force (F1) acts, and which is fixed in such a way that same is released when a limit temperature is exceeded; and a slider (S1) which is blocked in a first state (Z1) by the fixed locking element (A1), and on which a second force (F2) acts in order to transfer same into a second state (Z2) when the locking element (A1) is released.

HE MAY NOT be held in the highest regard by the public but there’s something to love about Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain.

Oral sex, beards and other gross-outs. I'm a 31-year-old cis bisexual woman. I'm hetero-romantic and in a monogamish relationship with a man. We play with other people together.…

A method of making a MRAM device includes forming a magnetic tunnel junction on an electrode, the magnetic tunnel junction comprising a reference layer positioned in contact with the electrode, a tunnel barrier layer arranged on the reference layer, and a free layer arranged on the tunnel barrier layer; and depositing an encapsulating layer on and along sidewalls of the magnetic tunnel junction; wherein the exposing of the magnetic tunnel junction to hydrogen plasma is performed at a temperature from about 150 to about 250° C. An MRAM device including an encapsulating layer comprising either silicon nitride or aluminum oxide is also provided.

A pipe lining material impregnated with a thermosetting resin is inserted into a pipe and the thermosetting resin impregnated therein is cured to line the pipe with the pipe lining material. A circulation pump is used to circulate water in a water tank to a boiler to heat the water into hot water. The hot water is pumped using a spraying pump and sprayed on the pipe lining material to cure the thermosetting resin impregnated therein. After the thermosetting resin has been cured, the hot water pumped using the circulation pump is circulated to a cooler to cool the hot water into cool water, which is sprayed on the cured thermosetting resin to cool it. The sprayed hot or cool water that remains inside the lined pipe is returned to the water tank for circulation to the boiler or the cooler.

Embodiments using immersion de-taping are described. A substrate having a substrate tape attached thereto is provided. The substrate includes electrically conductive connectors attached to the substrate tape. A fluid is provided between the substrate and the substrate tape. While the fluid is between the substrate and the substrate tape, the substrate tape is removed from the substrate. Another embodiment is an apparatus comprising an immersion tank, a substrate chuck, first and second fixed rollers, and a moveable roller. The substrate chuck is configured to secure a substrate and to place the substrate into the immersion tank. The first fixed roller is operable to dispense a clamp tape. The second fixed roller is operable to roll the clamp tape. The moveable roller is operable to extend into the immersion tank and to adhere the clamp tape to a substrate tape on the substrate.

Apparatus for and method of rapidly chilling a beverage in which a vessel having high thermal mass relative to the amount of beverage to be introduced into the vessel is cooled through contact with a cooling module to a temperature low enough that a volume of beverage introduced into the vessel is rapidly cooled.

Apparatus for and method of rapidly chilling a beverage in which a vessel having high thermal mass relative to the amount of beverage to be introduced into the vessel is cooled through contact with a cooling module to a temperature low enough that a volume of beverage introduced into the vessel is rapidly cooled.

The end to the fluoride saga in the Southampton city region will put a big hole in the correspondence bag for this paper’s daily letters page.

The BBC has defended its policy of using the term Islamic State when referring to the blood-soaked terrorists that claimed the lives of 30 Britons in Tunisia and tens of thousands of people in the Middle East.

News you don't want to miss for April 21:

1. Those who suffer the effects of poor air quality are at greater risk of complications associated with the coronavirus, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.…

To celebrate National Nurses' Week, Ike's Love & Sandwiches is offering all healthcare workers with ID 50 percent off the price of their in-store takeout orders tomorrow, May 6.

Boasting over seventy locations in five states — including locations in Berkeley and Oakland — the cult-favorite San Francisco-based sandwich outfit is also donating hundreds of sandwiches throughout the next seven days to healthcare facilities throughout California and Arizona.…

News you don't want to miss for May 5:

1. "UC Berkeley is in negotiations to purchase — and then potentially tear down — a 111-year-old rent-controlled apartment building on Walnut Street where some residents have lived for more than 25 years," Berkeleyside reports.…

An employee at a Dunkin' (formerly Dunkin' Donuts) restaurant in Concord has inspired the company's brand-new DIY Dunkin' Donut Kits.

Norma Valkenaar asked the restaurant's franchisee, Matt Cobo, whether she could bring home some donuts, frosting, and sprinkles so that her young nephews could experiment with customizing their own treats.…

A travel accessory designed to provide comfort to the user during a trip contains a neck-rest, a travel cape, and an attachment mechanism. The neck-rest is removably attached to the travel cape so that the user can utilize the neck-rest and the travel cape independently. The neck-rest has a stuffing which is concealed within a hollow body of the neck-rest. The stuffing is secured in position with a fastening mechanism such as a zipper. Additionally, the neck-rest also contains a first pocket and a second pocket which are used for storing items used during travelling. For user convenience, the travel cape is designed with a first-arm receiving hole and a second-arm receiving hole. In order to transport the neck-rest and the travel cape a carrying bag is also provided. A plurality of storage pockets on the carrying bag allow the user to store items that are essential when travelling.

Disclosed is a modified set of gloves, system, and method of glove removal and retention that is particularly well suited for, but not limited to, tactical situations (i.e. fast-roping) and action sports environments. In one embodiment, the glove(s) feature at least one catch between at least two fingers of the glove(s). Preferably, the catch defines a mechanism for rapidly removing and retaining the glove(s). Further disclosed is a system for removing the glove(s) featuring a garment with an attached anchor, such as a carabineer or a hook. In a preferred embodiment, the anchor is positioned in the sternum area of the vest and glove wearer. Operably, a user moves the gloved hand(s) down and over the anchor to place the catch on the anchor so that the continued movement of the user's hands rapidly removes and stores the glove(s) via the anchor.

An article having an inner article layer and an outer article layer to be worn by a mammal comprising a thermally insulating layer of a reflective metalized polymeric insulation material having moisture vapour transference properties adjacent to at least one of the inner and outer article layers. An apparatus and method for producing a reflective metalized polymeric thermally insulating assembly having moisture vapour transference properties suitable for use in the article is also provided. The insulation material provides enhanced thermal retention.

The invention relates to a product for pilgrims performing the rites of Haj and Umrah. Used to reduce the crushes resulting from pilgrims colliding because, for example, pilgrims places their shoes close to the gate from which they entered thinking that it will be easy to return to the same place once they have performed the rites of circumambulation (tawaf) and running (sa'ay). However, in reality the pilgrims must walk against the flow, causing collisions and severe crushes, or he is forced to leave his shoes behind, which is a burden for cleaning staff, looks untidy and is a nuisance for pilgrims, the main figures for the inventions are FIG. 7 before wearing the shoes and FIGS. 8,9,10 and 11 after wearing it.

POLICE are appealing for information after a 'suspicious' 4X4 was seen pulling onto someone's drive with the number plates covered up.