A method and apparatus for transporting syringes containing radioactive material. The apparatus includes a radiopharmaceutical pig having an inner chamber in which a sharps container can be secured. The sharps container has a housing and an attachable cap. The method includes assembling the radiopharmaceutical pig so that the chamber of the radiopharmaceutical pig contains the syringe in the sharps container housing. The radiopharmaceutical pig is disassembled, where upon the syringe is removed, discharged, and then replaced in the sharps container housing. The cap of the sharps container is affixed to the housing of the sharps container, thus enclosing the contaminated syringe therein. The radiopharmaceutical pig is assembled so that its chamber contains the sharps container and the syringe. The radiopharmaceutical pig is transported to a disposal area, where it is disassembled and the sharps container containing the syringe is placed in a particular disposal container.

A method for chemically decontaminating radioactive material. The method includes reducing-dissolving step for setting surface of radioactive material in contact with reducing decontamination liquid including mono-carboxylic acid and di-carboxylic acid as dissolvent; and oxidizing-dissolving step for setting the surface of the radioactive material in contact with oxidizing decontamination liquid including oxidizer. The method may include repeated pairs of steps, each pair including the reducing-dissolving step and the oxidizing-dissolving step. The mono-carboxylic acid may include formic acid, and the di-carboxylic acid includes oxalic acid. The oxidizer may be ozone, permanganic acid or permanganate.

The present invention relates to a liquid radioactive waste treatment system. The liquid radioactive waste treatment system includes a plurality of evaporation plates and each of the evaporation plates has an uneven surface, in a housing comprised of a glass. A liquid radioactive waste is dispersed via a liquid waste dispersing unit to the evaporation plate, and the liquid radioactive waste is evaporated using solar heat and airflow in the housing.

Materials and methods of making low-sintering-temperature glass waste forms that sequester radioactive iodine in a strong and durable structure. First, the iodine is captured by an adsorbant, which forms an iodine-loaded material, e.g., AgI, AgI-zeolite, AgI-mordenite, Ag-silica aerogel, ZnI2, CuI, or Bi5O7I. Next, particles of the iodine-loaded material are mixed with powdered frits of low-sintering-temperature glasses (comprising various oxides of Si, B, Bi, Pb, and Zn), and then sintered at a relatively low temperature, ranging from 425° C. to 550° C. The sintering converts the mixed powders into a solid block of a glassy waste form, having low iodine leaching rates. The vitrified glassy waste form can contain as much as 60 wt % AgI. A preferred glass, having a sintering temperature of 500° C. (below the silver iodide sublimation temperature of 500° C.) was identified that contains oxides of boron, bismuth, and zinc, while containing essentially no lead or silicon.

Materials and methods of synthesizing mixed-layered bismuth oxy-iodine materials, which can be synthesized in the presence of aqueous radioactive iodine species found in caustic solutions (e.g. NaOH or KOH). This technology provides a one-step process for both iodine sequestration and storage from nuclear fuel cycles. It results in materials that will be durable for repository conditions much like those found in Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and estimated for Yucca Mountain (YMP). By controlled reactant concentrations, optimized compositions of these mixed-layered bismuth oxy-iodine inorganic materials are produced that have both a high iodine weight percentage and a low solubility in groundwater environments.

An apparatus for treating a radioactive nitrate waste liquid includes: a denitrification tank (12) that accommodates active sludge which adsorbs or takes in a radioactive substance in a nitrate waste liquid (11) containing nitrate and the radioactive substance and in which an anaerobic microorganism that reduces the nitrate to nitrogen gas grows; a reaeration tank (14) that aerates and mixes a denitrification-treated liquid (24) treated in the denitrification tank (12) with the active sludge in which the aerobic microorganism grows; and a sludge dissolution tank (81) that dissolves redundant sludge (26A, 26B) discharged from the denitrification tank (12) and the reaeration tank (14). Acetic peracid (80) is supplied to the sludge dissolution tank (81) to dissolve redundant sludge, a sludge lysate is supplied to the denitrification tank (12) as a carbon source (22), and acetic acid is supplied to the denitrification tank (12).

Provided herein are pharmaceutical formulations containing exendins, exendin agonists, or exendin analog agonists that are administered at therapeutic plasma concentration levels over a sustained period of time to lower total cholesterol levels; to lower LDL-cholesterol levels; to lower triglyceride levels; to treat dyslipidemia; to treat and slow the progression of atherosclerosis; and to treat, prevent, and reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in patients. In the pharmaceutical formulations and methods of the invention, the exendin may be exendin-4, an exendin-4 agonist, or an exendin-4 analog agonist. The pharmaceutical formulations may be polymer-based pharmaceutical formulations that may be administered once weekly. An exemplary pharmaceutical formulation comprises 5% (w/w) of exenatide, about 2% (w/w) of sucrose, and about 93% (w/w) of a poly(lactide-co-glycolide) polymer, wherein the poly(lactide-co-glycolide) polymer is in the form of microspheres encapsulating the exenatide.

Potent compounds having combined antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-radiation and metal chelating properties are described. Short peptides having these properties, and methods and uses of such short peptides in clinical and cosmetic applications are described.

A system or method for inferring and selective display of visual and sound media content based on a pet(s)'s level of engagement or reactions to content displayed on any number of content display devices including, but not limited to, television screens, computer monitors, tablets, and cell phones and measured by a sensor. A content selection algorithm takes as input the sensor measurements and historical or pre-computed data to infer the pet(s)'s preference for content. A content modification algorithm interposes algorithmically computed shapes and sounds overlaid on top of the existing content to attract the attention of the pet(s) observing the display.

This broadcasting receiver includes a receiving portion receiving a broadcast signal, a determination portion determining whether or not a user to be subject to parental control of the broadcast signal has entered a prescribed range, and a control portion performing control of enabling parental control corresponding to a user determined to have entered the prescribed range in the case where the parental control corresponding to the user determined to have entered the prescribed range is disabled when the determination portion determines that the user to be subject to parental control has entered the prescribed range.

A method includes receiving first information identifying profile information associated with a customer, habit information associated with the customer's television viewing habits, or Internet usage information associated with the customer. The method also includes receiving preference information from the customer, wherein the preference information identifies advertisements or types of advertisements that the customer would like to view or would not like to view. The method further includes identifying advertisements based on the received first information and the received preference information, inserting, by a service provider, the identified advertisements in a television programming data stream and providing the identified advertisements to the customer.

A remote time shift buffer system with shadow tuning. The remote time shift buffer system includes a client in communication with a remote video recorder. The client tunes to a channel from a television signal source and sends the channel content to a television. When a channel change occurs at the client, the remote video recorder tunes to the same channel as the client and buffers the content. When a pause live television (PLTV) function is initiated, the remote video recorder generates an independent RTSB content stream using the buffered content. Once the RTSB content stream is available, the client switches inputs and displays the RTSB content stream from the remote video recorder. Manipulating the position within the RTSB content stream does not affect buffering of the live content. The remote time shift buffer system provides pause live television functionality with minimal loss of content.

In one embodiment, a broadcast transmitter includes: a viewer information memory configured to store viewer information regarding a viewer who signs up for a subscription; a generator configured to generate individual information regarding a conditional access of a content including a first expiration time indicating an expiration time of the individual information and a second expiration time set independently of the first expiration time for each the viewer who signs up for the subscription based on the viewer information; and a transmitter configured to transmit a broadcast signal including the generated individual information.

The present invention provides techniques relating to rich media advertising. Techniques are provided in which an advertiser-provided image-based component of an advertisement creative is matched with an advertiser-provided audio component of the advertisement creative. A rich media advertisement may be served that includes the image-based component and a synchronously presented audio component. Presentation of the rich media advertisement on a user computer may not require downloading or utilization of a video player.

A digital television system is connected to a mobile computing and communication device through an ad hoc communication link. A program broadcasted by the television system includes a plurality frames delivered in a sequential manner. A user can freeze a frame by employing the mobile device. The frame can then be transmitted to the mobile device and be redisplayed on the mobile device. The redisplayed frame includes visible symbols pointing to displayed items associated with advertising messages. The frame can also be stored in a photograph folder for the user to view the frame and associated advertising messages in a later time.

Disclosed herein is a system and method for simultaneously broadcasting video components (VSs). In one example, a method includes an automation-system (AS) selecting a log entry including (i) a first identifier that maps to a first VC, and (ii) a second identifier that maps to a second VC; a recording-and-playout device (RAPD) retrieving the first VC; the RAPD sending the retrieved first-VC to an encoder; the encoder generating a first transport-stream (TS) having (i) program-identification (PID) data, and (ii) payload data including the sent first-VC; the encoder sending the generated first-TS to a first outbound-broadcast device (OBD); the encoder sending the generated first-TS to a transport-stream splicer; the AS loading the splicer with the second VC; the splicer generating a second TS having (i) the PID data of the generated first-TS, and (ii) payload data including the loaded second-VC; and the splicer sending the generated second-TS to a second OBD.

A virtual channel table for broadcasting protocol and a method for broadcasting by using the virtual channel table includes identification information identifying and permitting discrimination of active and inactive channels contained in the virtual channel table. At a receiver, the virtual channel table transmitted from the transmitting side is parsed, thereby determining whether the current received channel is an active or inactive channel.

An inflight entertainment (IFE) system preloads from head end equipment onto seat end video caches subsets of prerecorded video entertainment programs from a library of prerecorded video entertainment programs stored on the head end equipment. Preloading is done independent of play requests made by passengers using the IFE system. The selected subsets are selected using selection metrics such as program popularity, passenger demographics and/or passenger preferences. The same or a different subset may be selected for different passengers. As a result of the selective preloading of the seat end video caches, if the head end equipment or the distribution system becomes inoperable during the flight, the IFE system is able to continue to deliver a limited offering of popular, demographically indicated and/or passenger preferred video entertainment from the seat end video caches, without requiring a large multiplier in storage capacity or loading time.

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for measuring multicast latency are disclosed. According to one method, the method includes emulating one or more Internet protocol television (IPTV) user devices by generating channel leave and join requests. The method further includes monitoring network responses to the channel leave and join requests and calculating, during a cycle of channel leave and join requests for a user device and prior to repeating the cycle, at least one metric of latency associated with the channel leave and join requests.

Disclosed herein is a receiving device for receiving AV contents, the receiving device including: an obtaining section configured to obtain a description document described in a program language for displaying contents from a server present on a network connected with the receiving device; a determining section configured to determine whether the obtained the description document is obtained from a first server managed on a broadcaster side broadcasting the AV contents; and a controlling section configured to control execution of the obtained the description document according to a result of determination by the determining section.

A digital broadcast receiver on a mobile body includes: a tuner that receives a broadcast signal of a physical channel; a signal intensity detector that detects a signal intensity of the broadcast signal; a current position detector that detects a current position of the mobile body; a movement direction detector that detects a movement direction of the mobile body; a reception judging unit that controls the tuner to judge whether the physical channel can be received; an area information storage unit that stores receivable area information indicating a receivable area of the physical channel; and an area information updating unit that determines, when it is judged that the physical channel can be received, a position apart from the current position in the movement direction according to the signal intensity as a receivable position, and updates the receivable area information to extend the receivable area to the receivable position.

A method and apparatus for extracting advertisement keywords in association with situations of scenes of video include: establishing a knowledge database including a classification hierarchy for classifying situations of scenes of video and an advertisement keyword list, segmenting a video script corresponding to a received video in units of scenes, and determining a situation corresponding to each scene with reference to the knowledge database, and extracting an advertisement keyword corresponding to the situation of a scene of the received video with reference to the knowledge database.

A video-on-demand (VOD) content delivery system has a VOD Application Server which manages a database of templates ordered in a hierarchy for presentation of video content elements of different selected types categorized in hierarchical order. The templates include those for higher-order displays which have one or more links to lower-order displays of specific content. The VOD Application Server, in response to viewer request, displays a high-order templatized display, and in response to viewer selection of a link, displays the lower-order display of specific content. The hierarchical templatized displays enable viewers to navigate to an end subject of interest while having a unique visual experience of moving through a series of displays to the end subject of interest.

A video-on-demand (VOD) content delivery system has a VOD Application Server which manages a database of templates ordered in a hierarchy for presentation of video content elements of different selected types categorized in hierarchical order. The templates include those for higher-order displays which have one or more links to lower-order displays of specific content. The VOD Application Server, in response to viewer request, displays a high-order templatized display, and in response to viewer selection of a link, displays the lower-order display of specific content. The hierarchical templatized displays enable viewers to navigate to an end subject of interest while having a unique visual experience of moving through a series of displays to the end subject of interest. For example, the higher-order display may be a product ad and the lower-order display may be an ad for a local retailer of the product. Similarly, a viewer can navigate from national product to local product ad, or classified ad category to specific classified ad, or bulletin board topic category to specific posting. In another embodiment, the VOD content delivery system is used to deliver consumer-generated classified ads on TV. A web-based Content Management System receives consumer-generated content uploaded online in industry-standard file formats with metadata for title and topical area, and automatically converts it into video data format compatible with the VOD content delivery system indexed by title and topical area. A User Interface for the system delivers listings data to the viewer's TV indexed by title and topical area, and displays a requested classified ad in response to viewer selection.

Provided is an adhesive composition for a protective film including an acrylic emulsion resin capable of providing contamination resistance on the film and low peel strength and minimizing generation of static electricity during peeling of the protective film. The acrylic emulsion resin includes a mixture including 80 to 99.9% by weight of a polymer of a (meth)acrylic acid ester monomer including a C1-C14 alkyl group and a (meth)acrylic acid ester monomer including an alkylene oxide unit, and 0.1 to 20% by weight of a monomer including a carboxyl group and/or a hydroxyl group or a combination thereof, and 5 to 30 parts by weight of a reactive emulsifier having a double bond structure radical-polymerizable with the polymer and including an alkylene oxide unit based on 100 parts by weight of the mixture.

In some embodiments, an improved mechanical adhesion of copper metallization to dielectric with partially cured epoxy fillers is presented. In this regard, a substrate build-up film is introduced having epoxy material and a plurality of epoxy microspheres, wherein an interior of the microspheres is not fully cured. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.

Systems and methods for improving operation of a hybrid vehicle are presented. In one example, torque transferred via a driveline disconnect clutch is estimated based on characteristics of a torque converter to improve driveline operation.

The invention discloses a combined preparation containing IL-10 and rapamycin, able to induce immunosuppression and antigen-specific immune tolerance, and the use thereof in the treatment of diseases involving an excessive, dysfunctional or uncontrolled immune responses mediated by T cells.

The present invention is directed to the use of the peptide compound Pyr-His-Trp-Ser-Tyr-Gly-Leu-Arg-Pro-Gly-NH2 as a therapeutic agent for the prophylaxis and/or treatment of cancer, autoimmune diseases, fibrotic diseases, inflammatory diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, infectious diseases, lung diseases, heart and vascular diseases and metabolic diseases. Moreover the present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions preferably in form of a lyophilizate or liquid buffer solution or artificial mother milk formulation or mother milk substitute containing the peptide Pyr-His-Trp-Ser-Tyr-Gly-Leu-Arg-Pro-Gly-NH2 optionally together with at least one pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, cryoprotectant, lyoprotectant, excipient and/or diluent.

The present invention is related to the use of secretagogue peptides repeatedly administered as part of a pharmaceutical composition that prevent and eradicate the deposition of pathological fibrotic material in parenchymal tissues of internal organs like the liver, lungs, esophagus, small intestine, kidneys, blood vessels, joints, and other systemic forms of cutaneous fibrosis of any etiopathogenesis. Additionally, these peptides prevent and eradicate deposition of amiloid and hyaline materials in any of their correspondent chemical forms and tissue manifestations in the brain, cerebellum, blood vessels, liver, intestines, kidneys, spleen, pancreas, joints and the skin, among others. By this way, cellular, tissular and organ dysfunctions generated by these depositions are corrected. The peptides of the present invention are infiltrated or topically applied, contributing to prevent and eradicate keloids and hypertrophic scars in the skin, derived as sequelae of burns and other cutaneous trauma.

The present invention relates to muscle repair promoters for local application that contain a colony-stimulating factor (CSF) as an active ingredient. The muscle repair promoters of the present invention exhibit their effect at low doses, particularly when they are administered intramuscularly.

The present inventors investigated the effects of anti-IL-6 receptor antibodies on improving the condition of infarcted areas in myocardial infarction, and on suppressing left ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction. As a result, the administration of anti-IL-6 receptor antibodies significantly suppressed the increase of MPO activity in the infarcted area and suppressed myocardial MCP-1 expression in both the infarcted area and the non-infarcted area. Furthermore, echocardiography and histological examinations revealed that cardiac hypertrophy is also suppressed.

A data storage and retrieval system includes a head carriage unit adapted for rotational motion and having multiple heads disposed at a working surface. The system also includes a tape drive unit configured to move a tape media past the working surface of the head carriage unit, the tape media having a width approximately equal to a width of the working surface. As the head carriage unit rotates and the tape moves past the working surface, a first head is configured to write a data track to the tape and a second head is configured to thereafter read the data track, where data read by the second head is for use in verifying data integrity and performing error correction.

A cartridge drive apparatus includes a holder, a lock plate, and a drive unit. The holder is configured to hold a cartridge inserted therein. The lock plate is attached with respect to the holder to be movable in one of an insertion direction and a discharge direction of the cartridge and includes a locking mechanism configured to lock the cartridge. The drive unit is configured to drive the holder and the lock plate in one of the insertion direction and the discharge direction of the cartridge.

A holding portion includes at least three pressing members which are operable to press an inner peripheral of a hole formed on the medium. The pressing members are movable between first positions where the pressing members do not come in contact with the inner peripheral and second positions where the pressing members come in contact with and press the inner peripheral. Each of the pressing members is adapted to interlockingly move with each other when moving toward the first positions and to press the inner peripheral independently from the other members when positioning the second positions.

A CD player, which comprises a conveying roller, a first sensing rod, a second sensing rod, a linkage member, a first switch and a second switch; wherein the linkage member is used for transmitting the rotation of the first sensing rod to the second sensing rod and provided with a first retaining part, a first clamping part, a second retaining part, a second clamping part; the two retaining parts are respectively arranged on both sides of a centerline of a CD conveying path; when the first sensing rod is prevented from rotating by the first retaining part, the second sensing rod is used for releasing the behavior; and when the second sensing rod is prevented from rotating by the second retaining part, the first sensing rod is used for releasing the behavior. The player can avoid the malfunction of a major-diameter CD detection switch and has a very simple structure.

A spreader (100) has a hopper or bin (1) for storing a spreadable material (2), a plurality of spinners (5, 6) adapted to receive the material from the hopper or bin and to spread the material (2) on the ground, and a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver (8) for sensing the position of the spreader (100) and providing an output signal indicative of a position of the spreader to a controller (7). The controller (7) calculates a required pattern and density of material (2) to be spread by the spinners (5, 6) based on a comparison of the actual position of the spreader (A) to a preferred position of the spreader (I), and controls the spinners (5, 6) in order to obtain the required pattern and density of spread material (2). A method of controlling the pattern and density of material spread by a spreader is also disclosed.

A cob conveying and cleaning system for use with a corn harvester, incorporating air induction in cooperation with an air flow from the harvester, for cleaning and separating lighter crop residue to be returned to the field from a mixed flow of the residue and cobs, such that the cleaned cobs can be collected, and the lighter residue optionally spread on the field. The air flow and induction are combined to cooperatively lift or draw the lighter residue from the mixed flow, and to optionally spread the removed lighter residue over a field. The induction apparatus can be located on the harvester, and used as a residue spreader when cobs are not collected.

A cornhead row unit including first and second longitudinally extending stripper plates mounted on a frame and having opposed stripping edges which define a gap between them. The frame further includes an adjusting arrangement operatively connecting the frame and at least one of the first and second stripper plates to selectably and transversely move at least one of the first stripper plate and second stripper plate with respect to the other stripper plate to vary the width of the gap. A loss detection device is operatively connected to the frame for permitting measurement of corn kernels lost as a result of drawing corn stalks through the gap to separate corn ears from the stalks.

A spreader assembly for a combine harvester, the assembly including a pair of disks configured to be rotated such that chaff material dropped onto the disks is spread about the combine harvester, wherein each disk is operably connected to its own motor and a spreader frame assembly. The spreader frame assembly includes a first side support pivotably connected to a frame of the combine harvester, a second side support pivotably connected to the frame of the combine harvester, and at least one disk support configured to support at least one of the pair of disks. The spreader frame assembly further defines an opening configured such that when the combine harvester is windrowing material, no portion of the spreader frame assembly interferes with the flow of windrowing material.

An agricultural combine having an adjustable spreader assembly is provided that includes a spreader with one or a pair of regulators. The spreader includes a discharge opening about its lateral side. The regulator is pivotably connected to the lateral side of the spreader such that the regulator is in fluid communication with the discharge opening. The regulator can be configured to move from a retracted position to an extended position or to vary the direction of discharge of crop residue. The spreader can be a vertical spreader, a horizontal spreader, or a spread board.

A radiator screen arrangement (10) for a combine harvester is provided. A screen (12) through which air, which is to pass through a radiator, is drawn by a fan. Rotating means (16) are provided for rotating the screen. Blanking means (18), past which the screen is rotated, provides a blanked off area of the screen which is not subject to the induction pressure of the fan and from which particles can therefore be more easily removed. The arrangement is characterised in that the blanking means has a leading edge (18a) which is of generally spiral shape so that the particles on the outer surface of the screen which enter the blanked-off area can reach the outer periphery (12d) of the rotating screen without being exposed to the induction pressure of the fan and hence have an improved chance of being detached from the screen.

A counter knife bank assembly of a chopper assembly for an agricultural combine is provided that can pass obstructions without damaging the knife blades of the knife blade assembly. The counter knife bank assembly includes a knife bank and a lever assembly connected to the knife bank. The knife bank is moveable between a first position and a second position relative to a stationary frame of the chopper assembly. The lever assembly includes an extension member having a first end connected to the knife bank, a biasing member connected to the extension member, and an abutment member. The abutment member is engaged with the biasing member and is biased against a stationary support member of the counter knife bank assembly for articulation therewith.

A depth adjustable crop transport vane, crop transport vane assembly, and agricultural combine threshing chambers employing such adjustable crop transport vanes are disclosed.

Example embodiments relate to a combine harvester including a straw chopper having an inlet for unchopped straw, an outlet for chopped straw in an essentially horizontal direction, and a spreader fan, connected downstream of the outlet of the straw chopper and having an essentially horizontal plane of rotation, for spreading the chopped straw over a ground surface. The combine harvester further includes a guide member, which is arranged to deflect at least a part of the stream of chopped straw material to an axial intake of the spreader fan such that a part of chopped straw material meets the blades of the spreader fan in the direction of transport of the chopped straw material through the spreader fan at an acute angle (α) relative to the plane of rotation of the spreader fan.

A system and method for controlling spreader output from a harvester includes a distribution chamber for receiving an agricultural material removed from a field. The harvester includes a spreader system configured to distribute the agricultural material onto the field, and an opening configured to receive the agricultural material from the distribution chamber. Moreover, the distribution chamber includes a first panel rotatably coupled to a first side of the distribution chamber, and a second panel rotatably coupled to a second side of the distribution chamber. The first and second panels are configured to direct the agricultural material toward the opening of the spreader system. An angle of the first panel is independently adjustable to control a first amount of agricultural material directed toward a first inlet portion. An angle of the second panel is independently adjustable to control a second amount of agricultural material directed toward a second inlet portion.

A dehider tool has first and second blades arranged in contact with each other that rotate in opposite directions on a common blade axis. A drive assembly having a pneumatic motor and respective drive belts drives the blades in opposite directions about the common blade axis. The blades each have an outer cutting edge in the shape of a regular convex polygon, such as a decagon. The blades have an inner opening for coupling with a blade holder of the drive assembly. The inner opening has the shape of a regular convex polygon, such as a pentagon. The blades are covered with a hard surface coating to extend their service life.

A shoulder blade removal device of bone-in meat includes: a bottom holder which is configured to be in contact with a lower side of the bone-in meat such that the lower side of the bone-in meat is lifted upward and moved in a horizontal direction; a support member for bending the bone-in meat in cooperation with the bottom holder such that an end of the shoulder blade; and a chuck unit attached to a robot arm and gripping the tip part of the shoulder blade in cooperation with the robot arm. The chuck unit includes: a base member fixed to the robot arm; a grip member; and a lock member supported by the base member such that the lock member can be advanced or retracted toward or away from the lateral plate part, the lock member pinching the shoulder blade in cooperation with the lateral plate part.

The present invention relates to a loading station for a storage frame. In the loading station, the storage frame serves for temporarily holding and transporting rod-like elements, in particular smoking rods, on which sausage-shaped products, like sausages, are stored, and comprises two side parts, wherein each side part has two supports being substantially parallel to each other and wherein the side parts are connected with each other by at least one cross beam, and horizontally arranged trays for accommodating rod-like elements. The loading station comprises at least one position defining device for defining a predetermined position of the storage frame. Moreover, at least one locking device is provided for releasably locking of the storage frame in its predetermined position.

The invention concerns a fish transporting apparatus for automatically feeding fish to a fish processing machine. The fish transporting apparatus can include a transport device with a bottom element for receiving the fish and lateral boundary elements for guiding the fish as well as a vibrating member for vibratory driving of the transport device, which is distinguished in that the bottom element is constructed as a grid plate with rectangular apertures. Furthermore, the invention concerns a device for aligning fish in a head/tail orientation with such a fish transporting apparatus.