A method and system for flexibly processing content objects is disclosed. The processing is performed with a content delivery network (CDN) having a number of geographically distributed points of presence (POPs). Content objects are ingest through landing pads and stored or otherwise processed in a flexible way where storage bricks and other resources are chosen flexibly by characterization tags. Policies are used to describe which content objects are processed by which categories of resources. A group of resources characterized by the tag are chosen when the processing is performed. When retrieving content, the content object can be stored on any storage brick found through the tag analysis process. A query is translated to addresses for the chosen storage brick(s).

Automatic analyzer for blood or bone marrow. Has a pipetting robot automatically dispensing the (diluted) blood onto a slide in the form of two streaks. Microscopic images of the blood streaks are taken and the cells are counted and identified by an image recognition system. The analyzer can also strain blood and take images at defined wavelength-bands using either a filter or a tuneable LED.

Cushioning element (4) for footwear, having a deformable filling (12) and an envelope (10) that encloses the deformable filling. The envelope is arranged for forming at least one flow channel (837). In use, at least part of the deformable filling flows into the at least one flow channel as a result of increased pressure of the deformable filling caused by a mechanical load The deformable filling contains solid bodies and further contains a lubricating fluid for mutually lubricating the solid bodies. A dimension of the at least one flow channel is arranged for hindering entrance of the solid bodies into the at least one flow channel during cushioning.

An applicator instrument for dispensing surgical fasteners includes a housing, an elongated shaft extending from the housing, a firing rod disposed inside the elongated shaft and being movable within a first plane between a retracted position and an extended position, an advancer disposed inside the elongated shaft and being moveable within a second plane between a retracted position and an extended position, and a staging assembly located adjacent the distal end of the elongated shaft and being adapted to align surgical fasteners with a distal end of the firing rod. The staging assembly is held below the second plane by the advancer when the advancer is in the extended position and the staging assembly is adapted to move into at least partial alignment with the distal end of the firing rod when the advancer is in the retracted position.

The invention relates to a device for heating process water by means of a solar collector, which comprises a process water container (7) having a partially cylindrical jacket (8) as an absorber and an enclosure (1) that covers the process water container (7). The enclosure forms a transparent cylindrical jacket (3), the axis of which extends parallel with the axis of the jacket (8) of the process water container (7). In order to create advantageous heating conditions, the process water container (7) is connected in a thermally conducting manner to an absorber plate (4) that forms a bottom of the enclosure (1), and the absorber plate (4) and the jacket (8) of the process water container (7) are covered by a coarsely meshed, heat-insulating woven fabric (11).

Disclosed embodiments, as well as features and aspects thereof, are directed towards providing a system, device and method for calculating comprehensive ballistic solutions, or portions thereof, via a varying magnification optical range determining and ballistic trajectory calculating apparatus referred to as a ballistic solutions device. Advantageously, embodiments of a ballistic solutions device may drastically reduce marksman error in milling targets by employing a measurement component configured to measure angular movement of a projectile launching device, such as a rifle, thus delivering consistently accurate distance to target estimations. Additionally, embodiments of a ballistic solutions device may also comprise features and aspects that enable a user to leverage available real-time field data such that error associated with the measurement of those variables is minimized prior to calculating and rendering a comprehensive ballistic solution derived from stored DOPE.

The invention relates to a weapon housing (1) comprising: at least two housing shells (3, 5) and at least one connection block (7), wherein at least two connection pins (9a, b, c) are formed on the connection block (7) and at least one positioning recess (11a, b, c) is formed in each housing shell (3, 5), and wherein the housing shells (3, 5) are placed and oriented on the at least one connection pin (9a, b, c) by means of the at least one positioning recess (11a, b, c) in an installation plane on the connection block (7). The invention further relates to a weapon having a weapon housing (1) and to a method for producing a weapon housing (1) comprising the following steps: providing at least two housing shells (3, 5) and at least one connection block, wherein at least two connection pins (9a, b, c) are formed on the connection block (7) and at least one positioning recess (11a, b, c) is formed in each housing shell (3, 5), placing and orienting the housing shells (3, 5) on the at least one connection pin (9a, b, c) by means of the at least one positioning recess (11a, b, c) in an installation plane on the connection block (7), and connecting the housing shells (3, 5).

Methods, compositions, systems, apparatuses and kits comprising modified proteins, particularly modified nucleic acid-binding proteins with altered buffering properties are provided. For example, in some embodiments, methods of forming modified proteins including one or more amino acid modifications to achieve desired pKa values are described. Furthermore, the invention provides methods for using such modified proteins in ion-producing reactions, such as ion-based nucleic acid sequencing reactions.

A fluid-working machine has a working chamber of cyclically varying volume, high and low pressure manifolds, and high and low pressure valves for regulating the flow of fluid between the working chamber and the high and low pressure manifolds respectively. A controller actively controls at least one said valve to determine the net displacement of working fluid of the working chamber on a cycle by cycle basis. At least one said valve is a variable timing valve and the controller causes the valve to open or close at a time determined taking into account one or more properties of the performance of the fluid working machine measured during an earlier cycle of working chamber volume. Properties of the opening or closing of a monitored valve may be taken into account. The variably timed valve may therefore be opened or closed at an optimum time to achieve efficient and reliable operation of the fluid- working machine. The magnitude of the opening or closing force applied to a valve member may also be varied.

A method of operating a fluid-working machine having a plurality of working chambers of cyclically varying volume in which each working chamber is operable to displace a volume of working fluid which is selectable for each cycle of working chamber volume. The volume of working fluid displaced during each cycle of working chamber volume, to carry out a working function, is selected taking into account the availability of other working chambers. The status of each working chamber is monitored and a working chamber treated as unavailable if it is found to be malfunctioning. A working chamber may be treated as unavailable to carry out a working function if it is allocated to an alternative working function. A fault may be detected in a working chamber of a fluid-working machine having working chambers operable to displace a volume of working fluid which is selectable for each cycle of working chamber volume to carry out a working function responsive to a received demand signal, by determining whether a measured output parameter of the fluid working machine fulfils at least one acceptable function criterion taking into account the previously selected net displacement of working fluid by a working chamber during a cycle of working chamber volume to carry out the working function.