Abstract: A material treatment process and apparatus are described, wherein the formation within a pyrolyser of a plasma having a temperature of at least 10,000.degree. C. into which material to be treated is injected as a fine spray or gas and wherein said material is moved as a stream through the pyrolyser toward the exit while maintained at a high temperature.

Abstract: Utilization of thermodynamic ratios to produce pure rac and pure meso isomers or a mixture thereof.

Abstract: A method for producing dialkylsilyl (2-alkyl-4-aryl indenyl) titanocenes including rac-Me.sub.2 Si(2-methyl-4-phenylindenyl)-titanium dichloride is described.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sensing device for capturing acoustic heart sounds. The sensing device has a diaphragm formed from a piezoelectric transducer material which generates excitation signals in response to acoustic and vibratory energy outputs. The sensing device includes metallization layers on the diaphragm for receiving and transmitting the excitation signals to an output display device via associated electrical contacts and electrical leads and also includes a layer of adhesive material for coupling the sensing device to the subject. The sensing device further includes snap connectors for allowing the device to be quickly disengaged from electrical leads and discarded. A patch sensor device is disclosed which enables acoustic outputs to be triangulated and pinpointed.

Abstract: Novel 2-substituted 7-haloindenes and methods for synthesizing such indenes are described. The 2-substituted 7-haloindenes may be coupled with any aryl group to produce a metallocene catalyst intermediate.

Abstract: A method for producing tetrakis (pentafluorophenyl) borates is described. Hexafluorobenzene is converted to bromopentafluorobenzene which may be isolated and then reacted with an alkyl lithium to produce pentafluorophenyl lithium which in turn is reacted directly with an appropriate reagent to produce the desired borate.

Abstract: Magnetic porous inorganic siliceous materials having a particle size of about 1 to about 200 microns useful as solid supports in various chromatography, immunoassays, synthesis and other separation and purification procedures is disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and system for treating spinal conditions by moving or spatially fixing at least one vertebra relative to another vertebra. The invention includes a link member the ends of which are configured to be secured to adjacent vertebrae and which are offset from a central portion of the link member. The link members can be in the form of a C-shaped or V-shaped rod or plate to form the offset. The offset provides increased bone volume that can be used for grafts or fusion. Attachment structure in the form of bone screws, bolts, or hook members are provided to secure the link members to respective vertebrae or other bones. A plurality of link members can be connected in chain-like fashion to connect multiple points on a plurality of vertebrae or other bones even though those points are nonlinear. In another aspect of the invention, a multi-directional attachment member is provided and may be used with the link members to form a spinal implant or external bone fixation system.

Abstract: A method for the production of tetrachloropalladic acid and bis(acetonitrile) palladium dichloride is described. Palladium metal is reacted with concentrated hydrochloric acid and chlorine to produce the acid which is converted to bis(acetonitrile) palladium dichloride by reaction with acetonitrile.

Abstract: Procedures are disclosed which preclude significant safety hazards in the production of bulk quantities pentafluorophenyl lithium. A pentafluorophenyl compound is reacted with an alkyl lithium compound in a reaction zone, preferably temperature controlled, under conditions such that only a small amount of a predetermined quantity of pentafluorophenyl lithium product is present in the reaction zone at any time. The product may be directly discharged from the reaction zone for combination with another reactant.

Abstract: A unique hollow fiber multiple bioreactor system and method for the propagation of cells and the production of various cell propagation products is described. Simultaneous fluid flow through lumens of hollow fibers in bioreactors is maintained constant across multiple bioreactors so production is maintained essentially constant. The system and method include use of a flow block holder which allows a dissolved oxygen probe to be calibrated at the same pressure as the media in the bioreactor system.

Abstract: A system and method for noninvasively detecting coronary artery disease. The system and method utilize a vasodilator drug to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of an acoustic signal that represents diastolic heart sounds of a patient. A wavelet transform is performed on the acoustic signal to provide parameters for a feature vector. Scaled clinical examination parameters such as a patient's sex, age, body weight, smoking condition, blood pressure, and family history are also included in the feature vector. The feature vector is used as an input pattern to neural networks. The output of the neural networks represent a diagnosis of coronary stenosis in a patient.

Abstract: Magnetic porous inorganic siliceous materials having a particle size of about 1 to about 200 microns useful as solid supports in various chromatography, immunoassays, synthesis and other separation and purification procedures as disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and system for treating spinal conditions by moving or spatially fixing at least one vertebra relative to another vertebra. The invention includes a link member the ends of which are configured to be secured to adjacent vertebrae and which are offset from a central portion of the link member. The link members can be in the form of a C-shaped or V-shaped rod or plate to form the offset. The offset provides increased bone volume that can be used for grafts or fusion. Attachment structure in the form of bone screws, bolts, or hook members are provided to secure the link members to respective vertebrae. A plurality of link members can be connected in chain-like fashion to connect multiple points on a plurality of vertebrae even though those points are nonlinear. In another aspect of the invention, the links are pre-curved in the lateral plane for use in correcting spinal conditions or deformities.

Abstract: An isolated polypeptide comprising a substantially antigenic part of at least one hepatitis A virus epitope, the polypeptide being free from infectious material. The polypeptide is the expression product of a DNA molecule which has been incorporated into a virus, preferably vaccinia virus, using recombinant DNA technology. This expression product, of the recombinant virus containing the DNA molecule coding for it, may be incorporated into a vaccine for immunising against hepatitis A virus.

Abstract: A functionalized, magnetic controlled pore glass support useful in solid phase DNA synthesis is described. The support acts as a universal solid phase for direct oligonucleotide synthesis. The oligonucleotide bound MPG is useful directly to isolate or purify oligonucleotides which possess a section of complementary sequences.

Abstract: Discrimination between RNAs which differ by as little as a single nucleotide is accomplished by having an excess of unlabeled non-complementary oligonucleotide present during hybridization with a labeled complementary nucleotide. The non-complementary oligonucleotide blocks hybridization of the labeled complementary oligonucleotide sequence without affecting hybridization of the labeled complementary oligonucleotide to the complementary sequence. The label may be an isotope, a fluorescent group or of any other type. The technique permits examination of the transcription of highly related allelic and non-allelic genes present in the same cell and the quantification of such transcripts by use of appropriate internal control. The technique is also useful in oligonucleotide hybridization to DNA sequences which differ only by a single nucleotide.

Abstract: A knot formed by providing a bight in a strand, then forming a lark's head in the bight so as to produce a pair of adjacent loops and a pair of free ends extending from the loops, then passing the free ends around the object and passing them through both said loops in series, and then tying at least one overhand hitch in the free ends to resist any forces tending to pull the free ends back through the loops.The knot is useful in orthopedic surgical procedures.

Abstract: A unitary instrument for providing a step-down screw hole in a pedicle is provided. The tool includes an end member for rotatable connection with a power source, the probe for providing a pilot hole in the pedicle and a side-cutting reamer member for providing an anchor hole for a pedicle screw positioned about the pilot hole. The arrangement is such that the instrument is self-centering in part due to the presence of the probe in the pilot hole.

Abstract: A method for producing amine-boranes, specifically pyridine-borane which is highly stable and of good color is described.