Abstract: A mini pad is provided with a chilled skim milk additive which is useful for reducing vulvar inflammation and lowering the acidity of a female's vulva which result from vaginal secretions which leak onto the tissue of the vulva. The mini pad can be provided with a self-contained cooling component which can be frozen or, when compressed and ruptured, will lower the temperature of the mini pad to provide the soothing cold. The skim milk can be incorporated into the mini pad in several different ways. The mini pad is useful for soothing and healing vulvar irritation, and it is mobile and can be easily used during normal daily activities without any problems whatsoever.

Abstract: A medium solution which will increase the growth, survival and ultimately the live birth rate of oocytes and embryos which have been or will be subjected to cryopreservation. The solution contains varied amounts of glucose, pyruvates, amino acids, vitamins K5 and C, antioxidants, fatty acids to supply the specimens with the chemical ingredients and uptake requirements required to recover and prosper during and after the cryopreservation process. The solution supplies nutrients to the specimens that will replenish depletion and damage to the specimens and their mitochondria, spindles and structural features, such as cell walls. One formulation addresses the additional requirements of frozen specimens as opposed to the current media solutions and methods which treat the un-frozen specimens the same as the frozen specimens when recovering them from cryopreservation.

Abstract: A medium solution which will increase the growth, survival and ultimately the live birth rate of oocytes and embryos which have been or will be subjected to cryopreservation. The solution contains varied amounts of glucose, pyruvates, amino acids, vitamins K5 and C, antioxidants, fatty acids to supply the specimens with the chemical ingredients and uptake requirements required to recover and prosper during and after the cryopreservation process. The solution supplies nutrients to the specimens that will replenish depletion and damage to the specimens and their mitochondria, spindles and structural features, such as cell walls. One formulation addresses the additional requirements of frozen specimens as opposed to the current media solutions and methods which treat the un-frozen specimens the same as the frozen specimens when recovering them from cryopreservation.

Abstract: An assembly is disclosed that is to be used for the culturing of specimens such as embryos and gametes for use in in vitro fertilization. The assembly includes an annular ring which is affixed to the stage of an optical viewing instrument, such as a microscope. The viewing instrument is focused on a point which lies inside of the ring at a predetermined distance from the center of the ring. Circular specimen dishes having a plurality of specimen wells in which the specimens in question are cultured or grown is removably positioned inside of the ring. The specimen wells have bottom walls which are configured so as to ensure that the specimens in the wells will gravitate to the same predetermined position in each of the wells. That position coincides with the focus point of the viewing instrument.

Abstract: A medium solution which will increase the growth, survival and ultimately the live birth rate of oocytes and embryos which have been or will be subjected to cryopreservation. The solution contains varied amounts of glucose, pyruvates, amino acids, vitamins K5 and C, antioxidants, fatty acids to supply the specimens with the chemical ingredients and uptake requirements required to recover and prosper during and after the cryopreservation process. The solution supplies nutrients to the specimens that will replenish depletion and damage to the specimens and their mitochondria, spindles and structural features, such as cell walls. One formulation addresses the additional requirements of frozen specimens as opposed to the current media solutions and methods which treat the un-frozen specimens the same as the frozen specimens when recovering them from cryopreservation.

Abstract: An apparatus for the culturing of oocytes, embryos, stem cells and cells allows the culturing of the specimens by communally growing or grouping of the specimens and maintains identification of the specimens and allows for the ease in use and location of the specimens in the apparatus. The ability to group the embryos increases cleavage rates, embryos scores and increases the likelihood of better embryos and pregnancy results. This will increase the chances of the survival and future growth or use of the specimens. The apparatus takes the form of a dish which is formed with a plurality of integral wells in which the specimens are placed. The wells or chambers may be subdivided into separate compartments which contain individual embryos or other specimens that are being cultured.

Abstract: A polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell power plant is cooled evaporatively by a non-circulating pressurized water coolant system. The coolant system utilizes a hydrophobic porous plug for bleeding air from the coolant water while maintaining coolant back pressure in a coolant flow field of the system. Furthermore, there is a first method for identifying appropriate parameters of the hydrophobic porous plug for use with a known particular coolant system; and a second method for determining proper operating conditions for a fuel cell water coolant system which can operate with a hydrophobic porous plug closure having known physical parameters.

Abstract: A liquid-gas separator assembly is used in separating gas bubbles from a liquid coolant which liquid coolant is used in a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell power plant. The assembly includes a cylindrical housing containing a central tube which is surrounded by an annular chamber. The annular chamber is defined by the outer surface of the central tube and the inner surface of the cylindrical housing. An inlet line injects a stream of the coolant from the fuel cell stack area of the power plant into the bottom of the central tube in a tangential flow pattern so that the coolant and gas bubble mixture swirls upwardly through the central tube. The swirling flow pattern of the coolant and gas bubble mixture causes the gas bubbles to separate from the liquid coolant so that the gas in the mixture will migrate to the central portion of the swirl tube and the liquid component of the mixture will centrifugally migrate to the inner wall of the swirl tube.

Abstract: A PEM fuel cell power plant includes fuel cells, each of which has a cathode reactant flow field plate which is substantially impermeable to fluids, a water coolant source, and a fluid permeable anode reactant flow field plate adjacent to said water coolant source. The anode reactant flow field plates pass water from the coolant sources into the cells where the water is evaporated to cool the cells. The cathode flow field plates prevent reactant crossover between adjacent cells. By providing a single water permeable plate for each cell in the power plant the amount of water present in the power plant at shut down is limited to a degree which does not require adjunct water purging components to remove water from the plates when the power plant is shut down during freezing ambient conditions. Thus the amount of residual ice in the power plant that forms in the plates during shut down in such freezing conditions will be limited.

Abstract: Traction on wet slippery icy and/or snowy surfaces is improved by the use bamboo leaves which are disposed on articles which engage the slippery surfaces. The bamboo leaves are disposed on the articles in question with the underside of the bamboo leaves oriented so as to engage the slippery surfaces. The bamboo leaves are preferably cut into shaped forms such as circles, squares or the like, which are releasably secured to the articles in question. The securement can be accomplished with releasable adhesives or releasable hook and loop devices. Articles to which the bamboo leaves can be secured include footwear, gloves, crutches, canes, walkers, vehicle tires and any other articles that would benefit from improved traction on slippery icy and/or snowy surfaces. When the hook and loop securement option is used, one sheet of the hook and loop material will be secured to a surface of the bamboo leaf shaped forms and a complementary sheet of the hook and loop material will be secured to the article in question.

Abstract: A fuel cell power plant includes a plurality of fuel cell stacks which are operatively associated with each other so that both the air stream and fuel stream for the stacks are shared by each of the stacks in the power plant. The air and fuel streams are fed into an initial stack stage in the power plant, and after the air and fuel streams pass through the initial stack stage, the fuel exhaust streams are then fed into one or more subsequent stack stages in the power plant. The fuel streams are passed from the initial fuel cell stack stage to the subsequent fuel cell stack stage by means of a common manifold on which each of the fuel cell stacks in the power plant is mounted. The common manifold fuel stream passages are thermally insulated so as to limit water condensation in the fuel stream passages. The manifold may also include water condensation collection traps which will withdraw any water condensate that does form in the fuel stream passages.

Abstract: A cold cryostorage assembly includes a storage chamber in which specimens can be cryo-preserved. Specimen samples are stored in a vacuum so as to minimize the risk of sample contamination. The specimen samples can be cooled and warmed at adjustable controlled rates which best suit the specimen samples in question. The storage chamber can be cooled to temperatures as low as ?269° C. without the use of a cryogen that contacts the specimen sample containers. The specimens can be inserted into and/or removed from the storage chamber at individually programmed variable rates by means of an automated specimen-handling component of the assembly. The specimen handling component of the assembly can be operated by remote control, or even over the internet. The storage chamber is evacuated, and in any case, it does not involve the use of a cryogen in direct contact with sample containers in the storage chamber. The cryogen is contained inside of closed heat exchangers that are disposed in the storage chamber.

Abstract: A liquid-gas separator assembly is used in separating gas bubbles from a liquid coolant. The assembly includes a cylindrical housing containing a central tube which is surrounded by an annular chamber. The annular chamber is defined by the outer surface of the central tube and the inner surface of the cylindrical housing. An inlet line injects a stream of the coolant from the fuel cell stack area of the power plant into the bottom of the central tube in a tangential flow pattern so that the coolant and gas bubble mixture swirls upwardly through the central tube. The swirling flow pattern of the coolant and gas bubble mixture causes the gas bubbles to separate from the liquid coolant. The gaseous component of the separated mixture is then expelled from the housing through an outlet in the upper portion of the housing, and the coolant liquid descends through the annular chamber to the bottom of the housing.

Abstract: A method for analyzing blood enables one to isolate, detect, enumerate and confirm under magnification the presence of target cells which have expressed surface epitopes that indicate intracellular infection by various viruses or other infectious agents, and also cells which have expressed surface epitopes that indicate the presence of non-infectious medical conditions. The analysis involves the examination of cells in the blood sample for the presence or absence of particular surface epitopes while the blood sample is disposed in a centrifuged blood sampling container. The epitopic analysis for the presence or absence of infected cells, or cells which indicate the presence of non-infectious medical conditions relies on the detection of known target expressed epitopes. The target epitopes on the target cell types are epitopes which are also known to be absent on normal circulating cells in the blood.

Abstract: A liquid-gas separator assembly is used in separating gas bubbles from a liquid coolant which liquid coolant is used in a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell power plant. The assembly includes a cylindrical housing containing a central tube which is surrounded by an annular chamber. The annular chamber is defined by the outer surface of the central tube and the inner surface of the cylindrical housing. An inlet line injects a stream of the coolant from the fuel cell stack area of the power plant into the bottom of the central tube in a tangential flow pattern so that the coolant and gas bubble mixture swirls upwardly through the central tube. The swirling flow pattern of the coolant and gas bubble mixture causes the gas bubbles to separate from the liquid coolant so that the gas in the mixture will migrate to the central portion of the swirl tube and the liquid component of the mixture will centrifugally migrate to the inner wall of the swirl tube.

Abstract: A fuel cell power plant includes a plurality of fuel cell stacks which are operatively associated with each other so that both the air stream and fuel stream for the stacks are shared by each of the stacks in the power plant. The air and fuel streams are fed into an initial stack stage in the power plant, and after the air and fuel streams pass through the initial stack stage, the fuel exhaust streams are then fed into one or more subsequent stack stages in the power plant. The fuel streams are passed from the initial fuel cell stack stage to the subsequent fuel cell stack stage by means of a common manifold on which each of the fuel cell stacks in the power plant is mounted. The air streams are routed to all of the fuel cell stacks via a channel in the common manifold.

Abstract: A mechanical drive system for an accessory gearbox of a gas turbine engine is provided. The gas turbine engine includes a high-pressure drive shaft and a low-pressure drive shaft. The mechanical drive system includes a tower shaft and a lay shaft. The tower shaft is connected by a first gear arrangement to the low-pressure drive shaft of the gas turbine engine. The lay shaft is connected by a second gear arrangement to the first tower shaft, and connected to the accessory gearbox.

Abstract: A non-invasive near infrared spectrophotometric monitoring transducer assembly includes a housing member, which is adhered directly on a patient's skin. The housing member contains a prism coupled to a flexible and lightweight single core optical light guide, which provides a means of transferring narrow spectral bandwidth light from multiple distant laser diodes of different wavelengths by use of a multi-fiber optic light combining assembly. Different wavelengths are needed to monitor the level of blood oxygenation in the patient. The assembly also contains a planar light guide mounted on the prism located in the housing member, which light guide contacts the patient's skin when the housing member is adhered to the patient's skin. The light guide controls the spacing between the prism and the patient's skin, and therefore controls the intensity of the area on the patient's skin which is illuminated by the laser light.