Abstract: This invention relates to chimeric coronavirus S proteins and methods of their use, for example, to treat and/or prevent diseases or disorders caused by infection by a coronavirus.

Abstract: Precision dispense pumps comprise a housing that has an internal chamber disposed therein. A pressurizing assembly disposed within the chamber and includes a cylindrical pressurizing member having a head, a thin-walled skirt extending axially away from the head, and a flange is positioned circumferentially around the skirt. The pressurizing assembly includes a support coupled to backside of the pressurizing member. The support has a cylindrical outside surface sized support the skirt when it is translated from a chamber surface during pressurizing assembly axial movement. A shaft projects through an opening in the support and into a partial opening in the pressurizing member. A fluid transport body is attached to the housing and includes a fluid chamber having a fluid inlet port and a fluid outlet port. An actuator is disposed within an actuator housing attached to the housing and is coupled to the shaft to cause axial movement of the pressurizing assembly within the housing chamber.

Abstract: A valve assembly includes a valve body having a fluid chamber and a fluid inlet and fluid outlet. A poppet assembly is movably disposed within the chamber and includes a poppet head. The chamber includes a valve seat and is interposed between the fluid inlet and outlet. An actuator is attached to the poppet assembly. A lock-out mechanism is connected with the actuator for placing the valve into a closed position with the poppet head positioned against the valve seat. The lock-out mechanism includes a shaft member that is movably attached to the valve apparatus. When the shaft member is in a first position, the actuator is permitted to cause desired poppet assembly movement with the valve. When the shaft member is in a second position, the actuator and poppet assembly position within the valve is fixed with the poppet head seated against the valve seat.

Abstract: Pumps of this invention comprise a pump housing having at least one pressurizing chamber disposed therein, and a pressurizing member is disposed within the pressurizing chamber. The pressurizing member has a body with a solid imperforate head at one end, a thin-walled skirt extending away from the body head, and a flange extends circumferentially around a terminal edge of the skirt. A piston is disposed within the pump housing and is connected at one end to the pressurizing member. A piston gland is attached to the chamber and includes a diametrically positioned piston guide through which the piston is disposed. The flange is interposed between the chamber and the piston gland and includes sealing means to provide a fluid-tight seal therebetween. A pressurizing member plug is attached to the pressurizing member and has an outside wall surface that contacts and carries a variable portion of the skirt inside surface during reciprocating pressurizing member axial displacement.

Abstract: A valve apparatus comprises a valve body, a piston disposed within the valve body, and a rolling diaphragm poppet that is attached the piston to regulates fluid flow through the valve via interaction with a valve seat within the valve body. The valve body has a chamber extending therethrough that includes a valve seat at one chamber end that defines a fluid inlet passage into chamber. The piston disposed within the chamber and is adapted for axial displacement therein by an actuating means. The rolling diaphragm poppet is attached to an end of the piston and is of a one-piece construction. The poppet includes a head that has a circular radial cross section, and that has a frontside surface that is adapted to interface with the valve seat in the chamber to control fluid flow therethrough. The head also has a backside surface that is adapted to accommodate attachment with an end of the piston.

Abstract: A sensor permanently indicates that it has been exposed to temperatures exceeding a critical temperature for a predetermined time period. An element of the sensor made from shape memory alloy changes shape when exposed, even temporarily, to temperatures above the Austenitic temperature of the shape memory alloy. The shape change of the SMA element causes the sensor to change between two readily distinguishable states.

Abstract: A coupling apparatus includes first and second coupling members each having the form of a hollow conduit having a radially extending flange at a first end, an axially extending sleeve defining a second end adapted to connect with a fluid transport fitting, and a fluid transport passageway running axially therethrough. Each flange has a generally planar axially facing frontside surface. In one embodiment, the frontside surface of the first coupling member flange has at least one integral tongue extending axially outwardly therefrom, and the frontside surface of the second coupling member flange has at least one groove disposed axially therein. Each tongue is placed within a respective tongue to form a liquid-tight seal when frontside surfaces of the first and second coupling member flanges are joined together. In another embodiment, the frontside surfaces of each first and second coupling flange include at least one groove disposed axially therein.

Abstract: A seismic exploration method and apparatus in which non-uniformly distributed noise signals generated by wind, machinery, or surface wave propagation and received by the sensing geophones are cancelled by the utilization of adaptive filter processing. A number of horizontally sensitive geophones are disposed along the surface of the earth to detect surface waves induced in the surface of the earth at a plurality of spaced locations throughout an entire area of investigation. Similarly, a number of wind noise and mechanical noise detectors are utilized to detect airwave and noise signals at a plurality of locations throughout the area of investigation.

Abstract: A method of seismic prospecting in which there is employed conventional upsweep and downsweep and opposed polarity of signals that are being sent into the earth as seismic signals and in which there is introduced a taper at the common frequency at the common time on the respective upsweep and downsweep signals to reduce the most significant part of the correlation noise, yet provide the advantages of each of the methods of using opposite phase polarity, to cancel and using opposite upsweep and downsweep to achieve reduction in the noise experienced, as well as the reduction of the most significant part of the correlation noise that distorts the desired zero-phase Klauder wavelet.

Abstract: Distortion in vibrator-type seismic records is corrected by measuring and using the actual ground force imparted by the source to develop an inverse filter. The ground force signal and the reflected seismic data are both subjected to the same deconvolution or other standard processing technique, thereby automatically filtering out flaws introduced by any such technique.