Abstract: The present invention relates to rotary motors in which the rotational motion of the motor is provided by the attractive (or repulsive) forces between a pair of cooperating magnets in response to tilting of the motor axle.

Abstract: There is disclosed a vehicle seat provided with a system for facilitating relieving of fatigue of a person driving a vehicle, the vehicle seat comprising a seat back (1) having a pad (5), the system including an occupant's body-motion promoting mechanism (12) provided in the seat back so as to be arranged behind the pad for locally pressing an occupant's body during driving of the vehicle and releasing the occupant's body from pressure, thereby moving the occupant's body and promoting blood circulation of the person. The occupant's body-motion promoting mechanism is configured to intermittently perform repeated pressing/releasing operations with respect to the third lumbar vertebrae of the occupant in a range of three to seven times, at a stroke amount in a range of 10 mm to 20 mm, and at a time interval of 5 minutes to 10 minutes.

Abstract: A powered unicycle (100) having a wheel (105) driven by a motor (107) and a control system arranged to automatically maintain the fore-aft balance of the unicycle (100) via operation of the motor (107). The unicycle (100) also includes a handle bar (102), coupled to the wheel (105) by a pillar (101), which is operable to steer the wheel (105), and a rider-support (109) which is pivotable relative to the wheel.

Abstract: Materials and methods for photodirected synthesis of oligonucleotide arrays on a solid substrate by photodirected synthesis are disclosed which employ a film formed from (i) a photoacid generator that on photolysis generates acid that is capable of directly removing the protecting group of the linker molecules or oligonucleotides and (ii) a polymer substantially lacking electronegative heteroatoms that are capable of hydrogen bonding with photogenerated acid. Methods of synthesizing an oligomer arrays are also described that use a film that restricts diffusion of reactants and products on the substrate during synthesis of the array and which includes a precursor of a deprotecting reagent. The method involves removing one or more of the non-required products of the deprotection reaction from the reactive array elements at which they are produced during the reaction, in order to displace the deprotection reaction towards completion.

Abstract: A pocket-sized flashlight may comprise a hollow cylindrical housing, a solid state light source at a forward end thereof and a switch at a rearward end thereof. The switch selectively connects the solid state light source and two or more batteries, preferably size AAAA batteries, in the housing in circuit for causing the solid state light source to produce light. The pocket-sized flashlight preferably is a relatively long and slim flashlight, wherein its length is between about 12.6 times and about 17.4 times its diameter.

Abstract: Disclosed are new classes of phenanthridinium derivatives, most notably dihydro-imidazo-phenanthridinium (DIP) compounds. The compounds are prepared by the reaction of the middle b ring of a phenanthridinium core with primary amines to form the DIP compounds. This reaction can also be applied to other classes of starting compounds which comprise a 6-membered ring aromatic heterocycle having a ring nitrogen and at least one alpha hydrogen atom which can be reacted with a primary amine. Also disclosed is a method of using the DIP compounds for treatment of ovarian cancer.

Abstract: Phosphate binding materials and compositions comprising them which are solid ligand-modified poly oxo-hydroxy metal ion materials are disclosed that are based on ferric iron oxo-hydroxides modified with carboxylic acid ligands, or ionized forms thereof. These materials are made and tested in the examples provided in the application to demonstrate that they can bind phosphate in in vitro and in in vivo studies.

Abstract: There is disclosed a seat that comprises a trim cover including a sheet of covering material and a wadding layer, a padding member covered with the cover, a seating surface section formed by a portion of the cover and a portion of the padding member, and electric or electronic equipment, the equipment including planar equipment bodies and accessories, the wadding layer including a first wadding member laminated onto the entire sheet, and second wadding members formed separately from the first wadding member and mounted to predetermined regions of the portion of the padding member which forms the seating surface section in cooperation with the portion of the cover, the bodies being disposed on the second wadding members, and the padding member being covered by the cover in such a manner that the second wadding members having the bodies disposed thereon are combined with the first wadding member.

Abstract: A microfabricated device employing a bridging membrane and methods for electrokinetic transport of a liquid phase biological or chemical material using the same are described. The bridging membrane is deployed in or adjacent to a microchannel and permits either ionic current flow or the transport of gas species, while inhibiting the bulk flow of material. The use of bridging membranes in accordance with this invention is applicable to a variety of processes, including electrokinetically induced pressure flow in a region of a microehannel that is not influenced by an electric field, sample concentration enhancement and injection, as well as improving the analysis of materials where it is desired to eliminate electrophoretic bias. Other applications of the bridging membranes according to this invention include the separation of species from a sample material, valving of fluids in a microchannel network, mixing of different materials in a microchannel, and the pumping of fluids.

Abstract: A method of reducing the oxygen content of a powder is provided. A canister is prepared with a getter, filled with the powder to be densified, sealed and evacuated. The canister is subjected to a hydrogen atmosphere at an elevated temperature whereby hydrogen diffuses into the canister through the walls thereof. The hydrogen forms moisture when reacted with the oxygen of the powder and the moisture in the reacted with the getter in order to remove oxygen from the powder to the getter. The atmosphere outside the canister is then altered to an inert atmosphere or vacuum, whereby hydrogen diffuses out of the canister. A dense body having a controlled amount of oxygen can thereafter be produced by conventional powder metallurgy techniques.

Abstract: An external fixation assembly includes a plurality of hollow pins that are inserted into a patient's bone. Each pin has an interior bore and a plurality of apertures extending through the pin wall from the bore. The pin may be coupled to a source of vacuum pressure operable to create reduced pressure in the tissue surrounding the pin. A cover is placed around the pin and sealed to provide a fluid-tight enclosure that maintains reduced pressure around the pin. A method for applying external fixation using the fixator pins described above includes the steps of inserting each pin through a skin opening, positioning the pin apertures near selected tissue, covering the skin opening with a sealed enclosure, connecting the pins to a source of vacuum pressure, and activating the source of vacuum pressure to create reduced pressure in the patient's tissue at or near the bone.

Abstract: Production of nanotubes of carbon or of other inorganic material by moving a carbon-containing substrate, such as a tape or belt of carbon fibers, within a reaction chamber either though an electric arc in a gap between two electrodes or adjacent an electrode so that an electric arc exists between the electrode and the substrate, to cause the nanotubes to form on the substrate. The method enables the continuous or semi-continuous production of nanotubes. Preferably, the process is carried out at atmospheric pressure and nanotubes of high purity are produced.

Abstract: An umbrella (1) in which the canopy is supported, tensioned and retained on a frame without any external points. The ends of conventional ribs (6,7) are provided with force spreading components (8) which are located within pockets (9) at the periphery of the umbrella canopy (3). As the umbrella is erected, the force spreading components open to provide a surface which pushes outwardly against a bearing surface formed between a pocket and the canopy, which “spread” outwards. The spreading of the components (8) is initiated by the radially outward movement of slidable tubes (7) upon inner rods (6) attached at their inner ends to the shaft (2) of the umbrella. Inner rods (6) and outer tubes (7) together form the ribs or spokes of the umbrella which are supported and raised/lowered by primary struts (11) connected between the ribs and a primary shaft slider (12).

Abstract: A method for reducing interference from at least one narrowband interferer in a pilot symbol assisted receiver (10) includes the steps of; receiving a stream of received data, passing the stream of received data through an adaptive filter that reduces interference from any narrowband interferer, passing the filtered data through a correlator (7, 8) arranged to detect pilot symbols, when a pilot symbol is detected passing the stream of received data to a receiving apparatus without first passing the received data through the adaptive filter (3), and wherein the pilot symbol includes one or more repetitions of known data or pseudo noise.

Abstract: A method and means enabling identification in an NMR image, being one of a time-sequence of images recording induced changes in pixel values of successive images of a subject (such as post-contrast dynamic images), the contribution to the image arising from the presence within the image subject of a specified tissue (e.g. fat). This identification is done using a statistical measure derived from the dynamic data (e.g. pixel value changes due to contrast agent uptake) taken from a plurality of the separate images forming the time-sequence.

Abstract: A microfabricated device employing a bridging membrane and methods for electrokinetic transport of a liquid phase biological or chemical material using the same are described. The bridging membrane is deployed in or adjacent to a microchannel and permits either ionic current flow or the transport of gas species, while inhibiting the bulk flow of material. The use of bridging membranes in accordance with this invention is applicable to a variety of processes, including electrokinetically induced pressure flow in a region of a microchannel that is not influenced by an electric field, sample concentration enhancement and injection, as well as improving the analysis of materials where it is desired to eliminate electrophoretic bias. Other applications of the bridging membranes according to this invention include the separation of species from a sample material, valving of fluids in a microchannel network, mixing of different materials in a microchannel, and the pumping of fluids.