Abstract: The present invention is a scanning method and system in which the colored information as well as the black & white information appearing on the individual page or upon multiple pages of a document are initially scanned in a full color, 24-bit per pixel, mode; after which, the black & white wording and/or images are then selectively identified and electronically downsized to a single bit per pixel value. This sequence of selective identification and electronic downsizing of the black & white scanned contents effectively preserves the original printed information, while retaining the accuracy and integrity of the characters forming the colored written text and illustration portions of the scanned page or document in their original 24-bit per pixel format. Via this method and system, the entirety of the scanned image is maintained as a single electronic file of markedly reduced size.

Abstract: The present invention is an energy enhanced drumstick which provides substantially more kinetic energy per strike and produces a more vibrant sound and desired quality of resonance from a drumstick, all while still maintaining the most desirable features of the traditional drumstick design. This kinetic energy enhanced drumstick is the hybrid structural product of using two or more distinct materials having markedly differing densities which are permanently joined together to form a single unified construct. This hybrid structural product yields a kinetic energy enhanced drumstick comprised of at least one primary material having a first density at its tip end, and has at least one secondary substance having a second density which is greater than the first density of the primary material adjacent the butt end of the drumstick.

Abstract: The present invention is an electromagnetic controller assembly for use in ion implantation apparatus, and provides a structural construct and methodology which can be employed for three recognizably separate and distinct functions: (i) To adjust the trajectory of charged particles carried within any type of traveling ion beam which is targeted at a plane of implantation or a work surface for the placement of charged ions into a prepared workpiece (such as a silicon wafer or flat glass panel); (ii) concurrently, to alter and change the degree of parallelism of the ions in the traveling beam; and (iii) concurrently, to control the uniformity of the current density along the transverse direction of traveling ion beams, regardless of whether the beams are high-aspect, continuous ribbon ion beams or alternatively are scanned ribbon ion beams.

Abstract: The present invention is a cap covering for a punch-key tab rotably attached to the top of a preformed can, wherein the punch-key tab is to be utilized by a person to punch out a prepared flap seal in the can top along a predefined scored boundary. The cap covering includes an attachable and detachable hollow casing which can be fitted on-demand onto the handle of a punch-key tab. The invention will distinguish individual ownership among identical cans of beverage; will serve as a closure to aid in keeping the carbonation (if any) in the beverage; will aid in maintaining the beverage at the desired drinking temperature; and will act in minimizing spillage, keep bugs and debris out, and in keeping the beverage in an unadulterated state.

Abstract: A self-contained and hand-held power-assisted syringe is provided which is suitable for the controlled injection of fluid material during medical procedures such as coronary angiography procedures which utilize small-bore and small sized guide catheter systems. The present invention provides a greater degree of injection power on-demand than was previously possible in a portable and hand-held syringe; and it can deliver larger volumes of radiopaque contrast medium at greater pressures than was previously possible using a conventional manual syringe. The power assisted syringe, along with all components necessary for its effective use and operation, may be pre-packaged and steriled within a single container and then disposed of after use.

Abstract: The present invention provides a medical needle assembly which has a removable at will needle hub for a spinal needle, which can be used to access the epidural or subarachnoid space of the spinal cord. This improvement in spinal needle design allows and facilitates the use of the medical needle for the purposeful creation of a subcutaneous tunnel and the placement of a catheter, or drain, or electrical wire lead which extends to an anatomic location remote from the original surgical incision site. The medical needle assembly has unique features and capabilities: a removable at will needle hub, which not only allows the surgeon to use the epidural/spinal needle initially to access the epidural or subarachnoid space of the spinal cord; but also permits the surgeon to use the same medical needle assembly again as a tunneling instrument. This allows the surgeon to perform the process of subcutaneous tunneling safely and in a manner previously considered to be surgically improbable.

Abstract: A reinforced superconducting coil and method for the reinforcement of such coil utilizing composite superconducting wires clad with high-strength material are disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a bioactive, small-diameter (typically less than 6 mm in internal diameter) vascular graft prosthesis, and is a textile conduit preferably manufactured using a novel electrospinning perfusion methodology. One preferred embodiment is a nanofibrous biocomposite textile conduit which comprises a prepared liquid admixture of polyester (Dacron), a biodurable implantable synthetic polymer, and Type IV collagen, an extracellular matrix protein. This prepared admixture and blending of diverse fibrous matter is utilized in a novel electrospinning perfusion process to form a small-diameter (less than 6 mm) fabricated textile conduit, a discrete article of manufacture, which then serves as an antecedent tangible workpiece for a subsequently-made prosthetic vascular graft construct.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing clad superconducting wire for use in superconducting coils, such wire having improved resistance to electromagnetic forces by using composite superconducting wires that are clad with selected high-stiffness high-strength materials.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fusion protein construct (gp41HA) consisting of the ectodomain of the HIV-1IIIB envelope glycoprotein gp41 fused to a fragment of the influenza virus HA2 hemagglutinin protein. Immunization in-vivo via an intraperitoneal prime followed by intranasal or intragastric boosts with gp41HA induces high concentrations of serum IgG antibodies and fecal IgA antibodies that reacted with gp41 in HIV-1IIIB viral lysate and are cross-reactive with gp41 in HIV-1MN lysate. Followup analyses by indirect immunofluorescence showed that both serum IgG and fecal IgA recognized human peripheral blood mononuclear cells infected with either syncytium-inducing (SI) or non-syncytium-inducing (NSI) North American HIV-1 field isolates, but not uninfected cells.

Abstract: The present invention provides both a method and means for regulating I?B? degradation, NF?B activity, and NF?B-dependent gene expression within living cells, tissues, and organs in-situ. The selective regulation is performed using native PR-39 peptide or one of its shorter-length homologs, for interaction with such I?B? and proteasomes as are present in the cytoplasm of viable cells. The result of PR-39 peptide interaction with I?B? is a selective alteration in the intracellular proteolytic activity of proteasomes, which in turn, causes a reduction of I?B?, a decrease of NF?B activity, and a down-regulation of NF?B-dependent gene expression.

Abstract: The present invention provides both a method and means for regulating I?B? degradation, NF?B activity, and NF?B-dependent gene expression within living cells, tissues, and organs in-situ. The selective regulation is performed using native PR-39 peptide or one of its shorter-length homologs, for interaction with such I?B? and proteasomes as are present in the cytoplasm of viable cells. The result of PR-39 peptide interaction with I?B? is a selective alteration in the intracellular proteolytic activity of proteasomes, which in turn, causes a reduction of I?B?, a decrease of NF?B activity, and a down-regulation of NF?B-dependent gene expression.

Abstract: The present invention provides a windowframe magnet having an aligned array of paired bedstead coils in mirror symmetry can bend a high aspect ratio ribbon ion beam through angle of not less than about 45 degrees and not more than about 110 degrees, and can focus it through a resolving slot for mass analysis. The long transverse axis of the beam, which can exceed 50% of the bend radius, is aligned with the generated magnetic field. The array of paired bedstead coils provide tight control of the fringing fields, present intrinsically good field uniformity, and enable a manufacture of much lighter construction than other magnet styles conventionally in use in the ion implantation industry. Within the system of the present invention, the ribbon beam is refocused with low aberration to achieve high resolving power, which is of significant value in the ion implantation industry. System size is further reduced by using a small ion source and a quadrupole lens to collimate the beam after expansion and analysis.

Abstract: In system for implanting workpieces with an accurately parallel scanned ion beam, a fine-control collimator construct is used to reduce the deviation of the scanned ion beam from a specified axis of parallelism and thereby improve its collimation. The shape of the fine-control collimator matches the ribbon shape of the beam and correction of parallelism in two orthogonal directions is possible. Measurement of the non-parallelism is accomplished by sampling the scanned beam in two planes and comparing timing information; and such measurement is calibrated to the orientation of the workpiece in the plane where ion implantation occurs. Measurement of non-uniformity in the doping profile is accomplished using the same means; and the scan waveform is adjusted to substantially remove any non-uniformity in the doping profile.

Abstract: An electromagnetic regulator assembly for the production of contiguous magnetic fields which are applied to a continuous ion beam is described. The assembly is structured for controlling the uniformity of traveling continuous ribbon-shaped beams; and allows for direct adjustment of the magnetic field gradient of the magnetic field as the parameter for increasing the current uniformity.

Abstract: Semiconductor wafers are sequentially mounted on a holder at one end of an arm which is pivoted about its other end. Each wafer is thereby passed on an arcuate path through a parallel-scanned or continuous ribbon-shaped beam for processing. The pivot axis is parallel to the centroid of the beam trajectories. By pre-orienting the wafers before loading, and by providing a second pivot between the arm and the holder, the angle between the beam and the wafer surface may be precisely adjusted to any arbitrary angle of interest. The geometry is such that this angle is constant over the processed area. Uniform processing requires a scanned ribbon beam to have a non-uniform scan velocity and a continuous ribbon beam to have a non-uniform intensity profile. The required non-uniformity is generated by a suitably shaped collimating magnet.

Abstract: The present invention provides tangible means and methods for stimulation of angiogenesis via enhanced endothelial expression of core proteins having a syndecan-4 cytoplasmic region intracellularly. The tangible means include a prepared DNA sequence fragment having separate and individual DNA sequenced portions coding for an heparan sulfate binding extracellular domain, a central transmembrane domain, and a cytoplasmic domain coding for the syndecan-4 polypeptide. The prepared DNA sequence unitary fragment may be delivered to endothelial cells in-situ, both under in-vivo and/or in-vitro conditions, using suitable expression vectors including plasmids and viruses. The resulting transfected endothelial cells overexpress heparan sulfate binding, core proteins; and the resulting overexpression of these proteoglycan entities causes stimulation of angiogenesis in-situ.

Abstract: The present invention provides tangible means and methods for stimulation of angiogenesis via enhanced endothelial expression of core proteins having a syndecan-4 cytoplasmic region intracellularly. The tangible means include a prepared DNA sequence fragment having separate and individual DNA sequenced portions coding for an heparan sulfate binding extracellular domain, a central transmembrane domain, and a cytoplasmic domain coding for the syndecan-4 polypeptide. The prepared DNA sequence unitary fragment may be delivered to endothelial cells in-situ, both under in-vivo and/or in-vitro conditions, using suitable expression vectors including plasmids and viruses. The resulting transfected endothelial cells overexpress heparan sulfate binding, core proteins; and the resulting overexpression of these proteoglycan entities causes stimulation of angiogenesis in-situ.

Abstract: The present invention provides a methodology and compositions for stimulating angiogenesis in-situ within viable cells, tissues and organs comprising endothelial cells. The methodology focuses upon and controls the phosphorylation of the 183rd amino acid residue, serine, within the cytoplasmic domain and intracellular tail of transmembrane syndecan-4 proteoglycans which are then positioned at and through the cellular membrane of viable endothelial cells. By intervening and maintaining the 183rd residue in a non-phosphorylated state, a consequential cascade of intracellular events is initiated which result in a stimulation of angiogenesis in-situ.

Abstract: An immortalized human cell line is provided which has the characteristics of human embryonic microglia. Such immortalized microglia cells express CD68, CD11c and MHC class I and II antigens as surface markers; have demonstrable phagocytic properties; and produce progeny continuously while maintained in culture. A method of transforming human microglial cells into an immortalized cell line is also provided. The genetically modified human microglia cells can express active substances from a selected group consisting of MIP-1&bgr;, MCP-1, IL-1&bgr;, IL-6, IL-12, and IL-15; and in the stimulated state can overexpress at lest cytokines, chemokines, and other cytotoxic and neurotoxic substances. Such immortalized microglia cells can be used for screening of compounds for diseases. These cells may be utilized for the treatment of at least Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, Huntington disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, stroke, spinal cord injuries, ataxia, autoimmune diseases and AIDS-dementia.