Abstract: Digital phase mixers with enhanced speed are provided. A phase mixer generates a signal having a phase between the phases of two input signals based on select signals. The propagation delay of the output signal is reduced by using a first voltage source to drive the input signals and the output signal and a second voltage source, having a higher voltage than the first voltage source, to drive the select signals. The higher voltage source reduces the impedance of each transistor driven by the select signals, thus reducing the propagation delay at the output of the phase mixer. For a non-differential digital phase mixer, the propagation delay is reduced in the rising edges of the output signal. For a differential digital phase mixer, the propagation delay is reduced in the rising and falling edges of the output signal.

Abstract: Status signals that are generated by one or more FIFO buffers in a high-speed serial interface (“HSSI”) may be combined with transmitted data samples in order to correlate the status signals to the respective data samples. The combined data and status signals may be transmitted either to the subsequent stages of the HSSI datapath or directly to the PLD via a dedicated path with less latency. The combined data and status signals can be used to determine whether a data sample corresponds to a valid data sample or an idle sequence, thereby allowing a user to control the flow of data.

Abstract: A multi-functional brace for a joint includes a releasable locking mechanism that allows the brace to be set for static stretch of the joint in either flexion or extension, and a range of motion assembly that allows for free movement of the joint through its natural axis over a controlled range of motion when the locking mechanism is released.

Abstract: A multi-channel surround sound system and method is described that allows automatic and independent calibration and adjustment of the frequency, amplitude and time response of each channel of the surround sound system. The disclosed auto-calibrating surround sound (ACSS) system includes a processor that generates a test signal represented by a temporal maximum length sequence (MLS) and supplies the test signal as part of an electric input signal to a loudspeaker. A microphone coupled to the processor receives the signal in a listening environment. The processor correlates the received sound signal with the test signal in the time domain and determines from the correlated signals a whitened response of the audio channel in the listening environment.

Abstract: Circuitry and methods allow signal detection based entirely on differential voltage pairs. An incoming differential data signal is processed by separate full-wave rectifiers to extract high and low peak voltage envelopes. The rectifiers utilize negative feedback to ensure accurate envelope detection, and can detect peaks regardless of incoming signal polarity. The extracted envelopes are compared to a differential pair of threshold voltages. If the envelope signals have a smaller voltage difference than that of the threshold signals, the final output of the detector indicates that a loss-of-signal condition has occurred. Fully differential operation makes the detector independent of common-mode voltage, and thus more robust.

Abstract: A pigment paste and a method for making the same that alters the appearance of concrete such that, after the concrete sets, it resembles natural stone concrete sets, it resembles natural stone (e.g., marble, granite, sandstone, bluestone, etc.) without separately applying a finish of any kind to the concrete are provided. The pigment paste preferably comprises a filler, a pigment, an anti-foaming agent, a surfactant, and water. In some embodiments, the surfactant is a water reducing admixture. A concrete compound having a finish resembling natural stone is made by combining the pigment paste with a concrete mix, which includes a cementitious material with aggregate and water, and a chemical admixture. Upon adding the pigment paste and mixing it, the cementitious material is allowed to set, where, after it sets, the concrete has a finish resembling natural stone.

Abstract: An apparatus for identification of chemical species by measurement of mobility as a function of high electric field and for generating unique compound-dependent signatures based on ion mobility at a plurality of peak RF voltages for a given compensation. The resulting detection data is compared against a library of data in order to identify a detected chemical species.

Abstract: A burst of data in a wireless network includes a preamble [502], a postamble [504] and one or more blocks of data [506]. A low or no power receiving device [102] receives the preamble [502]. When the preamble [502] includes an ID of the receiving device, structural information of the burst is derived from the preamble [502], indicating when at least one component of the device is to be powered on to receive the at least one block of data [506] included in the burst. The at least one component [306, 308, 310] is powered on at a first time period in order to receive the data in the one or more blocks of data. The at least one component [306, 308, 310] is powered off at a specific time period from a beginning of the first time period. The powering on and off are repeated for each of the one or more blocks of data [506] in the burst.

Abstract: The present invention relates to improving and/or increasing the bioavailability of a biologically active substance, such as a peptide. In particular, the present invention relates to the conjugation of the biologically active substance to a bile acid. The conjugated biologically active substance is suitable particularly for oral or parental administration.

Abstract: A hedgehog conjugate which is characterized in that it contains: a) a polypeptide composed of 10 to 30 hydrophobic amino acids and/or amino acids which form transmembrane helices and are positively charged, b) 1 to 4 aliphatic, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon residues with a chain length of 10 to 24 C atoms and with a hydrophobic action or c) a hydrophobic thio compound covalently bound to a hedgehog protein and which has a several-fold increased activity and is suitable as a pharmaceutical agent.

Abstract: Compounds of the formula I useful as metalloproteinase inhibitors, especially as inhibitors of MMP 13.

Abstract: Systems and methods for, inter alia, geographically based analyses of traffic being carried over a wide scale traffic network. The systems integrate geographical information systems (GIS) with traffic simulation processes to allow a user to analyze traffic patterns and loads at specific geographic locations of regions. Additionally, these systems allow for traffic analysis over a wide scale traffic network that may encompass the traffic network that exists within an geographic region and can include, as examples, the traffic networks that span across a city, that interconnect cities, that interconnect states and that run across multiple states. To this end, the systems include traffic simulators that can adaptively or controllably select between multiple traffic simulation models for simulating traffic across different segments of the traffic network. The different models provide varying levels of granularity for measurements of geographical location of a vehicle traveling over the traffic network.

Abstract: The present invention relates to inhibitors of p38, a mammalian protein kinase involved in cell proliferation, cell death and response to extracellular stimuli. The invention relates to compounds having the formula: or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein R1, Q1, Q2, and X are as described in the specification. The invention also relates to methods for producing these inhibitors. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising the inhibitors of the invention and methods of utilizing those compositions in the treatment end prevention of various disorders.

Abstract: The invention in general relates to various injection systems and devices that can be used, for example, in needleless injection systems for human, and for domestic and farm animals. In certain embodiments, the invention provides an injection device comprising: an injector defining a first cavity and an orifice; a movable member in the first cavity; a housing defining a second cavity proximal of the movable member; and a charge in the second cavity, the charge comprising at least two discrete materials.

Abstract: Screen (10) for a user interface of a television schedule system and process consists of an array (24) of irregular cells (26), which vary in length, corresponding to different television program lengths of one half hour to one-and-one half hours or more. The array is arranged as three columns (28) of one-half hour in duration, and twelve rows (30) of program listings. Some of the program listings overlap two or more of the columns (28) because of their length. Because of the widely varying length of the cells (26), if a conventional cursor used to select a cell location were to simply step from one cell to another, the result would be abrupt changes in the screen (10) as the cursor moved from a cell (26) of several hours length to an adjacent cell in the same row. An effective way of taming the motion is to assume that behind every array (24) is an underlying array of regular cells. By restricting cursor movements to the regular cells, abrupt screen changes will be avoided.

Abstract: A data converter, or “gearbox,” for a padded protocol interface can perform a number of different conversions—e.g., between 64 and 66 bits, between 24 and 26 bits, or between 48 and 50 bits. This is accomplished by clocking the gearbox at different clock speeds, all derived from the same master clock (which may be recovered from the data in a receiver embodiment) using programmable dividers that allow the user to select the clock speed. When the conversion is not that one with the maximum width for which the gearbox is designed, unused bits are ignored. The converter can also find padding bits, for alignment purposes, in data of different widths, again ignoring unused bits when the data are not the widest for which the converter is designed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing distributed configuration storage are presented. The configuration storage is divided into distributed configuration target modules that are physically located in each design section of a device that uses configuration storage. A distributed configuration master module, physically located near the host interface, controls access into and out of each target module via a distributed configuration bus. The creation of each storage array in the distributed configuration storage can be automated using a scripting tool that converts each register specification into hardware description language code.

Abstract: A delay cell has selectable numbers of parallel load resistance transistors operable in parallel, and a similarly selectable number of bias current transistors connectable in parallel. The delay cell is preferably differential in construction and operation. A voltage controlled oscillator (“VCO”) includes a plurality of such delay cells connected in a closed loop series. Phase locked loop (“PLL”) circuitry includes such a VCO controlled by phase/frequency detector circuitry. The PLL can have a very wide range of operating frequencies as a result of the ability to control the number of load resistance transistors and bias current transistors that are active or inactive in each delay cell. Such activation/deactivation may be programmable or otherwise controlled.

Abstract: The present invention is based on the discovery that a true tissue morphogen such as OP-1 provided systemically, alone in its mature dimeric form, or as part of a soluble complex, can induce new replacement tissue regeneration at a localized, permissive defect site distal to the site of administration. Specifically, systemically administered protein is sufficient to induce formation of new functional replacement tissue, sufficient to repair a local defect in a tissue, including skeletal or orthopedic tissues, liver, pancreas, lung, cardiac, renal, uterine, intestinal, gastrointestinal tissue. (As used herein, “orthopedic” or “skeletal” or “joint” or “chondrogenic” tissue is understood to encompass the skeletal and skeletal joint tissues: bone, cartilage, tendon, ligament, and synovial membrane tissues.

Abstract: The invention provides therapeutic compositions comprising binding agents that specifically bind to tumor-associated MUC-1 and reduce, reverse or prevent their effects in cancer. More particularly, the invention provides therapeutic compositions that comprise a binding agent that can specifically bind to an epitope that comprises both peptide and carbohydrate on such tumor-associated MUC-1. The invention further provides methods for the use of such therapeutic compositions in the treatment of cancer.