Abstract: A motion and proximity sensitive system for monitoring spatial relationship between mobile objects comprising two way communication between a Child Unit, affixed to the child, and a Parent Unit, carried by the parent or guardian, is disclosed. When the Child Unit senses motion and determines that it is beyond a set near field proximity to the Parent Unit, the Child Unit communicates alerts to the Parent Unit allowing the parent to trigger an alarm on the Child Unit. A second alarm function selected by the mode switch sounds an alarm automatically in response to motion beyond the set near field proximity according to an adaptive alarm sequence.

Abstract: An interactive computer system for teaching laboratory-based sciences. According to one embodiment, the system includes a data acquisition module, an internet-based coursework database, and internet-based interactive software tools. Using the interactive software tools, an instructor can select academic course materials and related laboratory experiments from the coursework database. The instructor can create an Internet web page, which provides students with an interactive visual interface with the selected course materials and laboratories, along with various analysis tools. The data acquisition module is located at the site of an experimentation laboratory, and interfaces with laboratory equipment to capture data from selected experiments. Experimental data is transmitted in real-time to an internet-based storage location.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for stereoselective or regioselective chemical synthesis which generally comprises reacting a nucleophile and a chiral or prochiral cyclic substrate in the presence of a non-racemic, chiral catalyst to produce a stereoisomerically- and/or regioisomerically-enriched product. The present invention also relates to hydrolytic kinetic resolutions of racemic and diastereomeric mixtures of epoxides.

Abstract: The present invention provides several embodiments of methods of making magnetic resonance catheter coils which include employing a flexible electrically insulative base member, depositing an electrically conductive material on the base member in a predetermined pattern to create at least one pair of generally parallel electrically conductive coil elements which are electrically connected to each other. A catheter is provided over the coil assembly. In one embodiment, a second pair of generally parallel electrically conductive coil elements are provided in order to create a quadrature coil. In this latter embodiment, the electrically insulative base member may have the first pair of coil elements created on one surface thereof and a second pair on the other with the base member subsequently being deformed to create a tubular coil having one pair of coil elements on the outside and the other pair on the inside. In some embodiments, tuning and matching circuits and decoupling circuits may be provided.

Abstract: The invention relates to a hair clipping machine with a device for adjusting the length of a cut, with the adjusting device acting upon the clipping assembly. The clipping assembly includes at least a fixed clipping comb and a clipping blade which can be driven in an oscillatory motion essentially parallel to the front edge of the clipping comb. The adjusting device includes of at least an actuating element which is connected to the clipping blade via coupling elements for displacing the clipping blade lengthwise. The adjusting device is an integral part of the clipping assembly and may therefore be configured independently of the housing. As a result, construction is simplified and it is also possible to retrofit clipping machines which do not have such adjustment devices.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vortex flow meter for ultra pure applications. The vortex flow meter of the invention employs a smooth and continuous fluorocarbon layer to coat a number of fluid accessible surfaces of the flowmeter. The coating prevents or minimizes contact between the process fluid and the fluid accessible surfaces of the flowmeter, thus allowing the flow meter to measure the flow rate of a process fluid having a level of purity of typically one part per trillion without contaminating the fluid. The flowmeter of the invention is advantageously less costly and more accurate than conventional flow meters for ultra pure applications.

Abstract: A device and method for cleaning and drying workpieces in a treatment vessel in which a reduced pressure can be provided. During the cleaning process, a liquid bath is formed in the treatment vessel (1), said liquid bath at least partially surrounding the work pieces, and cleaning fluid and optionally a gaseous medium are introduced into the treatment vessel under excess pressure via a spray unit. The workpiece support moves up and down or rotates so that the work pieces are subjected alternately to different cleaning processes in the liquid bath and a gas space located above said liquid bath.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and compositions for the elucidation of mammalian gene function. Specifically, the present invention relates to methods and compositions for improved mammalian complementation screening, functional inactivation of specific essential or non-essential mammalian genes, and identification of mammalian genes which are modulated in response to specific stimuli. In particular, the compositions of the present invention include, but are not limited to, replication-deficient retroviral vectors, libraries comprising such vectors, retroviral particles produced by such vectors in conjunction with retroviral packaging cell lines, integrated provirus sequences derived from the retroviral particles of the invention and circularized provirus sequences which have been excised from the integrated provirus sequences of the invention. The compositions of the present invention further include novel retroviral packaging cell lines.

Abstract: The present invention makes available assays and reagents for identifying anti-proliferative agents, such as mitotic and meiotic inhibitors. The present assay provides a simple and rapid screening test which relies on scoring for positive cellular proliferation as indicative of anti-mitotic or anti-meiotic activity, and comprises contacting a candidate agent with a cell which has an impaired cell-cycle checkpoint and measuring the level of proliferation in the presence and absence of the agent. The checkpoint impairment is such that it either causes premature progression of the cell through at least a portion of a cell-cycle or inhibition of normal progression of the cell through at least a portion of a cell-cycle, but can be off-set by the action of an agent which inhibits at least one regulatory protein of the cell-cycle in a manner which counter-balances the effect of the impairment.

Abstract: Compounds of the formula where R1, R2, R3 and R4 have the meaning stated in the description, and a process for preparing them are described. The compounds are suitable as starting material for synthesizing substances which are active against tumors.

Abstract: In a three-wire RTD interface, a known current is connected to a first lead during a first measurement interval. In this configuration, current is directed to the first lead and into an RTD. This results in a first signal indicative of a first voltage drop resulting from the voltage drops across the RTD and the lead resistance of the first lead. During a second measurement interval, current is directed through a second lead having a lead resistance substantially identical to the lead resistance of the first lead. This results in a second signal indicative of the voltage drop resulting from the second lead. The first signal, the second signal, and the known current are then combined to eliminate the effect of the lead resistance and to determine the resistance of the RTD.

Abstract: A method for calibrating an electronic vision device, such as a personal glare reduction device, having a darkened spot in its field of view includes the steps of fixing the lens coordinates of the darkened spot to correspond to a calibration site in the field of view, and moving the glare reduction device to place the darkened spot in line with the glare source. A processor evaluates a correction angle on the basis of the new direction to the glare source, as measured by a directional light sensor on the glare reduction device. The apparatus of the invention includes a controller that includes the processor, a memory, a light sensor, and a user interface element.

Abstract: Systems and processes are disclosed that allow a computer to connect to a server of an Internet site for executing an application program that is stored on a disk linked to that server. Specifically, processes are disclosed that provide a data transport interface for connecting to the server, transport from the server a server address signal representative of a network address of the server, and a path name signal representative of a file system that includes an application program. The process further generates a mount request as a function of the path name signal and transports the mount request to the server to direct the server to provide an array of server file pointers that point to a file descriptor representative of the file system that includes the application program.

Abstract: A method for processing a search query uses the results of a search performed on a high quality, controlled database to assess the relevance of documents retrieved from a search of an uncontrolled public database having documents of highly variable quality. The method includes the steps of parsing the search query and then searching the authoritative database to generate authoritative database results. The search query is also used to search the public database, thereby generating public database results. The quality or relevance of the public database results are then quantified on the basis of the authoritative database results, thereby generating a quality index. The results from both the authoritative and the public databases are then ranked on the basis of this quality index.

Abstract: Biodegradable polymer compositions that degrade in vivo into non-toxic residues are described. In part, the present invention is directed to such polymers containing phosphorus and desaminotyrosyl L-tyrosine linkages in the polymer backbone. Processes for preparing such polymers, compositions containing such polymers and biologically active substances, articles useful for implantation or injection into the body fabricated from the compositions, and methods for controllably releasing biologically active substances using the polymers, are also described.

Abstract: A system and method communicate a single stream of data using an arbitrary and time-varying number of channels of arbitrary, differing, and time-varying bit-rates. A transmitter and a receiver both including finite state machines capable of synchronizing the pattern by which data is sent onto and read from the channels. The finite state machines are capable of dynamically adjusting for changes in the number and data rate of the channels.

Abstract: A chair comprising a base, an adjustable frame supported by said base, a seat and a back. The chair is characterized in that the adjustable frame is swingable with respect to the base, preferably about a substantially horizontal axis, and comprises telescopic arms, in that the seat and the back are swingably connected to one another, and in that the seat and the back are connected to said telescopic arms, whereby adjustment of these latter permits one to vary the inclination of the seat and back. Preferably, the inclination of said seat and back vary in such a way that the center of gravity of the user's body is located at or near the line of application of the resultant of the reactions of the floor on the seat base.

Abstract: The present invention relates to new biopolymer resistant coatings for materials that come in contact with such molecules in solution. Additionally, the present invention discloses a process for the fabrication of these coatings, under mild and scaleable reaction conditions, from simple, low molecular weight molecular components. Furthermore, the present invention teaches a general conceptual strategy for the design of additional protein resistant coatings.

Abstract: The transition metal-catalyzed amination of aryl halides, in conjunction with an orthogonal protective group scheme, forms the basis of two routes to oligoaniline precursors. The oligoaniline precursors are soluble in a variety of common organic solvents, and are easily converted to the deprotected oligoanilines. The method allows the preparation of oligoanilines of even or odd chain lengths, and the incorporation of a variety of functional groups into the oligomers. Polyanilines of low polydispersity can also be prepared by this method.