Abstract: A compressible and melt-flowable thermally conductive interface may be either tacky and pressure sensitive or be non-tacky and dry, and may include one of more thermally conductive fillers in one or more forms. The interface either melt flows or cures at low temperature, such as about 40-50° C. Certain embodiments provide a bond strength between a heat generating component, such as an integrated circuit, power transistor and the like, and a heat dissipating element, such as a heat sink or cold plate, sufficient to permit elimination of the need for mechanical fasteners.

Abstract: A switch as for a flashlight selectively connects, for example, a solid state light source and a battery in the flashlight in circuit for causing the solid state light source to produce light. The switch comprises a pushbutton and a metal contact having a circular periphery that selectively contacts a housing, and a spring. Pressing the pushbutton moves the pushbutton and the metal contact to contact the housing. The metal contact may be a ferrule having a cylindrical portion centered with respect to the housing end and a circular flange providing the circular periphery. The switch may be disposed in a tail cap attached to a flashlight housing at a cylindrical end thereof.

Abstract: An electrokinetic method is disclosed for treating an electrically conductive material including hazardous contaminants, e.g. spent pot liner (SPL), to render such material non-hazardous.

Abstract: A tool steel alloy having a unique combination of hardness and toughness is disclosed. The alloy contains, in weight percent, about: wt. % C 1.85-2.30, Mn 0.15-1.0, Si 0.15-1.0, P 0.030 max., S 0-0.30, Cr 3.7-5.0, Ni+Cu 0.75 max., Mo 1.0 max., Co 6-12, W 12.0-13.5, V 4.5-7.5. The balance is essentially iron and usual impurities. The elements C, Cr, Mo, W, and V are balanced in this alloy such that −0.05≦&Dgr;C≦−0.42 where &Dgr;C=((0.033W)+(0.063Mo)+(0.06Cr)+(0.2V))−C. A powder metallurgy tool steel article made from consolidated alloy powder having the aforesaid weight percent composition provides a Rockwell C hardness of at least about 69.5 when heat treated.

Abstract: A microchip laboratory system and method provide fluid manipulations for a variety of applications, including sample injection for microchip chemical separations. The microchip is fabricated using standard photolithographic procedures and chemical wet etching, with the substrate and cover plate joined using direct bonding. Capillary electrophoresis and electrochromatography are performed in channels formed in the substrate. Analytes are loaded into a four-way intersection of channels by electrokinetically pumping the analyte through the intersection, followed by switching of the potentials to force an analyte plug into the separation channel.

Abstract: A motive assembly for moving a plurality of warp yarns (32) in a loom between upper and lower shed positions, the motive assembly including a plurality of selectively controllable ultrasonic cyclic motors (10), each of which is drivingly connected to one or a group of said warp yarns (32) for moving the warp yarn(s) (32) between upper and lower shed positions.

Abstract: This invention features methods and apparatus for performing nucleic acid hybridization and amplification processes on a support. Such methods and apparatus are useful for synthesizing nucleic acid and detecting target nucleic acid for diagnostics and therapeutics.

Abstract: A steroid is used as an additive in manufacture of a transdermal drug delivery device, to act as a crystallization inhibitor inhibiting crystallization, during storage of the device, of an active drug in the form of a hormone which has a pharmaceutical or physiological effect in use of the device. The crystallization-inhibiting steroid is present in the device in an amount insufficient to provide significant pharmaceutical or physiological effect in use of the device.

Abstract: A wave rotor detonation engine and method are provided. The wave rotor detonation engine includes a rotor rotatably mounted within a housing, an inlet port, an exhaust port, and an igniter for igniting the gases within the rotor. The rotor includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending combustion chambers in which detonative combustion occurs. The inlet port has a plurality of separate inlet zones for supplying fuel and air mixtures to the inlet end of the rotor. The inlet zones are circumferentially spaced about the perimeter of the rotor so that the combustion chambers interact with these inlet zones sequentially. Each inlet zone is capable of introducing a different combustible mixture sequentially to a given combustion chamber as it rotates past the inlet zones. This results in the stratification of differing concentrations of combustible material within the combustion chambers which is particularly suited to create detonative combustion within the wave rotor.

Abstract: A photomultiplier tube includes a photocathode and a primary dynode having input and output apertures. A field isolating mesh is positioned at the input aperture of the primary dynode to facilitate the collection of electrons from the photocathode of the photomultiplier to the primary dynode while simultaneously electrostatically shielding secondary emission electrons from the field of the photocathode. The field isolating mesh has a central opening that is dimensioned to maximize the throughput of photoelectrons from the photocathode to the primary dynode while providing effective field isolation in the vicinity of the primary dynode. The central opening in the field isolation mesh provides the further advantage of permitting uniform deposition of photo-emissive materials on the surface of the dynode during manufacture. In an alternative embodiment, the field isolating mesh of the primary dynode is formed in two segments.

Abstract: A free-machining, precipitation-hardenable, martensitic stainless steel is described that provides a unique combination of machinability, processability, and toughness. The broad compositional range of the steel alloy of the invention is as follows, in weight percent: C 0.030 max. Mn 0.75 max. Si 0.75 max.. P 0.040 max. S 0.15-0.35 Cr 14.0-15.5 Ni  5.0-6.0 Mo 0.50-1.2 Cu  3.0-4.0 Nb 0.10-0.30 B 0.010 max. N 0.030 max. The balance of the alloy is iron and the usual impurities found in commercial grades of martensitic precipitation-hardening stainless steels intended for similar use or service.

Abstract: A method of treating pain by the co-administration of an antidepressant together with one or more precursors or inducers of neurotransmitters, particularly amino acids selected from L-phenylalanine, L-tyrosine, L-tryptophan and L-DOPA.

Abstract: An electromechanical driver for use in gastrointestinal tract surgery, including a flexible sheath and a handle, is provided. Also dislosed are a series of surgical attachments which may be utilized in conjunction with the electromechanical driver. The handle of the driver includes at least one motor which is selectively engageable by the actuation of a trigger. The motor is coupled to a flexible drive shaft which extends through the flexible sheath. At a distal end of the flexible sheath, and correspondingly at the end of the drive shaft, the various surgical attachments may be coupled. The turning of the drive shaft provides the necessary power to actuate the surgical instrument.

Abstract: The invention concerns new guanidine derivatives of formula (I), methods of preparing them and their use in drugs containing such compounds.

Abstract: Methods are provided for the treatment and prophylaxis of viral infection and disease associated with such infection.

Abstract: In a seat with a side air bag system, of two stay clothes (9, 10) continuously extending from a sewing portion corresponding to a breaking portion (8, 80) of a trim cover (7), one stay cloth (9) is taken into a cavity (3) from an opening edge of a back pad (2), the other stay cloth (10) is taken into the cavity (3) of the back pad (2) from a front side of an air bag system (1) so as to wrap the air bag system (1) with two stay clothes (9, 10), the stay clothes (9, 10) are connected and supported by wear plates (11, 12, 110) gripping and fixing a take-in end of each of the stay clothes (9, 10) between the air bag system (1) and the side plate (6). Accordingly, each of the stay clothes (9, 10) can be easily assembled and the air bag system (1) can be directly wrapped with two stay clothes so as to efficiently concentrate an inflating pressure of the air bag on the sewing portion corresponding to the breaking portion (8, 80) of the trim cover (7), thereby quickly inflating and developing the air bag.

Abstract: Erythromycins, particularly ones with novel C-13 substituents R1 (e.g. C3-C6 cycloalkyl or cycloalkenyl groups) are prepared by fermenting suitable organisms in the presence of R1CO2H. A preferred organism is Saccharopolyspora erythraea preferably containing an integrated plasmid capable of directing synthesis of desired compounds.

Abstract: An electronic device, such as an integrated circuit, hybrid circuit or a transistor, is enclosed within an electronic package or module so as to be protected from contaminants and the external environment. An electronic device is enclosed within a package or module having a lid or cover that is sealed with an adhesive preform that has been pre-applied onto the bonding areas of the lid. The adhesive preforms are formed of a wet adhesive with gaps and are B-staged or dried to form dry solid adhesive preforms through chemical cross-linking or solvent removal. Both the lids and the adhesive preforms are formed of electrically insulating or of electrically conductive materials. The lids and adhesive preforms are attached to the electronic package or module by bonding the adhesive preforms at temperatures that are substantially lower than those at which the soldering of conventional lids is typically performed, and the adhesive flows to close the gaps.

Abstract: A method for radical linear compression of datasets where the data are dependent on some number M of parameters. If the noise in the data is independent of the parameters, M linear combinations of the data can be formed, which contain as much information about all the parameters as the entire dataset, in the sense that the Fisher information matrices are identical; i.e. the method is lossless. When the noise is dependent on the parameters, the method, although not precisely lossless, increases errors by a very modest factor. The method is general, but is illustrated with a problem for which it is well-suited: galaxy spectra, whose data typically consist of about 1000 fluxes, and whose properties are set by a handful of parameters such as age, brightness and a parameterized star formation history. The spectra are reduced to a small number of data, which are connected to the physical processes entering the problem.

Abstract: A shoe for a tensioner device and chain guide is formed a polyamide 66 or 46 resin mold product having a relative viscosity more than 100 (90% formic acid method). A skin layer of the resin mold product includes a non-spherulite area less than 100 &mgr;m in thickness. The shoe excels in the wear resistance, slidability, impact resistance, heat resistance, and oil resistance, has a high degree of freedom in the shape, and excels in the workability.