Abstract: An apparatus which may be used year-round for dehumidifying air in the enclosed space of a building to comfortably allow a higher temperature during summer conditions and for exchanging air in the enclosed space year-round with fresh air to provide a more healthful environment within the building. The apparatus includes a fan mounted on or otherwise adjacent the basement floor or other bottom floor and a conduit connecting the fan outlet to an opening in an outside wall for removing stale relatively damp air from the bottom floor level and discharging it out of the building. Vents as needed are provided in upper floors for circulating relatively dry air downwardly toward the bottom floor. The air extracted is replaced by fresh air through cracks or the like in the building or by an opening provided in an outside wall at an upper level of the building.

Abstract: A facepiece insert and facepiece combination suitable for use as a respiratory mask. The respiratory mask may be combined with air purifying cartridges or breathable gas sources such as oxygen reservoirs. The insert is molded flat with living hinges, and the facepiece body is molded onto the insert in sealing engagement.

Abstract: A method for predicting the presence of deep venous thrombosis in a patient comprises measuring the concentration of soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 (p55) in the patient's urine and comparing the measured concentration to an established baseline concentration. A concentration in the patient's urine greater than the established baseline concentration is predictive of the presence of deep venous thrombosis.

Abstract: An alkali metal, solid cathode, nonaqueous electrochemical cell capable of delivering high current pulses, rapidly recovering its open circuit voltage and having high current capacity, is described. The stated benefits are realized by the addition of at least one organic sulfate additive to an electrolyte comprising an alkali metal salt dissolved in a mixture of a low viscosity solvent and a high permittivity solvent. A preferred solvent mixture includes propylene carbonate, dimethoxyethane and a dialkyl sulfate additive.

Abstract: In fabrication of conventional spirally wound cells, a length of separator is provided at least twice as long as one of the electrodes, for example, the cathode, and then folded to cover both sides of the electrode. The separator is also somewhat wider than the covered electrode to extend beyond the upper and lower edges thereof. The cathode assembly is then placed along side a strip of anode material and rolled into a jellyroll configuration. The separator sheet is not sealed at the opposed upper and lower edges of the cathode, and during high shock and vibration conditions the edges tend to mushroom which can lead to short circuit conditions. The insulator of the present invention is a slotted member that covers the upper and lower edges of the other electrode not covered by the separator, for example the anode with the anode leads extending through the slots to shield them from short circuit conditions with the cell casing or other leads if the cell should be subjected to severe shock forces and the like.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for perforating sheet material wherein the resulting perforations are in a predetermined pattern which avoids imparting structural weakness to the perforated sheet material. The predetermined pattern includes spaced perforations along linear paths which are spaced along one linear dimension of the sheet material and each of which paths is disposed at an acute angle relative to another linear dimension of the sheet material. The predetermined pattern avoids straight paths of perforations along the longer linear dimension of the sheet material and thereby avoids imparting structural weakness to the material. Preferably the predetermined pattern is a series of herringbone patterns along the longitudinal dimension of the sheet with the rows of herringbone patterns and peaks thereof extending laterally of the sheet material. The pattern is formed by moving the sheet material in a first direction and scanning the material in a second direction with a pulsed laser beam.

Abstract: An apparatus that provides for withdrawal of the liquid contents from a closed container 14 independent of the spatial orientation thereof, is described. The liquid withdrawal apparatus includes flexible withdrawal conduits 58 disposed inside the container and in fluid flow communication with external heat exchangers 144, 146. The heat exchangers serve to transfer heat to the withdrawn liquid to thereby provide a breathable gas mixture. The upstream end of the withdrawal conduits 58 are provided with a weighted pick-up means comprising a wicking material that draws liquid into the interior thereof to ensure contact of the liquid with the conduits, even when the supply of liquid is nearly depleted. A pressure differential between the inside of the container and the external heat exchangers, normally brought about by an inhalation event of the user, provides the motive force for withdrawing the liquid contents from the container through the conduits.

Abstract: A power source including two alkali metal/transition metal oxide cells discharged in parallel to power an implantable medical device is described. The first cell powers the medical device in both a device monitoring mode, for example in a cardiac defibrillator for monitoring the heart beat, and a device actuation mode for charging capacitors requiring high rate electrical pulse discharging. At such time as the first cell is discharged to a predetermined voltage limit, the first cell is disconnected from pulse discharge duty and only used for the device monitoring function. At that time, the second cell is utilized for the high rate electrical pulse discharging function. When the first cell reaches 100% efficiency or a present voltage limit, the second cell then takes over both device monitoring and device actuation functions. In that manner, a greater average discharge efficiency is realized from the two cells than is capable of being delivered from a single cell of similar chemistry.

Abstract: A bridge platform and method of erecting the same wherein a plurality of cables extend longitudinally of the bridge in spaced relation below the deck or roadway and steel support structure of the bridge, which cables are supported at opposite ends by the spaced-apart vertical piers of the bridge, and wherein a plurality of platform flooring panels or sections are supported on the cables, extend laterally of the bridge, are arranged side-by-side along the length of the bridge between the piers and are removably secured to the cables. The cables are attached to the bridge piers by compression clamp structures. The platform flooring sections comprise elongated rectangular corrugated decking panels and are arranged in end-to-end overlapping relation transversely of the bridge, side-to-side overlapping relation longitudinally along the bridge and with the corrugations extending transversely of the cables.

Abstract: An isolated and purified outer membrane protein B1, and peptides formed therefrom, of Moraxella catarrhalis are described. A method for the isolation and purification of outer membrane protein B1 from a bacterial strain that produces B1 protein, e.g. Moraxella catarrhalis, comprises growing the bacteria in culture in iron-depleted medium to enhance the expression of the B1 protein, harvesting the bacteria from the culture, extracting from the harvested bacteria a preparation substantially comprising an outer membrane protein preparation, contacting the outer membrane preparation with an affinity matrix containing immobilized transferrin wherein B1 protein binds to the transferrin, and eluting the bound B1 protein from the transferrin. Disclosed are the uses of the B1 protein as an immunogen for vaccine formulations, and as antigens in diagnostic immunoassays.

Abstract: In a hand tool for facilitating the introduction of a laryngeal mask into a patient. A hand tool insertable into a patient, the hand tool for engaging a laryngeal mask and having a pivot region. The hand tool engages the laryngeal mask, and when the hand tool is pivoted, the hand tool raises the mask from the back of the throat to permit proper insertion of the mask into the patient.

Abstract: A lithium electrochemical cell including an anode and cathode assembly with the anode connected electrically to a conductive cell casing and an insulated cathode conductor extending through a lid at an end of the casing and connected to a cathode lead near the lid and with a first insulating component for insulating the casing from cell components therein and extending along and within the casing from a closed end thereof toward the lid, and which is characterized by a second insulating component for insulating the lid from components in the casing and extending along within the lid and toward the first insulating bag so as to prevent a short circuit between the lid or casing and the cathode assembly caused by formation of lithium clusters in the region between the lid or casing and the cathode connector.

Abstract: An apparatus for holding flitches for slicing in a vertical slicing process. The apparatus includes a clamp having a centrally located vacuum pocket disposed between two opposed clamping dogs. The clamp provides a vacuum assisted clamp for vertical slicing of thin veneers.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an instructional method based on the concept that as a student learns to perform a mental task consisting of a set of elements or steps, whether conceptual or concrete, the student develops a distinct mental connection or path for every element related to the primary mental task being learned. For example, as a student learns to type a particular key on a keyboard, (the primary mental task), the student develops a distinct mental impression for every typing key logically associated with the first key. In other words, a distinct connection or path is defined as a link between two or more elements, one key being a primary element, the other being a related key connected to the primary key by a logical mental step. The present method is also useful for learning a musical instrument, a foreign language, mathematics, test taking skills, and the like logical though processes.

Abstract: The present invention comprises methods for cancer detection involving the measurement of temporal periodic changes in blood perfusion, associated with immune response, occurring in neoplastic lesions and their surrounding tissues. Particularly, the method for cancer detection involves the detection of non-neuronal thermoregulation of blood perfusion, periodic changes in the spatial homogeneity of skin temperature, aberrant oscillations of spatial homogeneity of skin temperature and aberrant thermoregulatory frequencies associated with periodic changes in the spatial homogeneity of skin temperature.

Abstract: A pipe supporting brace is provided which may be affixed to an interior pipe and adjusted such that a faucet mounted on an exterior wall, and coupled to the interior pipe is brought into secure engagnement with the exterior wall.

Abstract: In a telephone network including a PBX connected between a central/public office switch and one or more terminals where a computer telephony interface is connected to the PBX, a system operatively associated with the computer telephony interface and responsive to an operational characteristic of the PBX for sensing, detecting and identifying the type of PBX connected to the computer telephony interface. The operational characteristic utilized is the DC power levels for various PBXs. The system automatically senses, detects and identifies the type of PBX which is connected to the computer telephony interface. Automation of this procedure simplifies the user interface by providing the computer telephony interface with information which it can then use to configure itself and function in the required mode without having any type of user input.

Abstract: A compact gear system that includes an input shaft (28), an output shaft (1) and gear wheel means which drivingly connect the same, wherein the output shaft (1) is journalled in a gear housing (2). The output shaft (1) is hollow and has pins (5a) which project radially outwards in a normal plane and each of which carries a gear wheel (6). Provided on each side of the pins is a respective crown wheel (11, 12) journalled on the output shaft (1) and having a toothed ring (17, 18) in engagement with the gear wheel (6). Each crown wheel also has a cylindrical toothed ring (19, 20) which coacts at different transmission ratios with a respective toothed ring (25, 26) on an eccentric shaft (21) which extends parallel with the output shaft (1) and which is rotatably journalled in the housing (2), wherein the eccentric shaft (21) is driven by the input shaft (28).

Abstract: This invention relates to a microporous or macroporous affinity filtration membrane wherein the matrix is composed of chitosan or chitin and the pores are made by dissolution of porogen during the preparation of the membrane. The invention also relates to a method of preparation of the membrane comprising preparing an acidic chitosan solution containing porogen, shaping the suspension into a membrane, and dissolving the porogen by immersing the membrane in an alkaline solution. To prepare chitin membranes, the chitosan membranes are acetylated. The special feature of the membrane is that the pore size can be controlled by varying the size of the porogen. The membranes are suitable for affinity purification of macromolecules.