Abstract: Systems and methods are described for processing an emission signal, such as a fluorescent signal, to compensate for noise in an excitation beam, such as a laser beam. As one example, a scanning system is described that includes an excitation signal generator that provides an excitation signal having one or more representative excitation values representative of an excitation beam; an excitation reference provider that provides at least one excitation reference value; a normalization factor generator that compares the excitation reference value to at least one representative excitation value, thereby generating a normalization factor; and a comparison processor that adjusts at least one emission value corresponding to the at least one representative excitation value based, at least in part, on the normalization factor.

Abstract: The present invention provides aluminum oxide crystalline materials including dopants and oxygen vacancy defects and methods of making such crystalline materials. The crystalline materials of the present invention have particular utility in optical data storage applications.

Abstract: In a cochlear implant system, the implantable stimulator includes a monitor which monitors parameters associated with the stimulation signals and/or the power stored in an energy storage element which stores energy transmitted from the processor. This parameter or parameters is/are analyzed and one or more feedback signals are generated and transmitted back to the processor. The processor uses the feedback signal to insure that power is transmitted to the stimulator optimally and that the stimulation signals are compliant.

Abstract: In one embodiment the present invention provides a method for identity verification comprising the steps of: (a) comparing at least one first spoken voice print of a user speaking at least one piece of personal data against a first stored voice print of the user speaking said at least one piece of personal data; (b) comparing at least one second spoken voice print of the user speaking at least one piece of travel data against a second stored voice print of the user speaking said piece of travel data; and (c) determining if the user is a given individual based the results of step (a) and step (b).

Abstract: A co-mingled polyurethane-polyvinyl ester composition can be used as a coating, which has good scratch, mar and solvent resistance. The coating is derived from a waterborne polyurethane solution containing free radically polymerizable monomers such as acrylate, ultraviolet light initiators, and optionally urethane crosslinking agents. A process for forming the co-mingled polyurethane-polyvinyl ester composition comprises drying the waterborne polyurethane containing the polymerizable monomers therein and radiation polymerizing, as by ultraviolet light, the free radically polymerizable monomers on a substrate such as a plastic sheet to form a laminate. Subsequently, the laminate can be utilized to form a coating on a product as by thermoforming, where if urethane crosslinking agents are utilized, the polyurethane will be crosslinked.

Abstract: An apparatus (1) for applying magnetic field treatment to a biological entity is disclosed. The apparatus has a signal generation unit (6) for generating an electrical treatment signal, and an induction coil mat (5), connected to said signal generation unit (6). A magnetic field is generated by the induction coil mat (5) in accordance with said electrical treatment signal. The electrical treatment signal comprises frequency components of approximately 300 Hz, 600 Hz, 800 Hz and 1,000 Hz in superposition. A further set of frequencies in the range between 2 Hz and 32 Hz can be added. These further frequencies are chosen in accordance with a desired treatment mode of operation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a transceiver housing comprising: an opening at a proximal end thereof for receiving a optical receptacle; an electrical contact for engaging the optical receptacle and retaining the optical receptacle in the housing body; and a first side and a second side, each of the first side and the second side including mountings for mounting a printed wire assembly within the housing. In a preferred embodiment, the transceiver housing of the present invention has a uni-body construction.

Abstract: A transceiver adapter is provided that includes a substrate, including electrical contacts on a first side thereof for electrically contacting a transceiver, and electrical contacts on a second side thereof for electrically contacting a printed wire assembly. A transceiver adapter is also provided that includes an adapter plate, including (a) tabs for positioning a transceiver, and (b) mounting pins for coupling the adapter plate with a, printed wire assembly; and a substrate hole through which a transceiver may be electrically mated with a printed wire assembly. A transceiver is also provided that includes electrical contacts; and a mateable electrical connector, including (a) electrical contacts on a first side thereof for electrically contacting the electrical contacts of the transceiver, and (b) electrical contacts on a second side thereof for electrically contacting a printed wire assembly.

Abstract: An imaging system is provided including a source generating an x-ray beam and a detector array receiving the x-ray beam and generating projection data corresponding to at least a scanned portion of an object. An image reconstructor is electrically coupled to said detector array and reconstructs an image of the scanned portion of the object for a full field-of-view in response to said projection data using a dual iterative reconstruction technique. The dual iterative reconstruction technique includes reconstructing the full field-of-view using a first resolution and reconstructing a region-of-interest within the full FOV using a second resolution. A method is also provided for reconstructing an image using projection data from such an imaging system.

Abstract: A conductive element with a lateral oxidation barrier is provided for the control of lateral oxidation processes in semiconductor devices such as lasers, vertical cavity surface emitting lasers and light emitting diodes. The oxidation barrier is formed through modification of one or more layers which initially were receptive to oxidation. The quality of material directly below the oxidation barrier may be preserved.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for analyzing a process based on displaying data to a user from a plurality of different sources and a machine-readable medium for implementing such a method. The present invention also provides a mapping system and a method for displaying data to a user employing a hierarchy including data nodes and data leaves.

Abstract: A novel electro-opto-mechanical assembly is provided. The electro-opto-mechanical assembly comprising: a first wafer, the wafer having a top and bottom surface; at least one optical element disposed on one surface of the first wafer; at least one discrete opto-electronic transducer element disposed on the bottom surface of the first wafer and in optical communication with the optical element; and an optical waveguide; wherein the first wafer and the optical element form an optical relay which relays light between the discrete opto-electronic transducer and the optical waveguide and thereby forms an efficient optical coupling between the discrete opto-electronic transducer and the optical waveguide.

Abstract: Process for preparing 1,10-phenanthroline ligands represented by the formula which comprises coupling a 1,10-phenanthroline of the formula with a ketone e.g. a dialkyl, cycloalkyl or bicycloalkyl ketone with a metal coupling reagent, preferably a lanthanide II e.g. samarium II, wherein R is hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, bicycloalkyl or aryl e.g. phenyl. The hydroxy group of the product may be converted to derivatives e.g. esters and ethers to form additional ligands. The hydroxy group of the product also may be converted to a reducible group e.g. the methoxy ether and the ether replaced by hydrogen in the reduction. The reduction product wherein R of the starting material is hydrogen can be coupled with a ketone in the process to provide 2,9-disubstituted 1,10-phenanthroline ligands. The ligands provided are preferably in chiral form and complex with metals, e.g. transition metals, which serve as catalysts in many processes such as addition and substitution reactions.

Abstract: The present invention describes a partial independent component analysis (PICA) technique for blindly separating partially independent and/or gaussian-like sources from mixed observations over an informative index subspace, which allows various applications in independent component imaging. The present invention estimates a demixing matrix using only the independent and/or nongaussian portion of the observations. Specifically, rather than using all the data points which give rise to a large separation error, a subset of the data points is identified such that the partial source profiles defined over such a subset are statistically independent and/or nongaussian. The present invention describes a complete implementation of such a technique, whose steps and parameters may be achieved and estimated using an information theoretic-based neural computational algorithm.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for analyzing a process based on displaying data to a user from a plurality of different sources and a machine-readable medium for implementing such a method. The present invention also provides a mapping system and a method for displaying data to a user employing a hierarchy including data nodes and data leaves.

Abstract: The present invention provides an orthodontic bracket placement device comprising a horizontal bracket engaging element for engaging an orthodontic bracket; and a vertical shaft extending from the horizontal bracket engaging element, the shaft including a plurality of indicia for aligning with the incisal edge of a tooth when the bracket placement device is used to place an orthodontic bracket engaged by the engaging element on the tooth. A method is also provided for placing an orthodontic bracket on a tooth comprising placing the orthodontic bracket on the tooth at a particular vertical position on the tooth using a bracket placement device by engaging a horizontal bracket engaging element of the device with a bracket and aligning one of a plurality of indicia on the bracket placement device with the incisal edge of the tooth; and adhering the orthodontic bracket to the tooth. Kits comprising bracket placement devices of the present invention are also provided.

Abstract: The invention provides a reagentless assay kit for analyte in a sample comprising a modular affinity assembly including at least one sensor unit comprising a ligand having binding affinity for the analyte (affinity module) operatively associated with a reporter probe (reporter module) responsive to changes in the sensor unit induced by analyte/receptor complex formation by transduction of a characteristic detectable signal. Assays employing the modular assembly are also provided.

Abstract: For separating and drying pellets from a suspension, centrifugal dryers have proved successful wherein a rotor equipped with conveyor blades and disposed vertically in an outside housing for collecting the liquid is enclosed coaxially by a hollow body formed of screen elements. The suspension of pellets and liquid is supplied continuously to the lower area of the space between the hollow body and the rotor. The pellets are transported upward by the conveyor blades rotating with the rotor while being thrown back and forth and dried between the conveyor blades and the screens. At the upper end of the rotor the dried pellets are thrown off. The liquid separated from the pellets passes through the screen jacket and flows out of the discharge port of the outside housing.

Abstract: Cyclic peptides inhibit LFA-1 interaction with ICAM-1 and are useful in treatment of hematopoietic neoplasms and in adjunct therapy in prevention of retinoic acid syndrome and diseases involving emigration of leukocytes into organ tissue.

Abstract: A stent (5), made of a shape-memory alloy and inserted into a stenosed vessel (50), and a stent foundation device for inserting such a stent (5) into a desired part (52) of the stenosed vessel (50) are disclosed. The stent (5) consists of a net-structural hollow cylindrical body (3) made by knitting one longitudinal superelastic shape-memory alloy wire while repeatedly crossing the wire at various points so as to form a plurality of diamond-shape meshes (2). The stent foundation device consists of an actuation steel core (12), a moveable tube (15) and an insert tube (20), which are received within an outside hollow tube (13) while being axially movable within the outside tube. (13). In the above device, an insert tip (23) is connected to the front end of the insert tube (20). The insert tip (23) has a step (22) forming a fitting end, at which the insert tip (23) is partially fitted into the front end of the outside tube (13) and is connected to the front end of the insert tube (20).