Abstract: A restraining barrier is positionable across a roadway in a deployed position to define a restraining zone and may be moved vertically to a passive position by first and second transport components. Opposite ends of the barrier are coupled to the first and second transport components, respectively, and also couple the barrier to first and second energy absorbers of differing restraintive force in order stop vehicles of varying weight. A support cable is coupled to an indicator for providing a signal indicating vehicle impact. Additionally, a series of restraining barriers and energy absorbers may provide a series of sequentially differing restraintive forces to stop lightweight and heavier vehicles. The barrier may be a net and include a lower wire below the net assuring effective trapping of autos and trucks of a variety of heights.

Abstract: An interferometric environmental monitoring system having an active beam and a reference beam, each following an optical path, a detector system including a detector assembly, a pair of reflecting elements, the first reflecting element receiving the active beam and reflecting it, the second reflecting element receiving the reference beam and reflecting it. The reflected active and reflected reference beams are recombined into a recombined beam, which is directed to the detector assembly. The detector assembly monitors the central fringe of an interference pattern formed by interference when combining the active and the reference beams and providing an output signal related to the movement of the central fringe. The output signal being utilized to provide a signal representative of a condition which measurably affects the active beam.

Abstract: An interactive, automated medication reminder/dispenser device having a housing and a container operably associated with the housing for containing and dispensing therefrom at least one predetermined type of medication. An audio and visual output for provides a visual and audio signal indicative of a time to take at least one medication and additional medication located external of the container, and further indicative of a dosage of medication to take at a preselected time. The device also includes a recording system for providing an indication of each of the medications which have been taken, the recording system being activated by the application of a signal thereto. This activation signal is responsive to either the opening of the container or an independent action.

Abstract: An apparatus for facilitating the running of multiple simultaneous solid phase reactions for mounting on a temperature controllable water bath and a method of using this apparatus in the presence or absence of paramagnetic beads to perform chemical syntheses resulting in separation and recovery of a final desired reaction product is provided. The apparatus comprises a reaction plate, a reaction vessel for mounting in the reaction plate, a reaction plate holder, a screw-like rod, a mounting block attached to the reaction plate holder for operably receiving the screw-like rod, a motor, a sonication region in the water bath and a magnetic separation region in the water bath. Paramagnetic beads having reaction sites are introduced into the reaction vessels along with the appropriate solvent and one or more reactants.

Abstract: A substantially flat, gas filled, arc discharge fluorescent lamp having an internal path in which the arc travels, where the path is formed by vertical sections between a substantially flat top and bottom surface. The path length can be controlled along with the height of the lamp to provide a wide range of lumens per unit volume while improving lamp life at low cost. A reflective coating, formed adjacent to the phosphor coating within the path, directs light to where wanted, while obviating the need for a separate reflector in the lamp fixture. One application of the present inventive lamp is to replace incandescent lamps by virtue of being mechanically interchangeable by virtue of having the flexibility for accommodating a small ballast within the lamp assembly.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the decomposition of superalloys and subsequent recovery of the metallic constituents.

Abstract: The present invention provides a free space optical switching and routing system utilizing a switchable grating based approach together with novel noise suppression techniques. This family of devices provides for an optical switching and routing system that is useful for interconnecting any of an input array's optical channels to any of an output array's optical channels. The incorporation of free space switched grating based routing in the present invention has several distinct advantages including compactness, a reduction in insertion loss and the number of required switching devices and control signals, and improvements in switch isolation, noise and crosstalk suppression, spurious reflections, data skew, and compactness.

Abstract: A device and method for respectively providing and using a small, portable, discreet, yet complete on-the-spot stain remover unit. The unit can be activated on-the-spot to remove accidentally spilled food or beverage stains by removing the appropriate modules or body portions to achieve the desired cleaning steps. The stain removing or cleaning unit has a main applicator body, two sub-applicator bodies and two end covers. The modules, when connected together, make up the complete cleaning kit. The unit is designed to enable a user to perform four basic steps for cleaning a stain the instant it occurs, i.e., detergent soak, soiled detergent pickup, rinse and final drying.

Abstract: A multiple container transportation system having a moveable frame for transporting the frame from one location to another and at least one container unit removably secured to the moveable frame. The container unit is made up of a container and a cover. The container has an open top portion of predetermined internal size and a closed bottom portion of a predetermined external size less than the predetermined size of said top portion. The top portion is angled from the back of the container to the front of the container such that the front of the container has a height less than the height of the back of the container. This design enables an animal easy access to the contents of the container and also prevents any spilling of the contents during tilting of the container and frame during movement thereof.

Abstract: Abrasive grain with significantly improved toughness is obtained by pressureless sintering of .alpha.-silicon carbide powder with oxidic sinter additives, especially aluminum oxide/yttrium oxide, which is also suitable for those applications where an ordinary silicon carbide abrasive grain is too brittle.

Abstract: The method of investigation of physiological components distribution in human body tissues includes optical illumination of the investigated area, recording of the spatial distribution of the intensity of the light reflected by the investigated area within a definite period of time through sequential time intervals, which are small compared to the time constant of the investigated process. The wavelength of the illuminating or recorded reflected radiation is chosen at one of the spectral intervals with a maximal steepness of the spectral changes in the physiological pigments absorption, this radiation being modulated by the frequency and the amplitude-modulated part of the reflected light thus appearing is recorded synchronously at the modulation frequency. In one aspect of the method, the investigated area is illuminated at one or several points and the reflected radiation is recorded at points shifted relative to the illuminated ones.

Abstract: A process for drawing wire employing a lubricant composed of perfluorocarbon compounds having the general formula C.sub.n F.sub.2n+2. Such fully fluorinated carbon compounds exhibit a very high degree of thermal and chemical stability, due to the strength of the carbon-fluorine bond. Further, because the compounds are fully fluorinated, and therefore do not contain chlorine and bromine, they have zero ozone depletion potential (ODP). Further, because the PFCs are photochemically non-reactive in the atmosphere, they are not precursors to photochemical smog and are exempt from the federal volatile organic compound (VOC) definition.

Abstract: An electrical connector for joining individual, electrically conductive wires, to a printed circuit board. The wires may be individual solid or stranded types. A contact, provided within the connector housing, is arranged with a first end forming an area for attaching the wire and with a second end arranged usually with female contacts for connecting to a header on the printed circuit board. The wires are stripped of any insulation and mechanically attached to a contact in the connector. The wire is placed between a pressure plate and an area of the contact. A screw is rotated forcing the pressure plate and the contact area together physically squeezing the wire so that the wire is securely attached to the contact area to provide a good electrical contact. The second end of the contacts forms a female cantilevered contact arranged to mate with a header of a row of male pins soldered to the printed circuit board.

Abstract: The invention belongs to the field of medicine and biology, and more specifically, the invention encompasses an apparatus for performing functional imaging of biological objects. It can be used to distinguish between normal and pathological states in women's mammary glands. The aim of this invention is to increase the reliability of detection of peculiarities in the patient's physiological status, including detection of cancer. Visualization and early diagnosis of different mammary gland pathologies are achieved by recording dynamic images of both mammary glands while illuminating alternatively from opposite sides. The data thus obtained is subsequently combined and processed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to pastes for the coating of substrates, consisting of powdery materials present in liquid dispersion from the group of the metals, metal compounds and/or metal alloys and/or boron and/or carbon, methods for manufacturing them and their use.

Abstract: Highly reactive metal niobates and/or metal tantalates of the general formula Me(II)A.sub.2 O.sub.6 or Me(III)AO.sub.4, a method for the preparation thereof, their further processing to form perovskites of the general formula X(B'B")O.sub.3 wherein X signifies Pb and/or Ba, B' signifies Mg, Fe, Co, Ni, Cr, Mn, Cd, Ti, Zr and/or Zn and B" signifies Nb and/or Ta, as well as these perovskites are provided through the present invention. An additive of Li, Na and/or K is provided to the niobates/tantalates in 0.1 to 20 mol-%.

Abstract: Cobalt/cobalt oxide powder having the composition Co.sub.x (CoO).sub.1-x, where x is from 0.02 to 5, and a process for its production and use in nickel hydroxide electrodes for secondary batteries to enhance capacity.

Abstract: Manufacture of a substantially flat compact fluorescent lamp using a molded cup-like continuous concentric (spiralled) channel and a circular plate, resembling a lid for the cup. The cup with the channel is coated with a light reflective layer followed by a phosphor layer (whereas the lid, on one side, is coated with the phosphor layer only) and has two holes through which two electrodes are sealed such that one of the said holes has, in addition to the electrode, an integral exhaust tubulation. The space between the cup and the lid is filled with a material capable of emitting ultraviolet under electrical excitation. Electrical discharge created between the electrodes, strictly follows the path of the channel physically imposed by the sealed structure, in spite of a nonsealed contact of the top surface of the channel walls and the plane surface of the lid. On absorption of the ultra-violet from the discharge, the phosphor emits visible radiation.

Abstract: An encryption/decryption apparatus that provides at least two masks, each of which is used in logic/mathematic operation with information to be encrypted to preserve confidentiality. The operations include exclusive oring, addition, subtraction. The source of the masks can be any commonly found data, for example, the code of a music CD. In such a manner the sender may tell the receiver in private that the masks are from a particular track on a particular CD, sampled in a particular fashion, using a particular password. The product of the number of elements in each mask need not be greater or equal to the number of elements in the data file being encrypted. Repetition may make the decoding easier for an eavesdropper, but the use of a password character array to control the use and sequencing of each set of encoding mask operations greatly helps in maintaining the confidentiality of the data. The present invention includes use as a one-time-pad and can be implemented on personal computers.