Abstract: A compression post for a shear wall includes a plate mounted to the bottom of an end post of a shear wall. The plate is sized to conform to the lower end of each end post. An extended portion (e.g., a cylinder) is positioned perpendicularly to the plate. The extended portion has a cross section sized to fit through a hole in a mudsill of the shear wall and has a length selected to conform with a thickness of the mudsill. When the shear wall is mounted on a structural support (e.g., a footing or foundation), forces applied to the end post pass through the plate and the extended portion to the structural support. The extended portion may be secured to the plate (e.g., by spot welding, press fitting, bolting, or threaded engagement) or the two portions may be independent. The two portions may also be a cast unitary body.

Abstract: A solar tracking device is mounted above a skylight of a building. An array of mirrors is rotated at a rate of one revolution per day to reflect sunlight through the skylight. A control circuit intermittently adjusts the angular position of the tracking device so that the mirrors face the sun. A solar array charges an internal energy storage system so that no external power source is needed. The control circuit within the tracking device reduces the power requirements at night and when not moving the tracking device during the daytime to conserve electrical energy.

Abstract: A shear panel for constructing underlayments for floors and roofs of buildings includes a first rectangular layer of fire-resistant material, such as cementitious board, bonded to a second rectangular layer of thin high-strength material, such as galvanized steel. The length of the second layer is longer than the length of the first layer. The additional length of the second layer forms a tab extending from one end of the panel. During construction, a first panel is attached to a set of beams (floor joists or roof rafters) with the tab spanning between adjacent beams. A second panel is positioned on the beams with at least a portion of the second panel overlapping the tab of the first panel. The overlapping portion of the second panel is fastened to the tab of the first panel to form a continuous shear diaphragm for the floor or roof.

Abstract: A system automatically maintains at least one of a pH level and a sanitizing agent level of water in a water feature. The system includes a sensor assembly responsive to at least one of a pH level of the water and a sanitizing agent level of the water. The system further includes a controller which generates control signals in response to signals from the sensor assembly. The system further includes at least one of a first source containing a sanitizing agent material and a second source containing a pH-modifying material. The system further includes a third source comprising a valve assembly and a third container containing a liquid calibrant material. The valve assembly is responsive to at least a portion of the control signals from the controller by selectively allowing the calibrant material to flow from the third container through the sensor assembly to the water feature.

Abstract: An oven includes an oven cavity having multiple pairs of horizontally disposed guide slots recessed into the side walls of the oven cavity. At least one oven rack is configured with at least two wheels mounted on axles secured to at least one hinged support along an edge of the oven rack. After the oven rack is inserted into the oven cavity, the hinged support is pivoted to move the axles of the wheels to a generally horizontal position to cause the wheels to engage the horizontal slots and support the oven rack. The oven rack is removed from the oven cavity by lifting the oven rack to cause the wheels to disengage from the horizontal guide slots and to pivot so that the axles are at an angle with respect to the horizontal position. With the wheels disengaged from the guide slots, the oven rack is readily removable from the oven cavity.

Abstract: A system and method autonomously and precisely track objects moving along a known course. The objects include, for example, racing horses, other racing animals, or racing vehicles. The system and method utilize modern satellite navigation satellite systems, signal processing, radio communications systems and computer processing to acquire and analyze performance data of the moving objects during competitions and during training and practice. The data acquisition is performed continuously at a rate of at least 1 Hz during the competition, training or practice even in the presence of objects which affect the quality of the signals received from the satellite system.

Abstract: In a system and a method for erecting a structure, the walls of the structure are securely interconnected with a foundation, such as, a concrete slab or footing. The system includes a laminated shear panel formed by bonding a thin shear layer (e.g., a layer of sheet steel or other suitable high-strength material) to a surface of a non-structural layer. The thin shear layer has one dimension longer than the non-structural sheet so that a tab of the shear layer extends from one edge of the non-structural sheet. The shear panel is mounted on the exterior walls of a structure with the panel secured to the vertical studs of the wall and with the extended tab secured to the foundation. The shear panel binds the walls of the structure to the foundation to inhibit the walls from lifting or shifting during high wind conditions.

Abstract: A wall structure and a method for constructing the wall of a building provide protection for inhabitants of the building against ballistic projectiles impacting the wall. The wall structure includes an outer panel and an inner panel. The inner panel is a composite structure that includes a metal sheet having a first face attached to a wallboard panel. Preferably, a sheet of self-healing material is attached to a second face of the metal sheet. A cavity formed between the outer and inner panels is filled with sand or another granular material. A flexible sheet suspended in the cavity provides additional protection. Preferably, a sheet of woven para-aramid fiber such as Kevlar® brand fiber is loosely attached to the flexible sheet to provide further protection.

Abstract: A building panel subject to interior condensation of moisture and exterior wind-driven moisture includes a sheet having an inner surface onto which condensed moisture forms. An open upper reservoir is positioned proximate a bottom portion of the inner surface of the sheet to receive the condensed moisture. A lower chamber having at least one drain port is positioned below the upper reservoir. A wicking port connects the upper reservoir to the lower chamber. The wicking port weeps the condensed moisture from the upper reservoir to the lower chamber to drain the upper reservoir. The condensed moisture drains from the lower chamber via the drain port. The wicking port blocks the upward flow of wind-driven moisture that enters the lower chamber via the drain port.

Abstract: A linear Fresnel lens for LED illumination is configured initially by using a meridional flux-assignment method and is then corrected by assessing the three-dimensional flux distribution of individual facets. The facet angles are slightly altered as required to produce uniformity. A variety of specialized lens shapes are generated, such as for illuminating shelves in commercial refrigerator food-display cases. The lens shapes are suitably thin for economical production by extrusion.

Abstract: An automated method measures coronary calcium in a living subject using x-ray computed tomography (CT). The method acquires at least one CT image containing voxels representing x-ray attenuation of the subject which may or may not be calibrated. The method of analysis may or may not require operator interactions and includes analyzing the images in a computer to identify the boundaries of the heart. The method further includes identifying the approximate location of at least one coronary artery without operator interaction. The method further includes placing a region-of-interest (ROI) surrounding the artery location automatically. The method further includes analyzing the ROI to identify voxels above a threshold value. The method further includes determining the calcium content in mass units.

Abstract: A solar panel has n rows of solar cells in a regular grid array. The cells constituting each row are wired in parallel, the rows are wired in series and an equalizing network of n-1 capacitors are connected in electrical series. In a first configuration, a network of switches connects a first capacitor across the first row, and a second capacitor across the second row, and so on until the n-1th capacitor is connected across the cells of the n-1th row. In a second configuration, the switch network connects the first capacitor across the second row, and the second capacitor across the third row, and so on until the n-1th capacitor is connected across the nth row. This causes the voltage across each row to be substantially equal to the voltage across every other row. Since equal voltage is a hallmark of parallel connection, this voltage equalized series connection is referred to as a virtual parallel connection.

Abstract: A solar tracking device is mounted above a skylight of a building. An array of mirrors is rotated at a rate of one revolution per day to reflect sunlight through the skylight. A control circuit intermittently adjusts the angular position of the tracking device so that the mirrors face the sun. A solar array charges an internal energy storage system so that no external power source is needed. The control circuit within the tracking device reduces the power requirements at night and when not moving the tracking device during the daytime to conserve electrical energy.

Abstract: Methods to calibrate and display medical images with pixel values with known properties of one or more reference materials provide images which allow more accurate quantification of certain tissue properties. The images provide advantages in medical diagnosis by being standardized and independent of imaging devices or imaging techniques. The images are automatically displayed and/or filmed in optimum windows and levels. The images are calibrated with a variety of reference materials and displayed in a variety of measurement units. For example, CT images are displayed with pixel values in units of grams per cubic centimeter calibrated to a known reference which relate to but are quantitatively different from the customary Hounsfield scale based on water as the reference material. A novel more quantitative CT image display scale provides advantages in diagnosis, image recording and standardization. References with known magnetic properties imaged with MRI provide calibration and display standardization.

Abstract: A method of detecting a fraudulent transaction of an item having an item-identifying indicium processes the indicium to obtain item-identifying information, and captures a digital representation of a surface area of the item. The item-identifying information is used to retrieve a stored digital representation of the surface area of the item. Further, the method compares the captured digital representation with the stored digital representation to determine if the captured digital representation corresponds to the stored digital representation.

Abstract: A system automatically maintains at least one of a pH level and a sanitizing agent level of water in a water feature. The system includes a sensor assembly responsive to at least one of a pH level of the water and a sanitizing agent level of the water. The system further includes a controller which generates control signals in response to signals from the sensor assembly. The system further includes at least one of a first source containing an sanitizing agent material and a second source containing a pH-modifying material. The system further includes a third source comprising a valve assembly and a third container containing a liquid calibrant material. The valve assembly is responsive to at least a portion of the control signals from the controller by selectively allowing the calibrant material to flow from the third container through the sensor assembly to the water feature.

Abstract: A sawtooth waveform generator includes an operational amplifier that generates a ramp signal. The ramp signal charges a capacitor connected between the output of the operational amplifier and the inverting input of the operational amplifier. The inverting input is maintained at a substantially constant voltage, which provides a substantially constant charging current through a timing resistor. The connections to the capacitor are switched when the ramp voltage reaches a predetermined level. A control circuit switches the connections to the capacitor in response to a voltage on one terminal of the capacitor to assure that the connections to the capacitor are switched to a configuration to cause the direction of current flow through the capacitor to be reversed as a result of the switching.

Abstract: A removable canoe transporting rack carries two canoes on the bed of a pickup truck with an upper canoe positioned over a lower canoe. A first rack having a first horizontal member mounts in the front stake wells of the pickup truck. A second rack having a second horizontal member mounts in the rear stake wells. A third rack having an upper horizontal member and a lower horizontal member includes an engagement bar insertable into a hitch mount of the pickup truck. The lower canoe is supported by the bed of the pickup truck and the lower horizontal member of the third rack. The upper canoe is supported by the first horizontal member, the second horizontal member and the upper horizontal member of the third rack.

Abstract: A hybrid calibration method uses a calibration phantom (exterior reference) scanned simultaneously with the patient, and one or more known tissues of the subject (interior reference) to create a hybrid calibration reference that improves the measurement of tissue densities throughout the body. In addition, the calibration method is used to quantitatively define boundaries of tissue and organs for more accurate measurements of lengths, areas and volumes. Another aspect of the invention uses the calibrated images to quantitatively preset absolute window/levels for filming and image display, which provides standardized viewing for diagnostic purposes.