Abstract: A power line conditioner using cascade multilevel inverter used for voltage regulation, reactive power (var) compensation and harmonic filtering, including the control schemes for operating the cascade inverter for voltage regulation and harmonic filtering in distribution systems. The cascade M-level inverter consists of (M-1)/2 H-bridges in which each bridge has its own separate DC source. This new inverter (1) can generate almost sinusoidal waveform voltage with only one time switching per line cycle, (2) can eliminate transformers of multipulse inverters used in the conventional static VAR compensators, and (3) makes possible direct connection to the 13.8 kV power distribution system in parallel and series without any transformer. In other words, the power line conditioner is much more efficient and more suitable to VAR compensation and harmonic filtering of distribution systems than traditional multipulse and pulse width modulation (PWM) inverters.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the encapsulation of biologically-active substances in red blood cell, characterized by an optionally automated, continuous-flow, self-contained electroporation system which allows withdrawal of blood from a patient, separation of red blood cells, encapsulation of a biologically-active substances in the cells, and optional recombination of blood plasma and the modified red blood cells thereby producing blood with modified biological characteristics. The present invention is particularly suited for use to encapsulate allosteric effectors of hemoglobin, thereby reducing the affinity of erythrocytes for oxygen and improving the release of oxygen from erythrocytes in tissues.

Abstract: The present invention is a water-responsive film. More particularly, the present invention is a film comprising a blend of a polyvinyl alcohol and a polylactide and a method of making such films. In a preferred embodiment, the invention is a film comprising a blend of polyvinyl alcohol and modified polylactide and a method of making such films. The films are useful as a component in flushable and degradable articles.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for producing a nonwoven fabric from a water modifiable polyolefin-containing film. In order to produce the fabric where polyethylene is the minority constituent, a polymer blend is formed with the polyethylene as the dispersed phase and polyethylene oxide as the continuous phase. In another embodiment wherein the polyethylene is the majority constituent and the polyethylene oxide is the minority constituent of the film, a reactive blend created during processing exhibits an inverse phase morphology so that the polyethylene oxide becomes the continuous phase and the polyethylene becomes the dispersed phase. In either embodiment, the film is then treated with an aqueous solvent to remove the polyethylene oxide to produce the nonwoven, porous fabric. The resulting nonwoven, porous fabric has a silk-like hand and shine ideal for disposable personal hygiene articles, and is flushable through waste water disposal systems.

Abstract: A system and method for providing and analyzing information regarding the association of services with elements of an organization. The system gathers information encoded in electronic form, organizes it into a services list, and correlates it with elements of an organization that are classified in an organizational hierarchy. A user of the system may examine a selected elements at any level of the organizational hierarchy and obtain information regarding all associated services, or vice versa. A user may further synchronize the services list and organizational hierarchy in such a manner that selection of an item from one displays corresponding data from the other.

Abstract: According to one aspect, a portable radiotelephone comprising a housing a cover slidably engaged with the housing and selectively reciprocable relative to the housing between a first position, wherein the portable radiotelephone is in an on-hook condition and, alternatively, a second position, wherein the portable radiotelephone is in an off-hook condition. According to another aspect, the portable radiotelephone comprises a housing, a cover slidably engaged with the housing and selectively reciprocable relative to the housing between a first position and, alternatively, a second position, wherein at least a portion of the cover extends outwardly beyond the housing, and an antenna fixed to and extending along the cover, at least a portion of the antenna extending outwardly beyond the housing when the cover is in the second position.

Abstract: A method and system for monitoring the operational status of a network element in an advanced intelligent network is provided. Custom telecommunications services, such as a call forwarding service, are processed by routing a call to a network element, such as a service circuit node, that processes the call and provides the custom telecommunications service. When the network element or application software resident at that network element fails, calls routed to that network element may be mishandled. The method and system of the present invention utilize advanced intelligent network services to monitor a desired network element prior to routing a call to that network element for custom telecommunications service. A heartbeat message is utilized between a monitored network element and a monitoring network element. The method and system reduce network element downtime by alerting maintenance personnel of network element or application software failure.

Abstract: A method of generating reactive species which includes exposing a wavelength specific photoreactor to radiation, in which the wavelength specific photoreactor comprises a wavelength-specific sensitizer associated with one or more reactive species-generating photoinitiators. Also described are methods of polymerizing unsaturated monomers and curing an unsaturated oligomer/monomer mixture.

Abstract: A microlayer polymer film comprising a plurality of coextruded microlayers including a non-degradable layer comprising a non-water degradable, melt-extrudable polymer and degradable layer comprising a water degradable, melt-extrudable polymer. The microlayer polymer film degrades when soaked in water and is suitable as a covering material for disposal items such as flushable diapers. The microlayer polymer film is also breathable and is a barrier to small amounts of water. A suitable non-water degradable, melt-extrudable polymer is linear low density polyethylene filled with a particulate filler. A suitable water degradable, melt-extrudable polymer is polyethylene oxide.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a group of compounds that effectively inhibit angiogenesis. More specifically, thalidomide and various related compounds such as thalidomide precursors, analogs, metabolites and hydrolysis products have been shown to inhibit angiogenesis. Importantly, these compounds can be administered orally.

Abstract: An enclosure with an adjacent auxiliary fold-out room is useful as a utility building for cellular telephone equipment. The auxiliary fold-out room is selectively positionable in a collapsed configuration and alternatively positionable in a expanded configuration. In the collapsed configuration the auxiliary fold-out room lies against the enclosure and in the expanded configuration, panels of the auxiliary fold-out room define an enclosed space adjacent an access opening of the enclosure and provide cover for maintenance personnel while servicing equipment within the enclosure.

Abstract: A self-aligning steering system for a vehicle having a steering wheel and a plurality of front wheels. The invention has a hydraulic fluid circulation means responsive to the steering wheel and a left and a right hydraulic cylinder for maneuvering the front wheels in response to the hydraulic fluid circulation system. The hydraulic cylinders have an internal fluid release system such that the volume of hydraulic fluid in the left and the right hydraulic cylinders is equalized through the hydraulic fluid circulation means. Equal hydraulic fluid volume ensures that the front wheels are in alignment.

Abstract: A method for efficiently updating and displaying the hierarchy of a remote data store and displaying subfolder indicia indicating that child folders contain at least one subfolder. When a user expands a folder, an e-mail client displays a cached list of the expanded folder's contents. After the cached data is displayed, a list of the expanded folder's child folders and a list of the subfolders contained in the child folders are retrieved from the remote mail server. The retrieved data is sorted and compared to the cached list, and the cached data is updated to reflect the correct child folders and whether the child folders contain subfolders. The displayed hierarchy is then updated to reflect the state of the data that was retrieved from the server.

Abstract: A system and method for creating and customizing an architectural component, namely a deskbar. The deskbar may simultaneously contain toolbars and toolbar components from multiple application programs, and may exist in an application window or on the desktop. This allows a user to select toolbar components or entire toolbars from one or more application programs and house these toolbars or toolbar components in a single deskbar. Users may also create new deskbars and populate them with selected toolbars and toolbar components. The user is then able to use these tool bar components and toolbars to perform their standard functions at any time without being required to directly access the specific application program that is associated with the toolbar component or toolbar. The user is also able to resize, move, and delete deskbars as desired by direct manipulation.

Abstract: A novel font compression method is disclosed that incorporates a plurality of data encoding techniques for compressing bit map font data or the like. Such individual characters of a font are represented in blocks comprised of a plurality of lines of data. The font data is first encoded according to encoding techniques that are applicable to the blocks of character data. Subsequently, each line of data is further encoded according to one of several selected encoding techniques. A selection of which technique to use for encoding a particular line is made by determining the length of data that will result from encoding using each of the selected techniques and comparing the lengths to select the technique yielding the shortest encoded data length. A novel Group encoding method is disclosed having particular application to bit strings of data having several groups of identical data bits.

Abstract: A catalyst composition for use in a rechargeable metal-air electrochemical cell comprises an oxygen evolution catalyst coated with a thin film deposition of carbon. This catalyst is useful to make an air electrode which produces more power in a metal-air cell then a metal-air cell having oxygen evolution catalyst without the thin carbon film.

Abstract: Providing data services using idle cell capacity in a cellular communications system. The system and method assign priorities to each remote user device in the cellular communications system. In response to a request for service for a remote user device, the mobile switch determines whether an idle channel is available for the remote user device. If no idle channel is available, the mobile switch determines whether a remote use device with a lower priority than the requesting remote user device is using a channel. If a lower priority remote use is using a channel, its call is terminated and the channel is assigned to the requesting remote user device. If no lower priority remote user device is using a channel, the request for service is put into an ordered queue to wait for the next available idle channel.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the phosphatization of metallic substrates comprising the use of a phosphatization bath having a pH from 1 to 5.5 and which comprises from about 0.3 to about 25 g/l of zinc ion, preferably from 0.5 to 10 g/l, from 5 to about 50 g/l of phosphate ion, preferably from 8 to 30 g/l, and from about 0.01 to about 10 g/l, preferably from 0.03 to 3 g/l of a trivalent cobalt complex.

Abstract: A method and system for mapping temperature from image data. The method includes the steps of: receiving an image of tissue comprised of multiple pixels, segregating the image into groups of pixels (104), each group of pixels having a set of descriptors (106), establishing a baseline set of descriptors corresponding to initial conditions of the imaged tissue (108), measuring a differential in the set of descriptors for a group of pixels (114), the differential corresponding to a change in pixel values for the group of pixels, correlating said measured differential to a temperature change for the tissue corresponding to the group of pixels (118-124), and overlaying an indication of temperature over the tissue image in response to said correlated temperature change indicating a change in temperature range for the tissue (130-132).