Abstract: To provide a sheet for ink-jet recording having a low ink-spreading property and an excellent sheet-feeding property, a sheet for ink-jet recording which comprises a base material taking the form of sheet and an ink receiving layer which is laminated onto at least one surface of the base material and contains a binder and fine porous polysaccharide particles is produced. Further, the above-mentioned sheet for ink-jet recording wherein the fine porous polysaccharide particles are exposed on the surface of the ink receiving layer to form unevenness thereon is produced.

Abstract: An ergonomic tool handle (21) which is useful for a terminal insertion hand tool, gardening hand tools, knives, box cutters, screwdrivers and other pushing or pulling type hand tools. The tool handle (21) of the present invention is contoured to promote neutral posture between the hand and wrist as well as complementing the shape of the closed hand to distribute longitudinal tool forces evenly throughout the hand and arm of the user. The tool handle (21) accomplishes this neutral posture and contoured fit by featuring a humplike crown (28) which fits snugly into the pocket of the palm, a relatively flat underside (29) around which the user's finger tips (55-57) are wrapped and two sides (51, 52) with convex regions (30, 31) in diagonally offset relation. By moving one's hand up or down the tool handle (21), one size of tool handle (21) can ergonomically fit approximately 95% of male and female hand sizes.

Abstract: A face plate is disclosed for concealing the exposed edge of a lock mechanism when installed within the lock stile of a door. To accommodate the plunger and deadbolt of the lock mechanism, the face plate comprises a plurality of separation lines defining removable portions or "knockouts" corresponding to various lock configurations. Depending upon the configuration of the lock mechanism being used, a corresponding one or combination of the removable portions can be removed to accommodate the particular lock mechanism. In addition, the face plate comprises tabs at the upper and lower edges which hook beneath the vertical edge wall of the door stile adjacent the upper and lower ends of the opening within which the lock mechanism is installed. The tabs hold the upper and lower edges of the lock plate with the opening and can either reduce the number of screws required to secure the face plate to the door or can eliminate the need for screws altogether.

Abstract: A food transportation container which will maintain food in a fresh, hot and undeteriorated condition during delivery of the food from its point of origin to its destination, while being easy to use and store. The container will not impart undesirable taste to its contents. Furthermore, the container will not impede proper cutting of the food contained therein.

Abstract: A dual particle immunoassay method and kit for detecting analyte in a sample in which the sample to be analyzed, a binding molecule specific for the analyte, and a particle coated with the analyte to be detected or coated with a second binding molecule are reacted and applied to a porous membrane. The competitive immunoassay utilizes an analyte-coated particle, whereas the sandwich immunoassay employs a second binding molecule-coated particle. All of the reagents except for the coated particle are able to pass through the porous membrane. Detectable particles coated with a binding substance that binds to the binding molecule, such as protein A protein G, second antibody reactive to the binding molecule, or a small synthetic affinity ligand, are reacted with coated particles retained on the membrane surface. The detectable particles will pass through the membrane if not complexed with the coated particle.

Abstract: A gaming console that retains gaming devices in a cockpit-like arrangement for enhancing the experience of home video game playing. The gaming console includes a seat for the game player and armrests for the game player's arms. Each armrest is equipped with a device retainer that provides a sturdy mount for gaming devices. A game player can place the gaming console in an existing chair, thereby permitting the game player to sit on the seat of the gaming console at an elevation suitable for home video game playing. By grasping the gaming devices mounted on the device retainers, the game player can play the home video game. The armrests are tilted inward, providing the effect of being surrounded by a control panel. The gaming console is modular in that additional components can be added to the gaming console without changing the basic structure of the gaming console. Additional components include a laptop table, a mouse pad, a storage compartment, and a sound system.

Abstract: A method and system for decoding a two-dimensional optical symbol in the spatial domain. The system determines the orientation of an imaged symbol in the spatial domain by using a template to derive a correlation coefficient between radially adjacent signals at a given angle of the template and comparing the correlation coefficients as the template is rotated with respect to the image. The angle of the highest correlation coefficient corresponds to the orientation of a set of symbol axes which include contiguous elements whose centers are collinear. The system then locates each individual information-encoded element of the symbol by using segments of the symbol defined by the axes, first adjusting for each segment the axis position and element size for subsequent determination of the location of all elements for decoding.

Abstract: A system for selectively recording a data structure where one or more external program modules are registered. A group of important actions is selected corresponding to both internal program modules and registered external program modules. The system determines if an action associated with one of the internal program modules or one of the registered external program modules has occurred. If so, the system determines if the action is one of the important actions. If the action is an important action, then information associated with the important action is placed into data fields of a data structure. The data structure containing the information is stored in computer memory. The data structure is maintained within a central container or folder in memory, along with previously recorded data structures. The data structure can be automatically deleted after a predetermined threshold of time.

Abstract: The present invention relates to polymeric fiber optic imaging bundles and their use for high resolution viewing of objects, including three-dimensional real time viewing of objects. The present invention also relates to an automated system for using these imaging bundles to view several objects with high resolution and to process this information rapidly to obtain and analyze characteristics of the exterior and interior surfaces of objects.

Abstract: A method of generating reactive species which includes exposing a polymolecular photoreactor to radiation, in which the polymolecular photoreactor comprises a wavelength-specific sensitizer associated with a reactive species-generating photoinitiator. The sensitizer absorbs energy and transfers the absorbed energy to the photoinitiator which in turn, generates reactive species. The wavelength-specific sensitizer is adapted to have an absorption wavelength band generally corresponding to an emission peak of the radiation. The radiation to which the polymolecular photoreactor is exposed generally will have a wavelength of from about 4 to about 1,000 nanometers. Thus, the radiation may be ultraviolet radiation, including near ultraviolet and far or vacuum ultraviolet radiation: visible radiation: and near infrared radiation. Desirably, the radiation will have a wavelength of from about 100 to about 900 nanometers.

Abstract: An ice storage and delivery system for radially displacing fragmentary ice stored within an ice storage bin. The ice storage and delivery system has a rotating ice rake of elongated members which radially displaces a portion of the fragmentary ice stored in the storage bin as each elongated member passes through the pile of fragmentary ice. The ice rake pivots in the storage bin between first and second positions such that the rotating elongated members may radially displace the fragmentary ice into a screw conveyor in the floor of the storage bin while in the first position and level-out the fragmentary ice stored in the storage bin while in the second position. In order to displace the fragmentary ice into the screw conveyor and remove the fragmentary ice from the storage bin while in the first position, the displacement assembly translates in the storage bin along the length of the storage bin.

Abstract: A nonwoven, porous fabric produced from a water modifiable polyolefin-containing film. In a preferred embodiment, the nonwoven fabric includes groups of elongated polyolefin fibers substantially oriented along a longitudinal axis. The fibers have branches extending from themselves and are bonded therebetween. Elongated channels extend generally parallel to the longitudinal axis on the surface of the fabric and within the fabric. A substantial portion of the channels are interconnected to other channels. To produce the fabric, a polymer blend is formed with the polyethylene as the minority constituent and the dispersed phase, and with polyethylene oxide as the continuous phase. In another embodiment wherein the polyethylene is the majority constituent and the polyethylene oxide is the minority constituent, a reactive blend is prepared during processing so that the blend exhibits an inverse phase morphology, the polyethylene oxide becoming the continuous phase and the polyethylene becoming the dispersed phase.

Abstract: Microparticles formed by mixing a macromolecule with a polymer at a pH near the isoelectric point of the macromolecule and incubating the mixture in the presence of an energy source for a predetermined length of time. The microparticles are composed of homogeneously distributed, intertwined macromolecule and polymer. Each microparticle allows aqueous fluids to enter and allows solubilized macromolecule and polymer to exit the microparticle and may be formulated to provide a sustained release of macromolecule and polymer from the interior of the microparticle when placed in an appropriate aqueous medium, such as under physiological conditions. Methods of production and methods of use for research, diagnostics and therapeutics are provided.

Abstract: New .alpha.-phenoxy-alkanols represented by the general formula ##STR1## in which R.sup.1 and R.sub.2, which may be identical or different, represent a hydrogen atom or the CH.sub.3 radical, and their stereoisomers of R,S conformation when they contain at least one asymmetric carbon.

Abstract: A method of introducing continuous lengths of filament into the body in surgical procedures in which it is desirable to place a significant amount of material into the body through a small portal. The material so introduced may serve to bulk a tissue or cavity of the body or to occlude a vas, as well as to introduce diagnostic or therapeutic agents into a site in the body. A device for implementing the method has a mechanism for feeding the filament through a conduit in such a manner that sufficient force is applied to the filament that it is forced into the desired site. In one embodiment, a system of reciprocating cannulae and synchronized grippers is used to supply the requisite force to the filament.

Abstract: Waking a computer from a system state. A wake data structure enables a device to wake the computer from a sleeping state. The lowest system state is identified that allows selected devices to still wake the system based on the contents of the wake data structure for the device. A chosen device power state is selected for each of the devices within the computer system and each device is placed within their respective chosen device power state. Wake devices have a particular chosen device power state that supports that wake device's capability of waking the computer system. Other devices are typically turned off. Finally, the operating system turns off any of power resources within the computer system that are no longer used by any of the devices.

Abstract: An improved electrode for use in generating an electrical field in a saline solution is provided. In particular, a continuous crystalline metal nitride coated electrode is provided for use in a variety of saline solution applications, such as in an electrophoresis device for separating proteins or nucleic acids or an electroporation apparatus for the encapsulation of biologically-active substances in various cell populations. A method and apparatus are provided for the encapsulation of biologically-active substances in red blood cells, 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.

Abstract: The objects are arranged into overlap groups. Each overlap group is bound by a rectangle (perimeter) and contains objects that, as a group, overlap each other while each overlap group does not overlap any other overlap group. Thus, the page is divided into distinct regions within each non-overlapping rectangle that contain the objects as laid out on the page. The boundaries of each rectangle provides the location for horizontal and vertical lines. These lines define rows and columns of a framework. The intersection of each row and column is a cell, used as a cell in the table representing the page. HTML elements are emitted into an HTML stream in order to define the layout of cells in the table and to populate each cell as either empty or with HTML elements representing the overlap group corresponding to the location of the cell.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for modulating the function of the reproductive system in female animals, especially farm animals, and specifically in horses and pigs, by administering an effective amount of zeranol. Specifically, this invention provides a method for maintaining corpus luteum function, especially in pigs and horses, by administering an effective amount of zeranol.

Abstract: A method and system for defining and applying a style of a paragraph based upon the formatting properties of the paragraph. The paragraph type of the paragraph is identified. A determination is made whether the paragraph type is one which is capable of having a style defined for it. If not, then a determination is made whether the major formatting properties of the paragraph match those of an existing style and, if so, then the matching existing style is applied to the paragraph. If the paragraph type is one which is capable of having a style defined for it, then a determination is made whether the major formatting properties of the paragraph match the those of an existing style with the same paragraph type as the paragraph type of the paragraph. If so, then the matching existing style is applied to the paragraph. If not, then a style is defined with the formatting properties of the paragraph. The defined style is then applied to the paragraph and all direct formatting is removed.