Abstract: A device comprising a circuit, a lead having a first end connected to the circuit and having a second end, and a deformable structure connected to the second end of the lead. The invention may be embodied on a circuit board, so that the circuit board includes a substrate and a deformable structure connected to said substrate.

Abstract: A lightweight armor with repeat hit capability includes at least one layer of material that absorbs energy upon being impacted by an object through a reversible phase change and/or an elastic strain deformation of at least 5%. Once the energy of the object has been absorbed the layer of material returns to its original shape, thereby resulting in an armor with repeat hit capabilities. The armor may also include additional layers of material constructed of conventional armor materials. A method of manufacturing such an armor is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for producing 1,3-diglyceride oils from triglyceride containing oils is disclosed. The method uses alkali metal salts or alkali earth metal salts of mono-carboxylic or di-carboxylic acids to drive glycerolysis under conditions such that commercial, food-quality 1,3-diglyceride oils are produced.

Abstract: The invention relates to a voltage converting circuit (2) having:—an input terminal (11) for connection to a varying voltage or current source, and an output terminal (12) with a supply voltage,—an inductive element (5) being with a first terminal connected to the input terminal and with a second terminal to a capacitive element (8) and to the output terminal (12), the capacitive element (8) being with one terminal connected to a reference voltage (9),—a first switch (6) being with a first terminal connected to the second terminal of the inductive element (5), and with a second terminal to the reference voltage (9), the first switch (6) comprising a gate electrode (31) for opening and closing of the switch when a control voltage of a first level is applied to the gate,—an oscillator (13) comprising a power input (14) connected to the output terminal (12), a start-up output (15) connected to the gate electrode (31) of the first switch (6) for supplying a pulse-like signal to the gate electrode (31) and an osci

Abstract: The present invention relates to apparatus for use in venting pipelines that have a plastic lining such as these used for transporting hydrocarbon fluids. A pipeline assembly comprises a pipeline (2), a corrosion resistance liner (3), and a micro-annulus (4) located between said pipeline and liner. The pipeline assembly also comprises a venting means (5) adapted for fitment in or through the corrosion resistance liner (3), wherein the venting means (5) allows gas to flow from the micro-annulus into the center of the pipeline assembly but not in the opposing direction.

Abstract: Disclosed are 1) osteogenic devices comprising a matrix containing osteogenic protein and methods of inducing endochondral bone growth in mammals using the devices; 2) amino acid sequence data, amino acid composition, solubility properties, structural features, homologies and various other data characterizing osteogenic proteins, 3) methods of producing osteogenic proteins using recombinant DNA technology, and 4) osteogenically and chondrogenically active synthetic protein constructs.

Abstract: Novel aggrecanase proteins and the nucleotide sequences encoding them as well as processes for producing them are disclosed. Methods of identifying and developing inhibitors of the aggrecanase enzymes and antibodies to the enzymes for treatment of conditions characterized by the degradation of aggrecan are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for lowering (“slipping”) and/or raising (“back slipping”) electrodes relative to an electrode column. The system includes an electrode column having at least one slipping sleeve and a power clamp, each of which apply a radial clamping force to the electrode. The magnitudes of the clamping forces are selected such that application of a downwardly directed axial force on the one or more slipping sleeves, in combination with the weight of the electrode, are sufficient to overcome the resistive force of the power clamp, resulting in downward movement of the electrode without release of the clamping forces. Electrode columns having two movable slipping sleeves are also capable of raising the electrode relative to the furnace without release of the clamping forces.

Abstract: A method of producing metal fibers including melting a mixture of at least a fiber metal and a matrix metal, cooling the mixture to form a bulk matrix comprising at least a fiber phase and a matrix phase and removing at least a substantial portion of the matrix phase from the fiber phase. Additionally, the method may include deforming the bulk matrix. In certain embodiments, the fiber metal may be at least one of niobium, a niobium alloy, tantalum and a tantalum alloy and the matrix metal may be at least one of copper and a copper alloy. The substantial portion of the matrix phase may be removed, in certain embodiments, by dissolving of the matrix phase in a suitable mineral acid, such as, but not limited to, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid and phosphoric acid.

Abstract: An improved irrigation system for removing arthritis causing fragments from a joint in the body includes a handpiece and a tip that is connectible to the handpiece. The tip includes a shaft that forms an irrigation lumen, and a debrider disposed along at least a part of the shaft. The debrider defines a substantially planar debriding surface for debriding the interior surfaces of the joint. The debrider may include a plurality of bristles extending from the shaft to the debriding surface.

Abstract: A device including a housing, a writing tip connected to the housing, a writing surface position indicator, a processor in the housing, a memory device in the housing connected to the processor, and a sensor in the housing and cooperative with the writing surface position indicator. The device may be used to record writings and drawings applied to a surface by a user, to transmit that data to a remote device, to download data from remote devices, and to otherwise communicate with remote devices.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices relating to the provision of deliberate predistortion to an input signal to compensate for distortions introduced by an amplifier subsystem. An input signal is received by a predistortion subsystem which applies deliberate predistortions to the input signal to arrive at a predistorted signal. The predistorted signal is received by an amplifier subsystem which decomposes the signal, processes the decomposed signal, and then recombines the components to arrive at a system output signal. The predistortion subsystem adaptively adjusts the predistortions based on characteristics of the system output signal. A feedback signal, a replica of the system output signal, is used in updating lookup table entries used to determine the predistortion.

Abstract: Chemically assembled electronic nanotechnology (CAEN) provides an alternative to using Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) for constructing circuits with feature sizes in the tens of nanometers. A molecular latch and a method using the latch that enables it to act as a state holding device, perform voltage restoration, and to provide I/O isolation is disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polymerization process for the control of the microstructure of polymers and to novel copolymers. An embodiment of the present invention relates a process of polymerizing first and second monomers in the presence of a complex comprising at least one of the monomers. The presence of the complex modifies the relative reactivity, or cross propagation rate constants, of the monomers in copolymerization reactions. Embodiments of the present invention allow the synthesis of polymers with novel stereochemistry and monomer sequence distribution, for example, but not limited to, copolymers with at least one segment of alternating monomers, a controlled molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution, or a segment of high concentration of the first monomer.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for fault-tolerant computing using an asynchronous switching fabric where at least one of a plurality of redundant data processing elements executing substantially identical instructions communicates transactions to at least one target device, such as input/output device, or another data processing element. The transactions are communicated through the asynchronous switching fabric wherein each of the data processing elements and the target device are connected to the asynchronous switching fabric through a respective channel adapter.

Abstract: A controllable transformer device comprising a body of a magnetic material, a primary winding wound round the body about a first axis, a secondary winding wound round the body about a second axis at right angles to the first axis, and a control winding wound round the body about a third axis, coincident with the second axis. The device can be employed to provide a frequency controlled power supply.

Abstract: An improved method of synthesizing a macrocyclic tetraamido compound includes protecting the amino portion of an amino carboxylic acid to form a protected amino carboxylic acid; exposing the protected amino carboxylic acid to a first solvent, preferably a hydrocarbon solvent, such as toluene or 1,2-dichloroethane, dichloromethane, dibromomethane and 1,2-dibromoethane. The carboxylic acid portion of the protected amino carboxylic acid is then converted to an activated carboxylic acid by one of esterification or acid halide formation, to form a protected amino activated carboxylic acid derivative. The protected amino activated carboxylic acid derivative is reacted with a diamine in the presence of a second solvent, such as THF or ,2-dichloroethane, dichloromethane, dibromomethane and 1,2-dibromoethane, to form a protected diamide diamine intermediate.