Abstract: Coupled polypeptides and fusion polypeptides for intracellular transport, and their preparation and use, include (i) an aminoacid sequence with the transport function of herpesviral VP22 protein (or a homologue, e.g. from VZV, BHV or MDV) and (ii) another protein sequence selected from (a) proteins for cell cycle control; (b) suicide proteins; (c) antigenic sequences or antigenic proteins from microbial and viral antigens and tumor antigens; (d) immunomodulating proteins; and (e) therapeutic proteins. The coupled proteins can be used for intracellular delivery of protein sequences (ii), to exert the corresponding effector function in the target cell, and the fusion polypeptides can be expressed from corresponding polynucleotides, vectors and host cells.

Abstract: A directional navigation system implemented in layout managers separate from the containers and/or components to which each layout manager is assigned. Components at the container and/or component level are responsible for the tasks of receiving and identifying user generated directional navigation input and of assigning a new input focus at the direction of a layout manager. A navigator portion of one or more layout managers are responsible for the tasks of processing the directional navigation input to identify the next nearest component that can take input focus in response to the user generated directional navigation input. Multiple layout managers are called upon to identify the next nearest component that can take input focus if the magnitude of a requested input focus change is beyond the scope of the set of components to which any one layout manager has responsibility.

Abstract: A tubing connector adapted to receive portions of a plurality of elongate substantially rigid tubes and to hold them in a defined angular relationship relative to each other. The connector has a body with a plurality of tube-receiving and holding apertures formed therein. Stop elements in the apertures spaced inwardly from the mouths of the apertures limit the extent to which end portions of tubes may be inserted longitudinally into the body.

Abstract: A method of detecting lead contamination of a surface is disclosed. A handwipe issued to collect any lead contamination on the surface. The lead is solubilized with an aqueous acid solution and treated with rhodizonate or sulfide anions. A change in color from pink to red, where rhodizonate anions are used, or brown to black, where sulfide anions are used, is indicative of the presence of lead. The method is suitable for testing surfaces such as floors, walls, windowsills, and human skin.

Abstract: A computer network includes a client and a server which are preferably independently operable computers that cooperate to perform different procedures of an application program. The server executes its procedure in response to a remote procedure call transmitted over the computer network from the client. The remote procedure call typically includes one or more data structures or parameters used as arguments for executing the remote procedure. The server receives the remote procedure call at an RPC buffer. In accordance with the present invention, the server interprets the parameters while the remote procedure call resides in the RPC buffer whenever the selected format of the parameters of the remote procedure call matches the data structure format processed by the server.

Abstract: The Prf gene of tomato has been cloned and analyzed. Prf encodes a protein with leucine-rich repeat, nucleotide binding, and leucine zipper motifs, identifying it as a member of the resistance gene class that includes RPS2, RPM1, N and L6. When expressed in transgenic plants, Prf confers Fenthion sensitivity and resistance to a wide variety of phytopathogens, including not only Pseudomonas syringae but also unrelated pathogens such as Xanthomonas campestris.

Abstract: Each node of multinode computer system includes an interrupt controller, a pair of send and receive queues, and a state machine for communicating interrupts between nodes. The communication among the interrupt controller, the state machine, and the queues is coordinated by a queue manager. For sending an interrupt, the interrupt controller accepts an interrupt placed on a bus within the node and intended for another node and stores it in the send queue. The controller then notifies the interrupt source that the interrupt has been accepted before it is transmitted to other node. The interrupt has a first form suitable for transmission on the bus. A state machine within the node takes the interrupt from the send queue and puts the interrupt into a second form suitable for transmission across a network connecting the multiple nodes.

Abstract: A region growing method segments three-dimensional image data of an anatomical structure using a tortuous path length limit to constrain voxel growth. The path length limit constrains the number of successive generations of voxel growth from a seed point to prevent leakage of voxels outside the boundary of the anatomical structure. Once segmented, a process for detecting surface anomalies performs a curvature analysis on a computer model of the surface of the structure. This process detects surface anomalies automatically by traversing the vertices in the surface model, computing partial derivatives of the surface at the vertices, and computing curvature characteristics from the partial derivatives. To identify possible anomalies, the process compares the curvature characteristics with predetermined curvature characteristics of anomalies and classifies the vertices.

Abstract: A computer software application includes multiple software components such as graphical control objects. A help editor receives context-sensitive help information associated with the graphical control objects. Using this help information as well as information about the graphical control objects, the help editor creates a header file and a map data structure. A help developer edits the header file and map data structure to produce a configuration of context-sensitive help functions for the computer software application. The help editor generates a source code header file and a source code map data structure according to the user-indicated configuration for integrating context-sensitive help functions into the computer software application.

Abstract: A memory monitor automatically restores the state of physical memory allocation of application programs when they lose and then regain the focus in a multitasking computing environment. The memory monitor monitors the focus of the operating system for changes, such as when the user switches from one application to another. When an application loses the focus, the memory monitor determines and stores the state of physical memory allocation. When the memory monitor detects that the application has re-gained the focus, it re-loads all of the code or data that was in physical memory when the application lost the focus, but had been swapped to secondary storage.

Abstract: Gene expression can be quantitatively analyzed by hybridizing fluor-tagged mRNA to targets on a cDNA micro-array. Comparison of gene expression levels arising from co-hybridized samples is achieved by taking ratios of average expression levels for individual genes. In an image-processing phase, a method of image segmentation identifies cDNA target sites in a cDNA micro-array image. The resulting cDNA target sites are analyzed based on a hypothesis test and confidence interval to quantify the significance of observed differences in expression ratios. In particular, the probability density of the ratio and the maximum-likelihood estimator for the distribution are derived, and an iterative procedure for signal calibration is developed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for allowing a user process to advise or control an operating system to place a process on a particular node or a node within a set of nodes. When a user process makes a system call to the operating system to either create, execute, move, or attach a process, a specified system resource is passed to the operating system with the system call. This advises the operating system to store the process on a node containing the system resource identified in the system call. The user process can also require the operating system to store a process on a particular node.

Abstract: A seat support includes first and second link members coupling a seat supporting member to a base. The second link member has a first end portion pivoted to the base at a first pivot axis and a second end portion pivoted to the seat supporting member at a second pivot axis. The first link member has a first end portion pivoted to the base at a third pivot axis and a second end portion pivoted to the seat supporting member at a fourth pivot axis. The distance between the third and fourth pivot axes is greater than the distance between the first and second pivot axes and may be from about twelve percent to about twenty percent greater. The location of the pivot axes may be expressed by the formula L<(S+R−B). In this formula, L is the distance between the first and second pivot axes; S is the distance between the second and fourth pivot axes; R is the distance between the third and fourth pivot axes; and B is the distance between the first and third pivot axes.

Abstract: A support for assisting in stacking multiple trailer chassis one atop the other. Each chassis has an elongate frame and wheels supporting its rear end. A support, or supports, support the wheels of an overlying trailer chassis above and out of engagement with the ground-engaging wheels of the lowermost chassis in the stack to permit rolling movement of the stack.

Abstract: A method and system for aggregating objects within a computer system are provided. In a preferred embodiment, the method aggregates an enclosed object within an enclosing object. The enclosed object has an object management interface and an external interface, while the enclosing object has a controlling object management interface. The controlling object management interface and the external interface of the enclosed object have query function members for receiving an identifier of an interface and for returning a reference to the identified interface. A preferred embodiment creates an instance of an enclosing object and an object to be enclosed. In static aggregation, the controlling object management interface of the enclosing object knows in advance how to return an identifier to the external interface of the enclosed object. In dynamic aggregation, an object to be enclosed is added to the enclosing object after the enclosing object is instantiated.

Abstract: Rather than comparing an old file with a new file to generate a set of patching instructions, and then compressing the patching instructions to generate a compact patch file for transmission to a user, a patch file is generated in a single operation. A compressor is pre-initialized in accordance with the old version of the file (e.g. in an LZ77 compressor, the history window is pre-loaded with the file). The pre-initialized compressor then compresses the old file, producing a patch file from which the new file can be generated. At the user's computer, a parallel process is performed, with the user's copy of the old file being used to pre-initialize a decompressor to which the patch file is then input. The output of the decompressor is the new file. The patch files generated and used in these processes are of significantly reduced size when compared to the prior art.

Abstract: A wind-powered machine for producing energy includes a support frame, a rotor having a plurality of vanes, the rotor having a wind gathering face side and an opposed rear side, and an infeed funnel for channeling wind to the face side of the rotor and increasing the speed of the wind. A rear wind deflector captures wind passing over the rotor and deflects it downwardly to vanes on the rear side of the rotor. A turntable mounts the rotor, infeed funnel, and rear wind deflector to permit such to be directed properly into the wind. A generator connected to the rotor produces electrical energy which is transmitted through a rotational connection to electrical storage medium.

Abstract: A method and system for aggregating objects within a computer system are provided. In a preferred embodiment, the method aggregates an enclosed object within an enclosing object. The enclosed object has an object management interface and an external interface, while the enclosing object has a controlling object management interface. The controlling object management interface and the external interface of the enclosed object have query function members for receiving an identifier of an interface and for returning a reference to the identified interface. A preferred embodiment creates an instance of an enclosing object and an object to be enclosed. In static aggregation, the controlling object management interface of the enclosing object knows in advance how to return an identifier to the external interface of the enclosed object. In dynamic aggregation, an object to be enclosed is added to the enclosing object after the enclosing object is instantiated.

Abstract: A receiver and method for receiving a code-division multiple-access (CDMA) signal combining symbol values spread by a plurality of spreading codes, which method comprises the steps of: (a) converting the CDMA signal to a baseband signal; (b) recognizing symbol boundaries in every multipath for every user in the baseband signal to produce a delay estimate; (c) estimating an attenuation and phase rotation impressed on the signal by each multipath to produce channel estimates; (d) generating new symbol estimates for every user at a sampling rate that is greater than a symbol rate of the signal; (e) generating an estimate of the received signal using said symbol estimates and channel estimates; (f) comparing the received signal with its estimate and feeding estimation error back to a means for estimating the transmitted symbols; (g) sampling the symbol estimates at the estimated symbol boundaries of each user to obtain final symbol estimates; and (h) repeating steps (b) through (g) with every new sample.