Abstract: A process for the destructive oxidation of organic compounds containing one or more optionally substituted hydrocarbon groups, comprising the step of carrying out the oxidation in the presence of a catalyst comprising uranium oxide in which the average oxidation state of the uranium is greater than four.

Abstract: An apparatus for increasing the flow of liquid in a conduit provides a barrier positioned in the conduit to prevent flow of liquid past the barrier in a lower region and defining a gap region above that lower region and adjacent the barrier. A duct having a first end for positioning within the lower region of the conduit upstream of the barrier and a second end for positioning in the gap region of the conduit to direct the flow of liquid through the duct from an area upstream of the barrier through the gap region to an area downstream of the barrier. An air pump communicates with the duct to force air into the first end of the duct under sufficient pressure to mix with water in the area of the first end of the duct and rise with the water through the duct and out the second end of the duct to the downstream side of the barrier. A plurality of apparatuses may be located at pre-determined intervals along the conduit.

Abstract: A method of invalidating cache lines on an SCI sharing list by forwarding an invalidate request from node to node of a multiprocessor computer, such as a distributed shared memory (DSM) or non-uniform memory access (NUMA) machine. From the node at the head of the list, an invalidate request is sent to a succeeding node on the list. In response to receiving the invalidate request, the succeeding node checks the state of its cache line to determine whether it is the tail of the list and also invalidates the cache line. If the succeeding node is not the tail of the list, it forwards the invalidate request to the next succeeding node on the list. This next succeeding and other succeeding nodes then repeat the steps of invalidating the cache line and forwarding the invalidate request until the node that is the tail of the list is reached. The tail node responds by sending an invalidate response to the node at the head of the sharing list.

Abstract: A technique for performing multiple simultaneous asynchronous input/output operations in a computer operating system. An input/output completion port object is created and associated with a file descriptor. When I/O services are requested on the file descriptor, completion is indicated by a message queued to the I/O completion port. A process requesting I/O services is not notified of completion of the I/O services, but instead checks the I/O completion port's queue to determine the status of its I/O requests. The I/O completion port manages multiple threads and their concurrency.

Abstract: Exposure methods are disclosed for high precision pattern transfer with reduced distortion using an evaluation mask containing distortion-measurement patterns. The distortion-measurement patterns are provided in multiple subfields on a mask, and images of the patterns are projected and exposed onto a wafer by sequentially irradiating the subfields. Distortions in the images are measured. These measurements are then used to correct distortions in subsequent images with a dynamic correcting system comprising focus-correction coils and astigmatism compensators. Additional methods and apparatus are provided in which simultaneous equations are solved to determine currents in focus-correction coils and astigmatism compensators.

Abstract: Sampling of a phototransistor in an optical encoding system is controlled by “turning on” the phototransistor, after light has already charged the base of the phototransistor at least somewhat, by applying a potential difference across the collector and emitter of the phototransistor, producing an essentially instantaneous emitter response, which is then sampled.

Abstract: Disclosed are processes and reactor apparatus for rapidly producing large diameter, high-purity polycrystalline silicon rods for semiconductor applications. A.C. current is provided to the rods by a power supply, having a fixed or variable high frequency in the range of about 2 kHz to 800 kHz, to concentrate at least 70% of the current in an annular region that is the outer 15% of a rod due to the “skin effect.

Abstract: The present invention converts the regions of the graphite components in a CZ apparatus that are most prone to erosion to silicon carbide, forming a protective treatment (or “coating”). The coating may cover the entire component or preselected areas of the component. The resulting coating slows erosion of the graphite component and prolongs the lifetime of the component. The method of the invention includes applying a silicon-containing paste to a graphite (or other carbon) component and heating the component so that the silicon combines with carbon from the graphite component to form a protective coating. The paste is preferably a mixture of a silicon-containing powder and a carbon-containing liquid.

Abstract: A light system for a vehicle wheel comprising at least one light source, at least one reflective body and an electrical power source operably coupled to the light source. The light source directs light toward the reflective body. In a preferred embodiment several spokes of a spoked wheel are replaced with reflective bodies, and a plurality of LEDs mounted in the inner hub of the spoked wheel direct light toward each reflective body spoke.

Abstract: A fire hydrant wrench is provided with a chatter-thread arrangement that permits a threaded handle to be pushed, rather than manually threaded, into engagement with a fire hydrant fixture. A quick release trigger similarly permits the handle to be quickly withdrawn without unthreading. Faster operation of hydrants, with consequent savings of lives, results. Other improvements are also disclosed, including reversible, replaceable gripping teeth that tend to prevent even a loosely coupled wrench from falling off a fire hydrant.

Abstract: A technique for entropy coding information relating to frequency domain audio coefficients. For portions of a frequency spectrum having a predominate value of zero, a multi-level run length encoder statistically correlates sequences of zero values with non-zero values and assigns variable length code words. An encoder uses a specialized code book generated with respect to the probability of receiving an input sequence of zero-valued spectral coefficients followed by a non-zero coefficient. A corresponding decoder associates a variable length code word with a sequence of zero value coefficients adjacent a non-zero value coefficient.

Abstract: Computer-based devices, whether initiators or targets, are assured access to a bus having a fixed priority arbitration scheme (such as a SCSI bus) by assigning to each initiator a “fair share” of the bus bandwidth. This share is defined as a number of bytes per a unit of time such as a time period. The shares together total a fraction of the total bus bandwidth, with a margin of bus bandwidth left unassigned. To prevent initiator starvation, each initiator monitors its bus requests to determine if it is being prevented by higher-priority initiators from using its assigned share of the bandwidth. If not, the initiator periodically pings each higher-priority initiator to indicate that it is not being starved. So long as a higher-priority initiator continues to receive pings from all lower-priority initiators, the higher-priority initiator can continue to use as much bandwidth as it needs.

Abstract: A training device is disclosed for exercising the pubococcygeal or pelvic floor muscles, for example in the treatment of incontinence. The device includes a cylindrical, deformable probe for insertion into the vagina or rectum of a user. The probe is connected to a pressure transducer, which detects the pressure applied to the probe by contraction of the pelvic floor muscles and displays a pressure indicator to the user to help direct the contraction of the appropriate muscles. The pressure indicator may take the form of a series of nested figures, such as curves or concentric semi-circles, that incrementally converge toward a common point as pressure on the probe increases. The nested figures incrementally retreat from the common point as pressure on the probe decreases. The training unit guides a user through an exercise routine by tracking the overall exercise time and the timing between flexing and relaxation cycles.

Abstract: Charged-particle-beam (“CPB”; e.g., electron-beam) apparatus are disclosed that exhibit reduce image blur due to space-charge effects. With such apparatus, a reticle pattern can be imaged on a substrate with greater accuracy and higher throughput. Such results can be achieved using a charged-particle source having comparatively low emittance. An illumination-optical system directs an illumination beam from a CPB source to a reticle defining a pattern to be transferred to a substrate. A projection-optical system projection-images, on the substrate, an imaging beam that has passed through and been patterned by the reticle. The illumination-optical system includes a beam-shaping aperture that causes the illumination beam to have an annular transverse profile. The reticle is illuminated with an image of a crossover of the illumination beam. The CPB source desirably emits the illumination beam from an annular region of a cathode.

Abstract: A substantially zero overhead mutual-exclusion apparatus and method (90, 120) is provided that allows concurrent reading and updating data while maintaining data coherency. That is, a data reading process executes the same sequence of instructions that would be executed if the data were never updated. Rather than depending exclusively on overhead-imposing locks, this mutual-exclusion mechanism tracks an execution history (138) of a thread (16, 112) to determine safe times for processing a current generation (108, 130, 131) of data updates while a next generation (110, 132, 133) of data updates is concurrently being saved. A thread is any locus of control, such as a processor. A summary of thread activity (106, 122) tracks which threads have passed through a quiescent state after the current generation of updates was started.

Abstract: A hybrid tea rose plant having dark green, glossy disease-resistant foliage on a vigorous, upright but compact plant having large, yellow and pink blend fragrant flowers.

Abstract: A floribunda rose plant having a compact plant habit; dark green, glossy, disease-resistant foliage; abundant amber flowers; good clustering ability; and rapid rebloom.

Abstract: Floribunda rose plant having a strong upright growth, long stems, excellent clustering ability, resistance to powdery mildew and long vase life.

Abstract: A shrub rose plant characterized by its vigorous, upright growth with fairly small, healthy, dark green foliage; its large clusters of bright copper yellow flowers and ability to root from softwood and hardwood cuttings.