Abstract: A parallel interface is provided between a standard parallel port of a computer system and a modem so as to increase the data transfer rate between the two systems without modifying the hardware of the computer system and independently of the application program running on the computer system.

Abstract: A winch mounting system includes a stationary mounting member and a winch supporting member slideably mounted thereon. Bearings permit the winch supporting member to move in a direction parallel to the rotational axis of the winch drum but restrain motion in all other directions. A fairlead or cable guide assembly, secured to the stationary mounting member, guides the cable to the drum. The tension on the cable forces the winch and drum to continually move to a position that maintains the shortest length of cable between the fairlead and the drum. As a result, the cable winds neatly and evenly on the drum without binding or bunching.

Abstract: A phantom apparatus for measuring the radiation dose distribution produced by a brachytherapy device used to treat a localized area with radiation. The brachytherapy device includes an insertable probe capable of producing predefined radiation dose geometries about a predefined point. The phantom apparatus includes a tank containing a medium having a radiological equivalent characteristic of the localized area to be treated. The phantom apparatus also includes a radiation sensor for measuring the radiation dose and a positioning system for moving the probe with respect to the radiation sensor. The radiation sensor is also coupled to a positioning system to orient the sensor for optimal dose measurements. The phantom apparatus includes a control system that coordinates the movements of the probe and the radiation sensor to avoid a collision. The control system moves the probe along a predefined path around radiation sensor and records the dose at predefined points along the path.

Abstract: A tool support assembly having bi-directional position control. A tool support element is positioned within a housing and movable axially therealong in response to applied axial force F on a control element. A bi-directional positioning assembly links the tool support element to the housing and includes at least one detent element affixed to the housing and having at least one detent which extends transverse to the axis of the housing. The positioning assembly further includes at least one latch element captively positioned within the housing and selectively movable along the axis relative to the housing. The latch element includes at least one lock arm which is resiliently biasable toward one of the detents and is adapted for selective engagement therewith. A control element is captively positioned within the housing and is movable relative to the housing along the axis.

Abstract: The disclosed heated pressure transducer includes an external enclosure, a first thermal shell housed within the external enclosure, and a sensor housed within the first thermal shell. The transducer further includes a heater for heating the first thermal shell and a control unit for controlling the heater. A tube couples the sensor to a source of heated, pressurized gas and the transducer may further include a tube-heater that is controlled by the control unit for applying heat to the tube. The transducer may also include a second thermal shell housed within the external enclosure with at least a portion of the control unit being housed within the second thermal shell. A heater that is controlled by the control unit may be disposed proximal to the second thermal shell for heating that shell. An auxiliary heater disposed within the first thermal shell for heating the sensor may also be included. Two thermistors may also be included for measuring the temperature of the sensor and the first thermal shell.

Abstract: An improved topic discriminator includes an integrated speech recognizer or word and phrase spotter as part of a speech event detector, and a topic classifier trained on topic-dependent event frequencies. The event frequencies are determined from either or both transcribed data with a text event detector and untranscribed speech data with a speech event detector. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the phrase spotter is used to detect the presence of phrases without the need of parsing the output of a speech recognizer's hypothesized transcription. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an improved technique is used to select a subset of the potential speech events on whose event frequencies the topic discrimination decision is made. Finally, in accordance with another aspect of the invention, an improved method of topic modeling is used to improve the performance of the topic discriminator.

Abstract: A segment pickup apparatus for handling material segments. The apparatus includes a frame and at least one pair of picker assemblies coupled to the frame. Each of the picker assemblies includes a linear array of carding elements, and each of the carding elements is resiliently coupled to one of the picker assemblies and is positionable relative to the frame in a resting position and in a picking position. Each of the carding elements includes a base portion and a linear array of substantially parallel, elongated, resilient needle-like elements extending from the base portion to a distal tip. When a carding elements is positioned in the resting position, the distal tips of that carding element lie above a picking plane, and when a carding elements is positioned in the picking position, the distal tips of that carding element lie substantially in the picking plane.

Abstract: Heat transfer catheter apparatus and methods of making and using same are disclosed wherein fluid connection means is provided between the distal portions of two adjacent, thin-walled, high strength fluid lumens to define a closed loop fluid circulation system capable of controlled delivery of thermal energy to or withdrawal of thermal energy from remote internal body locations.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for producing images representing radiation dose distributions in order to verify the radiation dose applied to a target area. The system uses a phantom assembly constructed of material that is the radiological equivalent of live tissue. The phantom assembly has slits where radiation sensitive film can be inserted and can include a channel for an insertable radiation generating device. The treatment dose is then applied to the phantom and the radiation sensitive film records the dose. A CCD camera microdensitometer is then used to read the exposed radiation sensitive film. The CCD camera microdensitometer includes a computer system which processes the image to remove artifacts and generates isodose contours for the radiation treatment applied. In addition, several pieces of radiation sensitive film in different planes can be exposed and processed in order to produce images representing the radiation dose distribution in three dimensions.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of large vocabulary speech recognition that employs a single tree-structured phonetic hidden Markov model (HMM) at each frame of a time-synchronous process. A grammar probability is utilized upon recognition of each phoneme of a word, before recognition of the entire word is complete. Thus, grammar probabilities are exploited as early as possible during recognition of a word. At each frame of the recognition process, a grammar probability is determined for the transition from the most likely preceding grammar state to a set of words that share at least one common phoneme. The grammar probability is combined with accumulating phonetic evidence to provide a measure of the likelihood that a state in the HMM will lead to the word most likely to have been spoken. In a preferred embodiment, phonetic context information is exploited, even before the complete context of a phoneme is known.

Abstract: Improved nanofiltration apparatus and processes utilizing thin film composite asymmetric nanofiltration membranes in which the thin film semi-permeable barrier layer consists of substantially "all aliphatic" polymer(s) prepared, for example, by the interfacial polymerization of one or more aliphatic monomers having two or more substituents selected from the group consisting of primary and secondary amine substitutents with one or more aliphatic monomers having two or more acid halide substituents. The monomers are linked together in the thin film substantially exclusively by amide linkages.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for pretreating a dilute ethylene feedstock with benzene, ethylbenzene, or mixtures thereof to reduce the higher olefin content of the ethylene feedstock and to render it suitable as the feed to an alkylation reactor for producing ethylbenzene. Benzene and ethylbenzene recovery are integrated with other downstream operations in the ethylbenzene production.

Abstract: A system for navigating a catheter probe through a body cavity includes a sensing coil affixed to a distal end of the probe. Magnetic fields are projected into the body cavity to induce voltage signals in the sensing coil that are sufficient to describe the orientation and position of the probe. A set of magnetic coils each generates a substantially uniform field in a single respective dimension. The orientation angles of the sensing coil may be determined from known values of the unidirectional fields and the measured induced voltage signals. Gradient magnetic fields with components in two dimensions are projected into the body cavity to induce another group of voltage signals. The geometrical intersection of constant voltage surfaces developed by certain gradient fields that produce the measured induced voltage signals is a set of lines on which the catheter is located. The point of intersection of such lines yields the positional coordinates.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of down-regulating the expression of a gene in an animal, wherein a pharmalogical formulation comprising an oligonucleotide complementary to the gene is orally administered to an animal. The oligonucleotide administered has non-phosphodiester internucleotide linkages and includes at least one 2'-substituted ribonucleotide, the oligonucleotide inhibiting the expression of a product of the gene, thereby down-regulating the expression of the gene.

Abstract: The disclosed system for measuring the periodic content of an input signal includes an autocorrelation function generator for generating a sequence of autocorrelation functions. Each of the autocorrelation functions is representative of an autocorrelation function of a portion of the input signal. The system further includes a temporal filter for filtering the autocorrelation functions and thereby generating a lag histogram.In other forms the system may comprise a fetal heart rate monitor for measuring the heart rate of a fetus in vivo. The monitor generates a lag histogram and uses the lag histogram for stabilizing the determination of the fetal heart rate.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for transferring data between a first device and a second device, the second device being adapted to rotate with respect to the first device. The first device includes a first antenna assembly and a first transceiver assembly for transmitting and receiving signals via the first antenna assembly. The second device includes a second antenna assembly and a second transceiver assembly for transmitting and receiving signals via the second antenna assembly. The rotating antenna assembly is mounted circumferentially about the second device such that the stationary antenna is in capacitive coupling relationship substantially through an entire revolution of the second device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for using switched telecommunications services to emulate a local area network (LAN) medium. The method and apparatus convert a public switched network or an equivalent private network into a LAN cabling method for connecting distant devices using the same communications software as used in traditionally wired LANs.

Abstract: A kit for opening and sealing a cartridge having an interior ink reservoir coupled to an access port extending from a reference surface comprises a rigid plunger, a plate and a rigid spherical plug. The plate has one or more regions of varying thickness and a bottom surface which is complementary to the reference surface on the cartridge. The bottom surface of the plate may be matched to the reference surface of the cartridge in two distinct orientations such that a sealed access port may be opened, refilled and sealed with a rigid spherical plug by extension of the plunger through the plate in each orientation to a depth determined by the length of the plunger, the thickness of the plate in each orientation, the depth of the access port in the cartridge, and the diameter of the spherical plug.

Abstract: A pre-press process employs color accurate instant photography so that the customer and/or his photographer adjust lighting and exposure at the photography session to achieve approved reflection originals. The photographs are judged under controlled lighting against a standard background in device such as a portable illuminator. Since any deficiencies are corrected by recreating an improved original, the session produces a job output which is 100% suitable for color accurate scanning and separation without the intervention of the pre-press operator. Originals are suitable as proofs for the printer to match. Novel means are employed to achieve rapid, colorimetrically calibrated scanning with standard equipment, and the colorimetry of the prior art is improved to deal effectively with whitepoint and blackpoint misalignment.

Abstract: A graft fixation device and methods for using them. The device comprises a collar disposed about a central axis and having a threaded interior surface, an optionally threaded exterior surface, first and second annular drive elements disposed concentrically within the collar and externally threaded for engagement with the collar, and a graft securing element disposed concentrically between the drive elements. The collar and first drive element include driver elements at their respective, first ends for receiving a rotatable driver. The first drive element is rotatable relative to the collar for axial advancement toward the second drive element such that the graft securing element is sandwiched between the drive elements to form a unitary structure. The collar is rotatable relative to the unitary structure of the drive elements and graft securing element for moving the graft axially to apply a desired axial tension thereto.