Abstract: Bioresorbable medical implants are designed to have different resorption rates over time or over the topography of the implants. The resorption of the medical implants are controlled by including layers having differing resorption rates. The layers resorb sequentially over time through sequential exposure to body fluids. A resorption-controllable medical implant includes a series of two or more layers. The first layer includes a first bioresorbable material. The second layer includes a second bioresorbable material and resorbable particles of a first kind dispersed within the second bioresorbable material. Additional layers of bioresorbable material alone or including resorbable particles may be added to slow or speed resorption and achieve desired control over the resorption of the implant. Resorbable particles can be added in differing amounts or kinds in various segments of the implant to provide topographically differing resorption rates.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preparing 7-dehydrocholesterol and/or the biosynthetic intermediates and/or secondary products thereof by culturing organisms, in particular yeasts. Furthermore, the invention relates to the preparation of the nucleic acid constructs required for preparing the genetically modified organisms and to said genetically modified organisms, in particular yeasts, themselves.

Abstract: In a WDM optical communication system that includes a plurality of nodes interconnected by communication links, a node is provided that includes a reconfigurable optical switch having a plurality of input ports and at least one output port. The node also includes a plurality of transmitters that are each coupled to one of the input ports of the optical switch. Each of the transmitters generate an information-bearing optical signal at a different channel wavelength from one another. The reconfigurable optical switch is adaptable to receive at any of the input ports any of the channel wavelengths at which the plurality of transmitters operate and direct the channel wavelengths to the output port. At least one backup transmitter is coupled to one of the input ports of the optical switch. The backup transmitter includes a tunable laser tunable to any of the channel wavelengths at which the plurality of transmitters operate.

Abstract: A method for merging protection switching messages in an optical network enables a control of the amount of message bandwidth used for sending protection switching messages. A method for performing protection switching in an optical network does so in an optimal manner by performing the protection switching actions in the various nodes of a protection path in parallel rather than in sequence. To do so, a channel failure message is transmitted from an end node A in the optical network upon detecting a failure in a link in the optical network that includes the end node A. If a failure can be detected at both end nodes, the channel failure messages are transmitted from both end nodes the moment they detect failure without any further waiting. Upon receiving the first channel failure message regardless its originating end node, switching actions in intermediate nodes are initiated.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, a stent is provided, which contains at least one filament that has a longitudinal axis and comprises a bioabsorbable polymeric material. Polymer molecules within the bioabsorbable polymeric material are provided with a helical orientation which is aligned with respect to the longitudinal axis of the filament. The stent is at least partially bioabsorbed by a patient upon implantation or insertion of the stent into the patient.

Abstract: A method is provided for forming a power semiconductor device. The method begins by providing a substrate of a first conductivity type and forming a voltage sustaining region on the substrate. The voltage sustaining region is formed in the following manner. First, an epitaxial layer is deposited on the substrate. The epitaxial layer has a first or a second conductivity type. Next, at least one terraced trench is formed in the epitaxial layer. The terraced trench has a trench bottom and a plurality of portions that differ in width to define at least one annular ledge therebetween. A barrier material is deposited along the walls and bottom of the trench. A dopant of a conductivity type opposite to the conductivity type of the epitaxial layer is implanted through the barrier material lining the annular ledge and at the trench bottom and into adjacent portions of the epitaxial layer to respectively form at least one annular doped region and another doped region.

Abstract: A plant is provided for the melting of primary and secondary aluminium, provided with a rotating furnace, internally equipped with a spiral element (11), that causes the melting of the aluminium not requiring use of a salty bath. The plant includes a pouring channel (13) adjacent an exit hole (4) of the rotating furnace and material from the pouring channel enters the spherical store basin (16) positioned below if, the spherical store being equipped with a rotating joint (17) having a common inclination with the pouring channel (13) so that what is obtained is the direct and continuous flow of the fused metal in the spherical store without interruption of the process of melting. The plant is also equipped with an automatic and continuous system of selection and recovery of the slag of fusion, integrated in the same plant, and a double system of canalization of the gases that allows cleaning of the pollutant agents and energy conservation in the melting furnace.

Abstract: An optical switch is provided which includes a plurality of input/output ports for receiving one or more wavelength component(s) of an optical signal. The optical switch also includes an optical arrangement that directs the wavelength component to any given one of the plurality of input/output ports. The given input/output port may be selected from among any of the plurality of input/output ports. If the optical signal includes a plurality of wavelength components, the optical arrangement includes at least one wavelength selective element such as a thin film filter. The wavelength selective element selects one of the wavelength components from among the plurality of wavelength components. The optical arrangement also includes a plurality of optical elements each associated with one of the wavelength selective elements.

Abstract: A method is provided for fabricating a semiconductor device. The method begins by forming on a substrate an interconnect stack layer that includes a plurality of layers with interconnecting metal overlying the substrate. After forming the interconnect stack layer, a crack stop trench is formed in the interconnect stack layer. Finally, the crack stop trench is filled with a prescribed material.

Abstract: Provided are artificial muscle patches, which are adapted to be implanted adjacent a patient's heart, and artificial sphincter cuffs, which are adapted to be implanted around a body lumen, such as the urethra, the anal canal, or the lower esophagus. The devices of the present invention comprise: (a) one or more electroactive polymer actuators; and (b) a control unit for electrically controlling the one or more electroactive polymer actuators to expand or contract the devices.

Abstract: A method is provided of making a semiconductor wafer for a semiconductor junction diode device having a target forward voltage drop and a target reverse breakdown voltage. The method begins by doping a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type through the back surface with a first dopant of the first conductivity type in an amount sufficient to form a semiconductor junction diode device having a target forward voltage drop. Next, the substrate is doped through the front surface with a second dopant of the first conductivity type in an amount sufficient to form the semiconductor junction diode device such that it has a target reverse breakdown voltage.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the production of ergosta-5,7-dienol and/or its biosynthetic intermediates and/or metabolites by culturing genetically modified organisms, and to the genetically modified organisms, in particular yeasts, themselves.

Abstract: A non-invasive system and process for converting sensory data, e.g., visual, audio, taste, smell or touch, to neural firing timing differences in a human brain and using acoustic signals to generate the neural firing time differences. Data related to neural firing time differences, the acoustic signals, and a user's response map may be stored in memory. The user's response map may be used to more accurately map the calculated neural firing time differences to the correct neural locations.

Abstract: A medical article comprising: (a) a therapeutic agent; and (b) a release region comprising (i) a polymer and (ii) a filler comprising inorganic platelet particles. Upon placement of such a medical article at a position on or within a patient, the release region regulates the rate of release of the therapeutic agent from the medical article to the patient. An example of a filler is one comprising inorganic platelet particles. Examples of medical articles include, for instance, drug delivery patches, and implantable or insertable medical devices. Also described are methods of releasing a therapeutic agent to a patient using such medical articles, and methods of making such medical articles.

Abstract: The invention relates to spherical active carbon having the following pore size distribution: a) 1.2 1.7 nm: 20-50%, b) 1.7 2.1 nm: 20-50%, c) 2.1 2.5 nm: 10-25%, d) 2.5 2.9 nm: 3-15%, e) 2.9 3.3 nm: 1-10%. The sum of a) to e) is at least 88%. The difference between the sum of a) to e) in relation to 100% corresponds to a proportion of pores having a diameter of <1,2 nm and/or >3,3 nm. The fractal dimension of the open porosity is at least 2.30.

Abstract: A transmission for a vehicle. A rotation force generated in an engine is transmitted via a torque converter to an output shaft. Power of the output shaft is transmitted at a right angle at a bevel gear section that includes a bevel pinion gear and a bevel ring gear. The bevel ring gear transmits power to a clutch unit that includes forward and backward clutch sections to be connected to the bevel ring gear when speed-change operation is implemented (for example, forward/backward gear shift operations). The clutch unit is connected to a differential gear case, which transmits power to a differential pinion gear and a drive shaft. The vehicle drivable through a reduction gear assembly that is mountable to an axle assembly.

Abstract: A wavelength division multiplexing transmission system, the system comprising: a plurality of channels at different wavelengths, each channel comprising a transmitter, a receiver, and one or more amplifiers, the system further comprising an encoder for encoding data with a coding, and; a decoder for decoding transmitted data; prioritizing means for prioritizing the data on each channel; monitoring means for monitoring directly or indirectly, raw (uncorrected) bit errors on each channel; power adjusting means for, varying the power on a channel in response to the bit error rate.

Abstract: A surface mountable multi-chip device is provided which includes first and second lead frames portions and at least two chips. The lead frame portions each include a header region and a lead region. Beneficially, the header regions of the first and second lead frame portions lie in a common plane, with at least one semiconductor chip being placed on each of the header regions. A conductive member link is placed on top of the two chips to electrically and mechanically interconnect the chips.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and software for the adjustment of properties of media streams and events, principally timing information, based on a template, i.e., a groove map. The invention further provides methods by which the templates can be created, edited, and arranged within the context of the media they influence.