Abstract: A flexible stent structure includes a plurality of axially spaced strut portions defining generally tubular axial segments of the stent and constructed to be radially expandable. A helical portion is interposed axially between two strut portions and has a plurality of helical elements connected between circumferentially spaced locations on the two strut portions. The helical elements extend helically between those locations and the length of a helical element is sufficient so that, when the stent is in a radially expanded state, it can simultaneously withstand repeated axial compression or expansion and bending.

Abstract: A game begins with a game wager and an optional bust wager. The initial dealer hand and the initial player hand are dealt. A final dealer hand and final player hand are formed by hitting or standing and the player is rewarded on his game wager if the final player hand is closer to a target value than the final dealer hand is. If the dealer busts on exactly three cards, the player wins the bust wager. Payoff on the bust wager is optionally variable and determined by the third card of the final dealer hand.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a hygiene shoe for martial arts. The hygiene shoe is formed of a form-fitting stretchable material such as neoprene, covered by a flexible fabric on the outside and inside. An outer portion of the hygiene shoe can be formed of a first color selected to match a first belt level of martial arts and an inner portion of the hygiene shoe can be formed of a second color to match a second belt level of martial arts. The hygiene shoe is reversible for preference of the color to be worn and for extending the life of the shoe. A traction portion on the sole of the hygiene shoe comprising a first circular portion beneath the ball of the foot and a second circular portion beneath the heel of the foot connected by connecting portion beneath the outside edge of the foot provides forward movement, pivoting on the ball and heel of the foot and lateral stability.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for playing a card game using a grid in which game pieces are placed in a grid configuration. Hands are selected from the game pieces. A value is determined from the selected hand. For example, the grid configuration can include a triangular grid configuration, square grid configuration, outer square grid configuration, right angle triangular grid configuration, diamond grid configuration or stacked grid configuration. In one embodiment, a hand can be selected from three game pieces having each of the game pieces adjacent to another game piece. In one embodiment, the grid configuration is determined during play by one or more players adding game pieces to an initial grid configuration. Play against more than one player can continue in a survivor fashion with the loser's hand leaving the game on each round until only one player remains. A betting board can be used with the game.

Abstract: This invention relates to crystals comprising apo-LsrB and holo-LsrB. The structure of holo-LsrB identifies a tetrahydroxytetrahydrofuran derived from 4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione (DPD) as the active autoinducer-2 (AI-2) molecule in Salmonella typhimurium. The X-ray crystallographic data can be used in a drug discovery method. Additionally the invention provides AI-2 analogs based on this discovery as well as pharmaceutical compositions containing those analogs.

Abstract: The dental device of the present invention is used to transfer information about registration of an anterior midline between central incisors and a horizontal plane of the teeth after the teeth have been drilled and final impressions have been taken. This information is communicated to the lab technician for fabrication of crowns and or veneers. The dental device allows the dentist to consistently communicate the location and position of the anterior midlines and horizontal plane to the dental laboratory. The dental device is placed between the patient's upper and lower teeth after tooth preparation. The dental device is positioned in a correct midline and horizontal plane. After alignment, the dental device is secured to the teeth using a bite registration material. The dental device is forwarded to the lab technician together with the model of the teeth after preparation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and system of physician economic performance evaluation in which the relative medical difficulty associated with patients admitted by a particular physician is determined and, given that measurement, judgments made concerning the relative amount of inpatient resources that the physician required. Also, one application of the present invention relates to a method for gainsharing of physician services using a surplus allocation methodology for rewarding physicians in relation to their performance. An incentive pool is determined from previous patient claims and payments made to physicians in advance, such as in a base year. Best practice norms are established for a plurality of classified diagnosis groups. In one embodiment of the present invention, the classified diagnosis related groups are adjusted for severity of illness to compensate for actual clinical challenges faced by individual physicians.

Abstract: Chilled coolant is prepared by liquid coolant utilizing the latent heat generated by a gasification of liquefied propylene, for example, and this chilled coolant is used in heat exchangers which are used in a process for production of acrylic acid or acrolein. This method allows effective utilization of the latent heat which used to be discarded and permits a reduction of energy consumption of cooling required separately in the step for production. By recovering the chilled coolant with the liquid coolant, it makes possible to stabilize the gasification of propylene, etc. and consequently stabilize the production of acrylic acid. This invention consists of providing the method for the production of acrylic acid, etc. and the apparatus which make effective use of the latent heat generated in the steps of production.

Abstract: A shell-and tube reactor including at least one reaction tube with a measuring means, substantially same solid particles being filled in the reaction tubes with or without the measuring means, a length of the filled solid particle layer, and a pressure drop thereof while passing a gas through the reaction tube, per each reaction tube, being substantially the same, respectively. By measuring the temperature of the catalyst particle layer, such a temperature as a representative can be gasped.

Abstract: The present invention provides permutation instructions which can be used in software executed in a programmable processor for solving permutation problems in cryptography, multimedia and other applications. PPERM and PPERM3R instructions are defined to perform permutations by a sequence of instructions with each sequence specifying the position in the source for each bit in the destination. In the PPERM instruction bits in the destination register that change are updated and bits in the destination register that do not change are set to zero. In the PPERM3R instruction bits in the destination register that change are updated and bits in the destination register that do not change are copied from intermediate result of previous PPERM3R instructions. Both PPERM and PPERM3R instruction can individually do permutation with bit repetition. Both PPERM and PPERM3R instruction can individually do permutation of bits stored in more than one register.