Abstract: Disclosed is a front-mounted hinge for mounting a door to a vehicle structure. The hinge includes a housing, a translating base, a hinge strap, and a cover assembly. The housing mounts to the exterior surface of the vehicle structure, and the hinge strap mounts to the exterior face of the door. The translating base is slidably mounted to the interior surface of the housing. The translating base moves relative to the housing between an abutting position, in which the translating base abuts a mounting plate of the housing, and an elevated position, in which the translating base is moved away from the mounting plate. The hinge strap is pivotally connected to the translating base so that when the hinge strap is pivoted, the translating base is caused to move between the abutting and elevated positions and the door moves between closed and open positions.

Abstract: A universal floral bouquet assembly secures a keepsake to a floral bouquet arrangement. In particular, a container is provided having an upright probe projecting vertically from the center of the container. Floral foam that receives a bouquet of flowers is pressed into and through the probe. A receptacle associated with the keepsake frictionally engages the opposite end of the probe to securely support the keepsake above the floral arrangement. The receptacle may be integral to the base of the keepsake or may be a component of a transition piece, called an intermediate support, upon which the keepsake, such as a cylindrical candle, is secured. The supporting components are inexpensive to manufacture and ship, simple to assemble, provide firm support for the assembled arrangement during its transportation, and are small and unobtrusive, resulting in an aesthetically pleasing, but inexpensive floral/bouquet arrangement. The components are also reusable for those applications that require this feature.

Abstract: A method of making composite strips for mouldings, frames and the like, including the steps of providing a first elongate panel of a first material and a second elongate panel of a second material, laminating the first and second panels onto one another to provide a laminated panel, making a plurality of parallel cuts or slots in the second panel, adhering a filler strip to the first and second panels in each of the cuts, and gang sawing the laminated panel into composite strips by cutting the laminated panel at each of the filler strips. The filler strips may be formed as single pieces and may be formed as a pair of pieces not joined together. A composite panel having first and second elongate panels of different materials laminated together, with a plurality of parallel cuts in the second panel, and with filler strips in the cuts and adhered to the first and second panels. Several alternative embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: A technique is described for identifying mutations, if any, present in a biological sample, from a pre-selected set of known mutations. The method can be applied to DNA, RNA and peptide nucleic acid (PNA) microarrays. The method analyzes a dot spectrogram representative of quantized hybridization activity of oligonucleotides in the sample to identify the mutations. In accordance with the method, a resonance pattern is generated which is representative of nonlinear resonances between a stimulus pattern associated with the set of known mutations and the dot spectrogram. The resonance pattern is interpreted to a yield a set of confirmed mutations by comparing resonances found therein with predetermined resonances expected for the selected set of mutations.

Abstract: A apparatus, apparatus, and article of manufacture for a computer implemented inplace reorganization system. Data in a database is stored on a data storage device connected to a computer is reorganized. Large object data that needs to be reorganized within a table space is identified. One or more chunks in the table space are allocated to the identified large object data. In particular, a combination of full and partial chunks of space within the table space are allocated to contain the reorganized large object data. Then, the large object data is moved into the allocated chunks to reorganize the large object data inplace. Furthermore, the free space at the end of the table space may be reclaimed.

Abstract: An improved non-thermal plasma treatment method and apparatus provide for the pretreatment of nitric oxide-bearing exhaust gas with ethanol, either by vapor absorption or direct vapor injection. Advantageously, the high vapor pressure of ethanol permits a significant portion of the ethanol to be absorbed. Moreover, the solubility of ethanol permits the ethanol to be readily scrubbed from the exhaust gas, along with the nitrogen dioxides converted from the nitric oxides. The non-thermal plasma apparatus comprises a non-thermal plasma reactor having a chamber which provides a plurality of electrodes. The apparatus further comprises an inlet and an outlet connected to the reaction chamber, permitting the exhaust gas to enter and leave the chamber. In one embodiment, the inlet is further connected to a diverter equipped with an injector, which diverts a portion of the gas stream through the ethanol bath before reinjecting the ethanol-bearing gas stream into the inlet.

Abstract: A method is provided for preconditioning and cryopreservation of cells harvested from a donor. Cells are suspended in a cell conditioning and cryopreservation medium containing a cryopreservative such as Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) and the suspension is incubated for a period of at least ten minutes and the cells are frozen. The medium includes adenosine, a calcium channel blocker, and a cell nutrient matrix comprising a sufficient amount of cell nutrients to sustain the metabolic needs of the cells during incubation without producing detectable levels of lactate or substantially depleting the nutrient substrates to maintain viability of the harvested cells. In some embodiments, a cryopreservative is added step-wise before the cell suspension is frozen and removed step-wise after the cell suspension is thawed.

Abstract: A machine tool center (10) displays at least one machine tool (11, 12, 13) which has a working area (17) accessible through an operator door (16) to process workpieces (21). Furthermore, a loading/unloading station (14) for the workpieces (21) and a loading device (22) which transports the workpieces (21) between the loading/unloading station (14) and the respective machine tool (11, 12, 13) and changes these at the machine tool (11, 12, 13) are also provided. In the new machine tool center (10) the loading device (22) is arranged below the working space (17) of the machine tool (11, 12, 13) (FIG. 1).

Abstract: A technique is described for identifying mutations, if any, present in a biological sample, from a pre-selected set of known mutations. The method can be applied to DNA, RNA and peptide nucleic acid (PNA) microarrays. The method analyzes a dot spectrogram representative of quantized hybridization activity of oligonucleotides in the sample to identify the mutations. In accordance with the method, a resonance pattern is generated which is representative of nonlinear resonances between a stimulus pattern associated with the set of known mutations and the dot spectrogram. The resonance pattern is interpreted to a yield a set of confirmed mutations by comparing resonances found therein with predetermined resonances expected for the selected set of mutations.

Abstract: A HHV-8 producing immortalized lymphoma cell line, which is free of EBV, CMV, and HIV, and which produces large quantities of uncontaminated HHV-8.

Abstract: The system, method, and program of this invention enables an object language application (e.g., C++, JAVA, etc.,) to issue a query over a view and to receive back, as query results, handles to application type objects which can be further manipulated by the application. A view is defined herein as a collection of a view type, and a view type is defined as a class or type. Upon receipt of the query referencing a view type, a query engine generates a query plan that builds mock (i.e., proxy) application type objects in memory based upon the view types. The application can run methods on the application type objects or point to other application type objects from the handles, to the application objects, that are returned to the application; and these manipulations will be understood by the query engine.

Abstract: A sealant for forming a fluid seal between the faying surface of two metallic substrates that are compressively and mechanically joined together. The sealant is a liquid in its pre-cured condition and a dry solid in its cured condition. The transition of the sealant from its pre-cured condition to its cured condition occurs at room temperature. The sealant's curing time is not less than about 10 minutes and not more than about 16 hours. The cured sealant has a Shore A hardness between about 30 and 70. The cured sealant is impermeable and resistant to chemical attack by air, water, common solvents and petroleum fuels. Also, the cured sealant is resistant to compressive cold flow, however, the cured sealant is deformable to conform to an abutting surface or with a layer of similar sealant. The cured sealant is flexible and resistant to temperatures between about -65 degrees F. and about 250 degrees F.

Abstract: A system for dispensing liquids, particularly a system for dispensing liquid soap through at least one hand-operated pump. The system includes a pump, a main reservoir for holding a first quantity of the fluid to be dispensed, and an auxiliary reservoir for holding a second and generally smaller quantity of fluid. The main reservoir, auxiliary reservoir, and pump are in fluid communication with one another through a coupling. The system and coupling are configured so that the fluid is drawn preferentially from the main reservoir, with fluid being drawn from the auxiliary reservoir only when the main reservoir is substantially emptied of fluid. Additionally, any fluid that is drawn from the auxiliary reservoir will be replenished automatically by fluid in the main reservoir as long as any fluid is present in the main reservoir.