Abstract: An electrical hazard detection system is used to detect energized ground terminals on electric receptacles. This condition may not be detectable by traditional circuit testers when hot and neutral wires have been switched and ground terminals have been electrically connected to the neutral wires. The user's body is used to provide a high-impedance path to true ground thereby creating an electric current from an energized ground terminal, activating a transistor, and illuminating an associated indicator.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing, in an automated data storage system having a plurality of removable data storage devices, independent memory devices associated with and physically attached to respective removable data storage devices for storing volume identification, RAID bundle information where applicable, and other drive specific information about their respective removable data storage devices. The removable data storage devices are typically hard disk drives, and the independent memory devices are preferably serial electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory (“EEPROM”) solid state memory devices. The EEPROM operates independently of the operation of its respective removable hard disk drive, does not require that the hard disk drive be powered up, and continues to operate in the presence of a catastrophic failure of the hard disk drive.

Abstract: A DC-DC power converter has a transformer with a primary side and secondary side. A first power transistor is coupled between a first end of a first winding of the secondary side and a ground terminal. A second power transistor is coupled between a second end of the first winding and the ground terminal. A first driver transistor is coupled to a gate of the first power transistor, and a second driver transistor is coupled to a gate of the second power transistor. A separate driver winding taken off the secondary side of the transformer controls the gates of the first and second driver transistors. First and second inductors are coupled between the opposite ends of the first winding and an output of the power supply. First and second resistors are coupled between the gates of the first and second driver transistors and the ground terminal, respectively.

Abstract: A switch with an open state and a closed state suitably includes a cantilever having first and second states corresponding to the open and closed states of the switch, respectively. The switch may also include a magnet configured to provide an electromagnetic field that maintains said cantilever in one of the first and second states. Various embodiments may also include an electrode or electrical conductor configured to provide an electric potential or electromagnetic pulse, as appropriate, to switch the cantilever between the first and second states. Various embodiments may be formulated with micromachining technologies, and may be formed on a substrate.

Abstract: This application discloses methods and materials for preparing functional microvascular beds in the laboratory. These prevascularized constructs can be used to vascularize engineered tissue constructs or to revascularize damaged or diseased tissues or organs following implantation. The prevascularized constructs may also deliver genetically engineered gene products to the bloodstream.

Abstract: A method for characterizing the three-dimensional surface structure of molecules, particularly proteins and protein complexes, employing mass spectrometric analysis, an electrospray ionization (ES) source, a novel data interpretation process that utilizes comparisons of particular binding constants (KB) and heats of formation (?Hf), and computational feedback modeling.

Abstract: A hand-held RFID scanner has an extendable shaft with a handle for gripping of the RFID scanner. The shaft expands and retracts with a plurality of telescoping segments, either manually or with an electrical mechanism. An RFID antenna/reader is disposed on one end of the shaft. The RFID reader communicates with an RFID tag by RF communication link. A local controller, implemented as a PDA, is mounted to the extendable shaft and electrically connected to the RFID antenna/reader to receive data from the RFID tag. The local controller has an antenna for transmitting the data to a remote computer. The local controller executes software which allows the user to select whether the data is stored in the RFID tag or the remote computer. The software uses the RFID tag, RFID scanner with local controller, and remote computer to manage data associated with an object such as a wine barrel.

Abstract: A method for forming atomic-scale contacts and atomic-scale gaps between two electrodes is disclosed. The method provides for applying a voltage between two electrodes in a circuit with a resistor. The applied voltage etches metal ions off one electrode and deposits the metal ions onto the second electrode. The metal ions are deposited on the sharpest point of the second electrode, causing the second electrode to grow towards the first electrode until an atomic-scale contact is formed. By increasing the magnitude of the resistor, the etching and deposition process will terminate prior to contact, forming an atomic-scale gap. The atomic-scale contacts and gaps formed according to this method are useful as a variety of nanosensors including chemical sensors, biosensors, hydrogen ion sensors, heavy metal ion sensors, magnetoresistive sensors, and molecular switches.

Abstract: A method of stabilizing R-?-lipoic acid includes combining R-?-lipoic acid with nicotinamide in a weight ratio between about 10:4 to about 10:8. A composition for treating oxidative stress includes R-?-lipoic acid and nicotinamide in a weight ratio of between about 10:4 and about 10:8.

Abstract: This application discloses methods and materials for preparing functional microvascular beds in the laboratory. These prevascularized constructs can be used to vascularize engineered tissue constructs or to revascularize damaged or diseased tissues or organs following implantation. The prevascularized constructs may also deliver genetically engineered gene products to the bloodstream.

Abstract: MLVA methods for strain discrimination among Mycobacterium tuberculosum strains are disclosed. Nine VNTR loci have been identified from genomic sequences of Mycobacterium tuberculosum strains and primer pairs suitable for amplifying the VNTR by PCR are disclosed. Polymorphisms at these loci were used to resolve genotypes into distinct groups. This sub-typing scheme is useful for the epidemiological study of Mycobacterium tuberculosum and may be applied to the local detection of the pathological causative agent of tuberculosum.

Abstract: A new optical switch device and method of operating such a device overcomes alignment problems through the use of an optical signal-confining channel that may be embedded so as to confine optical signals in a desired propagation path such that the optical signal's alignment with the output is secured. Small-angle mirrors may be used so as to direct the optical signal into the intended optical signal-confining channels so as to achieve the desired optical switching. The mirrors could be latching micro-mirrors or non-latching micro-mirrors. Such mirrors could be controlled by electrostatic actuation, thermal actuation or electromagnetic actuation, or any other technique.

Abstract: A micro magnetic latching device. The device comprises a substrate having a moveable element supported thereon. The moveable element (cantilever) has a long axis and a magnetic material. The device also has first and second magnets that produce a first magnetic field, which induces a magnetization in the magnetic material. The magnetization is characterized by a magnetization vector pointing in a direction along the long axis of the moveable element, wherein the first magnetic field is approximately perpendicular to a major central portion of the long axis. The device also has a coil that produces a second magnetic field to switch the movable element between two stable states, wherein only temporary application of the second magnetic field is required to change direction of the magnetization vector thereby causing the movable element to switch between the two stable states.

Abstract: The movable point source aperture used in conventional autocollimators for measuring tilt in a microscope's test sample is replaced by a fixed laser diode. The diode is turned on only for the duration of the tilt measurement, when light is delivered to the optical system of the microscope without obstruction of the normal illumination path. Similarly, the two switchable optical systems conventionally used in the metrology and tilt-measurement legs of the microscope are replaced by two permanently positioned independent imaging systems. Such optical decoupling of the two types of measurement eliminates the need for switching lens systems, which enables shorter measurement cycles, reduces mechanical vibrations, and simplifies hardware control mechanisms.

Abstract: Novel conductive polyanionic polymers and methods for their preparion are provided. The polyanionic polymers comprise repeating units of weakly-coordinating anionic groups chemically linked to polymer chains. The polymer chains in turn comprise repeating spacer groups. Spacer groups can be chosen to be of length and structure to impart desired electrochemical and physical properties to the polymers. Preferred embodiments are prepared from precursor polymers comprising the Lewis acid borate tri-coordinated to a selected ligand and repeating spacer groups to form repeating polymer chain units. These precursor polymers are reacted with a chosen Lewis base to form a polyanionic polymer comprising weakly coordinating anionic groups spaced at chosen intervals along the polymer chain. The polyanionic polymers exhibit high conductivity and physical properties which make them suitable as solid polymeric electrolytes in lithium batteries, especially secondary lithium batteries.

Abstract: A copper welding rod is used in an arc-welding operation to form a bead that joins a copper starter sheet and a stainless steel hanger bar. The amperage level of the arc-welding equipment is set to generate heat at the weld site which is above the melting point of copper and below the melting point of stainless steel. This results in a welded joint between the copper bead and the hanger bar and a brazed joint between the copper bead and the starter sheet. Since brazing produces little or no fusion, the area of contact between the two dissimilar metals is limited to the interface between them, which significantly reduces the damaging effects of galvanic corrosion. Another improvement lies in the application of a corrosion-resistant metallic coating on the joint between the hanger bar and the starter sheet using a high velocity oxygen fuel flame spray technique.

Abstract: A monomer is selected to produce a polymeric film having desirable characteristics for a particular application. The monomer is ppolymerized under controlled conditions to produce a solid oligomer having those characteristics at a molecular weight suitable for evaporation under vacuum at a temperature lower than its thermal decomposition temperature. The process of polymerization to produce the oligomer is carried out under conditions that yield a finite molecular-chain length with no residual reactive groups. The solid oligomer so produced is extruded as a film onto a revolving drum (38) in the evaporation section (40) of a vapor deposition chamber, and then cryocondensed on a cold substrate (44) to form a solid film having the same characteristic selected in the solid oligomer constituting the starting material. As a result of the initial complete reaction to produce the oligomer, the thin-film product does not contain unreacted groups and all attendant disadvantages are avoided.

Abstract: A square that includes two rigid, channeled members having an interior and an exterior, with the two members being joined at a ninety-degree angle to form a one-piece L-shaped tool having an elbow and a notch disposed on an exterior corner opposite the elbow. The invention also features a bubble level attached to the exterior of each member and a releasable adhesive member disposed upon the interior of each member, such as magnets, tapes, or adhesive plastic materials. Methods for pipe-fitting and for holding pipes or joints in place with the invention are also provided.

Abstract: Mechanically harvested chili-pepper plants are sized into chunks and introduced into a water flotation system. Water is added at the top of a flotation vat and, for the most part, is withdrawn at the bottom using a venturi unit. The balance of the water is recovered as spillover from the top of the vat carrying the floating material. If the rate of water withdrawal at the bottom of the vessel is controlled such that it is as high as possible but less than what produces turbulence in the vat, the pulp material will drop with heavy seeds to the bottom with the extracted water while all other materials are skimmed away at the top. The very small differential in density between the pepper pulp and the rest of the plant and debris is sufficient to separate them under these specific conditions.

Abstract: Composite height profiles are produced by taking successive interferometric measurements of different sections of a sample surface by sequentially placing them within the field of view of the instrument. A reference signal is used to provide a full history of scanner motion during each measurement scan. The reference signal is independent of the fringes collected for profile-measurement purposes and is used to produce a z-position history of the scan that is independent of scanner nonlinearities and other error sources. As a result, errors caused by scanner nonlinearity and lack of repeatability are removed from the process and it is possible to combine profiles of sections that are spatially disconnected without loss of precision attributable to scanner imperfections.