Abstract: A tunable filter includes a polarizing beam splitter and a half-wave plate that produce two equally polarized beams from an arbitrarily polarized input light. The polarized beams are directed toward a tunable component that consists of an optical substrate coated with a filter and a reflective element on its back and front surface, respectively. The pass and stop beams emerging from the tunable component are retro-reflected by roof structures and passed again through the filter. As a result of this combination of components, the filter's performance is not dependent on polarization and the filter's output channels are not shifted or deviated by tuning.

Abstract: Human heat-shock protein-binding proteins (HspBP-1 and HspBP-2) and fragments thereof are disclosed with the polynucleotides which identify and encode them. Genetically engineered expression vectors and host cells comprising the nucleic acid sequences encoding heat-shock protein-binding proteins (HspBP) are also disclosed and a method for producing HspBP polypeptides.

Abstract: A slide loading mechanism utilizes compressed air as the transport medium to move the slides from a magazine to the stage of a microscope. The stage is provided with a carriage moving horizontally along a direct path between the stage and the magazine. A conveyor coupled to the carriage includes a tongue suitable for positioning under the slide of interest in the magazine when the carriage is at one end of its travel path, so that the slide may be picked up for translation to the stage of the microscope. When the carriage is moved to the opposite end of its travel path, the tongue is completely removed from the magazine, which may be freely moved vertically by an elevator to align another slide for processing.

Abstract: A method for classifying data involves receiving a set of training data from a physical process such as a computer network (20). The training data has attribute data and target data. The target data has a class label associated with the attribute data. Dummy clusters are derived from centroid coordinates of the training data associated with the class label (22). Distance measures are determined between the training data and a plurality of clusters which include the dummy clusters (24). Real clusters are created in the plurality of clusters if the training data is closest to a dummy cluster or a cluster having a class label different than the class label associated with the training data (26). A closest match between data to be classified and the plurality of clusters is identified (28) and the data is classified as the class label of the closest match from the plurality of clusters (30).

Abstract: Human heat-shock protein-binding proteins (HspBP-1 and HspBP-2) are disclosed with the polynucleotides which identify and encode them. Genetically engineered expression vectors and host cells comprising nucleic acid sequences encoding heat-shock protein-binding proteins (HspBP) are also disclosed, as well as methods for producing HspBP polypeptides and for detecting polynucleotide sequences that encode HspBP polypeptides.

Abstract: A cartridge case has the same general geometry and dimensions of a Magstar cartridge, but with modified lateral sides with recessed surfaces and additional gripping notches that permit the alternative use of the cartridge with either a Magstar or an LTO type of automated picker. The width of the bottom rear portion of the cartridge is reduced to conform to the width of a standard LTO cartridge and LTO gripping notches are provided by increasing the depth of the locating notches of the Magstar format to the size required for engagement by the fingers in the gripper arms of an LTO automated picker. As a result of this modification, the cartridge of the invention can be alternatively handled by either Magstar or LTO type of automated pickers.

Abstract: A polymeric material such as PDMS is molded into an electrode structure containing a micron-size aperture for receiving and forming a giga-ohm seal with a biological membrane. One end of a tube is filled with uncured polymeric material and pressed against a support surface to prevent drainage. A conventional micropipette having a size suitable for sliding through the tube is introduced, tip first, into the tube and is allowed to fall through the polymeric material and rest against the support surface. The assembly is heated to cure the polymer and the micropipette is removed from the tube, thereby leaving a polymeric plug at the end of the tube with an aperture suitable in shape and size for patch-clamp giga-ohm seal electrode applications. A multi-well tray with a polymeric electrode plug in each well is constructed using the same approach.

Abstract: A flexible magnetic-tape substrate is coated on both sides with an underlayer of relatively-low coercivity magnetic medium, which in turn is coated with a submicron layer of chromium dioxide in ultra small particles having a high coercivity. For longitudinal magnetic recording systems, magnetic layers with a coercivity of at least 1,500 Oe with underlayers having a coercivity between 25 and 500 Oe are used. For helical magnetic recording systems, magnetic layers with a coercivity of at least 2,000 Oe with underlayers having a coercivity between 25 and 800 Oe are used. These properties greatly reduce the effects of neighboring magnetic fields, thereby improving signal retention and virtually eliminating print-through and contact recording.

Abstract: A method of protecting a surface has the steps of providing a coating material containing sufficient aluminum flakes to provide a physical barrier to corrosion; and applying the coating material to a surface, thereby protecting the surface with an armor of aluminum. The method provides a coating material comprising about 3% to about 25% by weight of aluminum flakes, about 5% to about 20% by weight of aluminum flakes and about 7% to about 15% by weight of aluminum flakes. The aluminum flakes in the coating material can be non-leafing. A method of treating old concrete and rusting rebar, calls for providing a coating material containing sufficient aluminum flakes to provide a physical barrier to corrosion and polyisocyanates with sufficient unreacted NCO groups to scavenge water and provide a water-tight coating; and applying the coating material to the surfaces of damaged concrete and exposed rebar, thereby protecting the surfaces with an armor of aluminum.

Abstract: A bi-directional autonomous truck. The truck includes a drive-train including one or more drive wheels, the drive-train having drive characteristics that are substantially the same whether the drive wheels rotate clockwise or counterclockwise. The drive characteristics may consist of the ability to reach a maximum rotational speed of the drive wheels, but may include other characteristics, such as the ability to steer corresponding pairs of drive wheels that are situated at opposite ends of the truck. Preferably, the truck includes a dump bed that is adapted for dumping in either of two opposite directions.

Abstract: A tape-drive condensation sensor includes a probe with first and second spaced-apart electrodes that define a passage for air flow within a pneumatic conduit. A voltage source is coupled between the electrodes and the voltage of the source and the spacing between the electrodes are adapted to pass a current when a drop of condensation forms between the electrodes. An alarm circuit is activated by the flow of current, the alarm being adapted to signal an event of discernible condensation.

Abstract: A system for supporting loads includes a track having uniformly spaced apertures separated by necks. A bracket is mounted on the track and has two groups of studs which are positioned in the necks and prevent the bracket from pulling away from the track. Neighboring studs in both groups have identical center-to-center spacings. Two plugs pass through holes in the bracket and into respective ones of the apertures. The plugs fix the bracket against movement relative to the track longitudinally and transversely of the latter. The distance between a plug hole and any stud equals one-half the center-to-center spacing of neighboring studs of a group or an integral multiple of one-half such spacing. A locking member passes through an additional hole in the bracket and frictionally engages the track to prevent the plugs from pulling out of the respective apertures during an impact.

Abstract: A bit (10) includes a mouthpiece (12) having two mouthpiece members (20). Each of the mouthpiece members has an end (20a,20b) which faces the other mouthpiece member, and the two ends are connected to one another by a joining arrangement comprising (26) one or more pivots and a stop system. The stop system limits the relative angular displacement of the mouthpiece members from a reference position towards the rear of a horse. In the reference position, the joining arrangement and the two ends of the mouthpiece members connected by the arrangement lie approximately along a straight line. The stop system prevents relative angular displacement of the mouthpiece members from the reference position towards the rear of the horse or limits the relative angular displacement in this direction to a minor fraction of the maximum possible relative angular displacement of the mouthpiece members from the reference position towards the front of the horse.

Abstract: An electronic template delineating distinct selected patterns corresponding to predetermined regions of interest in a sample part is used to limit analysis to those regions. The surface of the sample is first measured using conventional techniques. The data so acquired are used to identify boundaries between distinct regions, which are then compared to a predetermined pattern boundary in the template to find a best-fit match. The position of the pattern is then shifted to overlay the match, thereby automatically aligning the template's selected patterns with the regions of interest in the sample surface. As a result, profilometric analysis can be limited to the regions of interest. Correction factors are also assigned to each selected pattern in the template to account for physical differences in the corresponding regions of interest of the sample part that affect the profilometric measurement.

Abstract: A reconfigurable circuit module comprises edge connectors for connecting with other reconfigurable circuit modules to form multi-dimensional arrays. Programmable devices such as FPGAs, CPLDs, etc. residing on the reconfigurable circuit modules control electric signal path functionality. An embedded controller microprocessor negotiates signal path compatibility between adjacent modules, preventing two or more programmable devices from simultaneously driving the same signal path.

Abstract: Excitation of a triad artificial photosynthetic reaction center consisting of a porphyrin (P) convalently linked to a fullerene electron acceptor (C60) and a carotenoid secondary donor (C) leads to the formation of a long-lived C+-P-C60− charge-separated state via photoinduced electron transfer. This reaction occurs in a frozen organic glass down to at least 8 K. At 77 K, charge recombination of C*+-P-C60− occurs on the &mgr;s time scale, and yields solely the carotenoid triplet state. In the presence of a small (20 mT) static magnetic field, the lifetime of the charge-separated state is increased by 50%. This is ascribed to the effect of the magnetic field on interconversion of the singlet and triplet biradicals. At zero field, the initially formed singlet biradical state is in equilibrium with the three triplet biradical sublevels, and all four states have comparable populations. Decay to the carotenoid triplet only occurs from the three triplet sublevels.

Abstract: A transimpedance amplifier (18) receives an audio signal from a power audio amplifier (14) and provides a variable power level to a loudspeaker (16). A first variable gain amplifier (28) receives the audio signal and provides a variable gain to a power amplifier (40). The output signal of the power amplifier drives the loudspeaker. A sense amplifier (52) subtracts a voltage representative of current flowing through the loudspeaker from a voltage applied to the loudspeaker and provides a difference signal. A second variable gain amplifier (70) receives the difference signal and provides a variable gain to a load amplifier (80). The gains of the first and second variable gain amplifiers are inversely proportional. A resistive element (84) having a real impedance is coupled between an output of the load amplifier and the input of the transimpedance amplifier to maintain the complex impedance of the loudspeaker at the output of the power audio amplifier.

Abstract: A parallel glass plate mounted on a rotating fixture is used to precisely control the optical path length of a light beam. The glass plate refracts the incident optical signal to increase the length of its optical path as a function of the angle of incidence. The device can easily achieve a precision in the order of nanometers and is particularly suitable to fine tune the cavity length of a resonator and the optical path difference of an interferometer. Accordingly, the preferred application of the invention is in an interferometric interleaver. The glass plate can also be coated with a partially reflective coating to attenuate the optical signal passing therethrough. By judiciously selecting the refractive index, the thermal coefficient of refraction, and the coefficient of thermal expansion of the glass, thermal effects may be virtually eliminated.

Abstract: A light source with multiple parallel beams is combined with a pair of opposing mirrors mounted on a rotating fixture and with a fixed aperture to produce a single output beam. Through the motion of the rotating fixture, the pair of mirrors shifts the location of the output of each input beam passing through the device so as to sequentially channel each beam into the optical path defined by the aperture. Thus, the input source corresponding to the output beam may be quickly switched by rotating the pair of mirrors to the position that produces the appropriate shift of the beam selected from the light source. In another embodiment of the invention, the pair of opposing mirrors is replaced by a transparent block similarly mounted on a rotating fixture.

Abstract: In a slurry solution for chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) of a semiconductor wafer, an abrasive particle is provided having a central body and a plurality of extensions from the central body of the abrasive particle. The plurality of extension hold a center of mass of the abrasive particle a distance from the semiconductor wafer during the CMP process. The extensions extend 3-dimensionally from the central body, with the length of one extension being about 30 nm. The extensions reduce attractive forces acting on the central body allowing the abrasive particles to be removed from the semiconductor wafer during a post-CMP cleaning process.