Abstract: A cover having a free-turning knob in its center for use on the rotor of a centrifuge. The knob includes tool means for coupling the knob with a threaded fastener securing the rotor to a drive shaft. Thus, when the cover is positioned on the rotor, the threaded fastener securing the rotor can be tightened or loosened by a turning of the knob. The rotor can thereby be removed and replaced without the use of external tools.

Abstract: An electrode termination assembly for use on a display device wherein the amount of space required for the pin connector to attach to the display device is greatly reduced, the physical and electrical integrity of the assembly is greatly enhanced and the cost of the assembly is reduced as compared to present assemblies for pin connectors. An adhesive material having conductive particles is used to not only physically support and attach the connector pins to the display, but also electrically connect the connector pins to electrode pads on the display.

Abstract: A switching voltage regulator is provided for coupling a source of AC potential to a DC load. Thyristor full wave rectifier means provide a source of DC potential which is connected to the load through an inductance in series with the load. The input of the inductance is shunted by a commutating diode which provides a path for the inductive current when the thyristor means are in the nonconducting phase of their operating cycle. Circuit means are provided to reverse bias the commutating diode in advance of each conduction cycle of the thyristor means. As a consequence, the level of RFI conducted to the AC power line is significantly reduced.

Abstract: An ion activity or concentration analyzer including an ion selective electrode, a reference electrode and a flow-through electrolytic cell. A sample liquid enclosure conducts a flow of an aqueous sample past the anode and cathode electrodes of an electrolytic cell that is polarized to generate hydrogen and hydroxyl ions. The ion selective and reference electrodes are so positioned, with respect to the cathode electrode, that the hydroxyl ion concentration is increased in the vicinity thereof. This increased hydroxyl ion concentration causes a reduction in the hydrogen ion concentration and thereby substantially eliminates the interfering effect of hydrogen ions on the operation of the ion selective and reference electrodes.

Abstract: Novel peptides having the following amino acid sequence ##STR1## wherein X.sub.1, X.sub.2, and X.sub.3 are selected from a group consisting of N-terminal and desamino alpha-carbon substitutions and a and b are 0 or 1, provided that a and b are always 0 when A.sub.1 is a desamino residue; A.sub.1 and A.sub.4 are selected from a group consisting of histidyl, arginyl, lysyl, .alpha.-naphthylalanyl, .beta.-naphthylalanyl, isoquinolyl, tyrosyl, tryptophyl, phenylalanyl, homologues and analogues thereof, and, with respect to A.sub.1 only the desamino forms thereof; A.sub.2 and A.sub.5 are selected from a group consisting of D-histidyl, D-arginyl, D-lysyl, D-.alpha.-naphthylalanyl, D-.beta.-naphthylalanyl, D-isoquinolyl, D-tyrosyl, D-tryptophyl, D-phenylalanyl, homologues and analogues thereof; A.sub.

Abstract: Pentapeptides which act directly on the pituitary to release growth hormone therefrom.

Abstract: A multi-channel instrumentation system is provided wherein signals from selected electrode pairs are sequentially connected to the isolated input of a common signal amplifying path. The electrode pair selecting means is included in a portable head box which may be placed adjacent to the patient to be tested. Included in the head box are facilities for testing the impedance of any selected one of the patient electrodes and providing a visual indication of the magnitude of such impedance. The head box also includes facilities for selecting a group of patient electrodes which are connected together and used as an average or reference potential for one input of the common signal path. Facilities are also provided for calibrating the common signal path by applying a d.c. calibration signal to the input thereof by means isolated from system ground.

Abstract: A stepper motor positioning control utilizing phase detection of the stepper motor windings. The device utilizes crude positioning apparatus to position the attached turntable or the like in an approximate position. The phase detection of the stepper motor windings is then used to position the attached turntable in the exact location desired.

Abstract: A decoder for pulse width modulated (PWM) signals comprising an integrator and a sample-and-hold circuit wherein the sample-and-hold output signal is fed back to the input of the integrator. No periodic initialization of the integrator is required. The gains of the integrator and sample-and-hold circuits and the capacitance of the integrator capacitor affect only the settling time of the decoder, not the value to which the decoder output ultimately settles.

Abstract: A method of constructing a gas discharge display device in such a manner that contaminants found within the completed display are significantly reduced. The process for assembly of the display incorporates the utilization of a spacer member having a higher melting temperature than the display's perimeter seal and is designed to hold the plates apart without letting certain portions of the sealing material contact the opposing substrate. The use of the spacer member of high temperature material permits a higher temperature to be achieved in the vacuum furnace for evacuating the contaminants produced by out-gassing of impurities in the dielectric and conductive materials as well as the glass substrates and the sealing material. The sealing time for the display after evacuation is shortened to prevent or greatly reduce the possible entrapment of impurities in the display during the higher temperature final sealing step.

Abstract: A swinging bucket centrifuge rotor having a plurality of cavities spaced about its vertical axis and extending entirely through the rotor. Each cavity is adapted to receive a bucket supported by a hanger rod. The mounting of the bucket is such that the bucket can pivot or swing from a vertical to a horizontal position during operation. Each cavity is provided with a slot, which extends along the underside of the rotor, from the cavity to the periphery of the rotor. The slot has an upper surface adapted to receive the bucket when the bucket is in the horizontal position. A pair of opposed grooves extend partway down the wall of the cavity whereby the ends of the grooves each form a ledge to support an end of the hanger rod by which the bucket is pivotally suspended.

Abstract: An automated pipette employing a device to ensure exact volume pickup and delivery. An optical device senses the presence of a liquid in the tip of the pipette. By intaking the volume past the optical device stream continuity is determined.

Abstract: A system for remotely controlling one or more instruments from a control terminal. Each instrument includes a stored menu of operations it can perform under control of the terminal and an accumulator for producing an index number which selects a particular operation from the menu. The terminal includes means for transmitting commands to direct the instrument to increment the index number and to transmit back to the terminal a textual description of the currently selected menu entry. The terminal further includes means for directing the instrument to perform the operation designated by the current menu entry.

Abstract: A retractible stop mechanism is disclosed, for a conveyor system or the like, in which a stop member is moved up and down between a retracted position and a position in which it blocks an article, and a pivoted tension link is connected between the supporting structure and the stop member to provide the reaction force against the force exerted by the blocked article on the stop member, thereby removing frictional resistance to retraction of the stop member. Also, the location of the pivot of the tension link is such that a force component is developed which assists the retracting force acting on the stop member.

Abstract: A method of identifying an operating position of a multiple-position filter changing mechanism situated in an optical path of a spectrophotometer by detecting and measuring a spectral characteristic(s) of light passed along the optical path to the spectrophotometer detector for one or more operating positions of the filter mechanism and comparing the measured spectral characteristic(s) with stored spectral characteristic information for one or more operating positions of the filter mechanism.

Abstract: Moderately narrow band, tunable, birefringent filters are disclosed using zero-twist liquid crystal cells as variable retarders in a Lyot-type birefringent filter. These filters can achieve analytically useful levels of resolution and stray-light ratios for costs that are competitive with prism and grating monochromators. These birefringent filters can be tuned and/or rendered opaque by the application of a suitable voltage to the cells. Thus, a variety of different optical instruments can be constructed with no moving parts. Power requirements are negligible. A useful filter can be designed to occupy a volume less than one cubic inch. These properties render such a filter ideally suited to microprocessor control.

Abstract: A container for comparative testing of a sample substance. The container includes a plurality of side-by-side compartments into which a sample substance may be injected. A cover and seal protect the compartments from the outside atmosphere. A sample substance may be injected through the cover and the seal which then reseals itself upon withdrawal of the injecting probe. Level indicator lines on each compartment provide an indicator to ensure the exact amounts of substance being placed in each compartment.

Abstract: A centrifuge rotor is provided which has a circumferential wall and a plurality of spaced arms which radiate outward from the center to the circumferential wall. A plurality of buckets are mounted on the rotor, one between each arm. Each bucket has two outwardly extending pivot pins situated on a common axis. A plurality of hangers are mounted in the spaced arms of the rotor. Each hanger comprises an elongated housing containing an opening which is transverse to the longitudinal dimension of the housing for receiving the pivot pin of a bucket. A longitudinal bore intersects the opening and contains a spring for exerting a clamping force on the pivot pin when the rotor is stopped. This prevents the bucket from rocking when being loaded or unloaded, but does not prevent the bucket from pivoting to a horizontal position when the rotor is rotating, nor does it prevent the bucket from resuming a vertical position when the rotor is stopped.

Abstract: A magnetic stirring arrangement for stirring sample material held within a cylindrical glass sample container for assay. A stirring element within the container is retained in a fixed orientation by an external magnetic field. The container and the contents thereof are rotated in place causing the container contents to be stirred by rotational motion around and past the fixed stirring element.

Abstract: A pressure booster system for fluids using one or more injectors for delivering a relatively low pressure output flow of fluid. A fluid accumulator receives the output from one or more injectors. A detector reveals any fluid mass change in the accumulator in relation to a selected value of fluid mass. A relatively high pressure pump increases the pressure of the output flow from the accumulator in accordance with the change of fluid mass within the accumulator which results in high pressure metering.