Abstract: Novel heterocyclic aromatic compounds are disclosed. The novel compounds or pharmaceutically acceptable esters or salts thereof may be used in pharmaceutical compositions, and such compositions may be used to treat an infection, an infestation, a neoplasm, or an autoimmune disease. The novel compounds may also be used to modulate aspects of the immune system, including modulation of Type 1 and Type 2 activity.

Abstract: A method for selective heating of subsurface structures in material such as tissue includes a cooling device for thermally quenching or removing heat from the top surface of tissue during or just after delivering pulsed energy to target or subsurface structures or tissue, a preferred embodiment of the invention using dynamic cooling, to quench the thermal energy conducted from the targeted structure into surrounding tissue.

Abstract: Described is an interface material composition that includes rubber, phase change material and thermally conductive filler.

Abstract: A colloidal suspension of nanoparticles composed of a dense material dispersed in a solvent is used in forming a gap-filling dielectric material with low thermal shrinkage. The dielectric material is particularly useful for pre-metal dielectric and shallow trench isolation applications. According to the methods of forming a dielectric material, the colloidal suspension is deposited on a substrate and dried to form a porous intermediate layer. The intermediate layer is modified by infiltration with a liquid phase matrix material, such as a spin-on polymer, followed by curing, by infiltration with a gas phase matrix material, followed by curing, or by curing alone, to provide a gap-filling, thermally stable, etch resistant dielectric material.

Abstract: A flying toy has a wing having a leading edge, a first end, and a second end. A ballast element is coupled to the first end of the wing, and a launcher receiver element that receives a launcher is coupled to the ballast element.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, compositions and methods are provided in which the mechanical strength and durability of a precursor material having a plurality of pores is increased by a) providing a precursor material; b) treating the precursor material to form a nanoporous aerogel, preferably by using a supercritical drying process; c) providing a blending material having a reinforcing component and a volatile component; d) combining the nanoporous aerogel and the blending material to form an amalgamation layer; and e) treating the amalgamation layer to increase the mechanical strength of the layer by a substantial amount, and to ultimately form a low dielectric material that can be utilized in various applications.

Abstract: An audio entertainment system has a signal producing portion which is worn on the person and an associated sound producing portion which is carried on a vehicle. Where the vehicle comprises a bicycle, the sound producing portion may advantageously comprise a combination of speaker and power supply on the frame of the bicycle. In especially preferred bicycle embodiments the sound producing portion is removably carried by a bracket sized and dimensioned to carry a water bottle. The signal producing portion may advantageously comprise at least one of a radio tuner, a CD player and a tape player.

Abstract: There is provided an array of fluoro-substituted silsesquioxane thin film precursors having a structure wherein fluoro groups are bonded to the silicon atoms of a silsesquioxane cage. In a first aspect, the present invention provides a composition comprising a vaporized material having the formula [F—SiO1.5]x[H—SiO1.5]y, wherein x+y=n, n is an integer between 2 and 30, x is an integer between 1 and n and y is a whole number between 0 and n. Also provided are films made from these precursors and objects comprising these films.

Abstract: Diseased cells are removed from a patient or other system, contacted with an interferon for at least 48 hours, and reintroduced into the system. In preferred methods the diseased cells are afflicted with a cancer, a bacterium, a fungus, or a virus, and the interferon is an alpha-interferon. The diseased cells are contacted with the interferon for a relatively long period of time, such as 2, 5, 7, 14 days, or even longer, and at least partially inactivated before being reintroduced.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automated interfacing with a processing tool in a manufacturing environment having a tilt mechanism and a rotation mechanism. In one embodiment, semiconductor wafers in a cassette are presented to a processing tool by tilting the cassette during movement towards the tool. The tilt mechanism provides a means for seating the wafers in the cassette. The rotation mechanism allows the cassette to be adjusted to meet a robotic arm which extracts wafers from the cassette. Where the cassette is part of a Standard Mechanical InterFace (SMIF) system, the pod is placed onto the interface apparatus, where the pod cover is removed to allow processing of the wafers. A bellows is provided to cover the exposed cassette, thus creating an extended mini-environment including the interface apparatus, tool, and pod cover. In one embodiment, the interface apparatus includes robotic arms and a lift mechanism.

Abstract: Disclosed is a disposable diagnostic device for conducting a diagnostic test on a sample. The device includes a substantially planar, flexible article, a channel formed within the article, at least one fluid-receiving compartment formed within the article and fluidly connectable to the channel, and a solid phase movably positioned within the channel. The article may be a laminate, and in particular, a laminate formed from two substantially planar, flexible sheets laminated together.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a structural part by a multi-layer deposition technique, in particular a part in the form of a casting mold or a casting core, a porous first layer of bulk particulate material consisting of particles of a predetermined particle size being deposited to form a layer of a predetermined layer thickness, a predetermined dose of liquid binder material being applied onto the layer, so that the liquid binder material penetrates the layer and becomes distributed within the layer and wets the particles of the layer and a predetermined residual porosity of the layer remains after distribution, a predetermined dose of liquid curing agent being selectively applied to a predetermined sub-area of the layer containing the binder material, a second layer being deposited on the first layer containing the binder material and the curing agent and being treated with a binder material and selectively with a liquid curing agent, the curing agent being applied to the second layer before the binder materia

Abstract: Nucleosides and other compounds to selectively modulate Th1 and Th2 responses relative to each other in the treatment of disease. In one aspect of the invention, administration of a nucleoside or other compound reduces the dosage at which a primary drug is administered. In another aspect of the invention, an abnormality reflected in increased response in one group of cytokines is treated by administering a nucleoside or other compound that increases response in another group of cytokines. In yet another aspect of the invention, a patient is prophylactically treated by administering a nucleoside or other compound that selectively reduces Th1 activity without significantly reducing Th2 activity. In yet another aspect of the invention, a nucleoside or other compound is administered to a patient at a dose that reduces the patient's GTP pool to a degree that selectively reduces one of the Th1 or Th2 responses without significantly reducing the other response.

Abstract: The present invention relates to apparatus, procedures and compositions for avoiding and reducing damage to low dielectric constant materials and other soft materials, such as Cu and Al, used in fabricating semiconductor devices. Damage reduction can be achieved by decreasing the role of mechanical abrasion in the CMP of these materials and increasing the role of chemical polishing, which can also improve material removal rates. Increasing the role of chemical polishing can be accomplished by creating a polishing slurry, which contains components that interact chemically with the surface to be polished. This slurry may or may not also contain soft abrasive particles, which replace the hard abrasive particles of conventional slurries. Use of soft abrasive particles can reduce the role of mechanical abrasion in the CMP process. Use of this slurry in CMP can reduce surface scratches and device damage.

Abstract: A method and system of delivering energy to material in which energy is converted to thermal energy in the material, and prior to significant therapeutic or other physiological change in a selected or target region of the material, results in a temperature rise which is maximum in a selected region of the material but which is insufficient to cause significant therapeutic or other physiological effect, the system for selective preheating of subsurface target regions of material such as human tissue including an energy source to preheat the material or tissue, a passive or active cooling means, and a device for delivering therapeutic or treatment energy, such as pulsed, electromagnetic, laser or non-coherent energy, to tissue during or after the preheating and cooling of the tissue.

Abstract: Aromatic aliphatic ether solvents, such as anisole, methylanisole, and phenetole, have been found useful in formulating coating solutions of polymeric dielectric materials and as a clean up solvent in the coating process. A process for forming a dielectric film on a substrate includes depositing a coating solution of a dielectric material in a formulation solvent onto a surface of the substrate and depositing an aromatic aliphatic ether solvent onto an edge portion of the surface of the substrate. The process is used to form films of dielectric materials including arylene ether dielectric polymers, hydridosiloxane resins, organohydridosiloxane resins, spin-on-glass materials, partially hydrolyzed and partially condensed alkoxysilane compositions which are cured to form a nanoporous dielectric silica material, and poly(perhydrido)silazanes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a powder composition and to a method for polishing stone, in particular granite, said method making use of said powder composition.

Abstract: Conformationally restricted 2′, 4′—bridged nucleoside analogues are described herein. The compounds can be prepared by cyclization at C2′ and C4′ of nucleosides through a linker or linking molecule. These novel nucleosides have a desired, locked sugar pucker and are potentially useful as pharmaceutical ingredients. Oligonucleotides composed of these novel nucleosides are useful for oligonucleotide therapeutic and diagnostic compounds.

Abstract: Vascular lesions are treated by using an apparatus which comprises a dye laser, one or more flashlamps, and at least one pulse generating circuit for driving the flashlamps, the pulse generating circuit arranged to produce driving current pulses having a risetime of less than 100 microseconds resulting in corresponding laser output pulses, having a risetime of less than 100 microseconds.