Abstract: A butterfly valve has a disc which is pivotally mounted inside the passage through the housing and movable between open and closed positions. In its closed position, a seal is established between the valve housing and the disc with a seal ring that has a flat portion clamped to the housing with an axially movable pressure ring and an inwardly extending, resilient seal ring portion that engages a conical periphery of the disc. A plurality of threaded, circumferentially spaced-apart locking bolts in a segmented retainer ring attached to the valve housing are tightened against the pressure ring to secure the seal ring to the housing. The locking bolts are disposed in through holes in the support ring. Each through hole includes a threaded portion, which is contiguous with the side of the support ring facing the pressure ring, and an unthreaded section which terminates at the outer side of the pressure ring.

Abstract: A plasma etch chamber includes a modified focus ring which is used in conjunction with chamber pressure throttling to eject contaminants in the focus ring away from the substrate just before the etching cycle is completed. Additionally, process gas is directed against the inner wall of the chamber to create a swirling flow of plasma within the chamber and thus disturb any contaminant-generating field adjacent the chamber wall. A process gas, or a non-reactive purge gas, may also be supplied from a diffuser atop the cathode, to direct a gas layer along the top and sides of the chamber to reduce contaminant build-up on the chamber surfaces.

Abstract: A single-ended differential AUI line driver, and complementary single-ended differential AUI line receiver, implement a pseudo AUI that exhibits most of the characteristics of an IEEE 802.3 standard compatible AUI line driver. The pseudo AUI line driver permits multi-point to single point connection (wire-ORing) of multiple line drivers and receivers to support port mobility on a per-port basis.

Abstract: Automatic detection of defective pixel locations from digital images of scanned documents is provided. A list of tentative defect locations is kept, and as each document is scanned, entries are added to the list. As subsequent documents occur with the same color pixel in the same location, a count for that tentative defect location is incremented, but if the color of the pixel in that location changes, the count is reduced or zeroed. If a count for a location is incremented above a threshold, the tentative defect is flagged as an actual defect and a defect detector outputs or flags that pixel location as being an actual defect location. If memory size is constrained, the number of entries in the defect list is capped at some maximum size and a tentative defect location is added to the list only if an entry is available.

Abstract: The present invention provides an analytical rotor which holds a fluid in a chamber, typically to allow mixing with a reagent, and transfers the fluid to a receiving chamber in the rotor. The rotor comprises a holding chamber having an single exit duct and a receiving chamber connected to the holding chamber through the exit duct. The exit duct prevents flow at a first rotational speed and allows flow at a second, higher rotational speed. The exit duct may include a capillary passage in which capillary forces prevent flow until the rotational speed is increased. Alternatively, the exit duct may include a siphon.

Abstract: A high impact resistant rotationally molded door and process for molding the door is disclosed in which a hinge member is integrally molded to the door along one edge only. This hinge member forms to the hollow door edge without door warpage during curing and shrinking of rotationally molded plastic door body. Door warpage is avoided by delaying full integral attachment of the hinge member to the door until curing of the injected foam interior which both bonds to the interior of the door and the hinge member. An improved seal and hinge seal is disclosed together with a placed window construction that can include both placement and shaping to meet the special order needs. Further improvements including the expedient of venting a rotationally molded door during the rotational molding process through an integrally molded hinge edge reinforcing member. This same venting scheme is utilized for enabling improved cooling of the door once molding of the hollow door shell has occurred.

Abstract: Novel methods for producing, and compositions of, humanized immunoglobulins having one or more complementarity determining regions (CDR's) and possible additional amino acids from a donor immunoglobulin and a framework region from an accepting human immunoglobulin are provided. Each humanized immunoglobulin chain will usually comprise, in addition to the CDR's, amino acids from the donor immunoglobulin framework that are, e.g., capable of interacting with the CDR's to effect binding affinity, such as one or more amino acids which are immediately adjacent to a CDR in the donor immunoglobulin or those within about about 3 .ANG. as predicted by molecular modeling. The heavy and light chains may each be designed by using any one or all of various position criteria.

Abstract: Novel methods for producing, and compositions of, humanized immunoglobulins having one or more complementarity determining regions (CDR's) and possible additional amino acids from a donor immunoglobulin and a framework region from an accepting human immunoglobulin are provided. Each humanized immunoglobulin chain will usually comprise, in addition to the CDR's, amino acids from the donor immunoglobulin framework that are, e.g., capable of interacting with the CDR's to effect binding affinity, such as one or more amino acids which are immediately adjacent to a CDR in the donor immunoglobulin or those within about about 3 .ANG. as predicted by molecular modeling. The heavy and light chains may each be designed by using any one or all of various position criteria.

Abstract: An improved voltage regulator which can operate in a two-lead environment with a widely varying power supply is provided. The voltage regulator of the invention has an output circuit stage connected between a supply voltage and a reference voltage. A pass transistor, as one leg of a differential current steering stage, provides drive current to the output stage. A bandgap error amplifier is coupled between the reference voltage output and the pass transistor to shunt current from the pass transistor when the reference voltage varies from the desired voltage value.

Abstract: The method for the zigzag-like folding of a strip-like foil includes the following steps in an advantageous embodiment:1. prepleating, whereby a zigzag-like or wave-shaped folding is effected in which the folded edges are formed in cross-section as arcs with a radius of curvature greater than about 1 mm;2. follow-up forming of each second folded edge in that a coining tool is used to influence the fold angle and to reduce the radius of curvature of the folded edge to a value smaller than 1 mm;3. follow-up forming of the remaining folded edges in the same manner as during the second step. The follow-up forming steps are executed with tumble pressing devices which respectively include a rotatable toothed roll and a coining tool. The coining tool is drivable by means of an eccentric device and is connected via a pendulum axle with a vertically displaceable slider.

Abstract: A photographic film developing apparatus includes a developing section including a developing tank for developing a photographic film strip, a drying section drying the developed film strip, and a film collecting/storing holder disposed adjacent an exit of the drying section for collecting and storing the dried film strip from the drying section. The film collecting/storing holder includes a film rolling device for rolling the film strip for the storage thereof within the holder.

Abstract: This invention provides for provides for abrasive compositions and methods of use of these compositions for the preparation of surfaces for the application of various coatings such as paints, lacquers and varnishes. The abrasive compositions of this invention provide rapid cleaning and dulling of the underlying surface rendering it suitable for the application of paints or other finishes.

Abstract: A method for maintaining relationships between entities in a computer system, each entity having a plurality of nodes, includes the steps of: modifying one of the plurality of nodes; searching for a plurality of dependent nodes from the plurality of nodes coupled to the one node; ordering the plurality of dependent nodes into an order; and evaluating the plurality of dependent nodes in the order.

Abstract: A method of reinforcing cement/concrete mixtures with alkali-intolerant reinforcements and/or aggregate, such as uncoated, common glass filament, plastic filament, fabric and roving made therefrom by reducing the pH of the mixture while in its plastic state, and/or after it has set and cured, to about 7. With a neutral pH, the alkali-intolerant reinforcements need not be coated to protect them from degradation. In the absence of alkalinity, the reinforcement and/or aggregate material bonds with the cement mixture to form a relatively stronger mixture, which can be shaped as desired, made part of permanently poured structures, cement boards and many other small and large products. By selecting appropriate and, if desired, different materials for the reinforcements and/or aggregate, the strength, flexibility, etc. characteristics of the product can be readily changed to adapt the product to the intended use. The pH is reduced by migrating such materials as CO.sub.2 and/or CO and O.sub.

Abstract: In halftone imaging using rotated halftone dot cells, the determination of correspondences between microdots and threshold matrix cells is simplified by leaving the threshold matrices which overlie each halftone dot cell unrotated. Threshold decisions for each microdot in a given horizontal row of a grid proceed in sequence. Each increment along a microdot row within a halftone cell is a unit increment along a horizontal axis of the threshold matrix. Hence, within each halftone cell, two integer additions are sufficient to derive an address of the threshold matrix cell associated with a microdot given the address of the threshold matrix cell associated with the previous microdot.

Abstract: A method of recording a real-time multimedia presentation and replaying a missed portion at an accelerated rate until the missed portion catches up to the current point in the presentation. The multimedia presentation may consist of audio, video, graphics, and text. A graphical timeline is provided to allow the user easy access to different points in the recorded presentation. All the media formats are synchronized at the accelerated rate and the audio is accelerated without changing its pitch.

Abstract: A system is provided for securely attaching a portable device to the clothing or other personal item of a user. The system utilizes a modified retaining clip, the retaining clip being pivotably mounted to the device housing. As modified, the retaining clip may be locked in a closed position, thus preventing the portable device from being easily dislodged from the selected personal article. In one embodiment, an adjustable separator is interposed between one end of the mounting clip and the device housing. By controlling the amount that the first end of the clip can be depressed, the separator also controls the size of the gap between the second end of the clip and the device housing. In a second embodiment, the modified retaining clip includes a pair of flexible projections proximate one end of the clip as well as a compression mechanism. The compression mechanism controls the gap between the two flexible projections, thus controlling the relative flexibility of the projections.

Abstract: An oxazolinone derivative compound, represented by the general formula I, shows superior herbicidal activity against, especially, dicotyledonous vegetables. It is effective upon applying both before and after the sprouting of vegetables. It is prepared by condensating an .alpha.-amino acid represented by the general formula II with an acid chloride represented by the general formula III, to give an acyl .alpha.-amino acid represented by the following formula IV: reacting the acyl .alpha.-amino acid with acetic anhydride; and dehydrating the resulting adduct: ##STR1## wherein, R represents a lower alkyl group or a phenyl group containing halogen, lower alkyl or trifluoromethyl group; X represents halogen atom, carbomethoxy group, nitro group, or halogen or trifluoromethyl-substituted phenoxy group, being the same or different from one another; A represents nitrogen or carbon atom; and n is an integer of 1 to 3.

Abstract: The invention provides fragments of GAD.sub.65 that are specifically reactive with at least one class of GAD.sub.65 autoantibody. Most fragments are substantially free of N-terminal amino acids that would otherwise limit solubility. Different fragment contain epitopes for different classes of GAD.sub.65 autoantibodies. The fragments are used in methods of diagnosing and treating insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and stiff man syndrome.