Abstract: The present invention comprises a brake having a slot formed in a support for receiving an adjusting screw which slidably secures the support to the skate. The head of the adjusting screw engages the surface of the support on one side of the slot to firmly secure the brake to the skate at the selected height above the riding surface.

Abstract: A method for treating or preventing Alzheimer's disease in a mammal is described. A silicon compound for inhibiting interaction between aluminum and .beta.-amyloid or neurofilament protein is provided. The silicon compound is administered to a mammal in need of such treatment to cause this inhibition to occur.

Abstract: Lock including at least one latch (2) which can move against a spring (8) between a locked position and a retracted position, this displacement of the latch taking place against the spring which thus passes from a position known as the rest position to a position known as the tension position, this also including a means (6, 7) for holding the spring (8) in its so-called tension position, and a means (17) actuated by the keeper when it engages with the latch and actuating this holding device so as to release the spring, the lock being characterized in that it includes a means (26) actuated when the door is being opened so as to play a part in tensioning the spring (8).

Abstract: A method of making a polyester container having an enhanced level of crystallinity in the sidewall while maintaining a low level of crystallinity in a thickened base portion. The container is particularly useful as a refillable container which can withstand higher caustic wash temperatures and exhibits reduced flavor carryover, or as a hot-fill container. According to the method, a sidewall-forming section of a preform is initially expanded, heated to contract and crystallize the same, and than reexpanded; a base-forming portion of the preform is shielded from the heat treatment and is expanded either before or after the heat treatment step.

Abstract: A testing contactor is provided for testing small-size semiconductor devices with large currents at high frequencies. Each semiconductor device to be tested has a plurality of leads. The testing contactor includes a plurality of first electric contact elements. A first Kelvin contact for a lead is formed of a first electric contact element in contact with the lead. The testing contactor further includes a plurality of second electric contact elements and a plurality of electric connection elements. An electric connection element in contact with the lead effectively extends the lead. A second Kelvin contact is formed of a second electric contact element and an electric connection element, the second electric contact element in contact with the electric connection element and the electric connection element in contact with the lead.

Abstract: The present invention features methods and articles of manufacture for delivering drug to the oral cavity. The methods and articles feature drug held in a polyvinyl alcohol matrix. The matrix releases the drug in a sustained constant manner.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a danger avoidance system capable of avoiding the collision of a vehicle against obstacles and of reducing the effect of collision on a vehicle. A traveling condition deciding unit decides whether or not the vehicle is in a dangerous traveling condition on the basis of the respective outputs of a vehicle monitoring system and an ambient condition monitoring system. A danger recognition confirming unit decides whether or not the driver is aware of the dangerous traveling condition on the basis of the respective outputs of a driver monitoring system, the ambient condition monitoring system and the vehicle monitoring system. When the traveling condition deciding unit decides that the vehicle is in the dangerous traveling condition, measures to avoid danger or to reduce the effect of collision on the vehicle are taken only when the driver is not aware of the dangerous traveling condition.

Abstract: A bed side rail particularly suitable for use by childred has a protective panel which carries a pair of arms that fit under a mattress to support the panel at the edge of a bed. Hinges connect the panel to the arms so that the panel may be moved between an operative position wherein it extends upwardly from the arms above the level of the mattress to an inoperative position wherein it extends downwardly from the arms out of the way. The panel carries a flashlight which may readily be removed from the panel by a small child. The flashlight has an actuator in the grip which turns the flashlight on when the handle is grasped by the child, and the light will remain on for a selected period after the child replaces the flashlight in the pocket of the panel and releases the actuator. The flashlight is retained in the pocket so that it will not fall out when the panel is moved between operative and inoperative positions and yet may be removed from the pocket by the child when desired.

Abstract: A method is provided for facilitating the atrophying of a tonsil or adenoid ("organ") to cause the gradual removal thereof from the patient. A laser is positioned adjacent the organ, the wavelength for the laser being in the 700 nm to 1100 nm range and having energy sufficient to cause coagulation of blood in at least a significant number of the organ vessels over a period of several minutes, but not so much energy as to kill significant tissue of the organ or to cause significant damage to tissue adjacent to the organ. The laser is then turned on to irradiate the organ with laser energy and the entire exposed area of the organ is painted or otherwise irradiated. Irradiation continues until a selected condition of the organ, tissue adjacent the organ and/or laser source occurs.

Abstract: A method for determining a best path from a source node to a destination node using a breadth first recursive search in parallel. The determination is based upon a plurality of metrics which are set by the system. A path's metrics are compared to respective threshold values and paths are discarded if the metrics values do not each exceed respective thresholds. In addition, if a path has no metric which is better than one of the already completed paths, the path is discarded.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for allocating the performance of applications in a networking chassis among one or more modules in the chassis. In particular, the system acts as a chassis agent for performing network management functions. The agent performs a discovery function whereby each module discovers the location and current utilization of resources and applications for itself and transmits that information to other modules, and wherein each module maintains a slot table of such information for all modules. Based on the information in the slot table, each module performs an election function for allocating applications among the various modules in the chassis. The agent uses Management Information Bases MIBs to gather information about the chassis and to effect control on the chassis, wherein each managed object is registered both locally and remotely in a MIB tree maintained on each module, and the data is maintained locally on the module on which the managed object resides.

Abstract: The diaper pail assembly includes a pail, a ring rotatably mounted on the mouth of the pail and a cover connected to the ring. A disposable trash bag lines the pail and the mouth of the trash bag overlaps the ring and is grasped between the cover and ring. By turning the cover and ring, the trash bag is twisted closed. A chute in the cover through which soiled diapers are placed in the pail has inner and outer lids to close the chute.

Abstract: A sewing machine apparatus and method for sewing a label to a thick, puffy, or quilted mattress is disclosed. The apparatus includes a pair of clamps attached to a carriage, a cutter and nipper disposed above the carriage, and a controller for controlling the sewing machine and carriage.

Abstract: A clip for securing a cover to a crib or playpen includes a first loop for providing a snap-fit onto the top bar of the crib, a cavity for holding a side rod of the cover, and an extension for guiding the clip onto the crib or playpen.

Abstract: A conductivity measuring device has a current source device connected to current supply elements through which a substantially square-wave current can be fed into a liquid, and a measuring circuit for determining the voltage drop in the liquid between voltage measuring elements.

Abstract: An internal reforming type fuel cell device and a fuel cell generating system utilizing the fuel cell device whose reforming catalysts' lives are long, and whose characteristics are good, and further whose shapes are compact are provided. In the fuel cell device 14 holding reforming catalysts 11 in fuel gas passages 5 positioned at low temperature operating parts or the fuel cell generating system comprising the fuel cell device 14, a preparatory reforming part is arranged in an upper stream fuel gas system feeding a fuel gas to said fuel gas passages 5. As for the fuel cell generating system, a reforming reactor 18 is used as the preparatory reforming part.

Abstract: This invention provides a small-sized and easy-assembling head positioning apparatus having a coarse moving mechanism and fine moving mechanism, by which the desired fine moving accuracy is easy to attain. A head positioning apparatus has a first stepping motor, a lead screw, and a cylindrical rack for coarse moving. The cylindrical rack is formed by rotating a rack around the axis of the lead screw and is provided with the lead screw. The head positioning apparatus has a second stepping motor and gears for reducing the speed of the rotation of the second stepping motor for fine moving means, and fine moving is carried out by moving the cylindrical rack by the gear. The lead screw is provided so that the first stepping motor could be moved in a X1, X2 direction in the fixed moving range.

Abstract: A retrieval interface system which allows a user to view a retrieval result as a percentage of a total number of files, and to further classify the retrieval result into groups based upon attributes of the files. The retrieval interface system includes a classifying section which classifies the contents of a database based on a classification method, a display management section, a classification method storage section, a control section, a history information storage section which retains history information of retrieval conditions, and a quantity display conversion section which converts display elements into a form from which the user can determine the number of elements in each group.

Abstract: A distributed data processing system includes at least a first data processing system and a second data processing system. The first data processing system includes an application that is connected by a full duplex data transfer path to a transport provider service. Transport provider service couples the first data processing system with the second data processing system. The second data processing system has a similar transport service provider. This transport service provider is coupled to a full duplex data transfer path. A full duplex data transfer path to a remote driver may be opened by the application of the first data processing system. This application may also cause various modules to be pushed on to this data transfer path.

Abstract: The present invention features hydrophobic articles of manufacture having a composition comprising a plastic and a fluoropolymer. The plastic-fluoropolymer composition is resistant to irradiation allowing the article to maintain hydrophobic properties through standard irradiation processes.