Abstract: A Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. A system includes a non-imaging concentrator coupled to an infrared detector enabling optimized detection of a signal in the Fourier transform infrared spectrometer.

Abstract: A process for aqueous biphasic extraction of metallic oxides and the like from substances containing silica. Control of media pH enables efficient and effective partition of mixture components. The inventive method may be employed to remove excess silica from kaolin clay.

Abstract: A method and system for processing a set of data from an industrial process and/or a sensor. The method and system can include processing data from either real or calculated data related to an industrial process variable. One of the data sets can be an artificial signal data set generated by an autoregressive moving average technique. After obtaining two data sets associated with one physical variable, a difference function data set is obtained by determining the arithmetic difference between the two pairs of data sets over time. A frequency domain transformation is made of the difference function data set to obtain Fourier modes describing a composite function data set. A residual function data set is obtained by subtracting the composite function data set from the difference function data set and the residual function data set (free of nonwhite noise) is analyzed by a statistical probability ratio test to provide a validated data base.

Abstract: The invention relates generally to polymers exhibiting second order nonlinear optical properties, and characterized by high thermal stability. Disclosed are polymers prepared by a polycondensation reaction between an aromatic dianhydride and a compound selected from the group consisting of a di(alkylamino)amine and an aromatic diamine. Most preferred are polymers that are the products of a polycondensation reaction between 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic dianhydride and nitro(N,N-diethylamino)stilbene, wherein the polymer is imidized by further heat treatment.

Abstract: A semiconstrained prosthetic knee for surgical replacement of a dysfunctional knee includes a tibial platform, a movable bearing element, and a femoral component. The femoral and tibial components are typically constructed of a cobalt-chromium alloy and each includes an extension for securing the component to the bone. The femoral component includes a polycentric convex bearing which slidably engages a movable bearing, typically constructed of high molecular weight polyethylene. The superior surface of the bearing element is designed to congruently slidably engage the inferior surface of the bearing portion of the femoral component throughout the flexion/extension range of the knee. The inferior surface of the femoral component is generally convex with two or more offset portions of varying radii of curvature matching complimentary superior surfaces of the bearing element. The inferior surface of the femoral component may have more than one radii of curvature at different points along the convex surface.

Abstract: An alignment method and system for aligning an anti-scatter grid with an x-ray source of a radiographic apparatus, to facilitate accurate alignment of the central x-ray beam of the x-ray source of the radiographic apparatus with a focused grid. The present invention uses a first light projector that is substantially fixed relative to the x-ray source, which produces a first alignment image that is substantially fixed relative to the grid. Also included is a second light projector that is substantially fixed relative to the grid, and that produces a second alignment image that is substantially fixed relative to the x-ray source. The first light projector is preferably the collimator light included within the collimator housing of the x-ray apparatus, and the second light projector is preferably a laser light source, that is attachable to a grid cassette holding the grid.

Abstract: An apparatus for confining molten metal with a horizontal alternating magnetic field. In particular, this invention employs a magnet that can produce a horizontal alternating magnetic field to confine a molten metal at the edges of parallel horizontal rollers as a solid metal sheet is cast by counter-rotation of the rollers.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to sodium channel proteins and more particularly to mammalian cardiac sodium channel proteins, to DNA sequences encoding sodium channel proteins, to the polypeptide products of recombinant expression of these DNA sequences, to peptides whose sequences are based on amino acid sequences deduced from these DNA sequences, to antibodies specific for such proteins and peptides, and to procedures for detection and quantitation of such proteins and nucleic acids related thereto, as well as to procedures relating to the development of anti-arrhythmic and cardiotonic drugs.

Abstract: A constrained prosthetic knee for surgical replacement of a dysfunctional knee includes a tibial platform, a movable bearing element, a hinge portion, and a femoral component.In one embodiment of the invention, the femoral component is typically constructed of a cobalt-chromium or titanium alloy and includes an upward extension for securing the femoral component to the femur. The femoral component, in this embodiment, includes a convex curve which rotatably and/or slidably engages the movable bearing, typically constructed of high molecular weight polyethylene. The superior surface of the bearing element is designed to congruently slidably engage the inferior surface of the curved portion of the femoral component. The inferior surface of the femoral component is generally convex with a radius of curvature matching the superior surface of the bearing element. The inferior surface of the femoral component may have more than one radii of curvature at different points along the convex surface.

Abstract: A water and UV light degradable copolymer of monomers of lactic acid and a modifying monomer selected from the class consisting of ethylene and polyethylene glycols, propylene and polypropylene glycols, P-dioxanone, 1,5 dioxepan-2-one, 1,4 -oxathialan-2-one, 1,4-dioxide and mixtures thereof. These copolymers are useful for waste disposal and agricultural purposes. Also disclosed is a water degradable blend of polylactic acid or modified polylactic acid and high molecular weight polyethylene oxide wherein the high molecular weight polyethylene oxide is present in the range of from about 2% by weight to about 50% by weight, suitable for films. A method of applying an active material selected from the class of seeds, seedlings, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers and mixtures thereof to an agricultural site is also disclosed.

Abstract: A computerized scheme for the analysis of digitized medical images which provides enhancement of interval changes occurring in a pair of temporally sequential images. In the method and apparatus of the invention, a pair of images are digitized and then are subjected to image registration including a nonlinear warping of one of the images so that corresponding locations in the two images are aligned with each other. Subsequent to image registration, a subtraction process is performed in order to generate a difference between the warped and unwarped images. In this manner, slight opacities which are only present in the later image may be detected based on the subtraction of the registered images.

Abstract: Powder of a ceramic superconducting material is synthesized such that each particle of the powder is a single crystal having a flake-like, nonsymmetric morphology such that the c-axis is aligned parallel to the short dimension of the flake. Nonflake powder is synthesized by the normal methods and is pressed into pellets or other shapes and fired for excessive times to produce a coarse grained structure. The fired products are then crushed and ground producing the flake-like powder particles which exhibit superconducting characteristics when aligned with the crystal lattice.

Abstract: A time of flight direct recoil and ion scattering spectrometer beam line (10). The beam line (10) includes an ion source (12) which injects ions into pulse deflection regions (14) and (16) separated by a drift space (18). A final optics stage includes an ion lens and deflection plate assembly (22). The ion pulse length and pulse interval are determined by computerized adjustment of the timing between the voltage pulses applied to the pulsed deflection regions (14) and (16).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for extracting strontium and technetium values from biological, industrial and environmental sample solutions using a chromatographic column is described. An extractant medium for the column is prepared by generating a solution of a diluent containing a Crown ether and dispersing the solution on a resin substrate material. The sample solution is highly acidic and is introduced directed to the chromatographic column and strontium or technetium is eluted using deionized water.

Abstract: An automated method and system for discriminating between normal lungs and abnormal lungs having interstitial disease and/or septal lines, wherein a large number of adjacent regions of interest (ROIs) are selected, corresponding to an area on a digital image of a patient's lungs. The ROIs each contain a number of square or rectangular pixel arrays and are selected to sequentially fill in the total selected area of the lungs to be analyzed. A background trend is removed from each individual ROI and the ROIs are then analyzed to determine those exhibiting sharp edges, i.e., high edge gradients. A percentage of these sharp-edged ROIs are removed from the original sample based on the edge gradient analysis, a majority of which correspond to rib-edge containing ROIs. After removal of the sharp-edged ROIs, texture measurements are taken on the remaining sample in order to compare such data with predetermined data for normal and abnormal lungs.

Abstract: An interactive medical test selector for use by a patient is about the size of a book and has a screen for displaying questions to a patient, a limited number of keys by which the patient can enter answers, and a memory device for storing the patient's answers. The test selector is battery-powered for portability and uses a low-power liquid crystal display or the like to display instructions and medical questions to the patient. Only four keys are seen or used by the patient for answering the questions: YES, NO, NOT SURE, and NEXT QUESTION. Additional control keys used by the medical staff are hidden from the patient. The device is controlled by a pre-programmed microcomputer on a chip, and a ROM-based, removeable and replaceable control program which not only collects, but also analyzes the patient's answers and makes appropriate recommendations based on those answers, and drives a remote printer or computer terminal.

Abstract: A system for reducing aberration effects in a charged particle beam. The system includes a source of charged particles, such as electrons or ions, and various building blocks for operating on the charged particle beam to generate a desired particle beam pattern. These building blocks can include at least one of a uniform magnetic field component and a uniform electrostatic field component arrangeable in different combinations, enabling coefficients of spherical and chromatic aberration to be canceled out thereby providing a charged particle beam having greatly diminished aberration.

Abstract: The present invention provides the gene product of the herpes simplex virus U.sub.L 13 gene as being capable of phosphorylating other gene products of the herpes simplex virus. The herpes simplex virus U.sub.L 13 gene product is used in an assay to identify substances suspected of having anti-herpes simplex viral activity.

Abstract: Thermodynamically-unstable complexing agents which are diphosphonic acids and diphosphonic acid derivatives (or sulphur containing analogs), like carboxyhydroxymethanediphosphonic acid and vinylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid, are capable of complexing with metal ions, and especially metal ions in the II, III, IV, V and VI oxidation states, to form stable, water-soluble metal ion complexes in moderately alkaline to highly-acidic media. However, the complexing agents can be decomposed, under mild conditions, into non-organic compounds which, for many purposes are environmentally-nondamaging compounds thereby degrading the complex and releasing the metal ion for disposal or recovery. Uses for such complexing agents as well as methods for their manufacture are also described.

Abstract: A virus is disclosed which is rendered avirulent by prevention of expression of an active product of a gene which is designated as .gamma..sub.1 34.5, which maps in the inverted repeats flanking the long unique sequence of herpes simplex virus DNA, and which is not essential for viral growth in cell culture. Viruses from which the gene was deleted or which carried stop codons are totally avirulent on intracerebral inoculation of mice.