Abstract: A biomedical electrode is disclosed that includes at least first and second electrical nodes for connection to medical equipment. The biomedical electrode includes a first electrical node including a disc of conductive material having a diameter d1, and a second electrical node including a ring of conductive material. The ring is concentric with the disc and has a diameter d2 that is larger than d1 and having a ring thickness t2 such that (4?d1/t2?6).

Abstract: A microfluidic valve system is disclosed that includes a matrix, a hydrophilic acceptor region a hydrophilic transfer region, and a hydrophobic gap between the acceptor region and the transfer region.

Abstract: A hot-melt extruded composition is disclosed that includes about 20-80% wt. of a plant-derived phenolic material; about 20-85% wt. of one or more edible or bioerodible excipients; about 0-40% wt. of a surface active material; about 0-40% wt. of an oral absorption enhancer; and about 0-10% wt. of one or more pharmaceutical or food grade additives. The composition has been hot-melt extruded at a temperature substantially below the melting point of the plant-derived phenolic material to produce a hot-melt extruded composition wherein substantial degradation of the plant-derived phenolic material has not occurred.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for producing a hybrid perennial plant system for plant breeding of co-sexual plants for increased yields and for having increased gene confinement capabilities. The method includes the steps of (a) contacting a first compatible perennial plant with a male vector, wherein the male vector comprises a SL expression cassette to create a plant line (A) with disrupted male development; (b) contacting a second compatible perennial plant with a female vector, wherein the female vector comprises a SL expression cassette to create a plant line (B) with disrupted female development; and (c) crossing plant line (A) with plant line (B) to produce the hybrid perennial plant having increased heterozygocity gene confinement.

Abstract: A biomedical electrode is disclosed that includes at least first and second electrical nodes for connection to medical equipment. The biomedical electrode includes a first electrical node including a disc of conductive material having a diameter d1, and a second electrical node including a ring of conductive material. The ring is concentric with the disc and has a diameter d2 that is larger than d1 and having a ring thickness t2 such that (4?d1/t2?6).

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte usable in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries including a solution of LiPF6/carbonate based electrolytes with low concentrations of LiFOP such that the thermal stability is increased compared to a standard lithium battery. A method of making lithium tetrafluorophospahte (LiF4C2O4, LiFOP) including, reacting PF5 with lithium oxalate, recrystallizing DMC/dichloromethane from a 1:1 mixture of to separate LiF4OP from LiPF6 to form a lithium salt. An electric current producing rechargeable Li-ion cell. The rechargeable lithium ion cell includes an anode, a cathode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte comprising a solution of a lithium salt in a non-aqueous organic solvent containing lithium tetrafluorooxalatophosphate (LiPF4(C2O4), LiF4OP).

Abstract: A neural-machine interface system is disclosed for providing control of a leg prosthesis. The system includes a plurality of input channels for receiving electromyographic signals from a subject, a feature vector formation unit for processing the electromyographic signals, and a pattern classification unit for identifying the intended movement of the subject's leg prosthesis.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for recovering data associated with a damaged file stored in a NAND gate array memory. The method includes the steps of: identifying all meta data associated with the damaged file; identifying each logical block address of all identified meta data; collecting all physical block addresses associated with one of the identified logical block addresses or the identified meta data; counting in a replace table (ReplTable) a number of matches to a physical block address of the damaged file for each physical block address of the damaged file; choosing a block in a linked list that corresponds to the physical block address of the block in the linked list; and linking all chosen blocks to form a replicated file.

Abstract: A planar labyrinth micromixer is disclosed that includes an inlet port, a plurality of curved channels, a plurality of abrupt turns, and an outlet port. The inlet port is for receiving a plurality of input fluids to be mixed. The plurality of curved channels induce transverse Dean vortices that rotate processing streams. The plurality of abrupt turns fold laminar flow of the processing streams, shift elliptical points corresponding to centers of Dean flow regions, and disrupt flow islands. The output port is for providing the processing streams as a mixture of the plurality of input fluids.

Abstract: A tick encounter and tick-borne disease prevention decision support system is disclosed for permitting a user to obtain a risk calculation of encountering disease-causing ticks. The tick encounter and tick-borne disease prevention decision support system includes several components. A location component is for receiving data from a user regarding a user's geographic location. A landscape component is for receiving data from the user regarding a type of landscape that exists where the user lives. An animals component is for receiving data from the user regarding any of wildlife or pets that exist where the user lives. A human activity component is for receiving data from the user regarding the user's activities in their yard. The score computation module is for generating a tick risk calculation number based on output data from each of the components.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for providing branch misprediction prediction in a microprocessor. The system includes a mispredicted branch table that includes address, distance, and true/not true fields, and an index to the mispredicted branch table that is formed responsive to 1) a current mispredicted branch, 2) a global history, 3) a global misprediction history, and 4) a branch misprediction distance.

Abstract: A method is disclosed of detecting obstructive sleep apnea in subject. The method includes the steps of placing a head of an electronic stethoscope at the subject's suprasternal notch, providing an electrical signal representative of the sounds detected by the head of the electronic stethoscope within a frequency range, determining an obstructive sleep apnea index based on a ratio of the amount of the electrical signal that is associated with a frequency below a cut-off frequency with respect to a total amount of energy associated with the entire frequency range, and identifying the subject as having obstructive sleep apnea if the obstructive sleep apnea index is above a window maximum or below a window minimum.

Abstract: A computational model which integrates a complex circulatory model and a finite element to determine the dynamics of a left ventricle continuously over consecutive cardiac cycles. The model includes determining a LV pressure (plv) using a circulatory model, using a finite element model plv as input and determining a LV volume (vlv), computing a LV elastance according to: elv=plv/vlv, driving the circulatory model with the elv; and returning to determining a LV pressure and starting the next iteration, wherein the steps continue at a sufficient time resolution for a desired number of entire cardiac cycles. The dynamic Young's modulus functions are assigned to individual finite elements, resulting in a time-varying left ventricular elastance that drives the circulatory model.

Abstract: A hot-melt extruded composition is disclosed that includes about 20-80% wt. of a plant-derived phenolic material; about 20-85% wt. of one or more edible or bioerodible excipients; about 0-40% wt. of a surface active material; about 0-40% wt. of an oral absorption enhancer; and about 0-10% wt. of one or more pharmaceutical or food grade additives. The composition has been hot-melt extruded at a temperature substantially below the melting point of the plant-derived phenolic material to produce a hot-melt extruded composition wherein substantial degradation of the plant-derived phenolic material has not occurred.

Abstract: A method is disclosed of maintaining data. The method includes the steps of providing a plurality of data storage mediums, each comprising a parity bit that provides an indication of the parity of the data in each respective data storage medium, at least one of the data storage mediums providing an exclusive OR function of a parity output bit of the at least one of the plurality of data storage mediums; encoding data provided by the exclusive OR functionality of the parity output bit to provide encoded data; time stamping the encoded data with a time stamp circuit that is coupled to the encoded data to provide time stamped encoded data; and providing the time stamped encoded data to a time-retrieval data storage medium.

Abstract: A stumble detection system is disclosed for use with a powered artificial leg for identifying whether a stumble event has occurred. The stumble detection system includes an acceleration sensor for providing acceleration data indicative of the magnitude of acceleration of a person's foot, and a detector that determines whether a stumble event has occurred responsive to the acceleration data and provides an output signal.

Abstract: A biomedical electrode is disclosed that includes at least first and second electrical nodes for connection to medical equipment. The biomedical electrode includes a first electrical node including a disc of conductive material having a diameter d1, and a second electrical node including a ring of conductive material. The ring is concentric with the disc and has a diameter d2 that is larger than d1 and having a ring thickness t2 such that (4?d1/t2?6).

Abstract: A high temperature thin film strain gage sensor capable of functioning at temperatures above 1400° C. The sensor contains a substrate, a nanocomposite film comprised of an indium tin oxide alloy, zinc oxide doped with alumina or other oxide semiconductor and a refractory metal selected from the group consisting of Pt, Pd, Rh, Ni, W, Ir, NiCrAlY and NiCoCrAlY deposited onto the substrate to form an active strain element. The strain element being responsive to an applied force.

Abstract: The synthesis and biochemical utility of modified oligonucleotides containing diphosphodiester internucleotide linkages. The synthesis of these compounds was carried out using diphosphitylating reagents. Oligonucleotides containing diphosphate diester bridges wherein said oligonucleotides are synthesized via a solid-phase synthesis strategy to form modified oligonucleotides. Diphosphitylating, triphosphitylating, tetraphosphitylating, ?-triphosphitylating, bifunctional diphosphitylating, bifunctional triphosphitylating, and bifunctional tetraphosphitylating reagents wherein, the phosphorus atoms are linked together through oxygen, sulfur, amino, or methylene groups and/or are substituted with chlorine, diisopropylamine and cyanoethoxy groups.

Abstract: The present invention relates to live attenuated bacteria for use in a medicament. The invention also relates to vaccines based upon such bacteria useful for the prevention of microbial pathogenesis and to the use of such bacteria for the manufacture of a vaccine. Finally, the invention relates to methods for the preparation of such vaccines.