Abstract: Component having corrosion protection and including a base body made of one of a steel material and a light metal material. A corrosion-inhibiting surface layer that is a dense, fine-grained, largely pore-free structure formed by plasma-based vapor deposition. The surface layer having an average thickness of between 1 ?m and 50 ?m and being at least one layer of at least one of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, and an aluminum compound. This Abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Abstract: Disclosed are electrocatalyst compositions useful for fuel cells comprising tungsten and molybdenum carbides and/or oxycarbides, or their mixtures in combination with noble metals, such as platinum and ruthenium; and a metal selected from the group consisting of V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mn, Fe, Re, Co, Ni, Cu, and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: An angle transducer comprising a first disk, the rotor, with circularly arranged and radially directed receiver electrodes and a second disk, the stator, equipped with circularly arranged and radially directed transmitter electrodes arranged at the same radius as the receiver electrodes and with a fixed separation between the receiver and transmitter electrodes, whereby the disks are arranged coaxially and rotatable relative to each other, and the disks are further separated by a thin air-gap. The transmitter electrodes are each supplied with an alternating voltage with different phases for neighboring electrodes, whereby the number of supply phases, ?, is greater than two, and the separation of the transmitter electrodes=the separation of receiver electrodes/?. The transmitter electrodes of the stator are geometrically arranged such that errors in their geometry relative to the geometry of the receiver electrodes produce equal but opposite error signal in the receiver electrodes of the rotor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel 1,3-diimine copper complexes and the use of 1,3-diimine copper complexes for the deposition of copper on substrates or in or on porous solids in an Atomic Layer Deposition process. This invention also provides a process for making amino-imines and novel amino-imines.

Abstract: A distributed hierarchical evolutionary modeling and visualization of empirical data method and machine readable storage medium for creating an empirical modeling system based upon previously acquired data. The data represents inputs to the systems and corresponding outputs from the system. The method and machine readable storage medium utilize an entropy function based upon information theory and the principles of thermodynamics to accurately predict system outputs from subsequently acquired inputs. The method and machine readable storage medium identify the most information-rich (i.e., optimum) representation of a data set in order to reveal the underlying order, or structure, of what appears to be a disordered system. Evolutionary programming is one method utilized for identifying the optimum representation of data.

Abstract: In an interferometer configuration, a retarder in the form of a half-wave plate (125) and a phase shifter in the form of a glass plate (120) are arranged in one arm (114). The phase shifter provides an optical path difference between the interferometer arms which needs to be greater than the coherence length of the input light to be polarization stabilized. A polarizer in the form of a linear polarizer (118) aligned at 45° to the half-wave plate is arranged across both interferometer arms (114 & 116). Polarization stabilization action is achieved by the retarder in combination with the polarizer. More specifically, for at least one input polarization state, the polarization states in the two interferometer arms are rendered orthogonal by the retarder, the polarizer being aligned to allow only one of the two orthogonal states to be transmitted, the other being absorbed. The device is expected to find application for WDM networks based on broadband sources, such as superluminescent diodes.

Abstract: A fuse mechanism for a heating device according to the invention functions as a thermal fuse. A heater is located on a support. In spatial proximity and with heat conduction to the heater are provided solder contacts with electrical leads to the support. A metallic connection bridge is firmly soldered to the solder contacts and the position thereof with respect to said contacts is such that in the use state on softening the solder connection at the solder contacts the connection bridge is separated by gravity and drops off. In this way the electrical connection from the heater to a electrical supply is separated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for warehousing information in a wallet consolidator, including personal identification data for facilitating a transaction. The wallet consolidator includes a controller for controlling operation of the wallet consolidator, a magnetic stripe reader/writer for reading and writing magnetic stripes, a bar code scanner for scanning bar codes, a keypad for inputting user selections and commands, a memory for storing information provided to the wallet consolidator, a smart card interface for effectuating communication between the wallet consolidator and a smart card and a display screen for displaying text and graphics, the display screen further for displaying a bar code pattern capable of being scanned by a bar code reader. To store information in the wallet consolidator, or alternatively in a smart card interfaced to the wallet consolidator, information is read from magnetic stripes on various types of cards such as, but not limited to, credit, debit and identification cards.

Abstract: This invention relates to an isolated nucleic acid fragment encoding a sulfate assimilation protein. The invention also relates to the construction of a chimeric gene encoding all or a portion of the sulfate assimilation protein in sense or antisense orientation, wherein expression of the chimeric gene results in production of altered levels of the sulfate assimilation protein in a transformed host cell.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a thick film conductor composition comprising: (a) electrically conductive silver powder; (b) PVDF/HFP polymer resin, copolymers of a PVDF/HFP polymer resin, and mixtures thereof; dissolved in (c) organic solvent, with the provisos that the PVDF/HFP resin has a melt viscosity of 0.2–0.7 kPoise and a DSC melt temperature in the range of 85–98° C.

Abstract: A multi-layer coating for coating a substrate surface, comprising at least one color-imparting layer, which contains three-dimensional photonic crystals as effect-imparting interference pigments.

Abstract: This invention relates to an isolated nucleic acid fragment encoding a plant lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferases. The invention also relates to the construction of a chimeric gene encoding all or a portion of the plant lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferases in sense or antisense orientation, wherein expression of the chimeric gene results in production of altered levels of the plant lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferases in a transformed host cell.

Abstract: A method of heat treatment of glass materials and natural materials specifically of volcanic origin according to which the treated material is exposed to microwave radiation at a frequency range from 1 MHz to 10 GHz and temperature range from the ambient temperature to 1800° C. in a batch or continuous process. The glass or natural material subjected to a melting and/or refining process contains an inert additive elected from the group comprising carbides, nitrides or borides in an amount from 1 to 100 g preferably 5 to 50 g per 1 kg of the glass or natural material. The apparatus consists substantially of a microwave furnace comprising an outer shell (8.2) provided with a cover (10) and an inner shell (8.1) and at least one micro wave generator (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4) with double emission and total power from 0.1 to 1 kW per 1 kg of the treated material.

Abstract: A catalyst for the removal of carbon monoxide from hydrogen gas, including a carrier formed of a metal oxide, and a platinum component and an alkali metal component supported on the carrier. Conversion of carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide is achieved with a high catalytic activity without occurrence of generation of methane by a methanation reaction.

Abstract: A backplane for an electro-optic display comprises a plurality of pixel electrodes, and an adhesive layer disposed adjacent the backplane, the adhesive layer comprising a plurality of pixel regions disposed adjacent the pixel electrodes of the backplane, and at least one inter-pixel region disposed between two pixels of the backplane, the at least one inter-pixel region having at least one of a lower dielectric constant and a higher volume resistivity than the pixel regions of the adhesive layer.

Abstract: A collector for an electron beam tube includes one or more electrode stages and has an interior surface for collection of electrons that has a surface layer of low secondary electron emission characteristic on all or part of the interior surface.

Abstract: The invention relates to an in vitro method for documenting a repetoire in NKR immunoreceptors and/or NKR counterparts, consisting of (i) using at least a pair of oligonucleotides 3? and 5? capable of hybridizing with a target NKR receptor, or NKR counterpart, and not capable of being hybridized with a functional counterpart of said target receptor; (ii) contacting said pair of oligonucleotides 3? and 5? with the DNA or DNA of a sample under study; and (iii) detecting the ultimately formed hybrids. The invention also concerns the biological applications of said method, in particular for screening banks of organs, tissues and cells for transplant, and kits for its implementation.

Abstract: A connector (1) and method of making electrical connection between an electrical conductor (7, 11) and a removable electrical device (2). The connector (7, 11) is an elastic material, such as silicone, that is both compatible with the environment and is an electrical insulator. It forces contact between the electrical device (2) and integral contacts (10, 13) in the connector (1) by virtue of its elasticity. The electrodes (4, 6) and the electrical connections are protected from the environment to avoid electrical leakage or corrosion of the electrodes (4, 6).

Abstract: A composition for forming a crystalline thermoplastic (such as polyacetal) composition for improving compatibility using a ternary blend that includes a mineral filler and elastomer material and an article made therefrom. The mineral filler may be coated or uncoated.