Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention provides a jock support short including a short member and an integrally-formed jock support member. The integral jock support member includes a pocket portion attached to a front portion of the short, which is configured to house a protective groin cup. At least two elongate members extend along opposing sides of the pocket portion and may intersect or meet at a crotch portion of the short such that the pocket and/or protective cup remains secured over a user's groin region during athletic or other physical activity.

Abstract: A central armrest display device includes a body in the central armrest that has a housing compartment with an opening directing rearwards to house and anchor a case. The display device may be erected on the case for viewing or housed in the case. The case can hold a multimedia player. Passengers on the rear seat of a car can see multimedia programs on the display device mounting on the central armrest.

Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to electroluminescent Ir(III) compounds, the substituted 2-phenylpyridines, phenylpyrimidines, and phenylquinolines that are used to make the Ir(III) compounds, and devices that are made with the Ir(III) compounds.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for producing 5-methyl-dihydro-furan-2-one from levulinic acid in presence of a supercritical fluid, and in presence of optionally-supported metal catalyst.

Abstract: The invention discloses apparatus for connecting electrically conductive wire to a miniature, implantable sensor or stimulator device for detecting electrical signals or stimulating living tissue. The implantable device has an electrically conductive end on its case which is intimately connected to a doorknob electrode for communicating electrical signals between the living tissue and the device by a biocompatible wire. A spring clip removably attaches to the doorknob electrode so that the wire may be easily attached to the doorknob electrode during surgery. An insulating rubber boot, which may be silicone, surrounds the case end, doorknob electrode, and spring clip to isolate the living tissue from the conductive components. The components are all biocompatible materials.

Abstract: Polyurethane or polyurethane-urea is comprised of poly(trimethylene-ethylene ether) glycol as a soft segment. The polyurethane or polyurethane-urea preferably comprises about 10 to about 90% soft segment and is prepared from: (a) poly(trimethylene-ethylene ether) glycol (b) diisocyanate; and (c) diol or diamine chain extender. The composition is particularly useful for making shaped articles.

Abstract: This invention relates to the field of nanotechnology. Specifically the invention describes a method for cutting a multiplicity of nano-structures to uniform dimensions of length, length and width, or area, or to a specific distribution of lengths or area using various cutting techniques.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and system, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for generating a ticket representing a selection of media files to be transferred from a content server to a playback device. A selection of one or more media files to be transferred to a particular playback device is received. Device identifying information for the particular playback device is received. A ticket based on the device identifying information is generated. The ticket is redeemable for the selected media files and the media files are formatted so that they can only be rendered on the particular playback device. Methods, apparatus and system, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for redeeming a ticket representing a selection of media files to be transferred from a content server to a particular playback device are also described.

Abstract: Polarization independent optical isolator/circulator devices based on Mach-Zehnder interferometers. The devices utilize either polarization splitting and nonreciprocal polarization conversion or nonreciprocal phase shift within the interferometric arm. For devices with nonreciprocal phase shift, the relative phase difference is 0° in the forward propagation direction and 180° in the backward propagation direction, or vice versa, so that light goes into a bar or cross port depending on the propagation direction. The devices have advantages over previous designs in the use of inexpensive device components, simple alignment, minimal space requirement, and negligible polarization mode dispersion or polarization dependent loss. In addition, the devices can be made in a waveguide form with minimal loss and with high fabrication ease. An additional phase compensator and/or a variable attenuator can be integrated in order to relax the fabrication tolerances.

Abstract: A power tool having a receptacle for securing a tool to a drive shaft thereof is disclosed. The receptacle comprises a receiving opening, preferably being arranged on the tool. The receiving opening engages a securing section preferably being provided in a raised fashion on the drive shaft of the power tool, thereby effecting a positive fit. The securing section comprises a plurality of rounded tips arranged at even radial distances from said longitudinal axis, at angular intervals between each other, each rounded tip having a pair of lateral flanks extending from a common apex toward an intermediate section connecting lateral flanks of a pair of adjacent rounded tips. Preferably the receiving opening comprises a number of rounded tips which is twice the number of rounded tips provided on the raised section.

Abstract: A highly portable user-friendly development environment is provided that can enable the creative design of custom electronic presentations. Users can design their own custom presentations and even their own custom approach for making software development a rational industrial process. The document-based authoring environment uses a standard word processing document, which is controlled by a wizard. The development of presentations can take place in the cells of an electronic table of the word processing document. This document-based authoring environment can expand the possibilities of e-learning course development beyond conventional database development environments.

Abstract: A method for the facile and inexpensive inducible expression of heterologous genes has been discovered. The yhcS regulator gene has been found to be inducible by aromatic carboxylic acids and to alter the expression of operons in the LysR gene family, including the yhcRQP operon, common in enteric bacteria. Heterologous nucleic acid molecules placed under the control of yhcs responsive promoters may be overexpressed in response to the presence of inexpensive aromatic carboxylic acids.

Abstract: Toughened polyoxymethylene-poly(lactic acid) resin compositions comprising polyoxymethylene, poly(lactic acid), and an impact modifier comprising an ethylene copolymer impact modifier made from monomers (a) ethylene; (b) one or more olefins of the formula CH2?C(R1)CO2R2, where R1 is hydrogen or an alkyl group with 2-8 carbon atoms and R2 is an alkyl group with 1-8 carbon atoms, such as methyl, ethyl, or butyl; and (c) one or more olefins of the formula CH2?C(R3)CO2R4, where R3 is hydrogen or an alkyl group with 1-6 carbon atoms, such as methyl, and R4 is glycidyl. The ethylene copolymer impact modifier may further be made from carbon monoxide monomers. The compositions may further comprise one or more ethylene/acrylate and/or ethylene/vinyl ester polymers, ionomers, and cationic grafting agents.

Abstract: A robot arm for industrial robots comprises one or several jointed arms (1,1c) that are mutually connected to each other by means of rotary joints (1a, 1b), and a jointed arm (1) connected to a base (3), in which an angle transducer is arranged in the rotary joints (1a,1b) in order to measure exactly the angular relationship between the jointed arms (1,1c) or between the jointed arm (1) and the base (3), in order to make possible adjustment of the robot arm into the desired angular position.

Abstract: The present invention provides an energy curable composition including a compound having an aromatic or heteroaromatic moiety; at least two fluorinated alkylene, arylene or polyether moieties, each fluorinated alkylene, arylene or polyether moiety being linked to the aromatic or heteroaromatic moiety through an —O— or —S— linkage; and at least one ethylenically unsaturated moiety, each ethylenically unsaturated moiety being linked to one of the fluorinated alkylene, arylene or polyether moieties. The present invention also provides an energy curable composition including a compound having an isocyanurate moiety, three fluorinated alkylene, arylene, or polyether moieties linked to the isocyanurate moiety at the nitrogens of the isocyanurate, and at least one ethylenically unsaturated moiety linked to one of the fluorinated alkylene, arylene, or polyether moieties. The present invention further provides polymeric materials and optical devices made using these compositions.

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: 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 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: 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 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.