Abstract: The present invention is directed to devices and methods of using a surgical drain, and more particularly to a surgical drain having at least one sensor for monitoring and/or recording the condition of the anatomical site or fluid emitted from the site where the surgical drain is placed. The invention may also include modifications of the surgical drain to improve stabilization or immobilization in the proximity of the anatomical site to be monitored.

Abstract: A VP2 protein isolated from a variant Georgia strain of Infectious Bursal Disease Virus (IBDV) and method of generating such VP2 protein and variant strain for use to reduce or prevent infection in poultry by IBDV.

Abstract: A gain-controlled transimpedance amplifier circuit that comprises a first gain unit including an input for receiving a first current and an output, a current source for providing a second current, a second gain unit including an input and an output, a first impedance unit of a first impedance coupled in parallel with the second gain unit, and a comparator including an output, a first input coupled to the output of the first gain unit, and a second input coupled to the output of the second gain unit.

Abstract: Methods, devices and systems for compressing images are provided. One method includes creating halftone mask structures and applying compression coding techniques to arrayed pixels sorted using the halftone mask structures in order to convert an image to a compressed bi-level, halftoned image.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for fabricating an integrated circuit entail directing a vapor flux toward a substrate surface from a plurality of directions associated with a plurality of azimuth angles, and selecting a deposition angle of the vapor flux, relative to a normal incidence, to obtain a substantially conformal film. The surface feature can be associated with, for example, one or more vias and/or one or more trenches.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a variable length packet switching system. The variable length packet switching system includes at least two switching means, a plurality of multiplexing units and a plurality of demultiplexing units. The switching means switch ATM cells or variable length packet data in parallel. The multiplexing means are arranged upstream of the switching means for multiplexing data inputted from a line card to the switching means in packet units and dividing a packet into packets of a number corresponding to the number of the switching means. The demultiplexing means are arranged downstream of the switching means for combining packets inputted after being switched in parallel by the at least two switching means and outputting the combined packet converted into a format adequate to the line card.

Abstract: A high frequency module for converting a high frequency wave in a free space to a high frequency wave in a planar waveguide includes two metal plates, a dielectric substrate and a planar waveguide disposed on the dielectric substrate. The dielectric substrate between the two metal plates has the planar waveguide disposed thereon, and the planar waveguide protrudes either in a through hole bored in one of the two metal plates, or in a hollow space defined by the other of the two metal plates on the dielectric substrate.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a thermostable electroconductive polymer layer comprising an iodine-doped polymer layer based on 1-amino-9,10-anthraquinone having an electrical conductivity in the range of about 10?2 Sm/cm to about 102 Sm/cm. Additionally, the present invention is related to methods for preparing the thermostable electroconductive polymer layer. The method comprises polymerizing 1-amino-9,10-anthraquinone vapors at a reduced pressure in a direct current discharge on a cathode at a temperature in the range of about 150° C. to about 300° C., providing the necessary vapor pressure for a time period in the range of about 5 minutes to about 30 minutes and doping the prepared layer with iodine vapors.

Abstract: A method of appropriately adjusting a bias signal of an optical modulator is provided. For an optical modulator provided with a first sub Mach-Zehnder waveguide, a second sub Mach-Zehnder waveguide and a main Mach-Zehnder waveguide, a predetermined signal is supplied to the main Mach-Zehnder waveguide, and bias signals supplied to the first and second Mach-Zehnder waveguides are adjusted so as to lower an amplitude of an output light of the main Mach-Zehnder waveguide.

Abstract: Incident signal beam pulses are transmitted by an on-state region, and an optical path for the signal beam pulses is spatially switched in an optical switch. Signal beam pulses transmitted by the on-state region of the optical switch are detected at a pixel corresponding to a transmitting region of a photo-detector equipped with a plurality of pixels. A timing computation unit acquires position information of a pixel at which a predetermined signal beam pulse has been detected, on the basis of a result of the detection conducted by the photo-detector, and computes timing of arrival of a predetermined signal beam pulse at the optical switch on the basis of the position information of the pixel and time when a region corresponding to the pixel is brought to an on-state.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing secure quantum digital signatures. In one embodiment, a digital signature user creates a plurality of identical “public” keys having one or more bits and a corresponding quantum mechanical one-way function. Quantum digital signature recipients use a “swap test” to check the validity of a copy of the key, and compare the test results with others. The quantum digital signature user sends a signed message over any channel, including an insecure channel. The recipients evaluate the signed message, and quantify the number of incorrect keys. The message is deemed valid and original, or forged and/or tampered with, when the number of incorrect keys is less than a lower threshold, or exceeds an upper threshold, respectively. For an intermediate number of incorrect keys, the recipients determine message authenticity by comparing observations. Hardware useful for application of the method is disclosed.

Abstract: A composite metal object comprises ductile crystalline metal particles in an amorphous metal matrix. An alloy is heated above its liquidus temperature. Upon cooling from the high temperature melt, the alloy chemically partitions, forming dendrites in the melt. Upon cooling the remaining liquid below the glass transition temperature it freezes to the amorphous state, producing a two-phase microstructure containing crystalline particles in an amorphous metal matrix. The ductile metal particles have a size in the range of from 0.1 to 15 micrometers and spacing in the range of from 0.1 to 20 micrometers. Preferably, the particle size is in the range of from 0.5 to 8 micrometers and spacing is in the range of from 1 to 10 micrometers. The volume proportion of particles is in the range of from 5 to 50% and preferably 15 to 35%. Differential cooling can produce oriented dendrites of ductile metal phase in an amorphous matrix.

Abstract: Provided are a surface emitting laser device having an optical sensor, and an optical waveguide device employing the same. The surface emitting laser device having an optical sensor includes a surface emitting laser formed on a substrate and generating a laser beam to output it to outside, and an optical sensor formed adjacent to the surface emitting laser on the substrate and receiving external light. In the surface emitting laser device having the optical sensor, and the optical waveguide device employing the same, the surface emitting laser and the optical sensor are simultaneously integrated, however, the performance of the surface emitting laser is unaffected by the optical sensor and the optical sensor operates separately, exhibits high performance, and can respond within a wide wavelength band.

Abstract: The present invention features substantially pure HDAC9, HDAC9a, HDAC9(?NLS), HDAC9a(?NLS), an HDRP(?NLS) polypeptides, and isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding those polypeptides. The present invention also features vectors containing HDAC9, HDAC9a, HDAC9(?NLS), HDAC9a(?NLS), and HDRP(?NLS) nucleic acid sequences, and cells containing those vectors.

Abstract: An apparatus for facilitating the use of tools on underground pipeline systems including a socket having a polygonal open end, a pliable socket insert having a polygonal outer circumference corresponding to the polygonal socket opening adapted to fit snugly into the polygonal opening and flush with the open end of the socket and a locking device by which the socket insert is maintained within the socket during use. The socket insert is provided with a plurality of pliant inwardly extending projections which deform to the size and geometry of the tool to be employed when the socket is pressed onto the tool.

Abstract: Lookback is defined as the ability of a logical process to change its past locally (without involving other logical processes). Logical processes with lookback are able to process out-of-timestamp order events, enabling new synchronization protocols for the parallel discrete event simulation. Two of such protocols, LB-GVT (LookBack-Global Virtual Time) and LB-EIT (LookBack-Earliest Input Time), are presented and their performances on the Closed Queuing Network (CQN) simulation are compared with each other. Lookback can be used to reduce the rollback frequency in optimistic simulations. The relation between lookahead and lookback is also discussed in detail. Finally, it is shown that lookback allows conservative simulations to circumvent the speedup limit imposed by the critical path.

Abstract: An anode supported electrochemical device, such as a SOFC, is disclosed. A thin layer of electrolyte 310 is supported on an anode layer comprised of an active anode layer 320 and a bulk anode layer 340. The bulk anode layer includes silicon carbide 340 in an amount between about 0.5 and 10% by weight. A cathode layer on an opposing side of the electrolyte completes the cell. The presence of the silicon carbide 340 in the supporting anode layer 340 has been found to reduce room temperature camber due to thermal expansion coefficient mismatches.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of synthesizing trioxymethylene from formaldehyde by the catalytic action of an acidic ionic liquid. In the method, formaldehyde solution with a concentration of 30˜80 wt % is used as reactant, and an ionic liquid is used as catalyst. The cation moiety of the catalyst is selected from either imidazoles cation or pyridines cation, and the anion moiety of the catalyst is selected from one of p-tolyl benzene sulfonate, trifluoromethyl sulfonate, and hydrogen sulfate. In the present invention, ionic liquid is used, for the first time, as a catalyst to synthesize trioxymethylene from formaldehyde. The catalyst can be circularly used for continuous sampling.

Abstract: The use of microfluidic structures enables high throughput screening of protein crystallization. In one embodiment, an integrated combinatoric mixing chip allows for precise metering of reagents to rapidly create a large number of potential crystallization conditions, with possible crystal formations observed on chip. In an alternative embodiment, the microfluidic structures may be utilized to explore phase space conditions of a particular protein crystallizing agent combination, thereby identifying promising conditions and allowing for subsequent focused attempts to obtain crystal growth.

Abstract: The present invention provides a practically effective three-dimensional photonic crystal, and a process for the production thereof as well as a probe used therefor wherein a three-dimensional photonic crystal comprises a plurality of two-dimensional photonic crystal plates each provided with through holes and different types of two-dimensional photonic crystals; a plurality of positioning members to be located in the above-described through holes in the plurality of the two-dimensional photonic crystal plates; and the above-described positioning members being located in the through holes in the two-dimensional photonic crystal plates adjacent to each other among the pluralities of two-dimensional photonic crystal plates to be laminated in such that the pluralities of the two-dimensional photonic crystal plates obtain a periodic structure in response to wavelengths of light.