Abstract: A method for incorporating future developments in video compression technology to migrate toward a better television system in a receiver-compatible manner. The invention uses enhancement data that can be combined with standard video data. Standard HDTV receivers will utilize standard video data, ignoring the enhancement data. More advanced HDTV receivers will combine the enhancement data with standard data. The television signal is transmitted in a format comprising a first set of bits that represents images at a first quality (e.g., first resolution) and that can be decoded to provide an output at the first resolution, and a second set of bits that represents enhancement information and that can be decoded and used in conjunction with the first set of bits to provide an output at a second resolution greater than the first resolution. The first set of bits is decoded according to a first decoding procedure to provide information representative of images at the first resolution.

Abstract: Three dimensional glucan matrix compositions are prepared by separating growing yeast from its growth medium, subjecting the yeast with cell walls intact to an alkali material, thereby extracting whole glucan particles having an intact cell wall structure. The whole glucans can then, optionally, be treated with acetic acid to alter the .beta.(1-6) linkages, or with glucanase to alter the .beta.(1-3) linkages. The glucans have viscosity characteristics dependent upon the strain of yeast utilized and are useful as stabilizers or thickeners.

Abstract: An integrated circuit structure is generated to perform a given combinational function. A data processing system generates the integrated circuit structure when provided with an input specification of the function to be performed by the structure. The resulting integrated circuit structure is comprised of both restoring logic networks and pass logic networks. The integrated circuit structure is generated in three major steps. First, data structures, comprised of multidimensional spaces, are computed to represent the function. Two types of data structures are computed: those which view an input as a pass value and a data structure which views the inputs solely as control variables. In the second major step prime implicants are found within the data structures. Third, from among the prime implicants a certain subset is selected to cover the function most efficiently. The third major step, of selecting a most efficient subset of prime implicants, further comprises three main substeps.

Abstract: An ultrasound hyperthermia applicator suitable for medical hyperthermia treatment, and method for using the same, includes two ultrasound sources producing focused ultrasound beams of frequencies f.sub.0 and f.sub.1. An aiming device directs the two ultrasound beams so that they cross each other confocally at the target. A controller activates the two ultrasound sources so that the target is simultaneously irradiated by the two focused ultrasound beams. The two ultrasound sources provide acoustic energy sufficient to cause significant intermodulation products to be produced at the target due to the interaction of the two ultrasound beams. The intermodulation products are absorbed by the target to enhance heating of the target. In preferred embodiments the ultrasound sources include pair of signal generator for producing gated ultrasound output signals driving single crystal ultrasound transducers.

Abstract: A method for the preparation of microparticles, and the product thereof, that includes dispersing a substantially water insoluble non-ionic or ionic polymer in an aqueous solution in which the substance to be delivered is also dissolved, dispersed or suspended, and then coagulating the polymer together with the substance by impact forces to form a microparticle. In an alternative embodiment, the microparticle is formed by coagulation of an aqueous polymeric dispersion through the use of electrolytes, pH changes, organic solvents in low concentrations (the minimal amount necessary to break up the dispersion), or temperature changes to form polymer matrices encapsulating biological materials.

Abstract: A method and composition for the complete oxidation of carbon monoxide and/or hydrocarbon compounds. The method involves reacting the carbon monoxide and/or hydrocarbons with an oxidizing agent in the presence of a metal oxide composite catalyst. The catalyst is prepared by combining fluorite-type oxygen ion conductors with active transition metals. The fluorite oxide, selected from the group consisting of cerium oxide, zirconium oxide, thorium oxide, hafnium oxide, and uranium oxide, and may be doped by alkaline earth and rare earth oxides. The transition metals, selected from the group consisting of molybdnum, copper, cobalt, maganese, nickel, and silver, are used as additives. The atomic ratio of transition metal to fluorite oxide is less than one.

Abstract: A self-calibrating pipeline analog-to-digital converter having a plurality of analog-to-digital conversion units and including a recursive calibrating section operable for calibrating errors associated with an immediately preceding first conversion unit.

Abstract: A multithreaded parallel data processing system has at least one processing element for processing multiple threads of computation. Threads are described by thread descriptors or tokens which are stored while waiting to be processed in a thread descriptor storage. Thread descriptors are comprised of an instruction pointer and a frame pointer. The instruction pointer points to the next instruction to be executed, and the frame pointer points to a frame of memory locations that the next instruction will operate on. Included within the instruction set of the at least one processing element is a fork instruction generates two thread descriptors which are added to the current thread descriptors, a start instruction on a first processor sends a message containing a thread descriptor to a second processor, and a join instruction joins two threads by producing a single thread descriptor when both of the joining threads have reached a join instruction.

Abstract: Methods of designing or modifying protein structure at the protein or genetic level to produce specified amino-termini in vivo or in vitro are described. The methods can be used to alter the metabolic stability and other properties of the protein or, alternatively, to artificially generate authentic amino-termini in proteins produced through artificial means. The methods are based upon the introduction of the use of artificial ubiquitin-protein fusions, and the discovery that the in vivo half-life of a protein is a function of the amino-terminal amino acid of the protein.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a generic class of ubiquitin-specific proteases which specifically cleave at the C-terminus of the ubiquitin moiety in a ubiquitin fusion protein irrespective of the size of the ubiquitin fusion protein. More specifically, the disclosure relates to ubiquitin-specific proteases of this class which have been isolated from a cell. The disclosure also relates to isolated DNA sequences encoding the proteases of this class.

Abstract: A method for encapsulating biologically-labile materials such as proteins, liposomes, bacteria and eucaryotic cells within a synthetic polymeric capsule, and the product thereof, are disclosed. The method is based on the use of a water-soluble polymer with charged side chains that are crosslinked with multivalent ions of the opposite charge to form a gel encapsulating biological material, that is optionally further stabilized by interactions with multivalent polyions of the same charge as those used to form the gel. In the preferred embodiment, hydrolytically stable polyphosphazenes are formed of monomers having carboxylic acid side groups that are crosslinked by divalent or trivalent cations such as Ca.sup.2+ or Al.sup.3+, then stabilized with a polycation such as poly-L-lysine. A variety of different compositions can be formed from the crosslinked polymer.

Abstract: A logic circuit for a content-addressable-memory or parallel-processor array cell implements both prioritizing and counting functions for response resolution. It includes a means for receiving from a prior cell a response-resolution token and a means for receiving the positive or negative response of the current cell to a pattern to be matched. It also includes a means for deriving as a function of the prior cell's response-resolution token a response-resolution token for the current cell that implements prioritization and counting response-resolution functions for positive or negative pattern-matching responses of the current cell. Finally, it includes a means for selecting for the current cell the appropriate response-resolution token based on the cell's positive or negative pattern-matching response and a means for sending that response-resolution token to a subsequent cell.

Abstract: A technique for removing loose powder from the interior surfaces of ceramic molds made using layer manufacturing processes, such as three dimensional printing processes. The interior of a mold can be filled with liquid, such as water, which is boiled by applying microwave energy of a frequency selected to heat the liquid. The particles are entrained in the flow caused by the boiling liquid. Alternatively, fine particles are introduced into the mold and the mold is agitated to dislodge the particles and the powder so that they can be poured out of the mold. Such technique tends also to remove the surface finish of the mold. Any of the particles which remain can be dissolved in a liquid and removed in the liquid from the mold. Further, the surface finish of the mold can be improved by casting a slip of fine particles onto the surface to form a generally level, and preferably non-conformal, coating on the surfaces.

Abstract: Solid free-form techniques for making medical devices for controlled release of bioactive agent and implantation and growth of Cells are described using computer aided design. Examples of SFF methods include stereo-lithography (SLA), selective laser sintering (SLS), ballistic particle manufacturing (BPM), fusion deposition modeling (FDM), and three dimensional printing (3DP). The macrostructure and porosity of the device can be manipulated by controlling printing parameters. Most importantly, these features can be designed and tailored using computer assisted design (CAD) for individual patients to optimize therapy.

Abstract: A catalytic asymmetric reduction process, which, by hydrogenating trisubstituted olefins, yields a corresponding organic compound having a high level of enantiomeric purity is disclosed. The process is also effective for the catalytic asymmetric reduction of certain enamines and related compounds to yield a corresponding amine or related compound, respectively, having a high level of enantiomeric purity. The reduction process utilizes a chiral metal catalyst that includes a metal or metal complex that is selected from groups 3, 4, 5, or 6, lanthanides and actinides. Moreover, the process uses hydrogen as the stoichiometric reducing agent and may be carried out at pressures ranging from about 0.5 to 200 atmospheres. The reaction can also be carried out using an acidic compound as a rate enhancing additive.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of skin regeneration of a wound or burn in an animal or human. This method comprises the steps of initially covering the wound with a collagen glycosaminoglycan matrix, allowing infiltration of the grafted GC matrix by mesenchymal cells and blood vessels from healthy underlying tissue and applying a cultured epithelial autograft sheet grown from epidermal cells taken from the animal or human at a wound free site on the animal's or human's body surface. The resulting graft has excellent take rates and has the appearance, growth, maturation and differentiation of normal skin.

Abstract: A catalytic asymmetric reduction process, which, by hydrogenating enamines, yields a corresponding amine having a high level of enantiomeric purity is disclosed. The reduction process utilizes a chiral metal catalyst that includes a metal or metal complex that is selected from groups 3, 4, 5, or 6, lanthanides and actinides. Moreover, the process uses hydrogen as the stoichiometric reducing agent and may be carried out at pressures ranging from about 0.5 to 200 atmospheres.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring electrical parameters of a medium such as electrical conductivity and dielectric constant between a pair of electrodes are disclosed. The medium can be a liquid, gas, powder, etc., and the electrodes can be coaxial metallic circular cylinders. To compute electrical conductivity, the device is immersed in the medium to an immersion depth and the conductance across the electrodes is determined. The measurement is repeated at at least one additional immersion depth. By obtaining a differential conductance measurement with respect to the immersion depth, the effects of fringe conductances are eliminated from the measurement. The device can also be used to determine dielectric constant of the material by obtaining a differential capacitance measurement with respect to immersion depth. The device need not be calibrated by performing resistance measurements in a known standard solution.

Abstract: Compositions, methods for preparing and methods of using air-filled polymeric microcapsules for ultrasound imaging are disclosed. Air-encapsulating microcapsules are formed by ionotropically gelling synthetic polyelectrolytes such as poly(carboxylatophenoxy)phosphazene, poly(acrylic acid), poly(methacrylic acid) and methacrylic acid copolymers (Eudragit's) by contact with multivalent ions such as calcium ions. In the preferred embodiment, the average size of the microcapsules is less than seven .mu.m so that they are suitable for injection intravenously. The polymeric microcapsules are stable to imaging and display high echogenicity, both in vitro and in vivo. Due to their in vivo stability their potential application is extended beyond vascular imaging to liver and renal diseases, fallopian tube diseases, detecting and characterizing tumor masses and tissues, and measuring peripheral blood velocity.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for gyromagnetic interaction between the electromagnetic field generated by an electromagnetic signal conducted by a superconductor and the magnetization contained in a magnetic structure. A ferrite magnetic structure is disposed in close proximity to a superconductor conducting the electromagnetic signal. A magnetization is induced in the magnetic structure with a geometry such that the magnetic flux is confined within the magnetic structure or eliminated from the magnetic structure so as not to produce an external magnetic field to interfere with the superconducting properties of the superconductor. The electromagnetic field of the signal conducted by the superconductor interacts gyromagnetically with the magnetization of the magnetic structure, inducing a phase shift in the electromagnetic signal traversing the superconductor. Thus, the invention induces a phase shift in the signal with minimum insertion loss due to electrical resistance.