Abstract: The present invention provides a method for the determining the prognosis for a patient diagnosed with a neurological disease. The present invention also provides a method for the identification of human subjects for placement in clinical drug trials of drugs being tested for the treatment of neurological disease and for determining a patient's future disease risk.

Abstract: Particles of a copolymer of a vinyl arene and a copolymerizable compound containing a polar moiety and a vinyl moiety containing water may be prepared by forming a mixture of monomers and small amounts of water and polymerizing under agitation to 20 to 70% conversion and then suspending the mass in water and finishing the polymerization. The resulting polymer beads contain finely dispersed water which is useful as an environmentally acceptable blowing agent.

Abstract: Olefin co- or homopolymers having a good molecular weight and short chain branching may be prepared in the presence of a tridentate complex of a Group 8, 9 or 10 metal.

Abstract: There are a number of recent developments relating to co- and homo-polymers of vinyl aromatic monomers. There are syndiotactic polymers of styrene, there are pseudo random polymers of styrene and ethylene. The present invention seeks to provide novel pseudoblock polymers of styrene and ethylene in which at least 10 weight % of the vinyl aromatic monomer is incorporated in the form of one or more atactic pseudoblocks.

Abstract: Organometallic complexes having two phosphinimine ligands and at least one activatable ligand are catalyst components for olefin polymerization. Preferred polymerization systems are prepared by combining the organometallic complexes with an ionic activator and/or an alumoxane. Preferred catalyst components contain titanium, zirconium, or hafnium and are activated with an ionic activator to form catalysts for ethylene polymerization.

Abstract: Aluminum-phosphinimine complexes function as a component in a catalyst system for the (co)polymerization of ethylene. The inventive catalyst components form a highly productive polymerization system when activated with so-called “ionic activators”. The need for conventional transition metal catalyst metals (such as titanium, hafnium, zirconium or vanadium) is eliminated.

Abstract: An organometallic complex of a group 4 metal having a cyclopentadienyl ligand and a heterosubstituted phosphinimine ligand is a catalyst component for olefin polymerization. The heterosubstituted phosphinimine ligand may be conveniently and inexpensively synthesized using readily available precursors which are comparatively non-pyrophoric. The resulting catalysts are highly active for ethylene copolymerization, particularly when activated with an alumoxane or ionic activator.

Abstract: A rolling bearing made of bearing steel and incorporating an inner race, an outer race positioned coaxially about the inner race and a set of rolling bodies positioned in the annular space between and in rolling contact with the inner and outer race, wherein at least one of the inner race, the outer race and the set of rolling bodies is provided with a surface coating incorporating an exterior carbon nitride layer and an intermediate layer interposed between the carbon nitride layer and the surface of the coated component(s), said intermediate layer being hexagonal boron carbon nitride.

Abstract: Disclosed are heparin binding mitogens which include an epidermal growth factor-homologous segment (HB-EHM). These factors stimulate proliferation of fibroblast cells, epithelial cells, and smooth muscle cells, but not endothelial cells. Also disclosed are isolated antibodies that recognize, and purified nucleic acids that encode, the above growth factors as well as isolated polypeptides, vectors containing such nucleic acids, and cells harboring such vectors. Growth factors of this invention may be used for accelerating the rate of wound healing, for the in vitro culture of HB-EHM-responsive cells, and for the identification of antagonists to HB-EHM.

Abstract: A supported catalyst for the polymerization of olefins, especially ethylene, has at least two catalyst components having different propagation and/or termination constants. Each catalyst component must have at least one phosphinimine ligand. The polymer produced according to this invention has a broad molecular weight distribution. Catalysts according to this invention have a very surprising and desirable hydrogen response.

Abstract: A slurry polymerization process uses an unsupported catalyst component which is an organometallic complex having a phosphinimine ligand and a cyclopentadienyl-type ligand. The use of the unsupported catalyst component allows simple, inexpensive catalyst addition techniques to be used in a slurry polymerization process. The catalyst component is highly active for ethylene (co)polymerization in the process of this invention.

Abstract: A heterogeneous catalyst for olefin polymerization is prepared by spray drying a mixture of a metallocene catalyst, a cocatalyst and a hydrotalcite. It Preferred hydrotalcites are magnesium-aluminum hydroxy carbonates. The catalysts are very active for ethylene polymerization. The hydrotalcite used in this invention are generally defined by the formula: (Mg1−x Alx(OH)2)n+An−x/n·m H2O wherein X is from 0 to 0.5, m is from 0 to 20 and An− is an anion having a charge of n. Preferred hydrotalcites are those in which the anion A is a carbonate and which have been dried of adsorbed water.

Abstract: A medium pressure process for the solution polymerization of ethylene at a temperature of from 80° C. to 250° C. in the presence of a catalyst system comprising (1) a catalyst component which is a group 4 metal complex having a delocalized, cyclic, pi-bonded ligand, a (defined, specific) heteroligand and one or two activatable ligands; and (2) an ionic activator which does not contain an active proton. The catalyst component is unbridged and easily synthesized. It is highly active in solution polymerization when properly activated (but is not active when used in combination with an alumoxane). Preferred catalyst systems contain an unbridged monocyclopentadienyl titanium (IV) complex and triphenylcarbenium tetrakis (pentafluorophenyl) borate.

Abstract: A processing unit for processing at least one semiconductor wafer includes a processing station for processing the wafer, a measuring station for measuring the at least one water, a robot for moving the wafer between the processing and measuring stations, a wafer handling system and a buffer station. The wafer handling system operates in conjunction with the measuring station and moves the wafer to and from a measuring location on the measuring unit. The buffer station is associated with the wafer handling system and receives measured and unmeasured wafers thereby to enable the robot to arrive at and leave the measuring station with at least one wafer thereon.

Abstract: Devolatilization of molten polymer is carried out using a vertical static mixer which opens directly into a flash tank. Expansion of a stripping agent injected at an inlet of the static mixer occurs in the static mixer and the continued shearing causes disengagement of the vapor from the polymer, so that expansion is complete before the polymer enters the flash tank and stripper and volatiles are removed by a pump and condenser arrangement which holds the flash tank at a reduced pressure. Polymer outlets are in the floor of the flash tank and have metering pumps at their bottom end.

Abstract: A method of semiconductor eutectic alloy metal (SEAM) technology for integration of heterogeneous materials and fabrication of compliant composite substrates takes advantage of eutectic properties of alloys. Sub1 and Sub2 are used to represent the two heterogeneous materials to be bonded or composed into a compliant composite substrate. For the purpose of fabricating compliant composite substrate, the first substrate material (Sub1) combines with the second substrate material (Sub2) to form a composite substrate that controls the stress in the epitaxial layers during cooling. The second substrate material (Sub2) controls the stress in the epitaxial layer grown thereon so that it is compressive during annealing. A joint metal (JM) with a melting point of Tm is chosen to offer variable joint stiffness at different temperatures. JM and Sub1 form a first eutectic alloy at a first eutectic temperature Teu1 while JM and Sub2 form a second eutectic alloy at a second eutectic temperature Teu2.

Abstract: A device and method for forming plastic pouches, the device including a source of at least two substantially superposed layers of plastic sheet, a pair of rollers for selectively advancing the layers of plastic sheet, a plastic filling element, and heat welding means for sealing open sides of the pouches, wherein portions of a longitudinal half of each of the rollers have a larger radius than the remainder of the roller whereby, when the larger radius portions of the rollers engage one another, they advance the plastic held between them, and when the smaller radius portions of the rollers are in registration with one another, they do not engage the plastic between them, so the plastic does not advance and can be heat sealed.

Abstract: An arrangement for limiting the whirl speed of a shaft after failure of a magnetic bearing supporting the shaft. The arrangement includes a surface extending essentially radially from the shaft axis and a machine element is provided with a projecting element extending from the machine element in a direction towards the surface. The surface is provided with a circular element that is concentric with the axis of the shaft. The arrangement also includes a disk-like element provided with an outer perimeter surface, a hole and an inner perimeter surface. One of the perimeter surfaces is designed so that it provides a varying distance along the circumferential direction with respect to the rotational center of the disk-like element. The element is arranged between the shaft and the circular element. The circular element and the projecting element are positioned in a common plane perpendicular to the shaft so that the circular element and the projecting element overlap one another.