Abstract: A sensor for an ultrasonic bonding apparatus comprises a piezoelectric material located between the ultrasonic transducer and an ultrasonic concentrator of the bonding apparatus. The sensor has at least two outputs for measuring different bonding parameters, the outputs being chosen to optimize the signal response for the bonding parameters in question.

Abstract: A microlens array includes short lengths of fibre held across an aperture in a rigid body. The fibres are conveniently short lengths cut from commercially available ultraviolet grade fused silica fibre that has had a normal outer protective coating removed. The microlens array is comparatively cheap to make and has particular application in producing long period gratings by exposing strands of silica fibre to UV radiation via the microlens array using a diffraction pattern produced by the microlens.

Abstract: A versatile modelling for any standard power system component is disclosed, by which the component modules can be easily plugged into the network module to form a small perturbation state space model of the entire system irrespective of the complexity of the system. The state equation is available as explicitly a function of every parameter and the input and output can be any variable, thus providing insight into the physical nature by simple matrix manipulation.

Abstract: A bonding tool for applying pressure and ultrasonic energy simultaneously to join miniature components together includes an ultrasonic driver having four composite wafers separated by electrodes. Such bonding tools are known that use wafers made of wholly of ceramic material. By using wafers having four sector parts of ceramic material separated by layers of polymer as shown, bonding tools are provided with broader bandwidth operation and reduced spurious resonance modes.

Abstract: A method for measuring the antioxidant capacity and/or the amount of a specific antioxidant in a sample, which comprises: a) at least two samples (A) and (B) to be assayed in parallel; b) addition of an antioxidant deactivator to sample (A) which selectively deactivates the antioxidant ability of an antioxidant in the sample; c) addition of a redox indicator to both samples (A) and (B), the indicator being capable of indicating the antioxidant capacity of each sample absorbance of electromagnetic radiation; d) measurement of the change in absorbance of electromagnetic radiation of the indicator in each sample at a given time interval, from the time when the redox indicator was added to or mixed with the samples or immediately prior to this addition or mixing until a given time after the redox indicator was added; e) determining the antioxidant capacity of the sample and/or the specific antioxidant in the sample, by relating the change in absorbance of electromagnetic radiation of step (d) to the absorban

Abstract: Apparatus for compensating for positioning, pointing and/or orientation errors caused by deflections of structural members and components of a high performance machine or device and/or for reducing vibration inputs to such machine or device and/or for micro-positioning such machine or device so as to improve the operational performance of such machine or device. The apparatus utilizes one or more active-type actuators, such as piezoelectric ceramic type actuators, which are arranged in a predetermined manner relative to the machine or device. A servo control device operating in accordance with a predetermined algorithm may be utilized for controlling the actuators or, alternatively, the apparatus may operate in an open loop manner.

Abstract: A wastewater treatment process having improved solids separation characteristics and reduced biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in the purified wastewater comprising the steps of: passing wastewater through a main aerobic biological oxidation zone and therein oxidizing a portion of the BOD a portion of the ammonia nitrogen content (NH.sub.

Abstract: Compensating for time stamp aging in systems employing fair packet queuing algorithms by (i) representing a time stamp of each head-of-line packet of a session with a finite number of bits, (ii) representing a system potential with a finite number of bits, (iii) storing a packet's time stamp when it is served, (iv) storing an obsolete indicator for each stored time stamp, and (v) updating the obsolete indicator or purging obsolete time stamps.

Abstract: Novel soluble polyester-supported chiral phosphines have been prepared and have been used in the preparation of rhodium and ruthenium catalysts. Such polymer-supported catalysts show high catalytic activities and enantioselectivities. In the case of Ru(BINAP) catalyst supported on soluble polyester, the resulting catalysts were found to be more active than those of the corresponding homogeneous Ru(BINAP) catalysts in the asymmetric hydrogenation of 2-arylpropenoic acids. These soluble polyester-supported catalysts can be easily separated from the reaction mixture and then be reused without loss of activity and selectivity.

Abstract: A system utilizing a number of micro-strip antenna apparatus embedded in or mounted on the surface of a structure for enabling wireless communication of sensed and actuation signals. The micro-strip antenna apparatus may include smart materials or other substrates. If only a sensed operation is desired, the micro-strip antenna apparatus may be fabricated from only passive elements or materials. Furthermore, a micro-strip antenna apparatus is provided which enables simultaneous transmission/reception of sensing and actuation signals.

Abstract: This invention relates to (R)- and (S)-5,5',6,6',7,7',8,8'-octahydro-1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-diamine (R-1 and S-1) and (R)- and (S)-2,2'-bis(diarylphospinoamino)-5,5',6,6',7,7',8,8'-octahydro-1,1'-binap hthyl (R-2 and S-2) and (R)- and (S)-2,2'-bis(diaklphospinoamino)-5,5',6,6',7,7',8,8'-octahydro-1,1'-binaph thyl (R-3 and S-3); to a process for the preparation of R-1 and S-1 in which (R) or (S)-1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-diamine is partially hydrogenated in the presence of Adam's catalyst (5-20 wt/o of starting material) at 20-100.degree. C.

Abstract: This invention relates to (R)- and (S)-5,5',6,6',7,7',8,8'-octahydro-1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-diamine (R-1 and S-1) and (R)- and (S)-2,2'-bis(diarylphospinoamino)-5,5',6,6',7,7',8,8'-octahydro-1,1'-binap hthyl (R-2 and S-2) and (R)- and (S)-2,2'-bis(dialkylphospinoamino)-5,5',6,6',7,7',8,8'-octahydro-1,1'-bina phthyl (R-3 and S-3); to a process for the preparation of R-1 and S-1 in which (R) or (S)-1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-diamine is partially hydrogenated in the presence of Adam's catalyst (5-20 wt % of starting material) at 20-100.degree. C.

Abstract: Novel, optically active phosphorous compounds of the formula, ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents hydrogen atoms, straight or branched-chain alkyl groups having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, R.sup.2 represents hydrogen atoms, halogen atoms, lower alkyl groups (1 to 6 carbon atoms), lower alkoxy groups (1 to 6 carbon atoms), hydroxy group, chiral hydroxyalkyl groups, and amino groups (1.degree., 2.degree., 3.degree.) vinyl groups or allyl groups and R.sup.3 represents phenyl groups, aryl groups, cyclohexyl groups, substituted and unsubstituted cycloalkyl groups, heteroaromatic rings, are described. The compounds of the formula serve as highly useful ligands in the preparation of ruthenium complexes which are effective catalysts for the asymmetric hydrogenation of 2-arylpropenoic acids leading to high valued 2-arylpropionic acids.

Abstract: A wastewater treatment process having improved solids separation characteristics and reduced biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in the purified wastewater comprising the steps of: passing wastewater containing suspended solids and biodegradable organic substances through a main aerobic biological oxidation zone; passing the effluent from said aerobic biological oxidation zone to an aerobic/mixing zone and therein mixing said effluent with effluent from the anoxic/anaerobic zone; passing the effluent from said aerobic/mixing zone to a settling zone and therein separating purified wastewater and sludge containing suspended solids; passing a portion of the sludge formed in the settling zone and volatile acids to an anoxic/anaerobic zone; and recycling an effective amount of the effluent from said anoxic/anaerobic zone to said aerobic/mixing zone.

Abstract: New optically active phosphinite compounds which are useful in asymmetric catalysis have been synthesized and have been used in the preparation of rhodium catalysts. Such catalysts are particularly useful in enantioselective catalytic hydrogenation reactions.

Abstract: Apparatus for compensating for positioning, pointing and/or orientation errors caused by deflections of structural members and components of a high performance machine or device and/or for reducing vibration inputs to such machine or device and/or for micro-positioning such machine or device so as to improve the operational performance of such machine or device. The apparatus utilizes one or more active-type actuators, such as piezoelectric ceramic type actuators, which are arranged in a predetermined manner relative to the machine or device. A servo control device operating in accordance with a predetermined algorithm may be utilized for controlling the actuators or, alternatively, the apparatus may operate in an open loop manner.

Abstract: A wastewater treatment process having improved solids separation characteristics and reduced biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in the purified wastewater comprising the steps of: passing wastewater containing suspended solids and biodegradable organic substances through a main aerobic biological oxidation zone and therein oxidizing a portion of the BOD and converting a portion of the BOD into additional suspended solids and at least a portion of the ammonia nitrogen content (NH.sub.3 --N) of the wastewater is oxidized to nitrate nitrogen (NO.sub.

Abstract: A wastewater treatment process having improved solids separation characteristics and reduced biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in the purified wastewater comprising the steps of: passing wastewater containing suspended solids and biodegradable organic substances through a main aerobic biological oxidation zone; passing the effluent from said aerobic biological oxidation zone to an aerobic/mixing zone and therein mixing said effluent with effluent from the anoxic/anaerobic zone; passing the effluent from said aerobic/mixing zone to a settling zone and therein separating purified wastewater and sludge containing suspended solids; passing a portion of the sludge formed in the settling zone and volatile acids to an anoxic/anaerobic zone; and recycling an effective amount of the effluent from said anoxic/anaerobic zone to said aerobic/mixing zone.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing feedback control of a device having multi-degrees of freedom. The apparatus comprises a first input device for receiving control signals based upon desired reference inputs and first feedback signals from the device, a second input device for receiving second feedback signals from the device, and a processing device receiving the control signals from the first input device and the second feedback signals from the second input device for determining a compensating signal for supply to the device. The compensating signal compensating for changes in structural frequencies due to configuration changes of the device so as to enable the first feedback signals to be independent of variations of the structural frequencies.