Abstract: An improved carburetor useful for reducing emissions of small gasoline powered engines commonly used to power lawnmowers and the like has a bypass air inlet and valve for venting amounts of fresh air into the fuel/air mixture to lean the mixture prior to combustion. The enleanment of the fuel/air mixture reduces carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions. The valve lags the engine load condition such that during a sudden high load condition (e.g. during acceleration) the valve remains momentarily closed to provide a rich fuel/air mixture. Likewise, during a sudden lightened load condition (e.g. during deceleration or shutoff) the valve remains momentarily open to provide a lean fuel/air mixture. Hence, emissions are reduced while engine performance and response are not compromised. In the preferred embodiment, a mechanical linkage connects the bypass air valve to the engine throttle. The lagging function is controlled by a mechanical or electrical damper.

Abstract: The performance of platelets can be best understood by monitoring both the force development and the elastic modulus of the blood clot during both clotting and dissolution of the blood clot. Intermittent application and removal of a compressive force on a blood sample (8) positioned between a pair of plates (12 and 14) throughout clot formation and dissolution provides a standard for using voltage output from a transducer (22) to determine force and elastic modulus parameters. Force development arises from the internal actions of the platelets during clot retraction. Elastic modulus provides a measure of the stiffness of the clot. Clotting can be measured as an increase in force development and clot elastic modulus. Clot dissolution can be determined by a dramatic decrease in force development and in elastic modulus.

Abstract: A family of compounds has been found to be useful for right-shifting hemoglobin towards a low oxygen affinity state. The compounds are capable of acting on hemoglobin in whole blood. In addition, the compounds can maintain the oxygen affinity in blood during storage and can restore the oxygen affinity of outdated blood.

Abstract: Alkali corrosion resistant coatings and ceramic foams having superfine open cell structure are created using sol-gel processes. The processes have particular application in creating calcium magnesium zirconium phosphate, CMZP, coatings and foams.

Abstract: Aluminum and aluminum alloys are protected from corrosion by immersion in an alkaline lithium or alkaline magnesium salt solution. Immersion in the salt solution causes the formation of a protective film on the surface of the aluminum or aluminum alloy which includes hydrotalcite compounds. A post film formation heat treatment significantly improves the corrosion resistance of the protective film.

Abstract: Metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) is used to form a layer of a metal oxide on the surfaces and within the pores of a porous ceramic material. The metal oxide is formed from one or more inexpensive metal organic precursors which permeate the pores of the substrate as a vapor. Surface reactions on the heated substrate convert the metal organic precursors to their metal oxide. The technique has particular utility in creating catalysts with very large surface areas and in providing a protective coating on ceramic materials that prevents or reduces damage from hostile environments. In a preferred embodiment, aluminum isopropoxide, [(CH.sub.3).sub.2 CHO].sub.3 Al, and titanium ethoxide, Ti(C.sub.2 H.sub.5 O).sub.4, are used simultaneously or successively as precursors to generate a Al.sub.2 TiO.sub.5 coating on a porous ceramic substrate such as SiC or porous refractory cement candle filters.

Abstract: Provision of a digital controller in which the controller controls the bearing coil current by means of a switching bridge that periodically reverses the applied voltage to the coil. The controller selects an applied voltage from a plurality of discrete voltage sources. When a rapid change in the load current is required, a relatively large magnitude of applied voltage is used. When a relatively constant magnitude of average load current is required, a relatively smaller value of voltage is applied.

Abstract: A pulse-width-modulated, quasi-resonant, d.c. to d.c. converter that has an auxiliary switch that periodically kills the resonance.

Abstract: A Viscoelastic medium with fibers dispersed throughout eliminates the need for a constraining layer, thus reducing the size and weight of a damping treatment.

Abstract: A high temperature ceramic filter is produced from a composition containing refractory cement, aggregate, pore forming additives, and sintering agents. The pore forming additives are synthetic or organic powders or fibers which sublimate, melt, or otherwise disintegrate to produce In situ pores in the cement during the refractory treatment of a cast filter. The filters produced are permeable to high temperature gases commonly found in a coal furnace and can be used to collect particulate matter present in those gases.

Abstract: A family of compounds has been found to be useful for right-shifting hemoglobin towards a low oxygen affinity state. The compounds are capable of acting on hemoglobin in whole blood. In addition, the compounds can maintain the oxygen affinity in blood during storage and can restore the oxygen affinity of outdated blood.

Abstract: A family of compounds has been found to be useful for right-shifting hemoglobin towards a low oxygen affinity state. The compounds are capable of acting on hemoglobin in whole blood. In addition, the compounds can maintain the oxygen affinity in blood during storage and can restore the oxygen affinity of outdated blood.

Abstract: An electronically controllable resistor (ECR) which functions as a fixed or variable resistor over a wide range of operating conditions. The value of the resistance may be altered in a highly linear fashion by altering a digital input thereto. The ECR utilizes an array of transmission gates, preferably having a uniform inherent resistance and preferably fabricated using CMOS technology which are grouped in commonly controlled groups. Each group preferably contains a number of transmission gates which relates to the numbers of transmission gates in other groups in a binary fashion. The source of digital control signals is preferably provided by a digital memory device which can be integrated with the transmission gate array. An operational amplifier can also be provided on the chip to form a complete neural processing element for inclusion in large neural networks.

Abstract: The common cold is best treated by providing a combination of antiviral agents and antiinflammatory compounds to a patient infected with a cold virus. An antiviral agent and two antiinflammatory compounds given to a person infected with a cold virus simultaneously reduces the likelihood of a cold developing and the amount and duration of viral shedding, as well as substantially reduces the severity of individual cold symptoms and the overall number and severity of cold symptoms. Supplementing the activity of the combined antiviral and antiinflammatory agents with such compounds as antihistamines and alpha agonists results in suprisingly good nasal benefits. The combination therapy, termed COVAM therapy, is well tolerated and has no evidence of short-term toxicity.

Abstract: A combination of two new access methods for ring and unidirectional bus networks supports high data rate integrated traffic. The first access method provides access for asynchronous traffic. When a node senses the channel idle, it can begin to transmit. When it senses an incoming signal, it must stop transmitting in order to avoid a collision. But unlike other access protocols which abort the transmission when a collision occurs or is imminent, the process truncates the message in a fashion such that it can be resumed later when the channel again is idle. The system is called Carrier Sensed Multiple Access-Ring Network (CSMA/RN). The second access method provides support for synchronous traffic. This method implements one or more circulating reservation packets which permit a node to have reserved space when the special packet returns. The media access system is called Circulating Reservation Packet (CRP) system. Both access protocols operate simultaneously on the network with minimal interference.

Abstract: A method for blending polymeric materials includes the steps of producing a melt stream of a first polymer from a first extruder (12) and a separate melt stream of a second polymer from a second extruder (14), joining the melt streams at a T-junction (16), distributing the first polymer within said second polymer using a static mixer (10), and extruding the blend through a die (18). In particular, using this method liquid crystal polymer fiber reinforcement can be formed in-situ within a matrix material.

Abstract: Tapered two-mode optic fibers are used as sensors with sensitivity varying as a function of length. The optical fiber sensors act as vibrational-mode filters thereby performing initial signal processing of the sensor signal. The sensors are based on the differential propagation constant in a two-mode fiber that is directly dependent on the normalized frequency or V-number. Tapering the fiber changes the V-number and hence can change the sensitivity of the sensor along its length. By choosing an appropriate weighting function in the manufacture of the sensor, it is possible to implement vibrational-mode analysis, vibrational-mode filtering and other functions that are critical in control system applications.

Abstract: Optic fiber coupler fabrication stations allow one-step packaging and reduce fabrication time. The optic fiber coupler fabrication stations produce a single piece construction of the coupler package with improved uniformity. Two linear translation stages are driven in opposing directions using left and right hand threaded rods connected to a common drive shaft driven by a small electric motor. Fibers to be coupled are clamped into the station to provide the necessary tension during the tapering process. The fibers are tied together using cotton thread, and an oxy-propane torch is used to fuse the fibers together while the two translation stages pull the fibers to form a biconical tapered region in the fibers.

Abstract: Two-mode, elliptical-core optic fibers with a permanent photo-induced index change are used as sensors with sensitivity varying as a function of length. The optic fiber sensors act as vibrational-mode filters thereby performing initial signal processing of the sensor signal. The sensors are based on photo-induced refractive index changes. These refractive index changes affect the differential phase modulation between the LP.sub.01 and the LP.sub.11.sup.even modes. The change in beat-length is dependent on the amount of strain induced in the fiber while the grating is being formed. The pattern is thus varied along the length of the fiber by straining the fiber in a specific fashion while the grating is being written. This changes the sensitivity, of the sensor along its length. By choosing an appropriate weighting function in the manufacture of the sensor, it is possible to implement vibrational-mode analysis, vibrational-mode filtering and other functions that are critical in control system applications.

Abstract: The compression elastic modulus of a blood sample is determined by compressing a blood sample (12) between plates (14 and 16) and comparing the voltage signal (32) output from the transducer (22) with a displacement calibration constant C.sub.d. The compression elastic modulus is determined on the same sample as the platelet mediated force development.