Abstract: Systems and methods for self-cleaning a surface of an object where an electrodynamic shield is mounted to a surface of the object. The electrodynamic shield includes one or more sets of electrodes atop a substrate, at least one or more sets of electrodes being covered in a protective film. A coating is applied to the top surface of the protection film. A signal pulse generator is connected to the one or more sets of electrodes. The signal pulse generator generates a pulse signal that causes the one or more sets of electrodes to generate an electric field. The pulse signal comprises a plurality of different pulse signals which have phase differences between consecutive signals, and the electric field causes a particle atop the coating to experience an electrostatic force and be repelled away from the coating. These pulse signals (including shapes, amplitudes, shifts, and frequencies) can be tuned to increase efficiency of removal depending on dust type and relative humidity.

Abstract: The method of the present disclosure is directed towards the formation of a three-dimensional carbon structure and includes the steps of adding a radical initiator to an amount of carbon starting material, forming a mixture, placing the mixture in a mold, maintaining the mixture and the mold at an elevated temperature for a period of time to form a thermally cross-linked molded mixture and removing the thermally cross-linked molded mixture from the mold. The disclosure also includes a three-dimensional carbon structure, with that structure including a thermally cross-linked carbon base material in a predetermined formation.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to novel C4 and C6 substituted androst-4-ene diones as well as andros-1,4-diene diones and derivatives thereof, their process of preparation, pharmaceutical compounds containing them, and the use of said compounds for the treatment of hormone-related disorders in mammals. This includes hormone-dependent cancers, particularly those caused by elevated levels of estrogen and its intermediates. These compounds can also be used in the treatment of other hormone-related disorders, including benign prostatic hyperplasia, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative disorders.

Abstract: This invention provides a method for stimulating in an individual an immune response against M. catarrhalis. The method comprises administering to an individual a composition comprising M. catarrhalis OppA protein in an amount effective to stimulate an immune response against M. catarrhalis in the individual.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to novel C4 and C6 substituted androst-4-ene diones as well as andros-1,4-diene diones and derivatives thereof, their process of preparation, pharmaceutical compounds containing them, and the use of said compounds for the treatment of hormone-related disorders in mammals. This includes hormone-dependent cancers, particularly those caused by elevated levels of estrogen and its intermediates. These compounds can also be used in the treatment of other hormone-related disorders, including benign prostatic hyperplasia, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative disorders.

Abstract: Memory demands of large-memory applications continue to remain one step ahead of the improvements in DRAM capacities of commodity systems. Performance of such applications degrades rapidly once the system hits the physical memory limit and starts paging to the local disk. A distributed network-based virtual memory scheme is provided which treats remote memory as another level in the memory hierarchy between very fast local memory and very slow local disks. Performance over gigabit Ethernet shows significant performance gains over local disk. Large memory applications may access potentially unlimited network memory resources without requiring any application or operating system code modifications, relinking or recompilation. A preferred embodiment employs kernel-level driver software.

Abstract: Methods for generating a three-dimensional visualization image of an object, such as an internal organ, using volume visualization techniques are provided. The techniques include a multi-scan imaging method; a multi-resolution imaging method; and a method for generating a skeleton of a complex three dimension object. The applications include virtual cystoscopy, virtual laryngoscopy, virtual angiography, among others.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for producing supercritical carbon dioxide treated blends including steps of blending at least three compatible materials in a melt intercalation to produce a tri-blend, molding the tri-blend into shapes suitable for ASTM, and exposing the tri-blend mixture to CO2 for a predetermined amount of time so as to produce a supercritical carbon dioxide treated tri-blend material.

Abstract: Novel chimeric nucleic acids, encoding chimeric Borrelia proteins comprising OspC or an antigenic fragment thereof and OspA or an antigenic fragment thereof, are disclosed. Chimeric proteins encoded by the nucleic acid sequences are also disclosed. The chimeric proteins are useful as vaccine immunogens against Lyme borreliosis, as well as for immunodiagnostic reagents.

Abstract: A thermal spray mixed with a substrate using a non-consumable cylindrical rotating tool. The process may be repeated to create a composite-like coating or material. The coating or material may be machine to improve surface quality.

Abstract: Organosilver complexes with &bgr;-diketonates and neutral coordinating ligands are useful as silver precursors in chemical vapor deposition processes. The &bgr;-diketonates include 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoro-2,4-pentanedionate (hfac), acetylacetonate (acac), 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate (tmhd), 1,1,1-trifluoro-2,4-pentanedionate, (tfac), 2,2,7-trimethyl-3,5-octanedionate (tmod), 1,1,1-trifluoro-5,5-dimethyl-2,4-pentanedionate (tfh) 1,1,1,2,2,3,3,7,7,8,8,9,9,9-tetradecafluoro-4,6-nonanedionate (tdf). Neutral coordinating ligands include triphenylphosphine, tributylphosphine, pyridine, tetramethylethanediamine (TMEDA) and tetramethylpropanediamine (TMPDA).

Abstract: A load sharing system which minimizes overall costs by assigning segments of a divisible load to distributed processor platforms based on the resource utilization cost of each processor platform. The distributed processor platforms are connected via data links which also have associated resource utilization costs. A controller divides a divisible load or task and assigns each segment of the load or task to a processor platform based on the processor platform's resource utilization cost and data link cost. After the initial allocation, an optimizing reallocation is performed to reduce the overall monetary cost processing the load or task. The optimization can be performed using a pair-wise swapping technique.

Abstract: The present invention relates to three-dimensional optical imaging techniques and, more particularly, to the detection and three-dimensional imaging of absorbing and/or scattering structures in complex random media, such as human body tissue, by detecting scattered light emerging from the medium.

Abstract: The present invention is a seismic accelerometer to measure and record low frequencies and large dynamic measurement ranges. The accelerometer comprises at least one directional piezoelectric sensing element and an integrated circuit. Each directional piezoelectric sensing element senses inertial forces applied to the accelerometer from a particular direction, X, Y or Z, and generates a force voltage signal in response to the inertial forces applied to the accelerometer. The sensitivity of each directional piezoelectric sensing element is in direct proportion to the sensitivity of the integrated circuit and the mass of a first mass. The integrated circuit system receives the force voltage signal from each directional piezoelectric sensing element and generates an output signal for each direction.

Abstract: Platelet-specific, chimeric immunoglobulin and immunoglobulin fragments are described. The chimeric molecules are made up of a nonhuman antigen binding region and a human constant region. Preferred immunoglobulins are specific for glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor in its complexed form; they block ligand binding to the receptor and prevent platelet aggregation. The immunoglobulins are useful in anti-thrombotic therapy when administered alone or in conjunction with thrombolytic agents, as well as in thrombus imaging.

Abstract: This and other objects are provided in a method for displaying and managing a set of related images. The invention includes design of screen area in terms of how many, how big, and where workspaces are located. The invention assigns image sets to different workspaces; creates a tree of workspace setups for a specific image viewing session; and allows customization of the tree on a per user, per workstation type basis.

Abstract: All electrocatalytic gas diffusion electrode for fuel cells and a process for its preparation is disclosed. The electrode comprises an anistropic gas diffusion layer and a catalytic layer. The gas diffusion layer is made of a porous carbon matrix through which carbon particles and poly(vinylidene) fluoride are distributed so that the matrix is homogeneously porous in a direction lateral to gas flow and asymmetrically porous to gases in the direction of the gas flow. The porosity of the gas diffusion layer decreases in the direction of gas flow. The catalytic layer is made of a coagulated ink suspension containing catalytic carbon particles and a thermoplastic polymer selected from polyethersulfone, poly(vinylidene fluoride) and sulfonated polysulfone and covers the small pore surface of the gas diffusion layer. The gas diffusion layer has a thickness between 50 .mu.m and 300 .mu.m. The catalytic layer has thickness between 7 .mu.m and 50 .mu.m and a metal catalyst loading between 0.2 mg/cm.sup.2 and 0.

Abstract: Platelet-specific, chimeric immunoglobulin and immunoglobulin fragments are described. The chimeric molecules are made up of a nonhuman antigen binding region and a human constant region. Preferred immunoglobulins are specific for glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor in its complexed form; they block ligand binding to the receptor and prevent platelet aggregation. The immunoglobulins are useful in anti-thrombotic therapy when administered alone or in conjunction with thrombolytic agents, as well as in thrombus imaging.

Abstract: Improvements to the in situ polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a process of in vitro enzymatic amplification of specific nucleic acid sequences within the cells where they originate, can be achieved by changing the way that the enzymatic reaction is started. Reaction initiation is delayed until the start of PCR thermal cycling, either by withholding a subset of PCR reagents from the cellular preparation until the preparation has been heated to 50.degree. C. to 80.degree. C., immediately before thermal cycling is begun, or by adding to the PCR reagents a single-stranded DNA binding protein which blocks reaction at temperatures below about 50.degree. C. If the in situ PCR is performed on cellular preparations already attached to a microscope slide, thermal cycling also is facilitated by use of a thermal cycler sample block or compartment designed optimally to hold the microscope slide and any vapor barrier covering the slide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new group of compounds (e.g., N,N"-bis(2,6-dimethylcarbaniloylmethylene diethylene triamino triacetic acid, N,N"-bis(pyridoxylamine)diethylene triamino triacetic acid) which can be used as metal chelating agents and can be complexed with paramagnetic metal atoms form new complexes with improved and unexpected stability which make them extremely useful as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging and other types of diagnostic imaging. The chelating agents and corresponding paramagnetic metal complexes are derivatives of diethylene triamino pentaacetic acid and triethylene tetraamino hexaacetic acid.