Abstract: Nasal medication or drug delivery devices and methods for delivering adjustable or variable metered volumetric doses of medication or drugs to a nasal passageway of a user or patient. Relative movement between portions of a reservoir allows for selection between pre-set volume doses of medication for delivery. The delivery device may include a nosepiece for fitting into the nostril of the user or patient, a medication or drug reservoir or dosing chamber, and an external reservoir adapter for providing the medication from an external reservoir.

Abstract: Systems and methods facilitate managing an auction for contested resources between full bidding entities and fractional bidding entities that are enabled to place bids on the contested resources. Systems identify different bidding entities, including full bidding entities and fractional bidding entities, that are bidding on a contested resource. In a current bidding round corresponding to a current asking price of the contested resource, systems determine whether a total fractional bidding amount received from a fractional bidding group or a full bidding amount received from a full bidding entity at least meets the current asking price. When a bidding amount at least meets the current asking price, the systems terminate the current bidding round and initiate a new bidding round with a new, higher asking price for the contested resource.

Abstract: Systems and methods facilitate managing allocation of contested resources between full bidding entities and fractional bidding entities. Systems identify a contested resource and determine a quantity of shares for the contested resource. Systems also identify different bidding entities, including full bidding entities and fractional bidding groups, with each fractional bidding group comprising multiple fractional bidding entities. During an auction, systems determine that a first total bid amount from a first bidding entity meets a first asking price, while a second total bid amount from a second bidding entity does not meet a second asking price. If the first bidding entity is a fractional bidding group, the systems allocate different subsets of shares to the different fractional bidding entities in the group. Alternatively, if the first bidding entity is a full bidding entity, the systems allocate all of the predetermined quantity of shares to the first bidding entity.

Abstract: Systems and methods are used for generating and updating user interfaces for facilitating an auction for contested resources and for enabling fractional bidding entities registered to place fractional bids for fractional ownership of the contested resources and full bidding entities registered to place full bids for full ownership of the contested resources. For example, systems are configured to generate and display bidder user interfaces, auctioneer user interfaces, and auction clerk interfaces that can be dynamically updated throughout an auction.

Abstract: Systems and methods facilitate managing bid requests for contested resources between full bidding entities and fractional bidding entities. Systems identify different bidding entities, including full bidding entities and fractional bidding entities, that are bidding on a contested resource. In an initial bidding round corresponding to an initial asking price of the contested resource, the systems receive bidding requests from different bidding entities. The systems determine whether the bidding entity associated with a particular bidding request is a fractional bidding entity or a full bidding entity and whether the particular bidding request meets predetermined bidding criteria. If the bidding request meets the bidding criteria, the systems accept the bidding request and place the bid at the bidding amount. If the bidding request was from a fractional bidding entity, the systems define a fractional bidding group for the initial bidding round including multiple fractional bidding entities.

Abstract: Nasal medication or drug delivery devices and methods for delivering adjustable or variable metered volumetric doses of medication or drugs to a nasal passageway of a user or patient. Relative movement between portions of a reservoir establish a set volume of medication for delivery. The delivery device may include a nosepiece for fitting into the nostril of the user or patient, a medication or drug reservoir or dosing chamber, and an external reservoir adapter for providing the medication from an external reservoir.

Abstract: A modular processing machine comprising a module including a mounting plate, a rail extending a longitudinal axis, the rail being connected to the mounting plate, and a first longitudinal alignment plate fastened to the rail at a predetermined longitudinal distance from the mounting plate. The module further comprises a jack screw connected to the first longitudinal alignment plate. The module further comprises a process unit including a second longitudinal alignment plate connected to the jack screw and supported by the rail, the process unit being mounted to the second longitudinal alignment plate and being operable to perform a task associated with the module. The jack screw is operable to translate the process unit along the rail between a first longitudinal position relative to the first longitudinal alignment plate and a second longitudinal position displaced from the first longitudinal position.

Abstract: A cup sealing apparatus with a shaft, a heating element, an alignment plate, and a spring biasing the alignment plate into engagement with the alignment cone. The shaft extends has an alignment cone at an end thereof, the alignment cone having a modified cone taper surface centered about a longitudinal axis. The heating element includes a heating surface operable to adhere a seal to a cup presented to the heating surface. The alignment plate is spaced from the opposite axial surface, and has a profile corresponding with the taper surface so that the profile and the taper surface form a non-circular interface between the alignment cone and the alignment plate. With deflection of the spring, the alignment plate and the heating element are free to deviate from a prescribed orientation and out of coaxial alignment to match a cup axis of a cup presented to the heating surface.

Abstract: A modular processing machine comprising a module including a mounting plate, a rail extending a longitudinal axis, the rail being connected to the mounting plate, and a first longitudinal alignment plate fastened to the rail at a predetermined longitudinal distance from the mounting plate. The module further comprises a jack screw connected to the first longitudinal alignment plate. The module further comprises a process unit including a second longitudinal alignment plate connected to the jack screw and supported by the rail, the process unit being mounted to the second longitudinal alignment plate and being operable to perform a task associated with the module. The jack screw is operable to translate the process unit along the rail between a first longitudinal position relative to the first longitudinal alignment plate and a second longitudinal position displaced from the first longitudinal position.

Abstract: A cup sealing apparatus with a shaft, a heating element, an alignment plate, and a spring biasing the alignment plate into engagement with the alignment cone. The shaft extends has an alignment cone at an end thereof, the alignment cone having a modified cone taper surface centered about a longitudinal axis. The heating element includes a heating surface operable to adhere a seal to a cup presented to the heating surface. The alignment plate is spaced from the opposite axial surface, and has a profile corresponding with the taper surface so that the profile and the taper surface form a non-circular interface between the alignment cone and the alignment plate. With deflection of the spring, the alignment plate and the heating element are free to deviate from a prescribed orientation and out of coaxial alignment to match a cup axis of a cup presented to the heating surface.

Abstract: Nasal medication or drug delivery devices and methods for delivering adjustable or variable metered volumetric doses of medication or drugs to a nasal passageway of a user or patient. Relative movement between portions of a reservoir establish a set volume of medication for delivery. The delivery device may include a nosepiece for fitting into the nostril of the user or patient, a medication or drug reservoir or dosing chamber, and an external reservoir adapter for providing the medication from an external reservoir.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for the synthesis of unagglomerated, highly dispersed, stable core/shell nanocomposite particles comprised of preparing a reverse micelle microemulsion that contains nanocomposite particles, treating the microemulsion with a silane coupling agent, breaking the microemulsion to form a suspension of the nanocomposite particles by adding an acid/alcohol solution to the microemulsion that maintains the suspension of nanocomposite particles at a pH of between about 6 and 7, and simultaneously washing and dispersing the suspension of nanocomposite particles, preferably with a size exclusion HPLC system modified to ensure unagglomeration of the nanocomposite particles. The primary particle size of the nanocomposite particles can range in diameter from between about 1 to 100 nm, preferably from between about 10 to 50 nm, more preferably about 10 to 20 nm, and most preferably about 20 nm.

Abstract: Techniques for watermarking and distributing are provided. Content is broken into frames, each frame includes a watermark. Resources request the content and each frame of each resource's acquired version of the content includes a watermark. The frames of each resource's acquired version of the content form unique watermark sequences or unique keys. Each watermark sequence or key is uniquely associated with a particular resource. Each resource is also provided one or more delivery plans for acquiring that resource's uniquely watermark and sequenced version of the content over the network.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for the synthesis of unagglomerated, highly dispersed, stable core/shell nanocomposite particles comprised of preparing a reverse micelle microemulsion that contains nanocomposite particles, treating the microemulsion with a silane coupling agent, breaking the microemulsion to form a suspension of the nanocomposite particles by adding an acid/alcohol solution to the microemulsion that maintains the suspension of nanocomposite particles at a pH of between about 6 and 7, and simultaneously washing and dispersing the suspension of nanocomposite particles, preferably with a size exclusion HPLC system modified to ensure unagglomeration of the nanocomposite particles. The primary particle size of the nanocomposite particles can range in diameter from between about 1 to 100 nm, preferably from between about 10 to 50 nm, more preferably about 10 to 20 nm, and most preferably about 20 nm.

Abstract: A surface providing reduced adhesion to formed elements, having an element dimension such as formed element diameter, has a plurality of topographic features. The topographic features have a feature dimension less than the dimension of the formed element so as to reduce the accessible area of the surface available to the formed element for adhesion to the surface. The topographic features may include protrusions, such as pillars.

Abstract: A system and method provides dynamic and static type support for multiple definitions of individual types in a distributed object environment. Fully scoped object names incorporating prefixes are used to distinguish objects. The fully scoped names are used for both dynamic type determination through an interface repository and for statically compiled types in client and server stub routines. In the interface repository, a prefix naming context is provided for each root interface definition language context, allowing multiple definitions for objects with the same interface definition language object name, where each such definition resides in a separate prefix naming context. In one embodiment, the prefix naming contexts are defined by prefix interface definition objects. In another embodiment, the fully scoped object names are embedded by an interface definition language compiler in stub and skeleton code routines. RRS.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for installing distributed objects on a distributed object system is described. In one aspect the distributed objects include wrapper classes that inherit object attributes through an inheritance relationship with a developer-written servant class of objects, the developer-written servant classes inheriting attributes through an optional inheritance relationship with an interface class of objects. In a preferred embodiment, the wrapper classes provide an interface mechanism between the methods of the servant class of objects and the object request broker mechanism of the distributed object system. Also included is an apparatus for creating and installing the distributed object in the memory of a computer on a distributed object system. The invention further includes a mechanism for distinguishing deployed distributed objects from development distributed objects.

Abstract: A variety of methods and apparatus for managing deactivation and deletion of objects and server processes are taught. According to some embodiments of the present invention, a thread of execution termed the reaper thread systematically cycles through a computer process deactivating and/or deleting objects based upon a variety of criteria. One suitable criterion for object deactivation is based upon the amount of time lapsed since a client has requested services of the object. According to the timeout criterion, the reaper thread determines the period of time since the last client requested services from the object, compares this to a timeout value which may be defined by any suitable entity, and proceeds with deactivation and/or deletion accordingly. Object deletion may have a separate criterion or be specifically requested by a client. A deletion flag may be set to indicate that object deletion is requested.

Abstract: An artificial heart assembly may be provided with a blood inlet conduit adapted to be implanted within a subject, a blood outlet conduit adapted to be implanted within the subject, a pumping mechanism implanted within the subject that pumps blood from the blood inlet conduit to the blood outlet conduit, and a motor coupled to drive the pumping mechanism. The artificial heart apparatus has a power source and a control circuit operatively coupled to cause the motor to drive the pumping mechanism in a regular mode when the power source has a relatively high charge level and in an irregular mode when the power source has a relatively low charge level so that the subject can feel when the pumping mechanism is being driven in the irregular mode and thus know that the power source has the relatively low charge level.

Abstract: An artificial heart assembly may be provided with a blood inlet conduit adapted to be implanted within a subject, a blood outlet conduit adapted to be implanted within the subject, a pumping mechanism implanted within the subject that pumps blood from the blood inlet conduit to the blood outlet conduit, and a motor coupled to drive the pumping mechanism. The artificial heart apparatus has a power source and a control circuit operatively coupled to cause the motor to drive the pumping mechanism in a regular mode when the power source has a relatively high charge level and in an irregular mode when the power source has a relatively low charge level so that the subject can feel when the pumping mechanism is being driven in the irregular mode and thus know that the power source has the relatively low charge level.