Abstract: Actuators, and corresponding methods and systems for controlling such actuators, provide independent lift and timing control with minimum energy consumption. In an exemplary embodiment, an electromechanical actuator comprises a housing, first and second electromagnets rigidly disposed in the housing and separated from each other by an armature chamber, an armature disposed in the armature chamber and movable between the first and second electromagnets, an armature rod rigidly connected with the armature and operably connected with a load, at least one first actuation spring biasing the armature in a first direction, at least one second actuation spring biasing the armature in a second direction, and one fluid-operated spring controller capable of controlling the position of the first-direction end of the at least one second actuation spring. The spring controller allows the actuation springs at their least compressed state and the engine valve closed when engine power is off.

Abstract: An underwire assembly for use in a brassiere including an elongate support member of three-dimensional elongate form. The supporting member extends in at least two planes for conforming to an inferior profile of the breast of a wearer.

Abstract: A method and system for optimal design of a water distribution network is provided. Three levels of optimization are available as options for selection by the user and these include least cost optimization, maximum benefit optimization and cost-benefit tradeoff optimization. The optimization models, in accordance with the present invention, include solutions generated by a competent genetic algorithm that can take into account multiple objective functions. Pareto-optimal solutions are produced for the whole range of a budget for the water distribution system. Tradeoff solutions allow engineers to apply engineering judgement to choose the true optimal solution under the specific application being considered.

Abstract: The thymus-derived CD4+CD25+ T cells belong to a subset of regulatory T cells potentially capable of suppressing the proliferation of pathogenic effector T cells. Intriguingly, these suppressor cells are themselves anergic, proliferating poorly to mitogenic stimulation in culture. The inventors have found that the 4-1BB co-stimulator receptor, best known for promoting the proliferation and survival of CD8+ T cells, also induces the proliferation of the CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells both in culture and in vivo. The proliferating CD4+CD25+ T cells produce no detectable IL-2, suggesting that 4-1BB costimulation of these cells does not involve IL-2 production. The 4-1BB-expanded CD4+CD25+ T cells are functional, as they remain suppressive to other T cells in co-culture. These results support the notion that the peripheral expansion of the CD4+CD25+ T cells is controlled in part by co-stimulation.

Abstract: A connector for semi-rigid outer conductor coaxial cable having a body provided with a connection interface at a connector end, a body bore and a crimp area around an outer surface of the body. The body bore dimensioned to receive the outer conductor together with a cylindrical sleeve dimensioned to receive the outer conductor therethrough when the outer conductor is folded back over the sleeve, to a position along the body bore corresponding to the crimp area.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a compound according to formula, (R2R3)-B1-A1-c(A2-A3-A4-A5-A6-A7-A8-A9)-A10-A11-A12-A13-B2-B3-R1, that act as ligands for one or more of the melanocortin receptors, the pharmaceutically-acceptable salts thereof, to methods of using such peptides to treat mammals and to pharmaceutical compositions useful therefore comprising said peptides.

Abstract: An electrochemical battery cell having a negative electrode, such as a negative electrode, including lithium, that is provided with a fuel gauge or end of life indicator capable of generating a voltage step preferably indicating that the cell is close to the end of its life and should be replaced, wherein the voltage step is detectable by a device associated with the cell. Additional capacity is added to the cell by utilizing a current collector comprising a consumable electrochemically active material having a lower potential than the electrochemically active material of the associated electrode, such as lithium, and a discharge voltage above a predetermined cut-off voltage.

Abstract: A magnetron sputter reactor for sputtering deposition materials such as tantalum, tantalum nitride and copper, for example, and its method of use, in which self-ionized plasma (SIP) sputtering and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) sputtering are promoted, either together or alternately, in the same or different chambers. Also, bottom coverage may be thinned or eliminated by ICP resputtering in one chamber and SIP in another. SIP is promoted by a small magnetron having poles of unequal magnetic strength and a high power applied to the target during sputtering. ICP is provided by one or more RF coils which inductively couple RF energy into a plasma. The combined SIP-ICP layers can act as a liner or barrier or seed or nucleation layer for hole. In addition, an RF coil may be sputtered to provide protective material during ICP resputtering. In another chamber an array of auxiliary magnets positioned along sidewalls of a magnetron sputter reactor on a side towards the wafer from the target.

Abstract: A portable electronic device (20) comprises a housing (22), a battery (26), a battery cover (28) and a trigger mechanism (24). The housing (22) have a battery chamber (222) defined therein. The battery cover (28) have a mating portion (2822) formed thereon. The battery (268) assembled in the battery chamber (222) with the battery cover (28) covering thereon. and The trigger mechanism (24) comprise an expanding portion (242), a securing portion (244), and a resisting portion (246), the securing portion (244) have two ends respectively connecting the expanding portion (242) and the resisting portion (246), the mating portion (2822) is configured for securely engaging with the securing portion (244) so as to restrain the expanding portion from expanding. The expanding portion (242) is secured within the battery chamber (222). The resisting portion (246) is configured for resisting against the battery (26).

Abstract: A nickel-zinc battery cell is formed with a negative can, a positive cap, and a jelly roll of electrochemically active positive and negative materials within. The inner surface of the can is protected with an anticorrosive material that may be coated or plated onto the can. Good electrical contact between the jelly roll and the cap is achieved through folding the nickel substrate over to contact a positive current collection disk.

Abstract: A mounting apparatus is provided for a storage device. The mounting apparatus includes a bracket, and an operating device. The bracket includes a first fixing arm, and a second fixing arm each forming a latching portion on an inside surface thereof, for engaging the storage device. The first fixing arm forms a receiving arm perpendicularly extending out from an end thereof. A sliding arm perpendicularly extends out from the second fixing arm and slidably received in the receiving arm. A locking portion is formed on the sliding arm. The operating device is rotatably attached to the received arm. The operating device includes an operating portion exposed out of the bracket, and an engaging surface. The operating portion is manipulated to allow the engaging surface to engage and disengage a side of the locking portion facing the second fixing arm.

Abstract: Methods for detection of variant alleles are disclosed. In preferred aspects variants are detected by hybridization patterns to arrays of probes that are contain a single mismatch to a reference sequence, thus reducing the number of probes needed for resequencing by hybridization. The target capture method used is Target Amplification by Capture and Ligation (TACL), and is capable of amplifying many thousands of loci together. Mismatch Repair Detection (MRD) is used as an allele enrichment method to efficiently sort variant and non-variant alleles in thousands of loci simultaneously.

Abstract: Distributed system simulation is enhanced by extending the simulation window. In a described implementation, the simulation window extension is facilitated with a slow message relaxation scheme. For example, especially when the simulation window is extended, slow unscheduled events can arrive at a logical process with a timestamp that is prior to (e.g., less than) the local time of a receiving logical process that is participating in a simulation. To ameliorate issues created by a slow unscheduled message and its corresponding slow unscheduled event, a current logical time of the receiving logical process is substituted for the original timestamp of the slow unscheduled event to transform it into a punctual unscheduled event.

Abstract: Nucleic acid molecules in a stabilized solution such as single stranded DNA and RNA were able to disperse high concentration of bundled carbon nanotubes into aqueous solution.

Abstract: The invention comprises peptidyl analogs that possess agonist or antagonist ghrelin activity, along with therapeutic and non-therapeutic uses thereof.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnetic write head for perpendicular magnetic recording having a write pole with a very narrow track width and well controlled critical dimensions. The write pole is formed by depositing an electrically conductive seed layer over a substrate, and then depositing a photo resist layer over the seed layer. The photo resist layer is photolithographically exposed and developed to form an opening or trench in the photoreist layer, the opening defining the pattern of the write pole. A magnetic material is then plated into the opening in the photoresist layer. The photo resist layer can then be removed by a chemical lift off, and portions of the seed layer that are not covered by the write pole can be removed by ion milling.

Abstract: A self-similar multiband reconfigurable antenna includes a planar antenna structure formed on a surface of a substrate, the antenna structure including symmetrically opposed self-similar geometry antenna arms defining a self-similar or Sierpinski gasket configuration for each arm of the antenna. MEMS type switches are provided for operatively connecting adjacent antenna patches on each arm of the antenna configuration, and a voltage source is provided for selectively actuating the switches. Selective actuation of the switches enables up to four different antenna configurations each having a different resonant frequency, and wherein each resonant frequency demonstrates a similar radiation pattern.

Abstract: Systems and methods for processing dynamic content are described herein. A system receives a request for content that includes an item cached by a proxy. The system issues another request to a content server to generate the other items that are not cached, without disrupting the process workflow of the original request. The system combines the items generated by the content server with the item cached by the proxy and sends the combined content to a destination.

Abstract: A stacked electrical connector includes a first mating interface. The first mating interface comprises a first receiving space (101) with a first tongue (102). The first tongue (102) has a pair of upper and lower face (1021, 1022). A plurality of first contacts (20) are retained in the first mating interface. The first contacts (20) include a plurality of first elastic contacts (201) and a plurality of first flat contact (202). Each first elastic contact (201) has a securing portion (2011) fixed in the first mating interface (101), an elastic contact portion (2010) extending to the first tongue (102) and a soldering portion (2012). Each first flat contact (202) has a retention portion (2024, 2028) retained in the first mating interface (101), a flat contact portion (2022, 2026) extending to the first tongue (102) and a tail portion (2025, 2029).

Abstract: A method and system for classifying messages of a discussion thread as questions is provided. A classification system generates a classifier to classify messages of discussion threads as question messages or non-question messages. The system trains the classifier using the feature vectors and input classifications derived from a training set of discussion threads. After the classifier is trained, the classification system uses the classifier to classify messages within a corpus of discussion threads as question or non-question messages. To classify a message, the classification system generates a feature vector for the messages and submits that feature vector to the classifier. The classifier generates a score for the message indicating a likelihood that the message is a question message.