Abstract: A pin for allowing material having adhesive properties to adhere thereon, the pin comprising: a shaft having a longitudinal axis, a distal end and a proximal end opposite to the distal end; and a first tapered portion disposed on the longitudinal axis of the shaft, the tapered portion tapering from a first circumference to a second smaller circumference in a direction toward the proximal end of the shaft.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for filling a ball grid array template is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a normally horizontal base plate with the ball grid array template being mounted onto the base plate at one end. A solder ball supply bin is slidably mounted over the surface of the base plate. The bin is enclosed on three vertical sides, while the fourth vertical side proximate the ball grid array template is a pivotable ball gate. At rest, the bin is located at an end of the base plate opposite to the template. When the base is tilted, the bin slides from its rest location to the other end of the base plate, so that it is positioned over the template, thereby allowing the solder balls to fill the locating holes of the template. The base is then rotated so that it tilts the opposite way, allowing the bin to return to its rest position. As the bin returns to its rest position, the ball gate sweeps any excess balls on the surface of the template back into the bin.

Abstract: There is provided a test socket for an integrated circuit. The test socket comprises a first plurality of test points for making electrical contact with contacts of a laminate package and a second plurality of test points for making electrical contact with contacts of a lead frame package. The test socket is suitable for testing, at one time, a laminate package, or a lead frame package, or both a laminate package and a lead frame package.

Abstract: A carrier tape for electrical components is provided comprising a tape having a length and a plurality of cavities along the length of the tape. Each cavity comprises inner side walls and a bottom surface and is capable of containing an electrical component.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods for reducing oxidative DNA damage in a subject, by administering to the subject astaxanthin, for instance a natural, astaxanthin-enriched extract from Haematococcus pluvialis. It is shown that doses as low as 2 mg/day, given orally to a human subject for a period of four weeks, is sufficient to reduced measurable endogenous oxidative DNA damage by about 40%.

Abstract: In a secure communication employing keys which require updating, all parties to the communication update their keys according to a clock at a suitable agreed-upon interval, and the keys are updated once each interval via a one-way function. The key to be used for a communication is the one that is current when the communication is established. In order to address clock-slip and slight timing differences across a communication channel, each party to a paired communication send a current interval index of their key to the other party. The remote index, i.e., the interval index which is remote to the receiving party, is compared against the local interval index, and the latter of the two interval indexes is used as the basis for generating the key. The party with the earlier index must therefore update the key iteratively until its index is concurrent with the later index. In addition, a public-key, private-key pair is generated for the purpose of supporting key updating.

Abstract: In a secure communication employing keys which require updating, all parties to the communication update their keys according to a clock at a suitable agreed-upon interval, and the keys are updated once each interval via a one-way function. The key to be used for a communication is the one that is current when the communication is established. In order to address clock-slip and slight timing differences across a communication channel, each party to a paired communication send a current interval index of their key to the other party. The remote index, i.e., the interval index which is remote to the receiving party, is compared against the local interval index, and the latter of the two interval indexes is used as the basis for generating the key. The party with the earlier index must therefore update the key iteratively until its index is concurrent with the later index. In addition, a public-key, private-key pair is generated for the purpose of supporting key updating.

Abstract: A computerized method for three-dimensional display of tree-structured data using an intermediary restructured data set to facilitate compatibility with graphics programs, such as the Virtual Reality Modeling Language. An exemplary embodiment transformation of genealogical data illustrates an application.