Abstract: A magnetic recording tape includes an elongated substrate and a magnetic film coated over the elongated substrate, where the magnetic film includes a first magnetic recording layer. The first magnetic recording layer includes particles having a diameter that is between a factor from about 2 to 5 greater than a thickness of the first magnetic recording layer.

Abstract: A crustacean or rotifer is infected with a recombinant infectious virus that expresses a protein exogenous to the virus. The genome of the crustacean or rotifer itself remains unaltered. Crustacean, rotifer, insect, or viral promoters drive the transcription of a gene inserted into the recombinant virus genome, and the virus replicates in the crustacean or rotifer cell cytoplasm. The infected crustacean or rotifer can be provided directly to humans or non-human animals, or, following production and harvest of the crustaceans or rotifers, purified recombinant protein or polypeptide can be provided. Large quantities of biopharmaceuticals can be produced rapidly and inexpensively using this production system.

Abstract: A method of refurbishing a camshaft (100) having at least one defective portion (202, 206) includes removing material from the at least one defective portion (202, 206) to create a neck region (302). An alignment feature (402) is introduced in the neck region (302) according to a previous orientation of the defective portion (202, 206). A segmented blank (1008) is installed around the neck region (302) and oriented with the alignment feature (402).

Abstract: A degradable cigarette filter includes a filter element of a bloomed cellulose acetate tow, a plug wrap surrounding the filter element, and either a coating or a pill in contact with the tow. The coating and/or pill may be composed of a material adapted to catalyze hydrolysis of the cellulose acetate tow and a water-soluble matrix material. The material may be an acid, an acid salt, a base, and/or a bacterium adapted to generate an acid. The coating may be applied to the tow, the plug wrap, or both. The pill may be placed in the filter element. When water contacts the water-soluble matrix material, the material adapted to catalyze hydrolysis is released and catalyzes the hydrolysis, and subsequent degradation, of the cellulose acetate tow. The foregoing is also applicable to articles made of cellulose esters.

Abstract: A method of refurbishing a camshaft (100) having at least one defective portion (202, 206) includes removing material from the at least one defective portion (202, 206) to create a neck region (302). An alignment feature (402) is introduced in the neck region (302) according to a previous orientation of the defective portion (202, 206). A blank (508) is installed around the neck region (302) and oriented with the alignment feature (402).

Abstract: Casing bits include a crown having a substantially hollow interior. The bit crown has blades over a face portion thereof, the blades including a plurality of cutting elements attached thereto. The bit crown further includes a composite inlay positioned at least within the substantially hollow interior. Casing bits also include case hardened outer surfaces radially outside the drill-out region. Casing bits further include short-substrate cutting elements. Methods of forming a casing bit are also disclosed.

Abstract: A patient support is disclosed having an adjustable length deck and a mattress positionable on the deck. The mattress includes a foot portion having an adjustable length.

Abstract: The disclosed systems and methods leverage the buying power of persons affiliated with the Participating Organization (hereafter “Affiliated Individuals”) by negotiating discounts with a network of Preferred Providers of good and services. Funds are generated in the form of discounts when Affiliated Individuals use a particular spending vehicle to make purchases from a Preferred Provider. According to one embodiment, the discounts are not returned to purchasers at the point of sale but are instead transmitted to a System Administrator where they are pooled for the benefit of the Participating Organization.

Abstract: A drill bit includes a bit body having a face on which two different types of cutters are disposed, the first type being cutting elements suitable for drilling at least one subterranean formation and the second type being at least one of an abrasive cutting structure and an abrasive cutting element suitable for drilling through a casing shoe, reamer shoe, casing bit, casing or liner string and cementing equipment or other components as well as cement Methods of forming earth-boring tools are also disclosed.

Abstract: Synchronization is bound to data and optionally a set of synchronization behaviors as opposed to a particular application and/or endpoint. As a result, synchronization amongst endpoints need not require creation of customized synchronization solutions or rely on vendor and/or application specific mechanisms. In one instance, standard data and/or synch schemas can be subscribed to and utilized to dynamically configure synchronization across endpoints.

Abstract: A rivet monitoring system is provided which has a micro-strain or micro fluid pressure sensor that measures strains or pressures within a tool component. These measured signals are compared to a number of tolerance bands formed about median strain or pressure versus time curve. Various techniques are provided to analyze the measured data with respect to the tolerance bands to determine if a particular rivet set is acceptable.

Abstract: A storage device protection system. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are systems comprising a processor, a storage device electrically coupled to the processor, and a protection system. The protection system comprises an enclosure within which the storage device is positioned, and a foam system coupled to the enclosure. The foam system selectively releases foam that substantially encases the storage device, where the foam released in the presence of a predetermined temperature or contact of the computer system with water. Other embodiments are directed to systems having a mounting system that repositions the storage device away from walls of the enclosure in the presence of a predetermined temperature or contact of the computer system with water.

Abstract: A display includes a light switch overlying a backlight and having at least two light shutters which do not, by themselves, convey information by the shape thereof. The lit area of the backlight is equal to or greater than the sum of the areas of the shutters within the area. The display can also include a graphics layer overlying the light switch. The information content of the display is changed by changing the graphics layer.

Abstract: A system comprises a first network device and a second network device coupled via a network to the first network device. The first network device initiates a recovery across the network of an operating system of the second network device.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system for determining a temperature of a component that requires a maximum level of cooling apparatus operation. The system monitors the component's temperature, then may add a compensation offset to account for variations in the manufacture of the component, and then adds a compensation offset to account for variation in the system in which the component is installed. The result is used to determine when the system's cooling apparatus needs to be operated at a maximum level of operation. The sum may be compared to a threshold to make this determination. This same mechanism may be used to determine various other cooling system trigger points, both when to increase cooling as well as decrease cooling.

Abstract: A bed having a frame, a deck, and a communication network and at least one module. The at least one module includes a charting module.

Abstract: Providing interoperability on a voice communication network by detecting incompatible bit packing payload formats of ADPCM encoded voice data signals in an encoder/decoder. A mismatch of bit packing formats between little endian format and big endian format is determined by detecting the occurrence of ADPCM code words of interest in the decoded voice data stream out of the encoder/decoder. The invention may be applied to an ITU G.726 encoder/decoder.

Abstract: A drive carrier for computer systems. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are drive carriers comprising a first suspension member that defines a first side of the drive carrier, a second suspension member that defines a second side of the drive carrier (the second suspension member configured to be manually flexed resiliently away from the drive carrier during installation of a disk drive), a handle having a hinge point coupled to the suspension members (the hinge point defining an axis of rotation for the handle, and the axis of rotation lies substantially parallel to a plane in which both suspension members reside), a first pin configured to couple to a mounting hole of the disk drive (and the first pin coupled to the first suspension member), and a second pin configured to couple to a mounting hole of the disk drive (and the second pin coupled to the second suspension member, wherein the first and second pins suspend the disk drive within the drive carrier between the suspension members).

Abstract: A system and method of a storage expansion unit for a network attached storage device. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are storage expander systems comprising an enclosure, a communications port (the communication port configured to configured to operate under a communications protocol suitable for operatively accessing long term storage devices), and a port expander circuit within the enclosure and coupled to the communications port (the port expander circuit configured to have a plurality of secondary ports that operate under the communications protocol). The storage expansion system is configured to couple to a network attached storage device over the communications port, and wherein the storage expansion system is configured to facilitate external long-term storage for the network attached storage device.

Abstract: A NAS device comprises a user control and storage in which at least one of an operating system and system firmware is stored. Logic is also provided that is coupled to the user control and the storage. The logic causes a recovery to be performed of the operating system or system firmware upon user activation of the user control. The NAS device does not comprise any of a keyboard, mouse, trackball, and computer monitor.