Abstract: A method of actuating a valve, comprises operatively coupling the valve with an electroosmotic pump; flowing a fluid through the electroosmotic pump; and generating a fluidic pressure of at least 0.75 PSI to actuate the valve, wherein the electroosmotic pump comprises one or more thin, porous, positive electroosmotic membranes and one or more thin porous, negative electroosmotic membranes; a plurality of electrodes comprising cathodes and anodes, and a power source; wherein each of the positive and negative electroosmotic membranes are disposed alternatively and wherein at least one of the cathodes is disposed on one side of one of the membranes and at least one of the anodes is disposed on the other side of the membrane and wherein at least one of the cathodes or anodes is disposed between a positive and a negative electroosmotic membrane.

Abstract: A flexible wire assembly includes a plurality of elongated conductors and insulators each having a quadrilateral cross section and alternatingly laminated together, the flexible wire assembly having a wire width measured across the conductor and insulators, a wire height equivalent to the height of the conductors and insulators, and a wire length which is measured in a longitudinal direction orthogonal to the wire width and the wire height, wherein the wire length is one or more orders of magnitude greater than the wire width and the wire height; and a first device comprising a plurality of bond pads spaced to define a bond pad pitch, wherein the flexible wire assembly is coupled to the first device at the bond pads such that spacing of the conductor conductors is matched to the bond pad pitch.

Abstract: A flooring system having a top floor layer, a sub-floor, and an underlayment material disposed between the sub-floor and the top floor layer is disclosed. The underlayment material may include a cross-linked, polyolefin foam having a moisture vapor transmission rate of less than about 3.0 lb/1000 ft2/24 hr, and an average sound pressure level of less than about 15 dB over a range of about 300 Hz to about 1000 Hz. Foam density, gel fraction, and resin blend may combine to provide an underlayment material having such reflective sound and moisture vapor barrier properties.

Abstract: An electroosmotic pump comprises a plurality of membranes comprising one or more positive electroosmotic membranes and one or more negative electroosmotic membranes, a plurality of electrodes comprising cathodes and anodes, and a power source. Each of the positive electroosmotic membranes and negative electroosmotic membranes are disposed alternatively and wherein at least one of the cathodes is disposed on one side of one of the membranes and at least one of the anodes is disposed on other side of the membrane. At least one of the cathodes or anodes is disposed between a positive electroosmotic membrane and negative electroosmotic membrane.

Abstract: A method of actuating a valve, comprises operatively coupling the valve with an electroosmotic pump; flowing a fluid through the electroosmotic pump; and generating a fluidic pressure of at least 0.75 PSI to actuate the valve, wherein the electroosmotic pump comprises one or more thin, porous, positive electroosmotic membranes and one or more thin porous, negative electroosmotic membranes; a plurality of electrodes comprising cathodes and anodes, and a power source; wherein each of the positive and negative electroosmotic membranes are disposed alternatively and wherein at least one of the cathodes is disposed on one side of one of the membranes and at least one of the anodes is disposed on the other side of the membrane and wherein at least one of the cathodes or anodes is disposed between a positive and a negative electroosmotic membrane.

Abstract: A flooring system having a top floor layer, a sub-floor, and an underlayment material disposed between the sub-floor and the top floor layer is disclosed. The underlayment material may include a cross-linked, polyolefin foam having a moisture vapor transmission rate of less than about 3.0 lb/1000 ft2/24 hr, and an average sound pressure level of less than about 15 dB over a range of about 300 Hz to about 1000 Hz. Foam density, gel fraction, and resin blend may combine to provide an underlayment material having such reflective sound and moisture vapor barrier properties.

Abstract: A flat panel X-ray detector that comprises an X-ray panel and a scintillator layer disposed on a first surface of the X-ray panel, is disclosed herein. The flat panel X-ray detector further comprises a hermetic cover that covers the scintillator layer. The hermetic cover comprises a top surface and at least one sidewall extending away from the top surface. The flat panel X-ray detector further comprises a solder seal disposed between the hermetic cover and the X-ray panel. A rim of the sidewall is substantially embedded within the solder seal such that the rim does not directly contact the X-ray panel. A method for fabricating a flat panel X-ray detector is also disclosed.

Abstract: A flat panel X-ray detector that comprises an X-ray panel and a scintillator layer disposed on a first surface of the X-ray panel, is disclosed herein. The flat panel X-ray detector further comprises a hermetic cover that covers the scintillator layer. The hermetic cover comprises a top surface and at least one sidewall extending away from the top surface. The flat panel X-ray detector further comprises a solder seal disposed between the hermetic cover and the X-ray panel. A rim of the sidewall is substantially embedded within the solder seal such that the rim does not directly contact the X-ray panel. A method for fabricating a flat panel X-ray detector is also disclosed.

Abstract: A flooring system having a top floor layer, a sub-floor, and an underlayment material disposed between the sub-floor and the top floor layer is disclosed. The underlayment material may include a cross-linked, polyolefin foam having a moisture vapor transmission rate of less than about 3.0 lb/1000 ft2/24 hr, and an average sound pressure level of less than about 15 dB over a range of about 300 Hz to about 1000 Hz. Foam density, gel fraction, and resin blend may combine to provide an underlayment material having such reflective sound and moisture vapor barrier properties.

Abstract: A flooring system may comprise a top floor layer, a subfloor, and/or an underlayment material disposed between the sub-floor and the top floor layer. The top floor layer may include a plurality of luxury vinyl tiles, configured such that respective tile joints may be formed between adjacent luxury vinyl tiles. The underlayment material may comprise a cross-linked, polyolefin foam. The composition of the underlayment material may be such that the tile joints between the adjacent luxury vinyl tiles may bend by less than about 45 degrees over a twelve hour period when 3.1 pounds per square inch (psi) of pressure is applied. The underlayment material may have a compressive creep of less than fifty percent of an original thickness associated with the underlayment material at a load of 3.1 psi and/or a compressive strength of more than 15 psi.

Abstract: A method and system for data recovery in a parallel database system in which data stored in the database has been corrupted by a transaction or operation. Transaction log files corresponding to each node of the parallel database are scanned to determine an operation that caused the corruption of the stored data. Information corresponding to the corrupted data before the operation causing the corruption is then generated based on the scanned transaction log. The operation responsible for corrupting the data is then rolled back, and the corrupted data is replaced with the original data stored in the database prior to the corruption.

Abstract: A flooring system having a top floor layer, a sub-floor, and an underlayment material disposed between the sub-floor and the top floor layer is disclosed. The underlayment material may include a cross-linked, polyolefin foam having a moisture vapor transmission rate of less than about 3.0 lb/1000 ft2/24 hr, and an average sound pressure level of less than about 15 dB over a range of about 300 Hz to about 1000 Hz. Foam density, gel fraction, and resin blend may combine to provide an underlayment material having such reflective sound and moisture vapor barrier properties.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for balancing a network load are provided. A control attribute that allows a system operator to prioritize upstream and downstream channel loading conditions relative to each other for load balancing decisions is used to balance the network load.

Abstract: A flooring system having a top floor layer, a sub-floor, and an underlayment material disposed between the sub-floor and the top floor layer is disclosed. The underlayment material may include a cross-linked, polyolefin foam having a moisture vapor transmission rate of less than about 3.0 lb/1000 ft2/24 hr, and an average sound pressure level of less than about 15 dB over a range of about 300 Hz to about 1000 Hz. Foam density, gel fraction, and resin blend may combine to provide an underlayment material having such reflective sound and moisture vapor barrier properties.

Abstract: A flooring system having a top floor layer, a sub-floor, and an underlayment material disposed between the sub-floor and the top floor layer is disclosed. The underlayment material may include a cross-linked, polyolefin foam having a moisture vapor transmission rate of less than about 3.0 lb/1000 ft2/24 hr, and an average sound pressure level of less than about 15 dB over a range of about 300 Hz to about 1000 Hz. The foam may have a compressive strength of at least about 0.85 kg/cm2. Foam density, gel fraction, and resin blend may combine to provide an underlayment material having such reflective sound and moisture vapor barrier properties.

Abstract: There may be provided a hard-to-reach fracture applicator strap assembly (10). The assembly (10) includes a bottom portion (12); a stiffener (20) in contact with the bottom portion (12); a large pouch portion (16) in contact with the stiffener (20); a small pouch portion (18) in contact with the stiffener (20); and a top portion (14) in contact with at least one of the large pouch portion (16) and the small pouch portion (18).

Abstract: The invention provides a system for maintaining approval criteria of one or more accounts as determined by an account holder, said system including a server capable of maintaining the approval criteria of an account over its lifecycle, a server capable of determining whether a transaction against an account is permissible based on a set of account holder selected approval criteria, an interface accessible over a local or wide area network configured to permit an issuer system to request permission to proceed with its own authorization processing upon receipt of an authorization request against an account, an interface accessible over a local or wide area network configured to permit an account holder or an authorized account operator to instruct the server to allow or disallow transactions based on the variable approval criteria selected by the account holder, and a system for authenticating a user prior to permitting operations to be processed on the server in response to commands from the account holder.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for sending money, locally or internationally, which method includes the steps of, issuing a sender of money with a virtual (credit or debit) card number and a card expiry date, communicating to the intended recipient of the money the virtual card number and card expiry date, presenting the virtual card number and, optionally, the card expiry date, to any merchant with a point-of-sale terminal that is capable of processing credit and/or debit card transactions, processing a key-entered purchase or cash-back transaction, on the point-of sale terminal by keying in the virtual card number provided by the recipient into the point-of-sale, optionally together with the card expiry date and the amount, processing, also known as authorizing, settling and clearing, with a virtual card system, the key-entered transaction by credit and/or debit card transaction clearing means so that the funds are cleared as available to the merchant, and the merchant paying the cleared amount

Abstract: A system and method of providing multiple participants with a centrally accessible content portal for geographic point of interest (POI) data, for subsequent use in creating map-based or spatial applications. Different entities can dynamically upload, update, retrieve, and use digital map and POI data. Additional features include the ability to handle the large amounts of POI data needed by multiple Application Developers, including data that is dynamic, or frequently changing; the ability to update POI attribute information and deliver it to the Application Developers; the ability to associate multiple points of entry (POE) with a POI, and to aggregate data from multiple Content Providers; and the use of a common geocoding engine and common digital map reference across all Content Providers, which ensures the consistency of the geocoding throughout all the POI data.