Abstract: Carpet tiles having patterns and color schemes that obviate the need to orient the tiles relative to each other. The tiles exhibit orthogonal ambiguity, meaning that they may be laid in any side-by-side orientation with respect to adjacent tiles without looking out of place to the ordinary viewer and thereby still achieving an appearance of continuity like broadloom carpet. Each tile has patterns of shapes having some straight sides and that appear to be randomly positioned but oriented with some straight sides parallel to carpet tile sides. The shapes are formed from a color or combination of colors so that adjacent shapes on each tile have at least one color in common. Furthermore, each tile has at least one color in common with every other tile, so that when the tiles are laid, the colors on adjacent tiles coordinate. All of the colors have similar intensities so that no one color will significantly stand out from the other colors.

Abstract: The x-ray crystal structure of human BACE or BACE-like proteins is useful for solving the structure of other molecules or molecular complexes, and identifying and/or designing potential modifiers of human BACE activity.

Abstract: The present invention provides a crystal of human beta-secretase (BACE) having monoclinic space group symmetry C2, in a representative example, comprising a unit cell having dimensions of a, b, and c, wherein a is about 53 ? to about 103 ?, b is about 85 ? to about 125 ?, c is about 40 ? to about 60 ?, and ?=?=90°, and ? is about 85° to about 105°, and in a preferred example, comprising unit cell dimensions as follows: a is 73.1 ?, b is 105.1 ?, c is 50.5 ?, and ?=?=90°, and ? is 94.8, wherein the Matthews coefficient of said crystal is 2.1 ?/Da with 42% solvent, and wherein said crystal diffracts to 1.7 ? resolution.

Abstract: A swellable polymer gel composition for use in subterranean formations. The composition comprises water, a water soluble polymer, a water soluble crosslinking system and a swelling agent. The crosslinking system may be either a redox system or a chelating system. The amounts of the polymer and the crosslinking system are effective to form a substantially uniformly reacted tri-dimensional gel structure. To the gel solution, is added a swelling agent in an amount sufficient to increase the volume of the gel a predetermined percentage. The swelling agent may be a natural or a synthetic agent. A strengthening agent may be added to increase the gel strength of the composition. The composition has numerous uses and is particularly useful in oil industry applications such as plugging wells, sealing casing leaks and reducing water production from water-bearing hydrocarbon formations.

Abstract: An alley for processing animals such as cattle or buffaloes is described which includes a pair of spaced-apart alleys at the entrance end of the alley and a single alley at the exit end of the pair of alleys at the entrance end of the alley. The outer side walls of the alleys are easily adjusted to vary the width thereof thereby enabling the alley to accommodate animals of different sizes. Rear-up prevention device mechanisms are also provided in each of the alleys to prevent the animals from raring up and falling over backwards. The alley may be either portable or stationary.

Abstract: An impact resistant tilt window assembly includes a window frame with side jambs that have legs that extend in the direction of the exterior of the frame, an upper sash, a lower sash that moves vertically and tilts inwardly and tilt latch assemblies that are positioned on the lower sash, each tilt latch assembly includes a latch bolt with a nose end that includes a notch that is sized to engage the associated jamb leg when the lower sash is in a vertical orientation. The notch has an interior leg that moves along an interior side of the jamb leg and an exterior leg that extends behind an exterior side of the jamb leg and moves along the jamb leg when the sash moves vertically. The window assembly may further include U-shaped reinforcing inserts that are positioned within the jambs such that the tilt latch assemblies engage the inserts when the lower sash is in the closed position.

Abstract: A dispensing device (1) for separately storing two substances, adapted to dispense and apply proportional amounts of said substances, said device (1) comprising a longitudinal axis (3) about which two receptacles (4, 4?), composed of a flexible material, are disposed, each receptacle (4, 4?), containing one of said two substances and comprising an outlet (5) through winch said substance can be squeezed, said dispensing device (1) being adapted to be folded about the longitudinal axis (3).

Abstract: A high structural load window sash latch includes a load applying housing wrap that extends around the interior face of a window sash. The housing wrap transfers the majority of positive forces incident upon the sash to a latch housing, where the forces are transferred to a latch bolt and then to the window jamb. Further, two load-bearing screws also secure the latch housing to the sash, while a hold down screw prevents the housing from lifting.

Abstract: A method for predicting water clarity at a plurality of water depths for a location including providing training data to a neural network, the training data representative of water measurements at the location, thereafter receiving inputs including temperature, salinity, tidal information, water depth, and sediment data, and generating values for optical attenuation at a wavelength at a plurality of depths. In one embodiment, a default cloudy day algorithm operates at all times and a clear sky algorithm operates only when clear satellite images are available.

Abstract: A software mediated and enabled word game comprising the steps of turning a plurality of letter tiles upside down with each letter tile having a single letter on one side thereof. The software then randomly determines which player goes first, and each player then draws a single letter tile until each player can form a three letter word composed of a plurality of letters. Points are scored for the first player to form a word. The players then take turns guessing the word that another player has by making a guess of a three letter word with each guess responded to by the answer ‘odd’ or ‘even’ corresponding to either an odd or even number of correct letters guessed respectively. Points are scored for the player who correctly guessed the word.

Abstract: A ball hitting training device is disclosed for allowing a user to practice swinging a bat at a ball. The ball hitting training device includes a base assembly for resting on a support surface. A ball support assembly supports a ball to be struck by a bat swung by the user to allow the user to practice swinging the bat. The ball support assembly is coupled to the stanchion member of the stanchion assembly.

Abstract: A carpet web and a method of forming a carpet web having a striped pattern and color scheme that permits carpet tiles cut from the web to be installed without regard to relative tile positions and without visibly disrupting the pattern, but rather maintaining the appearance of a broadloom web. The web pattern includes parallel stripes having varying widths and longitudinal discontinuities. The stripes are formed with at least two colors or two shades of a color. The tiles are positionally ambiguous in that they need not be located on the floor in the same position they occupied in the web for the flooring installation to exhibit the desired uniform appearance. Instead, the tiles may be shuffled and laid in any side-by-side or top-to-bottom orientation (provided that uniform rotational orientation is maintained among the tiles) with respect to adjacent tiles without looking out of place to the ordinary viewer and without emphasizing the modularity of the flooring.

Abstract: A storage phosphor reader. The reader comprises a first roller pair, a cylindrical scan platen, a guide member, and a holding member. The first roller pair transport a storage phosphor medium along a path in a first direction. The cylindrical scan platen supports the medium as it is scanned by a scanner. The guide member is disposed intermediate the first roller pair and the scan platen for guiding the medium to the scan platen. The holding member is disposed downstream of the scan platen for contacting the medium after it is scanned.

Abstract: Improved host I/O performance and availability of a storage array during rebuild is obtained by prioritizing I/O requests. In one embodiment, rebuild I/O requests are given priority over host I/O requests when the storage array is close to permanently losing data (for example, failure of one more particular disk in the storage array would result in data loss). Rebuild I/O requests continue to have priority over host I/O requests until the storage array is no longer close to permanently losing data, at which point host I/O requests are given priority over rebuild I/O requests.

Abstract: A valve system for an internal combustion engine, including an actuator assembly having a plurality of coil assemblies arranged in a substantially stacked configuration, each coil assembly including a support made of an electrically insulative material, an electrically conductive coil positioned about the support and placeable in electrical communication with a source of electrical power, and a magnetic material substantially surrounding the electrically conductive coil; a piston assembly including a non-magnetic plunger and a plurality of magnets and flux conduits arranged in a substantially stacked and alternating configuration on the plunger; and a valve member attached to the piston assembly.

Abstract: A storage device is configured with one or more processes that receive, process, and pass on jobs from a source. The number of jobs received by a process is compared with the number of jobs completed and/or passed on by the process. If the number of jobs that are received is disproportionate to the number of jobs completed and/or passed on by the process, a hang may exist and a corrective action, such as resetting, may be performed along with a request for all or some of the jobs to be resent.

Abstract: A cassette handling apparatus of a storage phosphor reader, which is used for reading a latent image stored in a storage phosphor contained in a cassette. The cassette handling apparatus includes: a cassette platen and front plate for receiving a cassette having a storage phosphor; a cassette centering guide mechanism for centering a received cassette on the cassette platen; a cassette feed mechanism for moving a received cassette into contact with the front plate; and a storage phosphor feed mechanism for feeding a storage phosphor out of a received cassette into the storage phosphor reader for processing.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a mechanical adapter may be used to couple a first circuit board (e.g., a motherboard) to a second circuit board (e.g., a daughtercard) in a module. The mechanical adapter may have a mounting portion and a configurable portion. In some embodiments, the mounting portion may be similar for multiple configurations of the mechanical adapter. In various embodiments, the motherboard may be similar for different modules. For example, the mechanical adapter may be configured to mount a specific type of daughtercard in the configurable portion, while the mounting portion may be similar to mounting portions on other mechanical adapters with different configurations for different daughtercards (e.g., the motherboard may be similar for each of the different configurations). Therefore, in various embodiments, a common mounting portion may mate to a common motherboard configuration for different products each configured to mount a different daughtercard.