Abstract: A system and method for Internet protocol (IP) address discovery in a rapidly changing network environment is presented. A server and a client use an adaptive discovery polling process to determine an optimum heartbeat interval that minimizes network traffic and allows the server to monitor the client's source address. The client and server exchange discovery poll messages and heartbeat messages at varying time intervals in order to identify a computer network's timeout period or a network address translator's message block timeout period. Once the timeout period is identified, the client sends heartbeat messages to the server at an “optimum heartbeat interval” that is less than the identified timeout period in order to maintain the network connection. As a result, the server is able to send messages to the client without delay.

Abstract: A person can use a portable electronic device to electronically purchase or otherwise request a product, service or other deliverable related to audio programming to which the person is listening at the time they initiate the request. The request is fulfilled by a service that analyzes the audio content to identify the deliverable the person desires.

Abstract: The invention includes an interpositional arthrosplasty implant adapted to be retained in position in apposition to ajoint surface, at least in part, by surrounding healthy tissue. In some embodiments the implant comprises a knee implant. The implant can include one or more structural features adapted to be fixedly positioned within and/or in apposition to the natural meniscus.

Abstract: Devices are provided for removing impurities from a fluid recovered from a subterranean environment. An example of a device for removing an inorganic impurity from a recovered fluid includes: a housing; a filter media, the filter media comprising an adsorbent material and being contained within the housing; and at least one connection to the housing so that the recovered fluid may enter the housing in at least one entrance and exit the housing out of at least one exit.

Abstract: Processes are provided for removing impurities from a fluid recovered from a subterranean environment. An example of a process for removing an inorganic impurity from a recovered fluid includes providing a filter media, the filter media comprising an adsorbent material; flowing the recovered fluid that comprises the inorganic impurity through the filter media; and removing at least a portion of the inorganic impurity from the recovered fluid to form a filtered fluid.

Abstract: A tire tread has at least three rows of tread elements, each tread element in the at rows has at least one sipe and at least one sipe in each tread element row has a tie bar therein. Each tie bar in the sipes has a volume, and the volume of the sipe tie bar in each tread element in each row is not more than 10% different than the volume of the sipe tie bar in each tread element in any other tread row. Several of the tread rows have transverse grooves having groove tie bars therein.

Abstract: A plasma arc torch is provided having a tubular member defining a bore extending axially between opposing ends, and nozzle engaged with one end. A movable member carries an electrode, moves axially along the bore, and is biased toward the one end axially outward of the bore. A piston member engaged with the movable member is configured to selectively move the electrode between a torch inoperable and a torch operable position within the bore. A fluid flow inlet is configured to channel a fluid flow into the bore. A sealing member operably engaged with the movable member is configured to allow the fluid flow to act upon the piston member to move the electrode to the torch operable position when the nozzle is operably engaged with the one end of the tubular member, and to prevent the fluid flow from such when the nozzle is not so operably engaged.

Abstract: A plasma torch is provided having a movable member carrying an electrode and movable along a tubular member bore having a nozzle at one end. A piston member engaged with the movable member moves the electrode between inoperable and operable positions within the bore, the movable member being biased outwardly of the one end of the bore. A first sealing member engaged with the piston member allows a fluid flow into the bore to act on the piston member to move the electrode to the operable position when the nozzle/electrode is engaged with the tubular member. A second sealing member, engaged with the bore, engages the piston member when the nozzle/electrode is removed. The fluid flow enters the bore between the sealing members, the second sealing member thus preventing torch operation when the nozzle/electrode is removed by preventing the fluid flow from acting on the piston member.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of treating a subterranean formation comprising providing a viscosified treatment fluid that comprises a base fluid and a gelling agent, providing a breaker composition that comprises an oxidizing breaker and a breaker activator that comprises a metal and a protein, allowing the viscosified treatment fluid to interact with the breaker composition, treating the subterranean formation with the viscosified treatment fluid, and allowing a viscosity of the viscosified treatment fluid to be reduced. Embodiments of the invention also provide methods of reducing the viscosity of a viscosified treatment fluids and methods of activating oxidizing breakers.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention provides a viscosified treatment fluid composition comprising a base fluid, a gelling agent, and a breaker composition that comprises an oxidizing breaker and a breaker activator that comprises a metal and a protein. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a viscosified treatment fluid composition comprising a base fluid, a gelling agent, and a breaker composition that comprises an oxidizing breaker and a breaker activator that comprises iron. In an embodiment, the present invention provides a breaker composition comprising an oxidizing breaker and a breaker activator that comprises a metal and a protein.

Abstract: A method and system for the creation or modification of the wear surface of orthopedic joints, involving the preparation and use of one or more partially or fully preformed components adapted for insertion and placement into the body and at the joint site. The system includes a method and related components and/or devices in the form of a kit that can be used to provide or perform some or all of the steps of: a) preparing a joint to receive an implant, b) determining an appropriate implant size for a particular joint, c) determining an appropriate implant thickness, d) inserting the implant into the joint, and/or e) securing the implant within the joint to a desired extent. One or more of the various components and devices, including optionally one or more implants themselves, can be provided or packaged separately or in varying desired combinations and subcombinations to provide a kit of this invention.

Abstract: A fastening arrangement comprising a thread-forming lobular screw and a member defining a non-tapped pilot hole therein. The screw has a shaft and a head joined to a proximal end of the shaft, the shaft defining a plurality N of lobes circumferentially spaced about a central longitudinal axis of the shaft, a thread being formed on an outer surface of the shaft. The pilot hole comprises a central portion of a diameter intermediate the minor and major diameters of the screw thread, and a plurality N of circumferentially spaced cutouts extending radially out from the central portion. A plurality of longitudinally extending edges parallel to the axis of the screw are defined at junctures between the cutouts and central portion of the pilot hole. The screw thread forms a thread in the member beginning at the longitudinal edges of the pilot hole.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a composition and a kit for the protection, treatment and repair of cartilage in humans and animal joints. The composition or kit contains a combination of unsaponifiable lipids together with one or more of polyphenols and/or catechins. Preferably, the composition or kit contains avocado:soybean unsaponifiables (ASU) and green tea.

Abstract: A plasma torch is provided having a tubular member defining a bore extending axially between first and second ends, and nozzle engaged with the first end. A movable member is engaged in the tubular member bore, and includes a first end disposed toward the nozzle and a second end, with a piston member engaged therewith away from the first end. An electrode has a first portion defining a bore and is received by the movable member first end. The electrode has a second portion extending outwardly from the movable member first end toward the nozzle, and a radially outward-extending medial flange between the first and second portions axially outward of the movable member first end. The electrode is movable between an inoperable position in contact with the nozzle and an operable position separated from the nozzle and the medial flange in contact with the tubular member first end.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to contulakin-G (which is the native glycosylated peptide), a des-glycosylated contulakin-G (termed Thr10-contulakin-G), and derivatives thereof, to a cDNA clone encoding a precursor of this mature peptide and to a precursor peptide. The invention is further directed to the use of this peptide as a therapeutic for anti-seizure, anti-inflammatory, anti-shock, anti-thrombus, hypotensive, analgesia, anti-psychotic, Parkinson's disease, gastrointestinal disorders, depressive states, cognitive dysfunction, anxiety, tardive dyskinesia, drug dependency, panic attack, mania, irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea, ulcer, GI tumors, Tourette's syndrome, Huntington's chorea, vascular leakage, anti-arteriosclerosis, vascular and vasodilation disorders, as well as neurological, neuropharmalogical and neuropsychopharmacological disorders.

Abstract: A method and system for preparing a bone surface, as by smoothing the surface, in preparation for contacting and/or receiving a prosthetic implant. The smoothing system and method are particularly well suited for use with articulating joints, in which a polymeric biomaterial such as polyurethane is implanted and retained upon one (supporting) bone surface, in order to provide a corresponding surface for opposing, articulating bone. Smoothing condylar bone, for instance, can significantly decrease the friction between a the condylar surface, and particularly one that is itself diseased or damaged, and to remove osteophytes and entheseophytes.

Abstract: Improved methods for treating and for fracturing subterranean formations and the fluid compositions are provided. A method presented herein is a method of reducing the viscosity of a viscosified treatment fluid that comprises providing a viscosified treatment fluid that comprises a basic fluid and a gelling agent, providing a breaker composition comprising an oxidizing breaker and a breaker activator that comprises a reducing sugar; and allowing the breaker composition and the viscosified treatment fluid to interact so as to reduce the viscosity of the viscosified treatment fluid.

Abstract: A method of detecting a watermark embedded in a rotated video field is disclosed. The method entails correlating two video tiles in the rotated video field to find relative positions of a watermark. An estimation of an angle of rotation of the video field is performed based on the relative positions of the watermark. The angle of rotation in the rotated video field is estimated by selecting a pair of video tiles, determining a magnitude of a shift in one tile of the pair relative to the other, and calculating the angle of rotation based on the magnitude of the shift and a pre-known width of the video tiles. An expected watermark pattern is then rotated by the estimated angle of rotation, and the rotated expected watermark pattern is used as input to a Symmetric Phase Only Match Filter (SPOMF) system for watermark detection.

Abstract: A self-updating frameset having a target document in one frame and a Table-of-Contents (TOC) document in another frame hyperlinked to the target document. A reference document (RD) field is inserted into the TOC document to identify the target document as the target of the TOC. A TOC field in the TOC document scans the target document to identify selected headings as entries in the TOC document. When the selected headings are identified, the TOC field creates hyperlink entries in the TOC document, each hyperlink entry having a corresponding anchor at a selected heading in the target document. The hyperlink entries in the TOC document can be automatically updated each time the fields in the TOC document are recalculated.

Abstract: A prober for measuring the light output of digital devices integrally formed on a single wafer. The prober includes a light-integrating sphere sequentially aligned with selected devices. Each time that a device is aligned with the sphere, the device aligned with the sphere is activated, so that the light output of each device is individually measured. In the disclosed embodiment, the devices are vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) and light emitting diodes (LEDs).