Abstract: A vacuum nozzle system has a vacuum nozzle with an inlet opening for engaging a surface to be vacuumed and an outlet opening for connection to a vacuum supply hose. The inlet opening is delimited by a circumferential end face. The nozzle defining a vacuum flow direction from the inlet opening to the outlet opening. A holder bracket has a holder for holding the nozzle. The holder is disposed downstream of the end face in a vacuum flow in the vacuum flow direction when the nozzle is in a retained position on the holder bracket.

Abstract: An overmoded dielectric-lined waveguide, particularly for the 0.03 to 3 terahertz frequency range, is disclosed with performance advantages relative to prior dielectric-lined waveguides, cost and size advantages relative to corrugated waveguides, and with coupling, bandwidth, and cost advantages relative to micro-structured-fiber waveguides. It comprises a single-clad flexible microwave laminate rolled into a cylinder with its copper surface outward and its dielectric surface facing inward. The rolled laminate is supported inside a metal tube. The same method of achieving the structure needed for efficient guiding of HE11 mode may be applied to a conical tube to make a low-cost efficient overmoded tapered waveguide transition for the 0.03-3 THz range.

Abstract: A valvuloplasty catheter comprises a balloon or other expansible shell which carries a plurality of scoring elements, typically formed in an elastic, self-closing metal cage. The expansible shell and scoring elements are positioned inside an aortic or other cardiac valve, and the shell expanded to engage the scoring elements against stenotic material which covers the valve leaflets and valve annulus. The scoring elements uniformly distributed force to break up the stenotic material, and the cage further contributes to rapid balloon deflation allowing shortening of the treatment time.

Abstract: A tunable millimeter-wave (mmw) DNP probe head is disclosed that is compatible with efficient H/X/Y/e? DNP in samples that may have volume large compared to ?03, where ?0 is the free-space wavelength at the frequency fe of the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) when placed in an external polarizing field B0, where B0 is typically in the range of 6.5 T to 35 T, corresponding to fe in the range of 180-1000 GHz, and corresponding to proton resonance frequency fH in the range of 280 MHz to 1500 MHz. The probe head comprises a tune cavity of adjustable volume, a sample cavity that is large compared to the sample wavelength, a tapered conical feed transition filled with a high dielectric material at the small end, and a selectively reflective wall that is substantially reflective of electromagnetic radiation at fe but substantially transparent to electromagnetic radiation at fH.

Abstract: A valvuloplasty catheter comprises a balloon or other expansible shell which carries a plurality of scoring elements, typically formed in an elastic, self-closing metal cage. The expansible shell and scoring elements are positioned inside an aortic or other cardiac valve, and the shell expanded to engage the scoring elements against stenotic material which covers the valve leaflets and valve annulus. The scoring elements uniformly distributed force to break up the stenotic material, and the cage further contributes to rapid balloon deflation allowing shortening of the treatment time.

Abstract: A tunable millimeter-wave (mmw) DNP probe head is disclosed that is compatible with efficient H/X/Y/e? DNP in samples that may have volume large compared to ?03, where ?0 is the free-space wavelength at the frequency fe of the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) when placed in an external polarizing field B0, where B0 is typically in the range of 6.5 T to 35 T, corresponding to fe in the range of 180-1000 GHz, and corresponding to proton resonance frequency fH in the range of 280 MHz to 1500 MHz. The probe head comprises a tune cavity of adjustable volume, a sample cavity that is large compared to the sample wavelength, a tapered conical feed transition filled with a high dielectric material at the small end, and a selectively reflective wall that is substantially reflective of electromagnetic radiation at fe but substantially transparent to electromagnetic radiation at fH.

Abstract: A valvuloplasty catheter comprises a balloon or other expansible shell which carries a plurality of scoring elements, typically formed in an elastic, self-closing metal cage. The expansible shell and scoring elements are positioned inside an aortic or other cardiac valve, and the shell expanded to engage the scoring elements against stenotic material which covers the valve leaflets and valve annulus. The scoring elements uniformly distributed force to break up the stenotic material, and the cage further contributes to rapid balloon deflation allowing shortening of the treatment time.

Abstract: A valvuloplasty catheter comprises a balloon or other expansible shell which carries a plurality of scoring elements, typically formed in an elastic, self-dosing metal cage. The expansible shell and scoring elements are positioned inside an aortic or other cardiac valve, and the shell expanded to engage the scoring elements against stenotic material which covers the valve leaflets and valve annulus. The scoring elements uniformly districuted force to break up the stenotic material, and the cage further contributes to rapid balloon deflation allowing shortening of the treatment time.

Abstract: An improved method of supplying pressurized cold gas consistently of predominately N2 and He at low flow rate (typically under 1 g/s) with a desired N2 liquid fraction to an instrument requiring such is disclosed. Pressurized ultra-dry nitrogen gas of a controlled mass-flow rate is cooled inside fine coils bathed in liquid nitrogen to condense it to a vapor fraction less than about 20% and typically under 3%. A second gas stream consisting of predominately nitrogen plus helium, supplied from a controlled pressure, is cooled in a separate set of coils to an exit mean temperature significantly above the temperature of saturated nitrogen vapor in this mixture. The fluid from the first (condensed) mixture is injected into the cooled gas from the second mixture and transferred through a thermally insulated line to the input of the instrument needing a supply of cold gas of a target vapor fraction.

Abstract: Data is accessed and updated in a data store at a field granularity. A user query specifies one or more non-unique fields of a record. The query is sent to a data store to retrieve the fields of the record at a field granularity, in satisfaction of the query. The fields of the record can also be modified by transmitting a record ID along with original content, while omitting some of the record data, and by also including the modification to be made.

Abstract: An improved method of supplying pressurized cold gas consistently of predominately N2 and He at low flow rate (typically under 1 g/s) with a desired N2 liquid fraction to an instrument requiring such is disclosed. Pressurized ultra-dry nitrogen gas of a controlled mass-flow rate is cooled inside fine coils bathed in liquid nitrogen to condense it to a vapor fraction less than about 20% and typically under 3%. A second gas stream consisting of predominately nitrogen plus helium, supplied from a controlled pressure, is cooled in a separate set of coils to an exit mean temperature significantly above the temperature of saturated nitrogen vapor in this mixture. The fluid from the first (condensed) mixture is injected into the cooled gas from the second mixture and transferred through a thermally insulated line to the input of the instrument needing a supply of cold gas of a target vapor fraction.

Abstract: A valvuloplasty catheter comprises a balloon or other expansible shell which carries a plurality of scoring elements, typically formed in an elastic, self-closing metal cage. The expansible shell and scoring elements are positioned inside an aortic or other cardiac valve, and the shell expanded to engage the scoring elements against stenotic material which covers the valve leaflets and valve annulus. The scoring elements uniformly distributed force to break up the stenotic material, and the cage further contributes to rapid balloon deflation allowing shortening of the treatment time.

Abstract: A valvuloplasty catheter comprises a balloon or other expansible shell which carries a plurality of scoring elements, typically formed in an elastic, self-closing metal cage. The expansible shell and scoring elements are positioned inside an aortic or other cardiac valve, and the shell expanded to engage the scoring elements against stenotic material which covers the valve leaflets and valve annulus. The scoring elements uniformly distributed force to break up the stenotic material, and the cage further contributes to rapid balloon deflation allowing shortening of the treatment time.

Abstract: The integration of two runtimes. The integration may be accomplished via the sharing of all or a portion of the environments of each of the runtimes with each other. For instance, as one runtime executes a particular application, control may be passed at an appropriate point to the second runtime. The second runtime may pass control back to the first runtime at an appropriate time. This passing of control between runtimes may happen perhaps a number of times during the execution of the application. The applications might be expressed entirely declaratively in a manner that integrates both runtimes as the application executes. Thus, the application may take advantage of the strengths of each runtime at the appropriate time.

Abstract: Intravascular devices and a method of delivering at least one therapeutic agent. The device includes an elongate element with proximal and distal portions and at least first and second lumens provided therein. The first lumen is adapted for delivering at least one therapeutic agent. The second lumen is adapted for allowing fluid therethrough. An expandable member is disposed adjacent to the distal portion of the elongate element. At least one tip cut is provided in a distal tip portion of the elongate element. The at least one tip cut is adapted for providing flexibility to the elongate element. The method includes providing an elongate element. Spacing of at least one tip cut is varied during positioning of the elongate element within a vessel. The vessel is occluded with the elongate element. The at least one therapeutic agent is delivered to tissue adjacent the occluded vessel.

Abstract: Data is accessed and updated in a data store at a field granularity. A user query specifies one or more non-unique fields of a record. The query is sent to a data store to retrieve the fields of the record at a field granularity, in satisfaction of the query. The fields of the record can also be modified by transmitting a record ID along with original content, while omitting some of the record data, and by also including the modification to be made.

Abstract: Accessing data in a data store at a field granularity. A method includes receiving a query from a user. The query specifies one or more non-unique fields of a record. The method further includes sending the query to a data store to retrieve the fields of the record at a field granularity. The method further includes receiving data for the one or more non-unique fields of the record at a field granularity.

Abstract: A valvuloplasty catheter comprises a balloon or other expansible shell which carries a plurality of scoring elements, typically formed in an elastic, self-closing metal cage. The expansible shell and scoring elements are positioned inside an aortic or other cardiac valve, and the shell expanded to engage the scoring elements against stenotic material which covers the valve leaflets and valve annulus. The scoring elements uniformly distributed force to break up the stenotic material, and the cage further contributes to rapid balloon deflation allowing shortening of the treatment time.

Abstract: A liquid-loop compound recuperator is disclosed for high-? heat exchange between a first shell-side fluid stream and a second shell-side fluid stream of similar thermal capacity rates (W/K). The compound recuperator is comprised of at least two fluid-to-liquid (FL) recuperator modules for transfer of heat from a shell-side fluid, usually a gas, to an intermediary tube-side heat transfer liquid (HTL). Each FL module includes a plurality of thermally isolated, serially connected, adjacent exchanger cores inside a pressure vessel. The cores are rows of finned tubes for cross-flow transfer of heat, and they are arranged in series to effectively achieve counterflow exchange between the HTL and the shell-side stream. The HTL may be water, an organic liquid, a molten alloy, or a molten salt. Alumina-dispersion-strengthened-metal fins, superalloy tubes, and a lead-bismuth-tin alloy HTL may be used for high temperatures. Cumene may be used as the HTL in cryogenic applications.

Abstract: A Renewable Fischer Tropsch Synthesis (RFTS) process is disclosed for producing hydrocarbons and alcohol fuels from wind energy, waste CO2 and water. The process includes (A) electrolyzing water to generate hydrogen and oxygen, (B) generating syngas in a reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reactor, (C) driving the RWGS reaction to the right by condensing water from the RWGS products and separating CO using a CuAlCl4-aromatic complexing method, (D) using a compressor with variable stator nozzles, (E) carrying out the FTS reactions in a high-temperature multi-tubular reactor, (F) separating the FTS products using high-pressure fractional condensation, (G) separating CO2 from product streams for recycling through the RWGS reactor, and (H) using control methods to maintain the temperatures of the reactors, electrolyzer, and condensers at optima that are functions of the flow rate. The RFTS process may also include heat engines, a refrigeration cycle utilizing compressed oxygen, and a dual-source organic Rankine cycle.