Abstract: An electrical contact structure distributes current along a length thereof. The electrical contact structure includes a plurality of n metal rectangles on n levels of metal. The rectangle on one metal level is at least as wide in width and vertically covers in width the rectangle on the metal level immediately below. The rectangle on one metal level is shorter in length than and substantially aligned at a first end with the rectangle on the metal level immediately below. Rectangle first ends are substantially aligned. Features of an exemplary FET transistor of this invention are a source and drain terminal electrical contact structure, a multi-level metal ring connecting gate rectangles on both ends, and a wider-than-minimum gate-to-gate spacing. The invention is useful, for example, in an electromigration-compliant, high performance transistor.

Abstract: A method is provided for testing a trading system having a verification subsystem and trading environments. Each of the environments has a network interface, memory, and a matching engine executed by a processor. The method includes retrieving, by the verification subsystem, at least one defined use case. Each defined use case includes command lines. The method also includes parsing the command lines based on defined parsing rules to produce parsed command lines. Each parsed command line includes a verb specifying financial transactions. Each parsed command line also includes data fields. The method further includes mapping the verb and fields of each command line based on defined mapping relationships to generate a test case. The method also includes executing the test case to generate messages to be executed by the trading system. The method also includes reading parameters of the trading system for comparison to specified validation values.

Abstract: Controlling the formation of crystalline hydrates in various fluid systems, most notably, gas and oil transmission pipeline systems by contacting the systems with certain polymers or polymers associated with solid particles. The polymers useful are chelating polymers capable of interacting with charged gaseous molecules such as carbon dioxide, by removing the carbon dioxide, or more practically by scavenging for the carbon dioxide, to prevent the methane or ethane hydrate structures from forming since they require carbon dioxide to stabilize their structures.

Abstract: Methods of treating flowback water from a subterranean formation penetrated by a well bore are provided, comprising: (a) providing remediated flowback water having a ferrous iron (Fe+2) ion concentration of less than about 100 milligrams of ferrous iron ion per liter of flowback water, a barium ion (Ba+2) concentration of less than about 500 milligrams of barium ion per liter of flowback water, and a calcium ion (Ca+) concentration of at least about 1,000 milligrams of calcium ion per liter of remediated flowback water; and (b) treating the flowback water with: (i) at least one friction reducing agent; and (ii) at least one scale formation inhibiting agent and/or at least one iron precipitation control agent to provide treated flowback water which can be reused as fracturing fluid in a well drilling operation.

Abstract: A transponder-reader payment system includes a fob including a transponder, and a RFID reader for interrogating the transponder. The system may further include a personalization system for populating onto the fob and RFID reader identifying information and security and authentication keys which may be used during mutual authentication of the fob and the reader and for completing a transaction. In exemplary operation, the fob and RFID reader may be personalized, the fob may be presented to the RFID reader for interrogation, the fob and reader may engage in mutual authentication, and fob identifying information may be provided to the reader for transaction completion. In another exemplary embodiment, operation of the transponder-reader payment system may be controlled by an activation circuit. Further, the fob may be responsive to multiple interrogation signals.

Abstract: Compounds of the formula I: or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein X, Y, R1, R2, and R3 are as defined herein. Also disclosed are methods of making the compounds and using the compounds for treatment of diseases associated with the P2X7 purinergic receptor.

Abstract: Internal head vents are usable in nuclear reactors and include piping inside of the reactor pressure vessel with a vent in the reactor upper head. Piping extends downward from the upper head and passes outside of the reactor to permit the gas to escape or be forcibly vented outside of the reactor without external piping on the upper head. The piping may include upper and lowers section that removably mate where the upper head joins to the reactor pressure vessel. The removable mating may include a compressible bellows and corresponding funnel. The piping is fabricated of nuclear-reactor-safe materials, including carbon steel, stainless steel, and/or a Ni—Cr—Fe alloy. Methods install an internal head vent in a nuclear reactor by securing piping to an internal surface of an upper head of the nuclear reactor and/or securing piping to an internal surface of a reactor pressure vessel.

Abstract: A cochlear stimulation device comprising an electrode array designed to provide enhanced charge injection capacity necessary for neural stimulation. The electrode array comprises electrodes with high surface area or a fractal geometry and correspondingly high electrode capacitance and low electrical impedance. The resultant electrodes have a robust surface and sufficient mechanical strength to withstand physical stress vital for long term stability. The device further comprises wire traces having a multilayer structure which provides a reduced width for the conducting part of the electrode array. The cochlear prosthesis is attached by a grommet to the cochleostomy that is made from a single piece of biocompatible polymer. The device, designed to achieve optimum neural stimulation by appropriate electrode design, is a significant improvement over commercially available hand-built devices.

Abstract: A neutron emitting assembly, which is useful in nuclear reactors and other industrial applications, is made of a major amount of beryllium encapsulating a minor amount of 252Cf, which can be placed in a capsule having end plugs and a holding spring.

Abstract: An electronic device housing including a relatively thin and stiff support plate and including a relatively thick and low-density edge frame is described. The support plate may be composed of a composite material, such as carbon-fiber reinforced polymer or aluminum metal matrix composite, and the edge frame may be composed of a foam material, such as closed-cell aluminum foam.

Abstract: Novel phosphorescent tetradentate platinum (II) compounds comprising a twisted aryl group are provided. Also provided are novel phosphorescent tetradentate platinum (II) compounds comprising an imidazo[1,2-f]phenanthridine moiety. The compounds may be used in organic light emitting devices to provide improved device efficiency, line shape and lifetime.

Abstract: A method of forming an integrated circuit structure includes: forming a vent via extending through a shallow trench isolation (STI) and into a substrate; selectively removing an exposed portion of the substrate at a bottom of the vent via to form an opening within the substrate, wherein the opening within the substrate abuts at least one of a bottom surface or a sidewall of the STI; and sealing the vent via to form an air gap in the opening within the substrate.

Abstract: A pen tool for use with a machine vision interactive input system comprises an elongate body and a tip arrangement at one end of the body, an end surface of the body at least partially about the tip arrangement carrying light reflective material that is visible to at least one imaging assembly of the interactive input system when the pen tool is angled.

Abstract: A method for communicating media between a host and a display system. In one embodiment the method comprises acquiring, by the host and via a wireless connection between the host and the display system, display information of the display system; generating, by the host, an image sequence at a resolution and a frame rate, the resolution and the frame rate determined from the display information; communicating, from the host to the display system and via the wireless connection, an encoding of the image sequence; and displaying, by the display system, a decoding of the encoding.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a feature is an aspect of a class which represents information, data, behaviors, or capabilities encapsulated by the class. An accessing class may be given access to one or more specified features encapsulated by an accessed class, without gaining access to other features encapsulated by the accessed class. Accordingly, special access may be granted only to the behavior and data specifically designed for the accessing class, without allowing the accessing class access to all private data and behaviors of the accessed class, and without allowing all classes in a package access to the accessed class.

Abstract: A fiber optic cable comprises a jacket defining an outer peripheral surface and a radial thickness terminating at an inner periphery defining a surface, a multiplicity of optical fibers which are enclosed by and extend longitudinally through the jacket within the volume defined by the inner periphery of the jacket, and a plurality of plugs longitudinally spaced within the jacket, where each of the plugs envelops the optical fibers along a fixed longitudinal extent while being closely adjacent he surface defined by the inner periphery of the jacket. The system may further comprise the plugs being of a silicone-based material, and absorbent material disposed within the jacket between the plugs.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for an electronic device such as a field effect transistor. One embodiment includes fabrication of an FET utilizing single walled carbon nanotubes as the semiconducting material. In one embodiment, the FETs are vertical arrangements of SWCNTs, and in some embodiments prepared within porous anodic alumina (PAA). Various embodiments pertain to different methods for fabricating the drains, sources, and gates.

Abstract: A sheet scanner comprises a sheet inlet on a front side, a scanned sheet outlet on a rear side, and a deflector to direct scanned sheets from the outlet towards the front side of the scanner, over the top cover thereof, and further comprises a stopper on the top cover, at the front side of the scanner and above the sheet inlet, to temporarily restrain the leading edge of a scanned sheet such that the sheet advances and folds over itself and beyond the stopper, the leading edge being released from the stopper when the sheet folded over itself and beyond the stopper pulls it downwards.