Abstract: An assembly which comprises (a) a duct (22) for transmission of fluids, said duct having longitudinal axis, (b) at least one emitter (301) capable of exciting a beam of radiation (21) in the form of a cone having root angles ?ex and ?ey, which may be the same or different, into a cross section area of a duct to be analysed in a direction downstream of fluid flow in the duct at an angle ?e from the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the duct, the angle ?e being between 5° to 45°, (c) a detector (23, 304) sensitive to radiation radiated by scattering centres in the fluid over at least 1% of the cross sectional area of the duct, the direction of the central axis of the emitter cone being at an angle ? to the direction of the central axis of the detector cone, the detector cone having root angles ?dx and ?dy, which may be the same or different and the detector cone having angle ?d perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the duct, the direction of the detector being downstream of fluid flow in the d

Abstract: A lightweight concrete curing blanket includes a layer of nonwoven fabric that is hydrophilic and that has a thickness of less than about 0.020 inches. A layer of film (e.g., polyethylene film) is bonded to the layer of nonwoven fabric, and has a thickness less than or equal to about 0.001 inch. The layer of film has a moisture vapor transport rate of less than about 0.0016 grams per square foot per twenty-four hours. A combined weight of the layer of nonwoven fabric and the layer of film is less than about 100 grams per square meter.

Abstract: An absorbent, non-skid drop cloth includes a lofted, non-woven fabric layer, and a non-skid barrier layer bonded to the non-woven fabric layer, wherein the barrier layer reduces slipping of the drop cloth on floors and other surfaces. The non-woven fabric layer has an absorbent capacity of greater than five hundred percent (500%) and a basis weight of less than five ounces per square yard (5 osy). The barrier layer includes polymeric film.

Abstract: This Solar Street Light would be available as an innovative lighting method. They would be positioned approximately 75 feet high a Pole above the streets, and A 50 feet high Pole over the highways. This Solar Street Lights could provide some sense of peace of mind in knowing that there is an effective device available to provide light in areas where there is no light, with less taxpaying dollars. This Solar Street Lights has the potential to become an important ingredient in this recipe of energy usage technology. This Solar Street Light would have Two large Boxes one an each side of the pole far visual seeing, using the largest Battery Pack known plus an electrical Backup. This Solar Street Light would be a great safety device, for Street where animals are and for areas where people walk or ride there bikes or for automobiles that have stopped along the highways. This Solar Street Light will house more light for world safety everywhere.

Abstract: The invention provides modified virus Ankara (MVA), a replication-deficient strain of vaccinia virus, expressing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) env, gag, and pol genes.

Abstract: An unbounded redundant discrete fact data store for providing answers to specific fact-based search queries is provided. Facts are stored discretely by the data store with information stored with each discrete fact for locating the discrete fact in response to a search query or browse request. The core of the data store includes subject-indicator-fact sets. Each discrete fact represents a particular facet of a particular subject. Accordingly, the data store includes a subject and zero or more indicators for each discrete fact, facilitating look-up of the discrete facts. Additionally, each subject may have zero or more subject classifications and zero or more parent/child relationships with other subjects, further facilitating filtering and look-up of discrete facts.

Abstract: A hard disk drive comprising a plurality of read/write heads oriented to serially read data from the magnetic media of the disk drive. The head output signals are delayed and combined to provide a time aligned composite signal for determining the value of the data bits read from the disk drive. An improved signal-to-noise ratio is provided according to the teachings of the present invention by combining the signal components from the plurality of heads, as the signal components are added algebraically while the noise components are combined as root mean square values. Thus the overall signal-to-noise ratio is improved, resulting in a greater probability of correctly determining the stored data.

Abstract: A modular free space optical (FSO) communications device may include an adaptive optics (AO) module and an interchangeable optical relay (OR) module. More particularly, the AO module may include an AO housing and at least one AO device carried thereby. Also, the interchangeable OR module may include an OR housing and at least one OR device carried thereby. The at least one OR device of a given OR module may provide a predetermined focal length range from among different focal length ranges for respective OR modules. In addition, the OR housing and the AO housing may be interchangeably connectable and establish an optical path between the at least one OR device and the at least one AO device when connected.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for detecting presence in gas of transient particulate above its normal zero or acceptable level within a duct (4), said apparatus comprising at least one emitter (2) of illumination selected from infra-red, ultraviolet and visible radiation capable of being projected over essentially the entire cross section of the duct (4) and at least one detector (8, 18, 25) for detecting any sparkle of the illumination from the particulate. The apparatus and method are in particular useful for detecting monitoring particulate in areas where build up or presence of particulate can be disadvantageous, for example hospitals and electricity generating stations.

Abstract: A modular free space optical (FSO) communications device may include an optical relay (OR) module and a base module. More particularly, the OR module may include an OR housing and at least one OR device carried thereby. Further, the base module may include a base housing and at least one positioner carried thereby for providing relative movement between the base module and the OR module for optical beam aiming. The modular FSO communications device may also include a camera and a remote station interface connected to the at least one positioner for permitting remote optical beam aiming. Furthermore, the remote station interface may also be connected to the camera for permitting remote viewing.

Abstract: An inductor formed on a semiconductor substrate, comprising active device regions. The inductor comprises conductive lines formed on a dielectric layer overlying the semiconductor substrate. The conductive lines are patterned and etched into the desired shape, in one embodiment a planar spiral. A region of the substrate below the inductor are removed to lower the inductive Q factor.

Abstract: Reliability testing circuitry is built into the wafer or IC package in the form of one or more individual testers that use small-area transistors as DUTs. Stress can be applied to the DUTs in parallel and information about breakdown, wearout or failure can be obtained from the individual testers. Only a few pads are needed to test hundreds and even thousands of the DUTs of the individual testers. Testing of many DUTs may be performed using a simple power supply and a few probes.

Abstract: A free space optical (FSO) communications device may include a plurality of power supplies having different respective output voltages. The FSO communications device may further include an adaptive optics (AO) module including an AO housing and a deformable mirror carried thereby. The deformable mirror may include an array of actuators each operating based upon a supplied voltage. In addition, a power controller may also be included for selectively driving the array of actuators using a desired one of the power supplies to conserve electrical power.

Abstract: A diode plate for an electric machine includes a body having a thickness and defining a central axis thereof. A plurality of cooling plates having a uniform thickness of 1 millimeter or less over the entire surface area of the cooling plates are mounted onto the body of the diode plate. A plurality of louvered slots may be formed within each of the cooling plates. Each louvered slot has a louvered portion that extends from the cooling plate at a predetermined angle relative to the cooling plate.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for forming a write-once non-volatile memory cell. A memory cell comprises a first and a second MOSFET, wherein the first MOSFET undergoes a process to modify the threshold voltage such that a modified threshold voltage represents a first stored logic value. By determining which one of the first and the second MOSFETS has an altered threshold voltage, the stored logic value is determinable. The threshold voltage of the first MOSFET is altered by supplying current through a MOSFET gate, causing a gate heating effect that results in a threshold voltage shift.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining whether an integrated circuit has been subjected to stress conditions during operation. The integrated circuit comprises a test device that is exposed to the same power supply voltage and temperature as other devices in the integrated circuit. Certain expected operating parameters, as a function of the operating life of the integrated circuit, are predetermined. If a measured value of the operating parameter exceeds the expected value then the integrated circuit has been subjected to stress conditions.

Abstract: The present invention provides a capacitor for use in a semiconductor device having a damascene interconnect structure, such as a dual damascene interconnect, formed over a substrate of a semiconductor wafer. In one particularly advantageous embodiment, the capacitor, comprises a first capacitor electrode, such as copper, comprised of a portion of the damascene interconnect structure, an insulator layer formed on the damascene interconnect structure wherein the insulator layer is a passivation layer, such as silicon nitride. The passivation layer may be an outermost or final passivation layer, or it may be an interlevel passivation layer. The capacitor further includes a second capacitor electrode comprised of a conductive layer, such as aluminum, that is formed on at least a portion of the insulator layer.

Abstract: An inductor formed within an integrated circuit and a method for forming the inductor. The inductor comprises an underlying layer of aluminum formed in a first metallization layer and patterned and etched into the desired shape. In one embodiment the aluminum line comprises a spiral shape. According to a damascene process, a conductive runner, preferably of copper, is formed in a dielectric layer overlying the aluminum line and in electrical contact therewith. The aluminum line and the conductive runner cooperate to form the inductor. In another embodiment the aluminum line and the conductive runner are formed in a vertically spaced-apart orientation, with tungsten plugs or conductive vias formed to provide electrical connection therebetween. A method for forming the inductor comprises forming an aluminum conductive line and forming a conductive runner over the conductive line.

Abstract: A method to derive new facts from a collection of discrete facts is provided. The discrete facts are stored in a data structure that organizes each discrete fact based on classification, value, unit, validity range, and subject. The discrete facts may be stored in an inverted index to allow efficient retrieval of values associated with each discrete fact. A discrete-fact engine is utilized in conjunction with a search engine to respond to queries. The discrete-fact engine parses a query and utilizes a collection of policies to determine whether the query involves a computational requirement. The computational requirement included in the query may trigger calculations on a set of discrete facts that match terms included the query. The result of the calculations are derived facts.

Abstract: The specification describes matched capacitor pairs that employ interconnect metal in an interdigitated form, and are made with an area efficient configuration. In addition, structural variations between capacitors in the capacitor pair are minimized to provide optimum matching. According to the invention, the capacitor pairs are interdigitated in a manner that ensures that the plates of each pair occupy common area on the substrate. Structural anomalies due to process conditions are compensated in that a given anomaly affects both capacitors in the same way. Two of the capacitor plates, one in each pair, are formed of comb structures, with the fingers of the combs interdigitated. The other plates are formed using one or more plates interleaved between the interdigitated plates.