Abstract: A system identifies when received packets are lost at a node in a multi-node processing chain. The system processing chain may include a gantry interface module for receiving coincident event data from a PET (Positron Emission Tomography) detector array, a DMA (direct memory access) rebinner card, and a transmission line coupled between the gantry interface module and the DMA card. FPGA and FIFO elements in each processing portion receive packets that may be lost if there is insufficient FIFO capacity. Lost packets are marked, discarded, and counted. At specified intervals, set in accordance with a threshold number of packets received a lost tally data packet is generated that includes count information for lost packets. The lost tally data packet is forwarded downstream when sufficient storage capacity exists.

Abstract: A file transfer system including a client and a server capable of updating portions of the file stored on the server. The system is capable of uploading portions of a file before the file has been specified at the client side. The files are stored in raw at the client and the server, which preserves the block list mapping. The file transfer protocol is capable of compressing and encrypting transferred data. As a result, the partial file writes are possible while maintaining current bandwidth usage. The write request data structure is provided with additional features in the form of flags and fields to provide reliable transmission of partial file data.

Abstract: A file transfer system including a client and a server capable of updating portions of the file stored on the server. The system is capable of uploading portions of a file before the file has been specified at the client side. The files are stored in raw at the client and the server, which preserves the block list mapping. The file transfer protocol is capable of compressing and encrypting transferred data. As a result, the partial file writes are possible while maintaining current bandwidth usage. The write request data structure is provided with additional features in the form of flags and fields to provide reliable transmission of partial file data.

Abstract: A method for joining components to be used in an electrical generator. First and second components are provided. The first and second components are preheated and a reactive bonding material is disposed between and in contact with the first and second components. The reactive bonding material includes a first material, which is a brazing material, and a second material that is capable of melting the first material upon an initiation of an exothermic reaction in the second material. An exothermic reaction is initiated in the second material to effect a release of thermal energy from the second material to melt the first material. Upon a cooling and solidification of the first material, the first material creates a bond between a first surface of the first component and a second surface of the second component to join the first and second components together.

Abstract: A virtual shuffleboard table gaming apparatus including a housing having a playing field, a game acquisition circuit, and a display. As a puck is propelled towards a puck return at the distal end of the playing field, the puck temporarily obstructs at least two beams from transmitters. Sensors that receive the transmitted beams provide information to the game acquisition circuit indicative of the time when the beams were blocked and unblocked. The duration of time the beams are block are used by a game controller to calculate the angle of travel, location, and velocity of the puck. This information is then used by the game controller to determine the travel path and resting place of a virtual puck on a virtual playing field, as well as determine whether the virtual puck rests in a scoring zone and maintain a game score.

Abstract: A wear assembly for protecting a structure, such as an excavating bucket, from wear includes a lock for securing the wear member in place. The lock includes a take-up element for tightening the fit of the wear member, a latch to retain the lock in the assembly during use, and an arrangement for resisting loosening of the lock. With the assembly, the lock is able to effectively tighten the fit of the wear member on the lip, resist loosening of the fit, and facilitate easy removal of the lock without a concomitant increased risk of lock ejection.

Abstract: A non-spinning projectile that is self-guided to a laser designated target and is configured to be fired from a small caliber smooth bore gun barrel has an optical sensor mounted in the nose of the projectile, a counterbalancing mass portion near the fore end of the projectile and a hollow tapered body mounted aft of the counterbalancing mass. Stabilizing strakes are mounted to and extend outward from the tapered body with control fins located at the aft end of the strakes. Guidance and control electronics and electromagnetic actuators for operating the control fins are located within the tapered body section. Output from the optical sensor is processed by the guidance and control electronics to produce command signals for the electromagnetic actuators. A guidance control algorithm incorporating non-proportional, “bang-bang” control is used to steer the projectile to the target.

Abstract: The disclosure provides methods and compositions useful in the treatment of dermatitis and viral infections. The compositions comprise cationic peptides of the cathelicidin family including LL-37, related homologues, and variants thereof.

Abstract: A wear assembly includes an adapter with a nose, a wear member with a socket to receive the nose, and a lock to secure the wear member to the adapter. The nose and socket include complementary rails and grooves that vertically diverge as they extend from the front of the nose. The lock can have a tapered construction.

Abstract: A collimator including a housing having disposed therein a shield element surrounding a converter core in which a photon beam is generated from electrons emanating from a linear accelerator. A beam channeler longitudinally adjacent the shield element has a beam aperture therethrough coaxially aligned with, and of the same diameter as, an exit bore of the converter core. A larger entry bore in the converter core is coaxial with, and longitudinally separated from, the exit bore thereof. Systems incorporating the collimator are also disclosed.

Abstract: A patient bed drive mechanism, under control of a processor, is capable of continuously moving a patient bed through the a TOF-PET detector array having a stationary field of view (FOV) for a distance in excess of the physical extent of an axis of the array FOV. A direct memory access (DMA) rebinner card is coupled to the detector array to receive therefrom a stream of TOF-PET coincidence event data during the extent of movement of the bed. Image projection data are generated in real time from the acquired stream of TOF-PET coincidence event data via the DMA card.

Abstract: According to a preferred embodiment, the invention provides a method for extracting internal organ motion from positron emission tomography (PET) coincidence data, the method comprising the following steps: generating a data stream of PET coincidence data using the list mode capability of a PET scanner; dividing the data stream into time frames of a given length; computing a histogram A(i, t) of an axial coincidence distribution for a set of time frames; computing the axial center of mass z(t) for each of the time frames in the set of time frames based on the histogram A(i, t); transforming z(t) into the frequency domain; determining either the frequency contribution caused by respiratory motion, given by fresp, or the frequency contribution caused by heart contractions, given by fcard and ?f, identified in the frequency spectrum |Z(f)|; and carrying out further processing of Z(f) leading to curves zresp(t) and zcard(t) with which a gating sequence is established.

Abstract: A system identifies when received packets are lost at a node in a multi-node processing chain. The system processing chain may include a gantry interface module for receiving coincident event data from a PET (Positron Emission Tomography) detector array, a DMA (direct memory access) rebinner card, and a transmission line coupled between the gantry interface module and the DMA card. FPGA and FIFO elements in each processing portion receive packets that may be lost if there is insufficient FIFO capacity. Lost packets are marked, discarded, and counted. At specified intervals, set in accordance with a threshold number of packets received a lost tally data packet is generated that includes count information for lost packets. The lost tally data packet is forwarded downstream when sufficient storage capacity exists.

Abstract: A method of making a composite blade that is attachable to a rotating shaft using a conventional metal blade attachment. A blade is formed from a composite material with a blade root at one end thereof. A metallic member having an external shape conforming to a conventional metal blade root is shaped with an interior cavity having an opening for receipt of the blade root. Before the composite material is fully cured, a bladder is formed into or is inserted into an end of the blade root and inflated, thereby forcing the composite material into intimate contact with the interior cavity of the metallic member, thereby ensuring a fret-free interface upon final curing of the composite material. The interior cavity of the metallic member may be shaped or surfaced to improve the load carrying capability there between.

Abstract: A device for improved on-line histogramming of data acquired in a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan. The device is a Smart DRAM (SD) PCI card, of which more than one can be used in combination within a PC-based architecture for on-line histogramming. The SD PCI card is applied as either of a Gating Buffer, a histogramming card, and a normalization buffer. The Gating Buffer card alternately stores an arriving PET data packet stream into two dedicated DRAM banks. The two DRAM banks store and retransmit the packet stream in the order of arrival for an entire physiological cycle. The histogramming SD RMW PCI cards provide a very high rate of histogramming. The extendible daisy-chain of SD RMW PCI cards supports large memory banks across potentially hundreds of SD RMW PCI cards. Under a single PC, a multiple PCI Expansion chassis is employed such that a large number of PCI cards are supported.

Abstract: A system for generating time-of-flight (TOF) positron emission tomography (PET) projection data includes a direct memory access rebinner constructed as a digital FPGA pipeline for rebinning TOF coincidence data in accordance with a number of projection space mapping algorithms, such as single-slice rebinning (SSRB) and reduced multiple-slice rebinning (MSRB), together with less precise transaxial and/or axial sampling.

Abstract: A system is provided for locating data in a distributed data environment, in which at least two users share a common data requirement. The environment comprises a plurality of network-connected data terminals. The system comprises at least one of the network-connected data terminals, which includes means for each of the at least two users to submit a data locating query, means for each of the at least two users to receive a query result, means for each of the at least two users to input respective relevance feedback data in response to the received query result, means for combining the respective relevance feedback data in real time, and means for processing data locating queries with the combined respective relevance feedback data. A method is also provided for locating data in the distributed data environment.

Abstract: PET system including array, data processing, and data acquisition. Data acquisition includes one-to-N channel write striping, N-to-one channel read unstriping, N data storage elements, and control logic. Control logic allocates (statically or dynamically) write/read access to data storage elements. Dynamic allocation can be conditional, e.g., that data storage elements be available to receive all input data from array. Embodiments include an input buffer where the condition is determined dynamically based on capacity of the input buffer to temporarily preserve all input data supplied during periods data storage element unavailability. Communication between array and data acquisition can be Fibre Channel simplex implementing only FC-0, FC-1. Data storage elements have data handling bandwidth equal to or greater than (data output rate /N) plus (data input rate/N). Control logic, write striping, read unstriping can be implemented in FPGA. Data storage elements can form a Redundant Array of Independent Disks, e.

Abstract: A gimbal is described and which includes a fixed base member defining an axis of rotation; a second member concentrically oriented relative to the axis of rotation; a linear actuator oriented in immediate, adjoining force transmitting relation relative to the base member or to the second member, and which applies force along a linear axis which is tangential to the axis of rotation so as to cause the second member to rotate coaxially relative to the fixed base member; and an object of interest mounted to the second member such that the object of interest is selectively moved relative to the base member about the axis of rotation.

Abstract: A wear assembly to protect the front edge of an excavating bucket, which is secure, stable, easy to use, readily manufactured, and provides increased safety, and which eliminates any need for holes to be formed in the lip. The wear assembly includes a wear member that has a pair of legs to straddle the front edge of the bucket. One of the legs defines an axial slot, which has opposing grooves for receiving rails of a boss fixed to the bucket. The grooves narrow in a forward direction to permit easier installation and removal of the wear member, to permit use of side wings without interference from adjacent wear parts, and to enable enhanced resistance under some loads.