Abstract: Disclosed herein is a polymer blend comprising a first polycarbonate comprising a first structural unit derived from a 2-aryl-3,3-bis(4-hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine and a second structural unit derived from a dihydroxy aromatic compound, wherein the second structural unit is not identical to the first structural unit, and a second polycarbonate comprising a structural unit derived from a dihydroxy aromatic compound, wherein the polymer blend has a glass transition temperature of 155 to 200° C.; and wherein a test auricle having a thickness of 3.2 mm and molded from the blend has a haze of less than or equal to 3.0 measured in accordance with ASTM D1003-00. A method of making the polymer blend, and articles prepared from the blend, are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present application is directed to an implant maintained within the patient by a fastener. The implant includes an aperture sized to receive the fastener. A locking member extends across the aperture in a first position. The locking member is constructed of a resilient material that is movable to a second position during insertion of the fastener. Once the fastener is inserted within the aperture below a level of the locking member, the locking member rebounds towards the first position and extends over the fastener. The locking member prevents the fastener from backing out of the implant.

Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for rotating an end effector on a long, flexible medical device. The methods and devices utilize an actuator mechanism that is effective to rotate an end effector on the distal end of an elongate flexible shaft. The actuator mechanism is movable between a freely rotatable position and a rotationally resistant position. When the actuator mechanism is in a freely rotatable position, the actuator mechanism can be rotated to impart torque to the end effector, and thus at least a distal portion of the elongate shaft, to cause the end effector to rotate. In order to prevent the actuator mechanism from “freewheeling,” wherein the actuator mechanism freely rotates in an opposite direction upon release rather than the end effector rotating in the desired direction, the actuator mechanism can be moved to the rotationally resistant position.

Abstract: An irrigant comprising either a hypochlorite compound or a chlorhexidine compound in combination with at least one surfactant and preferably two or more surfactants, including fluorosurfactants, ethoxylates, sulfonates, quaternary ammonium compounds, amine oxides, and combinations thereof, wherein each of the surfactants are capable of complexing with one another.

Abstract: A personal lubricant paired with an odorant release device.

Abstract: Managing online presence information for contacts involves propagating contact status updates from a contact to an interested identity. A contact list may include hundreds to thousands of contacts for an identity. When one of those contacts changes presence status (e.g., from available to do-not-disturb), the change is propagated from a device of the contact, to a server, to one or more devices of the identity maintaining the contact list. Although that single change or status update consumes a small amount of resources, status updates for a larger number of contacts occurring at various times consumes a more substantial amount of resources, including bandwidth and power. Although power consumption may not be a factor for a desktop computer, power consumption for large scale and/or frequent status updates on devices with more limited power sources (e.g., mobile phones, personal data assistants, etc.) may be a significant factor.

Abstract: A local positioning system which includes a video camera, a computer communicating with the video camera and a target object sighted by the video camera and having a target object coordinate system. The computer is adapted to define a relative position and orientation of the video camera with respect to the target object, determine a position and orientation of the video camera in the target object coordinate system, and determine the position of a point of interest in the target object coordinate system. The system can also be used to aim the camera at a previously recorded point of interest on the target object. Contact with, or close proximity to, the target object is not required. A local positioning method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A system and method for completing a well with multiple zones of production is provided, including a casing having a plurality of valves integrated therein for isolating each well zone, establishing communication between each underlying formation and the interior of the casing, delivering a treatment fluid to each of the multiple well zones, and filtering produced fluids from each underlying formation.

Abstract: There is provided a radiation shield device for providing radiation protection to an area, such as a spacecraft including, for example, a manned vehicle. The radiation shield device comprises a magnetic field generator, such as a solenoid, of superconductive material that provides a magnetic field around the area to shield the area from radiation. The solenoid preferably defines an axial length that is substantially smaller than a diameter of the solenoid. A thermal control system, comprising a limited amount of coolant or a refrigeration cycle, is included to control a temperature of the superconductive material during operation of the magnetic field generator. A magnetic shield device is also provided between the magnetic field generator and the area to be shielded from radiation to substantially shield the area from the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator.

Abstract: Communicating information about a contact, such as presence status, may be regulated in accordance with priority values associated with contacts. Various parameters about contacts with respect to a particular environment may be collected and utilized to assign priority values to the contacts. Flow of information about the contacts is regulated based on the assigned priority values. Information about contacts with higher priority values may be communicated more frequently to client devices from one or more servers than those contacts with lower priority values. In addition, information about contacts associated with priority values that satisfy one or more criteria may be prefetched from a server to a client device.

Abstract: An electrical bone growth promotion apparatus for the delivery of electrical current to an implant surgically implanted between adjacent bone masses to promote bone growth to areas adjacent to the implant is disclosed. The apparatus of the present invention comprises a self contained implant having a surgically implantable, renewable power supply and related control circuitry for delivering electrical current directly to the implant and thus directly to the area in which the promotion of bone growth is desired. The desired areas of bone growth promotion may be controlled by conducting negative charge only to the desired location of bone growth promotion.

Abstract: A message protocol on a communication network between an originating and terminating communication device transmits the cost and quality of service impact of selecting a CODEC standard where no single CODEC is supported in the end-to-end packet transmission. Each call agent server on the communication generates and submits a session initiation protocol (SIP) message containing a data element for the additional cost and a data element for the additional total quality of service degradation, calculating the additions considering all prior calculated data elements. The data elements are part of the session description protocol message. Either the final server prior to the terminating communication device or the terminating communication device operates an algorithm to make an optimal selection and avoid unnecessary high cost or degraded quality of service. The selected CODEC standard is communicated back to the servers in an SIP response message.

Abstract: An aerosol tiny mist hazer apparatus. The apparatus has an aerosol can that contains about 10% by weight Methyl Anthranilate oil and about 90% by weight of an isobutane and propane propellant mixture. The apparatus has an aerosol valve with a vapor tap at the top and having a fine aerosol nozzle for producing a fine, evenly dispersed and stable haze having particle sizes less than 20 microns (in the form of a breathable haze) for use in maintaining birds flying away.

Abstract: A dual coil half bridge converter adapted to be coupled to a dual coil actuator of a cylinder valve in an internal combustion engine is described. In one example, the converter has a first and second capacitor and a voltage source, where the converter is actuated via switches to individually energizing coils in said dual coil actuator. A voltage regulator is also shown for maintaining midpoint voltage during unequal loading of different actuator coils in the converter.

Abstract: This invention relates to thermoplastic article having one or more decorative materials embedded therein which is obtained by applying heat and pressure to one or more laminates wherein at least one of said laminates comprises, in order, (1) an upper sheet material; (2) one or more decorative materials; and (3) a lower sheet material; wherein the upper and lower sheet materials are formed from a polyester/aromatic polycarbonate blend wherein the thermoplastic article comprises at least one polyester composition comprising at least one polyester which comprises terephthalic acid and 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol.

Abstract: A base station for use in a point-to-multipoint wireless network. The base station transmits downstream data packets in a downstream traffic channel to customer premises equipment (CPE) devices and receives upstream data packets in an upstream traffic channel from the CPE devices. The base station determines queue status of at least one queue associated with at least one application in each of the CPE devices and, in response to the determination, the base station re-allocates bandwidth from a first queue associated with a first CPE device to a second queue.

Abstract: Porous dielectric layers are produced by embedding and removing nanoparticles in composite dielectric layers. The pores may be produced after the barrier material, the metal or other conductive material is deposited to form a metallization layer. In this manner, the conductive material is provided with a relatively smooth continuous surface on which to deposit.

Abstract: An extrusion blow molded container is provided comprising a closed base, a body portion extending from the closed base having a surface finish that is substantially free of striations, and an open neck portion extending from the body portion. In an embodiment, the container is comprised of polyethylene terephthalate (PET); the base portion includes a support portion and a substantially elevated portion having a center and a major diameter; and the center is disposed an elevated distance above said surface that is less than about 0.05 the major diameter. A method and apparatus for extrusion blow molding an article is also disclosed.

Abstract: Detecting loss of stream cipher synchronization between a transmitter and a receiver in a video processing system may be achieved by receiving, by the receiver, an encrypted video frame from the transmitter, obtaining an encrypted value for a selected pixel in the encrypted video frame, decrypting the encrypted pixel value using a first portion of the receiver's current key stream, re-encrypting the pixel value using a second portion of the receiver's current key stream, sending the re-encrypted pixel value from the receiver to the transmitter, obtaining, by the transmitter, a plaintext value for the selected pixel from a corresponding original video frame and encrypting the plaintext pixel value using a second portion of the transmitter's current key stream, and comparing the re-encrypted pixel value received from the receiver with the encrypted pixel value generated by the transmitter and detecting a loss of cipher synchronization when the values do not match.

Abstract: A method and system for optimizing bandwidth allocation in a fiber channel network having a fiber channel switch element, is provided. The switch element includes, a port control module having a receive and transmit segment, wherein the transmit segment is programmed to block frame transmission from a particular frame source port for a certain duration based on a programmable threshold value. The method includes, enabling a bandwidth limitation counter; and programming the threshold value for blocking frame transmission from a frame source port for a certain duration and during this duration, other source ports may be chosen for frame transmission. After a frame is transmitted from a source port, a tag valid blocking from the same source port is used to block frame transmission. A quality of service register is used to store the threshold value and the threshold value is programmable.