Abstract: An expandable intraluminal vascular graft includes a flexible cylindrical inner tube having a outer periphery and a plurality of separate scaffold member mounted on the outer periphery of the inner tube. The scaffold members are expandable, ring-like and provide circumferential rigidity to the graft. A flexible cylindrical outer tube concentrically encloses the inner tube and the plurality of scaffold members mounted thereon. The graft has a first diameter, which permits intraluminal delivery of the graft into a body passageway having a lumen, and a second expanded diameter, upon the application from the interior of the tube of a radially outwardly extending force. The second graft diameter is dependent on the amount of force applied so that he graft second diameter can be expanded to at least equal an internal diameter of the body passageway lumen. The scaffold members are deformed beyond their elastic limit when the graft is expanded to the second graft diameter.

Abstract: A method of fingerprint verification includes determining a direction difference between a direction pattern of an input fingerprint and a direction pattern of a registered fingerprint and comparing the determined direction difference with predetermined upper and lower threshold values. The input and registered fingerprints are considered the same if the direction difference is lower than the lower threshold value, and the input and registered fingerprints are considered to be different if the direction difference is higher than the upper threshold value. If the direction different is between the upper and lower threshold values, minutiae of the input and registered fingerprints are extracted for verifying the input fingerprint. The extracting includes preprocessing of the input fingerprint image, uniboundary extraction of the input fingerprint minutiae, and restoration to eliminate pseudo-minutiae.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of aluminum-lithium alloy by atmospheric melting in which oxidation of lithium is minimized through improvement of degassing system under normal atmospheric melting method without using separate hermetically sealing device for isolating from atmosphere upon melting of alloy material.The method is carried out in that aluminum and other alloy elements except metal lithium are melted in atmosphere, and primary degassing process is executed in a state that surface of the molten metal is covered with a flux such as LiCl or LiF, and then metal lithium ingot covered with aluminum is added to molten metal and secondary degassing process is executed with bubbling inert gas and thereafter tertiary degassing process is executed by flowing inert gas such as argon through hermetically sealed pouring path of molten metal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to 1,4-dihydropyridine of the formula(I) ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents a phenyl group which may be substituted by one or two substituents selected from halogeno, nitro, trifluoromethyl and difluoromethoxy group, or 2,1,3-benzoxadiazole-4-yl group, R.sup.2 represents a lower alkyl or phenyl group, R.sup.3 represents a lower alkyl group and Y represents an oxygen or sulfur atom.The compounds of the formula(I) can be employed for treatment or prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Abstract: A portable art object wall decoration. The art object wall decoration includes a frame for hanging on the wall and which can be moved as desired. There is a mat which is attached to the frame, and a container which is supported from the frame on the front side of the mat. The container has a cavity and an uncovered opening accessible from the outside of the art object wall decoration and communicating with the cavity for receiving a portion of an art arrangement in the cavity through the opening with the art arrangement being accessible for the changing thereof if desired.

Abstract: A luggage case including a rectangular shell of relatively flexible material having a back, front, top, bottom and ends, with the front having a closable opening therein; a reinforcing strip which extends along the top and partially down each of the side for providing structural support to the shell to maintain the rectangular shape thereof; and a pair of support rods respectively secured to the sides, each of the support rods having a substantially rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of the perimeter of each of the sides, and being secured thereto. In this manner, when a force is exerted on the sides, the sides may flex in the direction of the force, and when the force is removed, the sides will resume their initial position due to the elastic restoring force of the support rods. Both the reinforcing strip and the support rods are disposed on the inside surfaces of the luggage case.

Abstract: A mobile communications system uses a communications satellite and a Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO) and communicates with mobile units via the satellite. A cell site has a co-located cell site converter which converts satellite signals to signals for the MTSO and vice-versa. Remote converter sites communicate with the satellite and with the mobile units in given geographical areas. A single satellite link is sufficient for adequate RSA service. Frequency and phase differences among signals from the remote sites to the satellite are synchronized to avoid frequency- and phase-drift.

Abstract: A process for forming a composite high temperature superconductor copper wire, said process comprising the steps of (1) directing a submicron sized powder of a superconducting ceramic material through a length of copper tubing to coat the interior surface of said tubing with a uniform compact film of said powder, and (2) sintering said powder while passing oxygen through said tube and while maintaining the outside of said tube in an inert atmosphere. In a preferred embodiment an aerosol process is used to generate the submicron sized powder of the superconductor.

Abstract: Novel poly(keto-esters) having carbonyl and oxycarbonyl units randomly combined with linking units derived from olefinic monomers to form an essentially straight-chain polymer backbone are provided. The poly(keto-esters) are produced by converting a portion of the carbonyl functionality of a polyketone to oxycarbonyl groups. The conversion is achieved by reacting the polyketone with an organic peroxyacid in an inert liquid medium at a temperature from -20.degree. C. to 150.degree. C.

Abstract: The amount of N.sub.2 O emission from a fluidized bed reactor is reduced by adding a hydrogen radical providing additive (e.g. a hydrogen containing fuel such as natural gas or alcohol) to the flue gases discharged from the fluidized bed. Sufficient oxygen is present in the flue gases--either by addition with the additive, or by addition of an excess to the combustion chamber--so that the additive reacts with the oxygen, typically raising the temperature of the flue gases (e.g. from about 700.degree.-900.degree. C. to about 950.degree.-1100.degree. C.) so that N.sub.2 O production is reduced about 10-90%. The additive may be injected in or just prior to a cyclone for separating particles from the flue gases. In a gas discharge immediately after the cyclone, just prior to a superheater of a convection section, or in a combustion chamber just prior to a gas turbine.

Abstract: An improved method of introducing air into a rotary combustor for burning municipal solid waste in an incinerator, wherein a large amount of air is introduced over the top portion of the combustor adjacent the outlet end thereof to maintain the CO at acceptable low levels in response to a reduction in the amount of oxygen in the flue gas even when varying amounts of high heating value materials are introduced sporadically.

Abstract: A magnetic card manufactured according to the present invention is composed of a base film; a first magnetic material coating layer applied on the base film for reading and writing variable information held in the magnetic card; and a second magnetic material coating layer applied on the first magnetic material coating layer, of which surface having a pattern formed by an angle, an interval and a thickness for giving the characteristics of the magnetic card.

Abstract: Quantum mechanical effect devices incorporate means for interrupting the two-dimensional carrier gas of a modulation doped structure to produce periodic potential variations which provide superlattice-like effects on current flowing nearby. The modulation doped structures incorporate specialized structures displaced from a current path which simultaneously confine the two-dimensional carrier gas into a quasi-one-dimensional carrier gas and subject the thus confined carrier gas and current flowing therein to superlattice-like effects by inducing periodic potential variations along the current path. The induced variations are produced by etching corrugations in the device edges or by forming them in biasing gates.

Abstract: A structure for packaging semiconductor integrated circuits including a ceramic housing consisting of a base and cap having opposed mating surfaces for subsequent mating during a cap-to-base sealing operation that encapsulates an integrated circuit within the ceramic housing. Each of the base and cap mating surfaces having at least one thin sintered layer consisting of at least two sealing glass paste compositions sequentially printed onto each of the opposed mating surfaces before being sintered. The sealing glass paste compositions containing a mixture of glass powder and a liquid vehicle. A first of the compositions is characterized by having a glass-to-vehicle ratio range of 9:1 to 15:1 which is facilitated by having a liquid vehicle containing a mixture consisting of 93 wt % isotridecyl alcohol, 5 wt % diacetone acetate and 2 wt % acrylic resin and a glass powder selected from the group of LS0113, LS2001B, XS1175M, and T187 industry type glass powders.

Abstract: A method of producing a zinc oxide varistor for high voltage which is a voltage-current non-linear type of resistor including zinc oxide as the major ingredient and bismuth oxide or manganese dioxide as additives for use with a circuit protector and gapless arrester. The method of the invention includes sintering a zinc oxide composition lacking bismuth oxide at 1200.degree.-1350.degree. C. under conditions and for a period of time effective to form a primary sintered body, heat-treating a primary sintered body coated with an amount of metal oxide paste containing mostly bismuth oxide at a temperature of 1000.degree.-1200.degree. C. for a period of time effective to diffuse the metal oxide paste to the grain boundaries of the zinc oxide grains.

Abstract: A-Nor-5.alpha.-androstane compounds, such as the dipropionate and disuccinate esters of 2.alpha.,17.alpha.-diethynyl-A-Nor-5.alpha.-androstane-2.beta.,17.beta.-di ol and the corresponding 2.alpha.,17.alpha.-diol stereoisomers have an inhibitory effect on malignant cell growth and can be used to treat various carcinomas in mammals.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for the control and prevention of bruxing (nocturnal teeth grinding) which comprises a sound generating means affixed to the jaw of the user, an electronic control means to "read" electrical impedance variations within said sound generating means caused by bruxing and to activate an alarm when bruxing occurs. Said apparatus utilizes the principle of bone conduction wherein sonic loading of said sound generating means differs between the open-jaw and the closed-jaw states. The alarm develops a conditioned reflex in the user such that after the first few alarms incident to bruxing the user does not awaken but merely reacts by relaxing the jaw when the alarm occurs.

Abstract: Stable, bulk electrical superconductors are prepared by heating mixed metal oxides in the presence of oxygen in a closed vessel in a preheated oven for 1-5 hours at 850.degree.-900.degree. C. The final oxides are in the molar ratio Ti.sub.0.6-1.1 Ca.sub.2-3 Ba.sub.0.75-1.25 Cu.sub.2-3 O.sub.(5+.delta.)-(9+.delta.), where .delta. is less than one.

Abstract: A sense amplifier with two input control stages whose input voltages are equalized during a precharge cycle by a switching means.