Abstract: Apparatus and methods for an extended-width flexible magnetic sheet (“EWFMS”) are provided. The EWFMS may include a first layer. The first layer may include a first sheet of magnetic material, a second sheet of magnetic material and a joint between the first sheet and the second sheet. The EWFMS may include a second layer. The second layer may include a third sheet of magnetic material, a fourth sheet of magnetic material and a joint between the third sheet and the fourth sheet. The EWFMS may include a first vinyl layer. The first vinyl layer may join the first sheet to the second sheet. The first vinyl layer may cover the joint along a length of the EWFMS. The EWFMS may include a second vinyl layer affixed to the first vinyl layer. The EWFMS may include a polymer layer affixed to an underside of the EWFMS.

Abstract: A heavy vehicle tire tread constituted from a material based upon a rubber composition, the composition comprising, per 100 parts by weight of elastomer, between 35 and 60 phr of a solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber having a styrene content of between 10 wt. % and 35 wt. % and between 35 and 60 phr of a polybutadiene. The composition may further include between 45 and 110 phr of silica and between (1.94×10?3/n)(S) and (2.55×10?3/n)(S) moles of a sulfur-containing organosilicon compound as a silane coupling agent per 1 kg of the silica, wherein n is a number of silicon atoms in a molecule of the silane coupling agent and S is a CTAB surface area in m2/g of the silica. The rubber composition may be cured with a sulfur curing system comprising a sulfenamide accelerator and between 0.3 and 0.8 phr of free sulfur, wherein a ratio of the sulfenamide accelerator and the sulfur is between 2 and 7.

Abstract: Heavy vehicle tire treads and/or undertread constituted at least in part from a rubber composition comprising between 80 and 100 phr of a natural rubber and between 0 and 20 phr of a synthetic polyisoprene rubber, a reinforcement filler comprising a) between 30 and 50 phr of a highly dispersible silica and b) a carbon black in an amount of between (0.75)C phr and (1.25)C phr as determined by the equation C=?0.8Si+44.3, wherein Si is the amount of the highly dispersible silica, a silane coupling agent and a sulfur curing system comprising between 1.5 and 3 phr of free sulfur and between (0.9)A phr and (L 1)A phr of a sulfenamide accelerator, wherein A is determined by a formula that is a function of the sulfur quantity and the silica weight fraction of the total reinforcement filler.

Abstract: A laser can produce pulses of light energy to eject a volume of the tissue, and the energy can be delivered to a treatment site through a waveguide, such as a fiber optic waveguide. The incident laser energy can be absorbed within a volume of the target tissue with a tissue penetration depth and pulse direction such that the propagation of the energy from the tissue volume is inhibited and such that the target tissue within the volume reaches the spinodal threshold of decomposition and ejects the volume, for example without substantial damage to tissue adjacent the ejected volume.

Abstract: A method includes applying a nominal back pressure to a fluid ejection assembly and nozzles to form a first amount of back pressure therein by a back pressure regulator. The method also includes applying a first pressure to lower the first amount of back pressure within the fluid ejection assembly and the nozzles to form a second amount of back pressure therein by a pressurization module in response to an activation of a cleaning operation. The method also includes moving at least one of the fluid ejection assembly and a wicking member against each other to perform the cleaning operation. The wicking member moves relative to the fluid ejection assembly against and across the nozzle surface to transfer fluid residue from at least one of the nozzle surface and the nozzles to a portion of the wicking member to form a used wicking member portion.

Abstract: A method includes applying a nominal back pressure to a fluid ejection assembly and nozzles to form a first amount of back pressure therein by a back pressure regulator. The method also includes applying a first pressure to lower the first amount of back pressure within the fluid ejection assembly and the nozzles to form a second amount of back pressure therein by a pressurization module in response to an activation of a cleaning operation. The method also includes moving at least one of the fluid ejection assembly and a wicking member against each other to perform the cleaning operation. The wicking member moves relative to the fluid ejection assembly against and across the nozzle surface to transfer fluid residue from at least one of the nozzle surface and the nozzles to a portion of the wicking member to form a used wicking member portion.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for amplifying a complete genome or transcriptome. The genome or transcriptome is prepared as a set of target nucleic acids and mixed with a first primer. The first primer comprises a target-binding region having a first random sequence of about 6 to about 9 nucleotides and a tag sequence that contains one or more non-natural nucleotides. The first primer is annealed to the target nucleic acids and extended by polymerase to produce a first duplex nucleic acid. The target nucleic acid is removed from the first nucleic acid. A second primer is annealed to the first nucleic acid having a second random sequence of about 6 to about 9 nucleotides and a tag sequence that contains one or more non-natural nucleotides. The second primer is extended by polymerase to produce a second duplex nucleic acid. The second nucleic acid contains a tag sequence on one terminus and a complement of the tag sequence on the other. The first nucleic acid is removed from the second nucleic acid.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods of amplifying a target nucleic acid utilizing duplex primer. The first strand of the primer comprises a random nucleotide sequence of about 6 to about 9 nucleotides in length that is able to hybridize to the target nucleic acid and a tag sequence. The second strand of the primer comprises a sequence complementary to the tag sequence allowing the primer to form a duplex and the ability to bind the tag sequence of the product nucleic acid for further amplification. The resulting nucleic acid produced contains tag sequences on both the 3?- and 5?-termini.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for immobilizing target nucleic acids on a solid support utilizing combinatorial capture probe pairs. These pairs contain first and second capture oligonucleotides that each comprise a target binding region, a capture region and a stem region positioned between the target binding and capture regions. The target binding regions comprise nucleic acid sequences that allow them to hybridize to adjacent regions on the target nucleic acid. The stem regions have nucleic acid sequences that are complementary to each other and the capture regions each comprise a sequence that when positioned adjacent to one another produce a combined nucleic acid sequence that is complementary to a portion of an oligonucleotide bound to a solid support.

Abstract: A method for photoselective vaporization of prostate tissue includes delivering laser radiation to the treatment area on the tissue, via an optical fiber for example, wherein the laser radiation has a wavelength and irradiance in the treatment area on the surface of the tissue sufficient because vaporization of a substantially greater volume of tissue than a volume of residual coagulated tissue caused by the laser radiation. The laser radiation is generated using a neodymium doped solid-state laser, including optics producing a second or higher harmonic output with greater than 60 watts average output power. The delivered laser radiation has a wavelength for example in a range of about 200 nm to about 650 nm, and has an average irradiance in the treatment area greater than about 10 kilowatts/cm2, in a spot size of at least 0.05 mm2.

Abstract: A casting system and method. The casting system can include an energy source and a hearth, which can have a tapered cavity. The tapered cavity can have a first end portion and a second end portion, and the tapered cavity can narrow between the first and second end portions. Further, the tapered cavity can have an inlet at the first end portion that defines an inlet capacity, and one or more outlets at the second end portion that define an outlet capacity. Where the cavity has a single outlet, the outlet capacity can be less than the inlet capacity. Where the cavity has multiple outlets, the combined outlet capacity can match the inlet capacity. Further, the cross-sectional area of the tapered cavity near the inlet can be similar to the cross-sectional area of the inlet.

Abstract: The invention encompasses multi-stage naturally amplified global-scale carbon dioxide capture systems combining basic capture from (CC—carbon capture) clean-coal-fired and CC gas-fired power plants, natural-gas reformation systems, cement plants, outdoor air, home and building flues, incinerators, crematoriums, blast-furnaces, kilns, refineries, factories, oil gasification systems and coal gasification systems which yield concentrated carbon dioxide, with a collective, globally distributed capture capacity of up to 3 GtC/yr, feeding the captured carbon dioxide into land-based invention stage-1 bioreactors for rapid, selective, high capacity conversion to a high-density, fast-sinking marine algae by means of accelerated photosynthesis and/or coccolithogenesis (calcification) consuming carbon dioxide as the algae bloom, and transporting the stage-1 bioreactor-produced algae to seaports for seeding the oceans at regular intervals in stage-2 operations-at-sea to produce naturally amplified 14 GtC/yr algal blooms

Abstract: This invention relates to oligonucleotides comprising a molecular switch which may exist in an “open” or “closed” position. The molecular switch portion of the probe is particularly sensitive to the identity of sequences complementary to the molecular switch. Oligonucleotides containing a molecular switch are applicable to all kinds of hybridization processes. Due to the sensitivity of the switch domain of the oligonucleotide, probes containing a molecular switch are particularly useful in the identification of single point mismatches. More specifically, a portion, but not all, of the oligonucleotide becomes unbound from a mismatched target. The invention further relates to methods of using said oligonucleotides for research reagents, and clinical diagnostics. An exemplary oligonucleotide comprises a first hybridizable domain, a second bridging block domain, and a third binding domain.

Abstract: An apparatus for purging air from a fluid conveying tube includes a housing member comprising an inner bore having an inlet and an outlet (115); and a vented piston member slidably disposed within the inner bore, the vented piston member comprising a filter element and at least one air vent. The filter element is configured to allow air to pass through the vented piston member to the at least one air vent and to prevent fluid from passing through the vented piston member to the at least one air vent. A method of purging accumulated air from a fluid conveying tube includes providing a vented piston member slidably disposed within a housing member; displacing air from the fluid conveying tube through a filter element disposed within the piston member using pressurized fluid; and displacing the piston member with the pressurized fluid; wherein the displacement of the piston member exposes an outlet for the pressurized fluid.

Abstract: An exercise apparatus comprises an incremental weight system. The incremental weight system comprises an incremental weight and an incremental weight selector. The incremental weight selector is liftable by a weight lift and has a lever movable between a lowered position and a raised position to actuate the selector between an engaged position engaging the incremental weight such that the incremental weight is liftable with a first weight by the weight lift and a disengaged position disengaged from the incremental weight such that the first weight is liftable independent of the incremental weight.

Abstract: Compositions that are used in nucleic acid amplification in vitro are disclosed, which include a target specific universal (TSU) promoter primer or promoter provider oligonucleotide that includes a target specific (TS) sequence that hybridizes specifically to a target sequence that is amplified and a universal (U) sequence that is introduced into the sequence that is amplified, by using a primer for the universal sequence. Methods of nucleic acid amplification in vitro are disclosed that use one or more TSU oligonucleotides to attached a U sequence to a target nucleic acid in a target capture step and then use a primer for a U sequence in subsequent amplification steps performed in substantially isothermal conditions to make amplification products that contain a U sequence that indicates the presence of the target nucleic acid in a sample.

Abstract: A system and method for continuous casting. The system includes a melt chamber, a withdrawal chamber, and a secondary chamber therebetween. The melt chamber can maintain a melting pressure and the withdrawal chamber can attain atmospheric pressure. The secondary chamber can include regions that can be adjusted to different pressures. During continuous casting operations, the first region adjacent to the melt chamber can be adjusted to a pressure that is at least slightly greater than the melting pressure; the pressure in subsequent regions can be sequentially decreased and then sequentially increased. The pressure in the final region can be at least slightly greater than atmospheric pressure. The differential pressures can form a dynamic airlock between the melt chamber and the withdrawal chamber, which can prevent infiltration of the melt chamber by non-inert gas in the atmosphere, and thus can prevent contamination of reactive materials in the melt chamber.

Abstract: This invention relates to oligonucleotides comprising a molecular switch which may exist in an “open” or “closed” position. The molecular switch portion of the probe is particularly sensitive to the identity of sequences complementary to the molecular switch. Oligonucleotides containing a molecular switch are applicable to all kinds of hybridization processes. Due to the sensitivity of the switch domain of the oligonucleotide, probes containing a molecular switch are particularly useful in the identification of single point mismatches. More specifically, a portion, but not all, of the oligonucleotide becomes unbound from a mismatched target. The invention further relates to methods of using said oligonucleotides for research reagents, and clinical diagnostics. An exemplary oligonucleotide comprises a first hybridizable domain, a second bridging block domain, and a third binding domain.

Abstract: High SRI cementitious systems comprising integral concrete coloring admixtures, toppings, dry-shake hardeners, and other cementitious systems are provided. The high-SRI cementitious systems comprise one or more IR reflective pigments and other components to make-up the cementitious system, depending on the application. The high-SRI cementitious systems of the invention may be in the form of mixtures which increase the total solar reflectivity (TSR or albedo) and the Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) of concrete. The high-SRI cementitious systems may be toppings mixed with water for application to existing concrete surfaces, dry-shake hardeners for application to freshly-placed plastic concrete, or the IR reflective pigments may be mixed into integrally colored concrete in various forms, such as conventional cast-in-place concrete, lightweight concrete, pervious concrete and concrete building panels, pavers or masonry units.

Abstract: Improved methods for use in nucleic acid amplification, including multiplex amplification, where the amplification is carried out in two or more distinct phases are disclosed. The first phase amplification reaction preferably lacks one or more components required for exponential amplification. The lacking component is subsequently provided in a second, third or further phase(s) of amplification, resulting in a rapid exponential amplification reaction. The multiphase protocol results in faster and more sensitive detection and lower variability at low analyte concentrations. Compositions for carrying out the claimed methods are also disclosed.