Abstract: Disclosed is a dental appliance composed of a thermo-plastic polymer with low compressibility, high toughness, and high tensile strength, with a low softening point. The appliance has perforations that enable it to be easily custom-fitted by the user or a health professional. The appliance begins as a generally U-shaped, unformed dental tray that is significantly thinner than existing dental appliances. Once fitted, the dental appliance provides superior protection against damage to the enamel of the teeth and abrasion of the teeth due to bruxism or other mechanism leading to biomechanical wear of dental surfaces. The perforations facilitate the custom-fitting process by allowing the user to suck air through the perforations, thus applying a negative pressure between the material and the teeth while the material is still soft and pliable.

Abstract: A mouth guard composed of a polymer consisting essentially of polycaprolactone exhibits a low softening point, enabling it to be easily custom-fitted by the user or a health professional. The material is provided in the form of a generally U-shaped, unformed sheet of material, enabling the material to be heated with hot water or microwave energy and custom-fitted to the dentition of a user. The mouth guard may be perforated and may include a no-stick layer and/or a flavoring agent. A plurality of mouth guards may be provided in different sizes for children and adults and different shapes for different sports. In the preferred embodiments the mouth guard has a periphery including a plurality of lobes and cusps to enhance fitting. A method of fabricating an improved mouth guard according to the invention is also disclosed.

Abstract: A hot stage for a scanning probe microscope includes a substrate having a dielectric window region which is stress compensated to be held in mild tension at elevated temperatures. A heating element is supplied to heat a specimen deposited on the dielectric widow region and the scanning probe microscope is used to observe specimen characteristics at the elevated temperatures. The dielectric window region is configured to be thermally isolated from the rest of the hot stage allowing only a minimum amount of heat to be dissipated into the scanning probe microscope. Temperature sensing resistors are included for monitoring the temperature in the dielectric window region. Conductivity cell electrodes can also be included for sensing the conductivity and capacitance of the specimen. Furthermore, additional control and measurement hardware, such as a temperature sensor circuit, evaluation station, the ramp generator circuit, etc. can be included to provide additional system features.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for storing chemical reagents in micro-reservoirs, a chemical sensor system and a chemical micro-reactor.

Abstract: A method for selectively forming thin films by CVD in which at least two substrates are exposed to a decomposable gas, and one of the subsrates is independently heated to selectively form a film on the heated substrate. The invention further comprises a step of measuring an electrical property of the film during deposition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for storing chemical reagents in micro-reservoirs, a chemical sensor system and a chemical micro-reactor.

Abstract: A facile synthesis of the precursor, Cp.sub.2 Mo.sub.2 (.mu.-S).sub.2 (.mu.-SH).sub.2, to novel heterobimetallic cluster compositions (e.g., Cp.sub.2 Mo.sub.2 Fe.sub.2 (.mu.-S).sub.2 (CO).sub.8 ; Cp.sub.2 Mo.sub.2 Ni.sub.2 (.mu..sub.3 -S).sub.4 (CO).sub.2 ; Cp.sub.2 Mo.sub.2 Co.sub.2 (.mu..sub.3 -S).sub.2 (.mu..sub.4 -S)(CO).sub.4 ; Cp.sub.2 Mo.sub.2 Fe.sub.2 (.mu..sub.3 -S).sub.4 (CO).sub.6 and Cp.sub.4 Mo.sub.2 Ni.sub.2 S.sub.4 and the subsequent synthesis and use of the heterobimetallic cluster compositions as highly active and selective catalysts for the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide. Such heterobimetallic cluster catalysts supported on alumina exhibit extraordinary activity and selectivity with respect to the formation of ethane without concommitant formation of C.sub.3, C.sub.4 and heavier hydrocarbons. The catalysts are contemplated as being useful for syngas conversion even in the presence of several ppm of H.sub.2 S or the like in the feedstream.