Abstract: A device and method for loading a cartridge with pre-formed tubular wrappers for cigarette manufacture. The device provides for dispensing pre-formed tubular wrappers from a container to a cartridge without directly touching the wrappers.

Abstract: A device and method for loading cigarettes from a cartridge into a package. The device provides for transferring cigarettes from a cartridge supporting them to a package.

Abstract: A customized, specialty-oriented database and index of a subject matter area and methods for constructing and using such a database are provided. Selection and indexing of articles is done by experts in the topic with which the database is concerned. As a result, articles are indexed in a manner that allows facile, rapid retrieval of highly relevant articles with few or no false positives with much reduced database maintenance cost through frugal limitation of number of documents in the database, number of terms in a Master Index, and number of codes assigned to each document. A thesaurus allows indexing and search in accordance with terminology familiar to different anticipated groups of users (e.g. doctors, patients, nurses, technicians, and the like). Key articles collections and rapid access to documents therein are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the use of terminal-phosphate-labeled nucleotides having three or more phosphates as substrates for nucleic acid polymerases and their use in DNA amplification. The labels employed are chemiluminescent, fluorescent, electrochemical and chromogenic moieties as well as mass tags and include those that are directly detectable, detectable after enzyme activation or feed into other processes to generate a different signal. The signal generated from the attached dyes may also be used to quantify the amount of amplification. Further provided are stabilizers that enhance the stability of terminal-phosphate labeled nucleoside polyphosphates in aqueous solutions and are useful for reducing non-enzymatic hydrolysis of these nucleotides, hence decrease background.

Abstract: A microreplicated article having a moiré reducing surface and method of manufacturing the same, are disclosed. A microreplicated article includes a flexible substrate having first and second opposed surfaces, a first coated microreplicated pattern on the first surface, and a second coated microreplicated pattern on the second surface. The first coated microreplicated pattern and the second coated microreplicated pattern are registered to within 10 micrometers in a machine direction and a transverse direction and the first coated microreplicated pattern and second coated microreplicated pattern form a plurality of lens segments. Each lens segment includes a plurality of lens elements each having an optical axis where all of the lens element optical axes are parallel to each other and lens elements within a first lens segment have optical axes that are offset from optical axes of lens elements within an adjacent second lens segment.

Abstract: Microreplicated articles including a defect reducing and wet-out reducing feature and methods of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The microreplicated article includes a flexible substrate having first and second opposed surfaces, a first coated microreplicated pattern on the first surface, and a second coated microreplicated pattern on the second surface. The first coated microreplicated pattern and second coated microreplicated pattern are registered to within 10 micrometers.

Abstract: Oligonucleotide tagged nucleoside triphosphates, OTNTPs, which are substrates for polymerases and or terminal nucleotidyl transferases are provided as well as methods of making these OTNTPs. Further provided are OTNTPs with fluorescent dyes including energy transfer dyes, attached to the oligonucleotide chain, OTNTPs with unnatural bases incorporated in the oligonucleotide sequence and methods for incorporating these OTNTPs in DNA or RNA. Also provided are methods for using the oligonucleotides on OTNTPs for amplifying the oligo sequence on the OTNTP using an amplification method described above. Further provided are reactive bifunctional amidites, methods of making these compounds and methods for detecting single nucleotide polymorphisms using the above OTNTPs. Methods for detecting differential gene expression using the OTNTPs and methods of separating specifically modified DNA or RNA using the OTNTPs are also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus, program product, and method selectively display or render display information from display information packets provided in a digital radio broadcast or via another form of packet-based communication medium based upon local information associated with the display, and typically irrespective of whether any of such packets are specifically addressed to any local receiver associated with a display. The local information used in the selective display of display information may be a physical location of a user, whereby a location sensor is utilized to determine a current location that is compared to a location criterion provided in a data packet to determine whether the current location matches the location criterion. In addition to, or in lieu of location information, the local information may include local configuration data that identifies certain information types (e.g.

Abstract: A microstructure to interact with electromagnetic waves by changing optical aspect in selected areas in response to an external signal, the microstructure comprising: a plurality of responsive elements, each responsive element capable of presenting at least two different optical aspects and changing between the optical aspects based on an applied external signal, a support substrate containing the responsive elements; and a plurality of assisting optical lenses each optically enlarging an image from the responsive elements associated with the assisting optical lens.

Abstract: A method of completing a well having a casing hanger set in a subsea wellhead housing includes attaching a running tool to a tubular bridging hanger. A metal-to-metal inner seal is attached to a lower exterior portion of the bridging hanger and a metal-to-metal outer seal is located on an upper exterior portion of the bridging hanger. The assembly is lowered into the well and the lower exterior portion of the bridging hanger is inserted into the casing hanger. The inner seal is wedged between the casing hanger and the bridging hanger in response to weight of the running string. The running tool is actuated to set the outer seal between the upper exterior portion of the bridging hanger and the wellhead housing. Then, a tubing hanger is landed and sealed in the interior of the bridging hanger.

Abstract: An improved blast liner assembly for use in gravel packing or fracturing operations wherein solid materials, in slurry form, are flowed out of the flowbore of a working tool and into the annulus of a wellbore. The blast liner is a cylindrical member that provides a protective shield to the interior retaining section. An angular flow diverter is provided within the blast liner and has a plurality of angled flow diversion channels formed into the inner surface of the blast liner body. Flow of slurry through the blast liner will cause the blast liner to rotate within the retaining section due to the reaction forces imparted to the blast liner from diverting the slurry flow. In this manner, the impingement area presented by the blast liner is increased, and the life of the blast liner extended. The blast liner may also be caused to move axially within the retaining section to further increase the impingement area.

Abstract: A nanocomposite material suitable for electrical insulation includes a polymer compounded with a substantially homogeneously distributed functionalized nanoparticle filler. The nanocomposite material is produced by compounding the polymer with the functionalized nanoparticle filler by imparting a shear force to a mixture of the polymer and filler capable of preventing agglomeration of the filler whereby the filler is substantially homogeneously distributed in the nanocomposite material. The electrical insulation may be adapted for AC or DC high voltage, and may also be adapted for low or medium voltage to prevent formation of water tree structures.

Abstract: A film for a screen has a light transmitting substrate and a plurality of structures disposed on the substrate. An optical material at least partially fills cavities between the structures. A method of forming a film includes providing a light transmitting substrate having a plurality of structures disposed thereon and at least partially filling the cavities therebetween with an optical material.

Abstract: Applications/functions within an electronic processing device having a GPS card and antenna, such as a laptop or personal digital assistant, can be enabled only when in a specified geographic location. For each critical application/function, its accessibility is programmed to be enabled/disabled only in specified geographic regions. No additional passwords are required: access or abortion of an running program are automatic. The geographic regions can be input into the electronic processing device using GPS processing or using a graphical user interface on a map. Other methods of determining the boundaries of the appropriate geographic regions for each applications/functions are disclosed. An application/function will not be opened if the electronic device is not within the geographic region associated with the application/function.

Abstract: Methods and systems for evaluating a material sample is provided. The system includes a material sample holder including a first flange having an aperture therethrough, a second flange having an aperture therethrough, the first and second flanges configured to frictionally hold a material sample sandwiched therebetween, a waveguide coupled to a first end of each of the first flange and the second flange, each waveguide configured to direct electromagnetic waves through respective apertures, a waveguide adapter communicatively coupled to a second end of each waveguide, and a control unit electrically coupled to the wave source, the control unit configured to control the waveguide adapter to transmit and receive electromagnetic wave signals.

Abstract: The present invention describes methods of detecting a nucleic acid in a sample, based on the use of terminal-phosphate-labeled nucleotides as substrates for nucleic acid polymerases. The methods provided by this invention utilize a nucleoside polyphosphate, dideoxynucleoside polyphosphate, or deoxynucleoside polyphosphate analogue which has a colorimetric dye, chemiluminescent, or fluorescent moiety, a mass tag or an electrochemical tag attached to the terminal-phosphate. When a nucleic acid polymerase uses this analogue as a substrate, an enzyme-activatable label would be present on the inorganic polyphosphate by-product of phosphoryl transfer. Cleavage of the polyphosphate product of phosphoryl transfer via phosphatase leads to a detectable change in the label attached thereon. When the polymerase assay is performed in the presence of a phosphatase, there is provided a convenient method for real-time monitoring of DNA or RNA synthesis and detection of a target nucleic acid.

Abstract: A trench DMOS transistor device that comprises: (a) a substrate of a first conductivity type; (b) an epitaxial layer of first conductivity type over the substrate, wherein the epitaxial layer has a lower majority carrier concentration than the substrate; (c) a trench extending into the epitaxial layer from an upper surface of the epitaxial layer; (d) an insulating layer lining at least a portion of the trench; (e) a conductive region within the trench adjacent the insulating layer; (f) a body region of a second conductivity type provided within an upper portion of the epitaxial layer and adjacent the trench; (g) a source region of first conductivity type within an upper portion of the body region and adjacent the trench; and (h) one or more low resistivity deep regions extending into the device from an upper surface of the epitaxial layer. The low resistivity deep region acts to provide electrical contact with the substrate, which is a common drain region for the device.

Abstract: Disclosed are topical compositions for the treatment of microbial infections on the skin or scalp which include a polyvalent metal salt of pyrithione and include a metal ion source. Also disclosed are methods for treating microbial infections of the skin or scalp using such compositions.

Abstract: A method of characterizing a nucleic acid sample is provided that includes the steps of: (a) conducting a DNA polymerase reaction that includes the reaction of a template, a non-hydrolyzable primer, at least one terminal phosphate-labeled nucleotide, DNA polymerase, and an enzyme having 3??5? exonuclease activity which reaction results in the production of labeled polyphosphate; (b) permitting the labeled polyphosphate to react with a phosphatase to produce a detectable species characteristic of the sample; (c) detecting the detectable species; and (d) characterizing the nucleic acid sample based on the detection.