Abstract: A method for diagnosing a condition of a patient involves the steps of (a) adding one or more reagents to a test sample from a patient, the test samples comprising at least part of a blood sample from the patient, in order to cause formation of a complex comprising at least one acute phase protein and at least one human lipoprotein, while causing substantially no fiber polymerization; (b) measuring the formation of the complex over time so as to derive a time-dependent measurement profile, and (c) determining a slope and/or total change in the time-dependent measurement profile, so as to diagnose a condition of the patient. A greater formation of the complex is correlated to increased probability of death of the patient.

Abstract: A roll splitter for splitting apart rolls of paper that have been rewound onto separate cores positioned adjacent to each other on a common shaft such that adjacent edges of the rolls overlap. The roll splitter includes a vertically-extending, fixed post, a fixed base, a frame pivotably attached to the base, a pair of contact plates pivotably attached to the frame and being spaced apart from the post a distance sufficient to allow a roll of paper to be inserted therebetween and positioned on either side of the post, and a double-acting cylinder motor pivotably attached to the post and frame for pivoting the frame toward and away from the post. Two rolls having adjacent, overlapping edges are positioned between the post and the plates such that the overlapping edges are in registry with the post and are split apart as the cylinder motor urges the contact plates against the rolls, thereby urging the rolls against the post at the overlapping edges.

Abstract: In a method of electro-plating solder onto selected areas of the conductors of a printed circuit board, the following steps are followed: a continuous conductive surface is formed on a board carrying circuit conductors, a mask is formed on the surface to leave predetermined exposed areas, solder is electroplated on the said areas, and the mask and the remaining conductive surface are removed. The method is suitable for the plating of through holes in the board to connect conductors on the two sides of the board.