Abstract: A spray drier system is provided for spray drying a liquid sample such as blood plasma. The spray drier system may include a spray drier device and a spray drier assembly. The spray drier device may be configured to receive flows of an aerosolizing gas, a drying gas, and blood plasma from respective sources and couple with the spray drier assembly for transmission of the received aerosolizing gas, drying gas, and plasma to the spray drier assembly. Spray drying of the plasma is performed in the spray drier assembly under the control of the spray drier device.

Abstract: A laser ablation method is used to polish a bearing surface of an automotive crankshaft. A laser ablation device generates a laser according to parameters such as wavelength, pulse duration, pulse repetition rate, and beam quality. The laser is applied to the surface of a rotating engine component, such as a crankshaft, as the component is rotated in order to polish the surface according to the parameters. The laser substantially improves tribological performance of the bearing surface by changing the waviness and form of the surface profile. Further, oil-retention reservoirs are formed in the surface. As a result, the friction coefficient of the crankshaft surface is reduced while the roughness of the crankshaft surface is maintained, reduced, or increased.

Abstract: An apparatus for use with a jacking device utilized in leveling modular type homes at a job site which includes an elongated tubular type member having a first predetermined length and a first predetermined shape and is formed from a first preselected material. An end cap member is engageable at a first end thereof with a bottom end of the elongated tubular member which has a predetermined configuration at a second end thereof to enable engagement with an upper portion of a jack. The end cap member is formed from a second preselected material. Finally, there is a top plate member engageable with an upper end of such elongated tubular member for supporting a predetermined structural member attached too such modular type home. The top plate member includes each of a second predetermined length and a second predetermined shape and is formed from a third preselected material.

Abstract: A laser ablation method is used to polish a bearing surface of an automotive crankshaft. A laser ablation device generates a laser according to parameters such as wavelength, pulse duration, pulse repetition rate, and beam quality. The laser is applied to the surface of a rotating engine component, such as a crankshaft, as the component is rotated in order to polish the surface according to the parameters. The laser substantially improves tribological performance of the bearing surface by changing the waviness and form of the surface profile. Further, oil-retention reservoirs are formed in the surface. As a result, the friction coefficient of the crankshaft surface is reduced while the roughness of the crankshaft surface is maintained, reduced, or increased.

Abstract: A data processing system including a data processor, also called a processing accelerator, processes at least one processor word each clock cycle. Each processor word includes multiple complete data samples which are received individually as part of a sequential stream of logically adjacent or related data samples such as in image data pixels which are part of an image to be processed by a machine vision system. A predetermined number of the data samples are stored together, as a processor word, in dedicated processing accelerator memory. For example, four 8 bit data samples can be stored together as one 32 bit processor word. The system also includes a data aligner which allows the processing accelerator to process at least one processor word comprised of at least one data sample from two processor words. The aligner controls data sample alignment such as for example, pixel alignment in the case of a vision system, to facilitate image data processing.