Abstract: A method and system for improving the transfer performance of a jukebox containing multiple media, either single-sided or double-sided, which, although independent, act as a single contiguous drive or volume. By caching writes in one embodiment and caching reads and writes in another embodiment, performance increases by preventing unnecessary disc swapping between the drive or drives of the jukebox. In operation, writes to the media currently in the drive are written through to the media and writes to all other media are cached while the cache does not have a predetermined utilization. When the cache has the predetermined utilization, a different media is placed in the drive and any cached or pending writes for the newly inserted media are sent to the newly inserted media and any corresponding cache entries are cleared.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for connecting a computer to one or more peripheral devices includes providing an adapter module connectable directly or by means of standard cabling to a peripheral device. The adapter module includes a plurality of electrical connectors configured to operate in accordance with predetermined interface protocols. A conversion means provided in the module in the form of an ASIC chip performs protocol conversions. By providing three or more connectors on the adapter module, several devices can be connected to a computer having a single port.

Abstract: A storage device or drive such as a disk or tape drive including a nonvolatile erasable semiconductor memory which stores parameters which control the operation of the storage device. Through a user interface on a host computer, the user is capable of changing the parameters which are used to control the storage device, allowing the user to configure the operation of the storage device in any manner desired. The parameters which are changeable within the storage device relate to responses to the detection of errors within the storage device, data encryption algorithms, the stopping of a disk from spinning, the caching of the storage device, and data compression algorithms. The storage drive also has the capability to perform a stand-alone formatting operation. After formatting a storage medium with the assistance of the host computer, the formatted medium is read by the drive and stored in the nonvolatile memory of the storage drive.

Abstract: Uranium is separated from mixed oxides of thorium and uranium by a pyrometallurgical process in which the oxides are mixed with a molten chloride salt containing thorium tetrachloride and thorium metal which reduces the uranium oxide to uranium metal which can then be recovered from the molten salt. The process is particularly useful for the recovery of uranium from generally insoluble high-density sol-gel thoria-urania nuclear reactor fuel pellets.

Abstract: A new octapeptide having profound angiotensin antagonist properties has been found. The new compound resembles angiotensin II except for the two terminal amino acids, carrying unnatural amino acids at the N-terminus, and at the C-terminus.