Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are provided for managing errors in prefetched data. The apparatus, system, and method identify prefetched data that contains an uncorrectable error. In addition, the apparatus, system, and method initiate an error recovery process only for prefetched data that is actually used by a requesting device, module, or application. The apparatus includes a prefetch module that prefetches data packets, a validation module that determines whether a prefetched data packet contains an uncorrectable error, a transfer module that transfers prefetched data packets to a requester, and an error recovery module that selectively initiates error recovery for those data packets that contain an uncorrectable error and are actually transferred to the requester.

Abstract: Systems and methods for verifying recovery from intermittent hardware faults. Exemplary embodiments include a method for verifying recovery from intermittent hardware faults, the method including generating an error in a computer interface by forcing a hardware fault after setting an error injection enable control bit in a register coupled to the computer interface, detecting an error in a hardware checker coupled to the computer interface which asserts an error interrupt signal resetting the error injection enable control bit when the error interrupt signal and a hardware reset control bit coupled to the computer interface are both active, disabling error forcing when the error injection enable control bit is reset, and executing an error recovery and logging procedure in the computer interface.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for determining individual responses to induced and actual mental stress and for identifying individuals susceptible to detrimental effects of mental stress on the cardiovascular system. The subjects may be at risk for chronic effects of mental stress by virtue of synergistic effects of mental stress and cardiovascular (CV) disease risk factors) or may be at risk, or vulnerable to, acute effects of mental stress by virtue of synergistic effects of mental stress and underlying hidden coronary atherosclerosis. The invention further provides methods and apparatus for assessing vascular reactivity in individuals under ambulatory conditions and relating mental stress responses to vascular reactivity.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for comprehensive assessment of vascular health is provided including functional status of the individual, risk factor assessment based on epidemiologic studies, and structural studies of the individual. Functional assessment in accordance with an embodiment of the invention includes generation of information on the status of three compartments: the microvasculature, the macrovasculature and the neurovasculature.

Abstract: An implementation of a technology, described herein, for facilitating the recognition of content of digital goods. At least one implementation, described herein, derives a probabilistic mirror distribution of a digital good (e.g., digital image or audio signal). It uses the resulting data to derive weighting factors (i.e., coefficients) for the digital good. Based, at least in part on such weighting factors, it determines statistics of the good and quantizes it. The scope of the present invention is pointed out in the appending claims.

Abstract: An implementation of a technology, described herein, for facilitating the recognition of content of digital goods. At least one implementation, described herein, derives a probabilistic mirror distribution of a digital good (e.g., digital image or audio signal). It uses the resulting data to derive weighting factors (i.e., coefficients) for the digital good. Based, at least in part on such weighting factors, it determines statistics of the good and quantizes it. The scope of the present invention is pointed out in the appending claims.

Abstract: In an electrochemical fuel cell, a sufficient quantity of catalyst, effective for promoting the reaction of reactant supplied to an electrode, is disposed within the volume of the electrode so that a reactant introduced at a first major surface of the electrode is substantially completely reacted upon contacting the second major surface. Crossover of reactant from one electrode to the other electrode through the electrolyte in an electrochemical fuel cell is thereby reduced.

Abstract: An implementation of a technology, described herein, for facilitating the recognition of content of digital goods. At least one implementation, described herein, derives a probabilistic mirror distribution of a digital good (e.g., digital image or audio signal). It uses the resulting data to derive weighting factors (i.e., coefficients) for the digital good. Based, at least in part on such weighting factors, it determines statistics of the good and quantizes it. The scope of the present invention is pointed out in the appending claims.

Abstract: In an electrochemical fuel cell, a sufficient quantity of catalyst, effective for promoting the reaction of reactant supplied to an electrode, is disposed within the volume of the electrode so that a reactant introduced at a first major surface of the electrode is substantially completely reacted upon contacting the second major surface. Crossover of reactant from one electrode to the other electrode through the electrolyte in an electrochemical fuel cell is thereby reduced.

Abstract: The present invention provides a unitary sliding-vane type compressor-expander comprising a housing with a compressor inlet and outlet, and an expander inlet and outlet. A single rotor is disposed therein defining in cooperation with the housing a compression chamber on one side and an expansion chamber on the opposite side. The rotor includes a plurality of regularly spaced vanes slidingly disposed in slots about the periphery of the rotor. The bottoms of the vane slots may be vented through a passage in the housing to the inlet air, or alternatively through a groove between the vane and vane slot to the compression or exhaust chambers. Permanent magnets are used in the vanes and housing to increase or decrease the contact force between the vane tip and housing. An integral condenser-humidifier is provided in the path of the expanded gas exhausting from the turbine outlet for condensing water out of the expanded gas and returning the condensed water to the compressor-expander.

Abstract: Flow fields comprising a set of fluid distribution channels may be employed in fuel cells for purposes of distributing fluid reactants to an electrochemically active area of the fuel cell. Water management and reactant distribution may be improved by increasing pressure gradients between adjacent channels. Such pressure gradients may be increased by engineering the channels such that the resistance to reactant flow differs along the length of adjacent channels.

Abstract: The present invention provides a very compact, lightweight, turbomolecular pump for evacuating a chamber at volumetric flowrates of less than 10 liters per second. In one embodiment a turbomolecular pump is provided having a bladed rotor disposed within a housing, and mounted for rotation at one end on a passive magnetic main bearing and at the other end on a ball bearing. The pump is configured such that the magnetic bearing carries a majority of the rotor unbalance load. The rotor may be beneficially tapered from a larger diameter at the high vacuum end to a smaller diameter at the low vacuum end. The invention also provides a method of machining the blades of the rotor from a rotor blank using a single point tool in a two-step numerical control lathe operation. In another method of the invention, the rotor blades are individually cut using a high speed circular slitting saw by plunging the saw radially into the rotor blank.

Abstract: An electrochemical fuel cell stack is provided for converting a fuel reactant stream and an oxidant stream to a reaction product, heat, and electrical energy. The fuel cell stack includes manifolding endplates with a plurality of unit cells therebetween, each unit cell incorporating a smooth conductive cooling layer, and anode and cathode layers incorporating gas distribution layers formed of a central, porous, sheet material and a peripheral gasket material. The cooling layer conducts heat from distant regions of the unit cell to longitudinal cooling passages which run through the length of the stack defining a serial path through turnaround grooves in the faceplate and endplate. There is further provided a method for introducing reactant gases to the gas distribution layers.

Abstract: A turbine or compressor disk assembly comprises a plurality of blades attached to a central hub by means of the blade root of each blade engaging a corresponding slot in the hub. According to the principles of the present invention, a turbine or compressor disk assembly includes one or more locally bulging regions extending axially away from the surface of the disk in the vicinity of the bottom contact plane of the disk attachment firtree. The locally bulging regions reduce the peak Macke stress in the disk bottom fillet and blade attachment root. In an illustrative embodiment, two locally bulging regions are incorporated into the disk and the corresponding blades, one of which extends forward from the leading edge of the disk and the other of which extends rearward from the trailing edge of the disk. The rearward locally bulging region has an exaggerated extension which allows the stress reduction ring to form an aft flow discourager as well as functioning to reduce peak stress.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine cooling airflow pickup and delivery system which radially inwardly traverses the torque transmittal path of the compressor section at a relatively large radius location, then extends substantially farther inwardly to a significantly smaller radius location, all with minimal static pressure loss to the cooling airflow. Pressurized, substantially non-swirling air from the compressor stage is supplied to a collector, and from the collector thru pickup holes arranged at an angle of 45 degrees reversely to the direction of rotation of the shaft. The pressurized air is then lead into a vortex spoiler which has a plurality of blades smoothly curved reversely to the direction of rotation of the shaft, the radially outer end of each blade being inclined in matching relation to the pickup holes.

Abstract: In an electrochemical fuel cell, a sufficient quantity of catalyst, effective for promoting the reaction of reactant supplied to an electrode, is disposed within the volume of the electrode so that a reactant introduced at a first major surface of the electrode is substantially completely reacted upon contacting the second major surface. Crossover of reactant from one electrode to the other electrode through the electrolyte in an electrochemical fuel cell is thereby reduced.

Abstract: A common macro interface between chips that have design features in common and communicate with each other. The common macro interface (CMI) uses VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language) which is the industry standard hardware design language. A common protocol is provided to resolve communication problems and comprises four signals: request; acknowledge request; data acknowledge, and read/write. A freeway system within the interfaces facilitates parallel and pipelining processes and an arbiter (also called a scheduler) is placed in front of every slave resource to control the traffic independently and to avoid traffic collisions from locking the freeway. The freeway is unique for each integrated circuit. Accordingly, macros may be moved from chip to chip without requiring complete system modifications and the effort involved in designing macros common to several chips may be shared.

Abstract: In an electrochemical fuel cell, an electrode substrate has an in-plane nonuniform structure. The electrode substrate having an in-plane nonuniform structure enables controlled transport of reactant toward the electrocatalyst layer and controlled transport of reaction product away from the electrocatalyst layer.

Abstract: A fuel cell assembly within an electrochemical fuel cell stack has an anode layer and a cathode layer. A cooling layer is disposed adjacent the fuel cell assembly. Each layer comprises channels for directing a fluid stream from an inlet to a an outlet. The coolant stream channels extend such that, in operation, the coolest region of the cooling layer coincides with the region of the cathode layer having the highest concentration of oxygen (and/or the lowest water content), and the warmest region of the cooling layer coincides with the region of the cathode layer having the lowest concentration of oxygen (and/or the highest water content).

Abstract: Wrist-supports comprises an arched panel (25) standing on a pair of footing edges (26) extending in a side to side direction. Panel (24) comprises firm material that is thin enough to flex as shown in figure (2). Flexible material sleeve, platform having a channel or keyboard housing is required to constrain panel (25) in its arched configuration, as shown in FIGS. 1, 4, 8, 11, and 12. A separate support is recommended for each wrist. The designs provide surprising benefits of comfort, reach, and wrist-straightening. Many variations are considered. A mobile version with hand strap (36) is shown in FIG. 12. A sloping version is shown in FIG. 7 comprising trapezoidal structure panel (25), shown in FIG. 6.