Abstract: Apparatus and methods for adjusting the polarizations of the components of an input beam to reduce leakage caused by imperfections in an interferometer are disclosed. The apparatus includes an interferometer positioned to receive an input beam that includes two components having different frequencies and different polarizations, the interferometer including a polarizing beam splitter positioned to spatially separate the input beam into two intermediate beams, the first intermediate beam corresponding to the first component and the second intermediate beam corresponding to the second component, where imperfections in the interferometer cause leakage of one of the components into the intermediate beam corresponding to the other of the components. The apparatus further includes a polarization compensator that includes at least one retardation plate positioned to adjust the polarizations of the components of the input beam to reduce the leakage caused by the imperfections in the interferometer.

Abstract: A promoted activated carbon sorbent is described that is highly effective for the removal of mercury from flue gas streams. The sorbent comprises a new modified carbon form containing reactive forms of halogen and halides. Optional components may be added to increase reactivity and mercury capacity. These may be added directly with the sorbent, or to the flue gas to enhance sorbent performance and/or mercury capture. Mercury removal efficiencies obtained exceed conventional methods. The sorbent can be regenerated and reused. Sorbent treatment and preparation methods are also described. New methods for in-flight preparation, introduction, and control of the active sorbent into the mercury contaminated gas stream are described.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for decoding trellis-coded digital data. Digital data samples that have been convolutionally encoded by trellis-coded modulation (TCM) for purposes of forward error correction require a computationally intensive Viterbi decoder for best performance. A technique known as pragmatic trellis-code modulation (PTCM) reduces decoder complexity but at the expense of degraded performance in some situations. This disclosure provides a solution that retains the reduced complexity of PTCM, but uses a full trellis approach that yields significantly better performance in terms of bit error rate (BER).

Abstract: A condition management callback system and method for use with a processor employing a hierarchical register consolidation structure. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a condition management structure, (2) a callback abstraction subsystem configured to register a callback for at least one element object in the condition management structure and store logically abstracted data associated with the callback and (3) an abstraction retrieval subsystem configured to employ the condition management structure to determine a condition of at least one status indicator in the condition management structure by traversing the hierarchical register consolidation structure, initiate the callback based on the condition and pass the logically abstracted data if the element object representing the status indicator has the callback registered.

Abstract: A ventilator device and system comprising a rotating compressor, preferably a drag compressor, which, at the beginning of each inspiratory ventilation phase, is accelerated to a sufficient speed to deliver the desired inspiratory gas flow, and is subsequently stopped or decelerated to a basal flow level to permit the expiratory ventilation phase to occur. The ventilator device is small and light weight enough to be utilized in portable applications. The ventilator device is power efficient enough to operate for extended periods of time on internal or external batteries. Also provided is an oxygen blending apparatus which utilizes solenoid valves having specific orifice sizes for blending desired amounts of oxygen into the inspiratory gas flow. Also provided is an exhalation valve having an exhalation flow transducer which incorporates a radio frequency data base to provide an attendant controller with specific calibration information for the exhalation flow transducer.

Abstract: A ventilator device and system comprising a rotating compressor, preferably a drag compressor, which, at the beginning of each inspiratory ventilation phase, is accelerated to a sufficient speed to deliver the desired inspiratory gas flow, and is subsequently stopped or decelerated to a basal flow level to permit the expiratory ventilation phase to occur. The ventilator device is small and light weight enough to be utilized in portable applications. The ventilator device is power efficient enough to operate for extended periods of time on internal or external batteries. Also provided is an oxygen blending apparatus which utilizes solenoid valves having specific orifice sizes for blending desired amounts of oxygen into the inspiratory gas flow. Also provided is an exhalation valve having an exhalation flow transducer which incorporates a radio frequency data base to provide an attendant controller with specific calibration information for the exhalation flow transducer.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and compositions for targeted cleavage of a genomic sequence, targeted alteration of a genomic sequence, and targeted recombination between a genomic region and an exogenous polynucleotide homologous to the genomic region. The compositions include fusion proteins comprising a cleavage domain (or cleavage half-domain) and an engineered zinc finger domain and polynucleotides encoding same. Methods for targeted cleavage include introduction of such fusion proteins, or polynucleotides encoding same, into a cell. Methods for targeted recombination additionally include introduction of an exogenous polynucleotide homologous to a genomic region into cells comprising the disclosed fusion proteins.

Abstract: A portable ventilator uses a Roots-type blower as a compressor to reduce both the size and power consumption of the ventilator. Various functional aspects of the ventilator are delegated to multiple subassemblies having dedicated controllers and software that interact with a ventilator processor to provide user interface functions, exhalation control and flow control servos, and monitoring of patient status. The ventilator overcomes noise problems through the use of noise reducing pressure compensating orifices on the Roots blower housing and multiple baffling chambers. The ventilator is configured with a highly portable form factor, and may be used as a stand-alone device or as a docked device having a docking cradle with enhanced interface and monitoring capabilities.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a brushless DC (BLDC) motor over a wide range of angular speeds is presented. Analog magnetic sensors provide continuous signal measurements related to the rotor angular position at a sample rate independent of rotor angular speed. In one embodiment, analog signal measurements are subsequently processed using an arctangent function to obtain the rotor angular position. The arctangent may be computed using arithmetic computation, a small angle approximation, a polynomial evaluation approach, a table lookup approach, or a combination of various methods. In one embodiment, the BLDC rotor is used to drive a Roots blower used as a compressor in a portable mechanical ventilator system.

Abstract: A system for, and method of, automatically generating a hierarchical register consolidation structure. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a graph generator that parses a High-level Design Language (HDL) file to generate an intermediate graph containing definitions of microprocessor-accessible registers, node interrelationships and summary bits and masks associated with alarm registers, (2) a graph converter, associated with the graph generator, that selectively adds virtual elements and nodes to the intermediate graph to transform the intermediate graph into a mathematical tree and (3) a description generator, associated with the graph converter, that employs the mathematical tree to generate a static tree description in a programming language suitable for use by a device-independent condition management structure.

Abstract: A method, system, apparatus and device for the monitoring, diagnosis and evaluation of the state of a dynamic system is disclosed. This method and system provides the processing means for receiving sensed and/or simulated data, converting such data into a displayable object format and displaying such objects in a manner such that the interrelationships between the respective variables can be correlated and identified by a user. This invention provides for the rapid cognitive grasp of the overall state of a critical function with respect to a dynamic system. The system provides for displayed objects, which change in real-time to show the changes of the functions of the system. It is a highly flexible system which works with a wide variety of applications, including biological systems, environmental systems, engineering systems, economic systems, mechanical systems, chemical systems and the like.

Abstract: For use with a processor employing a hierarchical register consolidation structure (HRCS), a condition management system and method of operation thereof. In one embodiment, the system includes a condition management structure (CMS) that abstracts groups of status indicators associated with the HRCS into a tree of hierarchical container objects and element objects. Each of the container objects is associated with at least one of the element objects and linked to a single parent object, and each of the element objects configured to represent at least one of the status indicators and linked to a single child object. The system further includes an abstraction retrieval subsystem that employs the CMS to traverse the HRCS to determine a condition of at least one of the status indicators, and an abstraction management subsystem that employs the CMS to control a propagation of selected ones of the status indicators through the HRCS.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and compositions for multiplex screening. A functional domain of a drug target is fused to a zinc finger protein (ZFP) binding domain targeted to an endogenous reporter gene. Expression of the reporter gene provides an assay for the activity of the functional domain and, hence for agonists and antagonists of the functional domain. Moreover, a plurality of functional domain-ZFP fusions can be introduced into a single cell line, allowing simultaneous assay of all of the functional domains. Besides being obtained from a drug target, a functional domain can be obtained from, for example, a protein related to the drug target, a protein involved in drug metabolism and/or a protein involved in drug toxicity.

Abstract: An insect trap (10) comprises twin ultraviolet fluorescent tubes (12) with control circuitry therefor. The fluorescent tubes being behind a perforated upper portion (16) supported on brackets (18a/b). The insect trap (10) also includes a reflector (20) supported on concave brackets (22a/22b). The insect trap comprises a glue board which is secured inside the cover 16 extending the length thereof and having the same semi-circular shape as the cover (16). In this way, the surface of the glue board (24) is generally equidistant from the fluorescent tubes (12) along their length.

Abstract: In one embodiment the invention comprises a method for generating a log of a subsurface formation, in which data from well logging measurements are utilized to derive a relationship between porosity and irreducible water saturation for the formation and the derived relationship between porosity and irreducible water saturation is applied to a porosity log of the subsurface formation to generate a log of irreducible water saturation. In another embodiment the invention comprises a method for calculating a theoretical water saturation log for a subsurface formation which utilizes a relationship based on porosity, irreducible water saturation and height above the petroleum-water contact level.

Abstract: Manzamines, administered either intraperitoneally or orally, have been found to prolong survival and inhibit parasitemia in erythrocytic stage malaria. Thus, manzamines can be used for both prophylaxis and treatment. Manzamine A is a preferred compound for use in prophylaxis or treatment.

Abstract: A graphics controller circuit comprising a plurality of pipelines for performing a set of operations on a stream of input pixel data to generate at least a first operand and a second operand. A rasterop unit in the graphics controller circuit may receive the first operand and the second operand, and execute a raster operation using the first operand and the second operand to generate a set of display pixel data. The graphics controller circuit may further comprise a transparency unit for generating a write enable mask corresponding to the set of display pixel data. A display memory may selectively store or block the set of display pixel data according to the write enable mask. As the graphics controller generates display signals from the display data stored in display memory, a transparency operation may be performed.

Abstract: A graphics controller circuit for converting a plurality of monochrome pixel data into a corresponding set of color pixel data in RGB 888 format. The graphics controller circuit packs the converted color pixel data into a plurality of 64-bit color pixel words, with each color pixel word comprising two complete color pixel words and portion of at least one another color pixel word. By having color pixel data cross word boundaries, graphics controller of the present invention optimally stores color pixel data in color pixel words. The graphics controller circuit further includes a half-word addressable split-RAM which enables continuous availability of subsets of monochrome pixel data during each clock cycle for conversion to color data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving pixel data write operations to a tile-based frame buffer. The present invention includes a byte enable first-in first-out register for storing byte enable data for masking pixel data writes to a tile based frame buffer when the pixel data crosses a tile boundary. Pixel data generated by a graphics processor to the frame buffer may traverse multiple tiles. With each 64-bits of pixel data generated, a corresponding byte of byte enable data is generated as mask data for the frame buffer. The byte enable circuit of the present invention may be implemented as a circular shift register to allow the byte enable data to be shifted, rather than being "popped" after the pixel data has been written to the frame buffer. By shifting data rather than "popping" data, the byte enable circuit is able to retain portions of the byte enable data to enable a correct write of a pixel word which may traverse tile boundaries.

Abstract: There is provided an anodizable aluminum substrate having an increased breakdown voltage. The increase in breakdown voltage is achieved by selecting an appropriate aluminum alloy and appropriate processing parameters. Sealing the anodic film increases the breakdown voltage by decreasing corrosion. A preferred sealant is an epoxy cresol novolac having a low room temperature viscosity that cures to a highly cross-linked polymer.