Abstract: The present invention provides a device for enhancing the load carrying capacity of new or existing, spanning, structural lumber. The device consists of a perforated steel strap, attached at both ends of a spanning structural member by means of standard fasteners such as nails, screws or bolts and running parallel to the long axis of the member either on the bottom or along the side. The strap is then tensioned by means of a central expanding device such as opposed wedges. The tensioning of the strap has the effect of adding tensile strength to the bottom chord of the spanning structural member as well as supporting the center of the member, thereby increasing the load carrying capacity. The device could be attached to new structural lumber before installation to either reduce the size of the member needed for a given span or to increase the spanning capacity for a given size of lumber.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical (MEM) apparatus is disclosed which has a platform that can be elevated above a substrate and tilted at an arbitrary angle using a plurality of flexible members which support the platform and control its movement. Each flexible member is further controlled by one or more MEM actuators which act to bend the flexible member. The MEM actuators can be electrostatic comb actuators or vertical zip actuators, or a combination thereof. The MEM apparatus can include a mirror coating to form a programmable mirror for redirecting or switching one or more light beams for use in a projection display. The MEM apparatus with the mirror coating also has applications for switching light beams between optical fibers for use in a local area fiber optic network, or for use in fiber optic telecommunications or data communications systems.

Abstract: 5,6-Dihydro-11H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohept-11-enes are prepared by reacting a dibenzosuberone or an aza derivative thereof with an aliphatic ketone in the presence of low valent titanium.

Abstract: The invention provides a polishing machine and a three-chambered polishing head structure and method that improves the polishing uniformity of a substrate across the entire surface of the substrate, particularly near the edge of the substrate that is particularly beneficial to improve the uniformity of semiconductor wafers during Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP). In one aspect, the invention provides a method of controlling the polishing pressure over annular regions of the substrate, such as a wafer, in a semiconductor wafer polishing machine.

Abstract: Cell culture conditions were developed which maintain the nerve cells of the retina in well-defined, serum-free conditions. The molecular factors that stimulate axonal regeneration from these neurons were characterized. The glial sheath cells that surround the axons of the optic nerve release two molecules that trigger and sustain nerve regeneration. One of the molecules is referred to as axogenesis factor 1 (AF-1), and is a low molecular weight polypeptide with a size in the range of 1000 daltons. The second molecule, AF-2, is a larger protein with a size of approximately 12,000 daltons. Studies indicate that these factors are strongly involved in CNS regeneration, and are therefore useful in the treatment of spinal cord and other nervous tissue damage.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of an amino acid ester of a nucleoside analogue comprises reacting a nucleoside analogue having an esterifiable hydroxy group with a 2-oxa-4-aza-cycloalkane-1,3-dione. Such amino acid esters of nucleoside analogues are able to interfere with viral nucleic acid metabolism and are therefore useful for their anti-viral activity.

Abstract: An improved method for bonding webs. The method includes overlapping two webs, slitting the two webs, reoverlapping the two webs and bonding the two webs together. The steps of reoverlapping the two webs may be accomplished with a number of different types of devices including but not limited to: a bumpered roll, a notched roll, a crowned roll, a bowed roll, an out of plane roll, and variable speed rolls.

Abstract: A method for providing fault tolerance in a client/server computer system. A client is initially connected to a primary server. The primary server normally handles all of the client's transactions. However, a secondary connection is designated to a backup server, whereby if the primary server ever becomes disabled, the client is automatically switched over to the backup server. In-flight transaction information corresponding to transactions currently being processed by the primary server is stored and regularly updated by the client. The client regularly polls the primary server to check whether the primary server is properly functioning. If the primary server becomes disabled, all in-flight transactions pending on the disabled server are rolled back and the client resubmits in-flight transaction information to the backup server so that it can complete any transactions which were in progress on the primary server at the time of the failure. Thus, server failures are transparent to the user.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a chaotic system-based information encoder and decoder that operates according to a relationship defining a chaotic system. Encoder input signals modify the dynamics of the chaotic system comprising the encoder. The modifications result in chaotic, encoder output signals that contain the encoder input signals encoded within them. The encoder output signals are then capable of secure transmissions using conventional transmission techniques. A decoder receives the encoder output signals (i.e., decoder input signals) and inverts the dynamics of the encoding system to directly reconstruct the original encoder input signals.