Abstract: A water permeable fluoropolymer article is described comprising a functional copolymer of TFE, PSVE and sulfonic acid pendant to the polymer chain, as well as methods of making the article. The method comprises providing a copolymer membrane comprising a microstructure characterized by nodes interconnected by fibrils, wherein said membrane, immersing said membrane in hot water for a period of time to render the membrane water permeable.

Abstract: An apparatus having means for amplifying a differential voltage signal. The means for amplifying includes at least an input stage and an output stage. The output stage includes means for preventing a trade off between a reduction in noise of an output voltage signal and an increase in a dynamic range of the output voltage signal.

Abstract: The present invention relates broadly to a system and method for bandpass sigma-delta modulation. The continuous time bandpass sigma-delta modulator comprises an electromechanical filter, a quantizer coupled to an output from the electromechanical filter; and a feedback circuit coupled between an output from the quantizer and an input of the electromechanical filter.

Abstract: A functional TFE copolymer fine powder is described, wherein the TFE copolymer is a polymer of TFE and at least one functional comonomer, and wherein the TFE copolymer has functional groups that are pendant to the polymer chain. The functional TFE copolymer fine powder resin is paste extrudable and expandable. Methods for making the functional TFE copolymer are also described. The expanded functional TFE copolymer material may be post-reacted after expansion.

Abstract: Crosslinkable perfluoroelastomer compositions having low metal content and low compression set when crosslinked, and processes for producing the same, are provided. Compositions comprising terpolymers of TFE, PAVE, and CNVE having a metal content of less than 3000 ppb may be formed into high purity transparent perfluoroelastomer parts.

Abstract: A method is provided for processing a substrate surface by delivering a first gas mixture comprising a first organosilicon compound, a first oxidizing gas, and one or more hydrocarbon compounds into a chamber at deposition conditions sufficient to deposit a first low dielectric constant film on the substrate surface. A second gas mixture having a second organosilicon compound and a second oxidizing gas is delivered into the chamber at deposition conditions sufficient to deposit a second low dielectric constant film on the first low dielectric constant film. The flow rate of the second oxidizing gas into the chamber is increased, and the flow rate of the second organosilicon compound into the chamber is decreased to deposit an oxide rich cap on the second low dielectric constant film.

Abstract: Cryptosporidium hominis genes and gene products are provided. The genes and gene products are useful for chemotherapeutic, immunotherapeutic, immunoprophylactic and diagnostic applications.

Abstract: Embodiments of a digital-to-analog converter are disclosed.

Abstract: This invention provides a high-yield bacterial strain for producing tetramethylpyrazine named Bacillus pumilus RX3-17. The strain has been deposited in China Center for Type Culture Collection on Apr. 19, 2006. The deposit number is CCTCC M 206043. The bacterial strain, isolated from soil, is rod-shaped, 1.5 ?m to 3.0 ?m in length and 0.6 ?m to 0.7 ?m in diameter. The colony color of the strain is milky-white. The strain has typical physiological and biochemical characteristics of Bacillus pumilus. The 16s rDNA sequence of this strain shares a similarity of 99% with other Bacillus pumilus strains. This invention belongs to the domain of biotechnology. The strain can be applied to the production of tetramethylpyrazine with glucose as the substrate, solving the bottleneck of low yield in bacterial tetramethylpyrazine fermentation.

Abstract: High purity perfluoroelastomer composites and processes for producing the same are provided. High purity composites may be formed from compositions comprising a crosslinkable fluoroelastomer terpolymer of TFE, PAVE, and CNVE, and functionalized PTFE, which may be crosslinked to form crosslinked composites having low metal content and low compression set. Emulsion mixtures for forming the high purity composites are also provided.

Abstract: A method is provided for processing a substrate surface by delivering a first gas mixture comprising a first organosilicon compound, a first oxidizing gas, and one or more hydrocarbon compounds into a chamber at deposition conditions sufficient to deposit a first low dielectric constant film on the substrate surface. A second gas mixture having a second organosilicon compound and a second oxidizing gas is delivered into the chamber at deposition conditions sufficient to deposit a second low dielectric constant film on the first low dielectric constant film. The flow rate of the second oxidizing gas into the chamber is increased, and the flow rate of the second organosilicon compound into the chamber is decreased to deposit an oxide rich cap on the second low dielectric constant film.

Abstract: A high-yield bacterial strain for producing acetoin named Bacillus pumilus XH195 has been deposited in a microorganism deposit center in Germany. The deposit number is DSM 16187. The bacteria of the strain are rod-shaped, 1.5 ?m to 3.0 ?m in length, and 0.6 ?m to 0.7 ?m in diameter. The colony color of the bacterial strain is yellow or white. The strain has the typical fatty acid profile of Bacillus and its physiological and biochemical characteristics align with those of Bacillus pumilus. When the bacteria of strain were cultured at 37° C. for 60 hours with shaking, the yield of acetoin could reach 63.0 g/L or 58.1 g/L, when glucose or sucrose was used as the substrate, respectively.

Abstract: A method of vanillin production from ferulic acid with a high concentration by biotransformation using a Streptomyces sp. strain is claimed in this invention. This strain is named as Streptomyces sp. V-1, which has been deposited in China Center for Type Culture Collection on Jul. 12, 2006 with the number of CCTCC M 206065. Using this strain, high concentration of vanillin fermentation broth is obtained from ferulic acid by biotransformation in GY biotransformation medium. With the addition of macroporous adsorbent resin DM11, the concentration of vanillin can be greatly improved. The advantage of this invention is less environmental pollution, high product concentration, less by-product, short processing cycle, low production cost, simple product extraction, clean production process, product environmental friendly, safe and reliable, which solves many difficulties in the vanillin production from botanical raw material extraction or chemical synthesis, and therefore it has good application prospect.

Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a battery operated electronic device comprising the ADC. The ADC comprising an input switch; an array of binary-weighted capacitors, the array of capacitors receiving the input voltage signal via the input switch in an on state of the input switch; a plurality of switches, each switch connected in series with a respective one of the capacitors at an opposite side compared to the input switch, wherein a VDD signal is applied to each switch in one switching state and ground in another switching state; a comparator having as one input a voltage from the input switch side of the array of capacitors and as another input a voltage of VDD/2; and a switch control unit coupled to an output of the comparator for controlling the switches based on the output from the comparator.

Abstract: A frame includes a frame body and a plurality of fixing units. The frame body includes a base and a plurality of sidewalls extending from the peripheral of the base, the base and the sidewalls cooperatively forming a receiving cavity to receive the liquid crystal module. The fixing units are configured for enclosing the sidewalls and confining the liquid crystal module into the receiving cavity of the frame body. Each fixing unit is securely bounded with the liquid crystal module and the sidewall of the frame body respectively. A display device using the frame is also provided, which can be assembled efficiently and decreases the cost of materials.

Abstract: Crosslinkable perfluoroelastomer compositions having low metal content and low compression set when crosslinked, and processes for producing the same, are provided. Compositions comprising terpolymers of TFE, PAVE, and CNVE having a metal content of less than 3000 ppb may be formed into high purity transparent perfluoroelastomer parts.

Abstract: The Indo-Pacific marine sponge Ircinia ramosa has been found to contain two powerful (GI50 0.001 to <0.0001 ?g/ml) murine and human cancer cell growth inhibitors, denominated herein as irciniastatin A and irciniastatin B. Both were isolated (10-3 to 10-4% yields) by cancer cell line bioassay-guided techniques and named irciniastatins A (1) and B (2). Structural elucidation by a combination of spectral analyses, primarily high resolution mass and 2D-NMR (principally APT, HMQC, HMBC and ROESY) revealed unusual structures 1 and 2.

Abstract: Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a resonator such as an electromechanical resonator may be coupled with a cancellation network to reduce and/or cancel an anti-resonance effect in the resonator, which may be due to, for example, a static capacitance inherent in the resonator. Cancellation of an anti resonance effect from the resonator response may allow a resonance effect of the resonator to be a predominant effect to allow the resonator to be utilized as a bandpass filter having a relatively higher Q, for example in a bandpass sigma-delta modulator that may be utilized in a digital RF receiver.

Abstract: A cancellation circuit to remove the anti-resonance signal from a resonator. Micro-mechanical and surface and bulk acoustic wave resonators include an anti-resonance in an output signal. This has an undesirable effect on certain types of systems in their function and performance. An anti-resonance cancellation circuit removes the anti-resonance from the output of the resonators by providing a signal which is subtracted from the output of the resonator. The cancellation circuit includes a capacitor which is matched to the static capacitance of the resonator. The loads of the resonator and cancellation network are also matched.

Abstract: A bandpass sigma-delta modulator using acoustic resonators or micro-mechanical resonators. In order to improve resolution at high frequencies, acoustic resonators or micro-mechanical resonators are utilized in a sigma-delta modulator instead of electronic resonators. The quantized output is fed back using a pair of D/A converters to an input summation device. In fourth order devices, the feed back is to two summation devices in series. Such a sigma-delta modulator is usable in a software defined radio cellular telephone system and in other applications where high-frequency and high-resolution A/D conversion is required.