Abstract: A material distribution vessel for distributing material recovered in a dredging operation is disclosed. The material distribution vessel includes a hull; a propulsion system for selectively moving the hull through a waterway; and a conveyor system supported by the hull. The conveyor system has a first end for receiving recovered material and a second end for depositing the recovered material. At least a portion of the conveyor system is movable relative to the hull to move the second end to a desired position. The material distribution vessel also includes at least one support pad. The at least one support pad is movable in at least a vertical direction to support the hull on a bottom of the waterway. The recovered material may be deposited into the waterway to form an island (which may be a levy), into another water-borne vessel, or into an on-shore station such as a wheeled transportation vehicle.

Abstract: An antenna network system comprises a server including a transmitter and an antenna, and a client including a receiver and a steerable antenna. There is also included a control path which is independently operable of the antennas for communicating control data between the server and client. The server is responsive to signal quality data communicated via the control path for steering at least one of the server antenna and client antenna in a direction for optimising the signal quality of communications transmitted between them.

Abstract: Certain types of lithographic printing plates are activated by preheating while certain other types are post heated to harden the coating. A platen having a large mass compared to the mass of a printing plate is heated and maintained in the exact temperature range to which the printing plate is to be heated. A printing plate is brought into heat exchange contact with the platen for the period of time required to heat the printing plate to the temperature of the platen. The printing plate may be heated while resting in a fixed position on the platen or while the printing plate is carried over the platen by a continuous thin metal conveyor belt in intimate contact with both the platen and printing plate.

Abstract: An aqueous adjuvant composition comprising an attenuated lipid A derivative and a non-immunostimulatory surfactant or surfactants enhances the immunological response in a warm blooded animal to a protein antigen. Attenuated lipid A derivatives useful according to the subject invention include monophosphoryl lipid A and 3-O-deacylated monophosphoryl lipid A. A surfactant or mixtures of surfactants are dissolved in a solvent. 1,2 Dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine is a preferred surfactant. The dissolved surfactant is added to an attenuated lipid A derivative to obtain a mixture. The molar ratio of attenuated lipid A derivative to surfactant in the mixture is about 4:1. The solvent is evaporated and water is added to the resulting film. The suspension is sonicated in a 60° C. water bath until it becomes clear.

Abstract: The present invention provides a controller for use with a transceiver in a wireless communications network. In one embodiment, the controller includes a sensing system that senses, perhaps periodically, at least one characteristic associated with at least two channels of the wireless communications network. The controller further includes a modification system that updates channel information in a channel information table associated with the at least two channels based on the at least one characteristic. The controller still further includes a selection system that selects channels in accordance with the channel information.

Abstract: A slider-operated fastener comprises first and second opposing tracks including respective first and second interlocking profiles and respective first and second fins extending downward from the respective first and second profiles. The first and second fins are sealed to each other by a plurality of spaced preseals. After generating each preseal, a notch is formed in the profiles and upper portions of the fins at the generated preseal. To install a slider onto the fastener, the slider is initially positioned within the respective notch and then threaded onto the fastener in response to relative movement of the slider and the fastener. Either before or after the steps of forming each preseal and respective notch and installing the respective slider, the fastener is attached to a moving web of plastic film. The fastener-carrying web is later folded and sealed to form individual plastic bags.

Abstract: To reduce the needed bandwidth of video communication system, a portion of the video image that differs from a preceding frame of the video image is predicted from the decompressed audio data with a model operating at both the transmitter and the receiver. The model accuracy is increased and the synchronisation enhanced by reducing the number of degrees of freedom of the model and by making the prediction of the next phoneme in a hierarchical manner.

Abstract: Pillars are formed in a fully integrated thermal inkjet printhead to prevent particles from entering into a nozzle chamber along an ink refill channel. The pillars are formed after a step of applying a thin film structure to a substrate. At one step, pits are etched through the thin film structure. At another step, material for an orifice layer is deposited into the pits. At another step, a firing chamber is etched into the orifice layer. At another step, a trench is etched into the backside of the wafer in the vicinity of the filled pits. The material filling each pit is not removed and remains in place to define the respective pillars. Two or more pillars are formed within the trench for each inkjet nozzle chamber. Alternatively pillars are formed by depositing material into the underside trench and performing photoimaging processes.

Abstract: Certain types of lithographic printing plates are activated by preheating while certain other types are post heated to harden the coating. A platen having a large mass compared to the mass of a printing plate is heated and maintained in the exact temperature range to which the printing plate is to be heated. A printing plate is brought into heat exchange contact with the platen for the period of time required to heat the printing plate to the temperature of the platen. The printing plate may be heated while resting in a fixed position on the platen or while the printing plate is carried over the platen by a continuous thin metal conveyor belt in intimate contact with both the platen and printing plate.

Abstract: Controlled release fertilizers are provided and methods for their preparation, wherein the controlled release fertilizers are obtained through self-assembling molecules on the surfaces of the fertilizer particles, and then, preferably, linking these molecules into a network with another component. The designed molecules have a hydrophilic portion, which can interact with fertilizers, and a hydrophobic portion that make the molecule self-assemble and setup a moisture barrier. The molecules also preferably have at least two functional groups in order to form a network.

Abstract: A dual lane board handling apparatus includes a first zone including first and second parallel pairs of rails extending in a first direction; a second zone including third and fourth parallel pairs of rails extending in the first direction; first tracks supporting the first and second pairs of rails so that the first and second pairs of rails can move on the first tracks in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a drive for moving the first pair of rails on the first tracks in the second direction such that the first pair of rails can be selectively moved between a first orientation wherein it is in alignment with the fourth pair of rails and a second orientation wherein it is in alignment with the third pair of rails; a drive for moving the second pair of rails in the second direction; and belts on the first, second, third, and fourth pairs of rails for conveying boards along the rails in the first direction.

Abstract: An electrical cell or battery (10, 44, 62) is provided which employs an elemental metal composition including quantities of elemental magnesium and elemental iron, together with electrodes (36, 38, 52, 60, 80, 82) operatively coupled with the metal composition. The current-generating composition also includes a minor amount of an alkali metal salt such as sodium chloride, and variable amounts of water. The metal fraction of the composition preferably includes from about 30-90% by weight elemental magnesium and from about 10-70% by weight elemental iron.

Abstract: A method is provided for clients to locate and interact with Internet services fulfilling the clients needs. In an aspect, a client requests, to a broker, a specific language/component technology (communication proxy), and an application-level transport protocol. The broker matches a client request and an Internet service, and transmits metadata to the client enabling the client to locate the matched internet service communication proxy. In an aspect, the client downloads the requested communication proxy and dynamically interacts, at runtime, with an Internet service using the requested communication proxy, the communication proxy being local to the client. In an aspect, the client is relieved from having to develop a remote communications code.

Abstract: Pillars are formed in a fully integrated thermal inkjet printhead to prevent particles from entering into a nozzle chamber along an ink refill channel. The pillars are formed after a step of applying a thin film structure to a substrate. At one step, pits are etched through the thin film structure. At another step, material for an orifice layer is deposited into the pits. At another step, a firing chamber is etched into the orifice layer. At another step, a trench is etched into the backside of the wafer in the vicinity of the filled pits. The material filling each pit is not removed and remains in place to define the respective pillars. Two or more pillars are formed within the trench for each inkjet nozzle chamber. Alternatively pillars are formed by depositing material into the underside trench and performing photoimaging processes.

Abstract: A cleaner for cleaning a surface is provided comprising a main body and a brush assembly for engaging the surface being cleaned. An engaging member on the main body or brush assembly and a retaining portion on the other main body or brush assembly. The engaging member and retaining portion are releasably connected to each other such that the engaging member or retaining portion is accessible for engagement by a user to disengage the engaging member from the retaining portion.

Abstract: A method is provided for clients to receive services that match client-desired attributes. In an aspect, attributes and comparison operators submitted by a client and a service are compared using a comparison function. In an aspect, the data type and/or the context of the client attribute and the service attribute differ, the service attribute is tagged and a pointer directs a broker to a uniform resource identifier (URI). The URI refers to a specialized comparison function that can properly compare the differing client attribute and service attribute, the specialized comparison function maintained current by the service.

Abstract: A monolithic inkjet printhead formed using integrated circuit techniques is described. A silicon substrate has formed on its top surface a thin polysilicon layer in the area in which a trench is to be later formed in the substrate. The edges of the polysilicon layer align with the intended placement of ink feed holes leading into ink ejection chambers. Thin film layers, including a resistive layer, are formed on the top surface of the silicon substrate and over the polysilicon layer. An orifice layer is formed on the top surface of the thin film layers to define the nozzles and ink ejection chambers. A trench mask is formed on the bottom surface of the substrate. A trench is etched (using, for example, TMAH) through the exposed bottom surface of the substrate and to the polysilicon layer. The etching of the polysilicon layer exposes fast etch planes of the silicon. The TMAH then rapidly etches the silicon substrate along the etch planes, thus aligning the edges of the trench with the polysilicon.

Abstract: A reclosable package includes a pair of opposing walls, a reclosable seal and a barrier partition. The pair of opposing wall panels are joined along a pair of opposing sides and a bottom bridges the opposing sides to create a receptacle space having a mouth end opposite the bottom. The reclosable seal extends along the mouth end and includes first and second opposing reclosable elements. The first and second reclosable elements are releasably engageable to each other. The barrier partition comprises at least a first layer that is substantially impermeable to at least one of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The barrier partition extends substantially across the pair of opposing wall panels in the receptacle space.

Abstract: Multiple widths of fluid may be extruded onto portions of material without requiring a complex reconfiguration of the system or replacing the extruding device. In at least one embodiment, various extrusion widths are provided by altering the angle at which materials are guided with respect to the extruding device along a lateral plane with the extruder. In one embodiment, the present invention provides for the manipulation of the position of the extruding device with respect to the material, or alternately, by manipulation of the position of the material with respect to the extruding device. Another embodiment provides a single extruder with multiple applicator heads of different sizes. An additional embodiment provides a single coater head with multiple applicator openings of different sizes. Yet another embodiment provides an extruding device capable of moving laterally over the material to achieve the proper angle of approach.