Abstract: Advanced lithography techniques including sub-10 nm pitch patterning and structures resulting therefrom are described. Self-assembled devices and their methods of fabrication are described.

Abstract: A method and system for care planning and management that provides a patient-centered single source of truth to foster teamwork and improved quality of care. The system facilitates creation of multi-author structured care plans through derivation of care relationships, care responsibilities and care plan elements to pre-populate care plans, and uses a hierarchical topic catalog and associated structured sentence templates and care plan templates to facilitate the completion of care plans. It aids interdisciplinary input through workflow-enabled routing of draft care plans, and rules-driven co-signing. The system allows each of multiple authors to separately tailor the sort order, hierarchy and information prominence of care plan structured sentences. The system uses care relationship and care responsibility information to optimize the propagation of care plan view tailoring instructions among co-authors.

Abstract: A method and system for managing customer service processes for individuals and populations. In a specific health care embodiment, a clinician creates a draft care plan for a patient using template metadata. This plan includes a list of specific services to be provided. It can be routed to members of an inter-disciplinary team for input. Once finalized, workflow processes are instantiated for each service. An optimized itinerary is created for patient encounters. A workflow automation server manages the execution of each process instance, invoking resources according to workflow metadata. Care plans and encounter itineraries are automatically translated to a patient-understandable form. Clinical practice and outcomes data are analyzed to identify opportunities for improvement of the metadata.

Abstract: A method and system for managing customer service processes for individual customers and populations of customers. In a specific embodiment within the health care field, a clinician creates or updates a draft care plan for a patient using generic or locally-adapted template metadata and tailors the draft care plan to the particular patient. The draft care plan includes a list of specific services (health care interventions) to be provided to the patient. The draft care plan can be routed to members of an inter-disciplinary team for input. Once finalized, workflow processes are instantiated for each intervention on the care plan. An itinerary is created for any required patient encounters, optimized using an algorithm that considers pre-existing process instances. A workflow automation server manages the execution of each workflow process instance, invoking resources according to workflow process specification metadata and workflow task type metadata.

Abstract: Wiper spring is made of a length of spring wire having hook-like end portions at opposite ends. One of the end portions is shaped to slide over the drive arm of a vehicle wiper assembly from one side. The other end portion is shaped to hook over the wiper arm of the vehicle wiper assembly for applying additional spring force to the wiper arm to maintain better contact of the wiper blade against the surface being wiped during operation of the wiper assembly.

Abstract: An electric immersion heater (10) is provided for heating fluids, such as water in a livestock watering tank. The electric heater includes a heater subassembly (26), a protective cover (39), and a power cord (21) having a power plug (24). The heater subassembly (26) includes a heating element (14) having first and second ends (16A and 16B) and a molded metallic case (12 or 12A) enclosing the heating element (14). The protective cover (39) encloses and hermetically seals the operative connection of a thermostatic switch (18), the first and second ends (16A and 16B) of the heating element (14), and first, second, and third conductors (22A-22C) of the power cord (21). The thermostatic switch (18) is bonded in heat-receiving proximity to the molded case (12 or 12A). Potting compound (38) disposed intermediate of the thermostatic switch (18) and the fluid to be heated is provided as a thermal barrier for restricting the heat flow from the fluid to the thermostatic switch (18).

Abstract: A two-piece, realignable golf tee comprises a lower, integrally molded plastic piece comprising a ground spike, a central flange, a relatively thin, flexible retainer shaft extending away from the ground spike in substantially parallel relation, and an enlargement adjacent the outer end of the retainer shaft. An upper, integrally molded plastic piece comprises a sleeve slidably positioned about the flexible retainer shaft. The sleeve defines a bore having a constricted portion adjacent a first sleeve end that faces the ground spike to engage the enlargement, to substantially limit movement of the sleeve away from the spike and out of engagement with the retainer shaft. The central flange is proportioned to serve as a seat for the first sleeve end, with the end of the sleeve opposed to the first end being proportioned to serve as a seat for a golf ball. The two, integrally molded plastic pieces may be assembled in snap-fit relation.

Abstract: A water heater (10 or 70) for a stock watering tank includes a first (20 or 72) housing portion of molded aluminum, and a second (62 or 94) housing portion of plastic. An electric heating element (12 or 74) is molded into the first housing portion. One of the housing portions includes a cavity (36 or 99). A thermostatically controlled switch (50) is inserted into the cavity and is bonded to the first housing portion.