Abstract: A motor control system for a brushless and sensorless DC motor for driving a compressor, pump or other application, includes a protection and fault detection circuit for detecting a locked rotor and a rotor which has stopped because of lost rotor phase lock. The motor control system also includes an off-the-shelf motor control integrated circuit having an input for disabling power outputs to the motor phase coils. The protection and fault detection circuit uses a back EMF sampling circuit coupled to the motor phase coils and momentarily disables power to the motor phase coils, via the motor control integrated circuit input, to determine if the motor rotor is rotating. The system also monitors supply voltage, supply current, temperature, and motor speed limits to detect faults and protect system components.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for screening an array of test compounds for bioactivity by contacting an array of test compounds with a detector layer capable of detecting bioactivity, and detecting a detector layer response. The detector layer is comprised of physiologically viable cells. The method and apparatus allow a large number of test compounds to be simultaneously assayed in parallel without the need for complex fluidic devices.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for screening an array of test compounds for bioactivity by contacting an array of test compounds with a detector layer capable of detecting bioactivity, and detecting a detector layer response. The detector layer is comprised of physiologically viable cells. The method and apparatus allow a large number of test compounds to be simultaneously assayed in parallel without the need for complex fluidic devices.

Abstract: A method of playing a poker game using a standard deck of cards, a first die having indicia representative of Jokers and numbers, a second die having indicia representative of numbers, and Joker icons, wherein the number of cards and Joker icons from which a player builds the best possible five card poker hand is determined by rolling the dice.

Abstract: A method is described to assay for protein interactions in living cells, e.g. by the introduction of two heterologous conjugates into the cell. The method uses the measurement of cellular distribution of a detectable component (e.g. a GFP-labelled fluorescent probe) to indicate the presence or absence of an interaction between that component and a second component of interest. The method uses the knowledge that certain components can be stimulated to redistribute within the cell to defined locations. Inducible redistribution systems make it possible to determine if specific interactions occur between components. Inducible systems are described where it is demonstrated that the redistribution stimuli are essentially “null”, in that they affect no other system in the cell during the assay period, other than the component whose redistribution can be induced.

Abstract: Fluorescence complementation products with intensity levels mimicking the full length intensities are obtained by introduction of improved folding capabilities with a mutation in position 1 preceding the chromophore. This is particularly seen with the yellow variant of Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). An additive increase is obtained by splitting the GFP between amino acids 172 and 173. Screening for drugs capable of preventing interaction between proteins is performed by selecting the cells with the highest dynamic range through Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS), as illustrated with the ability of FK506 to break the rapamycin induced interaction between FRB and FKBP.

Abstract: A self-biasing spindle motor connector (such as 200) for a disc drive (such as 100) is disclosed. The spindle motor connector (such as 200) includes a body portion (such as 202) and a plurality of alloy contacts (such as 204) extending away from the body portion. The connector may comprise a crush rib (such as 206) extending from at least one side of the body portion and making contact with a vertical wall (such as locating edge 208) of a base plate (such as 102) of the disc drive. The crush rib ensures that the connector is properly biased to a reference edge and situated in relation to the base plate and the disc drive printed circuit board. An x-y control boss (such as 212) prevents the connector from moving in the x-y directions while the crush rib prevents the connector from rotational movement. The connector may also include a rotational boss (such as 216) that is inserted into a rotational control hole of the base plate to prevent rotational movement of the connector.

Abstract: An alternative therapeutic approach for PDE4 inhibition is disclosed. PDE4 dislocators, will remove the PDE4 away from the native location in the cell and thereby increase the concentration of cAMP in this location. By dislocating the PDE4, and thereby not acting directly on the catalytic, among phosphodiesterase inhibitors, well conserved site, the compound will act e.g. at the binding domain of the PDE4, thereby providing isoform-specific ‘inhibitors’ of PDE4. The dislocation of PDE4s are visualised with fusions to GFP. The native location is induced by treatment with Rolipram.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a 3-part hybrid system for detection protein interactions in live mammalian cells and screening for compounds modulating such interactions. The method is fully compatible with HTS. The three hybrids are a first heterologous conjugate comprising an anchor protein that specifically binds to an internal structure within the cell conjugated to an interactor protein of type A, a second heterologous conjugate comprising an interactor protein of type B conjugated to the first protein of interest, a third heterologous conjugate comprising a second protein of interest conjugated to a detectable group. When applying a dimerizer compound, interactor proteins A and B bind to each other and if the two proteins of interest interact, the distribution of the detectable group will mimic the distribution of the anchor protein. However, if there is no interaction, the distribution of the detectable group will mimic the distribution of the second protein of interest.

Abstract: An improved class BD (3-state) switching amplifier is provided requiring fewer power switching devices, and providing improved immunity to power-supply-induced distortion and greatly reduced notch distortion. Asymmetric gate drive delay circuitry produces time-coincident very short positive and negative drive pulses for very small signals, enabling linear performance down to zero input. The reference triangle wave is generated such that the positive amplitude of the triangle wave is modulated by the positive supply and the negative amplitude is modulated by the negative supply, eliminating to first order any supply-induced output distortion.

Abstract: A method of playing a poker game using a standard deck of cards, a first die having indicia representative of Jokers and numbers, a second die having indicia representative of numbers, and Joker icons, wherein the number of cards and Joker icons from which a player builds the best possible five card poker hand is determined by rolling the dice.

Abstract: A fishing rod comprising an elongate rod having a removably or permanently attached rod tip. The rod tip comprises reinforcing fiber and a bonding resin. The reinforcing fiber comprises at least 10% by weight poly-para-phenylene terephthalamide fiber. The rod preferably further comprises at least one line guide secured to the rod by application of the same type of reinforcing fiber material and a bonding resin.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for reducing deflection of an actuator assembly within a head disc assembly in a disc drive during a mechanical shock event. A snubber is fastened to a stationary portion of the head disc assembly and has a snubber body and two or more snubber arms connected to the snubber body. The adjacent snubber arms form slots therebetween. A portion of the actuator assembly may be inserted into each of the slots whereby the snubber arms will reduce the deflective movement of the actuator assembly during a mechanical shock event.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of aligning a disc drive printed circuit board connector with a corresponding receptacle in a disc drive slot in a test fixture includes a pair of tapered guide members on opposite ends of the connector which are angled toward the pins of the connector so that the connector is centered within the receptacle as the connector is inserted into the receptacle in the test fixture. The receptacle may be mounted for lateral movement within the slot of the test fixture to move relative to the connector as the guide members slide within the receptacle to align the pins and sockets before the pins enter the sockets within the receptacle.

Abstract: A disc drive includes a locating feature for aligning an electrical connector of a printed circuit board relative to an outer dimension of the disc drive. A guide pin is formed on one of the electrical connector and a base plate of the disc drive, and the guide pin is received within an opening defined in the other of the electrical connector and the base plate to position the electrical connector relative to the base plate. In addition, a method of positioning an electrical connector of a printed circuit board includes the step of inserting a guide pin formed on one of the electrical connector and the base plate into an opening formed in the other of the electrical connector and the base plate to align the electrical connector with the base plate. The method further includes the step of fastening the printed circuit board to the base plate of the disc drive while the guide pin remains within the opening.

Abstract: A self-biasing spindle motor connector (such as 200) for a disc drive (such as 100) is disclosed. The spindle motor connector (such as 200) includes a body portion (such as 202) and a plurality of alloy contacts (such as 204) extending away from the body portion. The connector may comprise a crush rib (such as 206) extending from at least one side of the body portion and making contact with a vertical wall (such as locating edge 208) of a base plate (such as 102) of the disc drive. The crush rib ensures that the connector is properly biased to a reference edge and Solo situated in relation to the base plate and the disc drive printed circuit board. An x-y control boss (such as 212) prevents the connector from moving in the x-y directions while the crush rib prevents the connector from rotational movement. The connector may also include a rotational boss (such as 216) that is inserted into a rotational control hole of the base plate to prevent rotational movement of the connector.

Abstract: An inertial latch apparatus for maintaining an actuator arm in a disc drive in a predetermined position has an elongated inertial beam member pivotally mounted in the disc drive for rotation in a plane parallel to the plane of rotation of the actuator arm and a latch member pivotally mounted in the disc drive for rotation between a disengaged position permitting movement of the actuator arm when the latch member is in the disengaged position and an engaged position in interference relation to a portion of the actuator arm to prevent movement of the actuator arm when the drive is subjected to an external shock load. The latch member rotates in only one direction in response to rotation of the beam member in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction from a neutral position.

Abstract: The present invention is a cascade control system for reactive sputtering deposition. A first control loop modifies the power supply in order to keep a monitored value nearly constant. This first control loop can be done relatively quickly. A second control loop monitors a second measure parameter in order to control the reactive gas flow to the system. In a preferred embodiment, the slower control loop is used to maintain a relatively constant power at the power supply.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for editing continuous tone digital images representing pixels in which regions containing defects, called "defect regions", are unnoticeable or less visually discernible. Corrected pixel data for pixels in the defect region, called defect pixels, in the digital image are provided while data representing non-defect pixels outside of the defect region are not altered. These digital images may have one color channel (gray side) or multiple color channels. The apparatus and method includes a computer system which operates according to a set of instructions.

Abstract: A method of correcting one or more defect pixels in a defect region of a source image, which image has both the defect pixels and non-defect pixels each of which is represented by at least one defect pixel signal and non-defect pixel signal, respectively. The method comprises:a) searching for edges in a non-defect region of the image adjacent to the defect region by: (i) comparing relative pixel parameters in the non-defect region with a predetermined tolerance to locate a sequence of pixels representing an edge segment the members of which have relative parameters within the tolerance and which sequence is within a predetermined distance of the defect region; and (ii) comparing the length of an edge segment with a minimum length to identify as an edge a segment with at least the minimum length;b) generating at least one pixel signal for the defect region based on the signal of at least one non-defect pixel lying in a direction from the defect pixel which is determined by the direction of an edge.