Abstract: A composition and method for formulating and delivering an adjuvanted immunological active agent, especially a vaccine, wherein adjuvant coagulation and concomitant loss of vaccine efficacy enhancement is mitigated or avoided. The adjuvanted, immunologically-active agent can be subjected to freezing, drying, freeze-drying, or lyophilization, and when reconstituted, retains a high level of potency. The present invention further provides for a composition and method for formulating and delivering a stable, adjuvanted, immunologically-active agent capable of being deposited on a transdermal delivery device or microprojection or array thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for transdermally delivering a natriuretic peptide comprising a delivery system having a microprojection member that includes a plurality of microprojections (or array thereof) that are adapted to pierce through the stratum corneum into the underlying epidermis layer, or epidermis and dermis layers. In one embodiment, the natriuretic peptide is contained in a biocompatible coating that is applied to the microprojection member. In a further embodiment, the delivery system includes a natriuretic peptide-containing hydrogel formulation. In an alternative embodiment, the natriuretic peptide is contained in both the coating and the hydrogel formulation. In yet another embodiment, the natriuretic peptide is contained in a solid state formulation.

Abstract: A method for formulating an immunologically active agent and an apparatus for delivery same, the method comprising the steps of providing a bulk immunologically active agent, subjecting the bulk immunologically active agent to tangential-flow filtration to provide an immunologically active agent solution, adding at least one excipient to the agent solution and spray-drying the agent solution to form an immunologically active agent product; the apparatus comprising a microprojection member that includes a plurality of microprojections having a biocompatible coating disposed thereon that includes a spray-dried immunologically active agent. In a preferred embodiment, the immunologically active agent comprises an influenza vaccine, more preferably, a split-varion influenza vaccine.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for transdermally delivering an immunologically active agent comprising a delivery system having a microprojection member (or system) that includes a plurality of microprojections (or array thereof) that are adapted to pierce through the stratum corneum into the underlying epidermis layer, or epidermis and dermis layers, the microprojection member having a biocompatible coating disposed thereon that includes the immunologically active agent. Preferably, the biocompatible coating is formed from a vaccine coating formulation.

Abstract: A computer program and method are disclosed for matching a potential positionee and potential positionor. The potential positionee is provided with a positionee information entry interface for entering positionee information comprising the potential positionee's actual qualifications. The positionee information is stored in a database. Matching is accomplished by providing the potential positionor with a positionor information entry interface for electronically entering positionor information comprising at least one target qualification for a position, the positionor information being stored in the database. Matching is based on determining whether the positionee information correlates with the positionor information. A correlated information list is created. The correlated information is presented for review. Code sections of the computer program preferably accomplish these and other tasks.

Abstract: A texture compositing apparatus and method for combining multiple independent texture colors in a variety of ways in a single execution pass using a single texture compositing unit (TCU) per texture. The TCU receives a control signal, a blend factor, a local data signal(C.sub.local /A.sub.local) and an output data signal (C.sub.in /A.sub.in) generated by another TCU, the local data signal and the output data signal represent a texture color in a RGBA format. Based upon the control signal, the TCU can generate an output signal based on a variety of functions. The outputs that can be generated include but are not limited to: (1) zero; (2) one; (3) C.sub.in ; (4) C.sub.local ; (5) C.sub.in +C.sub.local ; (6) C.sub.in -C.sub.local ; (7) C.sub.in *C.sub.local ; (8) C.sub.in *C.sub.local +A.sub.local ; (9) C.sub.in *A.sub.local +C.sub.local ; (10) (C.sub.in -C.sub.local)* F.sub.blend +C.sub.local ; and (11) (C.sub.in -C.sub.local)*(1-F.sub.blend)+C.sub.local.

Abstract: A high quality texture filtering technique in a computer hardware system. The texture filtering quality of the present invention is comparable to trilinear filtering. However, the present invention reduces the number of memory accesses by fifty percent in comparison to trilinear filtering. To achieve this result, the present invention determines a pixel value based upon one or more texel values, e.g., four texel values, from only one of two mipmap levels. The mipmap level that is used is based upon the fractional portion of the LOD value and the position of the pixel. For a group of pixels having the same LOD value, the present invention performs a dithering operation that results in some pixel values being determined using texel values from the lower level mipmap and the remaining pixel values being determined using texel values from the higher level mipmap.

Abstract: A system and method for compressing and decompressing a texture image that: (1) compresses each texel to 8 bits, and when decompressed, each texel is of a quality comparable to a 256 color palettized image; (2) increases the efficiency of the decompression system and method by eliminating complex operations, e.g., multiplication; and (3) increases the efficiency of the system and method when switching between textures that use different palettes, when compared to conventional system and methods. The invention compresses a texture image, stores the compressed texture image, and quickly and efficiently decompresses the texture image when determining a value of a pixel. The texture image compression technique utilizes a palletized color space that more closely matches the colors in the texture image while allocating an unequal number of bits to the color channels.

Abstract: A texture compositing apparatus and method for combining multiple independent texture colors in a variety of ways in a single execution pass using a single texture compositing unit (TCU) per texture. The TCU receives a control signal, a blend factor, a local data signal(C.sub.local /A.sub.local), and an output data signal (C.sub.in /A.sub.in) generated by another TCU, the local data signal and the output data signal represent a texture color in a RGBA format. Based upon the control signal, the TCU can generate an output signal based on a variety of functions. The outputs that can be generated include but are not limited to: (1) zero; (2) one; (3) C.sub.in ; (4) C.sub.local ; (5) C.sub.in +C.sub.local ; (6) C.sub.in -C.sub.local ; (7) C.sub.in *C.sub.local ; (8) C.sub.in *C.sub.local +A.sub.local ; (9) C.sub.in *A.sub.local +C.sub.local ; (10) (C.sub.in -C.sub.local)*F.sub.blend +C.sub.local ; and (11) (C.sub.in -C.sub.local)*(1-F.sub.blend)+C.sub.local.

Abstract: A system for generating blend values for three-dimensional graphic rendering includes a first register, a second register, third register, an index creation unit, a blend value generation unit and a blending unit. The first register receives and stores color pixel data, and the second register receives and stores a depth perspective component; and the third register receives and stores fog color data. The output of the second register is coupled to the index creation unit which uses the received depth perspective component to generate a two-part index. The two-part index is output by the index creation unit to produce a blend value. The first portion of the index is used to address a table in the blend generation unit, and the second portion of the index is used to produce an increment value added to output of the table resulting in the creation of a blend value. The blend value, the color pixel data and the fog color data are then blended by the blending unit and output by the system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a display subsystem which includes a frame buffer, a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC), a first color look up table and a second color look up table. The first color look up table is located in front of the frame buffer. The second color look up table is located between the frame buffer and the DAC. When the display subsystem receives a command that involves pixels from a Device Independent Bit Map (DIB) file, the translation table provided with the DIB is stored in the first color look up table. This translation table has a number of entries equal to the number of combinations available with the particular DIB format. For example, if the DIB has a one bit color format the first translation table has two entries one for each possible state of the color bits in the DIB. If the DIB uses a four bit color format the first table has sixteen entries, if the DIB uses an eight bit color format the table would have two hundred and fifty six entries, etc.