Abstract: One aspect of an intravascular ventricular assist device is an implantable blood pump where the pump includes a housing defining a bore having an axis, one or more rotors disposed within the bore, each rotor including a plurality of magnetic poles, and one or more stators surrounding the bore for providing a magnetic field within the bore to induce rotation of each of the one or more rotors. Another aspect of the invention includes methods of providing cardiac assistance to a mammalian subject as, for example, a human. Further aspects of the invention include rotor bodies having helical channels formed longitudinally along the length of the body of the rotor where each helical channel is formed between peripheral support surface areas facing radially outwardly and extending generally in circumferential directions around the rotational axis of the rotor.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a method for facilitating communication between community members. The method may comprises the steps of: defining a plurality of events to facilitate communication between community members; creating at least one graphical representation of a virtual campus including a plurality of venues, wherein each event of the plurality of events is graphically associated with one of the plurality of venues, and wherein each of the plurality of venues is representative of a type of communication utilized by its respective event; providing the at least one graphical representation to the community members; receiving selection of selected ones of the plurality of events by the community members; providing communication defined by the plurality of events to the community members; and modifying the at least one graphical representation to reflect participation of the community members in the selected ones of the plurality of events.

Abstract: This invention relates to a 24 hour extended release dosage formulation and unit dosage form thereof of venlafaxine hydrochloride, an antidepressant, which provides better control of blood plasma levels than conventional tablet formulations which must be administered two or more times a day and further provides a lower incidence of nausea and vomiting than the conventional tablets. More particularly, the invention comprises an extended release formulation of venlafaxine hydrochloride comprising a therapeutically effective amount of venlafaxine hydrochloride in spheroids comprised of venlafaxine hydrochloride, microcrystalline cellulose and, optionally, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose coated with a mixture of ethyl cellulose and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose.

Abstract: A control circuit for controlling the operation of an electrically powered heating device includes supply terminals for connection to a source of d.c. supply, one of the terminals of the heating device being connected to one supply terminal and the other terminal of the device being connected to the other supply terminal by way of a relay contact. The junction of the contact and device is connected by way of a resistor to one plate of a capacitor the other plate of which is connected to the one supply terminal. A comparator monitors the voltage across the capacitor and controls the operation of a relay winding. The comparator is supplied with a reference voltage which can be equal to the design operating voltage of the heating device, this being less than the nominal supply voltage. The relative values of the two resistors are chosen so that when the supply voltage exceeds the design voltage the power supplied to the heating device is controlled.

Abstract: A control circuit for a vehicle transmission system having a multi-ratio gearbox the individual ratios of which are obtained by energizing one of a plurality of solenoids by means of a selector switch. The control circuit is connected to a source of supply by means of a master switch and circuit means is provided to prevent energization of the solenoids in the event that the selector switch is left in a selection position prior to closure of the master switch.