Abstract: An inflammatory cytokine is disclosed which has been isolated from cells that have been incubated with a stimulator material. The inflammatory cytokine comprises a protein that is capable of binding to heparin, inducing localized inflammation characterized by polymorphonuclear cell infiltration when administered subcutaneously and inducing in vitro polymorphonuclear cell chemokinesis, while lacking the ability to suppress the activity of the anabolic enzyme lipoprotein lipase, cause the cytotoxicity of cachectin/TNF-sensitive cells, stimulate the blastogenesis of endotoxin-resistant C3H/HeJ thymocytes, or induce the production of cachectin/TNF by primary thioglycollate-elicited mouse macrophage cells. A particular inflammatory cytokine MIP-1 has been isolated and has been found to comprise a peptide doublet of similar molecular weights of about 8,000 daltons, and to show a pI of about 4.6. The doublet has been resolved into its component peptides, MIP-1.alpha. and MIP-1.beta.

Abstract: Blends of polycarbonate with ABS resins are effectively stabilized by a combination of selected non-basic hindered amines containing the 3,3,5,5-tetramethyl-2-oxo-1-piperazinyl moiety and UV absorbers such as benzotriazoles, s-triazines and benzophenones, particularly the benzotriazoles and s-triazines.

Abstract: An article is coated with a multi-layer coating comprising a nickel layer, a tin-nickel alloy layer, a non-precious refractory metal layer, a sandwich layer comprised of a plurality of alternating layers of non-precious refractory metal compound and of a non-precious refractory metal, a non-precious refractory metal compound layer, and a layer comprised of a non-precious refractory metal oxide or the reaction products of a non-precious refractory metal, oxygen and nitrogen.

Abstract: A system and method for data escrow cryptography are described. An encrypting user encrypts a message using a secret storage key (KS) and attaches a data recovery field (DRF), including an access rule index (ARI) and KS, to the encrypted message. The DRF and the encrypted message are stored in a storage device. To recover KS, a decrypting user extracts and sends the DRF to a data recovery center (DRC) that issues a challenge based on access rules (ARs) originally defined by the encrypting user. If the decrypting user meets the challenge, the DRC sends KS in a message to the decrypting user. Generally, KS need not be an encryption key but could represent any piece of confidential information that can fit inside the DRF. In all cases, the DRC limits access to decrypting users who can meet the challenge defined in either the ARs defined by the encrypting user or the ARs defined for override access.

Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for transferring wafers to or from a wafer cassette having a plurality of wafer-receiving slots, wherein the apparatus comprises a wafer paddle which is adapted to be inserted into a wafer cassette alongside a wafer. Edge grippers carried by the wafer paddle releasible grip the wafer by its edges. A first capacitive sensor carried by the wafer paddle is oriented in a first direction for sensing information about a wafer in a wafer receiving slot of the wafer cassette. A second capacitive sensor carried by the wafer paddle is oriented in a direction perpendicular to the first direction for sensing additional proximity information about a wafer in a wafer receiving slot of the cassette. A transport mechanism produces movement of the wafer paddle along at least three axes of movement to permit transferring wafers to or from respective wafer receiving slots of the wafer cassette.

Abstract: A "just in time" pipelined signal processing architecture for a phased array antenna simultaneously updates the weights of all phase control elements of the antenna with reduced wiring complexity and fast beam steering updates. Signal propagation paths between a pipelined communication link--through subarray control processors distributed along the pipeline link--and phase control elements of the antenna array are provided with respectively different serial pipelined transport delays. These delays are such that all phase control signals produced by the subarray control processors are applied simultaneously to their associated subsets of antenna phase control elements. The use of serial (FIFO) delays to equalize pipeline and weight processing latency allows each subarray controller to process and forward serial beam vector data at the same data rate at which it is received from an upstream host processor.

Abstract: An inbred sweet corn line, designated W1498A, the plants and seeds of inbred sweet corn line W1498A, methods for producing a maize plant produced by crossing the inbred sweet corn line W1498A with itself or with another maize plant, and hybrid maize seeds and plants produced by crossing the inbred sweet corn line W1498A with another maize line or plant.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for notification in an object-oriented system. The system includes observed objects in an object hierarchy, a notification manager, and observer objects. The notification manager determines when a change is made to one of the observed objects in the object hierarchy and then notifies an associated observer object of the change.

Abstract: Stacking frying pans on top of each other tends to damage their non-stick coatings. Accordingly, a frying pan protector comprises a concave dish positioned between two stacked frying pans. The dish is made of a sufficiently yielding material to prevent scratching the non-stick surface on the bottom pan. The top surface of the protector is shaped to conform to the underside of the top frying pan. Spacers projecting from the bottom of the dish elevates it so that it supports the underside of the top frying pan. The spacers also minimize the surface area in contact with the non-stick coating on the bottom frying pan for further reducing the possibility of damage.

Abstract: A photopolymerizable material is provided that is suitable for use in the production of coatings or resists on printed circuit boards, for example The material is an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable reaction product of a polyepoxide and a mixture of (i) a major proportion of an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid and (ii) a minor. proportion of a saturated aliphatic or aromatic carboxylic acid, the reaction product being further modified by reaction with a dicarboxylic acid or anhydride thereof.

Abstract: An oral brush is provided that includes an elongated body a head portion extending from the body, and a plurality of bristles, formed of particular thermoplastic elastomers, extending from the body. In various embodiments, the thermoplastic elastomer has a Shore A hardness of at least 30; the thermoplastic elastomer is selected from the group consisting of polyetheramides, polyesters, styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene block copolymers, polyurethanes, polyolefin elastomers, and mixtures thereof; and the thermoplastic elastomer has a flexural modulus of at least 5 MPa.

Abstract: In the past, contact imaging devices were large and costly. It has been proposed that for contact imaging device adoption for the personal computing market, cost and size must be reduced. In an attempt to address these concerns, a biometric pointing device such as a mouse is presented incorporating therein a contact imager. The contact imager fits within a small enclosure. Further, data transmission means within the mouse provides a signal to a single port on a computer indicative of the output data from both the contact imaging means and the pointing device.

Abstract: A memory device that uses a dynamic cell plate sensing scheme. The memory device includes an array of word lines and complementary bit line/plate line pairs. A number of memory cells are located at the intersection of selected word lines and bit line/plate line pairs: A sense amplifier is coupled to the complementary bit line/plate line pairs. The memory device also includes an equilibrate circuit that ac equilibrates a complementary bit line/plate line pair at an equilibration voltage between high and low logic levels prior to reading data. The equilibration voltage and the high and low logic levels for the memory cell are chosen such that a fluctuation in the voltage on one of the plate lines does not corrupt data stored in unaccessed memory cells coupled to the same plate line.

Abstract: An SCSI controller adapted as a network file server provides a virtual coction between a plurality of host processors and a single SCSI initiator. The controller contains a removable host adapter for connection to any type of network interface. When a host processor issues a command packet and requests status information of a target device, that status information is passed to the requesting processor and subsequently stored in the controller and made available to all other host processors on the network. A fault tolerant performance monitoring algorithm, executing within the controller, is scheduled to non-intrusively and periodically check the status of each SCSI target device and to store that status information for all host processors.

Abstract: A hose storage device has a tub shaped base and a hemispherical top that is attached to the base by a clamshell hinge. The storage device can be anchored in place in a yard by U-shaped stakes that are inserted through pairs of openings. The storage device is decorated to appear like a fanciful character statue, a galapagos tortoise, for example, so that it can remain in the yard as a lawn or garden decoration. A center post in the tub provides a bearing surface for a reel which includes a handle to facilitate coiling and fixtures to which the hose can be connected so that it need never be removed from the reel. A downwardly extending nipple provides a place to connect a short length of hose to a spigot, a clearance passageway being afforded by an inwardly extending reinforcing rib in the tub.

Abstract: An integrated-circuit design is provided which is represented by a hierarchial data structure. In accordance with the method and system of the present invention, an integrated-circuit design which includes at least one parent circuit represented by a set of parent circuit level data and at least one child circuit represented by a set of child circuit level data. For an open circuit connection within the child circuit, a determination is made as to whether or not the open circuit connection is permissible. In response to a determination that the open circuit connection is permissible, another determination is made as to whether or not the number of I/O pins within the child circuit is greater than the number of open circuit connections within the child circuit.

Abstract: A vehicle body structure includes a perimeter frame including laterally spaced right and left side rails of tubular construction and front and rear bumper rails of tubular construction extending between the side rails. A structural tunnel extends longitudinally of the vehicle midway between the side rails and has front and rear ends. The structural tunnel includes an inverted U-shaped channel having vertically depending the first and second legs, and a close-out plate which extends horizontally between the legs. First and second front shear walls extend forwardly and diagonally from the first and second legs at the front of the tunnel to the respective right and left side rails of the perimeter frame. Similarly, first and second rear shear walls extend generally rearward and diagonally from the first and second legs at the rear end of the tunnel to the respective left and right side rails of the perimeter frame.

Abstract: An ultrasonic surgical device in accordance with the present invention includes a transmission component adapted to receive ultrasonic vibration from a transducer assembly and to transmit the ultrasonic vibration from a first end to a second end. An inner damping member surrounds at least a portion of the transmission component. The dampening member is adapted to contact the transmission component to dampen undesired vibration during ultrasonic transmission.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor system (40) has a transducer (44) that emits an ultrasonic signal (52), in response to an electrical excitation signal (50) from driver/receiver circuitry (46), and outputs an electrical response signal (56), in response to receipt of a reflected ultrasonic signal (54) from an occupant (54). The transducer (44) rings-down upon termination of the excitation signal (50). The transducer (44) has a natural resonant frequency that is subject to change. In an occupant sense mode, a receiver portion (68) of the driver/receiver circuitry (46) and a controller (30) process the response signal (56), resulting from transducer excitation at a predetermined frequency, to determining distance between the transducer (44) and the occupant (14).