Abstract: An electrostatic discharge protection circuit formed in a semiconductor substrate includes a vertical bipolar junction transistor having a base which is grounded, an emitter connected to an output/input bonding pad of an integrated circuit, and a collector connected to a high power source via a resistor. The resistor is a parasitic resistor created by controlling the distance between the diffusion regions or the distance between a p-type well region and an n-type well region or formed by a lightly doped diffusion region in the semiconductor substrate to prevent current crowding and increase electrostatic protection.

Abstract: A gas control mechanism includes a housing having a chamber for receiving a lighter and having an upper wall and a mouth secured on top. The lighter has a gas nozzle and a pivot lever having one end coupled to the gas nozzle. A tube has one end extended through the upper wall and coupled to the mouth and has a gasket secured to the bottom for engaging with the gas nozzle. The gasket includes an orifice for receiving gas from the gas nozzle. A spring may bias the gasket to engage with the gas nozzle, and a trigger may actuate the lever to actuate the gas nozzle. The gas nozzle is forced to engage with the gasket and to make an air tight seal between the tube and the gas nozzle when the gas nozzle is actuated by the trigger via the lever.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an acetabular cup prosthesis for implantation into a pelvic bone. A cup having a cavity for receiving a femoral head is formed of a polymeric material having a predetermined tensile strength. A backing is disposed about and attached to the polymeric cup. The backing has a porous construction defining interstitial pores, with the pores being sized to receive a portion of the polymeric cup therein and adapted for allowing ingrowth of the bone therein. The portion of the polymeric cup received within the pores results in an interface strength between the polymeric cup and the backing which is substantially equal to the tensile strength of the polymeric material.

Abstract: A palm top hot air gas spray pistol including a base case for accommodating gas and an upper cover containing a gas guide and ignition mechanism. The upper cover includes a nozzle formed by a spray tube and an outer cover. Ignition is controlled by pressing a push-button. A hot air tube is fitted onto the outer cover. The hot air tube has a front end portion of a smaller diameter, which is provided with a ceramic block resembling a honey-comb. The ceramic block is mounted between a front end of the hot air tube and the spray tube. The intense heat of the flame of the pistol is used to generate hot air which is ejected through the hot air tube. The spray pistol has good portability and may also be used as a hot air pistol.

Abstract: An orthopaedic implant body is formed which has a supporting surface. A porous metal pad is formed to fit the supporting surface of the body. The porous metal pad is clamped and/or adhesively bonded to the supporting surface. A laser beam is coupled between the porous metal pad and the implant body at a plurality of locations so as to form a coalescence of metal between the porous metal pad and the body.

Abstract: The performance of a heterogeneous, distributed database system is optimized by supporting both block fetch operations and positioned update operations. Specifically, a data block is fetched from a target database management system (DBMS), and a positioned update instruction issued by a client is processed. The positioned update instruction, when executed by the target DBMS, enables the target DBMS to modify a row contained in the data block and addressed by a cursor as the cursor is perceived by the client. Also, performance of the database system is optimized by identifying database statements that reference invariant host variables, and modifying such database statements by replacing in the database statements the host variables with literal values equivalent to the host variables.

Abstract: This invention provides a composition, device and method for the removal of selected factors, such as cytokines or pharmaceuticals, from a substance such as whole blood or plasma. Advantageously, the invention provides for the treatment or prevention of septic shock syndrome or other conditions evidenced by the presence of cytokines in a patient by contacting the patient's whole blood with a composition comprising silica and a surface treatment material, such as heparin, but preferably human serum albumin (HSA). The treatment lowers the cytokine concentration of the blood. Pharmaceuticals can be removed from an individual's whole blood or plasma, such as for use in treating drug overdosage.

Abstract: This invention solves the above identified limitation by providing a prosthetic implant having a porous surface layer metallurgically bonded to the implant body, wherein a barrier film of metal is positioned between a portion of the porous surface layer and the implant body at areas of stress. By preventing bonding and thereby the formation of notches at strategic locations about the implant, the overall fatigue strength of the implant may be increased. In the preferred embodiment, the film of metal is formed from molybdenum which has a higher melting temperature than titanium which is commonly used for porous layers and the implant body.By preventing notches at strategically significant areas about the implant, designers of prosthetic implants are less limited in the amount or location of the porous surface layer to be metallurgically bonded to the implant.

Abstract: A system and method for compensating for functional differences between heterogeneous database management systems, wherein data associated with a client is distributed among the heterogeneous database management systems, is discussed. The system simulates support of multiple pending actions on a single connection in any of the heterogeneous database management systems which does not support multiple pending actions on a single connection. Also, the system: (1) simulates support of cursors declared "with hold" in any of the heterogeneous database management systems which does not support cursors declared "with hold"; (2) simulates support of positioned update actions in any of the heterogeneous database.

Abstract: A package for a semiconductor die having a plurality of bonding pads about its periphery is provided. The package has a plastic molding encapsulating the semiconductor die. The package also has a plurality of conductive leads with leads having inner and outer portions, the inner portions encapsulated in the molding and arranged substantially in a plane and radially about the semiconductor die with ends displaced from and forming a rectangle with four corners about the die. A bonding wire extends from each of the bonding pads to one of the inner portions of the leads. Bonding wire loop heights of approximately 8 mils are made with a specially designed tip of a capillary tool. The package also has a pair of leads with inner portions at opposite corners of the rectangle, each of the inner portions connected to a pair of bonding wires from a pair of contiguous bonding pads on the die. This double wiring arrangement prevents wire sweep during the injection molding step.

Abstract: A method of forming an orthopaedic implant having a porous surface, the method including the steps of providing a porous surface including a porous layer attached to a substantially solid layer; positioning the porous layer on the orthopaedic implant; providing a high energy density welding device capable of producing a high energy density weld beam; and forming a weld bead substantially about the periphery of the porous layer by directing the high energy density weld beam about the periphery of the porous layer, wherein the weld bead bonds the porous layer to the implant. Two shaped porous pads may also be welded together about an implant body to avoid welding the body itself.

Abstract: A gas torch including a butane container having a top side mounted with a flame adjustment wheel and a gas lever and a holder frame, the holder frame having two outward mounting flanges at two opposite sides respectively secured to the top side of the butane container and holding a flame tube on the outside and an electronic igniter on the inside, a control button mounted on the holder frame above the top side of the butane container and depressed to trigger the electronic igniter, the control button having a backward extension frame, an actuating strip mounted on the backward extension frame of the control button and moved to lift the gas lever in releasing fuel gas from the butane container, and a transverse control bar mounted in the outward mounting flanges of the holder frame and controlled to hold the control button and the actuating strip in the depressed position or to force them back to stop fuel gas.

Abstract: The performance of a heterogeneous, distributed database system is optimized by supporting both block fetch operations and positioned update operations. Specifically, a data block is fetched from a target database management system (DBMS), and a positioned update instruction issued by a client is processed. The positioned update instruction, when executed by the target DBMS, enables the target DBMS to modify a row contained in the data block and addressed by a cursor as the cursor is perceived by the client. Also, performance of the database system is optimized by identifying database statements that reference invariant host variables, and modifying such database statements by replacing in the database statements the host variables with literal values equivalent to the host variables.

Abstract: A cartridge fuse box which includes a bottom shell covered with a cover shell and having a holder frame, a plurality of terminal blocks respectively mounted in respective horizontal holes on the holder frame to hold a respective conductor by a respective tightening-up screw and a respective metal socket by a respective screw for permitting the conductors to be respectively connected to the metal sockets, a fuse connector fixedly secured to the bottom shell remote from the holder frame to hold a plurality of metal sockets by a respective screw, a plurality of cartridge fuses connected between the metal sockets of the fuse connector and the metal sockets of the terminal blocks, and a plurality of clamps respectively mounted in the holder frame to hold down the conductors of the terminal blocks.

Abstract: An articular component has a fibrous structure wherein the fibers are oriented normal to the articular surface. Wear debris reduction is attributed to the increased strength of fibers over bulk material and to the abrasion resistance associated with abrading a fiber bundle on the fiber tips. This is similar to the abrasion resistance seen in a household broom which is subjected to abrasion across the tips of the broom bristles. Reduced cold flow is attributed to the increased strength and stiffness of fibers over bulk material.

Abstract: Tunable optical parametric amplifiers and oscillators that are pumped by the light from a tunable laser source are disclosed. One possible embodiment uses a tunable solid-state laser pump and an OPA medium or nonlinear crystal, such as potassium titanyl phosphate KTP or barium borate BBO or lithium borate LBO. The second harmonic output from a tunable solid-state laser is also used to pump the OPA medium. A singly or doubly resonant cavity design is preferably used to reduce the oscillation threshold (i.e., the required pump beam power) of the OPO.

Abstract: A system and method for compensating for functional differences between heterogeneous database management systems, wherein data associated with a client is distributed among the heterogeneous database management systems, is discussed. The system simulates support of multiple pending actions on a single connection in any of the heterogeneous database management systems which does not support multiple pending actions on a single connection.

Abstract: An improved telephone interface device communicatively couples a local telephone set to an inside telephone wire which, in turn, is communicatively coupled to an outside telephone line from a central office of a telephone service provider. The interface device includes an on-hold switch, a ring detector, a tone decoder, and a coupling switch, all of which are coupled to the bridge via an internal signal line and a control computer. The touch tone decoder receives input tone sequences from the bridge, decodes the tone sequence, and outputs a bit signal to the control computer. The on-hold switch is responsive to a command from the control computer, and is operative to maintain the signal line at a first predetermined voltage. The coupling switch communicatively couples the signal line to a node line. When the node line is coupled to the signal line, a user at the local telephone set may communicate with another user in the home, or with an outside user.

Abstract: A thermoelectric couple device including a thermoelectric couple consisting of a first aluminum oxide base plate, a second aluminum oxide base plate, a plurality of copper foils respectively welded to the first and second aluminum oxide base plates, and a plurality of N type thermoelectric semiconductors, and P type thermoelectric semiconductors respectively welded to the copper foils between the first and second aluminum oxide base plates and alternatively connected in series; and a temperature detecting device mounted on the first aluminum oxide base plate and disposed between the first and second aluminum oxide base plates to detect the inside temperature of the thermoelectric couple.

Abstract: High performance query optimization in a heterogeneous distributed multi-database system. An efficient technique is disclosed to enable an interface module, located between a host computer and a back-end database system, to perform maximal query or subquery push down. That is, the interface module is configured to select either the entire query or the largest subquery(s) that can be forwarded to a single database instance within the back-end database system without extensive decomposition or extraneous commands. The interface module has stored therein a data structure having information concerning the data stored in, and the capabilities of, each of the back-end databases in the heterogeneous environment. Based on this information, the interface module determines whether a query or subquery satisfies two criteria. First, the interface module determines whether a single database instance within the heterogeneous environment contains all of the data referenced in the query or subquery.