Abstract: The present invention provides a method for improving adhesion of polyorganosiloxane to plastic, such as polycarbonate substrates. In a preferred embodiment, a tertiary amine is added to a polyorganosiloxane coating composition to achieve an improved abrasion coating.

Abstract: The invention is based on the discovery that compounds of formula (I) possess unexpectedly high affinity for the A2a adenosine receptor, and can be useful as antagonists thereof for preventing and/or treating numerous diseases, including Parkinson's disease.

Abstract: Devices and methods for removing an obstruction from a blood vessel are described. The devices are deployed in a collapsed condition and are then expanded within the body. The devices are then manipulated to engage and remove the obstruction.

Abstract: Articles such as compact discs are traded among a plurality of members who are registered in a common community. Each member has an account including a trading credit balance and a mailing address. A user interface is provided that allows a member to enter articles that the member owns and is willing to trade and articles that the member wants to own. The user interface also receives article trading instruction messages. An administration computer hosts the plurality of members and facilitates article trades among the members. The administration computer identifies matches between owned and wanted articles. For each identified match, an article trading instruction message is sent to the article owner requesting that the article owner mail the owned article to the mailing address of the member who wants to own the article.

Abstract: An spray head includes a spray engine and a metal shell retained on the spray engine. The spray head is assembled by fitting the shell onto the spray engine and seating the shell against a cushioning ring. A retaining device is attached to the spray engine to secure the shell is position. A surface finish is applied to the outer surface of the shell to achieve a desired appearance.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting a change in the operational status of a first host computer and automatically configuring a second host computer to provide additional computing resources that replace or complement the first host computer. In one embodiment, a controller is provided that is capable of detecting a malfunction or failure of the first computer and automatically configuring a second host computer to replace the first host computer. In another embodiment, the controller is capable of detecting changes in the performance of the first host computer and automatically configuring a second host computer to provide additional computing resources for the first host computer. In a further embodiment, both of these techniques can be used to support an electronic commerce site and provide the electronic commerce site with failsafe operation and virtually unlimited computational resources.

Abstract: A programmer to set his own input error handler after examining the context where the error occurs by utilizing a set error handler subroutine. The context may be provided by the system library to the user's handler routine so it can make a better judgment on how to proceed next. The customizable nature of the invention allows programmers to suit the error handling to individual application needs.

Abstract: System and method adapted to multi-cast over the Internet using multiple tiers of servers. Preferably, the content server transmits content to servers in the next lower tier, which may include one or more client servers, using multi-cast, but may use uni-cast. Preferably, each server in all intermediate tiers transmits content to the servers in the next lower tier, which may include one or more client servers, using multi-cast, but may use uni-cast. Each client server transmits to its clients using multi-cast. The quality of a live cast received by each client server may be improved using the more efficient UDP/IP for downloading the bulk of the content and compensating for the occasional lost segments of data using the more reliable TCP/IP.

Abstract: An integrated electroosmotic pump may be incorporated in the same integrated circuit package with a re-combiner, and an integrated circuit chip to be cooled by fluid pumped by the electroosmotic pump.

Abstract: A magnetic recording hard disk drive (HDD) uses adaptive braking of the voice coil motor (VCM) actuator upon unexpected loss of power during a track seek. An adaptive braking controller applies a preselected value of brake voltage to the VCM to reverse the motion of the freely-moving actuator. The value of the selected brake voltage is determined from the actuator velocity. A set of brake voltage values is stored in memory in the HDD, and each brake voltage value corresponds to a band of track seek lengths, with each band representing a range of actuator velocities. For each seek, the value of brake voltage corresponding to the band in which the seek length falls is stored in a register. If emergency power-off (EPO) occurs during the seek, the value of brake voltage is recalled from the register and applied to the VCM to brake the VCM. After the VCM has been adaptively braked in this manner, actuator retract occurs to unload the heads.

Abstract: A current parameter file is periodically selected at random from an active pool, and testcases are generated and executed from the current parameter file against a device, where the execution of the testcases against the device hits events generated by the device over periods. A determination is made whether a number of the events hit by all testcases from the current parameter file in a current period meets a goal for the current parameter file. If the determination is false, the current parameter file is added to a miss pool if a number events for all periods for the current parameter file does not meet a goal for all periods for the current parameter file; the current parameter file is added to a retired pool if the number of events for all periods for the current parameter file meets the goal for all periods for the current parameter file; and the current parameter file is changed to another parameter file from the active pool.

Abstract: A complementary output driver includes a driver input that receives an input signal which alternates between a first state and a second state. A first inverter has a first input and a first output. The first input is coupled to the driver input and the first output generates a complementary output signal that is the complement of a present state of the input signal. A second inverter has a second input and a second output. The second input is coupled to the first output of the first inverter and the second output generates an output signal that is the complement of the present state of the first output. A push-pull network has a push-pull input and a push-pull output. The push-pull input is coupled to the driver input and the push-pull output is coupled to the second output.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for providing a remote management console for business integration scenarios. The apparatus may be implemented as a computer program product comprising a computer useable medium of computer-readable program. A computer, when executing the computer readable program retrieves environment information from a customer integration server; customizes a business integration solution according to the retrieved environment information; and deploys the customized business integration solution to the customer integration server.

Abstract: Circuits, devices and methods provide a phase delay and use it to select when an analog color signal is converted to digital. The phase delay is adjustable, which permits choosing a moment in time when conversion results in improved processing. A PLL circuit receives the synchronizing signal of the color signals, and generates phased signals. A phase adjuster generates an adjustable delay signal by mixing in suitable proportions two of the phased signals that are 45 degrees apart. The delay signal is used by an analog to digital converter, to adjust when exactly it is to be sampled.

Abstract: A cathode for an air recovery alkaline battery is disclosed. The cathode contains at least about 60% by weight MnO2 and at least about 2% by weight of a hydrophobic polymer; the MnO2 consists essentially of electrochemically synthesized MnO2.

Abstract: The present invention provides an obstruction removing device and a method for making the obstruction removing device. The method includes two mandrels with an elongate element being wound around the first mandrel and then wrapped around the second mandrel. The mandrels are movable relative to one another so that the second mandrel may be moved closer to the first mandrel after winding the element around the first mandrel and before winding the element around the second mandrel.

Abstract: Methods for cleaning semiconductor processing chambers used to process carbon-containing films, such as amorphous carbon films, barrier films comprising silicon and carbon, and low dielectric constant films including silicon, oxygen, and carbon are provided. The methods include using a remote plasma source to generate reactive species that clean interior surfaces of a processing chamber in the absence of RF power in the chamber. The reactive species are generated from an oxygen-containing gas, such as O2, and/or a halogen-containing gas, such as NF3. An oxygen-based ashing process may also be used to remove carbon deposits from the interior surfaces of the chamber before the chamber is exposed to the reactive species from the remote plasma source.

Abstract: A water dispenser assembly includes valve cartridges for controlling the flow of cold water from the cold-water inlet and the spout. Each valve cartridge includes a rotatable stem extending from a body. The water dispenser assembly includes a self-closing feature that provides for the automatic shut-off of flow of hot water responsive to release of the handle. The self-closing feature includes a spring held onto the stem by an adaptor. The self-closing feature is contained entirely within the valve cartridge and therefore does not require any modification to the housing.

Abstract: An MR imaging apparatus is presented and includes a plurality of gradient coils positioned about a bore of a magnet to impress a polarizing magnetic field. An RF transceiver system and an RF switch are controlled by a pulse module to transmit and receive RF signals to and from an RF coil assembly to acquire MR images. The MR imaging apparatus also includes a computer programmed to apply a 3D imaging sequence and acquire MR data using a segmented acquisition. The computer is further programmed to reconstruct an image from the MR data that is substantially free of eddy current induced artifacts.

Abstract: The present invention is the development of a simple and specific quantitative method for the determination of P. falciparum DNA in malaria that involves the direct detection of the highly 42-kDa conserved C-terminal region of P. falciparum merozoite surface protein (MSP1) gene. This procedure entails the amplification of the 42-kDa C-terminal region of the MSP1 gene by using the PCR technique in the presence of digoxigenin-11-dUTP and the synthesis of the specific biotin label nucleotide probes directed to the 42-kDa C-terminal region of the MSP1 gene. These specific probes are then used in the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for the quantitative determination of the 42-kDa C-terminal region of the MSP1 gene which leads to the quantitative determination of P. falciparum DNA in malaria for quantitative diagnostic purpose as well as for monitoring the efficacy of antimalarial treatment.