Abstract: A backpack with a compression system includes a backpack body having a top side, a bottom side, two lateral sides, a body side, an outer side and a pair of shoulder straps. Each shoulder strap has a first end connected at a junction of the top side and the body side, and a second end connected to the backpack body at a junction of the bottom side and the body side. Each strap extends along a corresponding lateral side and the bottom of the backpack body, and is slidably connected to the backpack body at a junction of the body side and a corresponding lateral side, and at a junction of the corresponding lateral side and the outer side.

Abstract: A method to clean the wellbore and the near wellbore formation adjacent to the wellbore of the gas bearing formation adjacent to the production zone of the wellbore. The method includes the steps of injecting a treatment liquid containing from 84.5 to 100% of liquid carbon dioxide, 0 to 15% of an alcohol, and 0 to 0.5% of a surfactant into the well in a predetermined quantity and maintaining the pressure of the treatment liquid in the near wellbore formation of the gas bearing formation below the fracturing pressure of the formation, releasing the pressure on the wellbore and allowing the liquid CO2 to vaporize and other materials to blow out of the well.

Abstract: A method of case hardening an article formed of titanium, zirconium or an alloy of titanium and/or zirconium is disclosed. First, the article is heat-treated in an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature in the range of 700 to 1000° C. so as to form an oxide layer on the article. Then, the article is further heat-treated in a vacuum or in a neutral or inert atmosphere at a temperature in the range of 700 to 1000° C. so as to cause oxygen from the oxide layer to diffuse into the article.

Abstract: The invention provides certain macrocyclic triaza compounds which down-regulate CD4 expression for use in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and inflammatory diseases or conditions. In a specific embodiment, the invention provides certain naphthalene substituted triaza macrocycles which exhibit high activity for down regulation of CD4 expression. In particular, triaza macrocycles having dansyl groups are provided for use in pharmaceutical compositions.

Abstract: A system including a mobile vehicle, an implement, a position sensor, a controller, a user interface (a touch-screen monitor, video monitor or keypad, as examples), a software program to compute a calibration trajectory, and a steering system for steering the vehicle to the desired or adjusted trajectory based on the error between the vehicle's desired and actual positions. In one embodiment, non-co-located sensing and control combine with a calibration procedure to help eliminate model error. Another embodiment uses co-located sensing (but not control) to calibrate the model.

Abstract: A system, method and data unit for automated and secure digital mobile video recording and monitoring are provided where the system includes an authenticated acquisition subsystem for digitally watermarking video data, a video management subsystem in signal communication with the authenticated acquisition subsystem for storing, viewing and verifying the digitally watermarked video data, and a secure wireless video transfer subsystem for signal communication between the acquisition and management subsystems; the method includes digitally watermarking video data, verifying the digitally watermarked video data, and coordinating communications of video data; and the data unit is a digital video data file encoded with signal data having block transform coefficients indicative of a secure digital mobile video recording, the coefficients collectively indicative of an original video data sequence with a secure watermark, the secure watermark including a plurality of signatures.

Abstract: A solid state imager arrangement includes an image area, an output register which receives signal charge from the image area, a separate multiplication register into which signal charge from the output register is transferred, means for obtaining signal charge multiplication by transferring the charge through a sufficiently high field in elements of the multiplication register, and an additional register into which excess signal charge is transferred.

Abstract: A method for adjusting a desired trajectory of an automatically guided vehicle guidance system to match a physical constraint such as an obstacle or boundary. The method works around obstacles and boundaries as they occur, consistent with the original trajectory. The method is independent of the type of vehicle. The method may be used regardless of whether the vehicle is under automatic guidance, and the method has a low computational cost.

Abstract: Compositions and methods are disclosed for treating a hair-bearing surface of a warm-blooded animal, including humans, dogs and cats infested with an ectoparasitic insect, such as lice and/or fleas. Compositions and methods are also disclosed for preventing the infestation or re-infestation of an ectoparasitic insect, such as lice and/or fleas on a hair-bearing surface of a warm-blooded animal, including humans, dogs and cats. The compositions include either a water-soluble polyalkylene glycol or a water-soluble polyalkylene oxide mixed with a polymer or copolymer comprising polyalkylene oxide having carboxylic acid-containing residues. Methods of the invention include topical application to a hair-bearing surface of an effective amount of a composition of this invention, and maintaining the same on the surface for a sufficient period of time to treat the surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for lifting and stabilizing sunken or settled foundations, slabs, footings, etc. includes a lifting plate having a pipe section solidly secured thereto, for passing concentrically over the anchor pier used in such operations. The concentric lifting plate pipe precludes cocking or tilting of the plate relative to the anchor pier and foundation structure, thereby greatly improving the security of the lifting operation. As a result of the increased lifting plate stability provided by the present invention, only a single clamp is needed for securing the lifting assembly to the foundation. The clamp is adjustably positionable as required, to secure to a solid area of the foundation structure. The present system secures the plate to the pier using mechanical fasteners, thus precluding requirement for costly welding and other metal forming equipment. A method of raising or stabilizing a foundation or similar structure using the present apparatus, is also disclosed.

Abstract: In a CCD imager, a charge is accumulated in pixels of an image area representative of the intensity of incident radiation and is subsequently transferred to a store section and then on a row by row basis to an output register by applying suitable drive pulses to drive electrodes. Signal charge in the output register is transferred to a multiplication register by drive pulses applied to drive electrodes to give charge transfer in the direction shown by the arrows. One or more drive pulses applied to the electrodes of the multiplication register are of sufficiently large amplitude to produce high field regions in the register element to cause signal multiplication by impact ionisation. This gives a low noise amplification of the signal charge, the multiplied signal charge being detected at charge detection circuit.

Abstract: An apparatus for lifting and stabilizing sunken or settled foundations, slabs, footings, etc. includes a lifting plate having a pipe section solidly secured thereto, for passing concentrically over the anchor pier used in such operations. The concentric lifting plate pipe precludes cocking or tilting of the plate relative to the anchor pier and foundation structure, thereby greatly improving the security of the lifting operation. As a result of the increased lifting plate stability provided by the present invention, only a single clamp is needed for securing the lifting assembly to the foundation. The clamp is adjustably positionable as required, to secure to a solid area of the foundation structure. The present system secures the plate to the pier using mechanical fasteners, thus precluding requirement for costly welding and other metal forming equipment. A method of raising or stabilizing a foundation or similar structure using the present apparatus, is also disclosed.

Abstract: Compositions and methods are disclosed for delousing warm-blooded animals, in need thereof, including humans. The compositions include either a water-soluble polyalkylene glycol or a water-soluble polyalkylene oxide mixed with a polymer or copolymer comprising polyalkylene oxide having carboxylic acid-containing residues. Methods of the invention include topical application to a hair-bearing surface of an effective amount of a composition of this invention, and maintaining the same on the surface for a sufficient period of time to delouse the surface. Further optional steps include washing or rinsing the composition from the surface, as well as combing the hair associated with the treated surface.

Abstract: Compositions and methods are disclosed for treating a hair-bearing surface of a warm-blooded animal, including humans, dogs and cats infested with an ectoparasitic insect, such as lice and/or fleas. Compositions and methods are also disclosed for preventing the infestation or re-infestation of an ectoparasitic insect, such as lice and/or fleas on a hair-bearing surface of a warm-blooded animal, including humans, dogs and cats. The compositions include either a water-soluble polyalkylene glycol or a water-soluble polyalkylene oxide mixed with a polymer or copolymer comprising polyalkylene oxide having carboxylic acid-containing residues. Methods of the invention include topical application to a hair-bearing surface of an effective amount of a composition of this invention, and maintaining the same on the surface for a sufficient period of time to treat the surface.

Abstract: Austenitic stainless steel articles are treated to produce a hardened surface layer thereon by plasma heat-treating the articles at a temperature in the range of 300 to 600° C. and at a pressure in the range of 100 to 1500 Pa in a carbon-containing treatment atmosphere so as to introduce carbon interstitially into the austenite phase in a surface layer on the article.

Abstract: The tribological behavior of titanium or titanium alloy article is improved by gaseous oxidation of the article at a temperature in the range of 500 to 725° C. for 0.5 to 100 hours, the temperature and time being selected such as to produce an adherent surface compound layer containing at least 50% by weight of oxides of titanium having a rutile structure and a thickness of 0.2 to 2 &mgr;m on a solid solution-strengthened diffusion zone wherein the diffusing element is oxygen and the diffusion zone has a depth of 5 to 50 &mgr;m.

Abstract: A magnetic picture display device is described. The invention includes a horizontal ground surface, a planar item to be displayed, a first support element and at least one front surface-contacting member. The display item has a front surface, a rear surface and at least one edge. The first support element has at least one ground surface contacting portion and at least one rear surface contacting portion. The rear surface-contacting portion includes ferromagnetic material. The front surface-contacting member includes a high-strength magnet. To use the invention the ground surface contacting is located on the ground surface and the rear surface of the item is located on the rear surface contacting portion of the first support element. The front surface contacting member is located on the front surface of the item at a point closest to the rear surface contacting portion of the first support element.

Abstract: Described is an automatic control system for land (and possible marine) vehicles based on carrier phase differential GPS (CPGPS). The system relies on CPGPS to determine vehicle position and attitude very precisely (position to within 1 cm and attitude to within 0.1.degree.). A system incorporates a technique to calculate and compensate for antenna motion due to vehicle roll and pitch. One aspect of the system utilizes an intelligent vehicle controller that recognizes and adapts to changing conditions, such as vehicle speed, implements towed by the vehicle, soil conditions, and disturbance level. The system provides the capability to control the vehicle on various paths, including straight lines and arbitrary curves. Also described is a technique for initialization and vehicle control using only a single pseudolite.

Abstract: The present invention is a golf cup cutter sharpener. The sharpener consists of one or more grinding wheels affixed in a rigid housing. The grinding wheels are cylindrical metal elements covered by a removable, and thus replaceable, abrasive surface. The wheels are belt driven, and powered by a standard electrical motor. The grinding wheels are aligned according to the geometry of the sharpener. The angle of the wheels is chosen so as to provide the proper angle of grinding to create a sharp cutting edge. If two wheels are utilized, the wheels are positioned to contact two non-adjacent scallops of the sharpener. A mandrel holds the cup cutter in place while the sharpening operation is taking place.

Abstract: In the salting of vegetables, such as cucumbers, control of fermentation using brine acidity as the monitor and continually and rapidly determining brine acidity with tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane as a standard.