Abstract: The present invention relates to a synthetic plant-optimized nucleic acid molecule having a Norwalk virus capsid protein coding nucleotide sequence, and nucleic acid constructs, host cells, expression systems, and plants having the plant-optimized Norwalk virus nucleic acid molecule. The present invention also relates to a method of producing Norwalk virus capsid protein virus-like particles in a transgenic plant or transgenic plant seed transformed with a plant-optimized nucleic acid molecule encoding Norwalk virus capsid protein. The plant or a component thereof can be administered to a subject under conditions effective to immunize the subject against disease resulting from infection by a Norovirus, including Norwalk virus. An oral vaccine for immunization of a subject against Norwalk virus infection is also disclosed.

Abstract: An anionic viscoelastic surfactant with sulphonate head group of formula R—X—(CR5CR6)m—SO3?, in which groups R, X, R5, R6 and m are as defined, particularly for use as a wellbore service fluid.

Abstract: A cup holder, including a cover being formed of an elasticized piece of material and having an upper opening providing access to an interior pocket, the upper opening and interior pocket being defined by an interior side and bottom of the cover, and the cover having an exterior side, the upper opening having a non-stretched position and a stretched position, the upper opening having a diameter in the non-stretched position less than ninety percent of the size of a diameter of a beverage container and the upper opening having a diameter in the stretched position sufficient to secure about the beverage container.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for monitoring one or more characteristics associated with a fluid. An insulating layer comprising non-conducting diamond is positioned within a housing and has a surface exposed directly or indirectly to the fluid. A plurality of microelectrodes made of electrically conducting diamond each have a surface exposed directly or indirectly to the fluid. An electrical circuit in electrical communication with each of the microelectrodes is adapted to convert electrical signals from the microelectrodes into at least one signal associated with a characteristic being monitored.

Abstract: A method for managing read and write data congestion in a system for executing write and read data commands and having a buffer pool of blocks for temporarily storing read and write data is disclosed. Management of the buffer pool and the initiation of read and write commands ensures that free blocks are available to temporarily store read data arriving at a host bus adapter (HBA). If the currently available blocks would be substantially consumed by the total outstanding inbound read data requested, no more write data commands will be initiated. As inbound read data is received into the buffer pool and subsequently transferred out of the buffer pool to the initiator device, the blocks in the buffer pool are freed up. When the read data transfer is completed and sufficient buffer resources have been freed up, read and write data commands may resume.

Abstract: There is disclosed an adjustable germicidal system to be attached to an air handling apparatus. In one embodiment, an adjustable germicidal system comprises a first socket assembly adjustably coupled to a second socket assembly. The first socket assembly and the second socket assembly may be spatially adjusted with respect to one another in at least one dimension. A germicidal lamp is coupled to each of the socket assemblies. The adjustability of the socket assemblies allows the lamps to be placed in a desired alignment relative to one another and relative to one or more walls of the air handling apparatus. A single power cord is coupled to one of the socket assemblies.

Abstract: An adapter for a client of a storage network may perform a port scan on the network to identify storage targets, e.g., (Internet SCSI (Small Computer System Interface)) targets. The adapter may then send a resource discovery command to the identified storage targets to identify available storage resource(s) at the storage targets.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for quickly and efficiently providing texel data relevant for displaying a textured-image. A large amount of texture source data, such as photographic terrain texture, is stored as a two-dimensional or three-dimensional texture MIP-map on one or more mass storage devices. Only a relatively small clip-map representing selected portions of the complete texture MIP-map is loaded into faster, more expensive memory. These selected texture MIP-map portions forming the clip-map consist of tiles which contain those texel values at each respective level of detail that are most likely to be mapped to pixels being rendered for display based upon the viewer's eyepoint and field of view. To efficiently update the clip-map in real-time, texel data is loaded and discarded from the edges of tiles.

Abstract: A high resolution distortion correction system is provided for an arbitrary projection system. First, a field of view is subdivided into multiple viewports. The multiple subdivided viewports provide a first approximation of the distortion. Polygons that are projected onto a particular subdivided viewport are rendered in a frame buffer and stored in texture memory as an intermediate texture image. The intermediate texture images are subsequently applied to a rendered distortion mesh to generate an output image.

Abstract: A container of the type which can be lifted and carried by a person, the container comprising a bottom wall, a top wall, a back wall, which faces the person's body when the container is carried, a front wall opposite to the back wall, two opposed side walls extending between the back and front walls, a first hand-grippable portion positioned at the juncture between the bottom wall and one of the side walls, and a second hand-grippable portion positioned adjacent the juncture between the front wall and the other of the side walls.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for high quality texture mapping. Multi-resolutional texture data for a destination pixel is supersampled at horizontal and vertical screen space sampling rates based on the local rate of change at a texture coordinate. Two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional multi-resolutional texture data is sampled. The calculated local rates of change in texture can be scaled, independently, to allow the effect of each texture dimension upon the horizontal and vertical screen space sampling rates to be controlled separately. Three examples for calculating screen space sampling rates according to the present invention are provided based on a maximum texture gradient, an optimized maximum texture gradient, or a minimum sampling routine which ensures sampling when footprint area collapses to a line. Unnecessary calculations and delays encountered in supersampling an entire display image uniformly are avoided. An excellent filter is obtained for live video texture mapping in real-time.

Abstract: A container of the type which can be lifted and carried by a person, the container comprising a bottom wall, a top wall, a back wall, which faces the person's body when the container is carried, a front wall opposite to the back wall, two opposed side walls extending between the back and front walls, a first hand-grippable portion positioned at the juncture between the bottom wall and one of the side walls, and a second hand-grippable portion positioned adjacent the juncture between the front wall and the other of the side walls.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for quickly and efficiently providing texel data relevant for displaying a textured image. A large amount of texture source data, such as photographic terrain texture, is stored as a two-dimensional or three-dimensional texture MIP-map on one or more mass storage devices. Only a relatively small clip-map representing selected portions of the complete texture MIP-map is loaded into faster, more expensive memory. These selected texture MIP-map portions forming the clip-map consist of tiles which contain those texel values at each respective level of detail that are most likely to be mapped to pixels being rendered for display based upon the viewer's eyepoint and field of view. To efficiently update the clip-map in real-time, texel data is loaded and discarded from the edges of tiles.

Abstract: Apparatus for generating an animated sequence of pictures consists of a store for storing data defining a plurality of pictures and data defining, for each, a temporal position in the sequence; and interpolator for reading stored data and generating therefrom data defining a plurality of intervening pictures occurring at time positions between those of said stored pictures, and providing a transition therebetween; and an editor for editing the data so as to amend the sequence.

Abstract: An entry nozzle for transporting liquid metal from a tundish to a mould for the continuous casting of thin slab disposed therebelow, wherein the nozzle has a hollow channel therethrough, and at least at its lower outlet end, is, in plan section, of large aspect ratio of width to thickness, and is hollow substantially across its width, the entry nozzle being provided at positions at its lower outlet end arranged in operation to be submerged within the casting mould, with at least one exit port from the hollow channel disposed on each elongate side of the nozzle, and, with the nozzle in its operational disposition, so shaped as to direct metal into the mould from the nozzle transverse to its vertical disposition. With the process in its operating state the controlled effective liquid metal pressure head of the metal in the tundish provides a flow of such metal to the mould that, with the extraction rate of the solidifying metal from the metal forming means, creates a required level of metal within the mould.

Abstract: A method for making an electrical connector comprises the steps of configuring a housing and contact members such that the contact members may assume positions in the housing which are variable for each contact member and of assembling the contact members in the housing such that they assume positions therein giving rise to contact member coplanarity. An electrical connector so made comprises a housing defining contact member receiving channels and contact members resident in the channels, the contact members defining contact portions and contact member retaining means, the housing being configured to permit variable positioning of said contact member retaining means therein, whereby contact member contact portions may be coplanarly positioned irrespective of warp present in the housing.

Abstract: A lithium-water reactor for use in a motor, comprises a combustion chamber having means for spraying water onto a charge of lithium so as to cause combustion. The lithium can be provided as separate body or coating on the wall of the combustion chamber and conveniently includes a combustion initiator. The motor can be used in a torpedo propulsion unit, or any other marine application requiring an energy source.

Abstract: A method of quantitative analysis of products, such as barite, bentonite or polymers, in a drilling fluid circulating in a wellbore being drilled is described. The method includes the steps of sampling the drilling fluid, and analysing the sample to determine the density of the fluid and the weight fraction of solids in the fluid. In addition, a known weight of the sample is dried to constant weight so as to obtain the products under the form of solids, which solids are analysed by an infrared spectroscopy technique. The concentration of the products in the drilling fluid is then determined. The method can be applied to the control of the drilling operation by monitoring the quantity of products added to the drilling fluid, such as barite and polymers, or a product coming from the borehole wall or the underground formation being drilled. The invention also applies to the control of the working condition of the mud solids equipment.

Abstract: A method of quantitative analysis of drilling fluids comprising subjecting an untreated wet sample of the fluid to a reflectance infrared spectroscopy technique, typically attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy, and comparing the spectrum obtained with spectra obtained from calibration samples of fluids of known composition. The sample can be obtained directly from the flowing mud with no preparation or alternatively the sample might comprise a prepared sample which is re-suspended in a liquid phase carrier. The sample can also be analysed for non-spectral properties which might also provide useful information in conjunction with spectral data. The method requires little or no sample preparation and can be used to quantitatively analyse both water-based and oil-based drilling fluids using a continuous in-line and/or on-line arrangement.