Abstract: A dual-nature, uni-constructed device, suitable for conducting electricity between two objects in relative motion, comprises two compatible elements each having a straight section and a sinuous section. The two elements are combined to form a unified whole whereby the two straight sections are mutually servable as a brush component and the two sinuous sections are mutually servable as a spring component. The inventive device is associable with an electrical or electromechanical machine so that, during machine operation, the brush component slidingly contacts a first machine part, the spring component is affixed to a second machine part and exerts a bias against the brush component, and the inventive device conducts electrical current from one machine part to the other machine part. Each element includes an electrically conductive main layer (including one or more wire fabric sheets) and two elastomeric outside layers (on opposite sides of the sinuous section).

Abstract: The present invention is based upon a surprising finding that stem cells, more particularly neural stem cells, can migrate throughout a brain tumor and track metastatic brain tumor cells. The invention provides a method for treating brain tumors by administering genetically engineered neural stem cells in an individual affected by brain tumors. The invention also provides a method of preparing genetically engineered neural stem cells and a composition comprising genetically engineered neural stem cells in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

Abstract: An annular stator holder within a homopolar motor housing is positioned within magnetic fields established by magnet coils positioned in surrounding relation to brushes in sliding contact with the motor rotor. Also enclosed within the stator holder is a slip ring preassembled with the brushes attached thereto on one side by soft-solder joints with the other side attached by hard-solder joints to spring devices for clamping to the stator holder by leaf springs to exert pressure on the brushes thereby maintained in sliding contact with the rotor.

Abstract: The moving slip ring surface of electrical machinery transfers electrical current by contact thereof with liquid metal directly or through the tips of a plurality of closely spaced brushes positioned along the bottom of a housing under pressure within which the liquid metal is contained. The brush tips are respectively connected to lower ends of fibers electrically interconnected within the housing and exposed to the liquefied metal received and retained within the housing. According to one embodiment, the liquefied metal is retained within containment material filling the housing for contact exposure of the fibers therewith. According to another embodiment, exposure of the fibers to the liquefied metal within the housing is effected by entry of the liquefied metal into hollow brush tubes connected to and extending from the bottom of the housing, through which stem portions of the fibers extend to the brush tips.

Abstract: System and method for parallel selection and retrieval of data stored in an optical data storage medium. A holographic data storage medium has a plurality of data sites, each data site containing a plurality of data units recorded as multiplexed holograms. A plurality of light beams are independently controlled to illuminate a different one of the plurality of data sites for selecting and retrieving any one data unit stored at each of the plurality of data sites. The invention enables the simultaneous selection and retrieval of data units stored at a plurality of data sites of the holographic data storage medium, and permits an increase in optical data transfer rate.

Abstract: A method and system for sharing data and interrogating data include establishing a level of trust between mutually mistrusting entities so that data may be shared therebetween based on the level of trust. The method and system include interrogating data provided from one of the entities to the other entity without the receiving entity having complete access to the data associated therewith.

Abstract: A processor for use in a router, the processor having a systolic array pipeline for processing data packets to determine to which output port of the router the data packet should be routed. In one embodiment, the systolic array pipeline includes a plurality of programmable functional units and register files arranged sequentially as stages, for processing packet contexts (which contain the packet's destination address) to perform operations, under programmatic control, to determine the destination port of the router for the packet. A single stage of the systolic array may contain a register file and one or more functional units such as adders, shifters, logical units, etc., for performing, in one example, very long instruction word (vliw) operations. The processor may also include a forwarding table memory, on-chip, for storing routing information, and a cross bar selectively connecting the stages of the systolic array with the forwarding table memory.

Abstract: An entropy efficient video coder for wavelet pyramids approaches the entropy-limited coding rate of video wavelet pyramids, is fast in both hardware and software implementations, and has low complexity (no multiplies) for use in ASICs. It uses a modified Z-coder to code the zero/non-zero significance function and Huffman coding for the non-zero coefficients themselves. The encoding unit includes a significance function generator that receives coefficients and outputs a single significance bit. A zero coefficient eliminator receives coefficients in parallel with the significance function generator and outputs coefficients if non-zero. Output from the significance function generator is coded using the modified Z-coder. Output from the zero coefficient eliminator is coded using Huffman coding. Both outputs are combined to form the resulting compressed stream.

Abstract: A wireless communication network system apparatus which provides for isochronous data transfer between node devices of the network, which provides at least one master node device which manages the data transmission between the other node devices of the network, which avoids or reduces interference from other wireless products and which resolves random errors associated with wireless technology including multipath fading. The system provides a communication protocol which shares the wireless transport medium between the node devices of the network, and which provides each node device on the network a designated transmit time slot for data communication.

Abstract: A homopolar motor features radially inner and outer pairs of axially aligned rotor drums to which axially aligned drive shafts are respectively connected and extend therefrom through an outer motor housing to drive a corresponding number of propellers located in axial spaced relation to each other outside of the housing for rotation about a common axis. A magnetic shield is fixedly mounted within the housing to enclose the rotor drums within a magnetic field established by disk and ring magnets positioned within the radially inner pair of the rotor drums. Current collector brushes maintain electrical contact between the rotor drums and a source of DC electrical energy supplied through a power input tube to the magnetic shield from a location between opposite axial ends of the housing. The drive shafts journaled within the housing extend from either opposite axial ends of the housing or from only one axial end of the housing to the propellers.

Abstract: A land vehicle is equipped with a warning system for improving the safety of lateral merges. A directional signal selector switch actuates the directional signal lights on a selected side of the vehicle. Proximity sensors are mounted on the sides of the vehicle to sense external obstacles. A slave switch works in cooperation with a directional signal selector switch to actuate the proximity sensors on the same side as the actuated directional signal lights. A warning device communicates with the actuated proximity sensors to receive an indication when sensor has sensed an external obstacle and to issue a warning.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product provide finer rate control in data compression by processing a data stream through a plurality of parallel subbands, wherein a first subband processes the data differently than a second subband. Separate shift quantization parameters for each separate run-of-zeros compressed storage area or pile can be provided, instead of a single common shift parameter for every coefficient as in the prior art. The parameter value for each such area or pile can be recorded in the compressed output file. The separate shift quantization parameters can also be adjusted dynamically as data is being compressed.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product having optimal matching to a known or measured probability distribution encodes data without the use of an excessively large lookup table. An encoder constructed according to the present invention uses two or more different encoding methods in combination. In one embodiment, Huffman coding by table lookup is combined with computational generation, such as by using an exponential Golomb equation. The most commonly occurring elements are looked up in a small Huffman table, while the remaining elements are coded with the equation. In another embodiment, data is encoded using two or more equations. In yet another embodiment, data is encoded using multiple tables in conjunction with one or more equations.

Abstract: A system and method by which multiple run-of-zeros elimination (ROZE) data areas, or other compressed data, can be restored to a single dense data array with simple address computation, even when the simple addressing puts the data into non-final, permuted locations. The data is rearranged in a subsequent computational step with no net cost to the algorithm.

Abstract: A wireless communication network system apparatus which provides for isochronous data transfer between node devices of the network, which provides at least one master node device which manages the data transmission between the other node devices of the network, which avoids or reduces interference from other wireless products and which resolves random errors associated with wireless technology including multipath fading. The system provides a communication protocol which shares the wireless transport medium between the node devices of the network, and which provides each node device on the network a designated transmit time slot for data communication.

Abstract: A brush assembly is formed from a single metallic foil positioned within a base portion. The foil is folded or rolled up into a plurality of closely spaced foil layers soldered to the base portion of the brush assembly. Attachment of the folded foil to the brush base portion involves use of barrier tape and/or adhesive on the folded side of the foil layers and soldering of one layer edge to the base portion which is received within a holder to position the folded foil in brushing contact along the other layer edges with a running surface under a spring bias pressure. The brush may be constructed by metal fiber braids placed on or between metal skins to form a hybrid structure. The brush assembly may be applicable to slip ring current collectors or other electric contact applications, including cleansing brush applications involving other types of brushes.

Abstract: An ultra wide band communication network is provided. One embodiment ultra wide band network includes an industry standard transceiver and an ultra wide band transceiver communicating with the industry standard transceiver, with both transceivers communicating using at least one Time Division Multiple Access frame. Another embodiment network comprises an industry standard transceiver and an ultra wide band transceiver, wherein one transceiver is structured and configured to manage data transmission between all of the transceivers, with each of the transceivers having a Medium Access Control Unit including a Physical layer interface. This Abstract is provided for the sole purpose of complying with the Abstract requirement rules that allow a reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the disclosure contained herein. This Abstract is submitted with the explicit understanding that it will not be used to interpret or to limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.

Abstract: An absorbent article such as infant training pants is provided with a mechanical hook-and-loop type fastening system in which at least the loop fastener component is made of an elastomeric substrate and a high bond point non-woven loop material.

Abstract: An ultra wide band communication network is provided. One embodiment ultra wide band network includes a master device and a plurality of slave devices structured to communicate with the master device using a plurality of ultra wide band pulses. The ultra wide band network also includes a medium access control protocol comprising a time division multiple access frame, the time division multiple access frame comprising a first mode for protocol exchange and a second mode for data exchange. This Abstract is provided for the sole purpose of complying with the Abstract requirement rules that allow a reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the disclosure contained herein. This Abstract is submitted with the explicit understanding that it will not be used to interpret or to limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.

Abstract: An ultra wide band communication network is provided. One embodiment ultra wide band network includes a master transceiver and a slave transceiver structured to communicate with the master transceiver using a plurality of ultra wide band pulses. The master transceiver includes a framing control unit configured to generate a plurality of TDMA frames, each of the plurality of TDMA frames having a plurality of slots, each of the plurality of slots having a start of frame slot configured to identify each of the plurality of TDMA frames to the slave transceiver. This Abstract is provided for the sole purpose of complying with the Abstract requirement rules that allow a reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the disclosure contained herein. This Abstract is submitted with the explicit understanding that it will not be used to interpret or to limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.