Abstract: Methods for assessing the extent of allelic imbalance in a genomic nucleic acid sample. Methods for diagnosing cancer and determining the prognosis of a patient with cancer, including breast or prostate cancer, by assessing the extent of allelic imbalance in a genomic nucleic acid sample.

Abstract: A non-metallic element system is provided which can effectively seal or pack-off an annulus under elevated temperatures. The element system can also resist high differential pressures without sacrificing performance or suffering mechanical degradation, and is considerably faster to drill-up than a conventional element system. In one aspect, the composite material comprises an epoxy blend reinforced with glass fibers stacked layer upon layer at about 30 to about 70 degrees. A downhole tool, such as a bridge plug, frac-plug, or packer, is also provided. The tool comprises a first and second support ring having one or more tapered wedges, a first and second expansion ring, and a sealing member disposed between the expansion rings and the support rings.

Abstract: An optically embossed sheet (10) for a laminate (107) for decorative boards includes a base layer (12) having a print surface (14) and an opposed resin application surface (16), wherein the print surface (14) defines a decorative area (18). A small particle ink (20) overlies the decorative area (18), and a large particle ink (22) overlies the small particle ink (20) within a low-gloss region (24) defined within the decorative area (18). A thermosetting resin is applied only to the resin application surface so that more than fifty percent of the particles of the small particle ink (20) at the print surface (14) are coalesced by the thermosetting resin (26) into agglomerations (27), and less than about thirty percent of the particles of the large particle ink (22) are coalesced into agglomerations (27) giving rise to a substantial gloss differential at the print surface (14).

Abstract: A non-metallic element system is provided which can effectively seal or pack-off an annulus under elevated temperatures. The element system can also resist high differential pressures without sacrificing performance or suffering mechanical degradation, and is considerably faster to drill-up than a conventional element system. In one aspect, the composite material comprises an epoxy blend reinforced with glass fibers stacked layer upon layer at about 30 to about 70 degrees. A downhole tool, such as a bridge plug, frac-plug, or packer, is also provided. The tool comprises a first and second support ring having one or more tapered wedges, a first and second expansion ring, and a sealing member disposed between the expansion rings and the support rings.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for channeling funds to a plurality of eleemosynary organizations. The method includes the steps of receiving a payment request by an issuer of a credit card from a merchant based upon use of the credit card where the credit card contains a blind identifier of an eleemosynary organization of the plurality of eleemosynary organizations, transferring a predetermined payment from the issuer to a trust organization along with the blind identifier of the eleemosynary organization, retrieving a name of the eleemosynary organization by the trust organization based upon the transferred blind identifier and transferring the predetermined payment from the trust organization to the eleemosynary organization based upon the retrieved name of the eleemosynary organization.

Abstract: A surface type fishing lure having a pair of nested, noise-producing spinners. The lure is a frame-like structure of stiff bendable wire formed into integral first and second arms. A fish hook is rigidly affixed to the rearward end of the first arm constituting an extension thereof. A head element is located at the juncture of the first arm and the hook. A hook-concealing skirt may be affixed to the head element. The forward end of the first arm terminates in a loop to which a fishing line can be secured. The loop, in turn, terminates in the second arm having first and second portions. The first portion of the second arm extends from the loop in a lateral direction with respect to the first arm. The first portion of the second arm terminates in the second portion extending generally in the same direction as the first arm. The above noted pair of spinners is rotatively mounted in nested condition on the second portion of the second arm.

Abstract: A protector module for use in protecting telephone lines includes an insulating base with two sets of line pins and a ground pin extending from one side of the base. Disposed on the other side of the base is a pair of spaced apart line contacts with one of the line contacts being coupled to one set of line pins and the other line contact being coupled to the other set of line pins and a ground clip assembly coupled to the ground pin and disposed between the line contacts. The ground clip assembly mounts a three electrode gas tube arrester having a pair of line electrodes and a ground electrode such that one of the line contacts is coupled to one of the line electrodes by a fusible element and the other line contact is coupled to the other line electrode by another fusible element.