Abstract: A self-contained handheld drain clearing device is provided that uses compressed air to unblock various household drains and pipes. The device comprises an upper body and a lower body. The upper body includes a cylindrical chamber for housing a manual pump. A one-way inlet valve allows compressed air to enter a collection chamber, from which it exits to a storage chamber through a small hole in a piston. A trigger component is located in the upper body of the device, as is a pressure release safety component included for user protection. The lower body of the device primarily serves as a storage area for compressed air, containing an upper end and a lower end. The upper end contains threads for joining the lower body with the upper body, while the lower end contains a fitting for receiving various drain-sealing adapters.

Abstract: Timing in a receiver is synchronized to an orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) signal transmitted over a channel. The OFDM signal includes multiple training symbols, including long and short training symbols. The first half of the training symbols are correlated with the second half to determine a coarse index which is used to adjust the unsynchronized OFDM. In the coursely adjusted OFDM signal, the first training symbol is then correlated with the last traininig symbol to determine a fine index to adjust the coarsely adjusted OFDM signal so that the receiver is synchronized with the transmitted OFDM signal.

Abstract: Methods of providing improved metal coatings or metal deposits on a substrate, improvements in plating solutions that are used to provide such metal deposits and articles of the metal-coated substrates. The solderability of the metal coating is enhanced by incorporating trace amounts of phosphorus in the metal coating to reduce surface oxide formation during subsequent heating and thus enhance long term solderability of the metal coating. The phosphorus is advantageously provided in the metal coating by incorporating a source of phosphorus in a solution that is used to provide the metal coating on the substrate, and the metal coating is then provided on the substrate from the solution.

Abstract: Methods of providing improved metal coatings or metal deposits on a substrate, improvements in plating solutions that are used to provide such metal deposits and articles of the metal-coated substrates. The solderability of the metal coating is enhanced by incorporating trace amounts of phosphorus in the metal coating to reduce surface oxide formation during subsequent heating and thus enhance long term solderability of the metal coating. The phosphorus is advantageously provided in the metal coating by incorporating a source of phosphorus in a solution that is used to provide the metal coating on the substrate, and the metal coating is then provided on the substrate from the solution.

Abstract: A method for reducing whisker formation and preserving solderability in tin coatings over metal features of electronic components. The tin coating has internal tensile stress and is between about 0.5 ?m and about 4.0 ?m in thickness. There is a nickel-phosphorus layer under the tin coating.

Abstract: A method for reducing whisker formation in tin coatings over metal features of electronic components. The tin coating has internal tensile stress and is between about 0.5 ?m and about 4.0 ?m in thickness.

Abstract: The present invention provides an antibody to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) envelope glycoprotein that can recognize one or more strains of HIV, wherein the epitope of HIV recognized by the antibody is inducible, and wherein the antibody binding to the epitope is enhanced by the presence of CD4 and the HIV co-receptor, and related fusion proteins, conjugates, nucleic acids, vectors, host cells, compositions and methods of use to inhibit an infection of a human at risk of becoming infected with HIV, to reduce the severity of an infection of a human infected with HIV, and to treat an infection of a human with HIV.

Abstract: A method characterizes a customer line for data transmission. The method includes measuring electrical properties of the customer line from a central location, identifying a line model from the measurements, and identifying a modem model for a modem selected for use with the customer line. The modem model gives performance data for the selected modem. The method also predicts performance data for the customer line when operated with the selected modem by combining the line and modem models.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of identifying novel broadly crossreactive neutralizing monoclonal antibodies using sequential antigen panning of phage display libraries, antibodies obtained in accordance with such a method, as well as fusion proteins and conjugates comprising same, and related isolated or purified nucleic acid molecules, vectors, host cells, compositions, and methods of use to inhibit an infection, reduce the severity of an infection, treat an infection, and inhibit cancer.

Abstract: A method characterizes a customer line for data transmission. The method includes measuring electrical properties of the customer line from a central location, identifying a line model from the measurements, and identifying a modem model for a modem selected for use with the customer line. The modem model gives performance data for the selected modem. The method also predicts performance data for the customer line when operated with the selected modem by combining the line and modem models.

Abstract: A simple and effective method is disclosed in the present invention to adjust the near natural colour of a satellite color composite to a visually more pleasing natural colour. This method includes two steps: (1) extracting vegetation “greenness” from available multispectral bands, and (2) adding (injecting) the “greenness” into the vegetation areas of the green band being displayed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to analyze escape analysis of an application are described herein. In an example method, one or more methods associated with a violating condition of the application are identified. The one or more methods are parsed into at least one equivalence class. A first escape indicator and a second escape indicator associated with each of the at least one class are identified. Based on the first and second escape indicators, the one or more methods are propagated.

Abstract: The invention relates to heat transfer apparatus for cooling electronic components. There is a continuously increasing demand for compact electronic systems such as portable laptop computers and thirst for high processing power, leading to high heat generated by components residing within these systems. These electronic systems have to be cooled due to their fixed operating temperature ranges. Operating an electronic component beyond its rated operating temperature range will damage electronic components. Instead of conventionally utilising a bigger fan, a smaller sized solution is required for cooling an electronic component contained in a compact electronic system, for example a notebook computer. A heat transfer apparatus includes a heat carrier for conveying heat away from the electronic system into a radiator for dissipation. The radiator is placed into a cooler for directing air through the radiator and expelling heated air, cooling the radiator in the process.

Abstract: A disjoint graph structure for packet classification in communication systems is presented. The disjoint graph is comprised of two types of data structures; an elementary interval tree (EIT) and a disjoint interval tree (DIT). The disjoint graph is constructed based on a range-specified rule set finding particular application in the classification of data packets. Each rule in the rule set has an equal number of fields and each field specifies a range referred to as an integer interval having a lower and an upper bound. The disjoint graph has the same number of layers as there are fields in each rule. The layers are comprised of nodes, and each node has an associated rule set selected from the range-specified rule set. The disjoint graph enables packet classification in only one pass through the tree. The EIT and DIT structures are also presented in detail.

Abstract: This invention relates to immunoglobulin molecules comprising light chain (VL) chimeric variable domains, heavy chain (VH) chimeric variable domains, e.g., scFv antibodies that are expressed at high levels within a host cell, preferably within particular cellular compartments such as, e.g., cytosol or apoplast. The VL, VH and scFv antibody molecules comprise framework scaffolds of particularly preferred framework regions. This invention also relates to nucleic acid molecules encoding the immunoglobulin molecules of this invention, vectors expressing the immunoglobulin molecules, hosts transformed with the nucleic acid molecules and vectors, and methods of using the immunoglobulin molecules. Also described are immunoglobulin libraries as well as host cells, including transgenic plants, expressing the VL, VH or scFv antibody molecules of this invention.

Abstract: The present invention features antibodies and antibody fragments that specifically bind a CD4-inducible HIV gp120 epitope that is enhanced by binding a co-receptor for HIV, such as CCR5 or CXCR4, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the antibodies or antibody fragments. The invention also features nucleic acids encoding the antibodies or antibody fragments, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the nucleic acids encoding the antibodies or antibody fragments, vectors comprising the nucleic acids, and cells comprising the vectors. The invention further features methods of identifying antibodies or antibody fragments with broadly neutralizing activity against HIV. The invention also features methods of inhibiting HIV entry into cells and methods of inhibiting replication of HIV in mammals, using the antibodies and nucleic acids of the invention.

Abstract: A method for generating hierarchical keys of digital assets, the digital assets are arranged as at least one tree structure for management, a root node of the tree structure represents the complete set of the digital assets, other group nodes represents sub-sets in each level of the digital assets respectively, and the nodes in the lowest level are leaf nodes, said method includes: generating the key of the root node; and starting with the key of the root node, using the key of a father node to compute level by level the keys of its child nodes according to a predetermined function, through to leaf nodes.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, an electroplating solution is provided for electroplating satin bright tin-copper alloy solder coatings at high speed. The preferred solution comprises sulfonic acid, tin sulfonate, copper sulfonate, non-ionic surfactant, satin brightener and an antioxidant catechol. The preferred surfactant is polyoxyethylene-block-polyoxypropylene. The preferred satin brightener is formed by the oxidation of an aqueous solution of 1-phenyl-3-parazolidinone. The preferred sulfonic acid is methanesulfonic acid.

Abstract: A transgenic turfgrass plant expressing a betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase-encoding transgene is provided. The transgenic plant displays significantly increased tolerance to salinity than does its non-transgenic equivalents. The plant also displays increased tolerance to drought conditions. The salt- and drought-tolerant transgenic turfgrass may be planted in regions of high salinity, such as seaside, or in regions where irrigation water is scarce.

Abstract: A channel merging method for a VOD system, said method comprises the steps of: in response to requests from a plurality of clients for a video program, establishing a root channel (S1) and at least one sub-channel (S11), said root channel (S1) being established according to a request from a client that makes the earliest request, each of said sub-channels (S11) being established in response to a request from a client that makes a later request; and monitoring variation of the number of the clients that are using each of said established channels, and maintaining the channel if the number of the clients using the monitored channel is not zero, and closing the channel if the number of the clients using the monitored channel becomes zero.