Abstract: A ballast device for a compact fluorescent lamp, comprises a ballast case including upper case 10-1, a lower case, and PCBs. The upper case has a incandescent lamp base 19 and the lower case has a socket substrate 11 having a compact fluorescent lamp socket. A bottom portion of the upper case is assembled with said lower case having a socket substrate 11. The PCBs includes a first PCB 15 where electronic circuit components 15-2 are mounted on, having a first receiving portion for allowing for the fluorescent lamp socket to be inserted in, and a second PCB 16 where a electronic circuit components 16-2 are mounted, and the mounted components 16-2 having long height are located in center area of the second PCB 16 to be located inside the bulb base 19.

Abstract: Prefabricated, preferably pre-cast concrete, stringers and treads can be employed to provide either a staircase of any required inclination, a horizontal walkway or a ramp of a required inclination. In all these applications, the same standardized stringers and treads can be effectively used. Stanchions can be added as required. Further embodiments can be used for providing ladders and for providing seating for grand stands or theaters.

Abstract: Known transcoders for compressed video signals comprise a decoder and a coder coupled thereto, between which a data signal is transmitted. Because compressed video signals comprise so-called difference pictures and normal pictures, both the decoder and the coder should have a feedback loop which is utilized in decoding and coding a difference picture and is not utilized in decoding and coding a normal picture. For example, for the purpose of prediction means (motion compensation and motion estimation) present in the feedback loop of the coder, much computation has to be carried out in the coder. The computation required is considerably reduced by concomitantly transmitting one or more information signals in addition to the data signal in a transcoder according to the invention, and complete decoding and complete coding no longer takes place.