Abstract: A piezoelectric element includes: a substrate; a lower electrode that is formed on and/or over the substrate; a piezoelectric substance layer that covers the lower electrode; and an upper electrode that is formed on and/or over the piezoelectric substance layer, wherein a side surface of the piezoelectric substance layer includes a first portion that extends from an upper surface of the piezoelectric substance layer and a second portion that extends from the first portion, the first portion is inclined at a first angle with respect to an upper surface of the substrate, the second portion is inclined at a second angle with respect to the upper surface of the substrate, the second angle is smaller than the first angle, and the upper electrode covers at least the first portion and the second portion.

Abstract: A system can be provided for dynamically serving a content file. A content object request function can receive a request for a webpage defined by the content file, the content file including a plurality of embedded or referenced content objects, at least one of the plurality of content objects including a Javascript. A content-file modifier can modify the content file to include instructions to generate reports comprising information relating to invocation of stubs. A report receiver can receive reports from the end user system, and an object usage analyzer quantifes usage of each of the stubs. An object prioritizor can prioritize the plurality of content objects based on the analysis, the prioritization including an identification of at least one high-priority content object. An object injector can modify the content file such that the high-priority content object automatically loads upon rendering of the content file.

Abstract: A computer system includes a receiver configured to pair with a set of peripheral devices and have active connections with a first subset of the peripheral devices and inactive connections with a second subset of the peripheral devices. The first and the second subsets of peripheral devices are subsets of the set of peripheral devices. If a select one of the peripheral devices in the inactive set of peripheral devices is operated, the receiver is configured to activate a connection with the select one of the peripheral devices in a latency period that is below human perception levels of the latency period.

Abstract: This storage system has an allocation unit for allocating a storage extent in prescribed units to the dynamic logical volume upon storing the data sent from the host computer in the dynamic logical volume; a management unit for managing the storage extent recognized as being currently used by the file system among the storage extents allocated to the dynamic logical volume by the allocation unit; and a release unit for releasing the storage extent that is not being managed by the management unit from the dynamic logical volume.

Abstract: A money transfer authorization method that includes the step of providing transferor biometric information to a party verification processor that verifies an identity of the transferor by comparing the transferor biometric information with previously registered biometric information from the transferor, where the transferor provides transfer identity information to receive the money. The method also includes confirming that the verified transferor has sufficient funds or credit for the money transfer, and providing transferee biometric identification to the party verification processor that verifies the transferee by comparing the transferee biometric information with previously registered biometric information from the transferee. The transferee has to provide transfer identity information before the money is given to the transferee.

Abstract: Gamma-amino-butyric acid derivatives that are GABAB receptor ligands, pharmaceutical compositions comprising such derivatives, and methods of using such derivatives and pharmaceutical compositions thereof for treating diseases are disclosed.

Abstract: A non-uniform ion implantation apparatus comprises a wide ion beam generator configured to generate a plurality of wide ion beams to irradiate at least two regions on the entire area of a wafer, and a wafer rotating device configured to rotate the wafer in a predetermined direction while the wide ion beams generated by the wide ion beam generator are irradiated to the wafer. Among the wide ion beams, at least one wide ion beam has a different dose from that of at least one different wide ion beam. Since the wide ion beams are irradiated at different doses to the wafer, a smooth circular border is formed between the regions to which the impurity ions are implanted to different concentrations. Since the position of the wafer is suitably changed for the wide ion beams, it is possible to control disposition of the regions implanted with the impurity ions of different concentrations.

Abstract: The invention provides a microcapsule array comprising a plurality of microcapsules immobilized on a surface, optionally in microwells in said surface. Each of the microcapsules comprises an outer layer or shell defining a microcapsule interior, said outer layer having a permeability towards a nanoscale species which is dependent on an environmental condition to which said array is exposed.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to assembly techniques. According to the present invention, the alignment and probing techniques to improve the accuracy of component placement in assembly are described. More particularly, the invention includes methods and structures to detect and improve the component placement accuracy on a target platform by incorporating alignment marks on component and reference marks on target platform under various probing techniques. A set of sensors grouped in any array to form a multiple-sensor probe can detect the deviation of displaced components in assembly.

Abstract: A method for provisioning audiovisual works to a client includes maintaining categorization information specifying, for each of multiple audiovisual works, one or more of multiple categories. One or more of the categories are associated with each of multiple delivery slots in response to input from a client. For each of the delivery slots, a first audiovisual work from one of the categories associated with the respective delivery slot is provisioned for delivery to a location associated with the client.

Abstract: A variety of elastomeric-based microfluidic devices and methods for using and manufacturing such devices are provided. Certain of the devices have arrays of reaction sites to facilitate high throughput analyses. Some devices also include reaction sites located at the end of blind channels at which reagents have been previously deposited during manufacture. The reagents become suspended once sample is introduced into the reaction site. The devices can be utilized with a variety of heating devices and thus can be used in a variety of analyses requiring temperature control, including thermocycling applications such as nucleic acid amplification reactions, genotyping and gene expression analyses.

Abstract: A method for forming a filtration media from waste media includes combining the waste media with a binder to form a dry mixture, adding a liquid composition to the dry mixture to form a slurry, and extruding the slurry to form a filtration media. The waste media may include fines or oversized media resulting from a prior media production process that have been subjected to a hydration process. The waste media may be ground and sized prior to combining it with the binder. The binder may include clay, cellulose materials, and combinations thereof. The liquid composition may include water and optionally one or more additional additives selected from the group consisting of permanganates, acids, bases, amines and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the slurry is extruded into a honeycomb matrix.

Abstract: An electrodeless plasma lamp apparatus includes a waveguide body having at least a first material and a second material. At least one of the materials has a dielectric constant of less than two. In a specific embodiment, the apparatus also includes an RF power source coupled to the waveguide body to provide RF power to the waveguide body at least one frequency that resonates within the waveguide body. A bulb containing a fill which forms a plasma to cause emission of light when the RF power is provided to the waveguide body.

Abstract: A control circuit for a switched mode power supply includes a transconductance amplifier circuit for receiving a voltage signal related to a current from an input of the power supply and producing a first signal, an analog signal processor coupled to the amplifier circuit for receiving the first signal and a second signal from the input of the power supply and a third signal from an output of the power supply. The analog signal processor is configured to produce a fourth signal as a function of the first, the second, and the third signals. An adder circuit is coupled to the fourth signal and a dimmer control signal, and the adder circuit is configured to output a fifth signal. A comparator circuit is coupled to the adder circuit for providing a control signal to a power transistor that controls current flow in the power supply based on comparison of the fifth signal and a reference signal.

Abstract: A mobile computing device (MCD) can determine, based on model-specific test result information, whether an accessory may be incompatible with specific MCD functions. In some embodiments, the accessory provides test result information separately indicating a test result for each of a number of MCD models. Multiple MCD models can be grouped into a device class, and the MCD can deem the accessory compatible if he received test result information indicates a pass result for at least one of the device models associated with a device class to which the MCD belongs. If the accessory is not deemed to be compatible with the mobile computing device, the MCD can generate a warning.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and apparatus for determining an orientation of a cilium relative to a characteristic of the shape of the cell from which the cilium projects. Three-dimensional microscopy data may be used to determine an orientation of a cilium relative to a specified axis, which is determined from a profile for each cell. Such orientation may be used to forecast alter, or otherwise study the growth process of chondrocytes. Results indicate that the shape of chondrocytes, the position of the ciliary basal body, the incidence of cilia, and the orientation of cilium, are not random through the growth plate.

Abstract: Transaction processing involves receiving data from an access transaction application of a portable consumer device, wherein the received data comprises data from an access transaction data string that includes a transit verification value wherein, with the exception of the transit verification value, the access transaction data string is substantially similar to a retail data string comprising retail data, wherein the access application data string is adapted for use with an access transaction processing system and the retail data string is adapted for use with a retail processing system. The transaction processing involves processing access transaction application data for selective authorization of the transaction.

Abstract: A token based transaction authentication system is disclosed. Issuer, merchants, and a payment processing network generate unique tokens or keys to authenticate messages between themselves and to authenticate a sending entity or consumer as they are redirected between entities. The tokens are also used to identify the particular authentication thread a message or sending entity is associated with. The sending entity authentication occurs over a web-based channel or a mobile based channel.