Abstract: The present invention pertains to a linear semi-crystalline copolymer [polymer (A)] comprising recurring units derived from vinylidene fluoride (VDF) monomer and at least one hydrophilic (meth)acrylic monomer (MA) of formula: wherein each of R1, R2, R3, equal or different from each other, is independently an hydrogen atom or a C1-C3 hydrocarbon group, and ROH is a hydrogen or a C1-C5 hydrocarbon moiety comprising at least one hydroxyl group, said polymer (A) comprising from 0.05 to 10% by moles of recurring units derived from said hydrophilic (meth)acrylic monomer (MA) and being characterized by a fraction of randomly distributed units (MA) of at least 40%, having improved thermal stability, to a process for its manufacture, to a composition comprising the same, and to its use as binder in batteries or for the manufacture of hydrophilic membranes.

Abstract: The invention provides extracts of the microalga Aphanizomenon Flos Aquae Aquae Ralfs ex Born. & Flah. Var. flos aquae (AFA Klamath) and biologically active components thereof, in particular AFA-phycocyanins, determined as the complex c-phycopcyanin/phycoerythrocyanin (including the chromophore phycoviolobilin), AFA-phytochrome and mycosporine-like aminoacids (MAAs), nutritional, cosmetic and pharmaceutical compositions containing the same, for use in the prophylaxis or treatment of diseases, disturbances or conditions involving acute or chronic inflammation and oxidative degeneration of body cells or tissues or uncontrolled cell proliferation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a passively triggered microchip laser (1) formed by a cavity closed by an input mirror (4) and an output mirror (5), characterized in that the cavity includes deflection means (9, 10, 11, 12, 13) designed to deflect a light beam (14) between the input mirror (4) and the output mirror (5).

Abstract: A series of derivatives of 6,7-dihydro-3H-oxazolo[3,4-a]pyrazine-5,8-dione, mixtures thereof, their pharmaceutically acceptable salts, which are inhibitors of PDE-5, possessing vasodilatator properties and relaxing effects. In particular, compounds of formula (I), where R1, R2, R3, and R4 are defined herein, processes for the preparation of said compounds, pharmaceutical compositions containing them, as well as uses as inhibitors of the enzyme phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) in the treatment of the erectile dysfunction and PDE-5 inhibitor treatable disorders.

Abstract: The invention relates to a gear motor including a multiple-phase electric motor formed by a stator portion excited by electric coils and by a rotor having N pairs of poles radially magnetised in alternating directions, the stator portion including two angular sectors alpha-1 and alpha-2 with respective radii R1 and R2, and wide teeth and narrow teeth radially extending from an annular crown, characterized in that the wide teeth have a width higher than or equal to twice the width of the narrow teeth, in that the notch width is higher than the width of a narrow tooth, in that the angular sector alpha-1 is lower than 220° and includes all the coils, and in that the ratio R1/R2 ranges from 1.2 to 2.

Abstract: A fuel injection control for an internal combustion engine is provided. Fuel is injected into a cylinder of the internal combustion engine. The fuel injection is divided into main injection and pilot injection in advance of the main injection. An actual compression ignition timing is detected based on a combustion state in the cylinder. A fuel injection timing of the main injection is controlled based on the actual compression ignition timing. An amount of heat release based on the pilot injection is computed. A fuel injection amount of the pilot injection is corrected based on the computed heat release amount.

Abstract: An amplifying circuit includes a pair of MOS transistors; an amplifier that amplify a difference between potentials of differential output nodes coupled to drains of the pair of MOS transistors; cancel circuits that cause cancel current to flow to one of the differential output nodes when the amplifier amplifies a voltage between the differential output nodes and that shut off, after the amplifier performs the amplification operation, inflow of the cancel current; and a controller that performs setting so that a potential of first one of the differential input signals is equal to a potential of another one of the differential input signals, that compares, before the inflow of the cancel current, potentials generated at differential output nodes when the difference between potentials of the differential output nodes is amplified, and that sets the cancel current so that the potentials are reversed after the inflow of the cancel current.

Abstract: A remote-controlled mobile machine has a pair of flexible shafts (10) formed by inserting torque transmission driving wires (11) into tubes (12). One ends of the flexible shafts (10) are respectively connected to power sources (2), and the other ends thereof are respectively connected to a pair of left and right crawler mechanisms (102). The crawler mechanisms (102) are driven/controlled by remote control via the flexible shafts (10) to make the mobile machine travel.

Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus and an image processing method capable of exerting a noise reduction effect corresponding to a pixel value of a target pixel. An image processing apparatus that reduces a noise included in a target pixel while reflecting a surrounding pixel located on a surrounding of the target pixel, comprises a selecting section that selects a pixel width tolerable with reference to a true value of the target pixel as a pixel value of the target pixel and correcting section that extracts either one or both pixel values, namely, a pixel value of the surrounding pixel and the pixel value of the target pixel, as a correction value for correcting the pixel value of the target pixel depending on the pixel width selected by the selecting portion.

Abstract: A rotation direction switching device for switching the rotation direction of a drive shaft includes a pulley unit for switching the rotation direction of the drive shaft. The pulley unit has a forward rotation drive belt and a reverse rotation drive belt. The forward rotation drive belt extends between the forward rotation drive pulley and a forward rotation driven pulley. The reverse rotation drive belt extends between a reverse rotation drive pulley and a reverse rotation driven pulley. When the drive shaft is forwardly rotated, the forward rotation belt is placed in a tensioned state, and the reverse rotation belt is switched to a relaxed state. When the drive shaft is reversely rotated, the reverse rotation belt is placed in a tensioned state, and the forward rotation belt is switched to a relaxed state.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory includes: a non-volatile memory cell including a floating gate and a memory transistor; a state machine that generates a normal program signal for performing a normal program operation and a verify signal for performing a verify operation and generates a soft program signal for performing a soft program operation when detecting a fail in the verify operation after the normal program operation, whether a threshold voltage of the memory transistor reaches a value being checked in the verify operation; a voltage generating circuit that generates a normal program voltage and a verify voltage based on the normal program signal and the verify signal and generates a soft program voltage based on the soft program signal; and a determination circuit that detects a pass when the threshold voltage reaches the value and detects the fail when the threshold voltage does not reach the value.

Abstract: A controller in a charging control system controls a charger to heat a battery at a low temperature by pulse charging and discharging up to a desired temperature and then moves to a normal charging mode. The controller calculates an ion concentration of an active material at electrode portions of the battery on the basis of the temperature data and the electric current data obtained, switch the pulse charging and discharging between a charging mode and a discharging mode on the basis of a pulse width when the ion concentration reaches a threshold.

Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying apparatus for an internal combustion engine, including a particulate filter provided in an exhaust passage of the engine; a pressure difference sensor for detecting a pressure difference between upstream and downstream side pressures of the particulate filter; an upstream side passage, which connects the pressure difference sensor and an upstream side with respect to the particulate filter of the exhaust passage; and a downstream side passage, which connects the pressure difference sensor and a downstream side with respect to the particulate filter of the exhaust passage. An exhaust gas flow rate is calculated according to an operating condition of the engine. A characteristic of change in the pressure difference, which is detected by the pressure difference detector and corresponds to a change in the exhaust gas flow rate, is detected. An abnormality of the downstream side passage is determined based on the characteristic of change in the pressure difference.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods are described for preconcentrators, chemical sensing systems and gas chromatographs. A preconcentrator is described that comprises a hollow enclosure containing a sorbent material. The enclosure may be a capillary tube that can be formed in to a desired shape and that may be heated. Heating may be accomplished by passing an electrical current through the capillary or other hollow enclosure form. The sorbent material can be a liquid, a solid, a porous ceramic material and/or a chemiselective polymer. The sorbent material can be coated to the inner wall of the enclosure. The hollow enclosure may be maintained in an insulated chamber. The preconcentrator acts to concentrate a vapor passed through the preconcentrator to a chemical sensing array that can detect chemicals present in the vapor. A gas passed through the hollow enclosure can provide a chemically concentrated input to a chromatographic column.

Abstract: A decoding section for decoding inputted first data; a first memory for being adapted to store second data obtained by decoding the first data; a second memory for being adapted to store error information on an error in decoding of the first data; and an output section for outputting the second data, wherein when the output section reads and outputs the second data from the first memory, the output section reads and outputs, as data corresponding to an error of the first data, second data stored in the second memory and serving as a decoding result of the other part of the first data based on the error information stored in the second memory.

Abstract: A low-noise flip-chip package, comprising: a carrier substrate having first and second opposing main faces; and a flip-chip substrate connected in a face-down manner onto the first main face of the carrier substrate via a connection array, wherein: the flip-chip substrate comprises at least first and second circuitry portions spaced apart from one another; the flip-chip substrate comprises a substrate-contact boundary located between the first and second circuitry portions; and each of the first circuitry portion, the second circuitry portion and the substrate-contact boundary has its own separate signal-reference connection extending via a respective connection of the connection array through the carrier substrate to a respective electrical contact at the second main face of the carrier substrate for connection to a common signal-reference element in an external circuit.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a fluid collection system having multiple storage chambers are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, the system may include a first chamber in fluid communication with a suction source and a second chamber in fluid communication with the first chamber. The second chamber may have a volume less than a volume of the first chamber. The second chamber may also comprise an inlet port for connecting to an external tube. The system may be configured to selectively drain liquid from the second chamber into the first chamber.