Abstract: An apparatus (1) for determining the concentration of a critical first component, such as hydrogen, of an atmosphere or environment (E), wherein the first component is capable of forming a combustible mixture with a second component, such as oxygen; the apparatus comprises: (A) a sampling unit (10) including: (A1) a small measuring chamber (12) operatively connected with an ignition means (135) capable of being operated so as to initiate in said chamber a combustion of said critical first component by reaction with said second component, and (A2) at least one sensor (15) operatively connected with said measuring chamber for generating a signal formed by essentially proportionate contributions from all significant components contained in said measuring chamber; (B) at least one flame arrestor (14) intervening between said measuring chamber (12) and aid environment (E) of interest; and (C) a control unit (16) capable of imposing a mode of operation in at least two distinct phases wherein, during a first phase,

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel VEGF protein products, and nucleic acids encoding these novel protein products, comprising exons 1-6 and 8 of the VEGF gene, and derivatives thereof, and these uses in treating the cardiovascular system and its diseases through effects on anatomy, conduit function, and permeability. VEGF145 and its derivatives have been found to be active mitogens for vascular endothelial cells and to function as angiogenic factors in-vivo. VEGF145 and its derivatives have novel properties compared with previously characterized VEGF species with respect to cellular distribution, susceptibility to oxidative damage, and extra-cellular matrix (ECM) binding ability. The present invention also relates to derivatives of VEGF145 which have altered properties in that they have altered biological activity and altered heparin-binding activity when compared to VEGF145.

Abstract: An ultrasound image of a transverse cross-sectional outline of the prostate gland is acquired. For three-dimensional imaging, a series of images can be taken, one of each slice of the prostate. The initial ultrasound images are pre-processed to remove the noise and increase the contrast. The rectum edge is located from the bottom of the images. The key points on the prostate boundaries are located and connected under the iterative training of a knowledge-based model until the shape of the boundary reaches a stable state. The urethra is segmented near the center of the prostate.

Abstract: A portable position detector is equipped with a pedometer, a geomagnetic sensor, and an acceleration sensor. With the pedometer, the moved distance of a walker is detected by a calculation of “the number of steps×the length of a step”. With the walking time per step detected with the acceleration sensor, the length of a step is corrected so that it corresponds to the walking state. The moved direction of the walker is detected with the geomagnetic sensor. With this, the moved position of the walker is accurately detected by self-contained navigation. Particularly, even in the case where the position detector is located in a forest or between buildings where a signal cannot be received from a global positioning system (GPS) due to high buildings, banks, and forests, the position detector with a portable size and weight applicable to a walker can know with a practically sufficient degree of accuracy the position of a person carrying this portable detector by self-contained navigation.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method and apparatus for sterilization of medical wastes by exposing them to microwave energy. The microwaves are generated and directed through a wave-guide configured as a hollow duct, such that they are supplied to the interior of a treatment chamber from opposite directions causing their collision within the chamber.

Abstract: A system and method for managing security incidents in a computing environment uses adaptive feedback to update security procedures in response to detected security incidents. Accordingly, the system and method is capable of defining security procedures, which can include one or more policies, and implementing these security procedures on one or more computing systems in the computing environment. The system and method monitors activities in the environment and detects security incidents using the implemented security procedures. When a security incident is detected, the security procedures are updated in response to said detected security incident and implemented on one or more systems in the computing environment.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a game system having a detection unit for detecting a position of a spot moved from a start spot, a measurement unit for measuring time, and a decision unit for deciding whether or not spots measured by the detection unit have enclosed an area within a set time measured from the start spot by the measurement unit. The game system further has a computation unit for computing a size of a distance between the measured spots, or a size of the area enclosed with the measured spots, when the decision unit decides that there has been enclosure. The victory or defeat of a game player is determined by the size of the length or the size of the area, computed by the computation unit.

Abstract: A multilayer optical information storage medium, such as a card, uses a luminescent, fluorescent, or electroluminescent material to reproduce information in the form of incoherent radiation. Each layer has multiple pages of information. A specific page on a specific layer is addressed by moving the card relative to a read head so that the image of the specific page to be read is focused on the read head. This can be accomplished by moving the card in the X, Y, and Z directions, or by holding the card stationary and by moving a two-dimensional image detector in the X, Y, and Z directions.

Abstract: Amount of sub-micron particles in fluid such as ultra pure water classified each range of particle dimensions are detected by a simple apparatus in which a light beam from a coherent light source(1) is converged (2) in such a manner that the light beam is focused in a stream (3) of particle-containing fluid, the light passed through the stream and diffracted by the particles is received by a photo-detector (4) which is positioned at an opposite side of the coherent light source with respect to the stream and substantially on an optical axis of the light beam, so that the number of particles in the stream is distinguished into plural ranges according to each frequencies of the signals emitted from the photo-detector and counting each numbers of the particles contained the ranges.

Abstract: A dental cleaning implement comprising: a handpiece graspable at one end by a user, an oscillating drive within the handpiece, a head located at the opposite end of the handpiece which includes a coupler for releasably attaching a toothpick or an interdental toothbrush thereto. The oscillating drive is adapted to provide oscillations of up to 15,000 strokes per second, preferably from 1 to 5,000 strokes per second, and the implement may optionally further comprise a selector for varying the frequency of oscillation.

Abstract: A magnetoelastic torque sensor for providing an output signal indicative of the torque transmitted between radially separated locations of a disk-shaped member includes a magnetoelastically active, ferromagnetic, magnetostrictive region which is magnetically polarized in a single circumferential direction and possesses sufficient magnetic anisotropy to return the magnetization in the region, following the application of torque to the member, to the single circumferential direction when the applied force is reduced to zero. First and second torque transmitting elements are directly attached to or form a part of the member at its central axis of rotation and its periphery in such a manner that torque is proportionally transmitted between the member and the transmitting elements.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus is equipped with a position acquisition section for acquiring positional information on a self-position, a map hold section for holding a map, and a central control section. The central control section functions as a first display control section for reading out the map containing the self-position from the map hold section and then causing display section to display the map containing the self-position, and also functions as a second display control section for setting a target spot at an arbitrary natural feature on the earth or arbitrary position within the map displayed on the display section and then causing the display section to display the target object.

Abstract: The printer and the printer assembly of the present invention has a line thermal head extending in the paper width direction; a non-roller type platen disposed so as to face the line thermal head for printing a thermal paper between the line thermal head and the platen; and a paper extracting device disposed on the paper ejection side of the line thermal head and the platen for feeding a thermal paper between a first and a second roller. The non-roller type platen can press the thermal paper with uniform pressure and without distortion even if it is thin. Moreover, it is possible to prevent distortion of the rollers of the extracting device even with small diameters by supporting middle parts of each shaft of respective rollers. Therefore, a thin and compact printer assemblies and printers are provided.

Abstract: Ocular refraction is determined from wavefront aberration data, and an optimum customized correction is designed. The eye's wave aberration is measured by using a detector such as a Shack-Hartmann detector. From the aberration, an image metric is calculated, and the second-order aberrations which optimize that metric are determined. From that optimization, the refractive correction required for the eye is determined. The image metric is one of several metrics indicating the quality of the image on the retinal plane or a proxy for such a metric. The required refractive correction can be used to form a lens or to control eye surgery. If it is possible to detect more aberrations than can be corrected, those aberrations are corrected which most affect vision, or for which the eye's error tolerance is lowest.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a GPS receiver, which is equipped with a position measuring section and a central control section. The position measuring section functions as a reception section that receives electronic radio waves from GPS satellites. The position measuring section also functions as a self-position information acquisition section that acquires self-position information, based on the received radio waves. The position measuring section further functions as a satellite information acquisition section that acquires satellite information on a position of each GPS satellite, based on the received radio waves. The central control section functions as a game character generation section that generates game characters. The central control section also functions as a game character position control section that controls a position of each game character, based on the self-position information and the satellite information.

Abstract: A source wire having a radioactive source at its distal tip is used to treat a blood vessel within a patient's body by localized in vivo radiation to prevent stenosis of the blood vessel, including restenosis following percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. The source wire is advanced to the target site along the intravascular system of the patient's body from a point external to the body. The source wire is preferably a solid lead of substantially uniform thickness along its entire length, composed of a superelastic nickel-titanium alloy (nitinol). Alternatively, the wire may be a cable composed of multiple strands of the alloy of substantially uniform thickness throughout the entire length of each strand. The alloy has desired characteristics of superelasticity for transitioning into and out of a stress-induced martensitic state as it is advanced through tortuous lumens for passage into the coronary arteries.

Abstract: An EET (“eight-to-ten”) method has been proposed for two-dimensional spatial encoding of information stored in two- or three-dimensional, in particular fluorescent optical carriers. The method specifically ensures the same writing density as DVD carriers with EFM (“eight-fourteen modulation”) modulation code but for 0.8×0.4&mgr; information pit (fluorescent mark), i.e. as in CD data carriers. The larger—as compared to the DVD format—pit size enables a simpler technology for manufacturing fluorescent multilayer carriers, for instance of ROM type, and a stronger fluorescent signal in reading. The high writing density is ensured through virtually 100% filling of the information layer area with fluorescent marks in a gap-free manner. In addition, this allows application of the parallel data reading procedure and a ten-fold higher reading speed than in DVD systems. Increasing the size of the channel bit to 0.4 &mgr;m—which is 1.