Abstract: A lithium ion secondary battery (100) has a property of securing a flat charge-discharge capacity range (FC) in which fluctuation of terminal voltage is 0.2 V or lower in both the cases where the battery is charged and discharged with electric current having a current value of 1 C over a capacity range of 50% or more of the electric capacity range having a theoretical electric capacity as an upper limit.

Abstract: A time synchronization method and a time synchronization device in a passive optical network (PON), and a PON are provided. The method includes receiving a synchronization packet sent after time synchronization of an optical line terminal (OLT) with a master clock (MC) is achieved, wherein the synchronization packet carries a timestamp TMt1i determined after the time synchronization of the OLT is achieved, adjusting a local clock according to the timestamp to achieve time synchronization of an optical network unit/optical network terminal (ONU/ONT) with the OLT, and after the time synchronization of the OLT is achieved, instructing an slave clock (SC) to perform time synchronization. A time synchronization device and a time synchronization system for implementing the method in a PON are further provided.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an implantable medical device comprising a composite graft material including a first biologic component, such as an acellular tissue matrix, and a second non-biologic component.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for embedding information in software and/or other electronic content such that the information is difficult for an unauthorized party to detect, remove, insert, forge, and/or corrupt. The embedded information can be used to protect electronic content by identifying the content's source, thus enabling unauthorized copies or derivatives to be reliably traced, and thus facilitating effective legal recourse by the content owner. Systems and methods are also disclosed for protecting, detecting, removing, and decoding information embedded in electronic content, and for using the embedded information to protect software or other media from unauthorized analysis, attack, and/or modification.

Abstract: A light source device having a large cooling action on the base member of a discharge lamp. A connector on the sides of the power supply and the air blower and the base-side connector of a discharge lamp are connected to each other through a connection cable having a power cable in which an air blow pipe is contained. An electric power is supplied from the power supply to a base part through the power cable of the connection cable, the base-side connector and a flow passage bending member. The cool air from the air blower is supplied to the groove part of the base part through the air blow pipe of the connection cable, the base-side connector and an air blow passage in the flow passage-bending member.

Abstract: A method for speech switching, including: extracting mute flags from encoded speech data transmitted by each of the terminals respectively in order to determine one or more non-mute terminals; decoding the encoded speech data of each non-mute terminal respectively; calculating speech energy of each non-mute terminal according to the decoded speech data of each non-mute terminal; comparing the speech energy of the non-mute terminals and selecting one or more terminals with relatively large speech energy; performing linear superposition with different combination methods to the decoded speech data of the selected terminals, and encoding the decoded speech data which is obtained from the linear superposition of the different combination methods, and transmitting the data to the corresponding terminals respectively. An apparatus for speech switching is also disclosed. With this invention, resource consumption during procedure of speech switching may be reduced, the effect of speech communication may be improved.

Abstract: An own-group storage area in which beacon information concerning a group of the own device is stored and an other-groups storage area in which beacon information concerning other groups different from the group of the own device is stored are allocated to a memory area of a wireless communication device in a network. The wireless communication device includes storage means for storing the beacon information concerning the other groups in the own-group storage area and the other-groups storage area in the same structure as that of the beacon information concerning the group of the own device.

Abstract: A spark plug may include a first electrode, an insulator positioned radially outside the first electrode, and a housing positioned radially outside the insulator. The spark plug may also include a second electrode electrically coupled to the housing. The second electrode may form a spark gap with the first electrode. The spark plug may further include an ignition electrode coupled to at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode. The ignition electrode may include fibers of Nb—Ti within a matrix material.

Abstract: An operating pedal device for a vehicle includes an operating pedal mounted on a pedal support fixedly secured to a vehicle to be pivotable about an axis of a support shaft and operative to be depressed by a driver; a reactive member, connected to the operating pedal via at least one connecting section which allows relative pivotal movement therebetween about a connecting pin to which an output is transferred at a rate depending on an operational force of the operating pedal and which is applied with a reaction force corresponding to the output; and a load sensor electrically detecting the operational force. A member pivotably connected via the connecting pin defines a sensor mounting hole allowing insertion of the connecting pin and mounting of the load sensor.

Abstract: In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a method for controlling operation of an electric water pump configured to circulate a cooling fluid. The method may include detecting a startup of an electric power source associated with the electric water pump. In addition, the method may include monitoring a voltage available to the electric water pump in response to the detected startup of the power source. The method may also include providing an activation signal to the electric water pump if the monitored voltage is equal to or greater than a first threshold voltage.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing an optical fiber, includes the steps of: a) producing a soot core preform by depositing a core material on a substrate; b) removing the substrate from the soot preform leaving an axial cavity along the longitudinal axis of the soot core preform; (c) drying and consolidating the soot core preform so as to obtain a glass core preform having an axial hole corresponding to the axial cavity; d) reducing a diameter of the axial hole; and e) stretching the glass core preform so as to substantially close the axial hole, wherein the process further includes the step of measuring at least one geometric characteristic of the axial hole of the glass core preform.

Abstract: A method for removing a crack in an electromechanical rotor, including: forming a plurality of slots on a periphery of a core portion of an electromechanical rotor along an axial direction thereof; inserting coils into the slots, respectively; forming a plurality of wedges for maintaining the coils in the slots, respectively; and forming a cut hole at at least a part of the core portion from an outer surface of the core portion toward the side of a center axis thereof so as to contain a crack along a circumferential direction thereof.

Abstract: The present invention encompasses albumin fusion proteins. Nucleic acid molecules encoding the albumin fusion proteins of the invention are also encompassed by the invention, as are vectors containing these nucleic acids, host cells transformed with these nucleic acids vectors, and methods of making the albumin fusion proteins of the invention and using these nucleic acids, vectors, and/or host cells. Additionally the present invention encompasses pharmaceutical compositions comprising albumin fusion proteins and methods of treating, preventing, or ameliorating diseases, disorders or conditions using albumin fusion proteins of the invention.

Abstract: A self-tapping implant includes a shaft including a coronal end, an apical end, an outer surface having a first axial section and a second axial section, and a self-tapping configuration at the first axial section. The first axial section may be located coronally of the second axial section. Each of the first and second axial sections may include a series of peaks being axially spaced apart by troughs. In addition, the axial spacing between the adjacent peaks in the first axial section may be different than the axial spacing between adjacent peaks in the second axial section. A coronal end portion of the shaft may include the first axial section of the outer surface, and an apical end portion of the shaft may include the second axial section of the outer surface.

Abstract: A method of shot peening in which with respect to a carburized and quenched metal part, only its surface abnormal layer detrimental to the fatigue strength thereof is scraped without scraping of the martensitic structure underlying the surface abnormal layer, namely, in which the fatigue strength can be rendered stable and enhanced without surface cracking. As bombardment shot, use is made of a shot with hardness higher than that (first hardness) of the surface abnormal layer occurring at a surface layer portion of metal part prior to shot peening but lower than that (second hardness) of the martensitic structure.

Abstract: The invention relates to the therapeutic use of pregnenolone derivatives for treating depressive disorders and long-term neurological diseases.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device which includes a gate electrode formed in the shape substantially vertical to a semiconductor substrate is disclosed. A gate electrode is formed by anisotropically etching a gate electrode film having a metal-containing film formed on the semiconductor substrate via a gate insulating film to expose a portion of the gate insulating film. A modified film is formed on a side wall of the metal-containing film by modifying the side wall of the metal-containing film. The exposed portion of the gate insulating film is removed and a portion of the gate insulating film sandwiched between the semiconductor substrate and the metal-containing film is recessed so as to recede from the modified side wall of the metal-containing film by isotropically etching. A side portion of the metal-containing film protruding from the receded gate insulating film is removed by isotropically etching.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel dry powder inhalation system suitable for transpulmonary administration. The dry powder inhalation system of the invention characterized by using a combination of: (1) a vessel housing a freeze-dried composition that contains a single dose of an active ingredient, and has: (i) a non-powder cake-like form, (ii) a disintegration index of 0.015 or more, and (iii) a property of becoming fine particles having a mean particle diameter of 10 microns or less or a fine particle fraction of 10% or more upon receipt of an air impact having an air speed of at least 1 m/sec and an air flow rate of at least 17 ml/sec; and (2) a device comprising means capable of applying said air impact to the freeze-dried composition in said vessel, and means for discharging the powder-form freeze-dried composition that has been made into fine particles.

Abstract: An automatic shut down system for a machine having an engine and a work implement is disclosed. The automatic shut down system may have a position sensor, which may be associated with the work implement. The position sensor may be configured to generate a position signal indicative of a position of the work implement. The automatic shut down system may also have a controller, which may be in communication with the position sensor. The controller may be configured to shut down the engine, based on the position signal.