Abstract: Accordingly, the current invention provides a method for the manufacture of a mixture of a furfural and a 5-(alkoxymethyl)furfural derivative by reacting a C5 and C6 sugar-containing starting material with an alcohol in the presence of an acid catalyst, followed by the hydrogenation and/or etherification of the mixture of furfural and 5-(alkoxymethyl)furfural to convert the aldehyde function of both 5-(alkoxymethyl)furfural and furfural into an alkoxymethyl function or methyl function.

Abstract: A while-in use weatherproof cover for an electrical box that includes a faceplate, a base plate and a perimetrical side wall. The base plate has an opening adapted to receive an electrical device and one or more apertures for securing the cover to the device and/or electrical box. The perimeter side wall is flexible and extends from the face plate to the base plate so that the faceplate, the base plate and the side wall define an interior. The faceplate has an opening fitted with a door that is operated by compressing the side wall. The door is movable between an open position, which allows access to the interior, and a closed position, which restricts access to the interior.

Abstract: The invention relates to the use of low doses of estriol by vaginal route for treatment and/or prevention of urogenital atrophy due to estrogen deficit in women.

Abstract: An outlet box assembly for separating and insulating higher voltage power conductors from lower voltage data conductors. The assembly includes a housing, a housing divider and a bracket. The housing including at least one vertically extending side wall defining an interior space therein. The housing divider disposed within the housing and extending across the interior space forming a vertical barrier between a first housing compartment and a second housing compartment. The bracket capable of having secured thereto at least one of the higher voltage power conductors and at least one of the low voltage data conductors. The bracket including at least one partition separating conductor compartments therein, the at least one partition extending vertically and substantially perpendicular to the divider. A floor of each conductor compartment extends across at least a portion of both the first housing compartment and the second housing compartment.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main housing, a post-processing unit including a pivotable processing tray, and a recording medium discharging outlet. The processing tray includes a lock member, urging member and lock releasing member. The lock member is supported movably between first and second positions. The lock member engages with an engaging hole at the first position and disengages from the engaging hole at the second position. The urging member urges the lock member towards the first position. The lock releasing member resists a force applied by the urging member so as to allow the lock member to travel to the second position. A recording medium depressing member is disposed within a pivotal range of the lock member. A first slope is provided on at least one of a contact portion of the lock member and a contact portion of the recording medium depressing member.

Abstract: An optical glass is provided that includes a refractive index (nd) of no less than 1.75 and an Abbe number (vd) of no less than 10 as optical constants. A Bi2O3 content is no less than 10% by weight to no more than 80% by weight. The content of SiO2 is lower than the content of B2O3. The total content of SiO2+B2O3 is from no less than 1% by weight to no more than 60% by weight. The content of RO is from no less than 0.1% by weight to no more than 50% by weight. R represents one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Zn, Ba, Sr, Ca, and Mg. The optical glass has at least one of the properties of being substantially free from opacification and/or being substantially devitrified within the glass body under the conditions of a reheating testing.

Abstract: Disclosed is an adhesive composition having adhesion properties, high-speed curing properties and moisture resistance. Also disclosed is an adhesion method. Specifically disclosed is a composition which comprises: a first preparation comprising (A) a nitrile-butadiene rubber, (B) a (meth)acrylic composition, (C) a compound having an enal structure, and (F) a radical polymerization initiator; and a second preparation comprising (A) the nitrile-butadiene rubber, (B) the (meth)acrylic composition, (D) a compound having an amine structure, and (E) a compound containing copper. Also disclosed is a composition which comprises: a first preparation comprising (A) a nitrile-butadiene rubber, (B) a (meth)acrylic composition, (D) a compound having an amine structure, and (F) a radical polymerization initiator; and a second preparation comprising (A) the nitrile-butadiene rubber, (B) the (meth)acrylic composition, (C) a compound having an enal structure, and (E) a compound containing copper.

Abstract: An apparatus of a multi-antenna telecommunication system includes a beam forming unit configured to form at least two antenna beams, and a signal feeding unit connected to the beam forming unit and configured to feed beam-specific data streams to the beam forming unit. The beam-specific data streams are allocated to one and the same transceiver of the wireless telecommunication system, and each data stream includes independently and separately encoded data signals.

Abstract: A method for delivering therapeutic heavy ion radiation to a subject, wherein a therapeutic dose of heavy ions is delivered substantially only to a target volume within the subject by generating a broad field of radiation effect substantially only within the target volume, and wherein the broad field of radiation effect is not generated in non-targeted tissue. The method includes the step of irradiating the target volume with at least two arrays of heavy ion microbeams, wherein the at least two arrays each have at least two parallel, spatially distinct heavy ion microbeams. The two arrays of microbeams are interleaved substantially only within the target volume to form a substantially continuous broad beam of radiation substantially only within the target volume.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in connection with biosignal measurement from the skin of a living object, comprising means for applying a test input impedance to the biosignal measurement, means for determining a response of a biosignal characteristics to the test input impedance, and means for setting a usage input impedance on the basis of the response.

Abstract: A tag having an integral locking ring for attachment to a bottle neck with a perimetrical undercut thereabout. The tag includes a housing having upper and lower portions, a retaining device and a cable tie. The housing is formed by an upper housing portion and a lower housing portion that defines an interior. The housing portions have corresponding openings therethrough and corresponding notches that form a passage into the interior. The retaining device is located inside the housing and has an aperture that is adjusted by tightening the cable tie. After the neck of the bottle is inserted through the openings in the housing and the adjustable aperture of the retaining device, the cable tie is tightened to seat the retaining device in the undercut of the neck and secure the tag to the bottle. The housing can also provide support for an electronic security and/or identification device.

Abstract: The present invention provides inflatable porous implants, such as grafts, stent-grafts, and bladders, as well as methods and kits for drug delivery. In particular, the grafts and stent-grafts of the present invention provide for the delivery of a therapeutic agent into a flow conduit in the body. The inflatable porous implants provide for direct delivery of larger, more precise dosages of drugs over longer administration periods into the body. Moreover, these inflatable porous implants are often flexible when inserted and have a low profile delivery configuration for easy placement. The implants of the present invention further provide a mechanical or structural function in addition to drug delivery in a single integrated structure.

Abstract: Various pump features are provided. In a first aspect, a pump is provided having an actuator with a nozzle and a releasable cap having a first shield located to entrap a fixed volume of air about the nozzle. In a second aspect, a valve seat is located along a pump's internal fluid passage with deflectable spring arms extending therefrom that are-deflectable in response to movement of a check valve element. In a third aspect, a compliant shut-off valve feature is provided, wherein, a first end of a tubular piston is deflectable in response to interferingly engaging the head of the poppet. In a fourth aspect, a pump includes a pump inlet, and a reservoir having a first portion and a second well portion in open fluid communication. Fluid may be trapped within the well portion at various angular orientations of the pump.

Abstract: There is described a method of producing color effect images on a carrier substrate, wherein it is provided that a latent magnetic image comprising magnetic pixels and non-magnetic pixels is produced on a magnetizable printing form, a carrier substrate with a decorative layer applied to the carrier substrate and provided with non-spherical, preferably needle-form or flake-form magnetic color effect pigments is moved past the magnetizable printing form so that color effect pigments of the decorative layer are changed in their orientation relative to the carrier substrate by the field line image produced by the magnetic pixels of the magnetizable printing form, and the color effect pigments are fixed in the decorative layer in the orientation which is changed by the field line image of the printing form. There is further described an apparatus for carrying out the method and a multi-layer body produced therewith.

Abstract: Spinal disk including a shell, first endplate, second endplate and core. The shell includes sidewalls, back wall, front wall, top wall and bottom wall defining a compartment. The first endplate includes a first base, first top and first attachment. The first base is retained in the compartment. The first top is disposed in a first opening in the top wall forming a contact surface continuous with a surface of the top wall. The first attachment extends from the first top portion. The second endplate includes a second base, second top and second attachment. The second base is retained in the compartment. The second top is disposed in a second opening in the bottom wall forming a contact surface continuous with a surface of the bottom wall. The second attachment extends from the second top portion. The core is disposed in the compartment between the first endplate and the second endplate.

Abstract: A method for realizing space division multiplexing is provided. The method comprises steps as follows: A. acquiring space information of users, and calculating space division isolation between the users based on the acquired space information; B. generating a set of user groups for the space division multiplexing based on the space division isolation between users calculated in step A; C. selecting a user group from the set of user groups for the space division multiplexing generated in step B and allocating the same physical resource to two users among the selected user group when conducting the space division multiplexing. An apparatus for realizing space division multiplexing is further provided. Using said method and apparatus, the space division isolation can be realized reasonably with accuracy.

Abstract: The invention concerns a security element (1) and a value-bearing document safeguarded by such a security element. The security element (1) includes a strip-form multi-layer body (10) with a carrier film (11) and at least one decorative layer (12), as well as a first and a second adhesive layer (14, 15). The first adhesive layer (14) is provided on a first surface of the multi-layer body (10). The second adhesive layer (15) is provided on an opposite second surface of the multi-layer body. The security element has two or more first regions (21) in which the first adhesive layer (14) respectively covers the first surface of the multi-layer body and two or more second regions (22) in which the second but not the first surface of the multi-layer body is respectively covered by the second and the first adhesive layer respectively and in which a surface structure is respectively formed in the first surface. First and second regions (21, 22) are in this case arranged in mutually juxtaposed adjacent relationship.

Abstract: The invention relates to an actuator for converting between mechanical and electrical energy comprising—at least two electrodes; and—an electroactive polymer, comprising aromatic moieties in the chain and flexible moieties in the chain, the polymer further comprising side groups bound to the chain, which side groups are selected from the group consisting of polar side groups and side groups comprising an aromatic moiety. The invention further relates to a novel electroactive polymer comprising polar side groups bound to the chain.

Abstract: A ball game racket according to the present invention comprises a racket head and a racket shaft, wherein the racket head comprises a stringing having transverse strings and longitudinal strings each having a vibration length. The racket head comprises a means which reduces the vibration length of a plurality of strings on both sides of the stringing depending on the deflection of the strings. The means is attached as a separate part to the racket head.

Abstract: Provided is a method of inducing tubulogenesis in normal endothelial cells comprising co-culturing the normal endothelial cells with tumor cells and forming tubules from the normal endothelial cells.