Abstract: The present invention provides a display board comprising two flexible planar members joined together along an upper edge. The planar members are extendable between a first position for transport and storage where their lower edges are adjacent and a second position where their lower edges are spaced apart and the flexible planar members are curved. The display board can be used to display posters and other printed matter. It is lightweight and very stable even in the presence of strong winds.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for making a guiding template for dental implantation. The method provides for associating a base template to a reference device, subjecting the patient to CAT, loading the data to a computer program, making an implant planning, generating the volume model, coupling the volume model to the reference device model, projecting the elements of the implant planning on the volume model, making a volume suitably drilled on the basis of the projection, coupling the volume to the reference device and making the holes of the planning on the base template. The present invention also relates to the guiding template thus obtained and the reference device for carrying out the method.

Abstract: Proppants having added functional properties are provided, as are methods that use the proppants to track and trace the characteristics of a fracture in a geologic formation. Information obtained by the methods can be used to design a fracturing job, to increase conductivity in the fracture, and to enhance oil and gas recovery from the geologic formation. The functionalized proppants can be detected by a variety of methods utilizing, for example, an airborne magnetometer survey, ground penetrating radar, a high resolution accelerometer, a geophone, nuclear magnetic resonance, ultra-sound, impedance measurements, piezoelectric activity, radioactivity, and the like. Methods of mapping a subterranean formation are also provided and use the functionalized proppants to detect characteristics of the formation.

Abstract: Provided are: a light-diffusing plate for a liquid crystal display device which plate can give an assured or improved luminance with assured light-diffusibility, suppress itself from dimensional changes caused by moisture absorption, and also prevent the device from deterioration caused by ultraviolet light generated from a lighting unit; and a polycarbonate resin composition for a light-diffusing plate which has both high light transmittivity and light-diffusibility and is excellent in flame retardancy. The present invention is a light-diffusing plate for a liquid crystal display device which plate has a lamination structure comprising two or more kinds of plastic layers; said lamination structure having at least two layers of which are different from each other in refractive index.

Abstract: A method of forming a sputtering target and other metal articles having controlled oxygen and nitrogen content levels and the articles so formed are described. The method includes surface-nitriding a deoxidized metal powder and further includes consolidating the powder by a powder metallurgy technique. Preferred metal powders include, but are not limited to, valve metals, including tantalum, niobium, and alloys thereof.

Abstract: There is provided a transmissive dimension measuring device in which a user can intuitively and easily adjust optical axes of a projector and an optical receiver, and in which a suitable action can be immediately taken when contamination is attached to a light projecting surface of the projector and a light receiving surface of the optical receiver. An incident light position display unit provided on the optical receiver expresses a light projecting spot in a pseudo manner by making an LED corresponding to an incident light position turn on, the light projecting spot being incident on the optical receiver arranged with a predetermined interval to the projector which projects light. The incident light position display unit is provided on an upper surface side opposite to a bottom surface that is a surface on which the optical receiver is installed on a base.

Abstract: Methods of forming a surface coating are provided. A first component can be applied to a surface and can include at least one adhesion promoter compound. The adhesion promoter compound can include (i) a furfuryl ring structure, (ii) a polymerizable reactive group, and (iii) an alkyloxy moiety linking the furfuryl ring structure to the polymerizable reactive group. A second component can be applied to the surface after the first component is applied to the surface, and the second component can include at least one fluorinated component including from about one to about 100 carbon atoms. The polymerizable reactive group can be polymerized to form a coating on the surface and the first component can improve adhesion of the second component to the surface.

Abstract: A method for determining in-situ relationships between physical properties of a porous medium from a sample thereof includes acquiring a three-dimensional image of the sample and segmenting the image into pixels representing pore space and pixels representing rock grain. A plurality of sub-volumes are selected from the segmented image, and a porosity is calculated for each of the sub-volumes. A digital simulation is conducted on each of the sub-volumes to obtain a selected physical property for the sub-volume. A relationship is determined between porosity and the selected physical property using relationship data comprising the calculated porosity and the simulated physical property for each of the sub-volumes. The method includes at least one of storing and displaying the relationship.

Abstract: A method of setting processing data for a computer-assisted laser processing apparatus is disclosed, along with a system for setting a laser processing data. The method comprises a function of setting a profile of a three-dimensional object and a processing pattern, a function of generating processing data representing the processing condition, a function of visually displaying representation of the processing data on a display and a function of detecting an defective area of the object surface that is processable but defectively with the laser beam under the printing conditions by making a calculation based on the object profile and an incident angle of the laser beam incident upon the object surface and hiding a processing pattern from the display means when the processing pattern cuts across the defective area.

Abstract: There is provided a method for deciding an image data reduction ratio in image processing which enables performance of stable positioning even on an unclear image, the method being a method for deciding an image data reduction ratio in image processing where an object to be searched that is similar to a pre-registered image is searched to be positioned out of the image to be searched by use of a pattern model corresponding to the registered image, the method including the steps of: computing a sharpness of each edge point based on the edge points with reference to an edge image where the edge points are extracted from image date; and deciding an image data reduction ratio based on each edge sharpness such that positional accuracy of the edge points becomes higher than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A method for estimating a relationship between physical properties of a porous material from a sample thereof includes making a three dimensional tomographic image of the sample of the material. The image is segmented into pixels each representing pore space or rock grains. The image is divided into sub-volumes. A porosity is estimated for each sub-volume. At least one petrophysical parameter is modeled from the image of each sub-volume. A relationship between the porosity and the at least one modeled petrophysical parameter is determined by, e.g., a best-fit statistical method. The relationship and the modeled petrophysical parameter for each sub-volume are stored in a computer or displayed.

Abstract: There is provided a data compression method for increasing a reduction ratio, while keeping a sufficient characteristic amount, to seek speeding up of processing, the method being for compressing image data in pattern model positioning in image processing of searching out of an image to be searched and positioning a pattern model corresponding to a pre-registered image. The method includes the steps of computing an edge strength image having edge strength information and an edge angle image having edge angle information with respect to each pixel constituting an image; transforming the edge angle image of each pixel into an edge angle bit image expressed by an edge angle bit indicating an angle with a pre-defined fixed width; and compressing the edge angle bit image to create an edge angle bit reduced image by taking a sum with respect to each edge angle bit.

Abstract: Methods to control and suppress odor in papermaking sludge are described. One method involves admixing sludge from a papermaking process and cyclodextrin to provide treated sludge with the cyclodextrin present in an effective amount to control odors in the treated sludge. The deodorized sludge may be used as a component of resin-wood composite products, such as composite decking materials, walls, flooring, casting forms, and the like.

Abstract: There are provided an image generating apparatus and an image generating method, which are capable of generating an image with only a noise portion reliably deleted. A reduced image is generated by reducing the multi-valued image, smoothing processing is executed on the reduced image, an edge image is generated from the reduced image, edge angle information concerning edge angles is generated in pixel units from the edge image, a synthesizing rate of the multi-valued image and the smoothed reduced image is calculated in pixel units of the reduced image based upon the edge angle information. An enlarged image is generated by enlarging the smoothed reduced image to an identical scale, the synthesizing rate calculated in pixel units of the reduced image is converted into a synthesizing rate in pixel units of the enlarged image, and the multi-valued image and the enlarged image are synthesized based upon the converted synthesizing rate.

Abstract: A vector developed to transform fungi can be used to study the expression of a gene of interest. The vector can provide for the expression of signal proteins in fungi that can be observed and/or monitored. The vector can be used to investigate the effects of RNA interference on a gene of interest in pathogenic fungi. Systems and methods of using the vector are provided.

Abstract: This invention provides an inexpensive image acquisition apparatus capable of capturing not only an image of a still object, but also an image of a moving object with the use of an appropriate quantity of illumination light. The image acquisition apparatus includes a head section incorporating an image acquisition device therein and including a lens module and an illuminating part, a main body section including an illumination light source, an image acquisition control part and an image processing part, and a cable section connecting between the main body section and the head section. The lens module is one of a first lens module incorporating therein a lens for high-speed observation and a second lens module incorporating therein a lens for enlargement observation, which is selectively attached to the head section.

Abstract: Object It is intended to prevent intrusion of air-fuel mixture into an air cleaner by blow-back in an air-fuel mixture passage of a stratified-scavenging two-stroke engine. Solution The air cleaner (24) includes a guide member (30). A blow-back flow of air (20) flowing back to the air cleaner (24) through a first air opening (23A) due to blow-back of air is induced to a vicinity of a second air opening (23M) by the guide member (30). A blow-back flow of air-fuel mixture (21) occurring in an air-fuel mixture passage (2) prior to the blow-back phenomenon in an air passage (3) collides the air flow 20 moving toward the vicinity of the second air opening (23M), and retains the air-fuel mixture near the second air opening (23M).

Abstract: A hydrophilic polysiloxane macromonomer containing polyoxyethylene as a hydrophilic side chains pendant to a polysiloxane main chain for imparting transparency, oxygen permeability, and hydrophilic properties to a contact lens is disclosed. The properties of the material are controlled by regulating the length of the polysiloxane main chain, the length of the hydrophilic polyoxyethylene side chains, and the number of the side chains.

Abstract: A high tone image is saved in a versatile image file format to enhance usability. There are provided an imaging unit that images an original image having a predetermined dynamic range, which is a ratio between minimum luminance and maximum luminance; a synthesized image generating part that generates a synthesized image data that is higher in tone than a tone width of the original image by synthesizing a plurality of original images imaged under different imaging conditions at the same observation position; a display unit that displays the images imaged by the imaging unit; a tone conversion part that converts the synthesized image data generated by the synthesized image generating part to low tone image data having a tone width capable of being displayed on the display unit; and a tone data saving part that generates a high tone data-attached display file including a high tone image region for saving the synthesized image data serving as a basis as an image file for saving the low tone image data.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, the present teachings relate to a paper pushing device. The paper pushing device can comprise a shaft configured to be received and anchored in an opening of a retaining board. The paper pushing device can comprise a head connected to the shaft. The paper pushing device can comprise an arm that extends from the head at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the shaft. The paper pushing device can be used in various tool and die, stock manipulating operations.