Abstract: A light transmitting container is used to house a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) to reduce heat loss and to increase the luminous efficiency of the lamp. An electrical connector configuration is connected to an electrode of the lamp and adapted to be electrically and mechanically connected to a conventional electrical socket. A driver circuit in the container converts 50 or 60 Hz power to the high frequency power suitable for operating the CCFL. At least one of the electrodes of the CCFL is outside of the container to facilitate heat dissipation. A two-dimensional array of CCFLs may be held by a module housing to form a display for displaying still or moving images and characters. The above-described CCFL configurations may also be used for displaying traffic information.

Abstract: A monochromic, multi-color and full-color cold cathode fluorescent display (CFD), comprises of some shaped white or multi-color or red, green blue color cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL), reflector, base plate, temperature control means, luminance and contrast enhancement face plate, shades and its driving electronics. CFD is a large screen display device which has high luminance, high efficiency, long lifetime, high contrast and excellent color. CFD can be used for both outdoor and indoor applications even at direct sunlight, to display a character, or graphic and video image.

Abstract: A chip thermistor has a pair of outer electrodes opposite each other with a specified distance in between on one of the surfaces of a thermistor element and an inner electrode extending inside the thermistor element so as to overlap these outer electrodes in the direction perpendicular to the surface on which the outer electrodes are formed. An electrically insulating layer is preferably formed on the same surface as and between the pair of outer electrodes. Each of the outer electrodes may be formed with two or more layers, the outermost of the layers being of gold.

Abstract: A method is provided to fabricate a mask ROM device via a medium current implanter. For fabricating the mask ROM device, first, formation of an array of MOS transistors on a semiconductor substrate is achieved. Each of the MOS transistors includes a gate oxide film, a gate electrode, a source region and a drain region. After the formation of the array of transistors, a USG layer, a BPSG layer, metal electrodes and a passivation layer are sequentially formed. After an order from client, an etching back process is performed to remove selected portions of the passivation layer to form openings in accordance with a ROM code. The selected portions are located over the selected gate electrodes respectively. The portions of the BPSG layer within the openings are successively etched until the remained BPSG layer is in a predetermined thickness. Finally, ROM code ions are implanted into the substrate via a medium current implanter through the openings.

Abstract: A polarized sample beam of broadband radiation is focused onto the surface of a sample and the radiation modified by the sample is collected by means of a mirror system in different planes of incidence. The sample beam focused to the sample has a multitude of polarization states. The modified radiation is analyzed with respect to a polarization plane to provide a polarimetric spectrum. Thickness and refractive information may then be derived from the spectrum. Preferably the polarization of the sample beam is altered only by the focusing and the sample, and the analyzing is done with respect to a fixed polarization plane. In the preferred embodiment, the focusing of the sample beam and the collection of the modified radiation are repeated employing two different apertures to detect the presence or absence of a birefringence axis in the sample. In another preferred embodiment, the above-described technique may be combined with ellipsometry for determining the thicknesses and refractive indices of thin films.

Abstract: A cement dispersant composed of water-soluble vinyl copolymers which include specified kinds of constituent units at specified ratios and of which the weight average molecular weight pullulan converted by GPC method is 15000-150000 and the ratio of weight average molecular weight to number average molecular weight is 2-7 is used together with cement, aggregates and water to produce concrete with the water-to-cement ratio of 20-45%.

Abstract: A measuring device such as a spectrometer uses an automatic sample changer for carrying a plurality of samples. The automatic sample changer may include a rotary circular disk rotatable around its central shaft by a stepping motor for changing positions of the samples which are positioned in a circle around the central shaft of the disk. A memory device preliminarily storing control data for each of different kinds of automatic sample changers is provided. The automatic sample changer, when connected to a control unit in the main body, serves to receive control signals for controlling motions of the motor and to transmit data stored in the memory device through a connector. The main body of the measuring device contains a control unit which serves to read out the control data from the memory device, to use the received control data to generate the control signal and to transmit the generated control signal to the automatic sample changer.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods of treating inflammatory diseases mediated by poly-unsaturated lipid metabolites by inhibiting epoxide hydrolase, methods for assaying or screening the epoxide hydrolase inhibitors for inhibitory specificity and for toxicity, and novel biologically active tetrahydrofuran diols of arachidonic acid, including antibodies thereto.

Abstract: A non-phase separable glass material for fabricating a GRIN lens comprises 5-20 mole % boron oxide and ratio R of network modifiers in mole % to the network former boron oxide in mole % is in the range of about 1-1.5. The melted preform of such glass material is extruded through an opening to form a glass rod where the extrusion process eliminates bubbles that may be present in the preform. Neodymium oxide may be added in the frit material for forming the preform to reduce friction forces in the extrusion process and reduces the stress in the glass rod. Centerless grinding may be performed to control the diameter and roughness of the surface of the rod to control the diffusion parameters during the subsequent ion-exchange.

Abstract: A sample cooler has a thermostatic chamber containing a heat-conducting block on which vessels containing liquid samples are set. A control unit activates a cooling mechanism of the air cooling type to cool the air inside the thermostatic chamber. Thereafter, when the temperature or humidity inside the thermostatic chamber is detected to have reached a specified level, when condensation of dew is detected inside the thermostatic chamber, or when a predetermined time has elapsed, the control unit starts to operate another cooling mechanism of the direct cooling type to cool the heat-conducting block, such that the samples can be cooled directly and quickly under a dehumidified condition without causing dew condensation.

Abstract: A chip-type thermistor has a pair of electrically conductive planar comb-shaped surface electrodes facing each other on one of principal surfaces of a thermistor block, and an insulating layer covers these surface electrodes. A pair of outer electrodes are formed on end surfaces of the thermistor block, each electrically connected to an associated one of the surface electrodes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to processes for compressing data and to corresponding systems. The data to be compressed may here be analog or digital speech and image data, or may be any data provided by computers.

Abstract: A method is provided that accelerates the rate of kill of pests such as from the order Lepidoptera. The method comprises treating the pests or their loci with at least two different insect toxins which are expressed from at least one recombinant microbe. Pairs of toxins that do not compete with each other on the same binding site and that differ in their pharmacology have been found to provide synergistic control. Preferred insecticidal microbes are baculoviruses.

Abstract: A chip-type electronic device has a sintered ceramic body formed by integrally sintering a plurality of ceramic layers, inner electrodes including first electrodes, second electrodes and a third electrode formed inside this sintered ceramic body and outer electrodes formed on both end surfaces of this sintered ceramic body. One end of each of the first electrodes is electrically connected to one of the outer electrodes. Each of the second electrodes is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the first electrodes through an associated one of throughholes through one of the ceramic sheets. The third electrode is electrically connected to the other of the outer electrodes and overlaps with the second electrodes as seen perpendicularly to the planar inner electrodes.

Abstract: By reducing the saturation (amplitude) at changes in the hue (phase) of the chrominance subcarrier of a video signal, the phenomenon of "dot crawl" can be substantially reduced for graphic data. It has been found that large hue (phase) changes associated with graphic data can cause large frequency shifts of the chrominance subcarrier resulting in a substantial portion of the chrominance subcarrier being unsuppressed by the chrominance subcarrier rejection filter of the luminance decoder. By reducing the saturation during the hue transition, the intensity of the spurious luminance information of the non-suppressed chrominance subcarrier is reduced.

Abstract: An underwater camera housing for enclosing a camera for use with a flash unit has a cable connector to which a signal-transmitting cable extending to the flash unit is attached and a link switch is provided on its outer surface by which the transmission of signals through the cable can be cut off or connected again. The signal transmitted through the cable may be electrical signals or light signals. If light signals are transmitted from the housing to control the flash unit, a circuit is provided for generating an electrical signal to prepare the camera for flash photography and the link switch serves to control the generation of this electrical signal such that the camera can be prepared selectively either for flash or natural-light photography.

Abstract: Biologically stable inhibitors of soluble epoxide hydrolases are provided. The inhibitors can be used, for example, to selectively inhibit epoxide hydrolase in therapeutic applications such as treating inflammation, for use in affinity separations of the epoxide hydrolases, and in agricultural applications. A preferred class of compounds for practicing the invention have the structure shown by Formula 1 ##STR1## wherein X and Y is each independently nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur, and X can further be carbon, at least one of R.sub.1 -R.sub.4 is hydrogen, R.sub.2 is hydrogen when X is nitrogen but is not present when X is sulfur or oxygen, R.sub.4 is hydrogen when Y is nitrogen but is not present when Y is sulfur or oxygen, R.sub.1 and R.sub.3 are each independently a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, haloalkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, acyl, or heterocyclic, or being a metabolite or degradation product thereof.

Abstract: A sutured staple, instrument and method are provided for constructing a graft-to-artery anastomosis and other soft tissue anastomoses, particularly by minimally invasive (or endoscopic) surgery. The sutured staple is comprised of a needle, pin, base and flange. The needle allows this surgical staple to be sewn through, for example, a graft and artery to be joined, and the pin, base and flange are formed to seal the graft and artery together between cooperating surfaces of the base and flange. The instrument holds the staple at its distal or working end, and controls in the handle allow application of the staple. The method employs the sutured staples and instrument to join soft tissues and to construct graft-to-artery anastomoses.

Abstract: A color image display device has a light source which emits an approximately parallel beam of light, a color separation element for separating this parallel beam into beams of light of different colors, a liquid crystal display panel having picture elements and a lens array for focusing the separated beams at corresponding ones of these picture elements. The color separation element is formed with a prism array having two diffraction gratings on both sides of it such that a beam of white light passing through it will be separated into beams of different colors and the angles between the optical axes of these beams of different colors will be greater as they leave the separation element than if this beam of white light passed through only one of these diffraction gratings. Either one or both of these diffraction gratings may be integrally formed respectively on one or both of the surfaces of the prism array.

Abstract: A servo loop, including a dynamic compensator, for use in an optical disk player is provided. The optical disk player reproduces data over the optical disk. The pickup head reads data on a data track of the optical disk and generates a feedback signal. The dynamic compensator inputs a feedback signal and outputs a compensation signal after a predetermined transfer function operation over the feedback signal in order to adjust the dynamic response of the servo loop. The servo loop includes a switch, which is responsive to a signal indicative of high spinning rate of the optical disk for selectively outputting the compensation signal. The servo loop includes a device coupled to the switch for selectively transmitting the compensation signal into the servo loop.