Abstract: The present invention relates in general to therapeutic compositions and methods of use. In preferred embodiments, the invention relates to the field of eye health. In some embodiments, the invention relates to the prevention and treatment of macular degeneration by administering compounds disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the invention relates to compositions and methods of improving vision.

Abstract: This invention provides a mixer without a rotational or similar structure, capable of mixing quickly several liquids including at least one liquid being prone to gel or solidify, a mixing device with the mixer incorporated, and a medical component-measuring unit capable of reducing the formation of thrombi and accurately measuring the concentration of glucose, and with a small time constant, which unit can be incorporated into medical support devices, such as artificial endocrine pancreas devices. The mixer has an air bubble-trapping structure for temporarily trapping air bubbles supplied to a surface of a mixing channel through which liquids to be mixed flow. The mixing device has the mixer, an air bubble supplier or generator to make air bubbles exist in the mixing channel, and a liquid supplier for supplying liquids to be mixed to a liquid inlet. The medical component-measuring unit has the mixer or the mixing device.

Abstract: A processing unit is configured perform an image process upon an ultrasound image to thereby detect a center of a blood vessel from the ultrasound image. The processing unit is configured to set the center of the blood vessel as an optimal focal point position. The processing unit is configured to calculate a plurality of steering angles, a plurality of transmit (Tx) frequencies and a plurality of sound speeds. The processing unit is further configured to form a plurality of ultrasound images corresponding to each of the steering angles, the Tx frequencies and the sound speeds based on the ultrasound data, detect a signal to noise ratio (SNR), a number of edge points of the blood vessel and a contrast difference between pixels for each of the second ultrasound images to thereby detect an optimal steering angle, an optimal Tx frequency and an optimal sound speed.

Abstract: An all solid-state polymer battery uses: 1) a lithium based negative electrode active material including crystal grains and crystal grain boundaries, wherein at least part of the crystal grain boundaries are exposed on a surface of the lithium-based negative electrode active material, and the area of the exposed surface of the crystal grain boundaries is 0.02 to 0.5 cm2 per square centimeter of surface; 2) a dry polymer electrolyte including a specific ethylene glycol ether, a polymer containing electron-donating oxygen atoms in the skeleton, and a lithium salt; or 3) an amorphous lithium nitride layer formed between the negative electrode and the polymer electrolyte. This reduces the resistance at the interface between the negative electrode and the polymer electrolyte, thereby providing an all solid-state polymer battery with high capacity and excellent cycle characteristics.

Abstract: Circuits and methods for maintaining a substantially constant input and output current for a charge pump circuit are provided which reduce current variation during switching intervals. The charge pump circuitry of the present invention maintains a current flow path from a current source to the charge pump output which minimizes or eliminates spikes normally associated with the switching intervals.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes first-group pixels 41, second-group pixels 42 skipped during thinning drive, and a scanning section 13. The scanning section 13 drives each of the first-group pixels 41 to perform read operation of outputting the output signal and initializing the amount of the signal charge accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element to a first level, and also drives each of the second-group pixels 42 to perform discharge operation of initializing the amount of the signal charge accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element to a second level that is higher than the first level and lower than a saturation signal level of the photoelectric conversion element 12.

Abstract: A method for controlling video frame stream at a transmitting end of video phone is provided. The method predetermines whether receiving the current frame will cause delay based on a situation of transmitting and compression of the previous video frames. If the result of the predetermination is yes, the current video frame is skipped; if the result of the predetermination is no, the follow-up compression, multiplexing and transmitting of the current video frame are performed.

Abstract: A printed circuit board and a transmitting/receiving module including the same are disclosed. The printed circuit board in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention can include a substrate, a first transmission line, which is formed on one surface of the substrate and transmits an inputted data signal, and a second transmission line, which is capacitively connected to the first transmission line. Here, the first transmission line and the second transmission line transmit an ascending edge and a descending edge of the inputted data signal.

Abstract: A user interface for a computing device is provided. The user interface includes a plurality of display elements. A display element includes an active region, a graphical representation, and a textual description. The active region is sized for enabling human finger tip selection of the display element on a touch sensitive display screen. A display module receives coordinate information from the display screen and determines whether the coordinate information corresponds to the active region. When a user touches the active region, an instrument interface module sends a command to a diagnostic instrument. Further features, such as language localization of the textual description, are also provided.

Abstract: The mass spectrometer includes an ion source; a mass spectrometry part; a sample container; a heater for the sample container; a first gas tube connected to the sample container to introduce a gas into the sample container; and a second gas tube connected to the sample container to transfer a headspace gas of the sample container to the ion source, in which the ion source generates ions of the headspace gas and the mass spectrometry part performs mass spectrometry of the ions. Thereby, the mass spectrometer as a drug detection equipment can analyze various drugs in urine rapidly and with high sensitivity.

Abstract: Novel circuitry and methodology for operating a multiple channel switching regulator system to extend an input to output voltage ratio by setting individual constant switching frequencies to switching regulator channels. In the switching regulator system having at least first and second switching regulators, a first clock circuit supplies a first clock signal at a first clock frequency to define a switching frequency of one of the first and second switching regulators. A second clock circuit is synchronized to the first clock signal for producing a second clock signal at a second clock frequency different from the first clock frequency, to define a switching frequency of the other of the first and second switching regulators.

Abstract: A fuel cell system of the present invention comprises a fuel cell (1) configured to generate electric power using a fuel gas, a fuel gas generator (2) configured to generate a fuel gas containing hydrogen using a raw material, a combustion burner (2a) configured to heat the fuel gas generator, a combustion fan (2b) configured to supply air to a combustion burner (2a), and a controller (101). The raw material is filled inside the fuel cell (1) before the fuel gas is supplied to the fuel cell. The controller (101) controls on-off valves (8, 9) to cause the fuel gas to branch to flow to a second path (R2) and to a fourth path (R4) when the fuel gas generated in the fuel gas generator (2) starts to be supplied to the fuel cell (1).

Abstract: A mounting structure formed by bonding the electrodes of a substantially planar electronic component to the electrodes provided on the mounting surface of a circuit board includes a sealing body 5 formed between one main surface of the electronic component and the circuit board and/or on the other main surface of the electronic component. The sealing body 5 is composed of a plurality of layers having different adhesive strengths and thermal conductivities, wherein a layer having a relatively high adhesion strength is arranged in a region being in contact with either one of the electronic component and the circuit board, and a layer having a relatively high thermal conductivity is arranged in a region being in contact with none of the electronic component and the circuit board.

Abstract: A system for encouraging a user to perform substantial physical activity. The system may include sensors that may be worn by the user while the user is performing a substantial physical activity, such as running or playing basketball. The sensors may detect the magnitude of the physical activity and may transmit data regarding the physical activity to a processing system. The processing system may display a reward to encourage the user for participating in physical activity and the reward provided may be based on the physical activity of the user.

Abstract: Methods of inhibiting the corrosion of a metal surface contacted by an aqueous acid solution. The methods combine a corrosion inhibiting composition with the aqueous acid solution, wherein the corrosion inhibiting composition comprises a reaction product of an alpha,beta-unsaturated ketone with a primary or secondary amine. The metal surface is then contacted with the aqueous acid solution comprising the corrosion inhibiting composition, thereby inhibiting corrosion thereon.

Abstract: A radiosurgery system is described that delivers a therapeutic dose of radiation to a target structure in a patient. In some embodiments, inflammatory ocular disorders are treated, specifically macular degeneration. In some embodiments, ocular structures are placed in a global coordinate system, based on ocular imaging, which leads to direction of an automated positioning system. In some embodiments, the position of an ocular structure is tracked and related to a radiosurgery system. In some embodiments, a treatment plan is utilized for a specific disease to be treated and/or structures to be avoided. In some embodiments, a fiducial aids in positioning the system. In some embodiments, a reflection off the eye is used to aid in positioning. In some embodiments, radiodynamic therapy is described in which radiosurgery is used in combination with other treatments and can be delivered concomitant with, prior to, or following other treatments.

Abstract: A system and machine-implemented method for providing a username and password to a system using a device, via establishing a near field communication link with the system; retrieving a username and password from storage on the device; and transmitting the username and password to the system via the near field communication link, wherein the username and password are configured to be used by the system to authenticate the user on the system.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having an improved whisker resistance in an exterior plating film is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a tab with a semiconductor chip fixed thereto, plural inner leads, plural outer leads formed integrally with the inner leads, a plurality of wires for coupling electrode pads of the semiconductor chip and the inner leads with each other, and a sealing body for sealing the semiconductor chip. The outer leads project from the sealing body and an exterior plating film, which is a lead-free plating film, is formed on a surface of each of the outer leads.

Abstract: A high positional accuracy of a semiconductor chip is attained to stabilize the quality of a semiconductor device. In a die bonding process during assembly of an SIP, a microcomputer chip not required to have a high positional accuracy is picked up with a surface non-contact type collet and is die-bonded onto a first chip mounting portion, thereafter, an ASIC chip required to have a high positional accuracy is picked up with a surface contact type collet and die-bonded onto a second chip mounting portion. By thus using two types of collets properly, not only a high positional accuracy of the ASIC chip which has been die-bonded with the surface contact type collet is attained, but also the quality of the SIP is stabilized.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical communication system or the like, which comprises a multicore fiber with a plurality of cores that are two-dimensionally arrayed in a cross-section thereof. In the optical communication system, an arrangement converter, provided between a multicore fiber and an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) having light emitting areas arrayed one-dimensionally, comprises first and second end faces, and a plurality of optical waveguides. The optical waveguides are disposed such that one of the end faces coincides with the first end face and the other end face coincides with the second end face. In particular, the optical waveguide end face array on the first end face and the optical waveguide end face array on the second face are different, contributing to an optical link between network resources of different types.