Abstract: An electronic scale integrally formed within the housing of a piece of office equipment increases a user's work space in a home or business environment. The piece of equipment may be a personal computer or one of its peripheral devices. A mailing system automatically computes postal and/or private carrier rates for items of mail based on weight signals derived from the electronic scale. Since the scale is integrated into the computer, all mailing tasks are performed at a user's desk using the least space possible. The system is performed in accordance with a computer program which steps a user through the postage-computing method using one or more interactive display screens.

Abstract: The process for detection and for quantitative determination of substances emitted or perspired through the skin is derived from flow diffusion analysis. The measuring system conceived for this purpose uses a diffusion half cell through which an acceptor medium flows and which is closed by a membrane. For the duration of the measurement, the membrane is brought into contact with the skin or a closed gas volume formed over the skin. With the process and the related measuring system, the blood alcohol level can be determined with a good degree of precision indirectly via the quantity of (gaseous) ethanol emitted through the skin.

Abstract: A signal light including a housing is recessed into a traffic surface and projects minimally upwardly from the surface and wherein a light processing assembly is provided to receive light from a light source, intensify the light and direct the light toward a light outlet in a generally linear manner, the arrangement for processing light being mounted to the housing. For this purpose, the light source is designed in such a way that it sends an essentially linearly directed light beam onto the light processing assembly. The light is collected in the light processing assembly in such a way that, when it exits, it is still linearly extending in at least one direction but it has a higher intensity. For this purpose, the light processing assembly includes a cylindrical-convex lens entry surface and a cylindrical concave mirror surface for receiving and directing light.

Abstract: Mammaliam cancer cells are effectively killed when treated with a lethal agent (e.g. radiation or chemotherapeutic agents) in combination with an inhibitor specific for the p42/44 MAP kinase cascade "proper".

Abstract: Complex declarative programming capabilities are provided through an underlying procedural programming code by functionally providing the selection algorithm of known declarative processing arrangements in explicit conditional constructs in procedural language embodying a rule or rule function statement. This approach simultaneously provides declarative processes easily and simply in a relatively few lines of procedural code while isolating the processing to the rules and objects, themselves, thereby providing reduction in hardware overhead requirements and performance enhancements which will be more fully discussed below. Further, by providing for updating of attributes and relationships of objects together with time tags associated with the update and removal of objects from list for evaluation, imprecise evaluation and heuristic reasoning may be readily developed while providing further performance enhancements to known Lazy Evaluation procedures.

Abstract: In the production of a fluorescent material, firstly a particle growth retardant is mixed with a fluorescent raw material and then the mixture is baked, whereupon the baked mixture is washed and dried as an intermediate fluorescent material. Then, the particle growth retardant is removed from the surface of the intermediate fluorescent material and crystal defects are formed in the particle-growth-retardant-free intermediate fluorescent material using a ball mill or an ultrasonic vibrator, etc. Finally, the resulting intermediate fluorescent material is baked again and is then washed and dried as a final fluorescent material. This fluorescent material is particularly useful when used in a scatter electroluminescent panel serving as a back light of a liquid crystal display, which must be very small in thickness and light in weight.

Abstract: A power assisted liposuction/lipoinjection handpiece includes a handle (12) which provides power to reciprocate a cannula (10) back and forth during surgery The cannula (10) can be connected to the handle (12) by a connector (24) that is affixed to, integrally formed with, or selectively joinable to a reciprocating member (14). Benefits in sterilization, distribution and surgical use can be realized when the cannula (10) and connector (24) are joined together, such that the surgeon merely needs to remove the cannula (10) from the package and connect it to a reciprocating member of a powered handle (12). The handle (12) may be configured such that the reciprocating member (14) is selectively detachable; thereby, allowing the handle (12) to be used for additional surgical procedures such as sawing or drilling. A vacuum hose (26) is connected to the cannula (10) such that vacuum pressure can be exerted through the cannula (10) for aspirating severed fat tissue.

Abstract: An improved post tensioning system for prefabricated building panels in which a concentric uniform radial compression is maintained in the slab. A post tensioning cable is placed in the concrete slab to form a perimeter loop starting from one corner of the slab to a point where the cable entered the slab and at a point turning 90.degree. to follow that portion of the cable in the periphery to a point midway up the Y axis and then turning 90.degree. across the X axis to bisect the slab and cross the opposite parallel portion of the cable to exit out the adjacent side of the slab. This creates a cable pattern with no less than 2.5 parallel cables in any direction.

Abstract: A method and a system assign a speech channel difficult to cause interference in a radio mobile station and in both in the radio mobile station and a radio base station. A channel number is set, a usability judgment threshold value is read out to be compared with a reception field intensity of a selected speech channel. If the reception field intensity is relatively high, a preference of the speech channel is lowered. If the reception field intensity is relatively low, the channel is notified to the radio mobile station. If interference is present in the radio mobile station, the preference is again lowered and otherwise, process of establishing call connection is initiated.

Abstract: A shield casing including a metal shield casing body covering a circuit board to which a electrical cable is connected, the shield casing body including a top portion, side walls and an opened bottom portion, a cable introduction portion formed by partly notching one of the side walls, the electrical cable being introduced into the cable introduction portion in parallel with the top portion, and a contact piece extending perpendicularly from the top portion towards the bottom portion and positioned above the cable introduction portion, the electrical cable being welded on the contact portion by soldering.

Abstract: A reticle mask is provided which allows a determination of an offset amount of a circuit pattern on a mask with respect to reticle alignment marks based on the offset between the reticle alignment marks and position measurement patterns. The position measurement patterns are formed in the circuit pattern area surrounded by a light shielding area, and enables a determination of the offset amount of the circuit pattern with respect to the reticle alignment marks, thereby reducing an offset amount between overlaid circuit patterns.

Abstract: The invention provides a character recognition apparatus wherein wrong correction in slant correction processing of a character string is minimized to minimize erroneous recognition. A character slant estimation section receives an image, calculates slant angle candidates and evaluation values of them, and calculates a slant angle estimated value based on the evaluation values. An estimated value evaluation section receives the evaluation values, calculates an information amount of the evaluation values or the like, and outputs it as a validity of the slant angle estimated value. A slant correction section receives and normalizes the validity to a value from 0 to 1 and determines the normalized value as an execution coefficient for slant correction.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining railcar order in an ECP equipped train involving the inherent propagation delay of a pneumatic signal propagation in a brake air line as measured by each car and used to determine the car order in the train.

Abstract: In a dot line printer having a plurality of print hammers which are arranged to print a plurality of dot lines simultaneously when a hammer bank on which the print hammers are mounted performs one scan from one extreme to another, the dot lines originally assigned to the print hammers for printing are changed provided that a particular print hammer is driven an undue number of times when the originally assigned positions of the print hammers are maintained in the subsequent scans of the hammer bank.

Abstract: In an electrical mail system, it causes received file to prove whether or not it is identical with transmitted file, thus there is no danger that file with wrong content is used. An electrical mail system in which there is provided a plurality of terminals connected by telecommunication lines, and in which respective terminals transmits and receives electrical mails one another. A terminal of transmission side transmits a file to-be-transmitted, and a necessary data for examining whether or not the file to-be-transmitted is capable of being received accurately as an different electrical mail respectively. A terminal of reception side receives these electrical mails, before examining whether or not the file to-be-transmitted is capable of being received accurately, while collating the file to-be-transmitted obtained from the received electrical mail with the data, thus guaranteeing content of the electrical mail.

Abstract: According to the present invention, the ignition, combustion and explosion of hydrogen-air mixtures are dependent primarily on the presence of active intermediates (free atomic hydrogen, atomic oxygen and hydroxyl radicals) that serve as chain carriers and enable the propagation of reaction chains. These active intermediates rather than thermal energy are of primary importance to the oxidation process. The proposed inhibitor molecules capture these active intermediates. This capturing in turn suppresses the reaction chains. As a result, the oxidation of hydrogen in air, including the transition to combustion, the intensity of combustion, the transition from combustion to explosion and the intensity of explosion vary inversely with the inhibitor content. Even when the amount of inhibitor is too small to prevent ignition, a greater ignition source is needed and the intensity of combustion is reduced. The transition from combustion to explosion is also made more difficult or prevented.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a vehicle storage support device for easy installation into and removal from a vehicle's rear storage compartment. The device has a generally horizontally extending top platform that has ends that are rotatably connected to vertical support panels. The top platform has a length adjustment means and the vertical support panels have a height adjustment means that allows the device to be adjusted to snugly fit the interior of the rear storage compartment.

Abstract: A modular trocar assembly having a cannula, a passive valve seal assembly and an instrument seal assembly all releasably joined to define a central axial bore, where the passive valve seal assembly contains a valve seal which prevents passage of gas through the trocar assembly into the atmosphere when no instrument is inserted but which opens to allow for insertion of an instrument, and where the instrument seal assembly contains an instrument reducer seal which prevents passage of gas through the trocar assembly into the atmosphere when an instrument is inserted through the valve seal. The passive valve seal assembly and the instrument seal assembly are preferably composed of plastic so as to be disposable, while the cannula is preferably composed of a sterilizable material to enable reuse.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for connecting two strand ends such as those found on jewelry pieces such as necklaces, chains and bracelets. The method and apparatus involve fastening the two strand ends using a connecting member attached to one strand and a receiving member attached to another strand end, wherein the connecting member may be removably fastened to the receiving member using a predetermined sequence of simple movements and rotations.