Abstract: The present invention relates to the elucidation of the role of erythropoietin and the erythropoietin receptor in the development and progression of certain solid tumors, including those found in breast, cervical, uterine, ovarian, prostate and brain cancer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for recording a traffic violation in which a vehicle is involved, by detecting the violation, making a record of the violation, and searching for and reading from the record a license plate of the vehicle involved in the violation. During making of the record position information of the vehicle is herein recorded, and on the basis of this information a search is made for the license plate in only a part of the record. The recorded position information can comprise the travel direction of the vehicle, or the lane in which the vehicle is located. The record can be a picture record wherein a search for the license plate is made, on the basis of the recorded travel direction, only in a left or right-hand half or, on the basis of the recorded position information, only in a narrow strip. The invention also relates to a system for performing the method.

Abstract: The present invention provides device for measuring a seal gap of a vehicle, which more conveniently and precisely measures the dimensions of a space between a moving part and a mounting part of a vehicle body, thus more precisely controlling the tolerance of a gap defined between the moving part and the mounting part. The device includes a plate member installed in a gap created between a moving part and a mounting part of a vehicle body; a gap sensor mounted to the plate member and configured to measure the dimensions of the seal gap; a transmitter outputting a value measured from the gap sensor; a receiver receiving a signal output from the transmitter; and operation processing equipment configured to process a value from the receiver and output the dimensions of the seal gap.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a light source with a first luminescent portion that outputs light with a first wavelength range and a second luminescent portion that outputs light with a second wavelength range, the wavelength ranges being different from each other; a light-receiving portion that receives light reflected from an original irradiated by the light source; a scanning portion that shifts a reading position of the original in a vertical scanning direction by changing a relative position between the original and the light-receiving portion; a switching portion that alternately turns on the first and second luminescent portions when the scanning portion shifts the reading position, wherein a vertical scanning resolution for a first data obtained when the first luminescent portion is turned on is independently set from a vertical scanning resolution for a second data obtained when the second luminescent portion is turned on.

Abstract: A steering wheel provided with a remote control switch. The remote control switch includes a user-settable unit and a variable circuit unit for changing a function of the remote control switch according to the configuration of the user-settable unit; for example, the function of the remote control switch may be changed by attaching a removable button with the desired function.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display (LCD) device includes an LCD panel, a frequency multiplier to multiply a frame frequency to generate a multiplied frame frequency that includes an odd frame and an even frame, a data converter to modulate N-bit input data supplied in accordance with the odd and even frames from the frequency multiplier into (N?1)-bit data, and a data driver to apply the (N?1) bit data from the data converter to the LCD panel.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the preparation of substantially racemic 2-{[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]thio}-3-[4-(2-{4-[(methylsulfonyl)oxy]phenoxy}ethyl)phenyl]-propanoic acid which comprises reacting 2-{[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]thio}-3-[4-(2-{4-[(methylsulfonyl)oxy]phenoxy}ethyl)phenyl]propanoic acid enriched in one enantiomer with a base in an inert solvent.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate; a second substrate; a first alignment layer on the first substrate, the first alignment layer including a first additive; a second alignment layer on the second substrate; and a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate.

Abstract: Systems and methods for assisting a bank in meeting all or a portion of the bank's requirements under the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) on a tax-advantaged basis. New or existing cash value life insurance policies on the lives of employees of the bank or an affiliate of the bank are provided. The cash-value life insurance policies designate the bank, the affiliate or a trust as owner and beneficiary. The assets which support the cash value of the life insurance policies are maintained in a separate account that is protected from general creditors of an issuer of the life insurance policies. The assets in the separate account are used to purchase (i) bank-eligible securities that are qualified investments, which promote community development, as defined under the CRA or (ii) whole loans that are CRA qualified loans, or community development loans, as defined under the CRA.

Abstract: A multi-domain LCD device includes first and second substrates, gate and data lines defining a plurality of pixel regions on the first substrate, at least one first electric field distortion unit formed at the pixel region, a pixel electrode formed at the pixel region and having at least one second electric field distortion unit, a common electrode formed on the second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer formed between the first and second substrates, having liquid crystal molecules symmetrically arranged by the first electric field distortion unit and having a plurality of domains generated by the first and second electric field distortion units.

Abstract: A flash fixing device is disclosed. The flash fixing device has a group of main flash lamps which emit main flash light for fixing a toner image on a recording medium; an auxiliary flash lamp provided at a position corresponding to between a pair of flash lamps of the group of main flash lamps; and a light-emission control unit controlling light-emission of the group of main flash lamps and light-emission of the auxiliary flash lamp by using a predetermined relationship. Also disclosed is an image forming device having the flash fixing device.

Abstract: In the upper enclosure, a CPU for application and a memory for application as well as an application device are mounted. In the lower enclosure, a CPU for communication and a memory for communication as well as a transmission/reception circuit are mounted. In such a configuration, the data transfer for application processing is executed mainly in the upper enclosure. Thus, the quantity of data passing through the folding portion from/to the lower enclosure for the application processing is reduced. The wire harness is simplified and power consumption is reduced.

Abstract: An image collating apparatus comprises a device for setting a plurality of predetermined paths in a reference image and a check image and accumulating pixel values in the paths of both images with respect to the plurality of paths to obtain a projected waveform or histogram of the reference and the check image; a device for generating information of a characteristic value as reference characteristic value information based on the projected waveform or histogram of the reference image; a device for generating the information of the characteristic value as check characteristic value information based on the projected waveform or histogram of the check image; and a device for collating the reference image with the check image based on the reference characteristic value information and check characteristic value information.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for monitoring a vehicle rear which permits a user to grasp the position of the vehicle concerned easily without a sense of incongruity even in the case where plural display modes on a monitor are provided and switched from one to another. The vehicle rear monitoring method comprises displaying a vehicle on one side of a monitor and displaying a rear image of the vehicle on an opposite side of the monitor, and displaying the vehicle on the opposite side of the monitor and displaying the rear image of the vehicle on the one side of the monitor, and switching from said one display to said other display on the monitor.

Abstract: A composition and an associated method for chemical mechanical planarization (or other polishing) are described. The composition includes a surface-modified abrasive modified with at least one stabilizer and at least one catalyst differing from the at least one stabilizer. The composition can further include a medium containing the abrasive and an oxidizing agent (e.g., hydrogen peroxide), wherein the at least one catalyst is adapted to catalyze oxidation of a substrate by the oxidizing agent. Preferably, the abrasive is alumina, titania, zirconia, germania, silica, ceria and/or mixtures thereof, the stabilizer is B, W and/or Al, and the catalyst is Cu, Fe, Mn, Ti, W and/or V. Both the stabilizer and the catalyst are immobilized on the abrasive surface. The method includes applying the composition to a substrate to be polished, such as substrates containing W, Cu and/or dielectrics.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording material transporting path that extends in a direction from below upward and that transports a recording material, a fixing device provided on the way of the recording material transporting path, the fixing device having a rotatable heating member that has a heating source provided inside thereof and a rotatable pressure member that forms a fixing nip in pressure contact with the heating member, and a detaching member that contacts the heating member in the vicinity at a downstream side of the of the fixing nip in the rotation direction of the heating member and detaches the recording material from the heating member. The detachment member has a detachment guide surface extending from a contact point with the heating member, and a tilt of the detachment guide surface toward the pressure member side in relation with a vertical line including the contact point is not more than 2.5°.