Abstract: Ceramic oxide aerogels incorporating periodically dispersed flexible linkages are provided. The flexible linkages impart greater flexibility than the native aerogels without those linkages, and have been shown to reduce or eliminate the need for supercritical CO2-mediated drying of the corresponding wet gels. The gels may also be polymer cross-linked via organic polymer chains that are attached to and extend from surface-bound functional groups provided or present over the internal surfaces of a mesoporous ceramic oxide particle network via appropriate chemical reactions.

Abstract: A server includes a request information receiving section which receives request information, a correspondence information storage section which stores correspondence information indicating the correspondence of a plurality of content holding devices with content information including fragment content information held by each of the plurality of content holding devices, a specifying section which specifies two or more content holding devices and a plurality of fragment content information elements included in the content information held by the two or more content holding devices, using the correspondence information, so that a series of content information elements requested in the request information can be configured by the plurality of fragment content information elements, and an instruction information transmitting section which transmits instruction information, instructing that specified fragment content information be transmitted to the content receiving device, to a specified content holding device.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for preparing an impregnating pitch which is used for the manufacture of carbon-carbon composites having excellent mechanical properties at an ultra high temperature, abrasion resistance and the like, wherein the impregnating pitch having a low viscosity and an improved carbonization yield is provided by facilitating cross-linking reactions between the aromatic compounds in the pitch, while eliminating heat treatment.

Abstract: There is provided a medical image processing apparatus matching a plurality of image data. The medical image processing apparatus includes: an image data storage that stores at least two image data of different phases of single target object; a node creating portion that creates nodes, wherein the nodes are related to positions in each of the at least two image data; a local force field calculating portion that calculates local force fields for the nodes, based on positions of the nodes and the at least two image data; a local force calculating portion that calculates local forces, each of which is acted in a corresponding one of the local force fields, from the local force fields; and an image deforming portion that deforms the positions of the nodes based on the local forces.

Abstract: A device comprises a basic clock movement MB whose time indicators are driven by a first barrel connected to a first wheelwork and a first regulator organ, and an autonomous chronograph module MCA whose indicators are driven by a second barrel independent from the first, connected to a second wheelwork and a second regulator organ. The chronograph module is exclusively composed of mechanical elements. The frequency of oscillation supplied by its regulator is equal N times the frequency of oscillation supplied by the regulator of the base movement, with the coefficient N being definable according to a specific application of the chronograph, so that any chronograph module thus previously defined can work with the same base movement. The chronograph regulator remains constantly engaged with the corresponding wheelwork. The chronograph module allows a time interval to be read with a minimum precision of a hundredth of second.

Abstract: Demodulator includes reception quality evaluation circuit for evaluating the quality of a received signal by comparison with a first reference value, and outputting an evaluation signal; and driving circuit receiving the evaluation signal. If reception quality evaluation circuit evaluates that the quality of the received signal is acceptable, power supply from driving circuit to DC offset control loop is stopped. This offers a high-frequency receiver that reduces power consumption.

Abstract: A jacket material into which a gas adsorbing device and core material are inserted is decompressed in a vacuum chamber, the opening is sealed, and then the jacket material is exposed to the atmosphere. In the atmospheric pressure, a pressure of about 1 atm which is equivalent to the pressure difference between the inside and outside is applied to the jacket material of the heat insulator. The jacket material is made of a plastic laminated film and is deformed by pressure. A protruding portion is plunged into a container to drill through holes, and a gas adsorbent in the container communicates with the inside of the jacket material. Thus, both during holding and in applying to the vacuum heat insulator, the gas adsorbent can be applied to the vacuum heat insulator without degradation, and the high degree of vacuum can be kept for a long time.

Abstract: A soft-closing device has a base, a cylinder, a slider and a resilient member. The base has a track channel and at least one guiding channel. The cylinder is mounted in the base and has a housing and an expansion rod. The slider is mounted slidably in the track channel, is connected pivotally to the expansion rod and has two holding arms, a positioning pin and a holding recess defined between the holding arms. The positioning pin is mounted slidably in the at least one guiding channel. The resilient member has two ends connected respectively with the base and the slider.

Abstract: A system and method for converting static/still medical images of a particular patient into dynamic and interactive images interacting with medical tools including medical devices by coupling a model of tissue dynamics and tool characteristics to the patient specific imagery for simulating a medical procedure in an accurate and dynamic manner.

Abstract: The invention features electronic skin including an active layer formed of bistable cholesteric liquid crystal material and articles comprising the skin, the electronic skin having uniform gray scale reflectivity. Also featured is method for producing suitable reduction pulses that will provide a display (e.g., the electronic skin) with uniform gray scale reflectivity. Reduction pulses of narrow width are used to create uniform levels of gray in the electronic skin to overcome display imperfections that cause discontinuity in the gray scale reflectivity.

Abstract: A heating appliance includes an electric heating element, and a relay for selectively connecting the heating element to a power supply that supplies an alternating electric current to the electric heating element to generate heat. The relay includes an inductive actuator that controls a switching state of the relay, and a switch can interrupt a supply of electric current from a power source to the inductive actuator to adjust the switching state. A flyback path for conducting a decaying electric current includes a selective conductor and a voltage regulator that maintains a flyback voltage across the inductive actuator above a minimum flyback voltage. And a controller transmits a control signal that adjusts the switching state of the relay to cause interruption of the alternating electric current being supplied to the heating element after the alternating electric current being conducted through the relay falls below a peak value.

Abstract: A silencer device for a hair dryer comprises a container structure (2) exhibiting a plurality of inlet openings (8), an outlet opening (9) and a conduit (10) connecting the inlet (8) and outlet (9) openings to one another and further comprising a ring (14) made of sound-absorbent material, inserted in the conduit (10) such as to interfere with a flow of air between the inlet openings (8) and the outlet (9) opening in such a way as to at least partly attenuate sound vibrations associated to the air flow. The inlet openings (8) are made on a lateral wall (6) of the container structure (2) and face the axis (X) such as to define an air flow along a first transversal direction to the axis (X) such as to define a flow of air along a first transversal direction to the axis (X), and deviating means (12) arranged in the conduit (10) impress an axial deviation along the axis (X) on the air flow coming from the inlet openings (8).

Abstract: An electric double layer capacitor has an element, a first terminal, a second terminal, a resin-made case, and a resin-made lid. A pair of electrodes are led out of the element. Each of the electrodes is connected to each of the first terminal and the second terminal. The element and an electrolyte are accommodated in the case having an opening top surface, and the lid is bonded to the top surface of the case. The joints of the first and second terminals are disposed at positions higher than the inner bottom of the case, and are exposed upward. The rims of the joints and intermediate conductive sections continuing from them are buried in the case, and the terminal sections continuing from the intermediate conductive sections are led from the side surface of the case to the outside.

Abstract: A continuous method and a production device for producing hydrolysis-resistant stable ionic titanium (Ti4+) are provided. The method comprises six steps: (i) carrying out a redox reaction between metal titanium and excess strong acid; (ii) carrying out primary chelation; (iii) diluting; (iv) adjusting pH value for the first time; (v) carrying out secondary chelation; and (vi) adding microelement and adjusting pH value for a second time. The device includes a reaction kettle, multiple metering pumps, a chelation kettle, dilution tank, multiple precise mixing reaction kettles, a first chelator storage tank, a pure water storage tank, an alkali liquor storage tank, a second chelator storage tank, multiple microelements storage tanks, a control center, etc. The method uses a multi-point, spiral, reverse and atomization spraying technique synchronously to carry out digital fully automatic continuous production and reach the effect of elaborately mixing the material.

Abstract: A device for elastic ligature of tissues has a first and a second element, one of which exhibits a support portion for at least a rubber ring. The elements are slidably coupled to one another such that a reciprocal sliding between the elements determines a release of a rubber ring from the support portion. A trigger is manually maneuverable by an operator and acts on the second element for realising a reciprocal sliding between the elements. A connecting portion is connected to the trigger and to the second element and is elastically deformable in order to enable a reciprocal change of orientation between the trigger and the second element.

Abstract: A rack system for an appliance is provided. The rack system includes a door link, a first coupler link, a first rack, a bracket, a second coupler link, and a second rack. The door link is attached to an appliance door. The first coupler link is attached to the door link and connected to the first rack. The bracket is attached to either the first rack or the second rack. The second coupler link is attached to the bracket at one of the sites for attachment and connected to whichever one of either the first or second racks to which the bracket is not attached. The linear movement of the first and second racks can be non-staggered or staggered depending on the attachment site of the bracket to which the second coupler link is attached.

Abstract: An image display device comprising a plurality of seats arranged at least in a front-to-back direction, each of the seats having a backrest of a variable angle, an image display panel installed on the back of each seat, an angle sensing unit for detecting an angle of the backrest of the seat, a tilt angle calculating unit for calculating a tilt angle of the image display panel based on an output data of the angle sensing unit related to each of two adjoining seats in the front-to-back direction, and a tilt controller unit for controlling the tilt angle of the image display panel according to an output data of the tilt angle calculating unit.

Abstract: A tool and method for holding a rotary lawnmower in a tilted position to expose the underside of its deck for maintenance, comprising a bracket having an anchoring portion and a receiving pocket joined to the anchoring portion, the anchoring portion being adapted to be operatively mounted on a vertical wall or post surface or held down at or near a floor or ground level, the receiving pocket being arranged when the anchoring portion is operatively mounted to receive a horizontal hand grip of the distal end of a lawnmower handle, and a lock member deployable on said bracket to selectively retain or release the hand grip in or from the receiving pocket.