Abstract: Methods are provided by which Oryza sativa plants and seeds thereof may be modified to express a coding region of interest using a promoter sequence operatively linked to the coding region. The promoter sequence is an isolated Oryza sativa antiquitin (OsAnt1) promoter sequence including SEQ ID NO: 1. The coding region of interest may encode a nitrogen utilization protein, suitably alanine aminotransferase. Methods to develop Oryza sativa plants that have increased biomass and seed yield are also presented. Furthermore, Oryza sativa plants may be produced that maintain a desired yield while reducing the need for high levels of nitrogen application.

Abstract: An active package with preservative action of a film made starting from a mixture of at least a certain quantity of a polyethylene or polypropylene polymer, charged with at least an additive component suitable both to increase the consistency and resistance of the polyethylene or polypropylene polymer, and also to provide the film with a desired aesthetic and tactile appearance, for example similar to paper. Into the mixture which forms the film at least a food type additive is introduced, with preservative capacities, in particular, but not only, anti-oxidizing capacities.

Abstract: A series of independent non-transgenic mutations found in the fruit PG gene of tomato; tomato plants having these mutations in their fruit PG gene; and a method of creating and identifying similar and/or additional mutations in the PG gene by screening pooled and/or individual tomato plants. The tomato plants of the present invention exhibit reduced PG enzyme activity and fruit that soften more slowly post harvest without having the inclusion of foreign nucleic acids in their genomes.

Abstract: An airway management device comprises an elongated tube having a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end used to establish an airway for a patient. At least a portion of the elongated tube is reinforced with reinforcing means that is compatible with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) procedures. The reinforcing means may comprise, for example, titanium, a titanium alloy, or tungsten, and may be in a helical coil or other configurations.

Abstract: Several ways are provided for a person to obtain an image of the soles of their feet while sitting near a foot imaging device, standing near the device, or standing on the device. In one embodiment, a device on the floor has a reflective surface having an adjustable angle relative to the floor. In another embodiment, a mirror is placed beneath the surface of a foot imaging device that incorporates a weight scale. Additionally, the surface of the device can incorporate a way for the user to detect loss of sensation in the soles of the feet, such as a sandpaper surface, a dull probe or a thermal stimulator.

Abstract: Methods of increasing nitrogen utilization efficiency in monocot plants through genetic modification to increase the levels of alanine aminotransferase expression and plants produced there from are described. In particular, methods for increasing the biomass and yield of transgenic monocot plants grown under nitrogen limiting conditions compared to non-transgenic plants are described. In this way, monocot plants may be produced that maintain a desired yield while reducing the need for high levels of nitrogen application.

Abstract: Methods are provided by which Oryza sativa plants and seeds thereof may be modified to express a coding region of interest using a promoter sequence operatively linked to the coding region. The promoter sequence is an isolated Oryza sativa antiquitin (OsAnt1) promoter sequence including SEQ ID NO: 1. The coding region of interest may encode a nitrogen utilization protein, suitably alanine aminotransferase. Methods to develop Oryza sativa plants that have increased biomass and seed yield are also presented. Furthermore, Oryza sativa plants may be produced that maintain a desired yield while reducing the need for high levels of nitrogen application.

Abstract: The present invention provides pitch conversion processing technology capable of minimizing the distortion of speech sound naturalness. A speech waveform in a pitch-unit is considered to be divided into two segments: 1) the segment of ?, that starts from the minus peak, where the waveform depending on the shape of vocal tracts appears, and 2) the segment of ? where the waveform depending on the vocal tract shape is attenuating and converging on the next minus peak. In addition, ? is the point where a minus peak appears along with the glottal closure. Based on characteristics of speech waveforms, the present invention processes waveform for converting pitch in the segment of ? just before the next minus peak, which is least affected by the minus peak associated with the glottal closure. As such, waveform processing can be performed by keeping the complete contour of waveform at around the peak, and thereby reducing the effects of pitch conversion.

Abstract: Given phonetic information is divided into speech units of extended CV which is a contiguous sequence of phonemes without clear distinction containing a vowel or some vowels. Contour of vocal tract transmission function of phoneme of the speech unit of extended CV is obtained from the phoneme directory which contains a contour of vocal tract transmission function of each phoneme associated with phonetic information in a unit of extended CV. Speech waveform data is generated based on the contour of vocal tract transmission function of phoneme of the speech unit of extended CV. Speech waveform data is converted into analog voice signal.

Abstract: The invention discloses a relative structure placement of datapath of cell instances in a column structure, a row structure, or an array structure. To encourage placement of a desirable structure, pseudo cells, pseudo pins, and pseudo nets are selected to be placed at certain locations with respect to real cell instances. The end result produces a cluster of real cell instances that form a desirable structure while minimizing the length of nets. The invention further discloses a non-uniform partitioning of a density map for calculating a force update vector. The partitioning is taken over a region A to compute Riemann sum approximations of a function F over the region A. A force update vector is calculated for a given cell instance within the region A where neighboring cell instances have an exponentially larger grid size as cell instances extend further away from the given cell instance.

Abstract: Sound generating parameters are used for outputting fundamental frequency and a command regarding prosody, and a sound source generator. The sound generation device further includes use of an accent command and a descent command for calculating fundamental frequency and incorporates a rhythm command, which is representable by a sine wave. The device also uses character string analysis for analyzing a character string and generating a command concerning phoneme and prosody, a calculating element for outputting fundamental frequency as sound generation parameters, which depends on prosody, a sound source generator, and an articulator that depends on a phoneme command.

Abstract: This invention relates to converting the characteristics of sounds such as oices, musical tones, natural sounds, and so on, and more specifically to facilitating the conversion operation, and also to sound-label association suitable for the characteristic conversion. Various embodiments of the invention comprise several of the following elements to provide useful results: sound-label data holding means, display control means, conversion means, sound-label dividing means, label-data dividing means, association forming means, data inputting means, and communication means. Other embodiments of the invention may be practiced as processes or articles of manufacture.

Abstract: The invention resides in a computer-aided design system for defining physical placement and floor-planning of electronic circuits on a given substrate. Improve utilization of substrate area is achieved by arranging circuits into structural (e.g., data-path) and non-structural (e.g., non-data-path) zones for effectively segregated chip or board lay-out. Software is provided to receive a netlist file and determine therefrom which components are categorizable within structural portion. Furthermore, software is provided to produce a lay-out file which defines physical placement of the prototype design, wherein structural components are inter-placed with related control components, for example, to provide sliced-structure placement of a semiconductor chip.