Abstract: A device for processing a biological sample includes a processing unit having at least one opening to receive a sample vessel and a plurality of processing stations positioned along the opening. The processing stations each have a compression member adapted to compress the sample vessel within the opening and thereby move the sample within the sample vessel among the processing stations. An energy transfer element can be coupled to one or more of the processing stations for transferring thermal energy to the sample at a processing station. The device can be used for PCR processing of nucleic acid samples. A sample vessel of the present invention can be a tubule flow-chamber having a plurality of segments separated by pressure gates. The sample vessel minimizes sample handling by providing a closed tubule in which distinct processing steps can be carried out in each of the segments of the tubule.

Abstract: A waterproof shoe includes a waterproof breathable lining sleeve which is mounted inside an upper and which is made of an air-permeable waterproof material, and a cup member attached to a bottom end of the lining sleeve. The cup member is made of an air-impermeable waterproof material and includes a cup bottom which has a toe region and a heel region, and a cup wall which projects laterally and upwardly from said cup bottom and extends around the toe and heel regions. Preferably, the cup member is a molded body formed by a molding process, and the bottom end of the upper is lasted over the cup bottom.

Abstract: A fast and efficient method and system for computation of cubic-spline interpolation for data compression is described. In one aspect, the present invention is a method and system for defining a cubic-spline filter; correlating the filter with the signal to obtain a correlated signal; autocorrelating the filter to obtain autocorrelated filter coefficients; computing a transform of the correlated signal and the autocorrelated filter coefficients; dividing the transform of the correlated signal by the transform of the autocorrelated filter coefficients to obtain a transform of a compressed signal; and computing an inverse transform of the transform of the compressed signal to obtain the compressed signal. The signal, the filter, and the transforms may be one dimensional or two dimensional. Further, the transforms may be a fast Fourier transform (FFT) or a Winograd discrete Fourier transform (WDFT) with an overlap-save scheme.

Abstract: An EL Frisbee is composed of a main body and an electroluminescent device. The electroluminescent device includes at least one electroluminescent plate secured on the main body.

Abstract: A light emitting diode (LED) having distributed electrodes is disclosed.

Abstract: An image pickup device using a lens to pick up images and a transmission interface to transmit picked up image signal to a computer is disclosed to have an indication signal output device adapted to receive a control signal from the mail server of the computer been connected when the mail server of the computer received an e-mail, and to produce an output signal indicative of the receipt of an e-mail by the mail server of the computer upon receipt of the control signal.

Abstract: A computer-aided automatic vital acupuncture point alignment and electronic acupuncture method uses a system to perform the method comprised of a computer, a digital imaging device, a digital probe device and an electronic acupuncture device. The computer takes a picture of a patient's body with the digital imaging device and automatically marks vital acupuncture points on the picture from a standard body's picture on which all vital acupuncture points are marked and localizes the vital acupuncture points on the patient's skin with the digital probe device. A practitioner uses the electronic acupuncture device to touch the vital acupuncture points on the patient's skin based on the patient's picture. The computer outputs a suitable wave signal through the electronic acupuncture device to the skin. Therefore, the present invention identifies the vital acupuncture points on the skin to have a good curative effect.

Abstract: A sample testing system has a chamber sealing apparatus adapted to receive a chamber containing a fluid sample material and to seal portions of a chamber into segments. A reagent injector cartridge actuator is adapted to receive a reagent injector cartridge having at least one needle in fluid communication with a reagent reservoir, and to move a reagent injector cartridge to inject a quantity of reagent into a segment of a chamber. In certain preferred embodiments, a flow control device induces a flow of sample in a segment. A sensor generates a signal corresponding to a condition of the mixture.

Abstract: A shoe includes a hollow insole component which has a horizontal part with an inner peripheral end confining an opening and an upward flange extending upward from a top face of the horizontal part, an upper having a bottom open end attached to the horizontal part; and a lining mounted within the upper and having a bottom open end attached to the upward flange, wherein the hollow insole component is made by forming an elongated strip into a loop, and the insole component has a connection joint extending transversely of the hollow insole component.

Abstract: A shock-absorbing structure installed in an pneumatic tool to absorb shocks from the impact unit of the pneumatic tool is disclosed to include a housing, and a shock-absorbing socket, the shock-absorbing socket having a socket body fastened to the impact unit and axially movably mounted in a receiving hole inside the housing, a first spring coil connected between the rear side of the socket body and the housing and alternatively compressed and stretched to absorb shocks upon reciprocating motion of the impact unit, and a second spring coil connected between the front side of the socket body and the housing and alternatively compressed and stretched in direction reversed to the first spring coil upon reciprocating motion of the impact unit.

Abstract: A shoe includes an upper which has a substantially U-shaped first notched edge, a first cutout confined by the first notched edge, and a connection seam spaced apart from and extending around the first notched edge, an inner lining which is disposed inside the upper and has a second notched edge corresponding in position to the first notched edge; and a tongue which is waterproof and which has a marginal end. The marginal end of the tongue is attached to the upper along the connection seam and is attached to the inner lining along the second notched edge.

Abstract: A sealing mold arrangement includes at least an elongated mold strip adapted for mounting to an attachment corner edge of a panel frame such as a door and window frame. The elongated mold strip has an elongated first and second attachment surfaces and an alignment corner edge formed at a common line-edge where the first attachment surface meets the second attachment surface. Each of the first and second attachment surfaces has a longitudinally extended positioning guider sharp edge, a longitudinal attachment groove transversally extended from the positioning guider sharp edge towards an inner portion of the respective first and second attachment surfaces, and an edge gap surface transversally and inclinedly extended from the positioning guider sharp edge to the distal side edge of the respective first and second attachment surface to form an edge gap.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an underwater building unit and its installation and application methods. It includes a caisson with both ends open and is composed of two rows of box boards being not intersected with each other. Each row of box boards consists of a set of stake-plate body combinations and the bind members between every two adjacent stake-plate body combinations. A positioning beam is located on the top of the box boards and connects the two box boards. There is a cross rib at the middle part of the outer surface of each bind member. The open caisson is made up of small components of low weight. So it is easy for installation and could be extended unlimitedly as required. In addition, the underwater building unit has low underwater condition requirement and is relatively stable, thus the underwater building is quite firm and has a long life. Each component of the open caisson can be industrially manufactured on land so as to lower the cost and free of the influence of stormy waves.

Abstract: A shoe includes an upper with a first notched edge, an inner lining disposed inside the upper and having a second notched edge in alignment with the first notched edge, and a sock-like waterproof lining made of a waterproof breathable membrane and disposed between the upper and the inner lining. The waterproof lining has a third notched edge in alignment with the first notched edge. An elastic part spans the first, second and third notched edges, and has an outer layer and an inner layer both of which are elastic. The inner layer has a peripheral edge attached to the second notched edge to form an inner seam. The outer layer has a peripheral edge attached to the first notched edge to form an outer seam. The third notched edge is attached to one of the first and second notched edges along one of the inner and outer seams.

Abstract: An indicating apparatus for skin protection against sunshine a power unit, a control IC connected to the power unit, a display panel electrically connected to the control IC, the display panel having display areas for displaying UV intensity, dermatoglyphics characteristics, and sun protection factor data, a UV sensor electrically connected to the control IC and adapted to detect UV intensity of sunlight, a signal converter adapted to convert analog UV intensity signal from the UV sensor into electronic signal for the control IC, and an input device electrically connected to the control IC for data entry of the user's dermatoglyphics characteristics for enabling the control IC to compute inputted data and to output sun protection factor reference data to the display panel for reference by the user.

Abstract: An pulley set includes a base, a seat, and an adjusting unit, wherein the base defines a hollow space with one side of the hollow space forming a vertical wall having a screw hole and the other side of the hollow space forming an inclined wall. A guiding plane parallel to the inclined wall extends from the vertical wall, and positioning slots are respectively formed in the guiding plane and the inclined wall. The seat is mounted within the hollow space of the base and has two inclined planes corresponding to the inclined wall and the guiding plane. The adjusting unit is disposed in the screw hole of the base for pushing against the seat such that adjusting the adjusting unit will cause the seat to move along the inclined wall and the guiding plane of the base.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new gene encoding a glycine-rich polypeptide, and an expression vector, host cell and transgenic plant comprising the gene. The expression of the gene of the invention in the plant will enhance resistance against a wide variety of pathogens, in particular fungi.

Abstract: An automobile pedal lockset with vertical entry includes a lockset and a locking rod; a hollow primary and a secondary locking pipes being provided to the lockset; two slipways on opposite inner sides of the two locking pipes; two retainers at the lower end of both locking pipes; the locking rod in the primary locking pipe; a trough defined between both locking pipes connecting through two retainers to define a gap for direct entry of locking the lockset to a connection rod of brake pedal or clutch pedal to avoid impedance from other components in the car during the lateral operation of the lockset; walls on both sides of the slipways of both locking pipes; two circular channels on both sides of the stopper to hold against inner walls of the two circular channels of the stopper for both locking pipes to be firmly joined without being subject to forced open for burglar-proof results.

Abstract: The present discloses a valued knowledge management system to automatically calculate usefulness values of particular knowledge, to display said usefulness values and to operate transactions of selected knowledge in response to selection instructions. The valued knowledge management system comprises: a usefulness assessment module to analyze content of particular knowledge, to compare fragments of particular knowledge with an accessible data and to calculate usefulness assessment value of said particular knowledge; a usefulness display module to display indication of said particular knowledge, said usefulness assessment value and description of method of said assessment; and a knowledge transaction module to operate transaction of selected knowledge in response to a selection instruction pertaining to said particular knowledge and to provide content of said knowledge after said transaction is completed.

Abstract: A disposable safety syringe includes a barrel, a needle holder and a piston stem. Front end of the barrel is formed with an annular flange for a click hook of a needle holder to hook the flange and locate the needle holder. The needle holder has an inward extending coupling tube formed with multiple axially extending splits. A column section projects from front end of the piston stem will slightly expand the coupling tube. An annular binding groove is formed around the column section. The coupling tube is restricted by the wall of the binding groove to bind and tightly clamp the column section. The click hook thereof is pressed against a conic section of front end of the barrel. At this time, the click hook is converged and the engaging blocks are inlaid into the engaging channels to locate the click hook.