Abstract: An exercise apparatus comprising a base that can be oriented at any angle and that defines a plurality of connection interfaces, each of which can be designed to support one end of a resilient member in a cantilevered disposition. The connection interfaces can be positioned at or adjusted to a widely varying range of locations and angular orientations with respect to the base. Each resilient members can be configured to support one or more removable stiffening members that provide a resistance force when a force is exerted thereon so as to bend the resilient member.

Abstract: An earring includes an earring body, a locking bar provided at one end of the earring body and formed with a locking groove, and a locker provided at the other end of the earring body to be selectively locked with the locking bar. The locker is formed with an insert groove, the insert groove is provided at an inside thereof with a locking protrusion, and a locking release button is positioned adjacent to the locking protrusion while protruding out of the locker. The spring includes a compression spring and the locking protrusion is adapted to lock with the locking groove of the locking bar while performing a straight movement in a state in which the locking protrusion is elastically supported to the spring. The locking/unlocking operations of the coupling parts are easily performed and an aesthetic appearance of the earring is improved.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for laying a material sheet on a number of cylindrical bodies, for example sleeves of paperboard or the like, which are employed within, int.al. the papermaking industry for winding a manufactured paper web, sheet web or the like, a conveyor being disposed to advance the cylindrical bodies in the longitudinal direction thereof to, past and away from a unit for supplying a material web to the bodies, and the conveyor being divided into at least two sections, of which the one is disposed to displace the cylindrical bodies in their longitudinal direction up to connection with the end of the preceding body, and of which the second section is disposed to positively rotate the cylindrical bodies about their longitudinal axis and displace the cylindrical bodies in the direction of their longitudinal axis during application of the material web, with the desired spacing between the edges of the applied material web.

Abstract: A lightweight bumper structure is achieved without a reduction in the amount of absorption of collision energy. A bumper structure (B1) is provided with a left and right pair of bumper stays (1, 1) fixed to side members (S), and also with a bumper reinforcing member (2) supported by both the bumper stays (1, 1). Each bumper stay (1) is formed in a shape the width of which gradually increases from the side member (S) toward the bumper reinforcing member (2). The bumper reinforcing member (2) is curved between both the bumper stays (1, 1). The rigidity of the bumper stays (1) and the bumper reinforcing member (2) is set so that the bumper stays (1) are crushed in the front-rear direction after the curved portion of the bumper reinforcing member (2) is rectilinearly extended.

Abstract: A charging apparatus and a quality judging apparatus for a packed battery should be configured to prevent reduction of charging/discharging performance at the time of charging the packed battery, to improve reliability of the packed battery, and to secure safety of the packed battery.

Abstract: A method of producing an aluminum matrix composite material is described that comprises the steps of: mixing an aluminum powder and a ceramic powder to prepare a mixed powder; providing a lower casing made of aluminum and formed in a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape having an open top, and a closing member made of aluminum and formed in a shape adapted to hermetically close the open top of the lower casing; packing the mixed powder into the lower casing; closing the open top of the lower casing filled with the mixed powder, by the closing member, to prepare a pre-rolling assembly having the mixed powder hermetically sealed therein; preheating the pre-rolling assembly; and rolling the preheated assembly to obtain the aluminum matrix composite material, where the aluminum matrix composite material includes a pair of metal plates having the mixed powder therebetween.

Abstract: A method of producing an aluminum matrix composite material is described that comprises the steps of: mixing an aluminum powder and a ceramic powder to prepare a mixed powder; providing a lower casing made of aluminum and formed in a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape having an open top, and a closing member made of aluminum and formed in a shape adapted to hermetically close the open top of the lower casing; packing the mixed powder into the lower casing; closing the open top of the lower casing filled with the mixed powder, by the closing member, to prepare a pre-rolling assembly having the mixed powder hermetically sealed therein; preheating the pre-rolling assembly; and rolling the preheated assembly to obtain the aluminum matrix composite material, where the aluminum matrix composite material includes a pair of metal plates having the mixed powder therebetween.

Abstract: A cervical immobilization collar incorporates one or more cooling elements for inducing a mild cerebral hypothermia by transcutaneous cooling of oxygenated blood flowing through carotid arteries. The immobilization collar includes an annular support structure having an extended axial length for limiting cervical compaction of a wearer's neck and a chin rest for limiting cervical rotation of the wearer's neck. In addition, the one or more cooling elements, which function as a heat extractor, are carried by the support structure in positions for inducing transcutaneous conduction of heat through an anterior portion of the wearer's neck from at least one of the wearer's carotid arteries.

Abstract: A technology to measure the position of a distant mark object and denote an automatic recognition data by the object. A light-emitting device includes an R (red) light, a G (green) light, and a B (blue) light emitters, and a control device for controlling their light-up states. The light-emitting device is affixed to the mark object and made to emit the lights by a predetermined light-emitting pattern. The light-emitting pattern forms a time-change optical recognition code denoting a desired data by change of the colors along the time axis. This optical recognition code is accomplished with a small area of space. Further, by photographing the light-emitting device with a CCD camera and the like, it is possible to recognize the position of the light-emitting device, that is, the position of the mark object. By carrying out this behavior continuously, it is possible to trace the movement of the mark object.

Abstract: A core resistance apparatus is provided. The core resistance apparatus is comprised of a rotational adjusting element having a rotational member and a first and a second rotational cord guide. The first and second rotational cord guides pivotally contact a first and a second side portion of the rotational member along a contacting means, respectively. The core resistance apparatus is comprised a first and a second resistance cord. The resistance cords each have a first and second attachment point, wherein the first and second rotational cord guides slidingly connect with the first and second resistance cords, respectively. The core resistance apparatus is comprised of a first and a second upper body connector, and a third and a fourth lower body connector. The upper and lower body connectors attach to a user, wherein the location of the rotational adjusting element adjusts to a center of gravity relative to the user movement.

Abstract: Provided is a lens shading correction device and method in an image sensor. The device comprises a brightness weight storage unit, an input image divider, and an input image brightness correction unit. The brightness weight storage unit stores a brightness weight for allowing one of representative brightness values to be a representative brightness value of a reference image block having a maximal representative brightness value. The input image divider blocks and divides an input image into input image blocks. The input image brightness correction unit corrects a brightness of the input image by multiplying brightness of input pixels by brightness weights.

Abstract: A rectangular workout bench with removable legs for use directly on the floor or raised on legs has an inflatable flexible air filled plastic material cushion work out area allowing a person to lay on for physical therapy, strength training and balance. The rectangular shape allows spine and neck support while the instability of the air filled cushion allows muscles to activate. Beginners use the workout cushion directly on the floor and advanced workouts are on the elevate elevated bench with accessible footrests.

Abstract: There are provided a system and a method for cryopreserving a liquid biological material disposed in a bag having a longitudinal axis. The system comprises a bag holder for holding the bag, so that the biological material therein has a surface area S, and a volume V, a tank containing a cryogenic fluid, a mechanism for the immersion of the bag holder into the tank along the longitudinal axis, an opening in the tank for insertion therethrough of the bag holder, and a guide member extending from the opening into the tank. There are further provided a system and a method for warming a cryopreserved liquid biological material disposed in a bag.

Abstract: Method, system, and computer code for implementing security and privacy policy in a web application having an execution environment in which a representation of each object handled by the execution environment accommodates data and an associated tag. An inbound tagging rule is established for tagging inbound objects according to a respective source of each of the inbound objects. A tag is assigned to an object being operated on by the execution environment based on the inbound tagging rule. A security/privacy rule is established for performing security/privacy actions on outbound objects according to a respective tag of each of the outbound objects. A security/privacy action is performed on the object being operated on by the execution environment based on the security/privacy rule.

Abstract: An apparatus for decoding audio data that is capable of reducing the amount of calculations that are performed during the arithmetic decoding of an audio signal coded by bit sliced arithmetic coding (BSAC) to improve the performance of a decoder and a method thereof are provided.

Abstract: A mechanism to facilitate the insertion of radioactive sources/source strands into soft tissue, such as breast tissue, and a method that utilizes this mechanism with the goal of improving the reproducibility of the procedure and ensuring that the sources are reliably and consistently inserted in an exact position per a patient prescription treatment plan from patient to patient as well as improve the ease-of-use of the device and procedure are provided.

Abstract: A method that lays a certain restriction on a distance between color areas and carries out “cutting out” and “sequence recognition.” In an optical recognition code which aligns a plurality of cells to predetermined color is affixed and denotes a data by a sequence of colors, distance between the cells is stipulated to allow an easier reading-out of the code. A distance between the cells contiguous to each other is > a predetermined minimum value and < a predetermined maximum value. The distance between one of the cells and another of the contiguous cells is shorter than a distance between the one of the cells and another of the noncontiguous cells. Under these conditions, it is possible to read out the optical recognition code in the sequence of the cells by sequentially tracing the near-positioned cells with the distance as a clue.

Abstract: Systems and methods for selectively replaying voice data. Voice data received in a communication session is both buffered by the device and played by the device. When input is received from a recipient, the voice data currently being received is no longer played and buffered voice data is replayed to the recipient. While the buffered voice data is replayed, the device continues to buffer any voice data received by the device to ensure that the recipient can listen to all of the voice data in the communication session. By only storing voice data in the buffer, replaying the buffered voice data can catch the real-time voice data. At this point, the device reverts to playing voice data being received while continuing to buffer the voice data.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described for providing a virtual keyboard. In one aspect, an apparatus for providing a virtual keyboard to be displayed on a touch screen is described. The apparatus includes a memory unit that includes a data repository to store data comprising at least one virtual keyboard configuration information to configure at least one corresponding virtual keyboard. The apparatus includes a processing module to select from the data stored in the data repository a given virtual keyboard configuration information to select a corresponding virtual keyboard to configure; configure the selected virtual keyboard to have a fan-like shape with multiple keys of the virtual keyboard arranged along an outline of an arc in a fan-shaped region based on the selected virtual keyboard configuration information; and instruct a touch screen module to display the configured virtual keyboard on a display region of a touch screen.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a method and apparatus for delivering an article formed of a shape memory alloy to a surgical implantation site.