Abstract: A method for whitening teeth is disclosed. The method includes supplying a liquid sufficient to at least partially submerge a portion of a tooth; positioning a plasma device adjacent to the submerged portion of the tooth; supplying ionizable media to the plasma device; and igniting the ionizable media at the plasma device sufficient to form a plasma effluent in the presence of the liquid at the distal portion, whereby the plasma effluent reacts with the liquid to form at least one reactive species that interacts selectively with foreign matter disposed on the tooth.

Abstract: The present invention provides a non-contact photoplethysmographic (PPG) pulse measurement device, and oxygen saturation and blood pressure measurement devices using the PPG pulse measurement device. The PPG pulse measurement device includes a sensing unit including at least two light emitting units for emitting light into a human body without making direct contact with skin, and a light receiving unit for sensing reflected light. A signal separation unit separates output of the sensing unit into a ripple component and a ripple-free component. A microprocessor unit monitors the ripple-free component and compares the ripple-free component with a DC signal value. A luminance adjustment unit adjusts luminance of the light emitting units. A filter and amplification unit eliminates noise from the ripple component. An A/D conversion unit converts output of the filter and amplification unit into a digital signal. A signal transmission unit transmits output of the A/D conversion unit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a suturing bead, a suturing needle, a side suction cap and to an endoscopic organ suturing implement using same. More specifically, the present invention relates to an endoscopic organ suturing implement comprising a suturing bead which can be naturally rested lying against the organ wall during discharge, a suturing needle by means of which it is possible to control discharge of the suturing bead, and a side suction cap constituted in such a way as to be able to prevent damage to other organs during surgery.

Abstract: A method of generating an unambiguous correlation function for a TMBOC(6,1,4/33) signal, an apparatus for tracking a TMBOC signal, and a satellite navigation signal receiver system using the same are disclosed herein.

Abstract: Provided is a switched-capacitor integrator, a method of operating the switched-capacitor integrator, and apparatuses including the switched-capacitor integrator. The switched-capacitor integrator including an amplifier including a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and an output terminal, a first capacitor disposed between the first input terminal and the output terminal, and a switched capacitor circuit configured to sample an input signal in response to control signals, and to integrate a difference between a feedback signal and the input signal while sampling the input signal.

Abstract: Monolayer protected nanoclusters (MPCs) are described herein. The MPCs contain a cluster of atoms or molecules (e.g. core) having bound thereto a plurality of ligands (e.g., monolayer). The ligands can be bound covalently or semi-covalently bound to the cluster. The ligands are generally in the form of a monolayer or mixed monolayer. The monolayer or mixed monolayer contains a plurality of ligands. In one embodiment, the monolayer and/or mixed monolayer contains 1,4-dithiolate ligands. The MPCs described herein exhibit improved quantum efficiency allowing for single cluster emissions to be measured. Moreover, some embodiments of the MPCs described herein exhibit enhanced redox activity, including the ability to transfer a plurality of electrons, i.e., up to about 19 or up to about 30 electrons under controlled conditions, while displaying improved overall chemical stability. Such behavior can be utilized in catalysis and nanoelectronics applications.

Abstract: It has been surprisingly discovered that administration of nitrite to subjects causes a reduction in blood pressure and an increase in blood flow to tissues. The effect is particularly beneficial, for example, to tissues in regions of low oxygen tension. This discovery provides useful treatments to regulate a subject's blood pressure and blood flow, for example, by the administration of nitrite salts. Provided herein are methods of administering a pharmaceutically-acceptable nitrite salt to a subject, for treating, preventing or ameliorating a condition selected from: (a) ischemia-reperfusion injury (e.g., hepatic or cardiac or brain ischemia-reperfusion injury); (b) pulmonary hypertension (e.g., neonatal pulmonary hypertension); or (c) cerebral artery vasospasm.

Abstract: A metal air flow battery includes an electrochemical reaction unit and an oxygen exchange unit. The electrochemical reaction unit includes an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and an ionic conductive membrane between the anode and the cathode, an anode electrolyte, and a cathode electrolyte. The oxygen exchange unit contacts the cathode electrolyte with oxygen separate from the electrochemical reaction unit. At least one pump is provided for pumping cathode electrolyte between the electrochemical reaction unit and the oxygen exchange unit. A method for producing an electrical current is also disclosed.

Abstract: A memory structure is provided that controls the activation of error handling bits as a function of operating voltage. In this way, error correction can be used to offset errors when the memory structure is run at low voltage (and frequency). However, negative performance impacts for such error correction, such as additional access latencies, can be avoided when the memory structure is run at higher voltage (and frequency) and memory errors are less likely. In addition, increased latencies due to evaluating error handling bits may be hidden by reading digital data bits from the memory structures speculatively and assuming no errors. Also, certain portions of memory structures may have larger cells, and therefore larger areas, than other portions, which may provide not only higher reliability at low operating voltages, but also faster operation with reduced latency.

Abstract: Provided are a system for transferring data using an image code, a method of outputting an image code on a display device, and a method of decoding an image code. The system includes a code generation device configured to generate an image code including a series of brightness values corresponding to a binary code representing source data or a part of the binary code, a display device configured to output at least one color having the series of brightness values in a code area on a display panel in order of the series of brightness values, and a code decoding device configured to acquire the series of brightness values of the at least one color output in the code area through a sensor and to decode the image code.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for detecting straight line information by Hough transform are provided, in which voting computation according to Hough transform is performed only with respect to certain pixels, while the votes of the rest pixels are calculated using the votes of the neighborhood pixels, thereby reducing overhead of voting computation and also increasing hourly throughput.

Abstract: A method of transmitting content to a content receiver and of receiving content from a content transmitted is provided. The method may include receiving, at a content transmitter, a content transmission request fragmenting a segmented content corresponding to the content transmission request into at least one frame, generating a header comprising a frame identifier for the at least one frame, and transmitting the at least one frame and the header to the content receiver.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a respiratory tubing set for controlling breathing of a patient. A tubing set for controlling breathing of a patient includes a respiratory conduit. The respiratory conduit is configured to be coupled to a patient interface device and is further configured to be coupled to a pressurized air generating device. The respiratory conduit includes at least two airflow control devices, positioned between the patient interface device and the pressurized air generating device that cooperate to closely control the CO2 levels in the patient's bloodstream through the control of the patient's respiration.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for prediction of an optimized crystal structure using an evolutionary algorithm that includes inputting characterization information of a chemical structure and input parameters, generating a first generation of crystal structures from the characterization information using symmetrical initialization, optimizing the chemical structure of the first generation of crystal structures according to the input parameters, inputting the optimized first generation of crystal structures into a niching algorithm, producing a child group of crystal structures from the parent group of crystal structures using a variation operator, and adding the child group of crystal structures to an optimal group of crystal structures to form a next generation, with the niching algorithm selecting an optimal group of crystal structures and a parent group of crystal structures from the first generation of crystal structures, with an antiseed created for population diversity and every structure produced by

Abstract: A BCG analysis system includes a vehicle behavior sensor, a posture measurement sensor, a pattern database, a BCG measurement unit, a signal processing unit, and a biostate recognition unit. The vehicle behavior sensor measures the physical momentum of a vehicle. The posture measurement sensor measures the posture of a testee. The pattern database stores standardized representative patterns. The BCG measurement unit measures the BCG signal of the testee. The signal processing unit obtains desired data by matching the BCG signal with a pattern of the pattern database, searching the pattern database for a new pattern when the posture of the testee and the physical momentum of the vehicle may be changed, and matching the BCG signal of the BCG measurement unit with the new pattern. The biostate recognition unit recognizes the biostate of the testee.

Abstract: A patient safety system (PSS) (100) uses optical tracking in a linear accelerator treatment room to prevent gross setup errors. A patient (150) undergoes a computed tomography (CT) treatment-simulation scan while a CT ball bearing (BB) is on patient's surface. The CT BB is replaced with an infrared reflective marker (IRRM) (160) before radiotherapy treatment starts. Coordinates of the CT BB relative to an isocenter of the treatment room are used as reference for tracking. The coordinate system of an optical tracking system is converted to a coordinate system of the treatment room. The PSS evaluates setup accuracy for a radiotherapy session by comparing real-time position of the single IRRM determined by the optical tracking technology with a predicted reference position, and displays results on a graphical user interface. The PSS stops radiation when a deviation between real-time coordinates and predicted coordinates of the IRRM (160) exceeds a predefined threshold.

Abstract: The present invention provides HIV-derived lentivectors which are safe, highly efficient, and very potent for expressing transgenes for human gene therapy, especially, in human hematopoietic progenitor cells as well as in all other blood cell derivatives. The lentiviral vectors comprise a self-inactivating configuration for biosafety and promoters such as the EF1 ? promoter as one example. Additional promoters are also described. The vectors can also comprise additional transcription enhancing elements such as the wood chuck hepatitis virus post-transcriptional regulatory element. These vectors therefore provide useful tools for genetic treatments such as inherited and acquired lympho-hematological disorders, gene-therapies for cancers especially the hematological cancers, as well as for the study of hematopoiesis via lentivector-mediated modification of human HSCs.

Abstract: A power plant includes a boiler, a stream turbine generator, a post combustion processing system, a feed water regeneration processing system and a heat exchanger. Heat from the heat exchanger is used to regenerate (a) a reagent that absorbs carbon dioxide from flue gas and (b) a water-lean desiccant used to increase plant operating efficiency.

Abstract: A splint for use in stabilizing the nasal septum of a subject following the completion of a septoplasty procedure has a longitudinal axis and is formed of a substantially rigid sheet having a longitudinal length, an anterior end, and a posterior end. The sheet is labeled with a plurality of guide markings that guide a user in shaping the splint prior to implantation of the splint within a nasal passage of the subject.

Abstract: Inhibitors of HIV-1 protease and compositions containing them are described. Use of the inhibitors and compositions containing them to treat HIV, AIDS, and AIDS-related diseases is described.