Abstract: An administration system (10) for administering medication (25) to peoples the system comprising: a medicine cabinet (20) to contain a plurality of medication (25), each medication (25) identified by at least one radio frequency identification (RFID) tag (26); at Feast one RFID reader (40) to monitor the storage and removal of medication (25) from the medicine cabinet (20); a database (70) to store information related to the medication (25); an alert module (35) to provide an alert to the person if incorrect medication (25) have been removed from the medicine cabinet (20) or if correct medication (25) have not been removed from the medicine cabinet (20) at the correct time, wherein the information stored by the database (70) includes any one from the group consisting of: contraindications combination of medication (25) which may be safely taken, allergic reactions of medication (25), the recommended dosage for each medication (25), the administration schedule for each medication (25), and expiry date of each

Abstract: The present invention relates methods of making a ferroelectric powder and ceramics having the steps of mixing a polymer and a metal oxide precursor mixture within a mill, milling the polymer/precursor mixture, drying the mixture, burning the dried solid, grinding the solid, and calcinating the solid to a ferroelectric powder. The present invention in particular introduces a polymeric species with a metal oxide precursor at the milling stage. The production of ceramics further involves compressing the ferroelectric powder and sintering the compression.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for controllably producing silk particles including the steps of designing a particle size, setting parameters to create the particle size except one unknown parameter, calculating the unknown parameter using algorithm, dissolving a silk peptide in a solvent, adding a cleavage agent, and hydrolyzing the peptide to produce the particle in the desired size.

Abstract: The present invention relates a scanable product made of a physical object and an ID Container, such ID Container possessing on its memory a Unique ID and a stored coded locking mechanism. The stored coded locking mechanism is generated by inputting physimetric property of the physical object and its Unique ID into hash functions to create an unintelligible code. Methods of making such a scanable product, and methods of authenticating a scanable product are also taught.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of automated process control operation wherein a physical object is directed into a read zone, information stored on an ID Container attached to the physical object is retrieved, physimetric property of the physical object is captured, the retrieved information is processed to provide recorded physimetric property specific to the physical object, the recorded physimetric property and captured physimetric property are passed to an analysis algorithm for comparison, and the results of the comparison are delivered to a controlling device. The results of the comparison will determine whether the physical property will continue to pass through the read zone or require to be rotated by the operator.

Abstract: A tongue diagnosis system based on chromatic and textural features of a subject's tongue, which is based on Bayesian analysis of two sets of quantitative features, related to the color and texture of the tongue, respectively. The two sets of quantitative features are extracted from a digital tongue image of the tongue. The system includes several modules for image acquisition, tongue contour extraction, color and texture features extraction, and Bayesian analysis, respectively. These modules may be connected and configured in a way that a disease diagnosis process, from tongue image acquisition to an output of a diagnosis result, is progressing automatically.

Abstract: The present invention relates a method of dehumidifying an enclosed environment with a direct expansion air conditioning system, such direct expansion air conditioning system containing a two speed compressor and a two speed supply fan that allows the compressor and supply fan to run at high speeds in a steady-state or low speeds in a steady-state for better humidity control. Such a system allows for a more efficient, less costly system in comparison to single speed direct expansion air conditioner or direct expansion air conditioners with variable speed compressors and supply fans.

Abstract: A transplanar liquid transport tester for fabrics, comprising: a liquid reservoir; a liquid-permeable support member having a first surface for supporting a fabric test sample, and a second surface for interfacing with liquid in the liquid reservoir; and means for maintaining a constant hydrostatic pressure in the liquid reservoir at the second surface of the support member for replenishing liquid through the support member to the first surface during testing.

Abstract: A liquid dispensing apparatus, including a hollow horn having a central cylindrical cavity and a piezoelectric ring having a central opening. The piezoelectric ring is coupled to the hollow horn such that the central opening is in communication with one end of the central cylindrical cavity. A mesh screen is provided at the other end of the central cylindrical cavity. Liquid is delivered to an inner surface of the mesh screen through the central opening of the piezoelectric ring and the central cylindrical cavity of the hollow horn, and is dispensed from an outer surface of the mesh screen in the form of fine liquid droplets.

Abstract: An magnetorheological damper useful in structural vibration control has a damper body and a moveable portion relative to the damper body. The damper includes an magnetorheological material contained within the damper body for resisting movement of the moveable portion. Rheology changes can be generated in the magnetorheological material owing to changes in a magnetic field, to which the magnetorheological material is exposed. The damper further includes at least a sensor embedded in the damper for monitoring an external force exerted on the damper, and for generating a signal to control the magnetic field and hence the resulting yield force and rheological damping of the damper in response to a variance in the external force.

Abstract: A magnetic core is made of a composite magnetic material having a relative permeability of between 1 and 29 at a frequency range from 20 kHz to 2.5 MHz. The composite magnetic material consists of cobalt and nickel particles having an average diameter in the range of 1 to 100 micrometers, and a polymer base binding the particles to form a core.

Abstract: This invention discloses to a type of fiber gas lasers and fiber ring laser gyroscopes based on these fiber gas lasers. The fiber gas lasers comprise of excitation gases, optical resonator and excitation source, etc. The optical resonator is made by connecting two selected arms of a single mode fiber coupler to the two ends of hollow-core fiber to form a ring resonator. The hollow-core of the fiber is filled with excitation gases to act as gain medium. The fiber laser is simple to construct, lower cost, and has adjustable size and good amplification performance. The fiber ring laser gyroscopes based on this novel type of gas lasers can be applied on robotics, automobile navigation, etc.

Abstract: A method of estimating a radiation dose deposited on a radiochromic film based on absorption measurements at least at two wavelengths as well as devices implementing the estimation method. The method includes the following steps: (a) measuring absorption values at a first wavelength and a second wavelength; (b) converting the absorption values at the two wavelengths to dose values at the corresponding wavelengths by using a calibration procedure; (c) obtaining a weighting factor curve (weighting factor vs. dose) at each wavelengths; and (d) obtaining an estimate of irradiation dose at the location on the radiochromic film by minimizing the objective function which takes the weighting factors and the dose values at both wavelengths as input.

Abstract: The present invention relates to synthetic green tea derived polyphenolic compounds, their modes of syntheses, and their use in inhibiting proteasomal activity and in treating cancers. The present invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions useful in methods of inhibiting proteasomes and of treating cancers.

Abstract: A bollard with connecting mechanism for connecting railings, comprising: a bollard body which is provided with at least two receiving parts concave inwardly on each of opposite surfaces thereof; at least two connectors, each of which includes a base and an ear extending from the base and having a connecting hole thereon for connecting the railing; wherein the base is accommodated in the receiving part, and the ear is selectively accommodated in the receiving part or exposed out of the receiving part according to whether railings need to be connected.

Abstract: PageRank (PR) is used by web search engine Google in ranking individual web pages. However, it is known that this value is also easily manipulated by methods known as spoofing. Further, the calculation of PR will require iterative cycles of computations to achieve a “steady” value. This would mean that huge computation resources are required to obtain reasonably reliable PR values for various web pages. This invention provides relatively accurate and simple methods for ranking the importance of a node in a network. The web graph or the network is first represented by an incidence matrix or a representation matrix W. The matrix W is then self-multiplied to obtain flow matrix. The flow capacity, or the rank of each node, is then obtained from the flow matrix.

Abstract: Shape-memory polymer is a new kind of material utilizing shape memorizing mechanism of elastomer of polyurethane family. These materials exhibit novel properties such as sensing (thermal), actuaton, high damping, adaptive responses, super-elasticity capability and air permeability. Recently, they are used and applied to finish textiles and garments. Although there are some characterization methods for shape memory polymers, there is currently no characterization method to evaluate the effects of shape memory fabrics. This invention provides a method to determine the shape memory coefficient of fabrics. The fabric is first deformed from the original state to a deformed state and then subjected to a switch temperature. Different parameters are measured at the original state before and after the fabric is subjected to the switch temperature to determine the shape memory coefficient.

Abstract: A calcaneal bisector for indicating a calcaneal bisection line of a heel firstly includes a frame and a first plate mounted relative to the frame. One side of the heel can be aligned to the first plate when the bisector is in use. The bisector also includes a second plate movably mounted to the frame, and the second plate is slidable relative to the first plate for aligning to the other side of the heel. The bisector further includes an indicator movably mounted relative to the frame for indicating the calcaneal bisection line and a transmission mechanism disposed between the plates and the indicator for correlating movements of the indicator and the relative movements of the plates so as to ascertain the calcaneal bisection line.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for splicing a conventional single mode fiber and a photonic crystal fiber having a small core. The method, relying upon an offset fusion splicer, applies repeated arc discharges having weak current and short duration. The method results in a low loss between 1.5 dB to less than 0.5 dB.

Abstract: In the present invention, methods and systems for fabricating novel LPFGs are taught. Fabrication is preformed by focusing a CO2 laser beam having a diameter of 30 to 40 ?m onto a fiber, such fiber being fixed and weighted on either ends. The variations of transmission spectrum and polarization dependent (PDL) loss of the CO2 laser-grooved LPFGs with different fabrication parameters as functions of applied as functions of applied tensile stain are demonstrated and evaluated.