Abstract: Metal chelates are useful for improving the contrast of X-ray, ultrasound, radionuclide and magnetic resonance (MR) images. However, the metal complexes must be stable and inert so that toxicity resulting from dissociation in the body can be minimized. This invention provides 16-member ring metal chelates that can provide a charge balanced metal complex having improved stability, especially for gadolinium(III) and samarium (III).

Abstract: (?)-EGCG, the most abundant catechin, was found to be chemopreventive and anticancer agent. However, (?)-EGCG has at least one limitation: it gives poor bioavailability. This invention provides compounds of generally formula 10, wherein R1 is selected from the group of —H and C1 to C6 acyl group; R2, R3, and R4 are each independently selected from the group of —H, —OH, and C1 to C6 acyloxyl group; and at least one of R2, R3, or R4 is —H. The derivatives of (?)-EGCG that is at least as potent as (?)-EGCG. The carboxylate protected forms of (?)-EGCG and its derivatives are found to be more stable than the unprotected forms, which can be used as proteasome inhibitors to reduce tumor cell growth.

Abstract: An apparatus for grinding an organic material into a powder includes a first grinding member with a first grinding surface and a second grinding member with a second grinding surface. The first and second grinding members are rotatably positioned adjacent each other for grinding an organic material between the first and second grinding surfaces. The first and second grinding surfaces include radii defining of sectors. The sectors include rows of teeth parallel to respective radii.

Abstract: A luminescent sensory material for the detection of the presence of organo-halogen compounds is described. This material is based on a platinum chromophore functionalized with pyridylacetylide ligands, as shown in Formulae I and II below. These complexes exhibit positive luminescence upon exposure to the vapors of organ-halogen compounds like CH2Cl2 or CHCl3 with high selectivity over non-chlorinated common organic vapors. Direct relationships between vapor concentration and luminescence intensity are established using thin films prepared from these complexes.

Abstract: A vertical micro-injection machine includes a plasticizing unit, in which a feeding channel is provided and a screw or a plunger for transporting the molten material is provided in the feeding channel; an injection unit adapted to receive a metered amount of molten material from the plasticizing unit; an injection mold adapted to receive the metered amount of molten material from the injection unit; at least two thrust cylinders adapted to close the injection mold before injection and open the injection mold after injected parts solidified; and the injection unit includes an injection cylinder, the injection cylinder is connected with the feeding channel of the plasticizing unit, and a vertically reciprocating plunger is provided in the injection cylinder, which can expel air above the molten material in the injection cylinder by its upward advancement and then push the molten material into the injection mold.

Abstract: Most of the dielectric ceramic compositions consist of three or more different lead-based or non-lead ceramics. These materials and their solid solutions can give high dielectric constants (er>10000) but the disadvantage is large fluctuations in the dielectric constant with increasing or decreasing temperature. Most applications of these materials are therefore concentrated on the utilization of their dielectric constants at a specific temperature. This invention provides a dielectric composite of the general formula (x)[Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3]:(1?x)[Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3] having improved stability of dielectric constant in the working temperature range.

Abstract: The current major way of making nanofibers is electrospinning. However, the minimum fiber diameter is limited to be about 300–500 nm, which is not compliant with the physical definition of nano structures (in the region of 1 to 100 nm). Futher, the productivity is relatively low. This invention provides a method for manufacturing a nano-sized di-block polymer including at least a hard-segment polymer and a soft-segment polymer. First, a sample containing the hard-segment polymer, the soft-segment polymer, and a catalyst is dissolved in a first solvent. Then the dissolved sample is cast on substrate, and then the first solvent to is removed form a dried sample. Finally, the nano-sized di-block polymer is formed by crew-cutting.

Abstract: Low-frequency duct noise is relatively difficult to deal with by passive methods such as porous duct lining. Reactive methods like expansion chamber are rather bulky, while compact resonators are to narrow-banded. This invention shows that a suitably stetched thin membrane backed by a slender cavity can achieve a satisfactory performance from low to medium frequencies over an octave band.

Abstract: A power converter for operating with an alternate current power source, including a storage capacitive means and a transformer, said storage capacitive means being adapted for power factor correction, said transformer including an input for connecting to an alternating current power source and at least a first output and a second output respectively for connecting to said storage capacitive means and the load, said transformer including input windings, first output windings and second output windings which are respectively connected to said input, said first and second outputs wherein said transformer and said storage capacitive means being adapted that the voltage across said storage capacitive means being related to the voltage of said first output of said transformer.

Abstract: A method for indirectly assessing the gesture, posture or movement of a body part of a person includes transmitting an ultrasound signal into the soft tissue, particularly the muscle, of body part and manipulating the reflected ultrasound signal to obtain parameter data. The parameter data is compared to reference information to obtain gesture, posture or movement information for the body part. Apparatus includes an ultrasound transmitter and receiver for transmitting, a signal processor, and a processor for storing reference information and determining gesture, posture or movement information for the body part.

Abstract: A methods for storing a searchable set of keywords includes concatenating the keywords to form a string, and defining one or more links between two or more characters in the string. A delimiting character separates the keywords in the string, and the links are pointers. Any inaccessible characters in the string are removed to improve the storage cost the method.

Abstract: A circuit board, for an electronic circuit having a passive circuit component, has a component region, non-component region, and circuit wiring conductors on its surface. The component region includes a polymer composition comprising a mixture of polymer resin and filler material that, in combination with the circuit wiring conductors, forms the passive circuit component.

Abstract: A tool that can screen bacteria for ?-lactamases against a panel of various antibiotics is desirable. A biosensor incorporating an indicator molecule into ?-lactamases may achieve this purpose, but it requires that the attached indicator molecule must not impair the binding affinity of the protein to a great extent to provide a higher sensitivity. A modified ?-lactamases with a residue on the ?-loop or outside the ?-loop but close to the active site of ?-lactamase being replaced by a reactive residue is developed in this invention.

Abstract: This invention provides double-skin tubular structural members having fibre-reinforced polymer outer tubes, steel or otherwise generally metallic inner tubes and generally a bound aggregate such as concrete in between the tubes.

Abstract: Existing magnetoelectric materials relying on the use of metallic or ceramic magnetostrictive materials and ceramic piezoelectric materials as their constituent phases may have three problems. First, the operational frequency may be limited to a few kilohertz due to the presence of eddy-current losses in the metallic magnetostrictive phase. Secondly, it may be difficult to machine and fabricate devices due to the mechanical brittleness of the ceramic and some metallic magnetostrictive phases as well as of the ceramic piezoelectric phase. Thirdly, it may be difficult to tailor and optimize the properties (i.e., magnetoelectric voltage coefficient ?E, etc.) of the devices due to the limitation of the types of the constituent materials. This invention provides a magnetoelectric element including at least one set of alternative piezoelectric layer and magnetostrictive composite layer.

Abstract: An echo canceller includes two parallel filters and a controller. The controller chooses the best of the two filters for the final echo cancellation. The filter coefficients are exchanged between the two filters constantly so that both filters retain performance all the time even if double-talk and echo path variations occur very closely in time. One filter is strongly robust and will not diverge during double-talk, and another filter is weakly robust and will converge rapidly during echo path variation.

Abstract: Radiation dose deposited on a radiochromic film is considered as a dose image. A precise image extraction system with commensurate capabilities is required to measure the transmittance of the dose image and correlate it with radiation dose. The disclosed microdensitometer system is designed to achieve this goal according to the unique characteristics of the radiochromic films, namely (a) the linearity and sensitivity of the dose response of the radiochromic films being highly dependent on the wavelength of the analyzing light and (b) the inherently high spatial resolution of the radiocbromic films. The disclosed microdensitometer system consists of a monochromator which provides analyzing light of variable wavelength, a film holder on a high-precision scanning stage, a CCD-dedicated microscope in conjunction with a thermoelectrically cooled CCD camera, corresponding computer interfaces and a microcomputer.

Abstract: A method of electroplating an object includes providing a electroplating bath solution with one or more anodes therein, disposing an object to be electroplated in the bath, and passing a complex current waveform between the anode nodes and the object. The waveform is a cyclic alternating type having two portions, a positive triangular shaped portion including one or more spikes and a negative portion. The method further includes vibrating the object and/or agitating the bath solution.

Abstract: Errors in current methods of determining elastic modulus through depth-sensing indentation may be resulted from three major factors: 1. error in estimating the projected contact area A(hc) by indirect means such as from the unloading curve, especially in the cases where “piling-up” occurs; 2. reliance on the use of the initial unloading slope Su, which in some cases is not easily determined reliably; and 3. insufficient consideration on the influences due to indenter bluntness in some important models based on numerical treatments. This invention provides a new method of determining elastic modulus of an indented material, which overcomes the above deficiencies. The maximum load and the total displacement of the indenter (to give a nominal hardness defined in this invention), elastic work and total work are measured.

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.