Abstract: An air activating device comprising a wind tunnel (1) formed with a suction port and an exhaust port, a first corona discharge electrode pair (4) and a second corona discharge electrode pair (5) disposed in the wind tunnel (1) to generate corona discharge, and an ozone generating lamp (6) disposed in the wind tunnel to generate ozone, wherein the first corona discharge electrode pair (4), the ozone generating lamp (6) and the second corona discharge electrode pair (5) are disposed in the order mention in an air flowing direction from the suction port to the exhaust port, the first and second corona discharge electrode pairs (4, 5) respectively have discharge electrodes (41, 51) and counter electrodes (42, 52), and the discharge electrodes (41, 51) and counter electrodes (42, 52) are disposed in the order mentioned in the air flowing direction.

Abstract: An organic compound having an affinity for a resin of a molded resin article and sublimation properties is allowed to penetrate/disperse into the surface of the molded resin article, thereby modifying and/or coloring a resin surface layer. The molded resin article and the organic compound having the affinity for the resin and the sublimation properties are put into a tightly closable container, and the pressure and the temperature in the container are adjusted to place them in a saturated sublimation pressure state of the organic compound, whereby a vapor of the organic compound is uniformly deposited on the surface of the molded resin article and it further penetrates/disperses into the resin surface layer, and in consequence, the resin surface layer can be modified and/or colored. In addition, the modification of the resin surface layer permits imparting a function thereto.

Abstract: Described are a method and a device for high speed transmission of a data signal across an electrical interconnect in an integrated circuit. An optical carrier is modulated with a local oscillator signal at a modulation frequency substantially greater than the data signal to generate an optical local oscillator signal. Phototransducers at the ends of the interconnect illuminated by the optical local oscillator signal generate electrical local oscillator signals. At the transmit end of the interconnect, the data signal is mixed with an electrical local oscillator signal to generate an upconverted data signal. After transmission across the interconnect to the receive end, the upconverted data signal is mixed with the electrical local oscillator signal to retrieve the original data signal.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to amino acid sequences obtainable from SOCS proteins and which are capable of interacting with intracellular molecules. The present invention further relates to nucleic acid molecules encoding said amino acid sequences. The amino acid sequences and the nucleic acid molecules encoding same of the present invention are useful in modulating degradation of proteinaceous molecules such as but not limited to SOCS proteins and proteinaceous molecules associated therewith. The present invention provides a mechanism for modulating cytokine or cytokine-like molecule signalling by modulating the degradation of activated signal transduction molecules or their negative regulators, i.e. the SOCS proteins.

Abstract: The present invention is a force detecting controlling device for a screw of an injection molding machine, which utilities a load cell as a force sensor for injection, holding pressure and back pressure. The load cell arranged on a rear fixed plate directly detects a force applied onto a ball screw nut. Because the ball screw nut is fastened on the load cell, and the load cell is fixed on the rear fixed plate, the force on a ball screw is directly transmitted to the ball screw nut. Therefore, a total value of the force on the ball screw produced by back pressure and friction among mechanical parts are equal to a force value of the ball screw nut applying onto the load cell. The injection force detected via the load cell for an instant response reaches a close loop control and procedures of holding pressure and back pressure are specifically controlled as well.

Abstract: A gas-fired burner including a cylindrical burner housing having a premixed fuel/air opening. Disposed within the cylindrical burner housing is a cylindrical burner ring which forms at least one row of a plurality of burner ports. The cylindrical burner ring is sized relative to the burner housing such that an annular space is formed between the burner housing and the burner ring. Upper and lower annular rings extend between the burner ring and the burner housing, thereby enclosing the annular space. Disposed within the burner ring is a secondary air flow restrictor for controlling the flow of secondary air to the flame. A multi-finger grate having alternating long and short fingers is disposed above the burner housing.

Abstract: Optimizing fly ash resistivity by controlling concentration of sulfur trioxide (SO3) in flue gas by the use of an algorithm.

Abstract: The present invention provides microcombustors, microreformers, and methods of steam reforming alcohols over a catalyst. The microcombustors can be manufactured with a very small size and can operate at very low temperature. Surprisingly superior results and properties obtained in methods of the present invention are also described.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor (22) to be calibrated and evaluated is affixed to one end surface (22) of a metal rod (1), and a plurality of projectiles (3) are made to impact the other end surface (2) of the metal rod at prescribed time intervals, generating an elastic wave pulse in the metal rod. Dynamic displacement, velocity or acceleration in a direction normal to the other end surface arising in a process of the generated elastic wave pulse reaching and being reflected by the one end surface where the acceleration sensor is affixed is measured, and an acceleration measured, processed and corrected by a strain gauge (25) attached to a side surface of the metal rod or by a laser interferometer (24) is obtained, and the corrected acceleration and the output of the acceleration sensor are compared to thereby carry out calibration and evaluation of the acceleration sensor.

Abstract: This invention provides a photodetector for weak light and a weak light detection system including the photodetector for weak light the photodetector for weak light is comprised of a substrate on which an integrating read circuit including a PIN photodiode or an APD and an FET is mounted, wherein the entire assembly is mounted while separating the substrate from a ground potential without grounding the substrate, such a photodetector for weak light can reduce noise and ensure a high enough sensitivity enough to be able to discriminate the number of photons.

Abstract: In an apparatus for authenticating a user by employing feature points of a fingerprint image of the user, a fingerprint image input circuit scans a fingerprint of a user to be registered to provide a first fingerprint image and a fingerprint of a user to be authenticated to provide a second fingerprint image. A host provides registered feature points data corresponding to the first fingerprint image and target feature points data corresponding to the second fingerprint image. A security token circuit estimates a position difference and a direction difference between pairs of a registered feature point and a target feature point and corrects the two feature points based on the position difference and the direction difference to provide authentication result data.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus having a partial response forward equalizer (filter) with sufficient number of taps to result in 7-tap target response, designed by jointly optimizing the target response and the target coefficients to maximize an appropriate signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the detector input, followed by a new post-processing scheme enhances performance of the threshold based bit-by-bit detector designed for the d=2 optical channels. The resulting performance of the proposed scheme over a range of channel densities of 4.5 and below (used on EFM/EFMPlus coded channels for CD/DVD), is close to maximum-likelihood bound (MLB), and it is better than that of other schemes at channel densities of 4.5 and higher. Advantageously, the detector of the invention is simple in structure compared to conventional partial response Viterbi detector schemes. By processing the detected data in accordance with a set of data correction rules, the invention provides advantageous enhanced detection capacity.

Abstract: A drop on demand printer has a nozzle with an orifice and a surrounding annular land. Surrounding the land is an edge, which is surrounded by a perimetrical surface that is inclined to the land at an angle ?. A pressure controller maintains a positive overpressure on liquid to be printed such that a cap of liquid is substantially always present covering the orifice and the land. The edge between the land and the perimetrical surface prevents liquid from overflowing, and maintains the cap, if the pressure is maintained between lower and upper limits disclosed. The liquid to be printed preferably wets the orifice land, which may be alumina, glass, ceramic, and others. Liquids with very small, even zero, wetting angles relative to the land may be used, such as water and organic solvents, including, isopropyl and ethyl alcohol and chloroform. The liquid can be loaded with dissolved polymers, or particles, such as of polymer or ceramic.

Abstract: This application relates to a composite solvent for separating aromatics by extractive distillation, comprising a main solvent, a solutizer and a modifier. Said solutizer is selected from any one or mixtures of any two of C8–C11 aromatics having different number of carbon atoms, the content of which is 3–39 wt %, and the number of carbon atoms of the lowest aromatic in the solutizer should be greater than that of the highest aromatic in the aromatics to be separated. When the solutizer is selected from any one of C8–C11 aromatics, the composite solvent contains 0.01–10.0 wt % of the modifier; when the solutizer is selected from mixtures of any two of C8–C11 aromatics having different number of carbon atoms, the composite solvent contains 0–10.0 wt % of the modifier. Said main solvent and modifier are independently selected from sulfolane derivatives, N-formyl morpholine, and N-methyl pyrrolidone, provided that the acidity and basicity of the modifier are opposite to those of the main solvent.

Abstract: A new feedback linearization approach to advanced control of single-unit and multi-unit HVAC systems is described. In accordance with the approach of the invention, this new nonlinear control includes a model-based feedback linearization part to compensate for the nonlinearity in the system dynamics. Therefore, the evaporating temperature and superheat values can be controlled by linear PI control designs to achieve desired system performance and reliability. The main advantages of the new nonlinear control approach include (1) better performance even with large model errors, (2) being able to adapt to indoor unit turn on/off operation, (3) much smaller PI control gains compared to that of current feedback PI controls, (4) much easier design procedures since there is no need for tuning the PI control gains over wide range operation.

Abstract: The invention relates to an anti-amoebic vaccine containing an oligopeptide which can be obtained from the microorganism Entamoeba histolytica or synthesized by known methods. The anti-amoebic vaccines are particularly effective against inflammation and liver abscesses resulting from amoebic invasion when administered to patients.

Abstract: The present invention relates to 4-hydroxycinnamamide derivatives as antioxidants and pharmaceutical compositions containing them. More particularly, it relates to 4-hydroxycinnamamide derivatives showing superior antioxidant activity compared to the known antioxidant compounds, their pharmaceutically acceptable salt, and pharmaceutical compositions containing them. It can be usefully used in treating neurodegerative diseases such as aging, cancer, diabetes, ischemic stroke, Parkin's disease, dementia and Huntinton's disease.

Abstract: A portable reconfigurable geolocation system is provided. The system includes a portable user node and one or more portable pseudolite nodes in communication one another and with the user node. Each of the user nodes and pseudolite nodes includes a transmitter that generates a signal on one or more carrier frequencies. Each signal is modulated with digital signals necessary to establish distances between the nodes and to convey data between the nodes. Each node also includes a receiver for receiving and demodulating the signals transmitted between the nodes, and a processor for receiving the demodulated signals, extracting data values and derived values from the demodulated signals and determining a three-dimensional position of each node in the system.

Abstract: A device for converting frequency of electromagnetic radiation includes a nonlinear medium that forms a moving grating in the nonlinear medium by introducing at opposite ends of the nonlinear medium a first set of electromagnetic radiation having varying frequencies. Electromagnetic radiation is inputted into the nonlinear medium at a first frequency and extracted at a second frequency from the nonlinear medium. The moving grating in the nonlinear medium allows for electromagnetic radiation to be converted into the second frequency.

Abstract: Polynucleotides encoding the IL-13 receptor and fragments thereof are disclosed. IL-13 receptor proteins, methods for their production, inhibitors of binding of IL-13 and its receptor and methods for their identification are also disclosed.