Abstract: The present invention provides a method of preparation for a degradable, water and oil resistant protective membrane. In the said method, carbon dioxide copolymer is dissolved in a low toxic or non-toxic solvent to form a solution of 3-6 wt % concentration. After standing and filtration to remove metal oxide, the solution is used to coat the surface of the fabricated starch, paper pulp, or straw tableware by spraying or dipping. The residual solvent is removed by drying process and a degradable, water and oil resistant and transparent protective membrane is obtained. The thickness of the protective membrane is in the range of 10-20 micrometer. Metal ion content is lower than 1 ppm. No leakage and deformation of the tableware are observed after the tableware is immerged in water or edible oil for 4 hours at 80° C. The decoloration test by cold edible oil and ethanol is negative. Fungus test gives grade V.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an implementation of the selective attention mechanism occurring in the human brain using a conventional neural network, multi-layer perceptron and the error back-propagation method as a conventional learning method, and an application of the selective attention mechanism to perception of patterns such as voices or characters. In contrast to the conventional multi-layer perceptron and error back-propagation method in which the weighted value of the network is changed based on a given input signal, the selective attention algorithm of the present invention involves learning a present input pattern to minimize the error of the output layer with the weighted value set to a fixed value, so that the network can receive only a desired input signal to simulate the selective attention mechanism in the aspect of the biology.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the administration of Keratinocyte Growth Factor-2 (KGF-2) to stimulate proliferation of platelets and to increase levels of fibrinogen, albumin, globulin and total serum protein. Further, the present invention relates to administering KGF-2 to protect or treat the bladder and prostate. Moreover, the present invention relates to administering KGF-2 to stimulate growth of nasal, oral, and esophageal mucosa, lacrimal glands, salivary glands and Goblet cells.

Abstract: A method of evaluating a risk of a subject to develop vascular complications is disclosed. The method is effected by determining a haptoglobin phenotype of the subject and thereby evaluating the risk of the subject to develop vascular complications. The risk is decreased in patients with haptoglobin 1-1 phenotype as compared to patients with haptoglobin 1-2 or haptoglobin 2-2 phenotypes.

Abstract: SiC fiber-reinforced SiC-matrix composite has the structure that SiC filaments are inserted into SiC matrix formed as a pyrolysis product of polyvinyl-silane (PVS) infiltrated into openings of said SiC filaments. PVS as a polymeric SiC precursor has structural units (a) and (b) at an a/b ratio of 1. A SiC fiber preform is impregnated with PVS slurry in an open or vacuum atmosphere, preheated at 300-400° C. in an inert gas atmosphere to moderate PVS to a viscous or semi-cured state, and then pyrolyzed in an argon atmosphere under application of a unidirectional pressure. A product is SiC fiber-reinforced SiC-matrix composite excellent in mechanical strength and high-temperature property with high density. The SiC composite is further densified by infiltration of PVS slurry suspending fine SiC particles therein or by repetition of impregnation with sole PVS and pressure-less pyrolysis after the pressurized pyrolysis.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a magnetic type floor hinge installed on the bottom surface of a door for reducing the opening and shutting speed of the door, the magnetic type floor hinge according to the present invention comprises an installing bracket divided into a magnetic operating part and a hinge operating part having one end on which a guide rail is installed; a moving plate installed to move linearly on the guide rail; a compressing spring installed between the moving plate and the installing bracket in the direction of movement of the moving plate; a main shaft cam rotatably installed on an upper portion of the moving plate, the main shaft cam being combined with a hinge shaft of the door and rotated along with the hinge shaft; a roller installed on one end of the moving plate, the roller being contacted with a cam-shaped surface of the main shaft cam; a disk rotatably installed at one end of the magnetic operating part of the installing bracket; a yoke installed on the magnetic operating part of

Abstract: A compound represented by a genera formula (Ia) or (Ib) and a stereo-selective preparation method thereof using a carbonyl reductase which is separated from Kluyveromyces marxianus. The compound can be prepared by reduction of substituted &bgr;-keto ester and can be used as an intermediate in preparing &bgr;-lactam group antibiotics.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel polishing material with which silicon nitride ceramic and sialon ceramic can be polished at high efficiency through a tribochemical reaction, and a method for manufacturing thereof, said material is used for polishing a silicon nitride ceramic or sialon ceramic as a material being polished, through a tribochemical reaction, and consists of a ceramic sinter containing an element that causes the ceramic being polished to undergo a dissolution reaction at the grain boundary of the sinter, within the particles thereof, and/or in pores thereof.

Abstract: Disclosed is a wavelength stabilizing method in which a first QCSE photodetector and a second QCSE photodetector receive a light outputted from a single light source, a first wavelength-photocurrent graph obtained when a selected bias voltage is applied to the first QCSE photodetector and a second wavelength-photocurrent graph obtained when a selected bias voltage is applied to the first QCSE photodetector are overlapped at a predetermined reference wavelength, a photocurrent outputted from the first QCSE photodetector is greater than a photocurrent outputted from the second QCSE photodetector at wavelengths shorter than the overlapped point while the photocurrent outputted from the second QCSE photodetector is greater than the photocurrent outputted from the first QCSE photodetector at wavelengths longer than the overlapped point, and if the photocurrent outputted from the first QCSE photodetector is greater than the photocurrent output from the second QCSE photodetector, output wavelengths are moved to the

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel members of the Tumor Necrosis Factor family of receptors. The invention provides isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding human TR11, TR11SV1, and TR11SV2 receptors. TR11, TR11SV1, and TR11SV2 polypeptides are also provided, as are vectors, host cells and recombinant methods for producing the same. The invention further relates to screening methods for identifying agonists and antagonists of TR11, TR11SV1, and TR11SV2 receptor activity. The present invention further relates to antibodies that specifically bind TR11, TR11SV1, and/or TR11SV2. Also provided are diagnostic methods for detecting disease states related to the aberrant expression of TR11, TR11SV1, and TR11SV2 receptors. Further provided are therapeutic methods for treating disease states related to aberrant proliferation and differentiation of cells which express the TR11, TR11SV1, and TR11SV2 receptors.

Abstract: A carbon anode active material for lithium secondary battery comprising a cluster or thin film layer of a metal or metal oxide coated onto the surface of the carbon active material, a preparation method thereof, and a metal-carbon hybrid electrode and a lithium secondary battery comprising the same. The carbon active material is prepared through a gas suspension spray coating method. An electrode comprising the carbon active material according to the present invention shows excellent conductivity, high rate charge/discharge characteristics, cycle life characteristics and electrode capacity close to theoretical value.

Abstract: Waste water to be treated is introduced into a first electrolytic bath, and then, hydroxide iron particles are supplied into the waste water through the electrolysis reaction at iron electrodes. Impurities such as organic compounds, phosphoric compounds, persistent compounds and the like are physically absorbed onto the hydroxide iron particles. Then, the hydroxide iron particles (flocks) with absorbed impurities are discharged via a drain valve, to purify the waste water to some degree. The waste water is introduced into a second electrolytic bath with a water pump. In the second electrolytic bath, the remnant impurities in the waste water are chemically dissolved and removed through the oxidation reduction reaction between the surfaces of metallic oxide electrodes and the waste water.

Abstract: To reduce the effect of the phase shift error originated from the mismatch of the delay units of the clock generator, we propose to add one more set of averaging amplifiers and averaging impedances, such as resistors, into the circuit of the clock generator. In the clock generator, outputs of all delay units connect to inputs of all averaging amplifiers respectively, and the averaging impedances connect the corresponding outputs of two adjacent averaging amplifiers, so as to form a closed loop. When a phase shift error occurs in the delay units, the averaging current through the averaging impedances will decrease the phase shift error in each stage. Specifically, the output impedance of the averaging amplifiers approaches infinite, and thus the resistance of the averaging impedances is relatively small. Therefore almost all signal currents will go through the averaging impedances, and an optimal averaging effect is achieved.

Abstract: Tin-containing granular magnetic oxide particles comprising spinel-type crystal represented by the formula: Fe3-xSnxO4 wherein x is 0.14 to 0.48, and having a Fe2+ content of 17 to 22% by weight, a lattice constant of 8.41 to 8.49 Å, a magnetization value of 20 to 50 Am2/kg when measured under an applied magnetic field of 79.6 kA/m, and a depth of a groove of not more than 40 &mgr;m at which three or more continuous lines each having a length of not less than 10 mm are developed in a pigment dispersion test using a grind-meter when measured by Hoover's muller method according to JIS K5101 (1991) 9.1. The tin-containing granular magnetic oxide particles of the present invention exhibit a sufficient blackness, a small magnetization value and an excellent dispersibility.

Abstract: Methods for producing a junctionless ophthalmic lens are provided. Additionally, ophthalmic lenses having junctionless, three dimensional surfaces, for example, asymmetrical anterior and/or posterior surfaces, as well as molding tools used in the production of such lenses, are also provided. The method generally include providing sample data points to define a surface contour, and interpolating between these data points using an algorithm to produce a simulated three dimensional surface. The simulated three dimensional surface is used in producing an ophthalmic lens, for example, in cast molding a contact lens.

Abstract: The present invention is to propose a method and device which evaluate the shape and the size of each part of a human body in a multidimensional manner, generate a distribution map thereof, and compute and realize a virtual shape located in the periphery of the distribution map, whereby the shape and the size of a product such as clothing can be modified and designed. The virtual shape forming unit computes a space distortion function which mutually distorts three-dimensional shape data of a plurality of people, generates a multidimensional distribution map thereof based on the size of the distorted space, and derives a virtual shape which exists on an arbitrary location of the multidimensional distribution map.

Abstract: Methods are described for the identification and preparation of nucleic acid ligands to tenascin-C. Included in the invention are specific RNA ligands to tenascin-C identified by the SELEX method. Further included in the invention are methods for detecting the presence of a disease condition in a biological tissue in which tenascin-C is expressed.

Abstract: A new and useful technique for growing an epilayer onto a substrate is provided. An epilayer is grown on a substrate by (a) providing a patterned substrate comprising a plurality of isolated nanoscale nucleation sites, and (b) growing an epilayer selectively on the nanoscale nucleation sites, in a manner which localizes strain at the substrate-epilayer interface, and enables strain to reduce as the thickness of the epilayer increases.

Abstract: A multiplexing/demultiplexing apparatus used in wavelength division multiplexed passive optical subscriber networks comprises a multiplexing/demultiplexing means each having a natural number N input and output ports, wherein wavelength divided signals in one direction inputted through the N−1 input ports are multiplexed onto one output port, and simultaneously wavelength division multiplexed signals in the other direction inputted through the remainder one input port are demultiplexed onto the remainder N−1 output ports. According to the present invention it is possible to implement economical and efficient wavelength division multiplexed passive optical subscriber networks, by including two WGR's, one at the central office and one at the remote node to perform simultaneous multiplexing and demultiplexing of signals in upstream and downstream, and employing an erbium-doped fiber amplifier to be able to use a low-cost light source such as a light-emitting diode.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing organic acid by high-efficiency fermentation, which comprises the steps of continuous culture of organic acid bacteria and collection of organic acid produced from the culture employing a cell-recycle multiple-stage continuous fermentor with serially connected fermentors, each of which comprises a fermentor containing a ferment container, temperature controller, stirrer, and pH controller; pumps for efflux-circulation of media from the fermentor; and, cell separator for separation and circulation of media from the pumps. According to the present method, the high-concentration lactic acid of 90 g/L can be produced with the high productivity of 50 g/L/h, which can reduce the facility cost and production cost in the bulk manufacturing process.