Abstract: Provided are apparatuses for cryopreserving cells which include a vessel comprising a biocompatible substrate, wherein the vessel further comprises an interior and an exterior, and a mechanical ice nucleating device disposed in or on the vessel interior for initiating ice crystal formation. Also provided are kits comprising one or more apparatuses for cryopreserving cells and a biopreservation medium. Further provided are compositions comprising a vessel for holding cells, a mechanical ice nucleating device, a biopreservation medium, and cells disposed in the vessel. The apparatuses, kits, and compositions of the invention can optionally include an insulating material which is disposed on all or a portion of the vessel.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a housing, a photosensitive drum, a cleaning blade, a contact portion, and a contacted portion. The housing and drum are disposed in an internal space of the main body. The blade is a plate-shaped elastic member extending in an axial direction of a rotational axis of the drum, is supported by the housing, and contacts a circumferential surface of the drum for cleaning. The contact portion is disposed opposite the housing in the main body. The contacted portion is disposed at a center portion, in the axial direction, of the housing and is contacted by the contact portion. A position of the center portion, in the axial direction, of the housing is adjusted in a cross section intersecting the axial direction by the housing being inserted into the internal space and the contact portion coming into contact with the contacted portion.

Abstract: A communication apparatus includes a storage unit, a processing unit, and a communication unit. The storage unit includes a communication storage area for storing communication data, which stores relevant information indicating a time when the reception disabled state is resolved for each of factors of the reception disabled state. The processing unit determines a current factor of the reception disabled state and calculates a reception enabled time until being a reception enabled state by resolving the reception disabled state based on the relevant information corresponding to the determined one or more factors. When data reception from the other party is disabled, the communication unit transmits the reception enabled time calculated by the processing unit as a wait time until the communication apparatus of the other party sends a request to start communication again.

Abstract: Systems and related methods providing for touch sensors having a waveguide reflective array within a major reflective array are discussed herein. A touch sensor may include a substrate configured to propagate surface acoustic waves. The substrate may include a front surface, a back surface including the reflective arrays, and a connecting surface joining the front surface and the back surface. The reflective arrays may be configured to cause the surface acoustic waves to propagate from the back surface, via the connecting surface, to the front surface. The touch censor may further include circuitry configured to determine a coordinate of a touch event on the front surface based on received attenuations in the surface acoustic waves.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressuring member, a heating member, a pressing member and a supporting member. The heating member is arranged rotatably around a rotation axis and configured such that the fixing belt is sandwiched between the heating member and the pressuring member. The pressing member is configured to press the fixing belt to a side of the pressuring member and configured such that the fixing belt is sandwiched between the pressing member and the pressuring member. The supporting member has a supporting face configured to come into contact with the inner circumference face of the fixing belt. The supporting face is inclined toward inside in a radial direction of the fixing belt from both end sides to a center side of the fixing belt in the rotation axis direction.

Abstract: A server is communicable with at least one terminal used by a traveler and generates guidebook data of a guidebook for display or printing by the terminal The server includes a reception section, a guidebook data generating section, and a transmission section. The reception section receives, from the terminal, basic information pertaining to a trip being planned by the traveler and characteristic information indicating a characteristic of the traveler. The guidebook generating section prepares one or more travel plans that are appropriate for the traveler based on the basic information and the characteristic information received from the terminal, and based on reference information acquired from at least one external server. The guidebook generating section generates guidebook data of a guidebook indicating each of the travel plans prepared thereby. The transmission section transmits the generated guidebook data to the terminal.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed herein for indicating the status of a service queue and routing communications. The system maintains a server having at least a first service queue and second service queue. Each service queue comprises at least one or more individual agent device extensions. As calls come into the system, they are first handled by the first service queue. A server monitors performance parameters of the one or more individual agent extensions on a group communications line servicing the second service queue. A display device is provided for displaying the status of each agent in the second service queue based on the monitored performance parameters. The operator is able to use a switch board for transferring communications from the first service queue to the second service queue based on the indicated status of the second service queue.

Abstract: High-temperature heat generated from a fixing device is efficiently discharged to an outside an apparatus. A printer includes: a photosensitive drum; a transfer roller; a fixing device; and a duct frame that is mounted between two side plates disposed to oppose each other and disposed right over the fixing device with a lower surface opened. An upper inner surface of the duct frame is inclined in a short-edge direction of the duct frame, and an inclined upper end portion of the upper inner surface is provided with an aperture portion that discharges heat generated from the fixing device to an outside of the duct frame.

Abstract: An analytics platform provides a unified business intelligence application that includes querying, analysis, reporting, and prediction (QARP). The analytics platform includes an analytics engine that stores data identifying a plurality of dimensions associated with a population. The population includes multiple population members and each dimension is associated with multiple dimension members. The data includes likelihood scores for at least a subset of the plurality of dimension members, where the likelihood scores are associated with satisfaction of a criterion. The analytics engine is configured to determine a predicted likelihood of a particular population member satisfying the analysis criterion based on the likelihood scores of the dimension members associated with the population member. The analytics engine may store the predicted likelihood as a calculated value that can be counted, summed, etc. during operation.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed herein for managing conference bridge communication sessions. The system and method involves receiving a plurality of calls containing user media from users into a conference bridge, then connecting the plurality of calls via a load balancer to a plurality of conference servers on a network. A master broker dynamically selects a master conference server from among the plurality of conference servers to which the calls are connected. Once the master conference server is selected, the master broker directs all other conference servers to bridge the user media for the calls that are connected to the master conference server. The master conference server receives the user media from each of the connected conference servers. The master conference server is able to organize and mix the various user media and return this mixed media to each of the connected conference servers and thereby back to each user.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus capable of detecting the ON/OFF state of each of two interlock switches connected in series to a power line, and detecting the opening/closure of each of two covers. The first and second interlock switches are set on/off according to the opening/closure of the first and second covers respectively. The first interlock switch is connected to a supply voltage when the first interlock switch is on, and is connected to a detection voltage being lower and on which the load does not operate when the first interlock switch is off. A control part detects the opening/closure of the first cover and the second cover based on a voltage on the power line between the first interlock switch and the second interlock switch and a voltage on the power line between the second interlock switch and the load.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit which controls a correcting operation of correcting the meandering of an endless belt by a roller position adjusting mechanism. Prior to the correcting operation, the control unit causes a toner image for monitoring to be transferred to an area of a circumferential surface of the belt passing a detection area of a density sensor, causes the density sensor to perform a first detecting operation of detecting the toner image for monitoring, subsequently causes the density sensor to perform a second detecting operation of detecting the toner image for monitoring after the circumferential surface of the belt is moved by a predetermined distance, and calculates a meandering amount of the belt by comparing a first density value obtained by the first detecting operation and a second density value obtained by the second detecting operation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a memory device which receives a check command and check information from a Central Processing Unit (CPU), reads data written in a predetermined area of a memory based on the check information in response to the check command, and checks a data pattern of the data read based on the check information.

Abstract: A dB-linear voltage-to-current (V/I) converter that is amenable to implementation in CMOS technology. In a representative embodiment, the dB-linear V/I converter has a voltage scaler, a current multiplier, and an exponential current converter serially connected to one another. The voltage scaler supplies an input current to the current multiplier based on an input voltage. The current multiplier multiplies the input current and a current proportional to absolute temperature and supplies the resulting current to the exponential current converter. The exponential current converter has a differential MOSFET pair operating in a sub-threshold mode and generating an output current that is proportional to a temperature-independent, exponential function of the input voltage.

Abstract: A system for controlling pressurized infusion and temperature of intravenous fluids according to the present invention includes a housing, a heating assembly and a flexible cover. The heating assembly is recessed within the housing and includes a generally U-shaped configuration to surround and uniformly heat fluid within a fluid container placed thereon. The cover wraps around a portion of the fluid container to secure the fluid container against the heating assembly. The cover includes a pressurization member to apply a desired pressure to the fluid container to achieve a desired flow rate of intravenous fluid from the fluid container to an infusion site on a patient. The system further includes a controller to control the heating assembly and pressure within the pressurization member in accordance with desired temperature and pressure information entered into the controller for system operation.

Abstract: A gear box includes an output shaft defining multiple output drivers and includes a plurality of gear sets having the same diametral pitch. A common input shaft is operatively attached to each of the plurality of gear sets such that the gear sets rotate continuously and concurrently with rotation of the input shaft. Each of the output drivers is operatively attached to the output shaft and rotatably driven by a respective one of the plurality of gear sets. The multiple output drivers share a common axis of rotation with the output shaft. The output speed of the gear box may be changed by disconnecting one of the output drivers from a driven device and reconnecting another one of the output drivers to the driven device. The output speed of the gear box may be changed without having to disengage and/or change out any of the gears in the gear box.

Abstract: A set of branch metrics for a trellis associated with a Viterbi detector is generated. A set of path metrics associated with the trellis is generated based at least in part on the set of branch metrics, including by obtaining a pruned trellis by removing at least some portion of the trellis that is associated with an invalid bit sequence not permitted by a constrained code. A surviving path associated with the pruned trellis is selected based at least in part on the set of path metrics. A sequence of decisions associated with the surviving path is output.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charging member, a transferring member, a first voltage applying part, a current measuring part, a fan, a cleaning member and a controlling part. The controlling part carries out an aging operation rotating the image carrier and bringing the cleaning member in sliding contact with the image carrier before forming an image. The controlling part lengthens a running time of the aging operation in a case where a current value measured by the current measuring part is equal to or less than a first threshold value when the fan blows an outside air to the image carrier and the first voltage applying part applies voltage to one of the charging member and transferring member, in comparison with another case where the current value measured by the current measuring part exceeds the first threshold value.

Abstract: A system and method for triggering data acquisition in a semiconductor laser system including outputting electromagnetic energy from the semiconductor laser over a range of wavelengths according to a signaling path. The signaling path includes a plurality of discrete data inputs to the semiconductor laser for outputting electromagnetic energy over a range of wavelengths and the signaling path includes one or more perturbances in transitioning from one wavelength to another wavelength along the signaling path. A series of triggering signals are generated for input to a measurement system by the semiconductor laser. The electromagnetic energy output from the semiconductor laser is detected based on the series of triggering signals. The detected electromagnetic energy is compared with a valid data vector, wherein the valid data vector includes one or more criteria and/or values that is used to differentiate valid data from invalid data corresponding to the detected electromagnetic energy.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developing container, a first agitating feeding member, a second agitating feeding member, a first developer delivery portion, a second developer delivery portion, and a toner sensor. The developing container includes a first transport path and a second transport path. The first agitating feeding member and the second agitating feeding member agitate and feed developer. The first developer delivery portion delivers the developer from the first transport path to the second transport path. The second developer delivery portion delivers the developer from the second transport path to the first transport path. The toner sensor is disposed at a part of the first transport path near the first developer delivery portion. A ceiling height of a part of the first transport path facing the first developer delivery portion is larger than a ceiling height of other part of the first transport path.