Abstract: An article supply system according to an embodiment includes an article supply apparatus and a first recognition apparatus. The article supply apparatus reads a first image from a first surface of an article conveyed by a first conveyance path, outputs the first image, and supplies the article to an article sorting apparatus. The first recognition apparatus recognizes sorting information based on the first image and outputs a first recognition result including the recognized sorting information. The article sorting apparatus causes a second conveyance path to convey the article supplied from the article supply apparatus, reads a second image from a second surface of the conveyed article, receives the first recognition result or a second recognition result including sorting information recognized from the second image, and controls sorting of the article based on the first recognition result or the second recognition result.

Abstract: A lithium secondary battery includes: a positive electrode; a negative electrode; a separator provided between the positive and negative electrodes; and an electrolyte. The positive electrode includes a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode active material provided on the positive electrode current collector. The negative electrode includes a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode active material layer provided on the negative electrode current collector. The positive electrode active material layer includes a positive electrode active material including a lithium composite transition metal compound which includes nickel, cobalt and manganese, where the nickel is in an amount from 80 mol % to 100 mol % among the metals except for lithium and is in the form of a single particle. The negative electrode active material layer includes a Si/C-based active material in an amount from 3 parts to 100 parts by weight of the entire negative electrode active material.

Abstract: A vehicle diagnostic device for an electric vehicle according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a connector for attaching and detaching to/from a diagnostic controller area network (D-CAN) channel in a vehicle network system of the electric vehicle; a controller area network (CAN) transceiver connected to a first signal line and a second signal line of the D-CAN channel through the connector; a wakeup circuit connected to the first signal line or the second signal line through the connector; and a control circuit for changing from a sleep mode to a wakeup mode in response to an input of a first wakeup signal outputted by the CAN transceiver or a second wakeup signal outputted by the wakeup circuit in the sleep mode, and collect diagnosis data from the vehicle network system through the CAN transceiver in the wakeup mode.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, in a case of duplex printing, a sheet is transported toward an image forming device along a sheet transport route, the image forming device forms an image on a first face, which is one of faces of the sheet, a reverse transport device reverses the front and back faces of the sheet and transports the sheet to a position upstream of a show-through reading device in a sheet transport direction, and the show-through reading device reads a second face, which is another face of the sheet. Then the show-through detector decides whether a show-through has occurred, on a basis of the image that has been read.

Abstract: The catheter device comprises a drive shaft connected to a motor, and a rotor mounted on the drive shaft at the distal end section. The rotor has a frame structure which is formed by a screw-like boundary frame and rotor struts extending radially inwards from the boundary frame. The rotor struts are fastened to the drive shaft by their ends opposite the boundary frame. Between the boundary frame and the drive shaft extends an elastic covering. The frame structure is made of an elastic material such that, after forced compression, the rotor unfolds automatically.

Abstract: A negative electrode for a lithium secondary battery contains a lithium-magnesium-aluminum alloy. A method for preparing the same and a lithium secondary battery, such as a lithium sulfur battery, containing the same are also provided.

Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine: detecting a first signal from a knock sensor in a temporal measurement window for a first load point and for a first energization duration—assigned to a pre-injection—of an injector for an operating cycle; calculating a first first evaluation point from the first signal by a first metric; detecting a second signal from the knock sensor in the temporal measurement window for the first load point and for a second energization duration—assigned to the pre-injection—of the injector for the operating cycle; calculating by the first metric a second first evaluation point from the second signal; determining an optimum energization duration as an optimum of the first first evaluation point and the second first evaluation point; and storing and/or applying the optimum energization duration to the first load point and the first combustion chamber.

Abstract: Provided is a technology which can produce a battery comprising a wound electrode assembly including adhesive layers, with high productivity. The method of manufacturing a battery as disclosed herein comprises a first formation step of forming a first adhesive layer on a surface of a first separator; a second formation step of forming a second adhesive layer on a surface of a positive electrode sheet; and a lamination step of laminating the first separator, the positive electrode sheet, a second separator, and an negative electrode sheet.

Abstract: A cache management subsystem (CMS) for a network having network gateways logically organized into network gateway (NG) subsets, each NG subset comprising redundant network gateways and each network gateway comprising a local cache configured to store cache entries corresponding to information requests from network users. The subsystem includes (i) a cache manager configured to synchronize certain cache entries between the network gateways of an NG subset and (ii) a CMS cache configured to store, for the NG subset, other cache entries that are not synchronized between the network gateways of the NG subset. In certain implementations, the cache manager synchronizes within NG subsets recent cache entries having relatively frequent hits and the CMS cache stores recent cache entries having relatively infrequent hits, thereby increasing efficiencies if and when a redundant network gateway handles requests for a failed network gateway.

Abstract: A device for laparoscopically approximating edges of a tissue opening toward each other for surgical attachment, the device including a first tissue engaging component, and a second tissue engaging component, a spreader component for moving the first tissue engaging component away from the second tissue engaging component, and a control for moving the first tissue engaging component away from the second tissue engaging component. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Abstract: A drilling system for use in drilling a wellbore including a driving mechanism and a separation device disposed upstream of the driving mechanism. The separation device filters at least a portion of any solids from drilling media flowing through a filter flow path of the separation device. The separation device flushes at least a portion of the filtered solids through a flush flow path, through a flush outlet on an outer surface of the separation device, and into an annulus between the outer surface of the separation device and the wellbore. Optionally, the drilling system includes a second driving mechanism and a second separation device disposed above the second driving mechanism.

Abstract: A tool has a first gripping portion or arm and a second gripping portion or arm hingedly connected to the first gripping portion. The first and second gripping portions define a cable space therebetween sized to receive a cable. A first lever arm and a second lever arm extend from the first gripping portion and the second gripping portion, respectively. A flexure is arranged between the first lever arm and the second lever arm and biases the first and second lever arms into a predetermined position.

Abstract: A lithium electrode and a lithium secondary battery the same are disclosed. More specifically, a lithium electrode is disclosed that can increase the lifetime of the battery by providing a protective layer containing a copolymer containing an acetal functional group forming a stable SEI layer through a chemical reaction with lithium metal and a fluorine-based functional group capable of forming a LiF-rich SEI layer on the surface of the lithium metal to inhibit the formation of lithium dendrite and inhibit the side reaction of lithium metal and electrolyte solution.

Abstract: Disclosed are means of inducing pulmonary regeneration and/or protection from oxidative stress by stimulation of endogenous stem cell mobilization together with one or more inhibitors of NF-kappa B and/or one or more inhibitors of oxidative stress. The invention discloses the unexpected finding that G-CSF administration enhances oxidative stress and pulmonary damage, however, coadministration with pterostilbene, results in synergistic suppression of COPD pathology.

Abstract: A battery rack includes a plurality of battery modules, each including at least one battery cell, wherein each battery module has at least one venting hole; a rack case accommodating the plurality of battery modules; and a plurality of support brackets disposed in the rack case such that each support bracket supports each battery module and is in communication with the at least one venting hole.

Abstract: To provide an imaging device capable of further suppressing noise in a pixel signal. An imaging device includes: a semiconductor substrate (30) that includes a photoelectric conversion portion (31) configured to photoelectrically convert incident light, or a charge holding portion (32) configured to hold charge photoelectrically converted by the photoelectric conversion portion; a field effect transistor provided on the photoelectric conversion portion, or on the semiconductor substrate near the charge holding portion; a contact plug (26) that extends in a direction normal to one main surface of the semiconductor substrate from a gate electrode (25) of the field effect transistor; and a projecting portion (27) that extends in an in-plane direction of the one main surface of the semiconductor substrate from the contact plug.

Abstract: A battery pack is configured to improve safety by effectively suppressing heat transfer between battery modules in the present disclosure. A battery pack includes a plurality of battery modules each having one or more battery cells, configured to store and release energy, and stacked in at least one direction; a pack case provided on at least one side of the plurality of battery modules, covering at least a portion of the outside of the plurality of battery modules, and having one or more openings formed therein; and a melting member provided in the opening of the pack case to seal the opening and configured to open the opening by being melted by heat generated from one or more battery modules among the plurality of battery modules.

Abstract: Disclosed herein relates to an electrode for a lithium secondary battery and a manufacturing method thereof, and since the electrode for a lithium secondary battery is provided with an auxiliary coating layer containing inorganic particles, a phenolic compound, and a binder at the end of an electrode mixture layer containing an electrode active material, thereby improving energy density of the battery due to an improvement in thickness deviation at the end of the electrode mixture layer, and preventing lithium from being precipitated at the end of the electrode, especially the negative electrode, due to increase in the adhesive strength of the separator at the end of the electrode, it has an advantage of excellent safety.

Abstract: A process of leaching a metal or salt thereof from a feed source includes combining an indifferent salt to a leach system to increase efficiency of the leach process as well as the subsequent leach residue liquid-solids separation. The process can include combining the feed source with a leaching reagent and an indifferent salt in a leach medium to form a feed slurry and leaching a metal or metal salt from the feed slurry in to a pregnant leach liquor followed by recovering metal salts from the pregnant leach liquor and recycling residual leach solution to form additional feed slurry. Such processes are suitable for large scale operations with high solids loading in the liquid-solids separation operations.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an electrode lead for an electrochemical device, including a nickel plating layer disposed on the surface of a metallic terminal, having a surface irregularity structure on the nickel plating layer, and including a polar group-containing coating layer. The present disclosure also relates to an electrochemical device including the electrode lead. The electrode lead for an electrochemical device provides increased binding force between the electrode lead and the lead film by increasing the contact area between the electrode lead and the lead film, while not causing damages upon the surface of the electrode lead.