Abstract: The present invention provides methods for producing a transformed sugar cane tissue or cell thereof, said methods comprising: a) inoculating a sugar cane tissue or a cell thereof with an Agrobacterium inoculation suspension, said Agrobacterium comprising a nucleic acid of interest, to obtain an Agrobacterium-inoculated sugar cane tissue or cell thereof; b) co-cultivating said Agrobacterium-inoculated sugar cane tissue or cell thereof on a surface in the absence of co-culture media for a time period sufficient to reduce original weight of said Agrobacterium-inoculated sugar cane tissue or cell thereof; and c) selecting a transformed sugar cane tissue or a cell thereof comprising said nucleic acid of interest. The transformation methods of the invention provide for increased transformation frequency and recovery of transgenic sugar cane plants.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for Flip Chip on Chip (FCoC) package based on multi-row Quad Flat No-lead (QFN) package is provided wherein the lower surface of plate metallic base material are half-etched to form grooves. Insulation filling material is filled in the half-etched grooves. The upper surface of plate metallic base material is half-etched to form chip pad and multi-row of leads. Encapsulating first IC chip, second IC chip, solder bumps, underfill material, and metal wire to form an array of FCoC package based on the type of multi-row QFN package. Sawing and separating the FCoC package array, and forming FCoC package unit.

Abstract: The invention provides an ophthalmic lens comprising one or more oblique prismatic component, wherein the lens slows myopia progression and/or treats or prevents myopia or a disease or condition associated with myopia. The one or more oblique prismatic components may be base-down or base-down and base-in or base up and base-in. The one or more oblique prismatic components may be central and/or in a distance and/or near zone of the ophthalmic lens. The invention also provides an ophthalmic lens comprising a central base-down prism in a distance zone wherein the lens slows myopia progression and/or treats or prevents myopia or a disease or condition associated with myopia. Also provided is an optical device comprising one or more ophthalmic lenses and a method of slowing myopia progression and/or treating or preventing myopia or a disease or condition associated with myopia including using one or more ophthalmic lenses.

Abstract: Provided are a fructosylated mangiferin, a preparation method therefor and a use thereof, wherein the fructosylated mangiferin has a structural formula represented by the following formula (I), the method for preparing the fructosylated mangiferin includes adding a substance with fructosylating enzymatic activity to a transformed liquid containing mangiferin for biotransformation reaction, so as to convert the mangiferin into the fructosylated mangiferin, wherein the transformed liquid contains the mangiferin and a glycosyl donor; as well as a use of the fructosylated mangiferin in preparation of a medicament for treatment of tumor-related diseases.

Abstract: A light fixture includes a ballast and a plurality of lamps connected to the ballast in parallel. The ballast provides an output signal to the plurality of lamps as a function of a 1st steady state condition. When the ballast senses an end-of-life condition for a lamp of the plurality of lamps, the ballast increases the frequency of the output signal provided to the plurality of lamps until the lamp ceases to conduct current. When the lamp ceases to conduct current, the ballast decreases the frequency of the output signal to a frequency determined as a function of a 2nd steady state condition different from the 1st steady state condition. A total current of the 2nd steady state condition is proportional to a total current of the 1st steady state condition as a function of the number of lamps exhibiting an end-of-life condition.

Abstract: A method for extracting vanadium from shale, the method including: a) grinding the shale into fine powders, mixing the fine powders with an additive in a mass ratio of 1:0.04-0.12 to yield a mixture, heating the mixture to a temperature of between 850 and 950° C. at a heating rate of 5-9° C./min, and baking the mixture for between 30 and 90 min; b) immersing the product in water and acid respectively to yield a first solution and a second solution, combining the two solutions, and performing ion exchange adsorption on the combined solution using a styrene-divinylbenzene based macroporous anion-exchange resin; and c) performing desorption, purification, and precipitation to yield poly ammonium vanadate, and calcining the poly ammonium vanadate at a temperature of between 450 and 530° C. for between 20 and 50 min to yield V2O5.

Abstract: A ballast includes a rectifier, DC to DC converter, a dimming sensor, and a light source driver circuit. The rectifier provides rectified power from an AC power source modified by a chopper dimmer. The converter includes a boost inductor having a primary winding and a detection winding. The converter receives the rectified power from the rectifier and provides a DC power rail. The dimming sensor monitors a voltage of the detection winding of the boost inductor and provides a dimming signal as a function of the monitored voltage. The light source driver circuit receives the dimming signal, receives the DC power rail, and provides power from the DC power rail to the light source as a function of the dimming signal. An amount of power provided to the light source by the light source driver circuit corresponds to a dimming level indicated by the dimming signal.

Abstract: A monitoring device for monitoring the physiological condition of a patient (1) on a continuous basis, which includes a transmitter unit (2) adapted to attach to a patient so as to be in contact with the skin of a patient, a corresponding receiver unit (5). The transmitter unit includes a strap or belt (3) adapted to attach to or around a body part of a patient. A plurality of sensors (E) are mounted to the belt for monitoring a plurality of patient physiological parameters, including at least the patient's skin impedance, heart rate and aspects of the heart beat. The sensors are connected to a microcontroller (8) which processes the signals and which is linked to a wireless transmitter (9). A portable receiver unit is adapted to receive and process the signal from the transmitter. The receiver unit includes a display (14) for data relating to the patient and preferably an alarm (15).

Abstract: An identifier for a conduit includes a substrate having a pair of apertures. The substrate further contains a frangible portion encompassing one of the apertures and having a shape that corresponds to an opening left in the substrate after removal of the frangible portion. The identifier enables the shape of the frangible portion to be correlated with the shape of the opening left in the substrate after the frangible portion is separated from the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a population of cells genetically modified to produce insulin in a glucose responsive manner and uses thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a population of cells genetically modified to produce insulin in response to physiologically relevant levels of glucose and uses thereof. The cells of the present invention are useful in a wide variety of applications, in particular in the context of therapeutic and prophylactic regimes directed to the treatment of diabetes and/or the amelioration of symptoms associated with diabetes, based on the transplantation of the cells of the present invention into mammals requiring treatment. Also facilitated is the design of in vitro based screening systems for testing the therapeutic effectiveness and/or toxicity of potential adjunctive treatment regimes.

Abstract: The invention relates to the method of preparation of compounds of formula I, the precursors of homocitric acid lactone and its salts, by coupling of the compounds of formula II with bromoacetic acid esters of formula III.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a multi-touch sensing system capable of optimizing touch bulbs according to the variation of ambient lighting conditions and a method thereof. The system comprises an image capturing module, a computing module and a processing module. The image capturing module captures a touch image. The computing module converts the touch image into a histogram and selects a grayscale threshold to segment the histogram by dichotomy for generating a segmented image of touch bulbs, and then calculates a between-class variance and a total pixel variance of the segmented image to estimate the separability factor thereof. The processing module determines whether or not the separability factor conforms to a predetermined value; if yes, then the processing module performs an image binarization of the touch image to generate a binary image, or else the processing module repeats the aforementioned process until the separability factor conforms to a predetermined value.

Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetorheological fluid composition and method for forming the same. The magnetorheological fluid composition comprises a carrier fluid and a nano-magnetic-responsive composite dispersed uniformly in the carrier fluid. The nano-magnetic-responsive composite is formed by having carbonyl iron microparticles react with a grafting agent to form a modified carbonyl iron nanoparticles and blending the modified carbonyl iron nanoparticles with acid-treated graphene or carbon nanotubes.

Abstract: A method is provided for treating a disease or condition characterized by aberrant epithelial cell proliferation and/or migration. One step of the method can include administering to a mammal an agent which disrupts an isolated protein complex including: insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I); an insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP) selected from IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5; and vitronectin; or which prevents formation of the isolated protein complex, to thereby treat the disease or condition in the mammal. The agent is selected from the group consisting a polypeptide that is distinguished from IGF-II by substitution of at least one amino acid residue, wherein the polypeptide disrupts the isolated protein complex.

Abstract: A constant current LED driver circuit includes a unified controller operable to control start up peripheral circuits and control power output of the driver circuit. The unified controller initializes, starts driver circuit components in a predetermined order, and controls operation to prevent runaway operation, failure to start, and nuisance shut downs. Additionally, due to centralized operational condition monitoring, the controller can detect conditions that would cause unnecessary shut downs and prevent such nuisance shutdowns. The unified controller enables fast, finite control over switches of a DC-to-DC converter of the driver circuit to improve output current and voltage control, improving closed loop responsiveness and operation of the DC-to-DC converter.

Abstract: A light fixture includes a driver circuit that fully defines operational characteristics for operation outside of “Nominal Operation” of the driver circuit. The driver circuit increases a target current or set point when the current of the light source (i.e., output current of the driver circuit) or the voltage of the light source (i.e., output voltage of the driver circuit) is below a minimum operating current or minimum operating voltage of the driver circuit regardless of a command current level of the driver circuit. The driver circuit implements a soft start ramp up scheme having a default rate of increase for a set point or target current. After a shutdown, the driver circuit periodically attempts to restart operation by increasing the set point or target current from zero (i.e., shutdown) at a reduced rate as compared to the default rate.

Abstract: [Problem to Be Solved] A pouring control method for controlling an automatic pouring device with a tilting-type ladle is provided. By the method, a lip of a pouring ladle approaches a sprue of a mold without striking any object located within the range of its movement. Also, by the method, the molten metal that runs out of the ladle can accurately fill the mold.

Abstract: A power-generating system includes a heat source which is able to produce temporal temperature variation; a first device which is able to produce temporal temperature variation based on the temperature change of the heat source and in which polarization occurs; a second device for taking out a net generating power from the first device; a detection unit that detects the temperature of the first device; an electric field application unit that applies an electric field to the first device; and a control unit for activating the electric field application unit when the temperature detected by the detection unit is the Curie temperature of the first device or higher.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a guide system having a function of a real-time voice response for the visually impaired and a method thereof. The guide system responds road conditions in real time using two processing modules performing image processing and voice responses, respectively. The guide system includes an visual sensing module sensing an image, a memory storing multiple training samples and multiple pieces of audio response information, an image processing module performing an image detection process to the image so as to create at least a segmented image, performing an object detection process to the segmented image, and performing an object recognition process so as to create a recognition signal, a system processing module creating an audio signal based on the recognition signal such that a speech voice is hearable by a user.

Abstract: A light fixture includes a housing, a plurality of parallel lamps, and a ballast. The ballast provides power to each lamp of the plurality of parallel lamps. A series resonant inverter in the ballast provides AC power to an output of the series resonant inverter from a DC power source having a power rail and a ground. The series resonant inverter includes a resonant inductor, a first clamping diode, and a second clamping diode. The resonant inductor has a first portion and a second portion and a connection point between the first portion and the second portion. The first clamping diode is connected between the connection point and the power rail. The second clamping diode is connected between the connection point and the ground. The first and second clamping diodes ensure soft switching of a half-bridge inverter switch pair of the series resonant inverter.