Abstract: The present invention relates to acenaphtho heterocyclic compounds and their uses in manufacturing the BH3 mimetics as Bcl-2-like protein inhibitors. Structures are shown in the following: Statistical analysis of their bio-activities showed these compounds exhibit better BH3 mimicking property than the reported compounds. These compounds can simulate BH3-only protein, competitively bind and antagonizing Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 proteins in vitro and in cells, and then induce apoptosis. Therefore, they all can be used in the manufactures of anticancer compounds.

Abstract: A method of modifying the surface of a substrate which comprises a fibrous material. According to the present invention, the surface is brought into contact with a type of amphiphilic block copolymer which comprises one or several hydrophilic polymeric blocks and one or several hydrophobic polymeric blocks. Approximately 0.01-3 g/m2 of the amphiphilic block copolymer are applied onto the surface. With the help of the present invention, it is possible to effectively modify the surface of paper in such a manner that it produces a good surface for printing, for instance for ink-jet printing.

Abstract: A new photovoltaic (PV) cell structure, prepared on transparent substrate with transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer and having nanorod zinc oxide layer. The cell has a thin conductive layer of doped zinc oxide deposited on the nanorod zinc oxide layer, an extremely thin blocking layer of titanium oxide or indium sulfide on the thin conductive layer, a buffer layer of indium sulfide on the extremely thin blocking layer, an absorber layer, comprising copper indium disulfide on said buffer layer and one electrode attached to the transparent conductive oxide layer and a second electrode attached to the absorber layer. Also, a method of preparing a zinc oxide nanorod PV cell entirely by chemical spray pyrolysis is disclosed. Efficiency up to 3.9% is achieved by simple continuous non-vacuum process.

Abstract: Peptides having at least 2 amino acids and no more than 15 amino acids are provided. The peptides comprise amino acid sequence X-Y or Y-X, wherein X is an aromatic amino acid and Y is any amino acid other than glycine. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions and kits including such peptides as well as methods using same for diagnosing and treating amyloid associated diseases.

Abstract: A lighting ballast and associated methods balance current through resonant inductors that have inductance variation, and are further effective to balance lamp currents in the range from full brightness to full dimming. The ballast includes a lighting power source, a balancing transformer having a plurality of windings, a first resonant tank circuit having one or more transformer windings and a second resonant tank circuit having a like number of transformer windings. Each of the windings for the first resonant tank are reversed in direction in association with a corresponding winding for the second resonant tank, such that the only current passing through the windings is a current difference between the two windings.

Abstract: An optical system capable of enhancing a specific polarization state of light beam comprises a polarization beam splitter and a polarization state converter. The polarization beam splitter separates an input light beam into a first light beam of first polarization state and a second light beam of second polarization state. The first polarization state is different from the second polarization state. The second light beam is input into the polarization state converter and converted to a third light beam having significantly much more components of first polarization state. The polarization state converter has a configuration providing total reflection or high reflection function. The configuration includes at least one anisotropic optical thin film that is disposed between an incident medium of high refractive index and a medium of low refractive index.

Abstract: Continuous-phase high compaction multicarrier-modulation (CPPC/HC-MCM) according to the present application uses a continuous phase modulation (CPM) technique to prevent an amplitude gap between two continuous signals, thereby improving characteristics of the conventional PC/HC-MCM in terms of effective use of a frequency bandwidth. The CPPC/HC-MCM can achieve a lower bit error rate (BER) for a wide signal-to-noise ratio at a common spectral efficiency of about 0.33 or less, as compared to the conventional unmodulated PC/HC-MCM.

Abstract: The present invention provides a chromatic confocal microscopic system in which two conjugate fiber modules are spatially configured and employed to conduct a detecting light from a light source and an object light reflected from an object, respectively. By means of the two spatially corresponding fiber modules, the detecting light is projected on the object and the reflected light from the object is entered into the other fiber module. Since each fiber of the fiber module is capable of filtering out the unfocused light and stray lights and allowing the focused light pass therethrough a line slit, thereby minimizing potential interference from light cross talk caused by the overlapped light spots, not only can the present invention obtain the information of surface profile of the object with high vertical measurement resolution, but also achieve high lateral resolution during confocal measurement.

Abstract: A drive mechanism includes a rotatable steering unit, a wheel supported by the steering unit, a drive member rotating about an axis extending along a center axis of the steering unit, an output shaft located at an offset position from the center axis of the steering unit and transmitting rotational force of the drive member to the wheel. The drive member includes a first drive unit driven in a forward rotation direction and a second drive unit driven in a reverse rotation direction and located coaxially with the first drive unit. The output shaft includes a first output unit to which driving force is transmitted from the first drive unit, and a second output unit to which driving force is transmitted from a conversion unit for converting rotation of the second drive unit, is restricted by both the output units, and transmits rotational force obtained from the output units to the wheel.

Abstract: A universal dimming topology is provided for an electronic ballast having an inverter providing an output current across first and second output branches for driving a light source in accordance with a dimming control input signal. A filament voltage control block modulates first and second filament heating switches to provide filament heating voltage across first and second connection terminals associated with the output branches. During a preheat operating mode a control block disables the inverter and provides pulse width modulated control signals to the filament voltage control block to modulate the filament heating switches at a predetermined frequency. During a normal operating mode the control block enables the inverter and provides pulse width modulated control signals to the filament voltage control block to modulate the filament heating switches in accordance with a duty ratio based on a detected output current.

Abstract: Ophthalmic apparatuses, systems and methods are disclosed. One embodiment is an ophthalmic scanning apparatus including a laser operable to emit a laser beam, a scanning mirror operable to scan the laser beam over at least a +/?15 degree scan, and a lens system operable to receive the laser beam from the scanning mirror and direct the laser beam to a spot on an image plane. The spot has a root mean square radius of less than about 3.8 microns over the +/?15 degree scan. Further embodiments include methods of modeling and determining corrective prescriptions for patient's eyes. Additional embodiments are described herein.

Abstract: The invention is related to a weather-resistant dye and use thereof, which contains in molecules thereof not only chromophoric parent D, but also electron-accepting group Q which is linked with dye parent D through non-conjugated carbon link L to constitute D-L-Q dye molecule; the electron-accepting group Q has such a HOMO energy level that is lower than the HOMO energy level of the dye chromophoric parent D. The dye has sun-resistance and anti-ozone performances, which can be used as colorant in the ink, dope, lacquer, toner powder for laser printing, marker, paper, fabric, glass, porcelain or polymer.

Abstract: A fabrication method for fabricating a metal oxide film introduces H2 gas and O2 gas or, H2O2 gas, into a catalytic reactor to make contact with a catalyst to generate H2O gas. The H2O gas that is generated is jetted from the catalytic reactor to react with a metal compound gas, to thereby deposit the metal oxide thin film on a substrate and fabricate the metal oxide thin film.

Abstract: A method for producing a three dimensional green article includes: (a) providing a slurry composition that contains an inorganic powder, a binder, and a solvent; (b) forming a slurry layer made of the slurry composition; (c) removing the solvent of the slurry layer from an upper surface of the slurry layer so as to form the slurry layer into a green layer with a plurality of pores; (d) scanning the green layer with an energy beam having a power sufficient to vaporize or burn the binder such that the vaporized binder or the burnt binder escapes from the green layer through the pores, while leaving the inorganic powder which is not bound by the binder; and (e) repeating steps (b) to (d).

Abstract: An inverter circuit allowing a single drive circuit to perform both tracking control for tracking resonance frequency fluctuations caused by load fluctuations, and power control, thereby reducing switching loss. An inverter drive circuit part obtains a phase difference between output current and output voltage directed to a load circuit connected to a midpoint of two arm circuits of the inverter circuit, and controls a phase of the driving signal directed to each semiconductor switch such that the phase difference becomes zero or a predetermined value, enabling an operating frequency of the inverter circuit part to track a resonance frequency of the load circuit, and enabling a current phase to be delayed with respect to a voltage phase, thereby achieving ZCS. Since the phase difference is used, an auxiliary circuit is not necessary for measuring a current value in proximity to the semiconductor switches.

Abstract: An electronic ballast is provided with circuitry for detecting the removal of one or more lamp filaments across a range of dimming levels, and regulating an output stage including at least first and second pairs of lamp connection output terminals based on a filament connection status. A filament removal sensing circuit is coupled to the output terminal pairs and configured to generate an output voltage representative of a filament connection status with respect to the output terminal pairs. A microcontroller is coupled to receive the output voltage from the filament removal sensing circuit and programmed to determine a rate of change in the output voltage, compare the rate of change in the output voltage to a predetermined threshold value, and disable the output stage when the rate of change in the output voltage exceeds the predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: A motion detection method for complex scenes has steps of receiving an image frame including a plurality of pixels, each of the pixel including a first pixel information; performing a multi-background generation module based on the plurality of pixels; generating a plurality of background pixels based on the multi-background generation module; performing a moving object detection module; and deriving the background pixel based on the moving object detection module.

Abstract: This subject invention is directed to a method for inhibition of cancer cells, comprising administrating an effective amount of a compound of formula I (Sesquiterpene lactones, antrocin) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, wherein the cancer cells are selected from colorectal cancer cells, liver cancer cells, lung cancer cells or breast cancer cells.

Abstract: A method processes segmented iris images obtained by a non-cooperative image acquisition system to generate descriptors for features in the segmented iris image that are tolerant of segmentation error. The method includes receiving a segmented iris image, and selecting feature points in the segmented iris image to describe an iris locally.

Abstract: A substrate processing method includes steps of: arranging a substrate in a chamber; introducing H2 gas at a first flow rate and O2 gas at a second flow rate independently from the H2 gas into a catalyst reaction portion in which catalyst is accommodated, wherein H2O gas produced from the H2 gas and the O2 gas that contact the catalyst is ejected from the catalyst reaction portion toward the substrate; and reducing a flow rate of the O2 gas introduced to the catalyst reaction portion to a third flow rate that is lower than the second flow rate, wherein the steps of introducing the H2 gas and the O2 gas and reducing the flow rate of the O2 gas are repeated in this order at a predetermined repetition frequency, thereby processing the substrate.