Abstract: This invention provides an electronic ballast for a fluorescent lamp, including a rectifier for converting an alternating current input voltage into a direct current output voltage, and a circuit including a combined power factor correction (PFC) stage and an inverter, wherein the PFC stage and the inverter share a switch. Also provided is a controller for an electronic ballast, including a duty ratio controller that controls a duty ratio of a switch of the ballast, and means for adjusting the duty ratio according to a nonlinear function, so that an arc is sustained across the lamp. The controller and the ballast allow dimming of the fluorescent lamp while maintaining a high power factor.

Abstract: This document discloses, among other things, a method for removing a bullseye artifact from a radial image generated using magnetic resonance and using a swept frequency pulse.

Abstract: An imaging system for examining the interior structure of the eye at high-resolution under ambient light without the need for chemical dilation of the pupil.

Abstract: A vaccine for human hookworm is provided. The vaccine comprises at least one L3 larval stage antigen (e.g. Na-ASP-2 or Na-SAA-2) and at least one adult stage human hookworm antigen (e.g. Na-APR-1, Na-CP-2, Na-CP-3, Na-CP-4, Na-CP-5, or Na-GST-1) and adjuvants.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel diagnostic or therapeutic method for pancreatic cancer employing a blood marker. The present invention provides a diagnostic or therapeutic drug for pancreatic cancer containing an anti-AMIGO2 antibody.

Abstract: The invention disclosed herein relates to methods and materials for producing simvastatin and related compounds such as huvastatin.

Abstract: The present invention provides compositions and methods for killing or suppressing growth of Gram-negative bacteria that infect, infest or cause disease in plants, including pathogenic, saprophytic and opportunistic microbes that cause disease in plants and food borne illness in people or in animal feed.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides polyolefin blends and nanocomposites and methods for their production. In embodiments, a blend or nanocomposite of the present disclosure may include at least one polyolefin and at least one ionic liquid and/or one modified carbon nanofiller. In embodiments, the at least one modified carbon nanotube may be treated with at least one ionic compound.

Abstract: A mixed-voltage I/O buffer includes an input buffer circuit. The input buffer circuit includes a first inverter, a first voltage level limiting circuit, a first voltage level pull-up circuit, an input stage circuit, and a logic calibration circuit. The first inverter inverts an input signal to generate a first control signal. The first voltage level limiting circuit limits voltage level of an external signal to generate the input signal transmitted to the first inverter to prevent electrical overstress of the first inverter. The first voltage level pull-up circuit is controlled by the first control signal to pull up voltage level of the input signal inputted into the first inverter. The input stage circuit receives the first control signal to generate corresponding digital signals inputted into a core circuit. The logic calibration circuit calibrates voltage level of the first control signal when the first inverter mis-operates due to the input signal having a low voltage level.

Abstract: A processing machine includes a machine bed, a spindle seat, a sliding rail unit, and a driving unit. The sliding rail unit is disposed between the machine bed and the spindle seat. The driving unit is used for driving the spindle seat to move within a slot in the machine bed, and includes a threaded rod journalled on a junction between a bottom wall surface and a lateral wall surface of the machine bed, and a nut member disposed fixedly on a junction between a bottom surface and a lateral side surface of the spindle seat and engaging the threaded rod.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for fabricating the above-described a magnesium-based composite material. The method includes providing at least two magnesium-based plates, providing at least one nanoscale reinforcement film, sandwiching the at least one nanoscale reinforcement film between the at least two magnesium-based plates to form a preform, and hot rolling the preform to achieve the magnesium-based composite material.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention includes: a tracking object image extracting section that extracts a tracking object image, which represents a tracking object, from an image captured by a monocular camera; a two-dimensional displacement calculating section that calculates, as actual movement amounts, amounts of inter-frame movement of the tracking object image; a two-dimensional plane projecting section that generates on a two-dimensional plane a projected image of a three-dimensional model, which represents in three dimensions a capturing object captured by the monocular camera; a small motion generating section that calculates, as estimated movement amounts, amounts of inter-frame movement of the projected image; and a three-dimensional displacement estimating section that estimates amounts of three-dimensional motion of the tracking object on the basis of the actual movement amounts and the estimated movement amounts.

Abstract: The present invention relates to indolyl phosphine ligands, and methods of making such ligands utilizing phenyl hydrazines and aryl ketones as the starting material. The present invention further includes uses of the ligands in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, materials, and agriculture.

Abstract: Disclosed are antibodies that block the binding of fibronectin protein to fibronectin. Also disclosed are site specifically-mutated and truncated peptide epitopes derived from the fnbA and fnbB genes of Staphylococcus aureus, the fnbA and fnbB genes of Streptococcus dysgalactiae, and the sfb gene of Streptococcus pyogenes, and nucleic acid segments encoding these peptides and epitopes. The anti-(fibronectin binding site) antibodies, peptides and epitopes that give rise to antibodies that block the binding of fibronectin binding proteins to fibronectin, and DNA segments encoding these proteins and are of use in various screening, diagnostic and therapeutic applications including active and passive immunization and methods for the prevention of streptococcal and staphylococcal colonization in animals or humans. These. DNA segments and the peptides derived therefrom are proposed to be of use directly in the preparation of vaccines and also for use as carrier proteins in vaccine formulations.

Abstract: Genomic analysis of ovarian cancers demonstrated a regional chromosomal increase in expression and gene duplication. TGF-? stimulation indicated a link between SnoN RNA and TGF-?. In TIOSE, SnoN protein levels were reduced 15 min post TGF-?-stimulation, likely by proteosome-mediated degradation. SnoN inhibition decreased cell growth between 20 and 50% concurrent with increased p21 levels. Stable expression of SnoN led to growth arrest through induction of senescence. Collectively, these results implicate SnoN levels in multiple roles during ovarian carcinogenesis: promoting cellular proliferation in ovarian cancer cells and as a positive mediator of cell cycle arrest and senescence in non-transformed ovarian epithelial cells.

Abstract: The present invention is directed toward a method for reducing pattern distortions in imprinting layers by reducing gas pockets present in a layer of viscous liquid deposited on a substrate. To that end, the method includes varying a transport of the gases disposed proximate to the viscous liquid. Specifically, the atmosphere proximate to the substrate wherein a pattern is to be recorded is saturated with gases that are either highly soluble, highly diffusive, or both with respect to either the viscous liquid, the substrate, the template, or a combination thereof. Additionally, or in lieu of saturating the atmosphere, the pressure of the atmosphere may be reduced.

Abstract: A magnetic microstructure comprising (i) a magnetic storage layer having a magnetic easy axis perpendicular to a film plane of the storage magnetic layer; (ii) a magnetic assist layer having a magnetic easy axis in the film plane; and (iii) a phase transition interlayer between the magnetic storage layer and the magnetic assist layer. The phase transition layer comprises a material, such as FeRh, that switches from antiferromagnetic at ambient to ferromagnetic at a transition temperature that is greater than ambient, but below the Curie temperature. When the phase transition interlayer is in antiferromagnetic phase, there exists little magnetic coupling between the storage and assist layers. When the interlayer changes to ferromagnetic phase, the interlayer couples the magnetic moments of the storage and assist layer ferromagnetically.

Abstract: Feed water comprising an aqueous salt solution is supplied to an anode chamber and to a cathode chamber. The feed water is cathodically electrolyzed in the cathode chamber to produce alkaline electrolyzed water (catholyte) and is anodically electrolyzed in the anode chamber to produce electrolyzed water (anolyte) whose pH is modified. A portion of alkaline catholyte from the cathode chamber is recycled back to the feed water during continuous electrolysis to provide a blend of feed water and alkaline catholyte to the anode chamber to control pH of the anodically electrolyzed water therein to provide more stable bactericidal activity thereof over time.

Abstract: The invention relates to compositions, kits, and methods for detecting, characterizing, preventing, and treating human cancer. A variety of chromosomal regions (MCRs) and markers corresponding thereto, are provided, wherein alterations in the copy number of one or more of the MCRs and/or alterations in the amount, structure, and/or activity of one or more of the markers is correlated with the presence of cancer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to nucleic acid molecules encoding Neutrokine-alpha and/or Neutrokine-alphaSV polypeptides, including soluble forms of the extracellular domain. Neutrokine-alpha and/or Neutrokine-alphaSV polypeptides are also provided as are vectors, host cells and recombinant methods for producing the same. The invention further relates to antibodies or portions thereof that specifically bind Neutrokine-alpha and/or Neutrokine-alphaSV and diagnostic and therapeutic methods using these antibodies. Also provided are diagnostic methods for detecting immune system-related disorders and therapeutic methods for treating immune system-related disorders using the compositions of the invention.