Abstract: A hammer sensor includes a photo-filter plate movable together with a hammer assembly and having a base plate fixed to the hammer shank and an arc pattern formed on the base plate and different in transparency from the base plate, a photo radiating element radiating a light beam toward the arc pattern and a photo detecting element disposed on the optical path of the light beam for converting the amount of transmitted light to an electric signal, wherein the photo-filter plate converts the rotational angle of the hammer assembly to the amount of light incident on the photo detecting element, and makes the photo radiating element and the photo detecting element stationary so that a suitable photo-shield case prevents the photo elements from environmental light.

Abstract: A method of positioning a selected recording channel on a recording head relative to an optical servo system includes positioning the optical servo system at a first position relative to the selected recording, processing an alignment tape to determine a lateral offset between the optical servo system and the selected recording channel and positioning the optical servo system at a second position relative to the selected recording channel using the lateral offset. An alignment tape is also provided, which includes an elongated continuous web of flexible plastic substrate material having two edges and defining a front major surface and a back major surface, a magnetic storage medium formed on the front major surface, an inert medium formed on the back major surface and a track of alignment voids for indicating actual lateral displacement of the selected recording channel relative to the optical servo system.

Abstract: A method for modifying the cyclic peptide ring system of Echinocandin-type compounds to produce new analogs having antifungal activity is provided. The inventive process comprises opening the cyclic peptide ring, cleaving the terminal ornithine unit, inserting at least one new amino acid or other synthetic unit and closing the ring to produce a new cyclic peptide ring structure. The process allows one to incorporate features such as water-solubility into the cyclic peptide ring nucleus, sites for further modification, increase or decrease the number of amino acid or peptide units within the ring nucleus, and increase or decrease the total number of members within the ring. The invention further provides novel Echinocandin type compounds and their use as antifungal or anti-parasitic agents.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to an apparatus for optimizing transmission security and failure security in high-bit-rate data networks by via signal line redundancy between the network nodes, such that parallel signal lines can optionally be occupied, or can be switched, as working lines or protection lines, and selectors, bridge circuits, and interface modules are provided at the network node side. According to the invention, each of the parallel signal lines is connected at the network node side with a respective interface module, and all interface modules are in principle in the active state. Given failure of one of the interface modules, this failure is immediately countered by a signal line changeover, and line errors are immediately countered by the provided interface module redundancy. Furthermore, error messages can be transmitted, via a corresponding link, between the interface modules of the incoming and outgoing parallel signal lines in each of the network nodes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of medical immunology and further to pharmaceutical compositions, methods of making and methods of use of vaccines. More specifically this invention relates to recombinant proteins derived from the genes encoding Clostridium difficile toxin A and toxin B, and their use in an active vaccine against C. difficile.

Abstract: A gallium nitride compound semiconductor light emitting element has a nitride layered body formed on a translucent substrate. A P type pad electrode, an N type pad electrode and a P type electrode are formed at the layered body, each having the desired reflectance. The thickness of the translucent substrate and the nitride layered body stacked thereon of the semiconductor light emitting element is 60 ?m to 460 ?m.

Abstract: A method of generating a composite signal in a closed loop servo signal system of a data recording system used to drive a recording head to any given position within a dynamic range of a servo tracks includes an optical pickup system for generating optical spots focused on a recording medium, the spots separated by equal distances across a track, the optical pickup system receiving a set of reflectances from the spots, a media system for providing the servo tracks responsive to optical spot illumination, an electric system for generating a set of filtered signals from the reflectances and for generating a set of S-curves by pair wise subtraction of the filtered signals, a processing system to generate a composite servo position signal from the S-curves and filtered reflectances, and a servo system for driving the recording head to a desired position by comparing the desired position to a measured position from the composite servo position.

Abstract: According to one aspect, an exemplary method of manufacturing a magnetic head assembly with a predetermined wrap angle is described. The method includes removing a portion of a magnetic head support surface to create a slot transverse to a direction the media advances and at least partially separating a major support surface having an active device region and a thin support surface. The method further includes removing a portion of the thin support surface such that the height of at least a portion of the thin support surface is reduced relative to the major support surface. The height may be reduced to achieve a predetermined wrap angle between the media and the major support surface of the head assembly.

Abstract: The invention is isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding Na+/H+ exchanger polypeptides with 95% identity to a Na+/H+ exchanger polypeptide from Arabidopsis thaliana for extrusion of monovalent cations from the cytosol of cells to provide the cell with increased salt tolerance. Crop species transformed with the nucleic acid molecule are capable of surviving in soil with high salt levels that would normally inhibit growth of the crop species.

Abstract: Intermolecular binding can be detected by formation of a “paratope” which results in an immediate generation of a signal. The substances to be tested for interaction are bound to demitopes, wherein said demitopes are components of a paratope which binds a reporter which provides said signal when bound. Known interactions measured in this way can also be employed to screen for compounds which interfere with the interactions. In addition to testing for individual interactions, the interaction of a compound with a library or library×library interactions can also be determined and the effect of potentially interfering substances evaluated.

Abstract: Methods and associated hub arrangements are described for use in diagnosis and recovery in high performance digital loops such as, for example, those seen in Fiber Channel systems. In one system having a hub configured for interconnection of a plurality of stations as part of a digital system such that digital data flows between the stations based on operational status of the system, an arrangement forms part of the hub which arrangement is connectable at points within the hub and between at least two different pairs of the stations for monitoring certain characteristics of the data in a way which provides for non-invasive identification of one or more conditions related to the operational status of the system.

Abstract: A nitride-based compound semiconductor light-emitting element of the present invention includes: a P-type electrode; a P-type nitride-based compound semiconductor layer disposed on the P-type electrode; a light-emitting layer disposed on the P-type nitride-based compound semiconductor layer and emitting light; a nitride-based compound semiconductor layer disposed on the light-emitting layer and transmitting light emitted by the light-emitting layer therethrough; a buffer layer disposed on the nitride-based compound semiconductor layer and transmitting the light therethrough, wherein the buffer layer is made of a nitride-based compound semiconductor material and a trench is formed in the buffer layer so as to expose portions of the nitride-based compound semiconductor layer; and an N-type electrode disposed so as to cover the trench and electrically connected to the nitride-based compound semiconductor layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides an assay for an analyte in solution. The assay relies, in part, on associating two catalytic activities in close proximity to each other (e.g., by conjugating each enzyme to a ligand that binds the analyte) and providing substrates that produce a colored product only when both activities are bound to the same molecule in solution.

Abstract: A method and parallel interface for on-board programming and/or In-System Configuration of a flash memory mounted on a printed circuit board by controlling its inputs with the aid of an ASIC mounted on the same circuit board via a Boundary Scan register of which the output signals are provided for activating or deactivating a write operation. The architecture description of the ASIC, flash memory, and the data format of the program and configuration data are stored in a Boundary-Scan Description Language file. The circuit board can be controlled via a JTAG interface suitable for performing function testing of the flash memory for input or output of standard bus signals and for input of the control signals of the ASIC. To reduce the programming effort, the data of the circuit diagram or of the network list derived from it is stored in the BSDL file.

Abstract: Magnetic recording media having a magnetic layer with an easy magnetization axis lying about 45° out of plane of the magnetic layer is disclosed. SMNR from this media could be greatly improved from conventional longitudinal and perpendicular recording, because of an increase in the grain anisotropy that could be effectively written due to the angled recording configuration, resulting also in higher thermal stability, therefore, suitable for higher areal density recording.

Abstract: This invention provides transcriptionally-activated AAV ITRs (inverted terminal repeats) which are small and transcriptionally active and uses thereof to optimize the expression of relatively large transgenes packaged in recombinant AAV vectors.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing hair growth stimulation using light energy, topical compositions, and combinations thereof. By using photomodulation resulting from cellular responses to exposure to specific wavelengths of light, optionally in conjunction with topical compositions and procedures for enhancing the penetration of such compositions, hair follicles are activated to produce hair growth.

Abstract: Provided are an adsorption sheet and an air-purifying filter, which can have low air-flow resistance and high deodorizing performance and be resistant to clogging by dust, from which a powdered adsorbent can hardly drop off, and in which any attached agent can hardly lose its effect. Such a product can be obtained by a process including the steps of: sufficiently premixing an agent-bearing activated carbon powder and a powdered thermoplastic resin to form a mixed powder; then spreading the mixed powder on a base sheet having a certain bulkiness and bearing an agent; stacking an air-permeable sheet thereon; and hot-pressing them.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to make it possible to decrease the on-state resistance of a selection transistor of a memory cell without increasing the whole area of a memory cell array and accelerate and stabilize the reading operation of data stored in the memory cell. Therefore, a plurality of variable resistive elements capable of storing information in accordance with a change of electrical resistances is included, one ends of the variable resistive elements are connected each other, and an electrode of a selection element constituted by a MOSFET or diode element for selecting the variable resistive elements in common is connected with one end of each of the variable resistive elements to constitute a memory cell.