A plurality of carrier signals, distinguishable by amplitudes of signal components (e.g., frequency components), are respectively applied to a plurality of energy emitters (e.g., infrared and red light emitters). A detector receives the sum of the energy after modulation at each emitter wavelength, e.g. by blood tissue of a patient. An output of the detector is then demultiplexed, whereby a component of modulation at each emitter wavelength may be determined. The carrier signals may comprise time-varying periodic signals with identical frequency and frequency components, such as mixtures of identical sets of pure sine waves. When the number of signal components exceeds the number of emitter wavelengths, sufficient information is provided during demultiplexing to detect and correct errors introduced by ambient light sources and other interference.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to photoplethysmographics. More specifically, this invention relates to component-amplitude-division multiplexing and demultiplexing of signals for infrared and red absorption of blood.
2. Description of Related Art
It is well known in the art to collect photoplethysmographic data simultaneously at a plurality of energy wavelengths. For example, blood oxygen concentration may be measured by determining absorption by a patient's tissues on infrared and red light; the degree of absorption is typically different for these two wavelengths. Infrared and red light are emitted into the patient's tissues (e.g., by infrared and red LEDs) and the total energy received to be detected by a single detector (e.g., a photodiode). However, one problem is that the signal produced by the detector must be processed to separate the infrared and portions from each other.
One method of the prior art is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,290. Time-division multiplexing is used to alternately switch on the infrared and red emitters, at a frequency greater than the patient's pulse rate. The detector signal is then separated into infrared and red portions by sampling in synchrony with the on/off switching of the infrared and red emitters.
While this method successfully separates the infrared and red portions, it generally requires that sampling the detector signal must be synchronized with the on/off switching of the infrared and red emitters. It is also difficult while using this method to compensate for noise sources such as ambient light and electromagnetic interference.
A second method of the prior art is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,885. The infrared and red emitters are driven at two different frequencies. The detector signal is then separated into infrared and red portions by filtering at those two different frequencies.
While this method successfully separates the infrared and red portions, the method described in the patent requires demultiplexing signals which are phase-synchronized with the multiplexing frequencies, and produces a higher power output than the time-division multiplexing method. Also, while this method may avoid noise sources at predetermined and known frequencies, it is difficult to compensate for noise sources which were not known before the multiplexing frequencies were chosen.

Photoplethysmographics using component-amplitude-division multiplexing


A merchandise storage container includes belly band retaining tabs. The retaining tabs are moved to their extended positions when the merchandise storage container is formed. The retaining tabs are disposed at the corners of the container so that a belly band used with the container can slide up and down along the length of the container while encountering at least some resistance at the corners before the band separates from the container. The retaining tabs are flexible so that a person can intentionally remove a belly band by pivoting the tabs out of the way or by forcing the belly band over the tabs.

1 . Technical Field
The disclosure generally relates to merchandise storage containers and, more particularly, to fold up merchandise storage containers having belly bands. Specifically, the disclosure relates to a fold up merchandise storage container that provides band retaining tabs at the corners of the container for retaining a belly band around the container during use of the container.
2 . Background Information
A popular addition to merchandise storage container is a belly band that wraps around the container. Although belly bands may be used with essentially any size or shaped container, a popular configuration combines a horizontally-disposed belly band with a merchandise storage container that is elongated in a vertical direction. One example of such a container is used to store and display protective phone cases. The companies that sell cell phone cases desire storage containers that attract attention to their products and differentiate their products from the competition. Some companies thus add belly bands around a central portion of the containers to help achieve these goals. Information may be presented on the front of the belly band. A belly band is usually not connected to the container body itself such that the band can slide up and down along the length of the container. The loose nature of the belly band is desirable. A problem with the use of a belly band is that the belly band can slip off the bottom of the containers as the container hang on a display or when customers handle the containers. The belly bands also can slip off the containers during transport. Those who wish to use belly bands with their products desire a way to retain the belly bands on the storage container while maintaining the character of the bands.

Merchandise storage container with retaining tabs


A toner for making an ink printed-like image, which causes less eyestrain resulting from continuously reading the toner image for a long time, is provided. The toner has main particles and each main particle includes 100 parts by weight of binder resin and 1 to 3 parts by weight of black coloring agent dispersed in the binder resin. A developer using the toner and printed matter obtained by using the toner are also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner used for electrophotographic printing, a developer including the toner, and printed matter made by using the developer. More particularly, it relates to a toner and a developer that can produce printed matter having ink printed-like images causing less eyestrain, and such printed matter.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, publications have been mainly prepared by offset printing, one of planographic printings. In the printing process, a plate having hydrophilic and lipophilic sections is prepared, an ink is applied to the surface of the plate, the ink is transferred to a rubber blanket, then the ink is printed on a paper sheet.
The printing method is advantageous for preparing more than thousands of publications, but not for preparing a small number of publications such as hundreds of publications. This is because preparation of the plate usually costs too much. This is one of the main reasons that make it difficult to republish out-of-print publications even if there is a demand for republishing such publications, since republication needs another set of plates.
One of the solutions of the problem may be preparing such a small number of publications by electrophotographic printing in which toner is used to form an image. However, although the printed matters are well adapted for being read continuously for a relatively short time, reading printed matters prepared by electrophotographic printing continuously for a long time is likely to make the reader's eyes tired.

Toner for making an ink printed-like image


A system for producing continuous print jobs, which includes a printing unit which prints an image and a client computer having executable instructions for creating a print job for producing a continuous print job. The executable instructions include activating a continuous print mode from a list of print properties within a printer driver user interface, and wherein the continuous print mode stacks at least two print jobs in a print job queue until instructed to print; sending at least two print jobs to the print job queue; selecting a final print format for each of the at least two print jobs; processing and formatting each of the at least two print jobs into a single combined print job; and printing the single combined print job. The printing unit and the client computer are connected via a network and/or direct connection.

A conventional printer driver typically starts a new job on a new sheet of paper, regardless of the blank space and/or side (i.e., back side of a sheet of paper or medium in two-sided printing) left on the previous printing job. In addition, the printer driver also does not consider the space needed and/or available for the current job. In some circumstances, this makes an inefficient utilization of the paper resource.
Thus, it would be desirable to reduce the waste and save the environment, since paper and other print mediums are typically produced from a limited natural resource. Accordingly, it would be desirable to make a printer and/or printer driver user interface that saves the environment and minimizes paper waste. It can be appreciated that for some uses, it is necessary to print each job separately. However, many print jobs actually can benefit from being printed and/or finished together, which would not only save paper, but can also help organize material in a better format. For example, when traveling, it may be necessary to print a hotel reservation and a map. Normally these two jobs will be printed on two separate sheets. However, if the two print jobs are combined into a single print job, then one side of the sheet of paper or medium can have the hotel reservation and the other side of the sheet can include the map. The combined print job not only makes it easier to locate the information, but is also more convenient to carry.


A disc drive including a rotatable data track, a dual-stage actuator with a primary actuator motor supporting an actuator arm, a read/write head supported by the actuator arm and communicating with a secondary actuator motor, and steps for controlling range of motion of the secondary actuator motor. The controlling steps include supplying and sustaining a bias signal to a single-sided unipolar device driver that then apply a bias voltage the secondary actuator motor to induce the secondary actuator motor to expand substantially one half of its expansion capabilities. And, confining correction signals provided by a control circuit of the disc drive, used in correcting mechanical position of the secondary actuator motor, to a voltage ranging substantially between a positive xe2x80x9c+xe2x80x9d and negative xe2x80x9cxe2x88x92xe2x80x9d voltage substantially equal to the applied bias voltage.

This invention relates generally to the field of magnetic data storage devices, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to incorporation of a single-sided unipolar piezoelectric transducer driver for a disc drive.
Disc drives are used for data storage in modem electronic products ranging from digital cameras to computer systems and networks. Typically, a disc drive includes a mechanical portion, or head disc assembly (HDA), and electronics in the form of a printed circuit board assembly (PCB), mounted to an outer surface of the HDA. The PCB controls HDA functions and provides an interface between the disc drive and its host.
Typically, a HDA comprises a magnetic disc surface affixed to a spindle motor assembly for rotation at a constant speed and an actuator assembly position-controlled by a closed loop servo system. The actuator assembly supports a read/write head that traverses generally concentric magnetic tracks radially spaced across the disc surfaces. Disc drives using magneto resistive heads typically use an inductive element to write data to the tracks in the form of magnetic flux transitions and a magneto resistive element to read data, such as servo data, from the track during drive operations. Servo data are typically written to the track during the manufacturing process by a servo track writer and are used by the closed loop servo system for controlling read/write head position during drive operations.
Continued demand for disc drives with ever-increasing levels of data storage Continued demand for disc drives with ever-increasing levels of data storage capacity, faster data throughput and decreasing price per megabyte have led disc drive manufacturers to seek ways to increase the storage capacity and improve overall operating efficiencies of the disc drive. Present generation disc drives typically achieve areal densities of several gigabits per square centimeter, Gbits/cm2. Increasing recording densities can be achieved by increasing the number of bits stored along each track or bits per inch (BPI), generally requiring improvements in the read/write channel electronics, and/or by increasing the number of tracks per unit width or tracks per inch (TPI), generally requiring improvements in servo control systems.
One approach taken by disc drive manufacturers to improve servo control systems has been through the introduction of dual-stage actuator systems. One such system utilizes a suspension based bipolar piezoelectric transducer (PZT) operating in parallel with the VCM and driven by a bipolar driver. To date, attempts at utilizing more cost-effective single-sided unipolar drivers in a dual-stage actuator application have been unsuccessful since the D.C. component of the position signal and the D.C. component of the PZT driver affects both the VCM and the PZT transducer control signals.
As such, challenges remain and a need persists for advancing dual-stage actuator art with economical and effective solutions that overcome the constraints present in disc drives with dual-stage actuator systems.
The present invention provides an economical method for position-controlling a mechanical position of a micro-actuator of a disc drive, through use of a single-sided unipolar device driver. By supplying a bias voltage to the micro-actuator, rather than as an offset to a reference signal, to preset the mechanical position of the micro-actuator relative to a selected data track of the disc drive, the single-sided unipolar device driver can be used to adjust the position of the micro-actuator, in either a positive or negative position, relative to the preset position, through use of a single polarity input voltage.
In a preferred embodiment the micro-actuator is a bipolar piezoelectric transducer that responds to positive voltage input by expanding in a predetermined direction, while contracting in response to the application of a negative voltage. The bias voltage supplied to the piezoelectric transducer is a positive voltage that expands the piezoelectric transducer by substantially one half of the expansion capabilities of the piezoelectric transducer. Correction signals generated by the control circuit of the disc drive are effective in changing the mechanical position of the micro-actuator relative to a selected data track when the correction signal has a voltage in the range of between a positive xe2x80x9c+xe2x80x9d or a negative xe2x80x9cxe2x88x92xe2x80x9d voltage substantially equal to the applied bias voltage. Correction signals of negative voltage reduce the voltage supplied to the micro-actuator, thereby causing the piezo electric transducer to contract. Whereas correction signals of positive voltage increase the voltage supplied to the micro-actuator, thereby causing the piezoelectric transducer to expand.
By confining the correction signals to a voltage range between a positive xe2x80x9c+xe2x80x9d or negative xe2x80x9cxe2x88x92xe2x80x9d voltage substantially equal to the applied bias voltage, a single-sided unipolar driver is effective in controlling the bipolar piezoelectric transducer. And, as the piezoelectric transducer is affixed to the load arm of the head stack assembly, changes in mechanical position of the micro-actuator relative to the selected data track results in changes in mechanical position of the read/write head relative to the selected data track, thereby facilitating position-control of the read/write head relative to the selected data track.
These and various other features and advantages, which characterize the present invention, will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description and a review of the associated drawings.

Single-sided unipolar device driver for a piezoelectric transducer in a disc drive


An event sequencer for a functional mechanism contains a list of signatures and corresponding priority designations, and an event list containing event information from race condition events that are to be re-ordered. A method for sequencing race condition events, includes storing signatures for identifying predetermined events, storing priority designations corresponding to the signatures to enable identification of relative priorities between identified events, detecting at least first and second events and information about each event, storing only upon signature match the events and event information associated with each event, sorting the events, and sending the sorted events to a functional mechanism. Events are compared with stored signatures, and signature matches are determined. The arrival of events is detected, events are compared with stored signatures, and matches between events and signatures are established.

1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to functional verification operations, and more particularly to race condition ordering systems and methods used in functional verification modeling.
2. Description of Related Art
Pre-silicon verification operations consume as much as 50% of the total design time for system-on-a-chip projects. Such design verification includes simulation in a hardware description language (HDL) and comparison of the simulation results with functional model design results based upon the same stimulus. A race condition in HDL simulation includes one or more signals changing in the same time slice, when an operation depends on the order of occurrence of particular signal changes. As a result, HDL simulation does not guarantee an identical evaluation under race conditions. In HDL design descriptions, race conditions in a design need to be methodically planned for and avoided, to ensure hardware operation upon design implementation. In HDL simulators, the order of operations is not specified as to race conditions. However, in constructing functional models for verification, dealing with race conditions is unavoidable. For example, it may be necessary to compare an HDL code block output with results derived from certain inputs. Early during design, simulations are run without considering timing delays. Further, the inputs and outputs of a block may be propagated for functional verification during the same time slice. This presents an undesired race condition under which it is unclear which information will first be used, which detrimentally affects the results of verification, because depending upon the order of arrival of simulation events at a functional verification model, false failures are detectable. According to one current approach, complex semaphores are employed to ensure operability in the face of race conditions. Such complex solutions are dependent upon particular race conditions, and the design of the software code for the solutions is time-consuming and inefficient. Further, the use of semaphores creates ambiguities which detrimentally affect maintenance and reusability of the functional model.
It is desirable that solutions be developed which limit computational overhead to a minimum and which require a minimum memory allocation.
According to the present invention, an event sequencer for a functional mechanism contains a list of signatures and corresponding priority designations, and an event list containing event information including race condition events that are to be re-ordered. A method for sequencing race condition events according to the present invention, includes storing signatures for identifying predetermined events, storing priority designations corresponding to the signatures to enable identification of relative priorities between identified events, detecting at least first and second potential race condition events and information about each event, storing the events and event information associated with each event, sorting the events, and sending the sorted events to a functional mechanism. Events are compared with stored signatures, and signature matches are determined to determine whether an actual race condition exists. The arrival of events is detected, events are compared with stored signatures, and matches between events and signatures are established. Events are handled by detecting their arrival and making a determination as to whether to enter into a new time slice. Additionally, the events within each time slice are reordered by the sequencer according to the present invention. Finally, the sequencer sends the reordered, stored events to the functional model in a playback mode, according to the present invention.

Race condition ordering and functional verification system and method


When a stateful service is implemented in a cloud architecture, a state service system receives a user interface definition for a service and generates a client proxy and optionally a storage proxy. The stateful service implements service instances to service requests from clients. The client proxy receives and logs messages from a client in a state service component and a storage proxy logs interactions with a data store. When a service instance serving existing clients is changed, the proxies replay the logged information to the new service instance to recover or maintain state for individual client sessions.

Some current cloud computing environments provide an architecture in which infrastructure, platforms, and software are provided as services. In this context, infrastructure often refers to computing, communication and storage resources. The term platform includes enabling resources, that themselves include operating systems and application development as well as deployment services. Software as a service extends service oriented architectures from fine grained operations to richer applications. In general, one common trait among cloud layers is that they provide utility computing. That is, resources are made available and scaled on demand, allowing a pay-per-use billing model.
One mechanism that many cloud computing architectures use to employ scalability enables scaling out, whereby multiple instances of a service, each running on its own virtual machine, process client requests. In some particular connectionless scenarios, affinity between a specific client and a specific server instance for the duration of the session (referred to as session affinity) is not guaranteed.
One reason that the cloud computing architecture does not always guarantee session affinity (such as in connectionless scenarios) is that it can generate new service instances, when required to service a given workload in a load balanced fashion. It can also remove service instances when the number of service instances can be reduced given the current workload. Therefore, when the client is interacting with one service instance, and it is taken away and the client requests are forwarded to another service instance, the new service instance has no idea of the session state. A similar problem surfaces when requests from a given client are spread across multiple servers for the purpose of load balancing.
This lack of session affinity and session migration can present a problem in attempting to deploy certain applications or services to a cloud environment. In particular, where a hosted application or service is a stateful service, lack of session affinity can be problematic. By way of one specific example, assume that a client is interacting with a flight reservation service, in order to book a flight reservation on an airline. This particular task requires several interactions between the client and the service. Those tasks might include identifying a destination city, an origination city, an airline, a flight time, etc. In this type of stateful application, either the client application on the client's machine, or the service instance which the client is interacting with, must remember who the client is, the state of the application and the state of the session. Application state refers to data maintained by the application for the application. Some such data includes configuration settings, policies, etc. Application state is normally disassociated from all entities, and has a lone binding to the application itself and is thus maintained on the server side. Session state is the state of a particular client/server interaction (or session). Session state can refer to the state of the service (i.e., the state of server objects) and/or the state of the client (i.e., the state of client objects). Session state can be persisted as current values or as a history of modifications to relevant objects. In any case, the session state can be stored either at the client, at the server that is providing the service, or distributed among the two.
Because the cloud computing architecture does not ensure session affinity and/or session migration of a given session between a client and a given service instance, it can be difficult to migrate stateful applications to a cloud computing architecture. Some have attempted to address this problem by substantially rewriting applications or services to make them stateless. That is, the applications or services are rewritten so that the clients maintain state so the server instance need not maintain state. However, this often requires a great deal of development and time, and is inefficient and error prone.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.


A vehicle seat includes a seat back and headrest provided with a stay, a pair of panel members that sandwich a part of the stay from front and rear or above and below, and joined to each other through outer peripheries so as to form a space inside, a cushion material formed so as to cover the panel members and the part of the stay, and a dynamic damper arranged inside the space. The dynamic damper has a weight, and an elastic body that fastens the weight and has a leg part extending in a direction away from the weight. A part of the leg part is attached to the pair of panel members by being sandwiched by the pair of panel members.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a headrest mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, and a vehicle seat having the headrest.
2. Description of Related Art
A vehicle seat is disclosed, in which vibration transmitted from a vehicle body to the vehicle seat is transmitted to a dynamic damper provided inside a headrest so as to make the dynamic damper resonate. Thus, vibration of the vehicle seat is converted into vibration of the dynamic damper, thereby restraining vibration of the vehicle seat. In a vehicle seat described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 60-151135 (JP 60-151135 A), a dynamic damper is arranged inside a space formed inside a headrest. To be more specific, by fixing an inner cover to stays, a space is provided inside the inner cover, and, the dynamic damper is attached to the stays through a bracket inside the space.
In the technology described in JP 60-151135 A, the inner cover is attached to the stays in order to provide the space inside the headrest, and the bracket is used in order to attach the dynamic damper to the stays. In short, two components are necessary, one of which is used to form the space and the other one of which is used to attach the dynamic damper. This causes a problem that the number of parts is large.

Headrest and vehicle seat having headrest


A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes: a first semiconductor substrate CHP1 including a control circuit that generates a control signal for a control target circuit, and a transmission circuit Tx that modulates the control signal to generate a transmission signal; a second semiconductor substrate CHP2 including a reception circuit Rx that demodulates the transmission signal transmitted from the transmission circuit to reproduce the control signal, and a drive circuit Drv that drives the control target circuit based on the control signal output from the reception circuit, the second semiconductor substrate CHP2 being electrically insulated from the first semiconductor substrate CHP1; an AC coupling element that is formed on a semiconductor substrate and couples the first semiconductor substrate CHP1 and the second semiconductor substrate CHP2 in an alternating manner; and a semiconductor package 20 including the first semiconductor substrate CHP1, the second semiconductor substrate CHP2, and the AC coupling element. This suppresses an increase in circuit area or mounting area.

In general, a plurality of semiconductor chips or semiconductor packages are used to control a system incorporating a power transistor with a high breakdown voltage. In this regard, FIGS. 29 to 31 each show a block diagram of a semiconductor device that controls a power transistor PTr with a high breakdown voltage. In such a system as shown in FIGS. 29 to 31, a control circuit 101, which generates a control signal for the power transistor PTr, and a gate drive circuit 103, which drives the power transistor PTr, are connected via an insulating interface 102.
In order to adjust electric energy supplied to an electric motor, lighting equipment, or the like, the control circuit 101 generates a control signal for the power transistor PTr by means of pulse width modulation (PWM), for example. The control circuit 101 mainly includes a microcontroller, a PWM circuit, a timer circuit, a comparator, and an analog-to-digital conversion circuit. The gate drive circuit 103 detects a change in impedance of a reception-side phototransistor of a photocoupler, for example, to control the gate terminal of the power transistor PTr.
The insulating interface 102 includes an AC coupling element that couples the control circuit 101 and the gate drive circuit 103 in an alternating manner while electrically insulating them from each other, and transmits only necessary information such as a control signal. FIG. 29 shows a configuration in which a photocoupler used as the AC coupling element. FIG. 30 shows a configuration in which a magnetic coupler (for example, a transformer) used as the AC coupling element. FIG. 31 shows a configuration in which a capacitive coupler (for example, a capacitor) used as the AC coupling element. In the case where a transformer or a capacitor is used as the AC coupling element, a modulation circuit and a demodulation circuit are used to transmit signals through the AC coupling element. Patent Literatures 1 to 13 disclose an example in which a transformer is used as the insulating interface 102. Patent Literatures 3 and 14 disclose an example in which a capacitor is used as the insulating interface 102.
In FIGS. 29 to 31, semiconductor substrate areas are hatched and semiconductor package areas are surrounded by dashed lines. As shown in FIGS. 29 to 31, it is necessary to electrically insulate the circuits formed on, the control circuit 101 side from the circuits formed on the gate drive circuit 103 side. Accordingly, the insulating interface requires two semiconductor substrates, regardless of the coupler to be used. In other words, as shown in FIGS. 29 to 31, in the system configured using the insulating interface 102, the number of semiconductor substrates and the number of semiconductor packages are undesirably increased. Such a problem is evident when a motor drive control system or a lighting system is constructed using the insulating interface.
FIG. 32 shows a block diagram of a typical motor drive control system, and FIG. 33 shows a block diagram of a lighting system. The motor drive control system shown in FIG. 32 is a system for driving a three-phase electric motor. The system includes six power transistors PTr for driving the three-phase electric motor. A power supply circuit 110 for supplying high-voltage power is provided to the power transistors PTr. This power supply circuit 110 is an AC/DC conversion circuit that generates a DC power of 0 to 1 kV from AC power of 100 to 250 V. The power supply circuit 110 performs AC/DC conversion through a switching operation of the power transistors PTr. That is, it is necessary for the motor drive control system shown in FIG. 32 to control eight power transistors PTr. Thus, eight insulating interfaces 102 and eight gate drive circuits 103 are required according to the number of power transistors PTr. Accordingly, in the motor drive control system shown in FIG. 32, assuming that the number of the power transistors PTr to be controlled is represented by N, 2N+1 number of semiconductor packages and 3N+1 number of semiconductor substrates are required.
The lighting system shown in FIG. 33 includes a light-emitting diode serving as a lighting element 122. The lighting system shown in FIG. 33 has a function for adjusting an illuminance of the light-emitting diode. When a light-emitting diode is used as a light-emitting element, the illuminance thereof is proportional to a current flowing through the element. Accordingly, a method is employed in which the amount of current flowing through the light-emitting diode is controlled to a desired value. In the example shown in FIG. 33, a shunt resistor Rshunt for detecting a current flowing through the light-emitting diode is prepared to perform a negative feedback control so that a voltage generated in the shunt resistor Rshunt is set to a desired value. In the lighting system shown in FIG. 33, the insulating interface 102 is used to perform such a negative feedback control.
The control circuit 101 shown in FIG. 33 compares the voltage obtained from the shunt resistor Rshunt with an illuminance adjustment signal. Then, depending on the magnitude of the signal, the PWM circuit changes a duty ratio of a pulse signal. For example, when the voltage obtained from the shunt resistor Rshunt is lower than the voltage of the illuminance adjustment signal, the PWM circuit increases the duty ratio of the pulse signal (increases the pulse width). As a result, a voltage is applied to a primary coil of a transformer 121 for a longer time, and greater power is supplied from a secondary coil, so that the voltage obtained from the shunt resistor Rshunt increases. On the contrary, when the voltage obtained from the shunt resistor Rshunt is higher than the voltage of the illuminance adjustment signal, the PWM circuit decreases the duty ratio of the pulse signal (decreases the pulse width). As a result, the power supplied from the secondary coil of the transformer 121 decreases, and thus the voltage obtained from the shunt resistor Rshunt decreases. A power supply circuit 120 performs such a negative feedback control to thereby output a desired voltage.
At this time, in the lighting system, the control circuit 101, the insulating interface 102, and the gate drive circuit 103 are used to control a power MOS transistor PM based on a PWM signal. This is because a PWM control signal cannot be generated in a circuit having a high breakdown voltage due to its low operation speed and it is necessary to manufacture the gate drive circuit 103, which requires a high breakdown voltage, and the control circuit 101, which requires a high operation speed, by different processes. That is, also in the lighting system shown in FIG. 33, at least three semiconductor packages and four semiconductor substrates are required to control the power MOS transistor PM.
As shown in FIGS. 32 and 33, in the system that requires an insulating interface, the number of semiconductor substrates and the number of semiconductor packages are undesirably increased. In this regard, Patent Literature 15 proposes a hybrid IC having a configuration in which a pulse control circuit, a transformer, and a gate drive circuit are mounted in a single package. The use of this hybrid IC makes it possible to reduce the number of semiconductor packages of the system using an insulating interface.


Aspects of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for image processing. The method includes one or more processors generating a first set of binary images from a first image based on a first color attribute value range associated with a textual object presented in the first image. The method further includes one or more processors recognizing a first set of candidates for the textual object from the first set of binary images. The method further includes one or more processors determining a first appearance frequency of a first candidate in the first set of candidates. In response to determining that the first appearance frequency exceeds a first frequency, threshold he method further includes one or more processors determining that the first candidate is a first recognition result for the textual object in the first image.

The present invention relates to image processing, and more specifically image recognition.
Image analysis is the extraction of meaningful information from images; mainly from digital images by means of digital image processing techniques. Analyzing images utilizes a plurality of techniques, such as 2D and 3D object recognition, image segmentation, motion detection, video tracking, optical flow, number recognition, etc. In computer science, digital image processing is the use of computer algorithms to perform image processing on digital images. In addition, object recognition, with respect to computer vision technology, applies to finding and identifying objects in an image or video sequence. Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) employs two main processes, segmentation and classification. Traditional image segmentation is on a per-pixel basis. However, OBIA groups pixels into homogeneous objects. These objects can have different shapes and scale. Objects also have statistics associated with them which can be used to classify objects. Statistics can include geometry, context and texture of image objects. The analyst defines statistics in the classification process to generate for example land cover. Nowadays, the need for recognizing text from images, such as frames of a video is increasingly growing. The capability of the existing approaches, such as Tesseract, in recognizing the textual object in the video is limited.

International Business Machines Corporation


A mobile terminal includes a speaker arrangement for providing surround sound. The terminal includes a folder hinged at a main body and having an LCD attached thereto, speakers mounted at the folder and implementing a three-dimensional surround-sound effect, and a sliding unit for sliding at least one of the speakers when the speakers produce the three-dimensional surround-sound effect. Because the distance between the speakers can be widened according to a user's selection, three-dimensional surround-sound can be maximized and thus product quality can be significantly enhanced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a mobile terminal, and more particularly to a mobile terminal implementing surround-sound through installation of a plurality of speakers at the terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile terminals have recently been developed which allow users to download music files or video clips from the Internet as well as transmit or receive voice signals and access the Internet. In fact, the functionality of mobile terminals are being extended every day.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show a related-art mobile terminal which includes a main body 110 having various circuit components installed therein, a menu button 102 and a dial button 104 provided at its front surface, a battery 106 mounted at its rear surface, and a folder 120 rotatably connected by a hinge connection unit 112 to the main body and having an inner LCD 116 for displaying user-desired information.
A microphone 122 is installed at the main body to transmit a voice signal of a user. In addition to the inner LCD 116, a receiver 126 is mounted at an inner side of the folder for transferring the voice of another party to the user. At an outer side of the folder, an outer LCD 130 is attached and two speakers 124 for implementing three-dimensional surround-sound are installed with a certain spacing interval therebetween.
When the related-art mobile terminal downloads a music file or video clip and executes it, three-dimensional surround-sound is implemented through the two speakers 124. However, since the two speakers are fixed within folder 120, the spacing distance between the two speakers significantly limited. That is, because the amount by which the width of the folder can be increased is limited, it is difficult to space the two speakers a significant distance apart. This causes a problem in that the user can not feel the three-dimensional surround-sound effect. Also, with the related-art arrangement, even if the spacing can be increased, the surround-sound effect can be hardly perceived, by the user with the two speakers.


The present invention relates to modelling doughs comprising;                a) at least one starch-containing material;        b) at least on low vapour pressure polar solvent; and        c) an aqueous component.

For more than 50 years starch-based modelling compounds have been known and used (McVicker et al.). The binder in starch-based modelling compounds comes from various sources including flour from wheat, rye, rice, or tapioca. According to methods known in the art, such starch-based binders may be mixed with other components such as water, a salt, a lubricant, and/or a preservative to form a modelling compound.
Previous modelling materials can generally be divided into starch-based doughs and non-drying clays. Starch-based doughs such as Play-Doh® are typically bound with water and susceptible to drying when left uncovered. Conversely, non-drying modelling materials are typically clays which do not offer the same "feel" as doughs in use. Generally non-drying clays such as Plasticine® are based upon a hydrocarbon liquid or wax with a high level of a filler, such as a mineral filler, incorporated. Similar known products include polymer clays such as Fimo®, Sculpey® and Cernit® which are typically based upon PVC, hydrocarbons and plasticising agents. Known non-drying materials, especially those incorporating hydrocarbons tend to leave a residue on the hands after use and can be tacky, especially under warm conditions. Furthermore, starch-based doughs have a more desirable "feel", especially for use by children.
Starch is a polysaccharide produced by most green plants and is the primary source of stored energy in cereal grains. Apart from starch, flour typically contains proteins, dietary fibres, and fat. Starch is a mixture of the water-soluble polysaccharides amylose and amylopectin.
Amylose is comparatively low molecular weight. It is linear, made up of α(1→4) bound glucose molecules, and forms helical coils in solution. Amylopectin is highly branched, having a much higher molecular weight and, in solution, a higher viscosity. Glucose units in amylopectin are linked in a linear way (α(1→4) glycosidic bonds) while branching takes place with α(1→6) bonds occurring every 24 to 30 glucose units.
Dissolved amylopectin starch has lower tendency of retrogradation (gelling) during storage and cooling than amylose rich starch has. Amylose has tendency to retrograde already at concentrations as low as 1% in water.
In starch, amylopectin dominates and is commonly about 70% of the polysaccharide content but amount varies depending on the source. Medium-grain rice has higher ratio of amylopectin, and in glutinous rice it is up to 100%. For example, wheat starch contains about 75% amylopectin; and tapioca starch contains about 83% amylopectin. Waxy corn starch contains more than about 99% amylopectin.
In semicrystalline starch granules, amylose and amylopectin are important components. Heating an aqueous starch solution induces gelatinization, during which the crystal structure of starch granules is disrupted, and the starch granules absorb water and hydrate, and the viscosity of the solution increases (Thomas & Altwell). Directly from the time when a freshly-made starch gel is cooled the retrogradation process starts. This involves reassociation of starch molecules by alignment of linear amylose chains and the linear regions of amylopectin molecules and formation of inter-molecular hydrogen bonds.
All these processes occur in starch-based modelling compounds and affect the characteristics. The texture may go from soft, and easy to manipulate and shape, to being significantly harder within a couple of days. This was addressed by Doane Jr and Tsimberg by adding a retrogradation inhibitor, in an amount of 2-10% to a starch based modelling compound. As retrogradation inhibitor they used amylopectin starch that is known to be resistant to retrogradation.
There is however another drawback with all previously known starch-based modelling compounds. Since they contain large amounts of water (typically 50% or more) as solvent, they dry out and in between use have to be stored in sealed containers. A chunk left exposed to ambient air becomes hard over time (typically a few hours) and play value is lost. It is often very difficult or impossible to regain the texture by adding water as reincorporation of the added water is problematic. This applies not only at low relative humidity but also at normal (40-60%) and even at high relative humidity (e.g. 60% or above). When residues of the modelling compound dries in plastic moulds and extruders, which are used with the dough by children, they get stuck and the moulds and extruders are (very) difficult to clean.
It would be a considerable advantage to provide a modelling compound having enhanced stability of properties. In particular it would be an advantage to provide a modelling compound which was less prone to drying and/or changing properties, particularly when left open to the ambient environment.
It would be an advantage to provide a non-drying or drying-resistant dough that would reduce the problem of dough drying in the moulds and extruders. It would also be an advantage to provide a dough that could be stored without the need for special precautions to avoid drying. In particular, it would be an advantage if a dough did not need to be stored in closed containers. These are obvious advantages for the users, but also manufacturers would not need to pack out the product in airtight containers.

Abstract: Typically the doughs will also contain optional ingredients such as softeners, preservatives and/or additives. The invention further relates to filled doughs comprising the modelling doughs incorporating an inert filler and to methods for the production of both the modelling dough and the filled dough.


Embodiments of the disclosure concern methods of determining the effectiveness of immune cells, such as T cells, with particular chimeric antigen receptors. In specific embodiments, a synapse between the CAR and the tumor antigen is measured for structure, signaling, and functionality by imaging. As such, the quality of the synapse is determined and positively correlates with effectiveness of the particular CAR immune cells.

Recent progress using adoptive T cell-based therapy with chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) shows impressive successes in patients with cancer by enhancing the effectiveness of CAR T cells. A major gap in the current knowledge is having an easy way to predict the effectiveness of CAR T cells. Specifically, many scientists from different laboratories are generating different CARs with minor modifications. However, before these modified CARs can enter clinical trials, it is essential that they be evaluated accurately for their quality, safety and potential effectiveness, in a cost-effective manner. The conventional tools for immunological analyses of quality and effectiveness are time-consuming, labor intensive, costly, and inaccurate.
The immunological synapse (IS) was originally described by imaging T-cell interactions with antigen-presenting cells (APCs). The structure, function, and signaling cascades at the synapses have been further confirmed by imaging of T-cell interactions with the glass-supported planar lipid bilayer containing the MHC-peptide complex and other co-stimulatory molecules. The general consensus in the field of immunology is that the glass-supported planar lipid bilayer system can be used for mimicking the target cells to study synapses at high resolution. Although tremendous progress has been made in the basic research on the IS, with a focus on the structure, function, and signaling cascades, to date no study has addressed how the synapse of the CAR controls CAR T cell activation.
The present disclosure provides a solution to a long-felt need in the art how to measure the efficacy of therapeutic immune cells, including CAR T cells.

Quality of immunological synapse predicts effectiveness of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells


The invention relates to compositions and methods for reducing cross-linking in the gelatin shell of gelatin capsules by incorporation of free amino acid into the capsule shell and by inclusion of an ester of carboxylic acid either into the capsule filling, and/or into the capsule shell and/or into the lubrication agent, or in combinations thereof. Described are soft gelatin capsules characterized by improved stability as compared with gelatin capsules that do not contain amino acid in the shell and carboxylic acid ester in the filling, shell or in the lubrication agent, or in combinations thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to compositions and methods for reducing cross-linking in the gelatin shell of gelatin capsules by incorporation of free amino acid into the capsule shell and by inclusion of an ester of carboxylic acid either into the capsule filling, and/or into the capsule shell and/or into the lubrication agent, or in combinations thereof. Described are soft gelatin capsules characterized by improved stability as compared with gelatin capsules that do not contain amino acid in the shell and carboxylic acid ester in the filling, shell or in the lubrication agent, or in combinations thereof.
2. Summary of the Related Art
Gelatin capsules, commonly used as a pharmaceutical dosage form or as food supplements, consist of a gelatin shell surrounding a core filled with the composition being delivered. Gelatin capsules and methods of making the same are well known and described in the general pharmacological literature. Gel capsules may be hard (filled with solid or semi-solid fill) formed by two halves joined to create a shell capsule, or a soft (filled with a liquid or semi-liquid fill) formed by a single gelatin shell. Caplets (sometimes also referred to as gel capsules) are modified tablets covered by gelatin shell.
Soft-gelatin capsules are produced by injecting a liquid or a semi-liquid fill between two gelatin strips, either by discontinuous formation or by continuous formation (i.e., rotary-die process). During the manufacturing process, both gelatin gel strips have to be lubricated by a suitable lubricant in order to avoid early sticking to machine parts or to each other. Suitable lubricant agents commonly used in the art include mineral oils (e.g., paraffin oil), synthetic oils (e.g., silicone oil) or vegetable oils (e.g., coconut oil and corn oil).
Liquid or semi-liquid fills for soft-gelatin gel capsules are divided into two basic groups according to their miscibility with water (see, Horn and Jimerson, Capsules, Soft, In: Encyclopedia of Pharmaceutical Technology, Vol. 2, Swabrick and Boylan (Eds), Marcel Dekker, New York and Basel, 269-284, 1990; and Lachmann, Theory and Practice of Industrial Pharmacy, 2nd Ed. Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia, 1986). In a first group are hydrophobic fills capsules (e.g., vegetable and aromatic oils, aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons, chlorohydrocarbons, ethers, esters, alcohols and high molecular organic adds), whereas in a second group are hydrophilic fills capsules (e.g., polyethyleneglycols and non-ionogenic surfacial active material—surfactants).
After encapsulation of hydrophobic fills into gelatin gel, excess water leaves the gel and enters the fill. The excess water is almost completely resorbed by the gelatin shell of the capsule during the drying process, until equilibrium with the surroundings is achieved. Conversely, hydrophilic fills are able to absorb a certain amount of water, which can enter the fill after encapsulation. The resorption process is more difficult for these fills and equilibrium achievement is conditioned by the HLB (hydrophilic to lipophilic balance) value and absorption hysteresis curve for gelatin shells of concrete composition (York, J. Pharm. Pharmacol. 33:269 (1981)).
A third group of compounds and compositions, which are not suitable for incorporation in a gelatin capsule includes: water and aqueous solutions, low molecular weight and water-soluble volatile organic substances (e.g., organic acids, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, amines and esters). Besides their principle unsuitability for encapsulation due to dissolution-related impairment of the gelatin gel, some of these compounds can have deteriorating effect on the gelatin shell even if they are present in trace amounts. These compounds have been found to promote gelatin cross-linking (i.e., the formation of covalent chemical bonds across the polypeptide chains of gelatin) in the gelatin shell resulting in an insoluble polymer structure. Cross-linking may also arise during storage of gelatin capsules giving rise to a molecular (net-like) structure of gelatin, which is almost insoluble or poorly dissoluble in water.
It is also known that gelatin cross-linking in the shell of the capsules is promoted by use of certain chemical compounds in the fill of capsules and can arise in the course of aging of the capsules or after stress conditions. The formation of such a molecular (net-like) structure of gelatin results in worsened disintegration profile of the capsules resulting in a delayed release of pharmaceutically active substances contained in the capsule.
Factors Affecting Dissolution Test of Soft Gelatin Capsules with Pharmaceutically Active Substances
The employment of gelatin capsules as an oral delivery means is well known in the pharmaceutical arts. In pharmaceutical applications, soft gelatin capsules are especially suitable for oral administration of lipophilic active substances. However, once the cross-linking of the gelatin occurs, the gelatin shell becomes less soluble in an aqueous medium, especially in an acidified water medium. The cross-linking delays the disintegration of the gelatin shell, which subsequently delays the dissolution of the inner content of the capsule as compared with a similar capsule not exposed to long time storage or stress-conditions which promote cross-linking.
Therefore, it is necessary when the gelatin capsule contains a component which promotes cross-linking in the gelatin shell to prepare a formulation which will not induce delayed disintegration and/or delayed dissolution of the inner content of the capsule following storage or after exposure to stress conditions.
The shells of both hard and soft gelatin capsules are susceptible to cross-linking. Cross-linking has been demonstrated by a prolongation of the dissolution time and release of drug substance. The delay is attributed to only partial dissolution of the gelatin shell (in case of soft gelatin capsules, the dissolved part is the outer layer of shell). In some instances, the inner layer of the gelatin shell forms a thin film, called a pellicle, which remains intact and envelopes the inner volume of the capsules. This effect is described by Carstensen and Rhodes (Drug Dev. Ind. Pharm. 19(20):2709 (1993)) or Bottom, et al., (J. of Pharm. Sci. 86(9):1057 (1997)).
Considering relatively small intensity of mixing in dissolution apparatus, the rupture of gelatin shell containing the pellicle is worsened and delayed as well and it is the cause of high variability of results of the dissolution test.
There are presently two basic methods described in the literature addressing the dissolution problems of soft gelatin capsules. These methods include (a) demonstrating that the altered dissolution profiles obtained from cross-linked gelatin capsules is a laboratory phenomenon by utilizing in vivo bioequivalence and/or clinical studies which attempt to demonstrate that actual biological availability of test agents are not negatively affected by the cross-linking; and (b) elimination of the causes of cross-linking, namely (i) elimination of physical conditions, which promote the cross-linking, (ii) elimination of substances, which promote the cross-linking (cross-linking promoters), (iii) addition of cross-linking inhibitors (where the most effective action is concurrent combination of these precautions).
In Vivo Studies with Capsules Affected with Cross-Linking
Although the changes of bioavailability of a drug during the shelf-life are always accompanied with the changes in dissolution characteristics and/or are even indicated by them in advance, it is not true vice versa—i.e., the changes in dissolution characteristics do not always necessarily indicate the deterioration of bioavailability.
Chafetz, et al., J. Pharm. Sci. 73:1186 (1984) showed a typical example in which the pellicle formed by gelatin cross-linking did not rupture in vitro, but always disintegrated in the patient's stomach. Similar observations showing that gelatin cross-linking has greater impact on the result of the in vitro dissolution test rather than on the in vivo bioavailability of a drug have been reported. (See e.g., Dey, et at, Pharm. Res. 10(9):1295 (1993), Digenis, et. al., J. Pharm. Sci. 83(7):915 (1994), or Murthy, et al., Pharm. Tech. 13:(6):53 (1989)). Special importance among these studies belongs to the work of Digenis, et al.
While it appears that gelatin cross-linking has far more greater impact on the results of in vitro dissolution tests rather than on in vivo bioavailability, it is still prudent to utilize such formulations of the inner fillings of the gelatin capsules which minimize cross-linking in the gelatin shell and which therefore minimize the effects of time or stress conditions on the dissolution profile of the gelatin capsules. This may be especially important in a case of accelerated stability studies in which the capsules are stressed with enhanced temperature and relative humidity. The reason is that the results of accelerated stability studies are often used for drug registration purposes, and that the dissolution test is often required as one of the stability-indicating methods.
Elimination of the Causes of Cross-Linking
Cross-linking of the gelatin capsules may be promoted or accelerated by physical conditions or chemical substances.
Physical conditions which promote or accelerate cross-linking include: (a) the combination of elevated temperature and humidity (Murthy et al., Pharm. Tech. 72 (1989)), (b) heating (critical temperature is between 37-40° C.) (Hakata et al., Chem. & Pharm. Bull. 42(7):1496 (1994)), (c) dehydration as a result of heat treatment (Welz and Ofner, J. Pharm. Sci. 81(1):85 (1992)), (d) speed of drying (Reich et al., Pharm. Industry 57 (1995)), or (e) UV radiation.
Chemical substances which activate, facilitate or force cross-linking include among others glucose, aldehydes (glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde, glyceraldehyde), peroxides (hydrogenperoxide), epoxides (1,3-butadiene diepoxide), benzene, sulfonic acid, or guanidine hydrochloride. Metal salts react with gelatin also and thus by complexation with the carboxylate groups (chromium salts, zirconium, aluminium). Cross-linking reaction of gelatin is intentionally used in photographic industry for hardening of gelatin gels. A great deal of information about this subject is contained in books (Clark, R. C. and Courts, A., "The Chemical Reactivity of Gelatin" in The Science and Technology of Gelatin, (ed.) A. G. Ward and A. Courts, Academic Press, (1977); Chonan, Y. et at, "The effects of Chemical Modification on the Physical Properties of Gelatin" in Photographic Binders, 2nd Edition, (ed.) H-Irie et al., Published by the Research Group of Photographic Binders in Japan (1990)).
Cross-linking of the gelatin in gelatin capsules is inhibited or reduced by chemical substances, which include among others: aminoacids (glycine, lysine), carboxylic acids (citric acid), semicarbazide, hydroxylamine hydrochloride, piperazide, pyridine, pentamethylene imine, glycerine, or p-aminobenzoic acid.
It is known that gelatin cross-linking in gelatin capsules can be reduced or avoided if the amount of amino-groups available along the molecular chain of the gelatin is reduced, either by masking through covalent bonds with suitable masking agents or by employment of competitive agents containing an abundance of free amino-groups.
A representative masking agent often used is succinic acid, because the two carboxyl groups of this organic acid enable both the reaction of one carboxyl group with an accessible amino-group on the molecular chain of the gelatin and, concurrently providing steric prevention of access of the cross-linking agent. The process where the gelatin is modified by covalent binding of its molecules with succinic acid is called succination (succinization). A disadvantage of this approach results from the fact that the gelatin gels prepared from a modified (succinated) gelatin are characterized by high permeation and as such they are inappropriate for encapsulation of fillings which contain ethanol, propylene glycol or other volatile or migratable ingredients. Besides this, succinated gelatins are still susceptible to cross-linking when complexation agents such as metal salts are the cross-linking promoters.
Free monomeric amino acid is often used as a competition agent, for example glycine or lysine, whose free amino group competes with accessible amino groups on the molecular chain of the gelatin during its reaction with cross-linking agent.
Influence of Glycine on Cross-Linking
The inhibitory effect of glycine on cross-linking is more intensive when free and accessible carboxyl groups are concurrently present. See, for example, Adesunloye and Stach (Drug. Dev. Industrial Pharmacy, 1998).
It appears that glycine prevents cross-linking in both alcohol and non alcoholic formulations for gelatin capsules (unpublished observations of inventors). Glycine is currently used in pharmaceutical preparations, where dimethyl isosorbide is used as a solvent. A glycine concentration of around 0.5% is used for prevention of cross-linking.
Pharmaceutical Acceptance of Glycine Usage in the Shell of Soft Gelatin Capsules—Practical Feasibility
There are no limitations for the use of glycine in capsules as mentioned in the list of adjuvants permitted by United States Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Inactive Ingredient Guide (IIG) from year 1996. However, from the specifications for tablets, oral powders, food products or beverages, the following supporting data can be obtained:
ConcentrationFood and drinks (CFR Ch. I (Apr. 1, 2000Edition))auxiliary masking substance (glycine)0.2% in final drinkPharmaceuticals (IIG)Intramuscular injections(limits unpublished)freeze-dry powder for intramuscular(limits unpublished)injection solutionCapsules, oral(limit unpublished)Powder for reconstitution solution, oral(2.1%)Oral solution(limits unpublished)Oral tablets  (8.X mg-163.31 mg)Oral tablets (immediate/comp. release),(100 mg-200 mg)uncoatedRectal solution(limits unpublished)Powder for reconstitution of solution,(limits unpublished)subcutaneous
The patent literature discloses glycine contents between 0.1 to 25.0%, most preferably of 0.2 to 5%, related to a fresh gelatin gel. The glycine concentrations presented below describe levels reported for use in some common dosage forms. Amounts in common use include: 1.08 mg per 1 capsule (size 5 oval), 2.52 mg per 1 capsule (size 11 oblong), and 3.94 mg per 1 capsule (size 20 oblongs).
It is also known, that the effect of competition agents (free amino acid containing moieties) can be further intensified (potentiated) by the concurrent use of a substance with a free carboxyl group, generally an organic acid. For organic acids, the monomeric lower carboxyl acid is often used, as for example citric acid. However, this approach has so far been used only in hard gelatin capsules, containing powdered or semi-solid dry fills. It has not been possible to apply this method to soft gelatin capsules, where the dominant lipophilic character of fill components did not allow for the use of lower monomeric organic acids, which are soluble in aqueous and hydrophilic media and insoluble in oily or lipophilic media.
In soft gelatin capsules production, a combination of the above mentioned approaches is used so that the succination of polymeric gelatin chain is performed by reaction with succinic acid anhydride. Concurrently, glycine or lysine is added as a free amino-acid into the gel composition.
However, to date several disadvantages have accompanied this approach. The first drawback comes from the fact that the product formed as a result of the reaction of gelatin with succinic acid anhydride has not been recognized as an acceptable auxiliary pharmaceutical compound (excipients).
The second drawback is caused by the high permeability of gelatin gels prepared from succinated gelatin. This feature makes them unsuitable for encapsulation of fillings containing ethanol, propylene glycol or other volatile or migratable components.

Reduction of cross-linking gelatin in gelatin capsules


A weighing apparatus comprising a weigh deck, one or more load cells, and two staging bars. The weighing apparatus is configured to be installed in an existing conveyor system having a frame and a conveyor belt so that the weigh deck is generally flush with the frame and the weigh deck and the staging bars are positioned underneath the conveyor belt. The staging bars are positioned to mitigate weight measurement variations produced by the conveyor belt. In many cases, the staging bars are vertically adjustable. One or more weigh bridges can be incorporated into a production line or conveyor system.

Various materials are conveyed by conveyor systems as a continuous flow of material. For example, bulk materials can be transported as a continuous flow of material through a conveyor system. Bulk materials can include loose materials such as grain, gravel, and coal or other materials such as dough. Dough is often placed through an extruding apparatus and is extruded as a continuous sheet or ribbon of dough. This continuous sheet of dough can then be transported through a conveyor system where various operations are performed on the dough. Often times, it is necessary to weigh a continuous flow of material as it moves through a conveyor system. The present invention provides an economical and practical weighing apparatus and conveyor system for weighing a continuous flow of material.

Weighing apparatus and conveyors systems incorporating a weighing apparatus


An information processing apparatus may include a printer driver and a port monitor having a transmission unit, a reception unit, and a pull print command transmission unit. After a print instruction is made to edited electronic data, the printer driver receives and then transmits the electronic data to the port monitor without converting it into print data. The transmission unit receives the electronic data, specific information corresponding to an image forming apparatus, and a printing server uniform resource identifier (URI), and transmits the electronic data to a printing server based on the received printing server URI to cause the printing server to convert the electronic data into print data and a print data URI. The pull print command transmission unit transmits a pull print command including the print data URI received by the reception unit to the image forming apparatus based on the specific information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus for instructing printing using a printer driver, a method for controlling the information processing apparatus, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a conventional technique, an application installed on an information processing apparatus transmits a print instruction to a printer driver which, upon reception of the print instruction, converts electronic data, which are print target, into print data. As another conventional technique, a printer driver transmits a print instruction to a port monitor which, upon reception of the print instruction, transmits print data to an image forming apparatus.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional sequence in which an application of an information processing apparatus instructs an image forming apparatus to perform printing. A user creates a document by the application and then instructs printing. In step S101, the application transmits electronic data of the document (hereinafter referred to as document electronic data) and a print instruction to a printer driver. In step S102, the printer driver receives the document electronic data and converts the document electronic data to generate print data. In step S103, the printer driver reads the IP address of the image forming apparatus from a connection destination storage unit of the information processing apparatus. In step S104, the printer driver transmits a print instruction together with the print data and the IP address of the image forming apparatus to a port monitor. In step S105, the port monitor transmits a print instruction to a printing control unit of the image forming apparatus designating the received IP address of the image forming apparatus as a connection destination. In step S106, the printing control unit performs printing and the document is printed.
The printer driver is a very useful program for the user to acquire a print product. A certain technique improves such a printer driver into a more convenient program. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-301127 discusses a common printer driver which is applicable to a plurality of models of image forming apparatuses and executes printing instruction to these image forming apparatuses. The printer driver discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-301127 can use a plurality of image forming apparatuses as a connection destination. The printer driver discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-301127 creates and displays a setting screen based on product information for the image forming apparatuses and user-definable attribute information for the image forming apparatuses.
In recent years, a technique called cloud computing system has come to be used as a configuration for performing various pieces of processing on the server computer side. With the cloud computing system, a user utilizes a web application on the server side by a web browser installed on the client side to create and edit a document. When printing the document, the document electronic data is converted into print data on the server side, so that the user can print the document without installing a printer driver on the client side.
None of conventional printer drivers recognizes a printing service as a connection destination. In other words, a user cannot perform cloud-based printing via a conventional printer driver from an application installed on an information processing apparatus. Another problem is an assumed user demand for cloud-based printing with a similar feeling of operation to that of the conventional printer driver-based printing method.
Still another problem is that, when using a plurality of models of image forming apparatuses, it is necessary to install the same number of printer drivers as the number of image forming apparatuses. However, installing a number of printer drivers may cause competition therebetween possibly resulting in an unstable state of an operating system. For example, temporary data that cannot be normally deleted may disturb normal operation of the operating system.

Information processing apparatus, method for controlling the same, and storage medium


Disclosed herein are bicycloaryl compounds of Formula (I) that selectively modulate nuclear receptors, preferably the androgen receptor, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, ester, amide, or prodrug thereof, and methods of treating disease comprising administering a compound of Formula (I) to a patient in need thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates novel compounds and methods of using the same for medicinal use and/or to modulate androgen receptors.
2. Description of the Related Art
The androgen receptor (AR) belongs to the family of nuclear hormone receptors. Nuclear hormone receptors define a superfamily of ligand activated transcription factors. Members of this family are characterized by a number of modular domains: a zinc finger DNA binding domain (DBD) triggers the interaction of the receptor with specific response elements at the DNA site, a ligand binding domain (LBD) adjacent to the DBD, and two transcriptional activation domains AF-1 and AF-2, which are ligand-independent and ligand-dependent, respectively. Upon ligand binding to the receptor, a conformational change occurs within the LBD bringing the AF-2 domain in closer proximity and allowing for the recruitment of co-activators. Co-activators create a physical interaction between the nuclear hormone receptor and components of the transcriptional machinery, establishing transcriptional modulation of target genes.
The steroid sex hormones testosterone and the more potent dihydroxy testosterone (DHT) represent the AR endogenous ligands. Through activation of the receptor, these "male sex hormones" modulate a number of physiological processes most notably primary and secondary male characteristics.
Clinical situations in which levels of plasma testosterone are decreased, also known as hypogonadism, have been extensively studied. For instance, children suffering from such a condition exhibit a total absence of pubertal development. Delay in puberty leads to psychological problems, secondary to short stature and/or delay in the acquisition of secondary sexual characteristics and the reduction of bone mass. Moreover, several epidemiological studies have confirmed that plasma testosterone levels gradually decrease with aging. On average a quarter of men in their sixties display clinical hypogonadism. This condition is even more prevalent among male octogenarians where 50-80% of men in this age group clinically qualify for hypogonadism. Decreased testosterone plasma levels are also seen in aging women. Age-related hypogonadism is associated with an obvious impairment in the quality of life from physical manifestations (muscle, bone density loss) to psychological problems (mood disorders, cognition, decreased libido). This condition is referred to as "male menopause" or "andropause".
Current therapies rely on the use of testosterone and testosterone analogs. They are the treatment of choice in delayed male puberty, male fertility as well as endometriosis. Because of the strong anabolic effects of this class of steroid hormones, they have been therapeutically approved for restoring skeletal muscle mass in patients suffering from burns. A number of placebo controlled clinical studies have reported a therapeutic benefit to androgen agonism in aging men. In particular, reports have emerged demonstrating the benefit of testosterone replacement therapy in improving a number of aspects of age related hypogonadism such as bone density, anabolism, libido, mood disorders (lack of vigor, well being) and cognition, and in the ophthalmologic arena, in disorders such as dry eye. More recent studies have highlighted a correlation between decreasing testosterone levels and increased incidence of Alzheimer's disease.
Since oral preparations of testosterone and testosterone analogs are ineffective due to enhanced first-pass metabolism and hepatotoxicity, intramuscular injectable forms of long-acting esters have constituted the basis of testosterone replacement therapy. However, the large fluctuations of serum testosterone levels induced by these preparations cause unsatisfactory shifts of mood and sexual function in some men; combined with the frequent injections, this delivery mode is thus far from being ideal. In contrast, transdermal testosterone patches display more favorable pharmacokinetic properties and have proven to be an effective mode of delivery. Nevertheless, testosterone patch systems (especially scrotal patches) are hampered by the high rate of skin irritations. Recently, testosterone gels have gained approval. Gels are applied once daily on the skin in quantities large enough to deliver sufficient amounts of testosterone to restore normal hormonal values and correct the signs and symptoms of hypogonadism. However while being very effective, this mode of application raises matters of adequate and consistent delivery.
Finally, the use of such steroid replacement therapy is widely believed to yield increase in prostate size. This androgenic property of testosterone and testosterone analogs constitute an additional and significant risk for prostate cancer.

Androgen receptor modulators and method of treating disease using the same


Expandable foam which includes a foamable polyvinylchloride (PVC) base resin combined with a glutarate ester plasticizer and stabilizing agents. The compound is cast on a release liner and heated to expand the compound into a foamed state. The resulting foam when coated with adhesive is particularly useful in adhering to plastic materials.

This invention relates to expanded foam and will have application to a vinyl foam tape which is particularly useful in securing plastics to a substrate.
Expanded foam spacers and tapes are particularly useful in many widely diverse applications involving glass windows, mirrors, skylights and other products. Spacers also have application in bulk shipping of glass products particularly windshields as described in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,404, issued Feb. 21, 1989. Tapes are particularly useful in securing windows and skylights to a support frame.
With the advent of polycarbonate and acrylic substitutes for glass products, particularly skylights, a new expanded vinyl foam had to be developed. The vinyl foams currently on the market are unsuitable for use with plastics, such as acrylic and polycarbonate, due to the foam's tendency to crack or craze the plastic surface as the foam plasticizers migrate to the surface. Further, a common problem with current foams is the marring (or shadowing) of the plastic surface when the foam is removed. These problems are inherent to plastics primarily due to their tendency to absorb and retain (moisture) plasticizers from the vinyl foam at a much higher rate than glass.


A sprocket assembly, formed of dissimilar materials, includes at least one tooth member made of ferrous material and a circular disk made of a light metal such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The circular disk supports the tooth member on an outer peripheral surface thereof. The tooth member is dissimilar-metal welded to the circular disk, either by laser welding or by electronic beam welding. Optionally, multiple individual tooth members may be fitted into notches formed in an outer periphery of the circular disk, and welded therein. A method of making a sprocket assembly is also described.

Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sprocket. More particularly, the present invention relates to a sprocket formed from dissimilar materials, including a tooth member formed of ferrous material, and a circular disk, which is formed of a light metal and which supports the tooth member thereon.
Background Art
Conventionally, in a sprocket, a technique of connecting a circular disk with a tooth member by shrinkage fitting of a steel annular member having the tooth member on its periphery on the outer periphery of a circular disk of a light alloy such as aluminum, is known (for example, see Japanese Patent Literature JP-A No. S58-113597). According to JP-A No. S58-113597, it is possible to reduce weight by forming the circular disk with a light alloy, such as aluminum, while forming the tooth member with steel to ensure toughness and abrasion resistance.
However, in the above-described conventional sprocket, as the annular member having the tooth member and the circular disk are connected with a friction force by engagement of the shrinkage fitting, to generate a sufficient friction force by enlarging the area of the connected part, it is necessary to increase the plate thickness of the sprocket, and the weight reduction is limited.

Bi-metallic sprocket, and method of making same


An instrument probe contains a video camera and light source which is positioned in front of the camera for illuminating the passage being inspected, such as a bore or a casing. The power source for the instrument probe is located at the surface. A support cable contains an optical fiber for conducting camera signals to the surface and electrical conductors for conducting power from the surface to the instrument probe. The outer electrical conductor includes strands of copper alternating with and in electrical contact with strength member strands. The cable is enclosed in a stainless steel outer sheath. The support cable is coupled to the instrument probe by three fluid seals. The first seals the outer sheath in the probe. The second seals at the breakaway connection and the third seals at the probe bulkhead. The second and third seals include the use of adhesive caulking.

The invention is related generally to the remote viewing of well bores and other limited access areas, and more particularly to an apparatus having a camera for remotely viewing the condition of such limited access areas.
There has long been a need in the field of well boring to visually examine the bore hole to examine geological formations or for other reasons. Where those well bores have casings and fittings, there is a continuing need to inspect the casings and fittings for corrosion and other conditions. By means of visual inspection, the locations of leaks and points of infiltration can be more easily identified.
One existing method of accomplishing this is to insert an instrument probe containing a camera such as a dosed circuit television camera, in the bore hole and move it through the area to be inspected. Typically, a compact, rugged instrument containing the camera and a light source is provided as an instrument probe. A cable is attached between the instrument probe and the surface station to communicate camera signals to the surface from the instrument probe. In one technique, the communication link comprises optical fibers. Where the bore is vertical, gravity can be used to pull the instrument probe through the bore hole. The support cable contains strength members which preserve the integrity of the cable as it and the instrument probe are being pulled from the bore hole.
Optical fibers offer certain advantages in communication systems. They are relatively immune to electromagnetic interference, they have relatively low cable weight, they have a large bandwidth, high frequency video signals can be transmitted over long lengths of cable with minimum attenuation and they have lower cost. Thus they are desirable in a remote logging instrument probe such as that used to view bore holes. However, optical fibers are sensitive to point stresses and bending. The fiber may impart significant attenuation to its conducted signal when bent. The cable system of a well logging instrument is repeatably pulled around at least one sheave and wound on and off a winch drum as it is lowered into and lifted out of bore holes. The cable must withstand repeated bending and tensions of thousands of pounds. Stretching the cable can stretch the optical fibers thereby increasing their stress and aggravating their attenuation. High pressures and high temperatures in the well holes may assist moisture in invading the cable and the optical fibers. Moisture invading the optical fiber through micro-cracks can increase its attenuation and reduce its strength. Thus, the cable connecting the instrument probe with the remote controller must protect the optical fibers as well as be strong enough to withstand repeated bending about sheaves and a winch drum, withstand stretching forces and the high temperatures and pressures in the bore hole.
A logging instrument probe for well holes must be rugged to withstand the sometimes harsh conditions encountered in typical operation. For example, hydrostatic well pressures in excess of 4.2.times.10.sup.6 kilograms per square meter (6,000 pounds per square inch) and ambient wall temperatures of up to and above 190.degree. C. (375.degree. F.) are not uncommon. The point where the support cable enters the instrument probe must have effective seals to deflect such high pressure/temperature fluids from entering. The main purpose of such seals is to protect the camera, the optical fibers and the electrical connections from the fluids present in the bore hole. Such seals have been difficult to manufacture on a repeatable basis and make the instrument probe very expensive as well as unreliable. Thus, it would be desirable to provide an effective seal arrangement which can be manufactured on a repeatable basis and which uses standard parts readily available thereby lowering the cost of the seal.
Another common condition in bore holes is turbidity in the form of gases, mud, oil, and other fluids under high pressure. In prior techniques, high intensity lighting such as that provided by quartz lamps or halogen lamps, is provided to give bright light in the visible range for use with conventional television cameras. Depending upon the amount of turbidity, higher intensity light from the lamps may be required to provide clear images.
In order to provide power for such lamps and for the camera and other equipment, well bore inspection instruments carry a self-contained power supply, typically battery packs. In addition to adding weight and bulk to the instrument probe, these battery packs have a limited life which is directly dependent upon the intensity of the lights. As an example, many battery packs of the size which can fit in a bore hole logging instrument probe can provide power for only 3 to 31/2 hours when used with halogen lamps. Upon dissipation of the stored energy, the battery packs must be removed and replaced with charged batteries or a charging process must occur which may take many hours. This usually requires that the instrument probe be removed from the well hole, dis-assembled and re-assembled. This can be a time consuming process which subjects the support cable of the instrument probe to the added stresses of being pulled over the sheave and wound on the drum an additional time.
To the inventor's knowledge, remotely locating a power source has up until this time not been practical in an application where a small diameter optical fiber is employed in the support cable having the extremely long lengths required for deep well holes. The power source has been included in the instrument probe itself. This co-location of power source with instrument probe was caused by the long lengths of cable required for use in deep well bores. In prior cables, the steel strength members of the cable were used as part of the electrically conductive path. Typically, the strength members are made of steel which has a relatively high specific resistance, and therefore a low resistive loop circuit was not available to carry the required current at an acceptable working voltage. The diameter of the strength members was increased to result in less resistance; however, even with this technique, the loop resistance was relatively high and the increased size of the strength members resulted in a large cable with the associated disadvantages of high weight and bulk. Additionally, such strength members were used to form the outer surface of the cable, thus making it rough and more difficult to handle.
Hence, it would be desirable to provide an improved power arrangement so that the power source for the well logging instrument probe could be remotely located from the probe, such as at the surface, yet impracticably large voltages would not be required in order to get the required power over the typically long distances between the surface and the probe. Additionally, it would be desirable to provide a smaller support cable and a support cable having a smooth outer surface to facilitate handling, yet one having the required strength. Additionally, those concerned with instrument probes for use in viewing bore holes and casing have recognized the need for an improved sealing system to keep fluids from entering the probe which can be manufactured on repeatable and economical bases. The invention fulfills those needs.

Video logging system having an optical communications link


A recovery apparatus and a recovery method is disclosed for recovering a watercraft, in particular for recovering a boat on board a mother ship. A frame actuator pulls a frame of the recovery apparatus relative to a carrying structure from a recovering position into a parked position. A chain drive moves a chain relative to the frame along a closed curve. The chain comprises at least one driver. A watercraft to be recovered is connected temporarily to the chain and is pulled out of the water by the movement of the frame relative to the carrying structure and by the movement of the chain having the drivers relative to the frame.

JP S62-26189 A describes a recovery apparatus of a ship 1, which can recover a plurality of dinghies 2 one after another and can put them back into the water, cf. FIG. 1. Each dinghy 2 has a centrally attached nose or hook 10 on the keel close to the bow, cf. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, and travels toward the ship 1 from the side at a right angle. The nose or hook 10 catches in a driven chain 8 having drivers, cf. FIG. 3 and FIG. 5. The driven chain 8 pulls the dinghy 2 out of the water (in FIG. 1 from left to right) and then through a tunnel 3. This tunnel 3 passes transversely through the ship 1 and has an obliquely rising inlet 4, an obliquely falling outlet 5 and a plateau 7 between the inlet 4 and the outlet 5, cf. FIG. 1. A dinghy 2 is guided by a plurality of guide rollers 9 while it is being pulled through the tunnel 3, cf. FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.
JP 2007-038706 A describes a mother ship 1, which can recover a boat 3 with the aid of a ramp 2a, cf. FIG. 1. The boat 3 travels on an obliquely rising conveyor device 5. The conveyor device 5 comprises a conveyor belt 5a with protrusions 5b and pulls the boat 3 out of the water and onto the ramp 2a by means of the conveyor belt 5a. In that case, the conveyor belt 5a is located centrally beneath the boat 3. Protrusions 5b of the conveyor belt catch in each case one hook 3a on the underside of the boat 3.
FIG. 1 of DE 10 2011 109 092 A1 shows a system 1 that is mounted on board a ship 8 and is capable of retrieving an underwater vehicle 2. By means of a rope 50, the underwater vehicle 2 is pulled onto a retrieval ramp 12 of the system 1. A wave compensation ramp 24 is mounted on this retrieval ramp 12 in such a way that the wave compensation ramp 24 can move up and down about a horizontal pivot axis S relative to the retrieval ramp 12. The front end 26 of the wave compensation ramp 24 is connected to the retrieval ramp 12 via a joint 28. Mounted close to its free end 34 are two floating bodies 36, 38, cf. FIG. 1 and FIG. 4. The rear floating body 38 is mounted on a recovery device 40 for the underwater vehicle 2, cf. FIG. 4. The underwater vehicle 2 travels between two spread-apart guide strips 130, 132 toward the retrieval ramp 12, cf. FIG. 7, and is retained between the guide strips 130 and 132, cf. FIG. 8. The system 1 can be collapsed, cf. FIG. 3.
DE 39 38 188 A1 describes an apparatus and a method for hauling a boat 10 up into a stowage space 12 of a ship 11. A corresponding recovery apparatus 13 supports the boat 10 with the aid of a plurality of rollers 14. Two parallel roller chains 16 are driven by a drive 15 and move the boat 10 forward while it is being hauled up, cf. FIG. 1. The roller chains 16 are oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stowage space 12 in the region of the floor 17 and are guided in plastics tracks above and below sprockets 161 and 162. Two parts 181 and 182 of a connecting means provide a releasable coupling between the roller chains 16 and the boat 10. The connecting means part 181 is a latching lug on the boat 10, the other connecting means part 182 is connected to the roller chains 16 via a carriage 19.
Thus a need exists for a recovery apparatus 26 and a recovery method, which reduce the risk of a large quantity of water being able to penetrate into the recovery apparatus.

Device and method for lifting a watercraft using a chain


Various exemplary methods, systems, and devices for moving a surgical instrument coupled to a robotic surgical system are provided. In general, a robotic surgical system can include a movement assembly configured to facilitate movement of surgical instrument coupled to the robotic surgical system, e.g., coupled to an electromechanical arm of the robotic surgical system. The movement can include translational movement of the surgical instrument in which the instrument is selectively advanceable and retractable in opposed directions, e.g., proximal direction and distal direction, up vertically and down vertically, etc. The translational movement can be along a shaft of the instrument such that the movement assembly can be configured to selectively translate the instrument along a longitudinal axis of the shaft.

Minimally invasive surgical (MIS) instruments are often preferred over traditional open surgical devices due to the reduced post-operative recovery time and minimal scarring. Laparoscopic surgery is one type of MIS procedure in which one or more small incisions are formed in the abdomen and a trocar is inserted through the incision to form a pathway that provides access to the abdominal cavity. The trocar is used to introduce various instruments and tools into the abdominal cavity, as well as to provide insufflation to elevate the abdominal wall above the organs. The instruments and tools can be used to engage and/or treat tissue in a number of ways to achieve a diagnostic or therapeutic effect. Endoscopic surgery is another type of MIS procedure in which elongate flexible shafts are introduced into the body through a natural orifice.
Various robotic systems have been developed to assist in MIS procedures. Robotic systems can allow for more intuitive hand movements by maintaining both natural eye-hand axis. Robotic systems can also allow for more degrees of freedom in movement by including a "wrist" joint on the instrument, creating a more natural hand-like articulation. One drawback with robotic systems, however, is that it can be difficult for the robotic systems to securely grasp, and therefore accurately move, instruments of different sizes. Since different instruments have different sizes, e.g., different shaft diameters, the robotic system may not be able to be used with certain instruments due to their size being too large or too small to be grasped by the robotic system and/or the robotic system may not be able to securely grasp some instruments as well as other instruments and thus be unable to move some instruments as accurately as other instruments. Even small instrument movement errors can cause any number of adverse effects during surgery, such as interference with other instruments, visual obstruction of other instruments and/or patient anatomy, and/or patient injury.
Accordingly, there remains a need for improved methods, systems, and devices for moving a surgical instrument coupled to a robotic surgical system.

Methods, systems, and devices for moving a surgical instrument coupled to a robotic surgical system


Method for treating a surface includes: automatically evaluating at least one digital image which includes the target surface; determining the nature of the target surface according to the evaluation of the at least one digital image; determining at least one available treatment implement according to the evaluation of the at least one image; determining the nature of the surface treatment according to the evaluation of the at least one image; automatically determining a use of the determined treatment implement in the determined treatment of the determined surface; and providing information analogous to the determined use of the treatment implement.

Consumers interact with surfaces through the use of consumer products. In some cases, consumers interact with particular surfaces repeatedly over the course of the useful life of the consumer goods and over the course of the life of the consumer themselves. Despite the repeated interactions and the accompanying familiarity with the surface and the interaction, there is typically room for improvement in the interaction in terms of how the consumer product is utilized and the resulting efficacy of the surface treatment accomplished via the interaction. What is needed is a method for evaluating the interaction or series of interactions which includes feedback to the consumer in terms of altering or modifying the details of the interaction in order to achieve a more efficacious interaction with and treatment of the targeted surface, enhance the treatment experience via gamification, as well as providing an overlay of information drawn from current treatment and fashion trends derived from social networks.