A method of forming a reticulated coating on a substrate includes providing an agglomerate dispersion of a first polymer in a polar liquid carrier on a surface of the substrate, and evaporating the liquid carrier to form the coating.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to reticulated coatings and, in particular, to reticulated coatings that exhibit enhanced lubricity or xe2x80x9cslipxe2x80x9d with respect to both dry and damp surfaces and are suitable for use in medical device products.
2. Description of the Related Art
Thin polymer films are used in the manufacture of a variety of medical device products, such as medical gloves, condoms, wound dressings, catheters, angioplasty balloons and the like. In the case of medical gloves, such as surgeon""s gloves or examination gloves, the ease of donning the glove is an important consideration, as too is the breathability of the base polymer, to reduce the build-up of moisture within the glove. Consequently, such gloves usually require the application of powders or coatings which confer anti-frictional properties. Ultimately, however, the barrier properties of gloves and condoms are of primary concern and it is essential that the application of any coating should not reduce these properties. An additional requirement of such a coating is that it must adhere strongly to the underlying substrate and must be able to be applied to a variety of substrate materials without degrading the intrinsic properties of the substrate material. Soft elastomeric films are of particular value as coatings (and also as xe2x80x9cfilm articlesxe2x80x9d, such as condoms) but are characterised by the tacky or xe2x80x9cblockyxe2x80x9d nature of the film surfaces when dry, which can lead to problems of unwanted adhesion when products are stored or dried in bulk. In order to overcome this, products are frequently treated with a dusting powder, such as corn starch, to render the surface tack-free. However, post-operative adhesions and granulomas have become increasingly associated with the presence of such powders on invasive medical devices, whilst undesirable allergic hypersensitivity reactions to latex used in medical gloves may be exacerbated by the presence of such powders. Consequently, the alternative of using a powder free, anti-block coating to prevent adhesion and confer slip properties has particular value.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,267, for example, discloses a hydrophilic blend comprising an organic solvent-soluble, thermoplastic polyurethane and a hydrophilic poly(N-vinyl lactam) which is slippery in aqueous environments and may be used as a low-friction coating for catheters. The blend is prepared using conventional melt-blending techniques or by dissolving the components in a solvent, which is subsequently evaporated to yield the blend. In the latter case, however, this document discloses that the solvent must be capable of dissolving both polymer components in a single-phase solution and that the relative volatilities must be such that, at no point during evaporation and drying, must the solution tend to precipitate either polyurethane or poly(N-vinyl lactam) or an association complex of these polymers which may have different solubility characteristics than either material by itself.
Anti-block coatings prepared by conventional methods often require elaborate and expensive manufacturing procedures and the properties of the coatings so obtained are often inferior to those of dusting powders. It is an object of the present invention to overcome some of the aforementioned disadvantages by providing a novel method of forming a reticulated coating that has good xe2x80x9cslipxe2x80x9d properties when damp or dry.
Accordingly, in a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of forming a reticulated coating on a substrate, comprising providing an agglomerate dispersion of a pre-formed first polymer in a polar liquid carrier on a surface of the substrate, and evaporating the liquid carrier to form the coating.
In one embodiment, the reticulated coating is adapted to render the surface of the substrate substantially tack-free or anti-blocking when dry, so as to ensure that articles that are provided with the coating, such as medical gloves, do not adhere to each other. Preferably, the reticulated coating is substantially free of substances capable of causing undesirable allergic hypersensitivity reactions, which is particularly important if the coatings are to be used for medical applications. In another embodiment, the coating has an Ra value of at least 0.5 xcexcM.
In the context of the present invention, the term xe2x80x9cRa valuexe2x80x9d is understood to refer to the arithmetic mean of the absolute departures of the roughness profile of the surface from the mean line, in accordance with its usual meaning in relation to engineering surfaces (see, for example, ISO 4287/1:1997, and also ISO 11 562). Similarly, Rq or RMS is the root mean square parameter corresponding to Ra, whilst Rmax is the maximum peak to valley height of the profile in the assessment length. The first polymer may be any material capable of forming a film coating when wet but is generally a thermoplastic, a thermosetting resin or an elastomer and will already have been polymerized before it is used to prepare the agglomerate dispersion, i.e., the agglomerate dispersion will not usually be obtained as the product of an in situ polymerization reaction. Preferably, the thermoplastic, thermosetting resin or elastomer is selected from the group consisting of polythene, polypropene, polymethylpentane, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, polymethyl methacrylate, polyacrylonitrile, polyacrylamide, aromatic polyesters, polycarbonates, polyamines, polytetrafluoroethene, alkyd resins, unsaturated polyesters, urea-methanal polymers, polyureas, melamines, polyurethanes, polyamides, epoxy resins, polyethene oxide, polyphenylene oxide, polyacetals, polyaldehydes, phenolic resins, polysulphones, natural rubbers, polyisoprene, polybutadiene, polychloroprenes, butyl rubbers, styrene-butadiene rubbers, acrylonitrile-butadiene rubbers, polysulphides, silicones and mixtures thereof. In the context of the invention, the phrase xe2x80x9cmixtures thereofxe2x80x9d should be understood to include co-polymers of any of the preferred monomers, as well as simple mixtures of the fully polymerised compounds. It is especially preferred that the thermoplastic, thermosetting resin or elastomer is selected from the group consisting of polyurethanes, neoprene, latex, styrene acrylic emulsions and nitriles. Most preferably, the first polymer is a polyurethane or a natural rubber, such as latex. Polyurethanes are especially preferred, particularly those prepared from polyesterpolyols, polyetherpolyols, polycarbonatepolyols and mixtures of these. The polar liquid carrier may be any liquid carrier capable of developing an electrical charge and forming an agglomerated dispersion with the first polymer. Such liquid carriers may include but are not limited to water, dilute mineral acids, methanol, ethanol, diethylether, dimethylsulphoxide and dimethylsulphone. Preferably, the liquid carrier is aqueous. In one embodiment, the agglomerated dispersion of the first polymer is applied to the surface of the substrate after it has been formed, preferably by spraying the agglomerated dispersion onto the substrate or by dipping the substrate in the agglomerated dispersion. In an alternative embodiment, the agglomerate dispersion is formed in situ on the surface of the substrate, preferably by applying a colloidal dispersion of the first polymer to the surface of the substrate and by inducing agglomeration, for example, by electrolysis. In a preferred embodiment, the agglomerate dispersion of the first polymer is formed from a colloidal dispersion of the first polymer in the polar liquid carrier. In this embodiment, the colloidal dispersion preferably contains micelles of the first polymer having an average particle size in the range of 0.1-100 nm, preferably 1-75 nm, and especially about 50 nm.
Preferably, the reticulated coating is lubricious and confers enhanced slip with respect to both dry and damp surfaces. In any of these embodiments, the average size of the particles in the agglomerated phase may be in the range of 0.1-100 xcexcm, preferably 0.5-25 xcexcm, most preferably 1-15 xcexcm. In a preferred embodiment, the agglomerate dispersion may also comprise a second polymer, preferably preformed. The second polymer may be any compound that confers suitable properties on the final coating but will generally be selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polyamines, polyamides, polysaccharides, polyamino sugars, polynucleotides, phospholipids and mixtures thereof. In an embodiment, the second polymer is capable of interacting with the polar liquid carrier in such a way that the first polymer is induced to form an agglomerate dispersion in the polar liquid carrier. For example, the second polymer may be capable of forming an intimate network with the polar liquid carrier, such as a hydrogel or a colloidal solution, thereby reducing the ability of the polar liquid carrier to interact with the first polymer and causing the first polymer to form an agglomerate dispersion in the polar liquid carrier. Preferably, the second polymer forms a colloidal suspension with the polar liquid carrier. In another embodiment, the polar liquid carrier is aqueous and is capable of hydrogen bonding with the second polymer, such that the free energy of the polar liquid carrier is reduced, thereby increasing the tendency of (possibly micelles of) the first polymer to agglomerate.
Preferably, the second polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(aromatic alkenes), poly(meth)acrylates, glucosamine-containing polymers, galactosamine-containing polymers, alginates, pectins, polypeptides, poly(N-vinyl lactams), cellulose, cellulose derivatives, lecithins, cephalins, sphingomyelins and mixtures thereof. Most preferably, the second polymer is soluble in water and is selected from the group consisting of polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, poly(N-vinyl caprolactam), hydroxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, pectin esterified from citrus fruit, sodium alginates, chitosan, chitin, poly(N-acetyl-D-glucosamine), co-polymers of polyvinylpyrrolidone with 2-dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate, co-polymers of polyvinylpyrrolidone with styrene, co-polymers of polyvinylpyrrolidone with acrylic acid, polyethylenimine, ethoxylated polyethylenimines, N-propionyl substituted linear polyethylenimines, 1-[N[poly(3-allyloxy-2-hydroxypropyl)]-2-aminoethyl]-2-imidazolidinone, polyacrylamides, co-polymers of polyacrylamide with acrylic acid, poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline), L-xcex1-phosphatidylcholine dioctanoyl, and mixtures thereof. Polyvinylpyrrolidone and hydroxyethylcellulose are especially preferred, as the use of these components produces coatings with excellent but quite distinct surface characteristics and properties.
The agglomerate dispersion may be formed by any suitable method but will generally be formed in the presence of an electrolyte, such as a salt. In this embodiment, the salt is preferably a metal salt or an ammonium salt selected from the group consisting of fluorides, chlorides, bromides, sulphates, sulphites, sulphides, hydrogencarbonates, carbonates, nitrates, nitrites and mixtures thereof. Of these, sodium chloride is especially preferred, although many other salts, such as lithium chloride or calcium chloride, may be equally effective. The salt may be present in any amount effective to induce agglomeration of the first polymer but is preferably present in an amount of from 0.01 g/l to 100 g/l, particularly 0.05 g/l to 50 g/l, more preferably 0.1 g/l to 10 g/l, and especially 6.0 g/l, based on the total volume of the agglomerate dispersion. Optionally, the agglomerate dispersion may also be formed in the presence of a surfactant, especially one which helps to solubilize the first polymer or helps to disperse the first polymer throughout the solution. Surfactants suitable for this purpose may be any amphoteric, ionic, cationic and non-ionic surfactants that are suitable for use on skin and other tissues and include but are not limited to long-chain fatty acids, quaternary ammonium compounds, betaines and suteines, amine oxides, sulfosuccinates and isothionates. Preferably, the surfactants are selected from the group consisting of alkyldimethylammonium betaines, coco aminopropyl betaine, N-lauryl or N-cetyl pyridinium salts, hydroxyethylheptadecenylimidazoline salts, hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride, benzalkonium chloride and hexadecyl pyridinium chloride. In a preferred embodiment, an aqueous colloidal dispersion of the first polymer is added to an aqueous salt solution containing the second polymer dissolved therein. In this case, the colloidal dispersion contains micelles of the first polymer component having an average particle size in the range of 0.1-100 nm, preferably in the range of 1-75 nm, and especially about 50 nm.
In an embodiment of the invention in its first aspect, the coated substrate is washed after the liquid carrier has been evaporated so as to remove unwanted residues, such as salt used to form the agglomerate dispersion. Depending upon the nature of the second polymer however, the washing step may also remove substantially all of the second polymer from the coating itself. This is especially noted where the second polymer is hydroxyethylcellulose. Alternatively, the second polymer may be substantially undissolved by the washing step and remains present in the coating, as observed when the second polymer comprises polyvinylpyrrolidone. In an especially preferred embodiment of the invention, a third polymer is applied to the surface of the substrate, preferably as a film or thin layer, prior to providing the agglomerate dispersion. The third polymer may comprise a thermoplastic, a thermosetting resin or an elastomer, such as those used for the first polymer and, preferably, the third polymer is the same as the first polymer. The third polymer may be applied to the surface of the substrate in the form of a solution or a suspension, possibly by dip-coating or by spraying, and may be dried before the agglomerate dispersion is provided on the surface. Preferably, the third polymer is dried at a temperature of 15-150xc2x0 C. for a period of 1-60 minutes, more preferably at a temperature of 50-100xc2x0 C. for a period of 1-30 minutes, and especially at a temperature of about 80xc2x0 C. for a period of about 5-10 minutes. However, the exact temperature and duration of the drying step required to give good coating characteristics may be determined by routine experimentation. It has been observed that, depending upon the drying time and the degree of xe2x80x9cwetnessxe2x80x9d of the film of the third polymer the agglomerate dispersion of the first polymer interacts with the surface of the substrate to a greater or lesser degree giving markedly different properties to the final product. The precise mechanism by which this occurs is not fully understood but is believed to be determined by the hydrophilic/hydrophobic nature of the third polymer, as well as the potential for hydrogen bonding. In a further embodiment, the reticulated surface of the coated substrate is treated with a surfactant to further increase the damp slip properties of the substrate. Surfactants suitable for this purpose may be any amphoteric, ionic, cationic and non-ionic surfactants that are suitable for use on skin and other tissues and include but are not limited to long-chain fatty acids, quaternary ammonium compounds, betaines and suteines, amine oxides, sulfosuccinates and isothionates. Preferably, the surfactants are selected from the group consisting of alkyldimethylammonium betaines, coco aminopropyl betaine, N-lauryl or N-cetyl pyridinium salts, hydroxyethylheptadecenylimidazoline salts, hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride, benzalkonium chloride, hexadecyl pyridinium chloride and silicones/organosiloxane polymers.
In a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a reticulated coating obtained by a method according to the invention in its first aspect. Preferably, the coating so obtained is reticulated or xe2x80x9croughenedxe2x80x9d and has a reticulated component particle size in the range of 1-25 xcexcm and an average roughness in the range of 1-10 xcexcm, preferably in the range of 2-12 xcexcm with an average roughness of about 5 xcexcm.
In a third aspect of the invention, there is provided an article having a reticulated coating according to the invention in its second aspect. Preferably, the article is a medical device, such as a condom, a medical glove, a wound-dressing, a catheter, an angioplasty balloon, a stent, a valve, or a surgical suture.
Thus, the present invention provides an anti-block coating system which may be applied to a variety of substrate materials, including glass, metal, ceramics, PVC, natural rubber latex, polyurethane, nylon, polyethylene and mixtures or composites of any of these. Such anti-block coatings can be applied to a medical device, such as a surgeon""s glove, by applying a thin layer of the agglomerated dispersion onto the device, by for example spraying or dipping, and then heating the device in an oven to drive off the aqueous component of the coating system. This results in a multitude of agglomerate particles adhered onto the medical device surface. The adhered agglomerates may be conjoined to form a continuous but reticulated surface, alternatively the agglomerates may form a discontinuous coating with uncoated areas of substrate. The continuity of the coating, the size of the agglomerates and the resulting roughness of the reticulated surface may be manipulated within certain limits in order to modify the anti-block properties and lubricity of the coating. Furthermore, the formulation of the coating system may be modified to give agglomerates with a range of morphologies exhibiting different adherence, anti-block and lubricity properties.


A lens actuator module including an autofocus (AF) mechanism capable of moving a lens according to at least three degrees of freedom and an optical image stabilization (OIS) mechanism capable of moving the lens according to at least two degrees of freedom. The AF mechanism may have a coil and a magnet assembly for driving movement of the lens according to the at least three degrees of freedom. The optical image stabilization (OIS) mechanism may include a coil and a magnet assembly for driving movement of the lens according to the at least two degrees of freedom.

Miniature cameras are becoming increasingly common in mobile electronic devices such as smartphones. There is a constant drive to improve performance of such cameras, while still maintaining the same envelope. Demands on improvements to performance of such miniature cameras are constant, as are demands for continued miniaturization, given the added features and devices added to such mobile electronic devices. In particular, high image quality requires the lens motion along the optical axis to be accompanied by minimal parasitic motion in the other degrees of freedom, particularly tilt about axes orthogonal to the optical axis. This requires the suspension mechanism to be stiff to such parasitic motions. However, given the need to control the lens position with a resolution of 1 micron, such suspension mechanisms must account for friction. Further to this, there is a strong desire, for a given size of camera, to fit bigger lenses and image sensors to improve image quality, and hence there is a desire to reduce the size of components such as actuators.
One feature augmentation that is now standard in such miniature cameras is autofocus (AF) whereby the object focal distance is adjusted to allow objects at different distances to be in sharp focus at the image plane and captured by the digital image sensor. There have been many ways proposed for achieving such adjustment of focal position, however most common is to move the whole optical lens as a single rigid body along the optical axis. Positions of the lens closer to the image sensor correspond to object focal distances further from the camera.
The incumbent actuator technology for such cameras is the voice coil motor (VCM). The VCM technology, as compared to other proposed technologies, has the key advantage of being simple, and therefore being straightforward to design. For such actuators, a current carrying conductor in a magnetic field experiences a force proportional to the cross product of the current in the conductor and the magnetic field, this is known as the Lorentz force. The Lorentz force is greatest if the direction of the magnetic field is orthogonal to the direction of the current flow, and the resulting force on the conductor is orthogonal to both. The Lorentz force is proportional to the magnetic field density and the current through the conductor. Coils of the conductor are used to amplify the force. For actuator operation, either the magnet (or more typically magnets) or the coil is mounted on a fixed support structure, while the other of the magnet (or magnets) or coil is mounted on the moving body, whose motion is being controlled by the actuator.
Successful actuators have been designed both ways around (i.e., with the magnets fixed or the coil fixed), however, the more usual configuration is where the magnets are fixed, and the coil is moving. Representatively, the coil is mounted around a lens carrier or, in some cases, the lens itself. This is the most desirable configuration because the relatively heavy magnets are stationary, and hence their inertia can be avoided. The moving lens carrier is attached to the fixed support structure by an attachment mechanism that allows the lens carrier to move substantially along the optical axis, without parasitic motions, while resisting the Lorentz force of the actuator. In this way the Lorentz 'force' is translated into a lens carrier 'displacement' by the attachment mechanism.
Another feature augmentation that is desirable in miniature cameras is optical image stabilization (OIS). OIS is a mechanism that stabilizes an image, which may be unstable due to user handshake, by varying the optical path to the sensor. The incorporation of OIS into current miniature camera VCM actuator architecture, however, has been impractical due to compromises between size, power and performance.


An assembly comprises a component and a spherical bearing mounted in a bore of the component. The spherical bearing comprises an outer race received within the component bore, an inner spherical member mounted for rotation within the outer race and a releasable retaining element for releasably retaining the outer race in the component bore. The outer race and the component comprise interengaging indexing formations whereby said outer race may be mounted within said component bore in a plurality of angular positions relative to the longitudinal axis (A) of the component bore.

Spherical bearings are used in a wide variety of applications, for example applications in which it is necessary to accommodate misaligning and oscillatory movements between two components. The bearing typically comprises an outer body, or race, which receives a generally spherical inner member. The outer race is typically mounted to a first component and the inner member typically provided with a central bore for receiving a second component which will, in use, exhibit angular movement relative to the first component. The spherical inner member will accommodate such movement by rotation within the outer race. Such a bearing is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,516,136.
Typically the outer race is mounted in an opening in the second component and is retained in the opening by crimping, or, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,516,136, by means of a clamping ring.
Frequently, it is necessary to replace spherical bearings due to wear. This can be a costly exercise as such bearings are expensive components. It would therefore be desirable to provide a spherical bearing which can be reused, even after wear.


Modular system for constructing racks for the display of merchandise, the system consisting of a vertically-elongated convex element of semi-cylindrical cross-section joined to a vertically-elongated concave element of rectilinear U-shaped cross-section.

In the retail sale of merchandise, such as sunglasses, it is common practice to provide free-standing racks or pillars on which the merchandise is displayed. These racks stand either on a counter or on the floor of the retail establishment. They are provided with clips or the like to hold a large and varied number of the items to be sold, the clips being usually located in the vicinity of eye level.
Because of the variation in display locations and the number of items to be sold, it is difficult to design and construct a single rack that will serve all purposes. The tendency, then, is to construct a custom-made rack for each situation. This is not only expensive, but discourages re-arrangement or reconstruction of the rack to satisfy changed conditions at the merchandising site. These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art devices have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a display system making use of modular elements capable of being arranged in a variety of ways.
Another object of this invention is the provision of a system for constructing many different kinds of merchandise display racks from a limited number of basic modular elements.
A further object of the instant invention is the provision of a merchandise display rack which is simple and from readily-available materials, and which is capable of a long life of useful service with a minimum of maintenance.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide a display rack, particularly for the retail sale of sunglasses and the like, whose nature enhances the appearance of the merchandise and permits a customer to examine the displayed items without handling them.
A still further object of the invention is the provision of a modular display system which permits the alternate arrangement of lightweight concave and convex elements to produce an exceptionally strong structure.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a display system consisting of injection molded elements that are easily fastened together in a large variety of ways.
Another object is the provision of a display rack, particularly for the retail sale of sunglasses and the like, wherein certain portions of the rack display the glasses with their temple bars or bows in extended position, whereas other portions of the rack display the glasses in folded orientation.
With these and objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.


In some embodiments, a client computer includes a memory, a client presence program adapted to be located in the memory, and a processor. The processor is coupled to the memory and is adapted to execute the client presence program to receive provider presence information from an instant messaging (IM) server and to store the provider presence information in the memory. The provider presence information includes at least a provider status for at least one service provider.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention are related to the field of electronic devices, and in particular, to presence systems.
2. Description of Related Art
A presence and instant messaging (IM) system allows clients (users) to subscribe to each other and be notified of changes in state, and for clients to send each other short instant messages. With an IM service, one or more IM servers may be used. The IM server automatically manages the presence information for the clients, distributing the information as needed or requested. Presence is a way for a client to make its connection or availability known or available to other clients. Typically, operation of an IM service requires both the recipient (a client) and the sender (also a client) of the instant message to be online at the same time.
A network may have many attached devices offering and/or seeking services, capabilities and/or resources of other devices. It is often difficult to locate devices offering particular services. To facilitate locating and tracking devices and their services, various "web service" or "directory service" technologies have been implemented.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An example system for flying to a target location is provided, comprising a parent aerial vehicle and at least one child vehicle releasably coupled to the parent vehicle. The parent vehicle is configured to transport the at least one child aerial vehicle to a region containing a target location, uncouple from the at least one child aerial vehicle, and transmit information to the at least one child aerial vehicle relevant to operation of the child aerial vehicle. The child aerial vehicle comprises at least one sensor for surveillance at the target location.

Aerial vehicles are increasingly used in a wide variety of applications. For example, aerial vehicles may be deployed to survey or monitor a location or to deliver information on a target. Aerial vehicles may be deployed from a number of platforms, such as from land or from a deck of a ship on a body of water. Aerial vehicles equipped with one or more sensors, cameras, or global positioning system (GPS) equipment can fly to a designated location, land on or hover over the location, and record video or audio footage, as examples.
Certain types of locations designated for surveillance by an aerial vehicle are difficult or require significant propulsion power for an aerial vehicle to fly to. The littoral zone, which is an area of water close to the shore, is an example of a location that requires a significant amount of aerial vehicle propulsion power to fly through. To further exacerbate flight difficulty, unpredictable wind conditions are often present in the littoral zone. Another example environment that presents flight difficulties is an urban environment comprising a large number of densely packed mid-rise and high-rise buildings. To dock on top of a designated building, an aerial vehicle must first navigate through buildings within the urban environment, rise high in the air above the designated building, and then lower for landing.
Due to the scaling of vehicle design, a larger aerial vehicle will have more control authority, longer flight duration capabilities, and more payload capacity for computation, memory, sensors, and other attachments. These attributes are beneficial for a larger aerial vehicle to be able to fly a potentially long distance and navigate adverse environmental conditions to reach the general proximity of a target location. However, such a vehicle is expensive and dangerous to operate too close to a target present in an object-dense environment (e.g., buildings in an urban setting, cliffs off of a beach or water, or a tree in a forest). Moreover, a large vehicle is more readily detectable and requires a larger area that can serve as a suitable landing spot. A smaller vehicle can more easily navigate through tighter spaces, land, and unobtrusively perform surveillance functions.


A method of obtaining a novel polypeptide from a crude extraction product of polysaccharide peptide Coriolus versicolor comprising: a) boiling a water soluble powder of polysaccharide peptide Coriolus versicolor; b) centrifuging a boiled product from step a); c) filtering a centrifuged product from step b); d) purifying a solution from step c) by gel filtration chromatography; e) subjecting the purified material from step d) to HPLC using a reversed-phase at ambient temperature, wherein a solvent composition is at an acidic Ph and further includes KCl solvent, and wherein an elution system consists of a linear gradient of about 80% methanol applied at a rate of from between 0-40 minutes to obtain chromatographic peaks; f) analyzing the chromatographic peaks by monitoring for absorbance at about 230 nm, 1.0 AUFS for protein analysis and about 620 nm, 0.02 AUFS for polysaccharide analysis and collecting fractions of each peak in a microfractionator; g) filter-sterilizing each eluent of each chromatograph fraction peak, and drying product therefrom under reduced pressure; h) preparing a solution of an ampholyte mixture of the dried product and identifying structural components of the product by capillary isoelectrophoresis; and i) using gel filtration to obtain polypeptides products of from about 10K and to 50K.

Historically, the mushroom has attracted considerable attention as a health-oriented food not only in China and Japan but world-wide. However, during the last decade, the anti-tumor effects of various kinds of mushroom components have been noted as a result of recent research in this field occasioned by the development of new analytical techniques to study the pharmacologically active components from mushrooms.sup.1,.sup.2,.sup.3,.sup.4,.sup.5. FNT .sup.1. M. Torisu et al., Significant Prolongation Of Disease-Free Period Gained By Oral Polysaccharide K (PSK) Administration After Curative Surgical Operation Of Colorectal Cancer. Cancer, Imm. Imm., 32: 261-168, 1990. FNT .sup.2. J. Akiyama et al., Immunochemotherapy Of Transplanted KMT-17 Tumor In WKA Rats By Combination Of Cyclophosphamide And Immunostimulating Protein-Bound Polysaccharide Isolated From Basidiomycetes. Cancer Res. 37: 3042, 1977. FNT .sup.3. T. Mizuno et al., Antitumor Activity And Some Properties Of Water-Soluble Polysaccharides From "Ilimematsutake", The Fruiting Body Of Agaricus Blazei Murill Agric. Biol. Chem. 4: 2889-2896, 1990. FNT .sup.4. T. Mizuno et al., Antitumoractive Polysaccharides Isolated From The Fruiting Body Of Hericium Erinaceum, As Edible And Medicinal Mushroom Called Yamabushitake Or Houtouo Biosci. Biotech. Biochem., 56: 347-348, 1992. FNT .sup.5. H. Kawagishi et al., Isolation And Characterization Of A Lectin From Grifola Frondosa Fruiting Bodies. Bioch. et Biophy. Acta. 1034: 247-252, 1990.
The immunological status of a patient has been recently regarded as an important factor in the control of cancer, especially when there exists only a low tumor burden. This has given rise to the concept of the use of Biological Response Modifiers (BRM) in cancer therapy. The BRM is defined as "drugs that can regulate the relationship between the host and the tumor, leading to a biological response of therapeutic value." Therefore, there is a need extant in the area of treating patients to control cancer (especially where there exist only a low tumor burden) of finding materials capable of exhibiting immunomodulating actions as well as tumor inhibition when used clinically on various types of carcinoma.
In the area of mushrooms, the most potent strain examined was Coriolus versicolor in which PSK (polysaccharide Krestin) was extracted from Basidiomycetes and reported from Japan in 1965.sup.6,.sup.7 and PSP (polysaccharide peptide) from Cov-1 (Yun Zhi) reported from China in 1984.sup.8. Many experimental studies and clinical investigations of PSK.sup.1,.sup.9 and PSP.sup.10 relate to their anti-tumor effect and especially for their potential use in cancer immunotherapy. It was found that the anti-tumor effect of PSP was more potent than that of PSK.sup.11. In vitro experiments of PSP were reported to inhibit the proliferation of P388 leukemia cells and Ehrlich ascites cells; it also inhibited the proliferations of some human tumor cell lines including SCG-7901, SPC, and SLY (4). In vivo experiments showed that PSP inhibited the growth of murine sarcoma 180 in tumor bearing mice.sup.12. The immunopotentiating effect of PSP was also noted, and it was seen that PSP increased the thymus weight and the serum C3 and IgG content of tumor bearing mice.sup.13. Furthermore, PSP promoted lymphocyte proliferation and increased the production of IL-2 and interferon (INF).sup.14. A clinical study at the Shanghai Medical University involves 151 cases of various kinds of cancer patients who were treated with PSP, and found noticeable anti-cancer effects without toxicity to the body.sup.10. Since the PSP used in these studies were in crude extracts, further purifications of PSP are needed, as the mechanism of the anti-tumor effect of PSP was not clear. FNT .sup.6. Y. Nakono et al., Influence Of Protein Polysaccharide (PS-K) Isolated From Basidiomycetes On Delayed Hypersensitivity In Sarcoma-180 Bearing Mice, Proc. Japan. Cancer Assoc., 32: 282, 1973. FNT .sup.7. S Tsukagoshi et al , Kretin (PSK) Cancer Treat Rev., 11-131-155, 1984. FNT .sup.8. Q. Yang et al., Isolation Of The Polysaccharide Components Of PSP J. Shanghai Teach. Univ. (Natural Sciences Ed) 4: 36, 1986. FNT .sup.9. Y. Nio et al., In Vitro Immunomodulating Effect Of Protein Bound Polysaccharide, PSK On Peripheral Blood, Regional Nodes, And Spleen Lymphocytes In Patients With Gastric Cancer. Cancer Imm. Imrn. 32: 335-341, 1991. FNT .sup.10. T. Liu et al., Clinical Implication Of PSP In Oncology In Recent Advances In Cancer, Published By Cancer Research Group, CUHK, 57-62, 1989. FNT .sup.11. X. Li et al., A Study Of Anti-Cancer Effects Of PSP And PSK On Human Tumor Cell Lines In Vitro. Acta Acad. Med., Shanghai, 14: 23-24, 1987. FNT .sup.12. J. Zhou et al., The Anti-Tumor And Immunomodulating Activity Of PSP In Mice, J. Shanghai Teach. Univ. (Natural Sciences Ed.) 3: 72, 1988. FNT .sup.13. X Li et al., "Immunomodulating Actions Of PSP, In Recent Advances In Cancer, published by Cancer Research Group, CUHK, pp. 45-56, 1989. FNT .sup.14. X Li et al , Immune Enhancement Of A Polysaccharides Peptides Isolated From Coriolus Versicolor, Acta. Pharm. Sinica, 11: 542-545, 1990.
A major object of the present invention is to provide a method for isolating polypeptides from crude PSP by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and capillary isoelectrophoresis-focusing (CIEF) in order to ascertain the mechanism of the anti-tumor affect of PSP.
Another object of the present invention is to provide polypeptides of Coriolus versicolor that provide more potent anti-tumor affects than that of the crude extraction of PSP in which the polysaccharide peptide has a molecular weight of about 100K.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide purified Coriolus versicolor polypeptides having a potent cytotoxic affects on human tumor cell lines but little affects on normal cell lines.
A further object still of the present invention is to provide purified Coriolus versicolor polypeptides that possess immunopotentiating affects as they increase white blood cells with increases of T and B lymphocytes, IgG and immune organs's weights, and wherein no toxic side affects are induced when these purified Coriolus versicolor polypeptides are administered in therapeutic doses as anti-cancer drugs for clinical use.
These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent by reference to the materials and methods hereinafter set forth.

Purified coriolus versicolor polypeptide complex


A computer-implemented method for performing file system checks may include identifying a file system to check. The computer-implemented method may also include identifying a base log including file system metadata within the file system at a previous time. The computer-implemented method may further include identifying a set of changed inodes within the file system since the previous time. The computer-implemented method may additionally include creating an updated log based on the base log and the set of changed inodes. The computer-implemented method may also include checking the updated log for consistency. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Consumers and organizations increasingly rely on digitally-stored data. As the cost of digital data storage decreases and the reliance on digitally-stored data increases, file systems may manage ever greater amounts of data.
In order to maintain the integrity of stored data, many file systems regularly check the consistency of metadata used to organize data stored within the file systems. An error in this metadata may not only interfere with access to a corresponding file or directory, it may also sometimes undermine assumptions under which a file system operates, potentially leading to further data loss and corruption of the file system.
Unfortunately, fully checking the consistency of a large file system may take a long time and consume substantial computing resources. Accordingly, the instant disclosure identifies a need for additional and improved systems and methods for performing file system checks.

Systems and methods for performing file system checks


A woven wire braid residing between a polymer inner lumen and a polymer outer lumen transmits control force in a catheter. After braiding the wires, the braid is plated with a metal, such as electroless nickel alloy deposited with a target thickness in a range of 250-1200 micro-inches. The metal plating joins the wires to each other at points of contact which torsionally stiffens the braid. At the same time, the metal plating leaves lengths of the wires unattached between the points of contact, permitting flexibility to the braid due to the unattached lengths between points of contact.

The present invention is directed to braided wires having three or more strands, and in particular to braided wires used in catheter construction.
A catheter is a tool used to deliver surgical tools and medical devices to a surgical site via the smallest possible opening into the body. A wire braid is a common structural component of a medical catheter device.
There is advantage in making the wall thickness of the catheter as thin as possible. This permits the largest possible inside catheter diameter while maintaining the smallest possible outside catheter diameter. The catheter must fit within the smallest possible blood vessels in order to access as much of the body as possible, while still having maximal internal capacity to deliver tools and devices to the surgical site.
The catheter must also be able to transmit accurately, the input forces, radial and axial, required to manipulate the catheter and the enclosed surgical tools and supplies. That is the function of the wire braid, which is commonly enclosed between various inner and outer layers of polymeric materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,795,255 is directed to a catheter with composite stiffener, and discusses the problems associated with catheter stiffness. For some uses, catheters should be fairly stiff at their proximal end so as to allow the pushing and manipulation of the catheter as it progresses through the body, and yet should be sufficiently flexible at the distal end to allow passage of the catheter tip through the loops and increasingly smaller blood vessels in which the catheter is used. U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,567 also speaks to stiffness, which is a primary attribute desired in the catheter construction. Both of these patents are incorporated by reference for their teachings related to stiffness and flexibility particularly in catheter construction. However, better solutions to obtain the desired balance between stiffness (particularly torsional stiffness) and flexibility are needed, particularly for use in catheter construction.
Separate from the catheter arts, there is archeological evidence that electroplating was conducted as far back as the Bronze Age. In the more recent 20-30 years, an innovation on the theme is the electroless plating chemical reaction. The important distinction is that the electroless nickel chemistries existing today almost always are alloyed with between 3 and 12% phosphorous. This is for increased corrosion resistance on the deposit, such as for use in car bumpers. The phosphorous addition also makes the electroless plated deposit more ductile. As the original chemical reaction was electroplating, the industry may generically use the term "electroplating" as referring to either electroplating or electroless-plating or both.

Braid plating method for torsional stiffness


Coaxial microwave transistor test fixtures provide lowest insertion loss possible and include, as part of the input and output sections, transformer networks either in form of single stage λ/4 segments, or, for larger bandwidth, multiple step segments or ramped transitions from 50Ω to the impedance closer to the internal impedance of the power transistor. The transforming networks are flat or cylindrical and can be made exchangeable in order to accommodate various transforming ratios using the same fixture body and coaxial adapters. The fixtures can be calibrated using standard TRL method.

This invention relates to test fixtures used in testing RF transistors in microwave frequencies (see ref. 1, 2). Active RF components (transistors—DUT) need to be thoroughly tested at the operation frequencies before used in amplifier and other circuit designs. "Load pull" and "Source pull" (see ref. 3) are test methods which use impedance tuners to systematically characterize the DUTs under various load and source impedance conditions. Load pull or source pull are automated measurement techniques used to measure Gain, Power, Efficiency and other characteristics of the DUT, employing, beyond source and load impedance tuners, also other test equipment, such as signal sources, directional couplers, test fixtures to house the DUT and input and output power meters (FIG. 1), see ref. 3. Typical test fixtures (see ref. 2) used are based on micro-strip structure (FIG. 2). Signal power from the signal source is measured by the input power meter and injected into the DUT through the source tuner. The power generated by the DUT is measured by the output power meter after traversing the output tuner. The tuners generate the source and load impedances required for the testing. Prior component calibration (test fixture, tuners, couplers etc.) allows de-embedding measured data from the power meters to the DUT reference plane.
Test fixtures (FIG. 2 or 3) include grounded input (22, 213) and output (28, 215) body sections, a cover ((10) in FIG. 3) and a DUT INSERT (21, 23, 214). The DUT (210) is mounted on the INSERT (214) using screws (26) or other securing mechanism. The fixture has input (20) and output (27) connectors and microstrip lines (29, 212) between the connectors. The microstrip lines comprise a dielectric layer on which a thin copper conductor layer (29, 212) remains after etching using acids and photolithographic process. The DUT (210) package has leads (51, 52, 24, 211) which can be soldered or secured on the microstrip (29, 212), see FIG. 5 and ref. 4.

Pre-matched coaxial transistor test fixture


The focus adjustment device is characterized by comprising: a driver 231 that drives a focus adjustment optical system 213 to change a focus status; a focus detector 170 that detects evaluation values with respect to contrast of images to perform focus detection for a optical system; an obtaining unit 170 that obtains a maximum driving speed among speeds with which the focus adjustment optical system is able to be driven; and a controller 170 that causes the driver to perform a first driving operation in which the focus adjustment optical system is driven within a certain range and with a certain speed or to perform a second driving operation which is different from the first driving operation, wherein the controller compares the maximum driving speed and a first driving speed as a driving speed for the focus adjustment optical system during the first driving operation with each other when a peak of the evaluation values fails to be detected within the certain range as a result of performing the first driving operation, and determines based on obtained comparison result whether or not to cause the driver to perform the second driving operation subsequently to the first driving operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a focus adjustment device and an imaging device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A focus adjustment device is heretofore known in which focus evaluation values regarding contrast of images by an optical system are obtained while search driving a focus lens thereby to detect focus statuses of the optical system. For example, Patent Document 1 (unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-249966) suggests a technique in which the manner of search driving for the focus lens is varied at the time of obtaining the focus evaluation values depending on the focal distance of the optical system. More specifically, in the Patent Document 1, when the focal distance of the optical system is relatively large, a focus adjustable range of the optical system is determined as being also relatively wide, and it is attempted to reduce the required time for search driving by performing a first search driving in which the search driving is performed with a focus adjustable speed and then performing a second search driving of which the search speed is larger than that of the first search driving. On the other hand, when the focal distance of the optical system is relatively small, the focus adjustable range of the optical system is determined as being also relatively narrow, and a configuration is employed such that only the first search driving is performed in which the search driving is performed with the focus adjustable speed, because in this case the second search driving with the faster search speed is not necessary to be performed.

Focus adjustment device and imaging device


A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a diffusion region. A transistor is formed within the diffusion region. A power rail is disposed outside the diffusion region. A contact layer is disposed above the substrate and below the power rail. A via is disposed between the contact layer and the power rail to electrically connect the contact layer to the power rail. The contact layer includes a first length disposed outside the diffusion region and a second length extending from the first length into the diffusion region and electrically connected to the transistor.

As the size of semiconductor devices continues to decrease, the ability to create standard cell library logic devices, such as scan-D flip-flops and multiplexers, becomes more difficult. This is particularly the case at the 20 nm node, where lithographic limitation results in a lack of scaling of standard cell library devices.
Referring to FIG. 1, typical semiconductor devices 100 include a plurality of transistors 102 formed within a diffusion region 104. The semiconductor devices 100 utilize power rails 106, as part of a first metal layer 107, to deliver a reference voltage and/or ground to the transistors 102. Specifically, the power rail 106 includes power tabs 108 that extend into the diffusion region 104. A via 110 then electrically connects the power tab 108 to a source (not shown) or a drain (not shown) of one of the transistors 102.
The projection of the power tabs 108 into the diffusion region 104 causes difficulties, as the metal layer 107 is also routinely utilized for local interconnection between the transistors 102 and as cell pins 112. This leads to a very complicated patterning for the first metal layer 107, as is shown in FIG. 2, which routinely leads to fabrication difficulties and/or compromises in standard cell design. One solution is to use a second metal layer (not shown) on a different plane from the first metal layer 107. However, the use of the second metal layer reduces routing efficiency and results in a larger and more expensive implementation of the semiconductor device 100.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a semiconductor device arrangement with less resource conflict in the metal layer. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.

Semiconductor device having contact layer providing electrical connections


An electron tube comprising a stack of at least one perforate plate-shaped insulating element and at least one perforate plate-shaped metal electrode structure, the insulating element comprising a core and being provided with an aluminium layer at least on a side facing the electrode structure, at least the outer layer of the aluminium layer being oxidized, and the coefficients of thermal expansion of the core and the electrode structure being at least substantially equal. In this manner, the thermal stresses occurring between the insulating element and the electrode structure during firing are reduced, so that the risk of their displacement relative to each other is reduced.

The invention relates to an electron tube comprising a stack of at least one perforate plate-shaped insulating element and at least one perforate plate-shaped metal electrode structure, which are interconnected.
Such electron tubes can be used, inter alia, for television sets, night viewing and photodetection equipment.
An electron tube of the type described in the opening paragraph is known from European Patent Application EP No. 0 006 651 in which a description is given of an electron tube comprising an electron multiplier comprising a stack of plate-shaped perforate steel electrode structures, called dynodes in the European Patent Application, and plate-shaped perforate insulating elements. The insulating elements are made of aluminium. Their surface is anodized and they ensure that the electrodes are arranged at regular distances from one another and in an electrically insulating manner. In this example, the perforations in the insulating elements and the dynodes are aligned.
To obtain a proper vacuum in an electron tube it is customary to subject parts to a temperature treatment, i.e., subject them to a firing treatment.
It has however been found that due to such a temperature treatment the insulating element and the metal electrode structure may be displaced relative to one another.

Electron tube having electrode and insulator components with matched coefficients of expansion


The combination of an emergency brake system comprising a brake and an elongate hand lever that is vertically movable to a first position to engage the brake and to a second position to release the brake, and an extension handle attached to and angulated with respect to the elongate hand lever of the emergency brake system. The extension handle enables a driver of the vehicle to release or engage the brake without (i) diverting his or her line of vision below the vehicle windshield, and (ii) sustaining muscular or bodily strain.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to emergency brake levers.
2. Problem to be Solved
School bus drivers are required to set the parking/safety/emergency brake each and every time a student is dropped off or picked up. Often, this requirement is not met due to the inconvenient placement of the brake lever in many existing school buses and the tension that must be overcome by the driver on a repetitive basis to apply the brake. The repetitiveness of applying and releasing the brake can also cause muscular injury, e.g. carpal tunnel. Even if the driver does apply the parking/safety brake at each stop, he or she is forced to divert his or her line of vision below the windshield with a tendency to turn his or her head away thus taking his or her eyes off the students, the safety mirrors and approaching traffic. This creates a substantial safety risk to the students.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel combination of an emergency brake lever and an extension handle that eliminates the problems discussed above.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel combination of an emergency brake lever and an extension handle that can be manufactured at reasonable costs.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the ensuing description of the present invention.

Extension handle for emergency or safety brake lever


An airfoil according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a first cooling hole with a first cooling passage arranged at a first angle relative to a chordwise axis and a second cooling hole with a second cooling passage arranged at a second different angle relative to the chordwise axis. A radial projection of the first cooling passage intersects a radial projection of the second cooling passage.

This application relates generally to cooling within a gas turbine engine, and more particularly, to airfoil convective film cooling.
Typical gas turbine engines include a fan delivering air into a bypass duct as propulsion air and to be utilized to cool components. The fan also delivers air into a core engine where it is compressed in a compressor. The compressed air is then delivered into a combustion section where it is mixed with fuel and ignited. Products of the combustion pass downstream over turbine rotors, driving them to rotate.
Some portions of the gas turbine engine can include variable vanes. It is known to use many rows of cooling holes distributed on the airfoil surface to provide film cooling at a single predefined stagnation point. As known, adjusting the variable vanes alters flow through the gas turbine engine. Adjusting variable vanes also alters flow to the blades axially downstream of the variable vanes.
Adjusting the variable vanes changes the position and characteristic shape of the stagnation point along the surface of the vane.


A wireless device having a microprocessor for controlling the operation of the device, the device including an upper casing including an interior surface having a primary display and an exterior surface having a secondary display, the primary display being active when the device is in an open configuration and the secondary display being active when the device is in a closed configuration, a lower casing including a keypad, a hinge assembly connecting the upper casing to the lower casing and enabling the device to alternate between the open and closed configurations, and a switch assembly including a switch provided in the upper casing and an actuator provided in the lower casing in alignment with the switch, the switch and actuator configured for engaging each other to perform an action when the upper and lower casings are pressed together.

Mobile communication devices may have multiple screens or displays. An example of such devices is a clamshell mobile communication device, which generally has a base and a hinged or sliding lid that can be closed over the base. Such devices generally provide a user with a primary display inside the lid or on the base that is visible when the device is open and provides the user with a user interface. Furthermore, some clamshell devices have a secondary display on the outside of the lid that is visible when the device is closed and provides the user with a secondary user interface. The secondary user interface may provide the user with such information as the device status, or notifications such as missed calls, new messages, and the like.
Some clamshell devices also include input buttons on the outside or sides of the lid for controlling the secondary display. While these buttons can be convenient, since they enable the user to navigate through certain aspects of the secondary display, they can be unintentionally engaged when the device is placed in confined or crowded spaces such as a user's pocket or purse, for example. This can lead to unintentional activation of the secondary display (i.e., the backlight function could be enabled, accidental calls could be placed), which reduces battery life and can also cause security concerns if certain functions are mistakenly accessed.


Embodiments of the present invention relate to mobile communications technologies, and in particular, to a mobile collaborative communication method and apparatus. In the method, a unified mobility coordinator UMC unit receives application motion event information of an application, where the application is located at a network edge and is used to provide an application service for user equipment UE; the UMC unit receives UE motion event information of the UE; and the UMC unit determines a path between the UE and the application based on the application motion event information and the UE motion event information. Embodiments of the present invention can implement routing configuration between UE and an edge application.

Based on a requirement of future 5G ultra-low latency (such as 1 millisecond), a data center (DC) is gradually deployed closer to users in a mobile network and is distributed to an edge of the mobile network, to provide a service for nearby user equipment (UE), so as to shorten a network transmission latency. For example, a content delivery network (CDN) and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) are solutions proposed based on this idea to reduce a transmission latency.
An application that runs at an edge of a network and is used to provide application service support to the UE may be referred to as an edge application. After DCs sink and are deployed in a distributed manner, an edge application may migrate between the DCs. This is because: first, the edge application follows a UE movement to provide an optimal service for the UE; second, the DCs plan to perform resource adjustments such as resource preemption, load balancing, and energy saving.
At present, a mobile network of a mobile operator mainly uses a centralized gateway architecture, and the gateway is deployed in a high position, such as a provincial central equipment room. After the edge application sinks to the edge of the network, in order to optimize routing and shorten a transmission latency, the gateway is inevitably deployed closer to users. The gateway being deployed closer to users means that the gateway is deployed in the mobile network in a distributed manner. The gateway being deployed closer to users and distributed deployment are another trend of the mobile network.
With the evolution of network architectures, a distributed gateway-based architecture is an enhanced network architecture proposed on the basis of a conventional network architecture based on the network function control/user (C/U) separation concept. C/U separation refers to decoupling a control plane function and a user plane function of the gateway. The enhanced network structure includes a control plane gateway (CGW) and a user plane gateway (UGW).
The control plane function/user plane function separation (referred to as CU separation) technology is one of the technologies to implement a distributed gateway. CU separation implements user plane programming and dynamic adjustments of a network function and routing, and can improve flexibility of the mobile network. A network architecture based on CU separation includes a control plane gateway (CGW) and a user plane gateway (UGW). The CGW may be integrated into a mobile control plane (MCP). The MCP delivers a forwarding rule to the UGW by using the integrated CGW.
After the DC sinks and the gateway is deployed closer to users in a distributed manner, service connection between the UE and the edge application occurs inside the mobile network. Movements of the UE and the edge application result in location changes. The mobile network faces motion events with the movements of the UE and the edge application. However, the prior art focuses on only mobility of an endpoint device in a respective management domain, and lacks linkage and coordination for the motion events of the two objects, thereby making it difficult to guide routing configuration or update between the two objects.

Mobile collaborative communication method and apparatus


The disclosed computer-implemented method for storage block replication in a hybrid storage environment may include receiving a request associated with a data source being replicated to modify a cloud object, storing an instruction for modifying the cloud object, determining that a replication operation for the source has completed, and modifying the cloud object and deleting the instruction for modifying the cloud object in response to determining that the replication operation has completed. In some examples, the request to modify the cloud object may include deleting the cloud object. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Data storage requirements for computer applications continue to grow rapidly. Physical data storage may not be cost efficient for less frequently accessed data. As a result, systems may move less frequently used data to cloud-based storage applications. Cloud storage providers may provide a platform for storing and retrieving data at a competitive, affordable price compared with local data storage. Additionally, cloud storage providers typically provide their own disaster recovery solutions, reducing the requirements for local disaster recovery.
In some examples, when cloud storage is used as block storage media, a hybrid storage solution may be implemented. The hybrid storage solution may include a storage volume set containing local volumes and cloud volumes. The local volumes may include a mapping between files and cloud objects containing data. Thus, rather than storing all data locally, local storage may identify cloud objects that contain the actual application data. Although cloud storage providers typically provide their own disaster recovery solutions, there is still a need to have a disaster recovery solution for any storage not on the cloud.

Systems and methods for storage block replication in a hybrid storage environment


A swimmer training device includes a frame, a variable weight device, a first block, a second block, and a cable. The frame includes a bottom support section, a top section, and a plurality of support members. The first block is coupled to the top section, and comprises a plurality of first main pulleys that are each rotatable about a first axis. The second block is coupled to the variable weight device, and comprises a plurality of second main pulleys that are each rotatable about a second axis that is parallel to the first axis. The cable is wound at least partially around each of the first main pulleys and each of the second main pulleys, and extends from the top section of the frame.

Competitive swimming has been, and continues to be, a relatively popular sport. Indeed, names such as Johnny Weissmuller and Mark Spitz evoke memories of great swimmers of past eras. In the present era, the name Michael Phelps stands alone as perhaps the most popular swimmer, if not one of the most popular athletes worldwide. These swimmers attained their notoriety by being fast, if not the fastest, at multiple swim strokes. This does not occur by mere happenstance, but through consistent and strenuous training
One of the more popular training methods used by competitive swimmers is known as resistive swimming. That is, as a swimmer strokes, the swimmer's motion through the water is somehow resisted. Various devices have been used or proposed for implementing resistive swim training One of the more popular devices presently used resembles a parachute that is tethered to a swimmer. The parachute device extends behind the swimmer while in the water, and thus exhibits a resistive load with each stroke. This device does, however, suffer certain drawbacks. Namely, it may not exhibit a constant resistive load while it is being used. Moreover, the maximum resistive load it exhibits may not be variable.
Other devices have also been developed to provide resistive swim training. These devices, however, also suffer drawbacks. For example, with many of these devices a swimmer may experience a tug, a jerk, a catch, or loss of load during use.
Hence, there is a need for a resistive swimmer training device that exhibits a relatively constant resistive load while it is being used and/or does not result in the swimmer experiencing a tug, a jerk, a catch, and/or a loss of load during use. The present invention addresses one or more of these needs.


A front-cover assembly having a front-cover forming the front face of the information apparatus, lid members provided on the front-cover so as to be turned and moved between the closed position and the opened position, and caps provided on the upper and the lower face of the front-cover to hide the flanges of the lid members. The lid member is constituted by an elongated lid body and flanges provided on each end of the lid body. The flange has a turning center through-hole at the center, and a raised part as well as an outline part on the periphery part. On the upper face of the front-cover are formed a shaft part and concave parts. When the lid member is turned to the opened position, the raised part engages the concave part and is click locked, and the outline part appears on the front face of the front-cover filling the gap between the front-cover and the cap.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a front-cover assembly for an information apparatus and an information apparatus having the same.
For the information apparatuses of personal computers and the like placed on a table to be used, an easy to use configuration and a pleasant design are required.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B show the conventional information apparatus 10. The information apparatus 10 is configured to be easily usable with each type of terminal provided on the front face, and at the same time, is configured to cover the terminals 11 with lid members 12 and 13 when not in use to take the outer appearance into account. The information apparatus 10 has a housing 15 and a front-cover assembly 16 on the front side, is set on a pedestal 17, and placed height-wise on the table to be used. The front-cover assembly 16 has a front-cover 18, and the lid members 12 and 13 attached on left and right sides, respectively, of the front-cover 18 so as to be opened and closed. The front-cover 18 and the lid members 12 and 13 are molded components of synthetic resin.
When the information apparatus 10 is not in use, the lid members 12 and 13 are closed and the terminals 11 are hidden, as shown in FIG. 1A. When the information apparatus 10 is in use, the lid members 12 and 13 are turned and opened and the terminals 11 are exposed, as shown in FIG. 1B. The task of connecting the plugs to the terminals 11 is carried out from a front side of the information apparatus 10, and the information apparatus is easy to use. In addition, an operation of opening the lid members 12 and 13 is carried out by a user hooking and pulling the lid members 12 and 13 with fingertips of the user.
The lid member 12 has, as shown in FIG. 2, a lid body 12a, arm parts 12b and 12c projecting from a vicinity of opposite ends of the lid body 12a, and an engaging convex part 12d. The arm parts 12b and 12c have C-shaped bearing parts 12b1 and 12c1 on the leading ends thereof.
In correspondence to an above shape of the lid member 12, the front-cover 18 has, on a front face 18a, an opening 18b through which the arm 12b enters, an opening 18c through which the arm part 12c enters, an opening 18d through which the engaging convex part 12e enters, and also shaft parts 18e and 18f in an inner part of the openings 18b and 18c. On an inner circumference of the opening 18d, a concave part 18d1 is formed.
The lid member 12, as shown in FIG. 1B, is turnably attached with respect to the shaft parts 18e and 18f with the arm parts 12b and 12c in the respective openings 18b and 18c, and the C-shaped bearing parts 12b1 and 12c2 fitted to the respective shaft parts 18e and 18f. A size of the openings 18b and 18c are a size corresponding to a range of movement of the arm parts 12b and 12c when the lid member 12 is being opened or is being closed. The lid member 12 is, in the opened state, clickly locked with the engaging convex part 12d resiliently fitted to the convex part 18d1.
The shape of the other lid member 13 and a relationship with the front-cover 18 are the same as those for the lid member 12 described above.
No problem arises when the lid members 12 and 13 are in the closed state, as shown in FIG. 1A, but when they are turned and in the opened state, as shown in FIG. 1B, a plurality of openings 18b and 18d for attachment of the lid members 12 are exposed and furthermore, the arm parts 12b and 12c as well as the engaging convex part 12d are exposed, making the design unattractive.
Furthermore, when assembling the front-cover assembly 16 in a factory, an attachment of the lid members 12 and 13 to the front-cover 18 is, as shown in FIG. 3, done by pushing the C-shaped bearing part 12b1 (12c1) hard into the shaft part 18e (18f) as depicted with an arrow A, resiliently widening the C-shaped bearing part 12b1 (12c1) once and then fitting them to the shaft part 18e (18f). In order for the attached lid members 12 and 13 to not easily detach, the C-shaped bearing parts 12b1 and 12c1 are made thick and strong, making the task of attaching the lid members 12 and 13 to the front-cover 18 in the factory difficult. Since the task of pushing and fitting the bearing part 12b1 (12c1) to the shaft part 18e (18f) is carried out by holding the lid body 12a in hand, force is applied to a root of the arm parts 12b and 12c with respect to the lid body 12a and there is a risk of the arm parts 12b and 12c breaking.
Furthermore, the engaging convex part 12e is provided in a middle of the lid body 12a in a longitudinal direction, and when the lid body 12a is deflected, a position of the engaging convex part 12d is influenced by a deflection of the lid body 12a and is displaced. Therefore, a turning position of the lid member 12 when the lid member 12 is clickly locked readily varies.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved front-cover assembly that overcomes the conventional problems mentioned above and to provide an information apparatus having the same.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a front-cover assembly in which, even if the front-cover is formed so as to have corner parts angularly projecting in the left and the right sides between the front face and the side face, the turning lid member can move without touching the corner part.
In order to achieve the above objects, the present invention has a lid member attached to the front-cover of the information apparatus so as to be opened and closed, so that the orientation with respect to the flange of the lid body is defined by having the distance between the turning center and the leading head in the turning direction when closing be different from the distance between the turning center to the leading head in the turning direction when opening.
By defining the orientation with respect to the flange of the lid body to an angle shifted in the direction of the tangent line when closing the lid member, the portion of the lid body on the side of the leading head along the turning direction moves away from the turning center and moves outside of the corner part having an angular shape.
A more specific object of the present inventin is to provide a front-cover assembly in which the lid member is click locked accurately in the closed position and the opened position.
In order to achieve this object, the present invention forms the raised part for click lock of the lid member on the periphery portion of the flange of the lid member attached to the front-cover of the information apparatus so as to be opened and closed, and engages the raised part to the concave part of the front-cover.
With such configuration, the position of the raised part is not shifted even if the lid body is deflected, and the raised part is not influenced by the deflection of the lid body. Thus, the click lock is carried out accurately when the lid member is in the closed position and the opened position.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a front-cover assembly capable of having a more sophisticated design when the lid member is in the opened state and the closed state.
In order to achieve this object, the present invention configures the shape of the flange of the lid member attached to the front-cover of the information apparatus so as to be opened and closed to correspond to the shape of the front-cover.
When the lid member is in the opened state, the flange blocks the gap between the front-cover and the cap making the above gap unnoticeable, and thus the design seen from the front face of the front-cover assembly is more sophisticated. Similarly, when the lid member is in the closed state, the flange blocks the gap between the front-cover and the cap making the above gap unnoticeable and thus the design seen from the side of the front-cover assembly is more sophisticated.

Front-cover assembly and information apparatus having the same


The invention provides a nondestructive inspection apparatus and nondestructive inspection method for inspecting the inside of a surface layer of a composite structure using cosmic-ray muons. The nondestructive inspection apparatus is to inspect the inside of the surface layer of a composite structure 11 using cosmic-ray muons 12 incoming substantially in the horizontal direction with being spin polarized by a given amount in the incoming direction, and has positron/electron amount detecting means 13 for detecting a positron/electron amount reflection-emitted having a characteristic time constant in the direction opposite to the incoming direction of the cosmic-ray muons 12 by the decay of the cosmic-ray muons 12 stopping inside the composite structure 11, and radiography data processing means 14, 15, 16 for data-processing a state of the second substance 11-2 different from the first substance 11-1 of the surface layer existing inside the surface layer of the composite structure 11 as radiography to output, from the positron/electron amount detected in the positron/electron detecting means 13.

For example, as a nondestructive inspection method for inspecting or detecting an interior state (non-woven state of the reinforcing bar, etc.) inside a composite structure such as a reinforced concrete construction such as a building, pier of a express highway and dam, or a state inside the surface layer such as iron components and temperature distribution inside a blast furnace, without exerting physical and/or chemical adverse effects on the subject of inspection, there have conventionally been known an ultrasonic method, IR thermography method, radar method, X-ray method, etc. However, all of these methods are limited remarkably in the subject of inspection, while having the limitations in the resolution of the interior state and in the depth inside the surface layer that can be inspected.
Therefore, the inventors and others of the present invention proposed a nondestructive inspection method and apparatus for artificially generating muon particles using a particle accelerator, capturing the muon particles generated with the particle accelerator at a predetermined solid angle while performing magnetic confinement, transporting the particles to inspection targeted reinforced concrete to apply, detecting an amount of positrons emitted by energy loss of the applied positive muons in the reinforcing bar portion, and thereby detecting a state inside the reinforced concrete (for example, see Patent Document 1).    Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-14816

Nondestructive inspection apparatus and nondestructive inspection method for composite structure

Inter-University Research Institute Corporation High Energy Accelerator Research Organization


New 1-naphtholphthalein monophosphates of the formula ##STR1## wherein each of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 is hydrogen or halogen, and each of M.sup.1 and M.sup.2 is a proton or an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, ammonium, dicyclohexylammonium, tetraalkylammonium or alkanolammonium cation, and the tautomeric transformation products thereof, are useful as substrates for detection and photometric determination of alkaline phosphotase.

The present invention is concerned with new 1-naphtholphthalein monophosphates and the salts thereof which, as enzyme substrates, form a coloured anion under the influence of esterases at alkaline pH values and especially under the influence of alkaline phosphatase (EC 22.214.171.124). The present invention is also concerned with processes for the preparation of these monophosphates and of the salts thereof, as well as with a process and agent for the detection and photometric determination of alkaline phosphatase.
Alkaline phosphatase (AP) occurs, for example, in the liver, bones, in the small intestine, in the kidneys, in the bile and, to a smaller extent, in the placenta. An increase of the AP activity in the plasma has a diagnostic importance especially for the detection of liver diseases and diseases of the bone skeleton. For example, increased AP levels are observed in the case of Paget's disease, osteosarcomas, jaundice, hepatitis and similar diseases.
Over and above their physiological place value, alkaline phosphatase has, in recent years, achieved importance as a diagnostic adjuvant. Thus, for example, this enzyme is used as an indicator enzyme for enzyme immunoassays.
Thus, clinical chemistry and diagnosis require a method for the quantitative determination of alkaline phosphatase which is simple to use and, at the same time, gives results with good reproducibility. As a rule, for this purpose, there is used the direct photometric or fluorometric determination of compounds which are obtained from added specific substrates by hydrolytic cleavage brought about by AP. The compounds liberated by alkaline phosphatase are chromogenic or mesomerism-stabilised alcohols, especially phenols, and phosphate residues. As a rule, the former are determined qualitatively or quantitatively.
Not only in the case of colorimetric determinations but also in the case of fluorometric determinations, a parallel or subsequent carrying out of a blank value (without sample, i.e. without AP) is advisable in order to be able to recognise interferences due to a possible absorption possibly of unreacted substrate.
Besides p-nitrophenyl phosphate, naphthyl phosphates and phenolphthalein diphosphoric acids and appropriate derivatives thereof, phenolphthalein mono phosphoric acid and the salts thereof can be used as AP substrates (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,331,857 and 3,331,862). However, these compounds are unsatisfactory for the determination of alkaline phosphatase especially since the detection of the liberated amount of phenolphthalein is falsified by other compounds present in the sample. Thus, numerous serum components, for example bilirubin, have, like the mentioned phenolates liberated from the AP substrates, an absorption maximum at about 400 to 450 nm.
Therefore, thymolphthalein monophosphoric acid and, because of their good water-solubility, the corresponding sodium and ammonium salts, are today preferably used as substrates for the determination of alkaline phosphatase (see Clin. Chem., 16, 431-436/1970; Clin. Chem., 19, 1135-1138/1973; Japanese Patent Specification No. 83-158,199). In the absorption or emission spectrum, liberated thymolphthalein displays a maximum absorption band at about 595 nm. However, it is a disadvantage in the case of these compounds that, on the one hand, they have an insufficient sensitivity in the case of intestinal and placental AP and, on the other hand, there must be carried out not a kinetic determination but rather an end point determination which includes a rebuffering step.
o-Cresolphthalein monophosphoric acid is a further phenolphthalein derivative which is today commonly used as an AP substrate (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,975,405). With the help of this substrate, there is possible not only a continuous but also a discontinuous determination of alkaline phosphatase since the liberated o-cresolphthalein, unlike thymolphthalein, absorbs in a pH range which is optimum for the AP determination. However, the spectroscopic determination of the liberated o-cresolphthalein is disturbed in the presence of haemolytic samples since the absorption maximum of the o-cresolphthalein anion lies at about 570 nm.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide new substrates for the determination of alkaline phosphatases which, besides a sufficient water-solubility, possess the property of liberating hydrolysis products under the influence of the enzyme. The liberated products have absorption maxima which are as long-waved as possible and thus, in the case of photometric determinations, are not or only slightly influenced by other sample components such as, particularly, haemolysis products. Furthermore, the new AP substrats are to be sufficiently stable and obtainable in high purity by simple and economically interesting syntheses.
This object is achieved by the new 1-naphtholphthalein monophosphates according to the present invention which, under the influence of alkaline esterases and especially of alkaline phosphatases, are reacted to give anions absorbing in the long wavelengths.

1-naphtholphthalein monophosphates and diagnostic reagents containing them


A spacer portion (3) of this heat exchanger (100) includes an outer peripheral portion (3a) circumferentially provided along outer peripheral edges of bonded surfaces (1a) of cores (1) and a gap portion (3b and 3c) provided in a partial region of the circumferential outer peripheral portion, and the gap portion is provided at a position where a temperature gradient on the bonded surfaces of the cores is relatively shallow.

A heat exchanger including multiple cores and spacer portions arranged between bonded surfaces of the adjacent cores is known in general. A heat exchanger like this is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2012-255646, for example.
In Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2012-255646, there is disclosed a heat exchanger including multiple cores, spacer portions arranged between bonded surfaces of the adjacent cores, and a header portion. In the cores, two types of flow path portions through which two types of fluids flow, respectively, are alternately stacked. The cores each have a rectangular parallelepiped shape, the spacer portions each are formed in an L-shape along two sides of each of the outer peripheral edges of the bonded surfaces of the cores, and the outer peripheral portions thereof are welded to the bonded surfaces of the adjacent cores.


To correct for any source of non-linearity and noise introduced in the power amplification of a pulse modulated signal, a correction unit is applied in-between the pulse modulator and the switching power amplification stage. The correction unit is controlled to have a compensating effect, by introducing continuous delays on the individual pulse edges on the basis of error information provided by an error processing block. One preferred embodiment of the invention comprises: a Correction Unit with means to control the delays of the individual pulse edges as a function of a control input signal Ve; a state feedback block A with compensation; a reference shaping block R to modify the pulsed reference vr for optimized error estimation; a difference block to generate an error signal and a compensator C to shape this error. The invention makes it possible to implement practical digital to analog power conversion, with efficient compensation of any non-linearity and noise introduced in the switching power stage and filter, such that great efficiency, high performance and low system complexity is combined. Applications are direct digital to audio power conversion and improved general DC-DC or DC-AC power conversion systems controlled from the digital domain.

This invention relates to power amplification of pulse modulated signals by a switching power stage. The invention may advantageously be used for improved conversion of a digital signal directly to analog power. Applications are direct digital audio power conversion and general DC-DC or DC-AC power conversion systems controlled from the digital domain.
The advantages of power amplification based on a switching power stage are well known. The high efficiency provides several advantages, in terms of minimal weight and volume, higher power handling capability and improved reliability. The fundamental elements in switching power amplification are the modulator, the switching power stage and the demodulation filter to reconstitute the modulated signal. The non-linearity of the switching power stage presents a significant impediment to maintain the modulator performance throughout the subsequent power conversion by a switching power stage. This problem is fundamental and independent on the use of analog modulation as analog PWM, or digital modulation as direct digital PCM-PWM conversion.
In prior art, compensation for the non-ideal behavior has generally been attempted with various feedback control methods. U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,396 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,521,549 discloses examples of this method with audio power amplification as specific application. However, linear feedback control methods require an analog low frequency reference. It is desirable with a more direct digital source to power conversion to simplify the power conversion in that no separate D/A converter is needed. Furthermore, analog modulation circuitry and carrier generators will not be required. International patent application no. WO92/11699 and international patent application no. WO97/37433 discloses improved methods for digital PCM-PWM conversion for digital digital to power amplification. In practice, these systems are hardly easy to implement, since compensation for the fundamental error sources within the switching power conversion are not provided. The application of digital feedback control referenced to the digital source is complicated in that an analogxe2x80x94digital converter is needed in the feedback path. This renders normal feedback control impractical.
The published international patent application EP758164 discloses a feedback method local to the switching power stage, in which the power stage output is feed back and summed with a pulse width modulated input. The resulting signal is used to drive the switching power stage. The compensation effect however will be limited and it is difficult to control the improvements towards all error sources.
In conclusion, no invention in prior art exist for general power amplification of a pulse-modulated signal, that incorporates simple and effective means to eliminate any source of non-linearity and noise in the switching power amplification stage.
Accordingly, the primary objective of the present invention is to enable improved power amplification of a pulse modulated signal, where all error sources related to the power stage and demodulation filter are eliminated, such that the modulator performance can be maintained throughout the subsequent elements all the way to the output. Another objective of the invention is to provide a practical digital PCMxe2x80x94power conversion system, that is insensitive to power stage non-linearity, perturbation on the power supply and any other non-ideal elements.
According to claims 1 and 2, the objectives of the invention are achieved by the introduction of a correction unit in-between the pulse modulator and the switching power amplification stage. The correction unit provides compensation by means of pulse re-timing on the pulse edges, said re-timing controlled to have a xe2x80x9cpredistortingxe2x80x9d effect, such that the resulting switching power stage output is free from distortion, noise or any other undesired contribution.
According to claim 3, one preferred embodiment of the invention is particular in that pulse re-retiming in the correction unit is a linear function of an error signal input. This is advantageous in that the resulting control system is linear, whereby system design and optimization is simplified and the performance improvement controllable.
According to claim 4, it is expedient that the pulse reference control system comprises the following fundamental elements:
An input terminal taking a pulse modulated signal.
A Correction Unit with means to correct the delays of the individual pulse edges, controlled by a control input.
A state feedback with compensation.
A reference-shaping block to modify the pulsed reference input for optimal error estimation.
A difference block to generate an error signal and a compensator to shape this error.
The invention includes various embodiments regarding actual realization of the control function within the correction unit. According to claims 6-10, the invention includes various advantageous embodiments concerning improved digitalxe2x80x94analog power conversion suitable for audio power amplification.
The invention is a fundamentally new control method for improved amplification of a pulse modulated input signal. The application range is extremely broad in that the invention can be used with any pulse-modulated input, modulated in the analog or digital domain, and feed any load where a pulsed power signal of controllable quality is needed. Ultimately, the principle of the invention may realize perfect reproduction of the pulsed reference such that the output is a constant times the input, independent on any disturbances that is introduced during power conversion.

Pulse referenced control method for enhanced power amplification of a pulse modulated


Disclosed herein are polynucleotides having a plurality of thymine nucleotides and an endonuclease recognition site inserted therein, methods of engineering the polynucleotides having a plurality of thymine nucleotides and an endonuclease recognition site inserted therein, and methods of enhancing transcription, translation, and increasing stability of a polynucleotide.

Increased demand for large scale synthesis of in vitro transcribed (IVT) mRNA is being driven by an increasing use of mRNA for transient gene expression in ex vivo cell engineering or direct in vivo therapeutic applications. One of the most important determinants of potency of an IVT mRNA is the 3′ poly-adenosine (poly(A)) tail, the length of which directly correlates with efficiency of translation. However, present methods for large scale generation of IVT mRNA rely on templates derived from circular plasmids, in which homolypolymeric tracts are highly unstable, thus limiting encoded poly(A) tail lengths to less than approximately 120 base pairs. Thus methods are needed to generate mRNA that are highly stable for translation.

Long poly(A) plasmids and methods for introduction of long poly(A) sequences into the plasmid


Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, applying first data associated with a first content item to a model to generate first classification characteristics, analyzing the first classification characteristics to generate a first marker, wherein the first marker delineates a first location of inventory within the first content item, selecting a first creative to populate a portion of the inventory, and populating, based on the selecting, the portion of the inventory with the first creative. Other embodiments are disclosed.

As the world increasingly becomes connected via vast communication networks and via various communication devices, additional opportunities are created/generated to provision data to such devices. For, such data may pertain to content (e.g., media) that may be presented to one or more users.
In many instances, a creation and distribution of content is subsidized via a use of one or more advertisements that are presented during advertising timeslots/breaks in the content. The advertisements help to defray the costs associated with creating and distributing the content and are used to populate inventory within the content. Typically, a content item is processed per a specification to identify a total length of the content item. Thereafter, an advertising opportunity specification is established that indicates a count of advertisements that are to be inserted into the content item (where the count is based on the total length of the content item). Markers are generated and distributed throughout the content item at various points (where the markers may delineate the start and end of an advertising timeslot/break associated with the inventory). One or more advertisements are selected for presentation in conjunction with the advertising timeslot/break to populate the inventory.
While the use of markers as set forth above is effective in terms of delineating inventory within content items, in many instances the markers are inserted at points/locations within a content item that are unnatural/awkward. For example, and in the context of a content item including a video of a speech, a marker may be inserted at a point/location in the video where the speaker is mid-sentence. Markers located at unnatural or improper points/locations in a content item may tend to have a negative impact on the quality of the user experience (where the user in this context is the person consuming the presentation of the content item). The erosion/degradation of the quality of the user experience may cause the user to consume less of the content item (or related content items), which, in turn, may have a negative impact on the performance (e.g., revenue, profit, etc.) of the creator or distributor of the content item(s).

Apparatuses and methods for facilitating an insertion of markers in content