Embodiment of the invention provide a reverse name lookup function for providing an absolute path name or file name and absolute path name to the file name parent directory based on a vnode reference, NFS file handle reference, or file identifier reference associated with a computer virtual file system. A method in accordance with the invention comprises populating a table structure with vnodes, names, and absolute path information associated with the vnodes. The table structure and information are sufficient to generate an absolute path name and file name for each vnode. The table structure also includes entries for file identifiers, names, and associated absolute path information associated with the file identifiers. This information is sufficient to generate an absolute path name for each file identifier. The table is populated by hooking virtual file system function calls including the vnode name lookup function and the vnode inactive function. The table is populated with the file identifier entries by hooking the vnode inactive function.

Many computer file systems, are implemented using layers of abstraction including a virtual file system layer using vnodes. This is true for different variants of UNIX including HP-UX, AIX, and Solaris. FIG. 1 shows a file system 100 within a UNIX environment. These systems often lack a means to map or translate a vnode reference to the file name and its absolute path name.
At the top level, the file system provides a system interface for applications or network clients. This layer is shown in FIG. 1, which includes the system call (SYS_CALL) layer 110 and a Network File System (NFS) 160. The system call layer 110 provides a standardized interface for application programs (not shown). As a result, the underlying specifics of the file system can change or be replaced without requiring application modifications.
Below the system call layer 110 and the NFS 160 layer are one or more intermediate layers 105 below which lie the Virtual File System (VFS) layer 120. The VFS layer 120 references files by using vnode pointers. A vnode is a structure that represents a file in the file system 100. A vnode is created and used by the file system to reference a file. When a user attempts to open or create a file, if the VFS containing the file already has a vnode representing that file, a use count in the vnode is incremented and the existing vnode is used. Otherwise, a new vnode is allocated. Below the VFS layer 120 is the inode 130 layer. Inodes represent how files are organized on a disc drive 135.
Most operations within the file system 100 operate at the virtual file system layer and use vnodes or vnode pointers for file functions such as read, write, create, delete, and rename. Thus, extensions, modifications, or additions that hook into the file system 100, also need to operate on vnodes and or vnode pointers.
In this embodiment, the computer system 100 includes a Network File System (NFS) 160. The NFS 160 operates using NFS file handles or file identifiers (fids). Similar to the method by which file names are resolved into a vnode pointers, a file identifier or a NFS file handle for a file name is determined by determining the file identifier or NFS file handle for each directory and for the file name.
FIG. 2A is an example of prior art file system pseudo code 200 for resolving a file name "/user/foo/bar" 201 into a vnode pointer for a file delete operation. The pseudo code 200 is for illustrative purposes. Different operating systems, such as AIX, Solaris, and HP-UX can use different function names and calling parameters from the example shown in FIG. 2A.
In the first step 202, the file system root vnode pointer "rootvp" is used in the VOP_LOOKUP( ) operation to determine the vnode pointer for the "usr" directory name. In a second operation 203, the returned vnode pointer for the "usr" directory name is used by the VOP_LOOKUP( ) operation to determine the vnode pointer for the "foo" directory name. In a third operation 204, the returned vnode pointer for the "foo" directory name is used by the VOP_LOOKUP( ) operation to determine the vnode pointer for the "bar" file name. The returned vnode pointer "vp" is used for the delete operation 205, VOP_DELETE(vp).
Functions such as VOP_DELETE( ) are useful to monitor for file system enhancements such as applications that monitor or control file system changes. However, functions of interest, such as VOP_DELETE, operate on a vnode pointer and accordingly changes in the file system are not directly or easily reported or monitored using an associated file name and an absolute path name. The absolute path name is a string of characters that represents a file system object such as a file, directory, or link. The absolute path name is also referred to as a full path or fully qualified directory path.
When an NFS client (not shown) requests a file operation, the NFS 160 of FIG. 1 performs a set operations similar to the ones used by the system call interface 110. One difference is that the NFS 160 uses file identifiers (fids) or NFS file handles to operate on a file.
FIG. 2B illustrates the steps for determining the file identifier for the file /usr/foo/bar. The process 250 begins in the step 260 by looking up the fid for the first directory "usr" in the path name. From the root directory, a "root_fid" or "share_fid" is used as a known base point identifier for a file system. In the step 270, the fid returned for the "usr" directory is used in an NFS_LOOKUP( ) call to determine the fid for the "foo" directory. In the step 280, the fid returned for the "foo" directory is used in an nfs_lookup( ) call to determine the fid for the "bar" file. In the step 290, the returned fid is used for the file function NFS_DELETE(fid). The NFS_LOOKUP( ) and NFS_DELETE( ) functions represent pseudo code for the functions provided. The function names depend on the version of the UNIX operating system used. Similar steps can be used to resolve a NFS file handle.
FIG. 3 lists the types of information of interest 300 to an exemplary file change monitoring application that interfaces with the virtual file system. The application monitors and reports "who" 310, "what" 320, "where" 330, and "how" 340 a change is made. The "who" 310 is the login user name that made the change. The "what" 320 is the file name that was changed. The "where" 330 is the computer that made the change, and the "how" 340 is the name of the program that made the change. For determining the "who" 310, "where" 330, and "how" 340, there are known solutions. As described above, it is difficult to determine from a vnode the file name and absolute path name that changed. Applications monitoring file system changes need to operate or report events to an operator based on file names and absolute path names. Reporting changes based on vnodes would be meaningless to a person monitoring system changes. Accordingly, there is a need for the ability to translate a vnode, vnode reference, an NFS file handle or file identifier into an absolute path name.

Method of and system for reverse mapping vnode pointers


A self-scanning flat display having a light active matrix in the form of a set of periodic lines which include light-reflecting, light-transparent, or light-emitting elements. These elements are controlled by current or a charge generated by a scan raster device. The raster device is made in the form of a streamers produced from nanostructured active material, in which there is induced and propagates a soliton, i.e., a maintained running electronic wave. The soliton controls the light active matrix. The nanostructured material includes clusters with tunnel-transparent coatings. The clusters have the sizes, at which the resonant features of the electron are manifested. The sizes are determined by the circular radius of the electron wave. The cluster size is set within the range r0-4r0, i.e., 7.2517 nm≦r≦29.0068 nm. The width of the tunnel-transparent gap is not more than r0=7.2517 nm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of electronic and informatics and can be used in the production of color displays for computers and television (TV) sets having a screen area up to one square meter (m), and also for possible information systems in which the screen area considerably exceeds one square meter.
2. Background Art
The development of high-quality, wide-screen, flat panel displays (FPD) which currently account for more than half of the unit's production cost is the major challenge for the emerging high-tech household and industrial markets offering high definition televisions (HDTV), personal computers (PC), and electronic books.
Flat display types currently available include color and black-and-white liquid crystal displays (LCD) and wide screen color plasma display panels (PDP). LCDs, however, are relatively small, highly dependent on the angle of observation, and hard to operate. PDPs, in turn, consume much energy per unit of space, have intricate matrix high-voltage electronic controls, and emit high levels of electromagnetic radiation. Both displays are prohibitively expensive and cannot so far be produced on a regular basis to supplant the cathode ray tube (CRT).
Competing technologies such as field emission displays (FED), electro-luminescent displays (ELD), and light-emitting diodes (LED) have yet to be commercially available [1].
Recent hopes are tied to using polymer materials for flat panel displays. Organic materials such as PPV, DPVBi, etc., are considered good for producing low-cost, flexible plastic light-diode large-size panels. A great amount of effort is being made to develop polymer-based LCDs. None of these are commercially available, however.
Recent years have seen, besides the above technologies, a brand new one based on electronic clusters (EC) as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,180 issued to K. R. Shoulders [2]. A good case in point here is a newly developed matrix-controlled 2000*2000 PGB pixel resolution display. This technology eliminates the weaknesses of FED and PDP and achieves a high electric-to-light energy conversion ratio within an area of about one square meter wide and one cm thick.
The intermediate size displays can be carried out on the basis of magnetic or electrostatic balls in which one hemisphere is painted. They are usually apply for the creation of the static image, so-called electronic paper (EP).
The spherical particles have two areas: reflecting and black. These balls turn in a magnetic or electrostatic field created by two conductors with matrix x-y addressing. The degree of the turn of the balls defines the grey scale. After field removal, the balls keep the last orientation for an indefinite period of time. The time of turning on is about 30 ms. It is supposed that the power of dispersion is small. The technology can appear rather perspective for the creation of electronic magazines in the future. But it is not very promising in making PCs and TVs because of a matrix control system of rotation and low speed.
The display types available are either light-emitting or external light controlling. The latter are divided into light-reflecting, light-transparent, and light-absorbing.
An important problem of fatigue contributor to reconfiguration with is display flickering with the standard 50/60 Hz frame rotation frequency. Invisible to the eye, it synchronizes the α-rhythms of the human brain making the latter behave unnaturally. This in its turn tires the user dramatically. The situation can be avoided by increasing the display operation and respectively bringing the frame rotation frequency up to 75 Hz or more [1].
One should also take into account the user's fatigue resulting from the display's electromagnetic radiation. Moreover, prolonged exposure may affect general health.
Ways of image formation, or addressing, have a direct influence on the display's specifications. The two main approaches are based on either a movable radiation source (a driver) or an immovable radiation source. In the former case, radiation is generated by a limited number of drivers (one to three) providing for successive frame rotation along x-y coordinates out of z coordinate perpendicular to them, like in CRT.
In the latter case, the sources of radiation are created by an orthogonal matrix right in the electrode crossings along x-y coordinates and scanned by way of appropriate switching of numerous control buses. Here, the amount of control buses is proportional to the square root of the number of image scanning points, i.e., about 2,000 or more.
There is also a combined rotation version, with the driver moving along the display surface with the assistance of a few special control electrodes. This approach to addressing is the most efficient from the control point of view. However, it is good for image creation only in special plasma displays through self-scanning (SS) of the gas discharge along the lines. This eliminates the need to use numerous high-voltage controls along x-y element buses, making the whole setup easier to manage and reducing power consumption and electromagnetic radiation from the display.
The combined version, despite its advantages, has so far failed to work for other types of displays.
From the analysis follows that development of cheap, large-size flat displays with low level of electromagnetic fields and high frame rotation frequency continues to be rather urgent.


A gate driver includes a gate control signal generator having a first input and configured to output a gate control signal to a power semiconductor switch and a first sub-circuit having a first signal path and a second signal path that are suitable for transmitting signals. The first and second signal paths are coupled to the first input of the gate control signal generator. The second signal path is configured to provide a signal to the first input with a reduced signal delay.

The present invention relates to a gate driver having level shift circuit for driving the gate of a power semiconductor device.
Many low voltage electronic circuits, e.g., MOSFET devices, are used to drive high voltage switching transistors, e.g., power MOSFETs, insulated gate bipolar transistor devices (IGBTs), gate controlled thyristors, and the like. A power semiconductor switch or device is switched from a nonconducting state to a conducting state by raising the gate-source voltage from below to above a threshold voltage. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cpower devicexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cpower semiconductor devicexe2x80x9d refers to any power MOSFET, IGBT, thyristor, or the like.
One or more low voltage transistors, coupled to an output node of the gate driver, apply appropriate voltages to the gate or control terminal of the power device to turn on or turn off the power device. When the power device is an N-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (NMOSFET), the device is turned on by applying a high voltage to the gate of the power switch and turned off by applying a low voltage to the gate. In contrast, if the power device is a P-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (PMOSFET), the device is turned on by applying a low voltage to the gate of the power switch and turned off by applying a high voltage to the gate. Unless otherwise explained, power devices, as used herein, refer to in N type devices for ease of illustration.
Generally, a gate driver includes a level shifting circuit for shifting the potential of a small control signal to a higher voltage level that is more suitable for turning on the power device. The gate driver may be packaged as a single device having a high side portion and a low side portion, where the high side is used to turn on or off a high side switch or transistor of the power device and the low side is used to turn on or off a low side switch or transistor of the power device. The high side switch has a drain coupled to a high voltage source, e.g., 1000 volts, while the low side switch has a drain coupled to a lower voltage source, e.g., a source of the high side switch.
In one embodiment, a power module includes a power semiconductor device having a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal. The second terminal is a control terminal to regulate flow of electricity between the first and third terminals. A gate driver has an output node coupled to the second terminal of the power device to provide gate control signals to the power semiconductor device. The gate driver includes a gate control signal generator having a first input and a second input and a first sub-circuit having a first signal path and a second signal path that are suitable for transmitting signals. The first and second signal paths are coupled to the first input of the gate control signal generator. The second signal path is configured to provide a signal to the first input with a reduced signal delay. The gate driver further includes a second sub-circuit coupled to the second input of the gate control signal generator.
In another embodiment, a gate driver includes a gate control signal generator having a first input and configured to output a gate control signal to a power semiconductor switch and a first sub-circuit having a first signal path and a second signal path that are suitable for transmitting signals. The first and second signal paths are coupled to the first input of the gate control signal generator. The second signal path is configured to provide a signal to the first input with a reduced signal delay.
In yet another embodiment, a power device includes a gate control signal generator having a first input and configured to output a gate control signal to a power semiconductor switch. A first sub-circuit has a first signal path and a second signal path that are suitable for transmitting signals. The first and second signal paths are coupled to the first input of the gate control signal generator. The second signal path is configured to provide a signal to the first input with a reduced signal delay. A second sub-circuit includes a third signal path and a fourth signal path that are suitable for transmitting signals. The third and fourth signal paths are coupled to the second input of the gate control signal generator. The first input of the gate control signal generator receives a signal of first voltage from the first sub-circuit and the second input of the gate control signal generator receives a signal of second voltage from the second sub-circuit. The gate control signal generator outputs a gate control signal according to a voltage difference between the signal of first voltage and the signal of second voltage. The second signal path and fourth signal path are feed forward connections.


The inventive washing machine is capable of deodorizing a daily commodity with cleaning air in a shorter period of time. When the daily commodity is deodorized with the cleaning air, a control section (120) causes a heater (100) to heat air in a washing tub (3) to maintain an inside air temperature of the washing tub (3) within a predetermined temperature range. This promotes the deodorization with the cleaning air, as long as the cleaning air is not decomposed by the heating. As a result, the daily commodity can be satisfactorily deodorized irrespective of an operation period set by a timer (122), for example, even if a daily commodity deodorization process is performed with the use of the cleaning air in a shorter period of time (a minimum air-wash process is performed).

There is know a washing machine which includes a drum (corresponding to a washing tub) provided in a housing thereof and is adapted to wash laundry contained in the drum. There is also known a washing machine which is adapted to supply ozone-containing air (also called "cleaning air") into a drum thereof to deodorize laundry in the drum with the cleaning air (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
The washing machine disclosed in Patent Document 1 performs a laundry cleaning process (called "air-wash process") with the use of the cleaning air independently of an ordinary laundry process and a drying process.    Patent Document 1: JP-A-2007-195896

Washing/drying machine and deodorization apparatus


A system for detecting energy leakage from an optical fiber transmitting high power laser beams. A second optical fiber is placed together with the laser power transmitting fiber into a jacketing tube or conduit. The second fiber is connected at one end to a light source and at the other end to a photosensitive diode. Leakage of laser energy from the power transmitting fiber will cause a failure of the second optical fiber, reducing or terminating the transmission of light to the photosensitive diode. Energy leakage from the laser power transmitting fiber can therefore be detected by monitoring the output of the photosensitive diode.

Optical fibers have been utilized in industrial applications as a simple means for guiding a laser beam from a laser source to a work station where a workpiece to be drilled, cut, or otherwise machined is located. However, the use of optical fibers for transmitting high power laser energy in a production environment requires a safety system to rapidly cease laser operation in the event of a catastrophic failure of the fiber and therefore prevent high energy laser leakage from damaging neighboring hardware or personnel.
Conventional safety systems which directly monitor laser energy emitted from the output end of the fiber are disadvantageous in that space may not be available at the output end of the fiber for positioning the necessary sensing apparatus, the sensing apparatus may reduce the power delivered to the laser operation, or apparatus placed in the path of a high power laser beam may be susceptible to damage inflicted by the laser beam. Additionally, such a system would be unable to differentiate between a fiber failure and the failure of another component in the laser operation, such as the laser source.


An alloy powder having an alloy composition represented by Fe100-a-b-c-d-e-fCuaSibBcCrdSneCf, wherein a, b, c, d, e and f are atomic % meeting 0.80≤a≤1.80, 2.00≤b≤10.00, 11.00≤c≤17.00, 0.10≤d≤2.00, 0.01≤e≤1.50, and 0.10≤f≤0.40.

Fe-based nanocrystalline alloys, typically FeCuNbSiB alloys, are used for magnetic devices used in high frequency ranges, because they have excellent magnetic properties such as low loss and high permeability.
The above nanocrystalline Fe-based alloy having excellent magnetic properties can be obtained by rapidly solidifying an alloy melt by quenching by a single-roll method, etc. to obtain an amorphous alloy ribbon, winding the amorphous alloy ribbon to a magnetic core shape, etc., and heat-treating it in a magnetic field to precipitate nano-crystal grains (see, for example, JP 4-4393 A).
Because the alloy obtained by the above single-roll method is in a ribbon shape, the degree of freedom of a magnetic core shape is limited. Namely, because the magnetic core is formed by slitting an alloy ribbon to a width corresponding to the desired height of a magnetic core, and winding the alloy ribbon to the desired inner and outer diameters, its shape is limited to a toroidal or racetrack shape, etc.
With various magnetic core shapes requested, if alloy powders were produced, magnetic cores of various shapes would be easily formed by them, by forming methods such as pressing, extrusion, etc.
Because magnetic cores having various shapes can be obtained by using magnetic material powders, investigation has been conducted to obtain amorphous alloy powders by rapidly solidifying Fe-based alloy melts for Fe-based nanocrystalline alloys including the above FeCuNbSiB alloys by quenching.
For example, as a method for obtaining powder by rapidly solidifying an alloy melt for the above nanocrystalline Fe-based alloy, an atomizing method by water stream rotating at a high speed (see JP 2017-95773 A), and a water-atomizing method are known. Also, J P 2014-136807 A discloses a method of spraying a flame jet onto a molten metal, which may be called "jet-atomizing method."
However, the production of amorphous alloy powders by quenching a melt by an atomizing method with a high-speed-rotating water stream, etc., encounters problems described below, as compared with the production of alloy ribbons by a single-roll method.
(a) While a single-roll method produces alloy ribbons by rapidly cooling and solidifying an alloy melt by direct contact with a cooled copper alloy, a water-atomizing method, etc. suffer the problem that a steam film generated from water coming into contact with alloy melt particles hinders heat conduction from the alloy to water, resulting in a limited cooling speed.
As a method of overcoming the above problem of hindering heat conduction, there is an atomizing method with a high-speed-rotating water stream for suppressing the formation of a steam film by supplying a high-speed water stream. However, the generation of a steam film cannot completely be prevented theoretically, even by using a steam film-suppressing method such as the atomizing method with a high-speed-rotating water stream, etc., resulting in a more limited cooling speed than in the single-roll method.
(b) While the cooling speed can be easily kept constant with good reproducibility by controlling the thickness of an alloy ribbon to about 20 μm in the single-roll method, the control of alloy melt particle sizes is difficult in the atomizing method with a high-speed-rotating water stream, etc. Because of the unevenness of particle sizes, smaller particles have higher cooling speeds, and larger particles (particularly their inner portions) have lower cooling speeds. Namely, an amorphous phase or a mixed phase of an amorphous phase and fine crystal phases [(Fe—Si) bcc phases] is easily obtained by quenching small particles, while Fe2B crystals deteriorating magnetic properties tend to be precipitated by quenching large particles. In the quenched alloy powder containing a large amount of Fe2B crystals deteriorating magnetic properties, Fe2B crystals remain after heat treatment, making it difficult to obtain low loss, one of excellent magnetic properties.
With respect to the magnetic alloy powder, there are further the following problems.
(c) The phenomenon (skin effect) that a high-frequency magnetic flux flows only near a surface of the magnetic alloy powder takes place more remarkably in higher-frequency applications, and when surface portions of the magnetic alloy powders are magnetically saturated, the surface portions loose a function as a magnetic material, likely resulting in the deterioration of the magnetic properties of the magnetic alloy powders.
(d) Because magnetic cores formed by the Fe-based, nanocrystalline alloy powder have low initial permeability μi, their permeability becomes lower than the initial permeability μi at higher magnetic field intensity H, failing to exhibit good DC superimposition characteristics.
As described above, there are the following requirements in the Fe-based, nanocrystalline alloy powder.
(1) The quenched alloy powder before nanocrystallization should be in an amorphous phase or a mixed phase of an amorphous phase and fine crystal phases [(Fe—Si) bcc phases]. Also, the formation of Fe2B crystals should be suppressed. The fine crystal phases are those not becoming coarser (growing) by heat treatment.
(2) The alloy should have a composition exhibiting as high a saturation magnetic flux density Bs as suppressing magnetic saturation in high-frequency applications.
(3) Magnetic cores formed by the heat-treated, Fe-based, nanocrystalline alloy powder should have high initial permeability μi and excellent DC superimposition characteristics.

Alloy powder, fe-based nanocrystalline alloy powder and magnetic core


A cord lock for a venetian blind or shade, such as a pleated shade, having a housing with a stationary pulley and a serrated cam or rivet guided in parallel, aligned S-shaped slots, the cam locking the raised lift cord of the blind or shade against the pulley. The S-shape of the slot maximizes the angle of approach of the slot with respect to the cord and pulley to thereby increase the sensitivity of the lock.

The present invention relates to a cord lock for a venetian blind or a shade, such as a pleated shade, and more specifically to a lock for the lift cord of such venetian blind or shade.
Different forms of such cord locks are known in the art, as for example disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,180,118; 4,245,688; 4,352,386; and 4,476,909. They have stationary pulleys made from either plastic material or metal, and are either rotatably mounted or are fixed in a housing, and also have a floating serrated or knurled rivet which can move up and down in slots in the housing. The lift cord lifting and lowering the blind or shade passes between the pulley and the rivet. When the lift cord is to be locked in position the rivet engaged by the cord travels upwardly with the cord, caused by the weight of the blind, and the cord becomes wedged between the rivet and the pulley. When the cord is pulled downwardly the rivet drops away from the pulley and cord, and the blind or shade is released.
It is intended that the rivet gently moves the lift cord against the pulley thereby locking it in place, when the blind or shade has been raised or lowerd to the desired position, and the lift cord is released. It must be assured that the cord lock operates in a "crash-proof" manner, i.e. that it maintains the blind or shade in the locked position so that it does not come crashing down.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cord lock for a venetian blind or shade, in which both the firmness and sensitivity of the cord lock is increased without jeopardizing the "crash-proof" feature of the cord lock.

Cord lock for a venetian blind or a shade


Provided is a method for isolating circuit elements for effectively isolating devices on a semiconductor substrate from each other with use of a narrow insulating film. With such a method there is no likelihood of causing crystal defect in the semiconductor substrate or of deterioration in function of the channel stop of a channel stop region upon formation of the insulating film. The method for isolating circuit elements of the present invention includes steps of forming an insulating film over a semiconductor substrate, selectively removing the insulating film on a region to be an active region by etching to form a field insulator film, and implanting through the field insulator film ion of an impurity for preventing inversion of the conductivity type of the substrate into a region just under the field insulator film and adjacent to the surface of the substrate so as to form a channel stop region.

Device isolation technology is being employed for electrically isolating devices from each other on a semiconductor substrate in forming an integrated circuit. Representative examples of such device isolation technology include a LOCOS method and the so-called "BOX (Buried Oxide Isolation) method" wherein a recess is formed in the surface of a semiconductor substrate, then refilled with an insulator. The process of the LOCOS method is illustrated in FIGS. 8(a) to 8(d).
First, as shown in FIG. 8(a), a silicon nitride film 52, for example, is formed on a semiconductor substrate 51 (for example, made of n type silicon) by CVD method.
Next, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the silicon nitride film 52 except for that on an intended active region 53, is removed by etching using a resist film 54 as a mask, followed by ion implantation of, for example, boron without removing the resist film 54. Note that an arrow indicates a track of an ion's in the drawings. Since the resist film 54 prevents boron ion from reaching the silicon substrate 51, only a desired device isolation region 55 of the substrate 51 is implanted with boron ion. This ion-implanted region is a p.sup.+ -region which will serve as a channel stop region 56 for preventing a channel from forming in the device isolation region 55 due to occurrence of an inversion of the conductivity type at the surface of the silicon substrate 51 in that region.
In turn, as shown in FIG. 8(c), after removal of the resist film 54, a field oxide film 57 of SiO.sub.2 is formed on the region uncovered with the silicon nitride film 52 by thermal oxidation method.
Further, as shown in FIG. 8(d), the silicon nitride film 52 is removed by hot phosphoric acid to define on the silicon substrate 51 a device isolation region 55 with the field oxide film 57 and an active region 53 without the field oxide film 57. In addition, the channel stop region 56 is formed just under the field oxide film 57.
With the above LOCOS method, a protrusion 58 called a bird's beak is formed at opposite ends of the field oxide film 57. Forming the protrusion 58 in the active region 53 causes to narrow the active region 53. This results in such a problem that integration of devices cannot be highly increased.
Further, upon formation of the field oxide film 57 by thermal oxidation method, the impurity forming in the channel stop region 56 is likely to be absorbed by the field oxide film 57 due to segregation. Hence, the impurity concentration of the channel stop region 56 might be undesirably lowered to deteriorate a function of the channel stopper. This causes such a problem as to increase leakage current at channel stopper.
In addition, also upon formation of the field oxide film 57, the opposite ends of the silicon nitride film 52 are raised by the field oxide film 57 (refer to FIG. 8(c)), with the result that a strain is generated due to a stress in the silicon substrate 51 deposited with the silicon nitride film 52. Thus, crystal defect due to such strain tends to be formed.

Method for isolating circuit elements for semiconductor device


A game machine is provided that displays an attack direction in a 3D virtual game space when a player character is attacked, such that the human player can readily recognize the attack direction. In the game machine that activates the player character and an enemy character that attacks the player character in a 3D virtual game space, the direction of the attack received by the player character from the enemy character is acquired based on player position information indicating the position of the player character and enemy position information indicating the position of the enemy character in the game space. Damage marks which are objects that indicate the attack direction are generated at positions corresponding to the attack direction in a player region set around the player character, and at least a part of the game space, including the player character and the damage marks, is displayed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game machine that displays the direction of an attack from an enemy character in a readily recognizable manner. The present invention also relates to a computer program for realizing such a game machine, and further to a method of displaying certain objects in a game.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various shooting games have so far been developed in which the player operates a predetermined character (for example, a soldier, a fighter, a tank) to attack an opponent character by utilizing weapons such bullets, missiles, and laser beams. Hereinafter, the character operated by the player will be referred to as "player character", and the opponent character as "enemy character".
In the shooting game, generally, scores are added when the player activates the player character to attack the enemy character and successfully defeats (for example, when the bullet or missile directly strikes) the enemy character. On the other hand, when the player character is attacked by the enemy character, the player character, suffering the damage, loses some of its hit points (power) given in advance. When the accumulated damage exceeds a predetermined value and so the hit points of the player character become zero, the game is over. In order to avoid this, the player has to operate the player character to attack the enemy character while also trying to dodge the attack from the enemy character.
However, the display screen only displays a part of the virtual game space, and hence the player is unable to notice the presence of an enemy character located at a position not included in the display screen. The player cannot dodge the attack from the enemy character not displayed on the display screen, and cannot attack the enemy character either, since the presence of the enemy is not recognized. To alleviate such disadvantage against the player, some newly developed shooting games are provided with a function to notify the player of the position of an enemy character that is not displayed on the display screen (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. H11-70274, for example).
Specifically, a game displays on the screen a radar that indicates the position of the enemy character. The radar displays, for example, the position of the enemy character in the virtual game space viewed from above with the player character placed at the center, so that the player can recognize the relative position and direction of the enemy character with respect to the player character. Another game displays on the screen a marker that indicates the direction in which the enemy character has moved, when the enemy character moves out of the display screen. In view of such marker, the player can recognize the direction where the enemy character is located.
However, in the case where a number of enemy characters are present in the virtual game space, in the former game the radar indicates a number of positions of the enemy characters, and in the latter a number of markers appear on the display screen. Such display of many markers and the like makes the screen uncomfortable to watch, and besides the player feels perplexed with which of the enemy characters to focus on, since all of the enemy characters do not always attack at a time. Accordingly, it is not always best to notify the player of the position of all the enemy characters, on the display screen.
In the case where a number of enemy characters are present in the virtual game space, it is preferable, rather than notifying the player of the position of all the enemy characters, to notify the player of the position of only the enemy character that is making the attack, because thus the game screen can be simplified and the player can concentrate on dealing with the enemy character that is making the attack. In other words, all that the player is to do upon being attacked by the enemy character is either dodge a succeeding attack from the enemy character or attack that enemy character, and hence it becomes much easier to operate the player character. Accordingly, a shooting game has been developed that displays, when the player character is attacked by the enemy character, a damage mark indicating the direction of the attack from the enemy character (hereinafter, "attack direction").
FIG. 13 is a schematic drawing for explaining the conventional shooting game that displays the damage mark indicating the attack direction. FIG. 13 depicts a display screen showing a scene of the game, from the viewpoint of the player character in the three-dimensional (hereinafter, 3D) virtual game space.
The screen shown in FIG. 13 includes a machine gun GUN, the enemy character EC, and the damage mark DM. The machine gun GUN represents the machine gun carried by the player character, and the sight of the machine gun is displayed. The enemy character EC represents the character that attacks the player character. The damage mark DM is an arcuate mark that appears when the player character is attacked, in different directions and positions so as to indicate the attack direction. The damage mark DM appears on a display region formed along a circle formed about the center of the screen, in a shape corresponding to a quarter of that circle. The damage mark DM can be rotationally displayed at four different positions, namely an upper, lower, left and right position about the center of the circle. In FIG. 13, the damage mark DM is displayed at the upper position so as to bulge upward. The four display positions of the damage mark DM correspond to four regions about the player character in the virtual game space, namely a forward region, right region, left region, and rear region, with respect to the front of the player character. In other words, a circle is horizontally drawn about the player character, and the four regions defined by equally dividing such circle in four parts in reference to the front of the player character respectively correspond to the four display positions and four convex shapes of the arc of the damage mark DM (upper position and upwardly convex, right position and rightwardly convex, left position and leftwardly convex, and lower position and downwardly convex).
Thus, when the player character is attacked from the forward direction, the damage mark DM appears at the upper position in the upwardly convex shape, and when the attack comes from the right direction the damage mark DM appears at the right position in the rightwardly convex shape. When the player character is attacked from the left direction, the damage mark DM appears at the left position in the leftwardly convex shape, and when the attack comes from the rear direction, the damage mark DM appears at the lower position in the downwardly convex shape.
The scene shown in FIG. 13 represents the case that the player character has been attacked by the enemy character EC from the forward direction (in other words, the region where the enemy character EC is located is the forward region), and hence shows the damage mark DM at the upper position in the upwardly convex shape. Here, although the scene of FIG. 13 includes the enemy character EC itself, the damage mark DM equally appears when the player character is attacked, irrespective of whether the enemy character EC is displayed in the screen.
The player can therefore notice that the player character has been attacked in view of the appearance of the damage mark DM, and also recognize the attack direction according to the position and direction of the damage mark DM, to thereby efficiently dodge the succeeding attack from the enemy character EC that has made the attack and to attack that enemy character EC, based on the damage mark DM.
As stated above, the display region of the damage mark DM lies on the circle about the center of the screen (circle on a vertical plane). Accordingly, the player has to translate the attack direction indicated by the damage mark DM into one of the directions with respect to the player character in the virtual game space, and it is difficult to recognize the attack direction.
Also, the attack direction from the enemy character EC shown in FIG. 13 is indicated by the display positions and direction of the arc of the damage mark DM, which respectively corresponds to the four regions (four directions) defined by equally dividing a circle horizontally drawn about the player character in four parts, in reference to the front of the player character. Thus in the conventional games the attack direction in horizontal directions is displayed in directions on the vertical plane, in other words the image showing the game progress (image from the viewpoint of the player character) and the image indicating the attack direction from the enemy character EC (damage mark DM) are not displayed in a screen of a common direction, and therefore it is difficult for the player to recognize the attack direction from the enemy character EC based on the damage mark DM.
Besides, since the damage mark DM only two-dimensionally indicates the attack direction viewed from above the player character, the upward and downward direction (height) of the attack in the game image cannot be indicated. Even though a height difference is set in the game space field and the enemy character EC makes an attack from a higher position or lower position in any of the four regions, the display of the damage mark DM remains the same in either cases. Such display impedes the player from recognizing the upward and downward attack direction in the 3D virtual game space, thereby disabling the player to dodge the succeeding attack of the enemy character and to make a counter attack.

Game machine, program for realizing game machine, and method of displaying objects in game


Techniques for attaining high performance magnetic memory devices are provided. In one aspect, a magnetic memory device comprising one or more free magnetic layers is provided. The one or more free magnetic layers comprise a low magnetization material adapted to have a saturation magnetization of less than or equal to about 600 electromagnetic units per cubic centimeter. The device may be configured such that a ratio of mean switching field associated with an array of non-interacting magnetic memory devices and a standard deviation of the switching field is greater than or equal to about 20. The magnetic memory device may comprise a magnetic random access memory (MRAM) device. A method of producing a magnetic memory device is also provided.

In conventional magnetoresistive memory architectures, writing individual memory cells without also writing adjacent or other non-intended cells is a problem. Typically, writing a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) memory cell involves passing electrical currents simultaneously through a bit line (generally defined along a y axis) and a word line (generally defined along an x axis) at the intersection of which the intended MTJ cell resides. Thus, selected cells in a thin film magnetic random access memory (MRAM) are written by the coincidence of x-oriented and y-oriented magnetic fields. The selected MTJ cell will experience a magnetic field which is the vector sum of the magnetic fields created by the word and bit line currents. All other MTJ cells that share the same bit line or word line as the selected MTJ cell will be half-selected and thus will be subjected to either bit line or word line magnetic fields, respectively.
Certain factors, such as variations in the geometry (e.g., shape or size) of an MTJ cell, can give rise to variations in magnetic switching thresholds of the MTJ cells which are so large that it is virtually impossible to write a selected cell without also inadvertently switching some of the half-selected cells, thus placing the reliability and validity of the stored data in question. Increasing the thickness of layers within the cell can reduce, in part, some of the effects of these variations. However, an increase in thickness effects the switching properties of the cell, i.e., coercivity, such that the switching fields of the cell become inoperably large.
Therefore, magnetic memory devices are needed wherein the unwanted switching of half-selected cells is minimized or eliminated, while desired switching properties are retained.

Low magnetization materials for high performance magnetic memory devices

International Business Machines Corporation


A method of making coffee or tea by use of a coffee maker or tea maker kit which includes a mortar, a pestle, a scoop, and a cup, the cup including a brewing section and a sipping section separated by a partition projecting inward from the inside wall of the cup, the partition having an aperture through which the finished beverage is passed and sipped.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of brewing coffee and infusing tea, and a kit used for carrying out the method of making coffee or tea. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of brewing coffee and infusing tea without losing the flavor and taste of coffee and tea, and a kit used for carrying out the method.
2. Background of the Invention
To make coffee, there are at least two methods; one is a submerging method, and the other is a percolating method. In the submerging method ground roasted coffee beans are submerged in boiling water for a few minutes. A drinker sips the coffee beverage after the residue of the coffee beans are filtered. In the percolating method ground roasted coffee beans are placed in a cloth or paper filter bag and boiling water is passed through the beans in the filter bag. The submerging method is common in the instant coffee field, and th percolating method is common in restaurants, tea houses, and homes.
Coffee drinkers have different liking for coffee flavors and taste. Some drinkers like strong taste but others like light flavor. In order to satisfy such customers' different liking, roasters roast coffee beans in various manners and grind them to fineness. The roasted ground coffee are sold in paper packages or in rigid containers such as metal cans or in glass Jars that are either vacuumed-packd or pressure-packed. In this way the packaged ground coffee beans are extensively distributed by retailers from central roasting bases.
Utmost care is paid but nevertheless the flavor and freshness of coffee is lost. Coffee lovers become frustrated with packaged stale coffee, and strongly wish to enjoy the fresh flavor of coffee.
Under such circumstances coffee lovers having a diversity of taste can not fully enjoy the fresh flavor of roasted coffee. This can be compared to a manner in which caught fish is eaten. That is, one method is to eat it on the spot at the seaside, other is to preserve it in a frozen state, and the other is to preserve it in cans. The freezing and canning are effective for preserving raw fish over a long period of time but disadvantageously the freshness and flavor are lost.


The BTU content of a sample of natural gas is measured using a computer controlled microcalorimeter micro-sensor instrument employing a catalytic sensor. The instrument is portable for in field use and is able to obtain measurement accuracy of better than .+-.1%. A carrier gas, a standard reference gas and the sample gas to be measured are injected in a controlled manner through use of computer controlled solenoid valves and flow control valves, and a measurement loop injects precise gas volumes to enable a highly accurate BTU measurement by the catalytic sensor.

This invention relates to a gas BTU measurement apparatus and method, and more particularly, to the continuous measurement of the BTU content of natural gas using a microcalorimeter .mu.-sensor system.
The BTU content of natural gas typically varies between 900 and 1200 BTU/Ft.sup.3. Methane content can range from a low of 80% up to close to 100%. Precise measurement of the BTU content of natural gas is extremely important in a wide variety of applications. Current methods are time consuming and use expensive equipment. A simple, low-cost, and reliable microsensor (.mu.-sensor) that can measure the BTU content of a hydrocarbon stream with high accuracy is highly desirable.
Gas sensors for the measurement of the lower explosion limit of combustible gases like methane (such as in safety alarm devices, also called flammable gas alarms) have been available for many years. Most of the modern combustible gas sensors are built like tiny heterogeneous catalytic reactors. A schematic of such a combustible gas sensor is shown in FIG. 1. The sensor consists of a coil of fine platinum (Pt) wire over which a catalyst (Pt on alumina) bead has been formed. The overall dimensions of the bead can be much less than a mm.sup.3 making it a very small sensor indeed.
In such gas sensors, the bead is heated by passing a current through the platinum wire. Any combustible gas that comes into contact with the hot catalyst on the bead surface reacts according to equation 1 below (a similar reaction can be written for any hydrocarbon), producing some heat, denoted dH. The amount of heat produced is proportional to the heat of combustion of the hydrocarbon and the number of molecules reacting (concentration). EQU CH.sub.4 +2 O.sub.2 =CO.sub.2 +2 H.sub.2 O+dH (1)
or more generally EQU a [HC]+b O.sub.2 =c CO.sub.2 +d H.sub.2 O+dH (2)
The platinum wire in the sensor is also a resistance thermometer, i.e., its resistance changes with temperature. Some of the heat (dH) from the combustible gas reaction at the catalyst surface is lost by conduction, convection, and radiation, while some part of the dH goes into the catalyst bead causing an increase in bead temperature (dH=C.sub.p dT). The change in bead temperature, in turn, causes a change in resistance of the sensor's Pt wire. The change in resistance of the Pt wire is typically monitored by placing the bead in a Wheatstone bridge circuit with a compensating element (passivated and matched) and two known resistors. Small changes in temperature corresponding to a few hundred to a few thousand ppm of CH.sub.4 can be detected as an imbalance in the resistance bridge circuit. This relationship is usually expressed as EQU S=K dH [CH.sub.4 ] (3)
where S is the "signal" from the sensor (corresponding to the imbalance in the bridge in volts) and K is an instrument constant that is obtained by calibration of the sensor with a known concentration of methane in air.
The signal from combustible gas sensors wherein the gas concentration is measured is typically linear over the range 0-5% methane for some sensors and linear up to 10% methane for others. Because the sensor is operated in a diffusion limited region, the signal is proportional to the amount of gas reaching the bead.
Since the total amount of gas diffusing to the bead is constant, the output signal depends upon the relative amount of methane in the sample. The constant, K, depends upon the type of gas, i.e., methane, ethane, or propane, being detected (i.e., different gases cause a different temperature rise) and the sensor housing design (the geometry of the device). The value of the constant K varies with the type of gas for two reasons: (1) different gases have different heat content and therefore produce more or less heat upon combustion, and thus produce more or less of a temperature rise to be transduced from a thermal into an electrical signal, and (2) the calorimetric or heat transfer properties of the bead and gas can change from bead to bead, from gas to gas, and from method to method.
As discussed below, one aspect of the present invention concerns the use of microprocessor control for injection of a gas sample. When samples are injected manually, this necessarily involves a start and stop procedure. The results therefore, are never as precise as a computer controlled system. A computer operating, for example, with a 1 microsecond sampling time is able to perform operations with a theoretical precision in the order of one part in a million. Further, computer control will cause a switch (a solenoid control valve for the controlled injection of a sample) to always have a constant response time, e.g. 3 millisecond. Hence, the flow perturbations, pressure perturbations and temperature perturbations that are introduced by these fast operations are practically nil, and cannot be sensed by a sensor.
To the contrary, in a manually operated system, performing a function may take a couple of seconds, for example, which introduces fluctuations large enough that they would disturb the measuring system so that error is introduced.
Calorimeters are currently available, such as ones manufactured by Cutler-Hammer, that measure BTU content to a high degree of precision, such as in the <1% range. These devices, however, are expensive, costing around $30,000, use a flame rather than a catalytic sensor, and do not have the portability that is highly desired. No devices presently known in the art use a catalytic sensor to produce BTU measurement with accuracies <1%, and provide convenient portability, at low production cost.

Microcalorimeter sensor for the measurement of heat content of natural gas


A projector which configured to project a horizontally long image and a vertically long image, includes a cooling unit configured to cool a discharge lamp according to an installation attitude of the projector, a detection unit configured to detect the installation attitude, and a controller configured to control a discharge lamp driving unit and the cooling unit, in which the installation attitude includes a first attitude for projecting the horizontally long image and a second attitude for projecting the vertically long image, and in which the controller is configured to put out the discharge lamp in a case where the installation attitude detected by the detection unit is a third attitude which is different from both of the first attitude and the second attitude.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a projector and a control method for the projector.
2. Related Art
There is a projection type display apparatus which can display not only a horizontally long projection image but also vertically long projection image by changing an installation attitude (for example, refer to JP-A-2015-60080).
In a case where a discharge lamp is used as a light source of such a projection type display apparatus, a location which is heated most in the discharge lamp differs depending on an installation attitude of the projection type display apparatus. Thus, there is a case where it is hard to sufficiently cool the discharge lamp depending on an installation attitude of the projection type display apparatus. Therefore, there is a problem in that deterioration in the discharge lamp accelerates, and thus the service life of the discharge lamp is reduced.

Projector and control method for projector


To provide a technique for recognizing a tendency of a parking lot that was actually used by users visiting a target facility, a parking lot information management system includes: a parking information collecting unit that collects parking information indicating a parking point at which a vehicle is parked from the vehicle; and a history information accumulating unit that accumulates history information for every target facility that is set as a destination, the history information configured so that a tendency of a parking lot that the vehicle was actually parked in when the target facility was set as the destination is derived, based on the parking information.

Conventionally, there is a known technique for adding data indicating that there is a parking lot at a facility when a vehicle is parked at the parking lot that is substantially at the same point as the facility (see paragraph 0073 in Patent Document 1). In this way, it is possible to guide a user to a facility with a parking lot. There is also a known technique for recording a parking position and a destination in association with each other when a vehicle is parked near the destination (within a prescribed distance from the destination) (see Patent Document 2).

Parking lot information management system, parking lot guidance system, parking lot information management program, and parking lot guidance program


A cover shell and container assembly comprising the cover shell and a tray or pan is disclosed. The cover shell includes inward projecting standoffs which restrict movement of a food product in the pan or tray and reduces damage to decorative elements of the food product during distribution and/or transport.

Containers are commonly used for packing and transporting food products, such as bakery goods. Because bakery goods, such as pies, cakes, brownies, or cookies, often include decorative cream, frosting, or icing elements that can be damaged during transport or distribution, various types of containers have been developed in an effort to protect the food product during transport and/or distribution. These containers have included stiffening ribs, shock absorbing shells and bases, and/or additional packing material. One example container configuration has a dome-shaped cover (or lid, referred to collectively as "cover shell" unless the context indicates otherwise) made of an inexpensive and lightweight transparent plastic material. The cover is typically configured to engage a peripheral rim or sidewall element of the tin or pan holding the bakery good. One drawback with this type of packaging configuration, however, is the inability of the cover to keep the bakery good stable during transportation. The bakery good can slide inside the pan, lift out of the pan, or smear along the sides or top of the cover thereby ruining the decorative appearance of the bakery good.
A second example container configuration includes a dome-shaped cover and a base configured to hold the pan containing the bakery good. The cover is typically configured to engage a peripheral rim or sidewall element to secure the pan within the container. Since the container includes a base element, this type of container configuration requires additional packaging material thereby increasing the cost of the container and placing an increased burden on the retailer (or end consumer of the bakery good) in terms of disposing the additional packaging material.
Other container configurations include modifications to the pan holding the bakery good, such as indentations into the pan, so that the pan acts as a shock-absorbing base shell. These types of modifications, however, generally offer little protection to decorative elements of the bakery good which are typically damaged by contact associated with the cover of the container during transport and/or distribution.
Accordingly, there is a need for alternative packaging for providing increased protection to food products, particularly bakery goods of the type containing decorative elements that are easily damaged during transport and/or distribution.

Cover shell for reducing damage to food product


An electronic device movable in an insertion direction into a supporting member, in a state of being stacked on another electronic device, includes a first connector urged in a direction same as a removal direction in which the electronic device is removed from the supporting member, a housing that includes a connector housing and a guide for moving the first connector in the insertion direction or the removal direction, a second connector disposed at a position connectable to the first connector of the another electronic device, a holding member that causes the first connector to switch between a protruded and a retreated states with respect to the connector housing, and a guide rail that changes a position of the first connector in a placing direction in accordance with a position of the first connector in the insertion direction and the removal direction.

Electronic devices, such as enclosures, are used by being installed in a supporting member, such as a rack or a locker. For example, signal wires and power wires between the electronic devices are generally connected by cable connection using a backboard or by connection using a rear connector board. This makes it possible to increase the functions of the electronic devices. As a proposal for such a connection, the proposal discussed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 11-261264 is known.

Electronic device, connection structure of electronic device, and electronic apparatus


The invention described herein relates to the discovery of methods and compositions for the inhibition of growth and/or migration of cells that have the P antigen, including but not limited to, cells of hematopoietic origin and endothelial cells. More specifically, parvovirus capsid particles or fragments of parvovirus capsid proteins are used to manufacture medicaments that can be administered to a subject to inhibit hematopoietic progenitor cell growth (e.g., prior to stem cell transplantation), endothelial cell growth, (e.g., as an anti-tumorigenesis treatment or to prevent restenosis or fibrotic build up following prosthetic implantation), or to prevent disorders that involve the abnormal proliferation of cells that have the P antigen (e.g., polycytemia vera).

The present invention relates to the discovery of methods and compositions for the inhibition of cell growth and migration. More specifically, B19 parvovirus capsids or fragments of B19 parvovirus capsid proteins are used to manufacture medicaments that can be administered to a subject to inhibit the growth and/or migration of cells that have the P antigen, including, but not limited to, cells of hematopoietic origin and endothelial cells.
The B19 parvovirus is a human pathogen that can be associated with various clinical conditions, ranging from mild symptoms (erythema infectiosum) to more serious diseases in persons who are immunocompromised or suffer from hemolytic anemias. Hydrops fetalis and intrauterine fetal death are well-known complications of B19 infection during pregnancy. (Anderson and Young, Monographs in Virology, 20 (1997)). The B19 parvovirus particles have icosohedral symmetry, a diameter of 18 to 26 nm, and are composed of 60 capsid proteins, approximately 95% of which are major capsid proteins (VP2) that have a molecular weight of 58 kd. (Fields et al., Virology vol. 2, 3rd edition, Lipponcott-Raven Publishers, Philidelphia, Pa., p. 2202 (1996)). Approximately, 3-5% of the capsid proteins that compose a B19 parvovirus capsid are called minor capsid proteins (VP1), which have a molecular weight of 83 kd, and differ from VP2 by an additional 227 amino acids at the amino terminus. (Id.).
The B19 parvovirus is extraordinarily tropic for human erythroid cells and cultures of bone marrow. B19 parvovirus binds to human erythroid progenitor cells, for example, and inhibits hematopoietic colony formation by replicating in these cells. (Brown et al., Science, 262:114 (1993) and Mortimer et al., Nature, 302:426 (1983)). The suppression of hematopoietic cells has also been seen in bone marrow samples from infected individuals, resulting in transient anemia and, in rare case, transient pancytopenia. (Saunders et al., Br J Haematol, 63:407 (1986)). Further, B19 parvovirus is known to cause bone marrow suppression in natural and experimental human infections. (Anderson and Young, Monozraphs in Virology, 20 (1997)).
The cellular receptor for B19 parvovirus has been identified as globoside or ertythrocyte P antigen, a textrahexoceramide. Fields et al., Virology vol. 2, 3rd edition, Lipponcott-Raven Publishers, Philidelphia, Pa., p. 2204 (1996)). The P antigen is found on mature erythrocytes, erythroid progenitors, megakaryocytes, endothelium, kidney cortex, placenta, fetal myocardium (von dem Bome et al., Br J Hematol, 63:35 (1986)) and pronormoblasts from fetal liver. (Morey and Flemming, Br J Haematol, 82:302 (1992)). Individuals who genetically lack the P antigen are not susceptible to B19 parvovirus infection and administration of either excess P antigen or monoclonal antibodies directed to the P antigen can protect erythroid progenitors from infection with B19 parvovirus. (Id.).
Additionally, neutralizing antibodies that recognize several regions of the B19 parvovirus particle have been generated. For example, monoclonal antibodies directed to epitopes of VP2, such as found at amino acids 38-87, 253-272, 309-330, 328-344, 359-382, 449-468, and 491-515, and the unique region of VP1 can neutralize B19 parvovirus. (Fields et al., Virology vol. 2, 3rd edition, Lipponcott-Raven Publishers, Philidelphia, Pa., p. 2207 (1996)).
Genetically engineered expression systems for the production of B19 parvovirus antigens have also been developed. (Kajigaya et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 86:7601 (1989); Kajigaya et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 88:4646 (1991); Brown et al., J Virol, 65:2702 (1991)). Like the native particles, recombinant B19 parvovirus capsids, produced in a baculovirus system, are composed of both VP1 and VP2 and these capsid proteins self assemble to form virus-like particles (VLPs). (Kajigaya et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 88:4646 (1991)). Electron microscopic analyses of the B19 parvovirus capsids revealed that the VLPs are structurally similar to plasma-derived virions. (Kajigaya et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 88:4646 (1991)). B19 VLPs are currently being evaluated as a potential vaccine against B19 parvovirus infection and preliminary results show a good neutralizing response without severe side effects. (Bostic et al, J Infect. Dis., 179:619 (1999). While many are trying to prevent B19 parvovirus infection by administering B19 capsids, none have sought to exploit the properties of the B19 parvovirus capsid, B19 capsid proteins, or fragments thereof to develop novel medicaments that inhibit cell proliferation or migration.
In the invention described herein, the inventors disclose the discovery that the B19 parvovirus capsid, B19 parvovirus capsid proteins, or fragments thereof inhibit the growth and/or migration of cells that have the P antigen. Embodiments of the invention include medicaments comprising B19 parvovirus capsid, B19 parvovirus capsid proteins, or fragments thereof that can be administered to subjects in need of an agent that inhibits cell growth and/or migration. Methods of treatment of diseases or conditions associated with hematopoietic or endothelial cell proliferation or migration are also within the scope of aspects of the invention.
One embodiment, for example, involves the use of empty, noninfectious, recombinant B19 parvovirus capsids, B19 capsid proteins, or fragments of B19 capsid proteins for the production of a medicament for the inhibition of growth or migration of cells that have the P antigen. The medicament, according to this use, can be for the inhibition of hematopoietic cell growth, endothelial cell growth, or endothelial cell migration. Additionally, the medicament according to this use can be for the treatment of hematological proliferative disorders, angiogenesis, tumorigenesis, or endothelial cell ingrowth into an implanted prosthetic device. Further, the medicament according to this use can be for treatment of a subject prior to stem cell transplantation and the subject can be a fetus.
In another embodiment, a method of inhibiting the growth or migration of a cell having the P antigen is provided. This method comprises the steps of contacting a cell with a capsid agent selected from the group consisting of B19 parvovirus capsid, B19 capsid protein, and a fragment of a B19 capsid protein and measuring the inhibition of cell growth or cell migration. In some aspects, the cell can be a cell of hematopoietic origin or an endothelial cell.
A method of treating a subject prior to stem cell transplantation is also embodied in the invention. This method is performed by identifying a subject in need of a capsid agent that inhibits hematopoietic cell growth and providing said subject in need with an effective amount of capsid agent selected from the group consisting of B19 parvovirus capsid, B19 capsid protein, and a fragment of a B19 capsid protein. Similarly, a related embodiment, concerns a method of treating a subject for a hematopoietic proliferative disorder comprising the steps of identifying a subject in need of a capsid agent that inhibits a hematopoietic proliferative disorder and providing said subject in need with an effective amount of capsid agent selected from the group consisting of B19 parvovirus capsid, B19 capsid protein, and a fragment of a B19 capsid protein.
A method of inhibiting tissue ingrowth into an implanted prosthesis is also provided. This approach comprises the steps of identifying a subject in need of a capsid agent that inhibits tissue ingrowth into an implanted prosthesis and providing said subject in need with an effective amount of capsid agent selected from the group consisting of B19 parvovirus capsid, B19 capsid protein, and a fragment of a B19 capsid protein. Another embodiment involves a method of treating or preventing tumorigenesis and this method comprises the steps of identifying a subject in need of a capsid agent that inhibits hematopoietic cell growth and providing said subject in need with an effective amount of capsid agent selected from the group consisting of B19 parvovirus capsid, B19 capsid protein, and a fragment of a B19 capsid protein.
A kit having a capsid agent is also an embodiment and one such kits comprises a capsid agent selected from the group consisting of B19 parvovirus capsid, B19 capsid protein, and a fragment of a B19 capsid protein and instructions for dosage and administration to a subject for hematopoietic progenitor cell growth inhibition, hematopoietic progenitor cell growth inhibition, endothelial cell growth inhibition or treatment of a hematological proliferative.

Use of parovirus capsid particles in the inhibition of cell proliferation and migration


A memory module that is couplable to a memory controller hub (MCH) of a host system includes a non-volatile memory subsystem, a data manager coupled to the non-volatile memory subsystem, a volatile memory subsystem coupled to the data manager and operable to exchange data with the non-volatile memory subsystem by way of the data manager, and a controller operable to receive read/write commands from the MCH and to direct transfer of data between any two or more of the MCH, the volatile memory subsystem, and the non-volatile memory subsystem based on the commands.

As technology advances and the usage of portable computing devices, such as tablet notebook computers, increases, more data needs to be transferred among data centers and to/from end users. In many cases, data centers are built by clustering multiple servers that are networked to increase performance.
Although there are many types of networked servers that are specific to the types applications envisioned, the basic concept is generally to increase server performance by dynamically allocating computing and storage resources. In recent years, server technology has evolved to be specific to particular applications such as 'finance transactions' (for example, point-of-service, inter-bank transaction, stock market transaction), 'scientific computation' (for example, fluid dynamic for automobile and ship design, weather prediction, oil and gas expeditions), 'medical diagnostics' (for example, diagnostics based on the fuzzy logic, medical data processing), 'simple information sharing and searching' (for example, web search, retail store website, company home page), 'email' (information distribution and archive), 'security service', 'entertainment' (for example, video-on-demand), and so on. However, all of these applications suffer from the same information transfer bottleneck due to the inability of a high speed CPU (central processing unit) to efficiently transfer data in and out of relatively slower speed storage or memory subsystems, particularly since data transfers typically pass through the CPU input/output (I/O) channels.
The data transfer limitations by the CPU are exemplified by the arrangement shown in FIG. 1, and apply to data transfers between main storage (for example the hard disk (HD) or solid state drive (SSD) and the memory subsystems (for example DRAM DIMM (Dynamic Random Access Memory Dual In-line Memory Module) connected to the front side bus (FSB)). In arrangements such as that of FIG. 1, the SSD/HD and DRAM DIMM of a conventional memory arrangement are connected to the CPU via separate memory control ports (not shown). FIG. 1 specifically shows, through the double-headed arrow, the data flow path between the computer or server main storage (SSD/HD) to the DRAM DIMMs. Since the SSD/HD data I/O and the DRAM DIMM data I/O are controlled by the CPU, the CPU needs to allocate its process cycles to control these I/Os, which may include the IRQ (Interrupt Request) service which the CPU performs periodically. As will be appreciated, the more time a CPU allocates to controlling the data transfer traffic, the less time the CPU has to perform other tasks. Therefore, the overall performance of a server will deteriorate with the increased amount of time the CPU has to expend in performing data transfer.
There have been various approaches to increase the data transfer throughput rates from/to the main storage, such as SSD/HD, to local storage, such as DRAM DIMM. In one example as illustrated in FIG. 2, EcoRAM™ developed by Spansion provides a storage SSD based system that assumes a physical form factor of a DIMM. The EcoRAM™ is populated with Flash memories and a relatively small memory capacity using DRAMs which serve as a data buffer. This arrangement is capable of delivering higher throughput rate than a standard SSD based system since the EcoRAM™ is connected to the CPU (central processing unit) via a high speed interface, such as the HT (Hyper Transport) interface, while an SSD/HD is typically connected via SATA (serial AT attachment), USB (universal serial bus), or PCI Express (peripheral component interface express). For example, the read random access throughput rate of EcoRAM™ is near 3 GB/s compared with 400 MB/s for a NAND SSD memory subsystem using the standard PCI Express-based. This is a 7.5× performance improvement. However, the performance improvement for write random access throughput rate is less than 2× (197 MBs for the EcoRAM vs. 104 MBs for NAND SSD). This is mainly due to the fact that the write speed is cannot be faster than the NAND Flash write access time. FIG. 2 is an example of EcoRAM™ using SSD with the form factor of a standard DIMM such that it can be connected to the FSB (front side bus). However, due to the interface protocol difference between DRAM and Flash, an interface device, EcoRAM Accelerator™), which occupies one of the server's CPU sockets is used, and hence further reducing server's performance by reducing the number of available CPU sockets available, and in turn reducing the overall computation efficiency. The server's performance will further suffer due to the limited utilization of the CPU bus due to the large difference in the data transfer throughput rate between read and write operations.
The EcoRAM™ architecture enables the CPU to view the Flash DIMM controller chip as another processor with a large size of memory available for CPU access.
In general, the access speed of a Flash based system is limited by four items: the read/write speed of the Flash memory, the CPU's FSB bus speed and efficiency, the Flash DIMM controller's inherent latency, and the HT interconnect speed and efficiency which is dependent on the HT interface controller in the CPU and Flash DIMM controller chip.
The published results indicate that these shortcomings are evident in that the maximum throughput rate is 1.56 GBs for the read operation and 104 MBs for the write operation. These access rates are 25% of the DRAM read access speed, and 1.7% of the DRAM access speed at 400 MHz operation. The disparity in the access speed (15 to 1) between the read operation and write operation highlight a major disadvantage of this architecture. The discrepancy of the access speed between this type of architecture and JEDEC standard DRAM DIMM is expected to grow wider as the DRAM memory technology advances much faster than the Flash memory.


A configuration capable of recording MMT format data in a medium as BDAV or SPAV format data and enabling the MMT format data to be reproduced is realized. MMT format data input via a broadcast wave or the like is input, and record data according to a BDAV format or an SPAV format is generated. A data processing unit generates an MMT format stream file storing the MMT format data as reproduction data and further generates a playlist file storing reproduction control information of the MMT format stream file and a clip information file.

Currently, standardization for realizing data transmission of a high quality image, such as broadcasting of a 4K image, an 8K image, or the like has been conducted, and a data delivery scheme using an MPEG media transport (MMT) format is under review as one of them.
The MMT format is a format specifying a data transfer scheme (transport format) for transmitting encoded data constituting content such as a video, an audio, or a subtitle via a broadcast wave or a network.
The MMT format is planned to be used, for example, for broadcasting next generation content such as, for example, a 4K image, a high dynamic range (HDR) image, or the like.
Meanwhile, an MPEG-2 TS format is being widely used as a transmission format of a video, an audio, a subtitle, or the like or a data recording format for a medium.
For example, data according to the MPEG-2 TS format is often recorded in a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc (BD) which is an information recording medium (medium) used for recording/reproducing of content, a flash memory, a hard disk (HD), or the like.
In the future, in a case where an information processing device such as a television receives delivery data according to the MMT format transmitted from a broadcast station or the like, and the information processing device records the received data in a BD, a flash memory, or an HD, in the case of reproduction target content such as a video, an audio, or a subtitle data, either a process of converting the MMT format into the MPEG-2 TS format and then recording the content or a process of recording the content in the MMT format without change is performed.
However, in a case where content such as a video, an audio, or a subtitle is reproduced from a medium such as a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc (BD), a flash memory, an HD, or the like, reproduction control information and index information for performing the process of reproducing the content is necessary. The reproduction control information and the index information are generally referred to as a database file.
The reproduction control information and the index information differ depending on a reproducing application which executes the process of reproducing record data in a medium.
For example, there are BDMV and BDAV standards (formats) as the current recording/reproducing application standard (format). The application standards have been established mainly as a data recording/reproducing application standard using a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc (BD).
Further, the BDMV and the BDAV are data recording/reproducing application standards mainly using a BD, but these standards are not limited to a BD and can be applied to data recording/reproducing using a medium other than a BD such as a flash memory or an HD.
A data recording/reproduction process configuration using a BD is described in, for example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-023071) or the like.
The BDMV is an application standard developed for BD-ROMs in which, for example, movie content or the like is recorded in advance and is widely used mainly in non-rewritable BD-ROMs such as package content.
On the other hand, the BDAV is a standard developed to be applied mainly to a data recording/reproducing process using a rewritable BD-RE type disc, a BD-R type, disc in which recording can be performed only once, or the like. For example, the BDAV is used for recording and reproducing videos captured by a user using a video camera and the like or recording and reproducing television broadcasts.
In order to record the delivery content according to the MMT format in the information recording medium (medium) and perform a content reproduction process from the medium using a BDAV format-compatible reproducing application, it is necessary to perform data recording in accordance with the BDAV format.
As described above, in the BDAV format, the database file such as a playlist file and a clip information file is specified as a recording file of the reproduction control information, and the BDAV-compatible reproducing application records the data reproduction process with reference to recording information such as the reproduction control information file (database file).
However, the database file such as the playlist file or the clip information file specified in the BDAV format is originally a file specified as a file which can be generated on the basis of delivery data of the MPEG-2 TS format.
Delivery data according to the MMT format which is a format different from the MPEG-2 TS format is recorded in the playlist file or the clip information file specified in the current BDAV format, but there are cases in which it is data which is unable to be used by the current BDAV-compatible reproducing application.
Therefore, in order to make it possible to record MMT format data in a medium and perform content reproduction using a BDAV format-compatible application, it is necessary to generate the playlist file or the clip information file corresponding to the MMT format data when a process of recording the MMT format data in a medium is performed.
Further, when the MMT format data recorded in the medium is reproduced, it is necessary to perform reproduction using the playlist file or the clip information file corresponding to the MMT format data.
However, these processes are not embodied at the present time.

Information processing device, and information processing method, and program


In a charge/discharge control method of a lithium ion battery having a negative electrode active material and connected to a charge/discharge control device, battery information regarding a charge/discharge state of the lithium ion battery is acquired by the charge/discharge control device, a degradation state of the lithium ion battery is determined on the basis of the battery information, by the charge/discharge control device, and a voltage range for charge/discharge of the lithium ion battery is changed on the basis of a determination result of the degradation state, by the charge/discharge control device.

Recently, hybrid vehicles using engines and motors together as power sources and electric vehicles using only the motors as the power sources without having the engines are developed and manufactured, from the viewpoint of environmental protection and energy saving. Secondary batteries that can charge/discharge electricity repetitively are used as power supplies (energy sources) of the hybrid vehicles and the electric vehicles and become essential components. Above all, a lithium ion battery is a secondary battery of a high energy density in which an operation voltage is high and a high output is easily obtained. For this reason, recently, the lithium ion battery becomes important increasingly as the power supply of the hybrid vehicle or the electric vehicle.
Conventionally, technology for using an active material of a large capacity to realize the high output and the high energy density in the lithium ion battery is known. However, an active material such as silicon and SiO known generally as the active material of the large capacity is greatly expanded/contracted at the time of charge/discharge. For this reason, if the charge/discharge is repeated in a battery using the active material, degradation is likely to occur due to collapse and isolation of the active material and a cycle characteristic is bad.
As technology for resolving the above problem, technology for suppressing degradation of the active material by using a binder having high coatability for an electrode material and high adhesion is disclosed in PTL 1.

Charge/discharge control method and charge/discharge control apparatus for lithium ion battery


A new and improved beach umbrella with increased stability and wind resistance comprising an umbrella fabric having a top surface and a bottom surface, a fabric loop integral with the bottom of each of the four corners of the fabric umbrella; an umbrella support having a lower vertical extent, the lower vertical extent having an upper portion and a lower portion, the umbrella support further having an upper horizontal extent, the upper horizontal extent having a forward portion and a rearward portion, a first arm pivotally connected to the horizontal extent intermediate the forward and rearward portions, a second arm pivotally connected to the horizontal extent opposite the first arm with the forward portion of the horizontal extent, the rearward portion of the horizontal extent, the end of the first arm and the end of the second arm all adapted to be received within one of the fabric loops of the umbrella; a hollow spike having an upper opened portion and a lower closed pointed portion, the pointed portion adapted to be inserted into the ground, the hollow spike adapted to receive the lower portion of the lower vertical extent of the umbrella support; a tubular collar having an inner surface and an outer surface, the tubular collar adapted to receive and slide upon the hollow spike; and horizontal bracing poles each pole having a first pole component telescoping received within a second pole component, each of the bracing poles being pivotally connected to the tubular collar.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a beach umbrella and more particularly, pertains to a beach umbrella with increased stability and wind resistance.
Description of the Prior Art
The use of beach umbrellas is known in the prior art. More specifically, beach umbrellas are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,893 discloses a beach umbrella safety system. The system includes an anchor member comprising a container in the form of a beach bag for containing a weighing medium such as sand.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,681 discloses an anchor device for the use on the stake of a beach umbrella. The anchor device includes a flight that extends helically around the main body.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,693 discloses a beach umbrella support. The support is formed by a collapsible container which can be filled with solid or liquid material to give it stability.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,369 discloses a ground anchoring arrangement for attachment to the pole of a beach umbrella. The arrangement includes a spiral screw which is attached to one end of the rod, while the other end of the rod is attachable to a handle rotator.
Yet another example is U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,411 which discloses a beach umbrella safety base. The base includes a collar which is inserted over the staff of a beach umbrella and has four pivotable struts.
While these beach umbrellas fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a beach umbrella which provides increased stability and wind resistance.
In this respect, the beach umbrella according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an umbrella specifically designed to be stable and wind resistant.