Disclosed is a manufacturing method of a solar cell, including forming a photoelectric converter including an amorphous semiconductor layer, forming an electrode connected to the photoelectric converter, and performing a post-treatment by providing light to the photoelectric converter and the electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method of manufacturing a solar cell, and more particularly, to a method of manufacturing a solar cell including an amorphous semiconductor layer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, due to depletion of existing energy resources, such as oil and coal, interest in alternative sources of energy to replace the existing energy resources is increasing. Most of all, solar cells are popular next generation cells to convert sunlight into electrical energy.
Solar cells may be manufactured by forming various layers and electrodes based on some design. The efficiency of solar cells may be determined by the design of the various layers and electrodes. In order for solar cells to be commercialized, the problem of low efficiency needs to be overcome, and thus, various layers and electrodes are being designed to maximize the efficiency of solar cells and various treatments are being performed with the goal of maximizing the efficiency of solar cells.
Accordingly, there is a demand for a method of manufacturing a solar cell, which includes a process of performing post-treatment on the solar cell so as to maximize the efficiency thereof based on the structure of the solar cell. In particular, there is a demand for a method of manufacturing a solar cell including an amorphous semiconductor layer, which may prevent deterioration of the amorphous semiconductor layer at a high temperature because the efficiency of the solar cell may be reduced by such deterioration of the amorphous semiconductor layer, or by implementation of a low-temperature process required to prevent the deterioration of the amorphous semiconductor layer.


Mechanisms for controlling lighting activation by taking into account proximity and motion data are disclosed. Controllers can have cosmetic and/or functional lighting that can be controlled by proximity detectors and/or motion detectors, and such lighting can vary in color, intensity, and/or pattern. Proximity detectors can use capacitance, lighting, and/or sound data to determine the proximity of objects to the controllers, and motion detectors can use accelerometers and/or gyroscopes to determine the motion of such controllers. Additionally, controllers can start radio frequency communications with gaming consoles based on proximity and/or motion data. One benefit of such proximity and/or motion light control is battery conservation.

For some gaming accessories lighting can be a important part of the experience of using the devices. Both cosmetic and functional lighting can be an integral part of any gaming device. The use of lighting can be enhanced if various systems and methods are used to control such lighting based on user context—for example, based on whether users are holding gaming devices or not, based on how close such devices are to users, and based on the motion of such devices when handled by users. To this end, it would be advantageous to provide various mechanisms for controlling lighting activation by taking into account user proximity and motion.

Controller lighting activation by proximity and motion


A networking method is disclosed. At least one silent slot is included in either a collision detection prefix disposed before a preamble of one or more frames of data to be transmitted across a media or in the one or more frames of data to be transmitted across the media. Transmission collision is detected during the at least one silent slot included. In one embodiment, the method is embodied in a network interface controller having a media access control block to control access to a media, and a physical signal block to physically signal data to be transmitted. The media access controller includes the at least one silent slot in either the collision detection prefix or in the data, and the physical signaling block performs the transmission collision detection during the included at least one silent slot.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of networking. More specifically, the present invention relates to approaches for addressing the issue of transmission collision in a shared media of a harsh networking environment.
2. Background Information
Recent advances in microprocessor and communication technology have led to an increasing number of computers and other digital devices (such as, printers, scanners and so forth) being networked together. Computers or digital devices of close proximity to one another are networked together locally through a local area network (LAN), which in turn are networked with other locally networked remote computers/digital devices by internetworking the LANs via wide area networks (WAN). However, the popularity and success in networking computers and other digital devices together are still substantially confined to the work place, where the networking environment is typically a well controlled environment (in terms of control attenuation, delay, echo and so forth). Networking computers and peripherals together in the home remains a challenge, as economics dictate that the networking be accomplished in a less controlled environment, using existing power, lines or phone lines, as called for by industry initiatives such as the Consumer Electronics Bus (CEBus(copyright)) promoted by the Electronic Industry Association (EIA-600) and Anypoint(trademark) Home Networking available from Intel Corporation of Santa Clara, Calif.
Similar to all shared media networks, one of the issues that needs to be addressed is the problem of transmission collision, i.e. more than one transmitter accessing the media at substantially the same time. One way to address the issue is to avoid it through ownership arbitration. While the approach is employed by many bus systems, such as the Universal Serial Bus or the Peripheral Control Interconnect Bus, ownership arbitration have generally been considered to be too inefficient for local area networking. Furthermore, if ownership is determined through token passing, as practiced in token ring networks, the token may be lost in a harsh networking environment. Another way to address the issue is to accept it by employing an acknowledgement scheme. That is, a transmitter will re-transmit the data unless an acknowledgement is received from the intended recipient. The acknowledgement approach is probably the most popular approach employed in the home and other harsh networking environments. However, the approach is relatively inefficient, as the transmitter has to wait for the acknowledgment to complete a transmission. The data may have actually been received by the intended recipient, and it is only the acknowledgment that ran into collision.
The carrier sense multiple access with collision detection (CSMA/CD) is probably the most popular approach for implicitly arbitrating and controlling access to a shared media. However, CSMA/CD tends to work well only in well defined and tightly controlled networking environment, such as the popular Ethernet network, as defined by the ISO/IEC 8802-3 standard (which adopted the ANSI/IEEE Standard 802.3). In home networking, and other less controlled harsh networking environment, because of noise and other environmental problems, it is difficult to distinguish the noise or echo phenomenon from another transmission source.
Accordingly, a more efficient networking approach for harsh networking environment, such as home networking, is desired.
A novel networking method is disclosed. Under the novel networking method, at least one silent slot is included in either a collision detection prefix (CDP) disposed before a preamble of one or more frames of data, or in the one or more frames data, to be transmitted across a media. Transmission collision is detected during the at least one silent slot included.

Networking method and apparatus using silent slots to facilitate transmission collision detection


The present disclosure relates to a subfractionation culturing method of a stem cell and proliferation method of a monoclonal stem cell obtained using the same. According to the subfractionation culturing method of stem cells and the proliferation thereof of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, it is advantage that monoclonal stem cells may be quickly obtained without contamination, and desired monoclonal stem cells may be largely obtained in a short time through the rapid proliferation, thereby being used for the preparation of stem cell-therapeutic agents.

Stem cells have potential to grow into tissues of all 210 organs in our body, which can be infinitely divided and can be differentiated into desired organs by the suitable manipulation. Stem cells are new emerging therapeutic agents due to such characteristics. Further, it is expected that stem cells are used because of the high possibility of treatment of intractable diseases, thereby curing various diseases such as leukemia, osteoporosis, hepatitis, Parkinson's disease, senile dementia, and burn.
However, stem cells still have many obstacles because it is difficult to obtain the same in large scale. Although the method of obtaining stem cells from frozen embryonic cells may be efficient, there is still much controversy in terms of ethics. In order to address these issues, many studies have been conducted to obtain stem cells using somatic-cell nuclear transfer or adult stem cells. Studies on adult stem cells are more actively conducted compared with those on embryonic stem cells. Adult stem cells are present in various organs such as central nervous system and bone marrow to participate in the organ development during the growth period and the regeneration of damage. Thus, they can be obtained from various sites such as bone marrow, spleen and fat cells. However, bone marrow is the most common source. Meanwhile, it is difficult to obtain uniformly shaped cells at all times while mesenchymal stem cells among many kinds of bone marrow cells are isolated and cultured. Thus, studies are conducted to address these issues.
The separation method using Friedenstein et al., is still widely used, which is a method in which only mononuclear cells are isolated at the initial stage of division using the method called Ficoll-paque and attached to a culture vessel. However, these methods cause irregular cell characteristics and do not create single cell group because mesenchymal stem cells are present with other mononuclear cells together. Therefore, several studies were devised to obtain more identical cells. Luria et al.'s method isolated all cells attached to the bottom of the culture vessel but had the disadvantage of being able to isolate other stem cells rather than the mesenchymal stem cells (Luria et al., Transfusion, 11: 345-349, 1971). Simmons et al.'s method used an antibody using a specific antibody against Sca-1 and STRO-1 among the mesenchymal stem cell surface antigens so that there are always a high cost and contamination problem (Simmons et al., Blood, 78: 55-62, 2002). Hung et al.'s method is a mesenchymal stem cell separation method using the difference in cell size, which is also disadvantageous in that the purity of mesenchymal stem cells is not constant and that other stem cells can be mixed (Hung et al., Stem Cells, 20: 249-258, 2002).
In order to solve the above problems, the present inventors newly invented a method of isolating stem cells named as "subfractionation culturing method." The present inventors applied the method for patent by Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0075676, and the patent application was granted. The subfractionation culturing method can be carried out at a lower cost than other methods. In addition, there is no contamination problem, and monoclonal mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be obtained efficiently without the possibility of combining other stem cells. Thus, it has a great superiority over other methods of obtaining stem cells.
The present inventors designed a novel subfractionation culturing method (SCM), obtaining single cell-derived monoclonal MSCs from mouse and human cells, which needs no centrifugation or enzymatic degradation. The principle of the subfractionation culturing method consists in isolating MSCs based on cell density and culture plate attachment.
However, in spite of the superiority of the method, the subfractionation culturing method has limitations in which it is difficult to rapidly obtain the monoclonal mesenchymal stem cell group. These are because in order to mass-produce monoclonal MSCs to be used as a final product, the method requires production of a working cell bank which is used for carrying out the process of obtaining the final product, thereby obtaining a sufficient amount of monoclonal mesenchymal stem cells and needs the culture with passage 10 to passage 12.

Method for isolation of stem cells from bone marrow using subfractionation culturing method and proliferation thereof


A process for producing solid triphenylboron-pyridine (TPBP) spherical particles by separately feeding into a vigorously agitated reaction zone (i) a stream of pyridine and a (ii) stream comprising a solution of sodium hydroxide adduct of triphenylboron (TPBA) whereby the total concentration of TPBA in the combined feed streams is in the range of from 1 wt % to 6 wt %, and simultaneously removing a product stream from said reaction zone and recovering the triphenylboron-pyridine (TPBP) particles.

Triphenylboron-amine compounds and triphenylboron-pyridine (TPBP), in particular, are known to be effective biocides and marine anti-fouling agents and are, therefore, commercially important compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 3,211,679, for example, describes antifouling compositions comprising triphenylboraneamine complexes which provide good protection from marine fouling.
One method for producing TPBP is by the reaction of aqueous triphenylboron-NaOH adduct (NaΦ3BOH or TPBA) or triphenylboron-KOH adduct with pyridine in aqueous solution as shown in JP Publication No. 08-311074 (Yoshitomi Pharm Ind KK). Solid TPBP particles precipitate out with the progress of the reaction which can be from 30 minutes up to two days.
However, the particles formed by the above process are often of irregular shape and of undesirable particle size distribution to the extent that recovery of the solid particles using solid-liquid separation and drying methods can be difficult. It would thus be desirable to have a process that would produce solid TPBP particles of generally round, i.e., spherical, shape having a mean diameter greater than about 20 microns and a Gaussian particle size distribution that can be more efficiently recovered using available solid-liquid separation and drying methods. The present invention provides such a process that can be implemented on a commercial scale.

Process for making solid triphenylboron-pyridine or its adduct


The Snug Tuck Pillow includes a long tubular pillow, a removable fabric cover, a long elastic strap, with male and female Velcro, and a buckle to receive the elastic strap. The pillow is inserted into a fabric cover opening and closed using Velcro strips. The pillow is then placed on the side of the top mattress. The pillow is then secured by running the long elastic strap under the top mattress and through the buckle at the other end of the pillow. The elastic is then pulled tight until the two Velcro strips on the elastic strap meet and are married. This holds the pillow firmly in place.

A six-foot long, six inch diameter, tubular safety pillow, the purpose of which is to keep a child from falling or rolling off a bed while sleeping. Safety pillow has a removable, washable fabric cover, a buckle, and an elastic strap for securing.
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a child security railing for small children at sleep in a bed. The present invention prevents a child from falling or rolling off the bed while sleeping.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Keeping a child safe in bed while sleeping is important to all parents. After being in a safe, secure crib for about the first two years, babies develop no fear of falling or rolling off while they sleep. When it""s time to move to an adult bed, this becomes a problem. Toddlers continue to sleep restlessly breaking free from tucked in covers and end up falling off the side of the bed.
When my son made the transition from the crib to the bed, he had this same problem. I didn""t want to buy a child""s bed that looked like a racecar, for example, because I didn""t want my son sleeping so close to the floor. These beds, although fun, also don""t offer proper support for little backs and bodies. I wanted to put him into an adult bed to avoid the extra costs of a specialty child""s bed, and to keep him safe at the same time. First, I put the bed against the wall to eliminate one side from which he could fall. I also stacked pillows around him and beside the bed to form a soft barrier, but they did not stay in place. He was still falling off the bed several times per night. There was also a chance that he could suffocate.
I then started to roll up his comforter and tuck it in at the top and the foot of the bed. This worked better, but still wasn""t secure enough to keep him from kicking it free. That""s when the idea first came to me for the Snug Tuck Pillow. The way to secure it came in the months that followed.
When a child falls from their bed while sleeping, several things happen. They can sustain an injury, become disoriented, scared, cry, and/or disturb the sleeping parents. Children become uneasy about going to bed and resist, if they are worried that they will fall out.
Some parents need or prefer to bring their babies into bed with them. Most of the time, they place the baby in the middle of the bed so there is less chance of them falling off the side. But, when mom and dad fall back asleep, there is the chance of the baby being injured, smothered or bumped by the sleeping parents.
When parents go to visit family or friends, they need to bring a portable crib, or something that they can lay the baby in to sleep. These cribs are heavy, time consuming to assemble, and require a great deal of space. They have also been found to be unsafe in some cases.
The security rails on bunk beds and child security beds are another area that can be inconvenient, uncomfortable, and even dangerous. Most often the railings on these security beds only protect the top half of the bed, and the child can still fall from the lower half. Most parents stack pillows beside them to make it more comfortable and safe for the child. If the child wakes up at night, they must call for help in order to get out of bed and use the restroom. Hinges on these railings can also be a source of injury.
This is a simple invention to keep a child from rolling or falling off of the bed while sleeping. It is not a restraint of any kind. Its main function is to keep toddlers who are moving from the crib to an unconfined bed, from rolling or falling off of the side of the bed. It helps a child feel more secure about going to bed, and they will resist much less when it""s bedtime. They will feel safer, more secure, and comfortable with the Snug Tuck Pillow.
If the bed has been placed in the middle of the room, or to protect the child from the cold, hard wall, the Snug Tuck Pillow may be placed on both sides. It is placed outside the covers, and will aid in keeping the covers tucked in on cold nights. The elastic strap is adjustable, so that it can also be placed under the covers, or on different size beds and couches.
Other uses include eliminating the need of a portable crib when the family is traveling, or visiting friends and relatives. Simply strap the Snug Tuck Pillow to a bed or couch and the baby is ready to lie down. It won""t take up any extra room, and there is no hassle setting it up or taking it down.
When the parents choose to bring their baby or child into bed with them, simply secure the pillow to the side of the bed and place the baby or child next to it. The baby cannot fall off the side, and there is less chance of the baby being squashed, smothered or bumped by the sleeping parents.
Railings can be difficult to operate and dangerous to children. Railings are hard, and children hit their arms and legs while tossing and turning while sleeping, and can become wedged in between the railing and the bed, possibly causing injury. The Snug Tuck Pillow solves these problems and more. The child is also not being restrained, and can get out of bed without any assistance to use the restroom.

Safety pillow to prevent a person from falling off a bed


A guide vane for use in a gas turbine engine fan section has an airfoil extending between a radially inner platform and a radially outer platform. The radially inner platform has a radially outwardly facing surface from which the airfoil extends and a radially inwardly facing underside. The airfoil has a trailing edge extending to a leading edge. The underside is attached to a mount bracket and a main rib extending from the underside of the platform adjacent the trailing edge and in a direction generally towards the leading edge, and merging into a top surface on the mount bracket. A pair of shoulders is formed on each of two circumferential sides of the rib. Each of the shoulders is spaced from each other at a point on the shoulders connected into the top surface of the mount bracket. The shoulders extend circumferentially toward each other and the under surface.

This application relates to a structural guide vane for use in a gas turbine engine.
Gas turbine engines are known and, when utilized on an aircraft, they typically include a fan delivering air into a compressor and into a bypass duct defined by a nacelle. Downstream of the fan, there is typically a row of structural guide vanes, which extend between a core engine housing radially outwardly to an inner surface of the nacelle.
Historically, a turbine drove a compressor section and a fan rotor at a common speed. More recently, a gear reduction has been provided between a fan drive turbine and the fan rotor. This allows the fan to rotate at slower speeds and has further allowed an increase in the fan diameter.
As the fan diameter increases, a bypass ratio or the volume of air delivered into the bypass duct, compared to the volume of air delivered into the compressor, has increased dramatically. With this dramatic increase in the fan diameter and the bypass ratio, the radial length of the guide vanes has increased. To reduce weight, these guide vanes have become structural.

Structural guide vane for gas turbine engine


Dihydrobenz[c]acridine carboxylic acid derivatives are provided which are useful in treating tumors in mammals. These dihydrobenz[c]acridine carboxylic acid derivatives have the formula: ##STR1## or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, where R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are as defined in the specification. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions of said compounds. In addition, processes for the preparation of these compounds are disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tumor inhibiting pharmaceutical compositions, methods of inhibiting the growth of mammalian tumors, and 3-phenyl-5,6-dihydrobenz[c]acridine-6-carbosylic acids and derivatives thereof useful in such compositions and methods.
2. Prior Art
5,6-dihydrobenz[c]acridine-7-carboxylic acids are well-known in the chemical literature. They are generally synthesized by the Pfitzinger reaction of an appropriate isatin with an appropriate 3,4-dihydro-1(2H)-naphthalenone.
Buu-Hoi et al. [Bull. Soc. Chim. 11, 127-136 (1944): Chem. Abstr. 40:2816] report the synthesis of 7-cyclohexyl-3,4-dihydro-1(2H) -naphthalenone and its reaction with isatin.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,579,420, issued to Coles on Dec. 18, 1951, describes the conversion of 6,8-dihalocinchonic acids into 6-halo-8-hydroxy cinchonic acids useful as color formers. The patent also discloses the Pfitzinger reaction of 3,4-dihydro-1(2H)-naphthalenone with substituted or unsubstituted 5,7-dihaloisatinic acids.
Cromwell et al. [J. Org. Chem. 23, 789-793 (1958) and J. Org. Chem. 24, 1077-1080 (1959)] report the synthesis of 5,6-dihydrobenz[c]acridine-7carboxylic acids as intermediates in the synthesis
of potential carcinogenic and/or antitumor benz[c]acridines.
Braunholtz et al. [J. Chem. Soc. 3368-3377 (1958)] report the synthesis of 5,6-dihydrobenz[c]-acridine-7-carboxylic acid.
Buu-Hoi et al. [J. Chem. Soc. 2274-2279 (1963) and J. Chem. Soc. 5622-5626 (1964)] report the synthesis of benz[c]acridines as potential carcinogens.
Sy et al. [Bull. Chim. Soc. Fr. 5, 1308-1315 (1965)] report the synthesis of 5,6-dihydrobenz[c]-acridine-7carboxylic acids.
Al-Tai et al. [J. Chem. U.A.R. 10, 339-352 (1967)] report the Pfitzinger reaction of 3,4-dihydro-1(2H)-naphthalenones.
Cagniant et al. [Bull. Soc. Chim. Fr. 3, 985-991 (1969)] report the synthesis of 5,6-dihydro-4,9dimethylbenz[c]acridine-7-carboxylic acid.
Rosowsky et al. [J. Heterocycl. Chem. 8, 809-820 (1971)] report 7-benz[c]acridinemethanols as tetracyclic analogs of the 2-phenyl-4-quinoline-methanol antimalarials.
Cromwell et al. [J. Heterocycl. Chem. 16, 699-704 (1979)] report the synthesis of 7-substituted-5,6-dimethylbenz[c]acridines as potential carcinogenic, carcinostatic, or antiparasitic agents.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,299, issued to Hesson on July 14, 1987, discloses tumor-inhibiting 2-phenyl-4-quinolinecarboxylic acids.
There are no literature references disclosing the 3-phenyl-5,6-dihydrobenz[c]acridine-7-carboxylic acids or derivatives thereof of this invention, or their use in inhibiting the growth of mammalian tumors.

Benzothienobenzacridine-7-carboxylic acids as cancer chemotherapeutic agents


A method for extracting contaminants and pollutants from an ecosystem. The method includes extracting from the ecosystem a quantity of animal tissue and grinding or macerating the animal tissue to form a slurry-like mixture and adding the mixture to a digestion vessel. The pH of the ground animal tissue is reduced to a range of from approximately 3.5 to approximately 4.5 and the ground tissue is allowed to decompose through the action of digestive enzymes released from the visceral tissue of the animal tissue by the maceration step. The decomposed tissue is separated into a lipid portion, a proteinaceous portion and a bone fragment or hard tissue portion. At least a part of the lipid portion may then be extracted from the decomposed tissue for further processing or disposal of contaminants and pollutants contained therein.

This invention relates to a method of extracting environmental contaminants and pollutants through biomass harvestation, and in one particular aspect through the harvestation, and enzymatic digestion of animals and animal tissue into basic organic components.
At an alarming rate a wide variety of persistent pollutants and contaminants are being introduced into our environment. Such pollutants are often the result of industrial processes, agricultural endeavours, or other aspects of human existence in an increasingly populated world. In other cases the sources of pollutants or contaminants may be natural as elements that are toxic to plant and/or animal life may sometimes naturally exist in native rock, soil and water. While the existence of pollutants and contaminants is of concern regardless of where they are found, persistent pollutants in bodies of water can be particularly detrimental to plants, animals and humans alike. Pollutants also tend to accumulate in bodies of water as toxic materials introduced into the atmosphere or soil often end up in bodies of water by way of precipitation, run-off, or through general ground water contamination.
Once a body of water becomes contaminated with a pollutant it often becomes difficult to purge that pollutant from the water system. Typically organic pollutants become concentrated in aquatic life and vegetation living within the water body. The concentration of pollutants tends to be higher in fish and animal life that exist higher up the food chain, to the extent that some aquatic life living in polluted bodies of water may themselves represent toxic materials within the definition of environmental protection and anti-pollution legislation. Higher life forms, and in particular predatory life forms, generally have the effect of extracting a portion of organic pollutants or contaminants from the environment through feeding on lower life forms that themselves have extracted pollutants from the water and/or underlying soil. However, once the higher life forms die and decompose the pollutants become reintroduced into the aquatic environment and begin to slowly make their way back up the food chain. A natural cycle is thus created that, if left on its own, has little chance of removing pollutants from the body of water. Most often the rate of the addition of pollutants far exceeds the ability of nature to purge them from a body of water, causing the water to slowly become more and more polluted.
Even where concerted efforts are made to reduce the amount of pollution added to a particular body of water or eco-system, such efforts have little impact or effect on reducing the contaminant load within the food chain of that ecosystem. Without a means to capture the contaminant materials and effectively eliminate them from the eco-system, the contaminants and pollutants will continue to cycle through the food chain and will continue to taint and affect organisms, including man. Currently, the recovery of biomass for contaminant capture is frustrated and inefficient due to the relatively large volume of water and other organic material that must be disposed of along with the contaminants. Disposing of biomass material is also wasteful from the perspective that valuable constituents and nutrients that may be contained within organisms are destroyed or disposed of along with the contaminants. Finally, and as indicated above, there are some situations where organisms from an eco-system are so severely contaminated that they themselves must be treated as a hazardous waste, which may prevent the depositing of such materials in landfills or may significantly increase the cost of their disposal and/or methods of destruction.
The invention therefore provides a method for selectively extracting pollutants or environmental contaminants from an ecosystem by means of biomass harvestation and subsequent processing. The method has as one of its underpinnings the realization that many pollutants and contaminants are persistent within an ecosystem due to the inability of living organisms to break them down. As a result, pollutants and contaminants often tend to accumulate and become concentrated within life forms that are higher up in the food chain such that the concentration of such materials in some cases can be several thousand times greater in high trophic-level predators than within the surrounding environment.
Accordingly, in one of its aspects the invention provides method for extracting contaminants and pollutants from an ecosystem, the method comprising the steps of (i) extracting from the ecosystem a quantity of animal tissue; (ii) grinding or macerating said animal tissue to form a slurry-like mixture and adding said mixture to a digestion vessel; (iii) reducing the pH of said ground animal tissue to a range of from approximately 3.5 to approximately 4.5 and allowing said ground tissue to decompose through the action of digestive enzymes released from the visceral tissue of said animal tissue by said maceration step; (iv) separating said decomposed tissue into a lipid portion, a proteinaceous portion and a bone fragment or hard tissue portion; and, (v) extracting at least a part of said lipid portion from said decomposed tissue for further processing or disposal of contaminants and pollutants contained therein.
In a further aspect the invention provides A method for concentrating and extracting environmental contaminants and pollutants from a body of water, the method comprising the steps of (i) extracting from the body of water a quantity of fish or other aquatic life forms; (ii) grinding or macerating said fish or aquatic life forms to form a slurry of ground tissue and adding said ground tissue to a digestion vessel; (iii) reducing the pH of said slurry of ground tissue to a range of approximately 3.5 to approximately 4.5 and allowing said slurry of ground tissue to decompose through the action of digestive enzymes released from visceral tissue of said fish or aquatic life forms by said maceration step; (iv) separating said decomposed tissue into a lipid portion, a proteinaceous portion and a bone fragment or hard tissue portion; and, (v) extracting at least a part of said lipid portion from said decomposed tissue for disposal or for further processing of contaminates and pollutants contained therein.
The invention further provides a method for concentrating and extracting environmental contaminants from an ecosystem, the method comprising the steps of (i) collecting and extracting from the ecosystem a quantity of animals or animal tissue; (ii) grinding or macerating said animals or animal tissue to form a slurry-like mixture of ground animal tissue and adding said ground tissue to a digestion vessel; (iii) adding to said slurry of ground animal tissue a carbohydrate and maintaining said ground tissue in said digestion vessel at a temperature of between approximately 8xc2x0 C. and 35xc2x0 C. to encourage fermentation, said fermentation causing a build up of acid such that as the pH of said ground animal tissue drops to below 4.5 said tissue decomposes through the action of digestive enzymes released from visceral tissue of said animals by said maceration step; (iv) separating said decomposed tissue into a lipid portion, a proteinaceous portion and a bone fragment or hard tissue portion; and, (v) extracting at least part of said lipid portion from said decomposed tissue for further processing or disposal of contaminants contained therein.
Further aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings.

Method of extracting environmental contaminants and pollutants through biomass harvestation


Subject matter disclosed herein relates to sub-block accessible cache memory.

1. Field
Subject matter disclosed herein relates to sub-block accessible cache memory.
2. Information
Memory devices are employed in many types of electronic devices, such as computers, cell phones, PDA's, data loggers, and navigational equipment, just to name a few examples. Among such electronic devices, various types of nonvolatile memory devices may be employed, such as NAND or NOR flash memories, SRAM, DRAM, and phase-change memory, just to name a few examples. In general, writing or programming processes may be used to store information in such memory devices, while a read process may be used to retrieve stored information.
In addition to a main memory, a computing system may incorporate cache memory to store data so that future requests for such data may be retrieved relatively fast. Information stored within cache memory may comprise data that has been computed earlier and/or may comprise duplicate data stored elsewhere, such as in main memory, for example. If requested data is contained in cache memory (cache hit), the requested data may be retrieved by reading the cache memory, in a relatively fast process. On the other hand, if requested data is not contained in cache memory (cache miss), the requested data may need to be recomputed and/or fetched from its original storage location, which are comparably slow processes.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Sub-block accessible nonvolatile memory cache


A method which makes use of the syndrome information at each iteration, combined with the bit reliability information available at a FEC decoder, to extract the minimum estimated bit error configuration, i.e. the block which is closest to the transmitted codeword during the decoding process, and to select such block if the result at the final decoding iteration has a higher number of estimated bit errors.

Since the discovery of Shannon theorem the work on error coding has focused towards finding good codes which perform as close as possible to channel capacity and have a relatively simple encoder and decoder structure. The breakthrough discovery in the last decade of iteratively decoded Forward Error Correction codes has made possible the design of codes which approach channel capacity with limited hardware complexity. The class of iteratively-decoded capacity-approaching codes includes the so-called LDPC codes and turbo codes.
Well designed codes in this class closely approach channel capacity, with a very steep Bit Error Rate or Frame Error Rate curve versus the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). However, a change of slope in the BER (or FER) curve is often observed, leading to poorer performance at high SNR values. This phenomenon is the so called "error floor" onset.
Existing methods trying to minimize the error floor have focused either on code design techniques, or on decoder modifications and post processing of decoder output. Post processing is based on removal of weak code features which have been previously identified with semi-analytical methods on the code under analysis, decoder modifications often involve slowing the convergence of the decoder. An additional solution which is widely used is to add an outer algebraic code to remove the residual bit errors.
More complex decoder modifications address the problem by modifying the decoding algorithm to include, in the iterative decoding, a step for reinitializing the decoder with a more reliable error estimate.
Code design techniques are based on semi-analytical methods, which attempt to identify all weak structure in the code design phase. These results are either used to improve the code design or to post process the decoder output to remove weak structures. A drawback affecting this approach is that, from moderate block length, i.e. code block lengths exceeding few hundred bits, the exhaustive search of all weak structures is not feasible, and even heuristic algorithms which attempt to search for weak structures are ineffective above approximately 1000 bits. The result is that, for longer codes which are of practical interest, some of the weak structures in the code will not be noticed, resulting in an error floor in the high SNR/low BER region.
The known concatenation of an outer algebraic code to remove residual bit errors is an effective solution if and only if the dominant contribution to the high SNR BER (or FER) curve is due to error events with a low number of bits in error, where the term "low" means within the error correction capability of the outer code. It is important to note that the error correction capability of the outer code can be increased at the expense of an increased overhead.
This different approach will however fail in two cases: either when the FER curve is dominated by failed blocks with a high number of bit errors, or in the case when the FER curve is not dominated by these events, but the BER curve is, i.e. where a low number of blocks, decreasing with increasing SNR, is contributing with a large number of bits in error.
Methods involving decoder modifications which reinitialize the iterative decoding algorithm with a more reliable estimate, i.e. those obtained by using a soft-input soft-output iterative estimator, are on the contrary affected by convergence problem both in the estimator used and in the iterative decoding itself; these methods also present, as a further drawback, a great hardware complexity.

Error floor reduction in iteratively decoded FEC codes


A tool drills holes into different sized wooden blocks so that the holes are precisely positioned while providing a means to position the tool to match an existing line or slot on the wooden block. The tool includes two identical pieces that, when assembled, adjusts to accommodate variable sized model car blocks, provides a view port to look through the tool for positioning, and contains perfectly aligned drill guide holes on either end and in the middle of the assembly to guide a drill bit that drills the required holes needed to accurately place axles and eyelets into the model car. The tool is adjustable to accommodate different sized blocks. The holes can be angled to create wheel camber when axles inserted.

The present invention relates to drill guides and, more particularly, to an adjustable drill guide for wooden model cars.
Model car builders, such as pine wood derby or CO2 powered car builders, often have to drill holes into different sized wooden blocks so that the holes are precisely positioned. For example, for wheel axles, drilled holes need to be precisely drilled on both sides of the wooden block. Typically, an existing line or slot is formed in the wooden block and the user needs to align the drilled holes therealong.
For CO2 powered cars, a screw eye is typically attached to the underside of the wooden block near the front and rear axles of the car. These two screw eyes need to be aligned for the best movement of the car along a line threaded through the two screw eyes.
If these drilled holes are offset, it can affect the performance of the cars. Typically, these cars are raced and, therefore, precise drilling of axle holes and screw eye holes is important.
Conventional tools for making these holes are typically not adjustable, cannot be seen through, and some such tools only drill a single straight hole.
As can be seen, there is a need for a tool for drilling holes into different sized wooden blocks so that the holes are precisely positioned.

Adjustable drill guide for wooden model cars


An apparatus, such as a memory system (e.g., a NAND memory system), can have a controller with a first error correction code component and a memory device (e.g., a NAND memory device) coupled to the controller. The memory device can have an array of memory cells, a second error correction code component coupled to the array and configured to correct data from the array, and a cryptographic component coupled to receive the corrected data from the second error correction code component.

Memory systems may be implemented in electronic systems, such as computers, cell phones, hand-held electronic devices, etc. Some memory systems, such as solid-state drives (SSDs), embedded Multi-Media Controller (eMMC) devices, Universal Flash Storage (UFS) devices, and the like, may include non-volatile storage memories for storing host (e.g., user) data from a host. Non-volatile storage memories provide persistent data by retaining stored data when not powered and may include NAND flash memory, NOR flash memory, read only memory (ROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM), and resistance variable memory, such as phase change random access memory (PCRAM), three-dimensional cross-point memory (e.g., 3D XPoint), resistive random access memory (RRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), and programmable conductive memory, among other types of memory.
In some examples, memory devices can store secure information and can be susceptible to malicious attacks aimed at obtaining and/or altering the secure information. Such attacks can include replay attacks, for example, which can involve the malicious or fraudulent repeat or delay of secure information and can involve intercepting and retransmitting the secure information.

Memory devices with cryptographic components


The present invention discloses a rate multiplication method for counting a sequence of original pulse signals and outputting a target pulse signal. In this method a comparison data and original pulse signal sequence is received. The original pulse signal sequence is counted in order to obtain a pulse count. Comparing the pulse count and the comparison data. If the pulse count is equal to the comparison data, a corresponding original pulse signal is outputted as the target pulse signal. Reset and recount the pulse count, and obtain which repeatedly. In this present invention the pulse count and the pulse interval between the target pulse signals can be determined freely according to a rate.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a rate multiplier, and more particularly to a rate multiplication method and rate multiplier thereof an adjustable multiplying rate.
2. Description of Related Art
In electronic circuit application, a signal frequency f is usually multiplied by a rate n/m, being smaller than 1, in order to obtain a smaller frequency signal. This operation is referred to as rate multiplication. For example, multiply a pulse signal of 10 MHz frequency by 3/10, a 3 MHz-frequency pulse signal is obtained. Visually, retaining three out of the ten of the pulse signals implements rate multiplication therein.
In some conventional method, n pulse signals are selected arbitrarily out of m pulse signals by hardware circuitry; in some other conventional method, n pulse signals with equal space or unequal space are selected via hardware circuitry out of m pulse signals. Relative detail can be referred to U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,408 and U.S. patent 2003/0058052.
However, the hardware circuitry in foregoing method is designed backwards from final waveforms, which causes substantial burden to circuit designers. In addition, the n pulse signals are assigned either equally spaced or unequally spaced, where pulse interval is not adjustable upon requirement, so that usage flexibility is relatively lower.

Rate multiplication method and rate multiplier


A pneumatic plug gauge has been developed in the context of the invention. This plug gauge comprises a first measuring channel which can be connected to a pressure medium source and opens into a first outlet for the pressure medium, which outlet can be directed to a surface of the workpiece to be tested. According to the invention, this plug gauge is designed to determine the tilt angle between a section on the surface thereof and a region opposite this section on the surface of the workpiece by virtue of the first outlet being arranged at one end of the section and at least one second outlet being provided, which second outlet is arranged at the other end of the section. It has been recognized that the admittedly high precision of pneumatic length measurements can be converted in a particularly advantageous manner to high precision of the angle measurement in this manner. The tilt angle can be measured at least with an accuracy of less than one tenth of a degree. At the same time, the measurement is fast enough for 100% control in mass production. The plug gauge is the central element in the measuring system and in the method, to which the invention likewise relates.

The present invention concerns a plug gauge and a measurement system for highly accurate pneumatic angle measurement.
In technical systems carrying a fluid flow, lines and/or bores with different, partly conical cross-sections are often to be found. Here the opening angle of the conical or cylindrical bore components are often functionally critical. Examples of this are the seat angle on a common rail injection nozzle or on GS high pressure injection valves.
Further examples are the feed or outlet bores in hydraulic pumps or switching valves.
It is particularly problematic here that to an increasing extent bores are no longer bound to be introduced by tools, i.e. by means of drills. Instead, methods such as laser drilling, grinding or moving erosion are used, with which the correct opening angle is no longer automatically guaranteed by the geometry of the tool. There is therefore an increasing need to check functionally critical opening angles very accurately with a tolerance of a few tenths of degrees.
For this purpose, mainly tactile systems are currently used, such as for example a Diatest double gauge according to the document DE 39 42 207 A1, or optical systems, such as for example a fiber optic interferometer according to the document DE 103 02 055 A1. Tactile systems can mechanically damage the workpiece to be checked and are relatively inaccurate. Optical systems require a lot of space and are very expensive; thus, a white light interferometer costs up to 200,000 ∈. The gravest disadvantage is, however, that the time required for the measurements is too long in order to be able to check each individual workpiece during mass production. The time available is only sufficient for sampling.

Pneumatic plug gauge and measuring system


A method for processing a silver halide color photographic material which comprises the steps of, after color-developing, processing the silver halide color photographic material with a bleaching bath, and then processing with a fixing bath, wherein the bleaching bath has a pH value of from 2.5 to 5.5 and contains a (1,3-diaminopropane-tetraacetato)iron(III) complex salt in an amount of at least 0.2 mol/liter and an organic acid in an amount of at least 0.5 mil/liter, and the fixing bath contains at least one compound selected from formulae (I), (II), (III), (IV), and (V): EQU R.sup.1 --(X--R.sup.3).sub.m --X--R.sup.2 (I). wherein m represents 0 or an integer of from 1 to 4; R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group; R.sup.3 represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group, provided that when m is 2 or more, the R.sup.3 groups in each of the (X--R.sup.3) segments may be the same or different; and X represents sulfur, oxygen, ##STR1## wherein Z represents ##STR2## --OR.sup.15 or --SR.sup.16 ; R.sup.11, R.sup.12, R.sup.13, R.sup.14, R.sup.15 and R.sup.16 each represents an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aralkyl group, an aryl group or a heterocyclic group; and R.sup.11 and R.sup.12 ; R.sup.13 and R.sup.14 ; or R.sup.11 and R.sup.13 ; R.sup.11 and R.sup.15 ; or R.sup.11 and R.sup.16 may be bonded to each other to form a 5-membered or 6-membered hetero-ring; ##STR3## wherein A represents an alkylene group; R.sup.20 represents --NH.sub.2, --NHR.sup.21, ##STR4## --CONHR.sup.24, --OR.sup.24, --COOM, --COOR.sup.21, --SO.sub.2 NHR.sup.24, --NHCOR.sup.21 or --SO.sub.3 M; p represents 1 or 2; L represents --S.sup..crclbar. when R.sup.20 is ##STR5## and L represents --SM otherwise; R.sup.21, R.sup.22 and R.sup.23 each represents an alkyl group; R.sup.24 represents hydrogen or an alkyl group; and M represents hydrogen or a cation: ##STR6## wherein R.sup.31 represents a hydroxyl group, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group, a heterocyclic group, an amino group, an acyloxy group or an alkyloxy group; R.sup.32 represents hydrogen, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group or a heterocyclic group; and R.sup.33 represents an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group or a heterocyclic group. ##STR7## wherein R.sub.41, R.sub.42, R.sub.43 and R.sub.44 each represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group; or R.sub.41 and R.sub.42, or R.sub.43 and R.sub.44 may be bonded to each other to form a ring.

In general, the basic procedure for processing color photographic materials comprises color developing and desilvering. In the color developing step, the exposed silver halide is reduced with a color developing agent, while the oxidized color developing agent reacts with a coupler to form a color image. In the subsequent desilvering step, the silver formed in the previous color developing step is oxidized by the action of an oxidizing agent, which is generally called a "bleaching agent", and is then dissolved by the action of a silver ion complexing agent, which is generally called a "fixing agent". After the desilvering step, the thus processed color photographic material is said to have a color image formed thereon.
The desilvering step may be effected using two baths comprising a bleaching bath containing a bleaching agent, and a fixing bath containing a fixing agent, or alternatively, using a single type of bleach fixing bath containing both a bleaching agent and a fixing agent.
The actual developing process includes, in addition to the above-mentioned basic steps, various auxiliary steps which serve to maintain the photographic and physical properties of the images thus formed, and to improve the storability of the images. For example, such auxiliary steps may comprise a hardening bath, a stopping bath, an image-stabilizing bath and a rinsing bath.
Recently, a small-sized photographic processing service shop system, called a "mini-laboratory", has become popular, and shortening of the time necessary for the processing in such a system is strongly in demand.
In particular, shortening of the time for desilvering step, which accounts for the greater part of the processing time, is most highly desirable.
However, ethylenediamine-tetraacetato/ferric complexes, which are the most widely used bleaching agents in conventional bleaching solutions or bleach-fixing solutions, are disadvantageous in that they have a weak oxidizing power, and do not satisfy the above noted demand for a reaction in the desilvering time despite various improvements such as the addition of a bleaching accelerator to the complex. On the other hand, potassium ferrocyanide, dichromates, ferric chloride, persulfates and bromates are known as a bleaching agents having a strong oxidizing power. However, these strong bleaching agents are disadvantageous with regard to environmental factors, safety, and metal corrosion. Accordingly, the above-noted strong bleaching agents may not be used publicly in a photographic process service shop system.
The bleaching solution described in JP-A-62-222252 (the term "JP-A"as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application"), which contains a (1,3 -diaminopropanetetraacetato)iron(III) complex salt and has a pH value of about 6, has a stronger oxidizing power than a bleaching solution containing an ethylenediaminetetraacetato/ferric complex. The bleaching solution containing a (1,3-diaminopropane-tetraacetoto)iron(III) complex salt can be used in a rapid silver-bleaching procedure, but causes color fog, called "bleached fog", when the color-developed material is directly bleached with the bleaching solution without using an intermediate bath between the color-development bath and the bleaching bath.
Apart from the problem of bleached fog, when a color-developed photographic material is processed with the bleaching solution in a shortened period of time, the processed photograph noticeably stains upon storage.
Acceleration of the fixing step is proposed by G. M. Haist, Modern Photographic Processing (published by John Wiley & Sons Co. 1979), Vol. 1, pages 558 to 630 and Vol. 2, pages 574 to 600.
Acceleration of the fixing step would be possible by the combination of known fixation-accelerating techniques, but when such techniques are combined with the above-mentioned bleaching bath, other problems arise as described below.
Particularly, in the continuous processing of silver halide color photographic materials, a portion of the bleaching solution is generally carried over to the fixing bath together with the material being processed. However, compounds which accelerate the fixing action generally form insoluble precipitates or lose the fixation-accelerating ability when the bleaching solution of JP-A-62-222252 is introduced into the fixing bath.
In addition, if the pH value of the processing bath containing the compound described in JP-A-62-222252 is lowered to further shorten the bleaching time, the problem becomes more severe.

Method for processing silver halide color photographic material


The semiconductor memory device includes an internal flag signal generator and an active information generator. The internal flag signal generator generates a plurality of internal flag signals which are selectively enabled when combination signals of bank address signals and row address signals supplied are inputted from an external device at least a predetermined number of times. The active information generator outputs a flag signal enabled when at least one of the plurality of internal flag signals is enabled in response to a start signal for extracting information on a number of times that a word line is activated and outputs a plurality of bank information signals according to the plurality of internal flag signals. The active information generator generates internal bank address signals and internal row address signals according to the plurality of internal flag signals to refresh a bank.

Recently, low power dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices have been increasingly in demand with the development of mobile products. In particular, the DRAM devices employed in the mobile products have been focused on reduction of current that flows during a refresh operation.
The DRAM devices among semiconductor memory devices may lose data stored in their memory cells as the time elapses even while their power supplies are applied thereto, in contrast to static random access memory (SRAM) devices or flash memory devices. In order to retain data, DRAM devices are basically accompanied with operations for rewriting the data from external systems in a period often called "refresh" operations. Usually, such a refresh operation is carried out, in retention times that are inherent in memory cells of banks, by activating word lines at least once or more, and sensing/amplifying data of the memory cells. The retention time is a time for which data can be maintained without a refresh operation after being written into a memory cell.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a bank including word lines of the conventional semiconductor memory device.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the conventional semiconductor memory device includes first to fourth banks 1˜4 and each of the first to fourth banks 1˜4 has a plurality of word lines, for example, first to Nth word lines WL1, Wl2, . . . and WLN which are electrically connected to memory cells.
When the third word line WL3 of the second bank 2 is repeatedly activated to be driven to a high voltage level VPP higher than a power supply voltage, the voltage levels of the second and fourth word lines WL2 and WL4 disposed to be immediately adjacent to the third word line WL3 may also be boosted. Thus, undesirable leakage currents may flows through the memory cells connected to the second and fourth word lines WL2 and WL4, and the data stored in the memory cells connected to the second and fourth word lines WL2 and WL4 may be lost within the data retention time. Accordingly, a refresh characteristic of the semiconductor memory device may be degraded.

Semiconductor memory devices and semiconductor systems including the same


A radiographic imaging system (100) comprises an X-ray tube (110), a sensor plate (120), and a graphics engine (130). The tube (110) and the sensor plate (120) rotate synchronously about a patient (150) and expose a stereoscopic pair of images which are transmitted to the graphics engine (130). The graphics engine (130) determines (312) the geometry of the system (100). If (314) the pair of images are toed-in relative to each other, the graphics engine (130) converts (316) the images into a parallel geometry. Likewise, the graphics engine (130) also processes (320) the images for keystone distortion, if necessary. Simply flipping the images in the stereo pair distorts the depth of objects in the stereoscopic image. Instead of simply flipping the images, it is desirable to xe2x80x9cgo behindxe2x80x9d the screen (412A) and look at the image from the back. In order to produce a stereoscopic image having this viewpoint, the graphics engine (130) uses the geometry of the radiographic system (100) to adjust (324) the screen parallax of the image after the constituent images are flipped (322) and provide the desired three-dimensional perspective.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains in general to three-dimensional imaging and analysis. More specifically, the invention pertains to performing image processing on stereoscopic radiographs.
2. Background Art
Stereoscopic radiography is an effective method for obtaining three-dimensional (3-D) spatial information from two-dimensional (2-D) projection X-ray images without the need for tomographic reconstruction. In stereoscopic radiography, pairs of X-ray images of a subject exposed from slightly different positions are viewed as a 3-D image. The images can be viewed in 3-D by, for example, combining the pair of images into an anaglyph image or by rapidly alternating display of the images on a computer screen. To these ends, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/428,867, filed Oct. 27, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,317,481, entitled xe2x80x9cStereo X-ray Image Processing,xe2x80x9d describes a technique for converting pairs of 2-D X-ray images into 3-D stereoscopic radiographs. Similarly, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/610,579, filed Jul. 5, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,317,481, entitled xe2x80x9cComputer Assisted 2D Adjustment of Stereo X-Ray Images,xe2x80x9d describes a technique for adjusting stereoscopic radiographs to correct for some vertical and/or horizontal distortions.
Alternatives to stereo radiography include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and tomosynthetic reconstruction (TR). The first two of these techniques require expensive equipment and are very time consuming. The third technique produces images containing many artifacts, requires multiple images, and is also time consuming. Therefore, these alternatives are not as desirable as stereo radiography.
In chest radiography, radiologists, or other persons studying a radiographic image, strongly prefer to observe an image with the heart located at the right side of the image (i.e., as if the radiologist is looking at the subject from the front). This preference holds true even if the radiograph was taken from the back of the subject. A radiologist can easily manipulate a 2-D radiograph with the heart on the wrong side, such as a radiograph taken from the back of the subject, into the desired orientation by flipping the radiograph about its vertical axis.
However, such manipulations cannot be performed easily on stereoscopic radiographs. Simply flipping the original left and right images of the stereo pair distorts the 3-D effect by changing the apparent depth of the objects in the resulting stereoscopic image. Thus, the flipped 3-D image is generally unusable by a radiologist.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a way to manipulate stereoscopic radiographs so that the radiographs can be placed in a desired orientation. The solution to this need will preferably allow a stereoscopic radiograph to be flipped about its vertical axis without introducing undesired distortions.
The above needs are met by a method, computer-readable medium, and graphics engine (130) for manipulating stereoscopic radiographs. A radiographic imaging system (100), such as an X-ray system, comprises an X-ray tube (110) (also referred to as a xe2x80x9ccameraxe2x80x9d), a sensor plate (120), and a graphics engine (130). The tube (110) and the sensor plate (120) preferably rotate synchronously about the patient (or another subject or object being X-rayed).
In use, the sensor plate (120) and tube (110) are placed in the desired alignment relative to the patient. Then, at least two radiographic images of the patient are exposed from slightly different positions on the arc formed by rotating the sensor plate (120) and tube (110) system about the patient, or from other positions if the geometry of the system is different. The exposed images are either transmitted directly to the graphics engine (130), if a digital sensor plate is used, or converted into a digital format and then transmitted to the graphics engine.
The graphics engine (130) determines (312) the geometry of the radiographic system (100). In many instances, the geometry of the system (100) is known. If the geometry of the radiographic system (100) is unknown, however, the graphics engine (130) preferably recovers the geometry from the images. One embodiment of the present invention uses physical pointers, such as steel balls, placed around or inside the patient when the radiographic images are initially exposed in order to enable the graphics engine (130) to recover the system (100) geometry from the images.
If (314) the radiographic system has a C-arm (140) configuration, then the images in the stereoscopic pair are toed-in relative to each other. The toed-in nature of the images results in a curvature of the depth plane when the images are used as a stereo pair. Accordingly, the graphics engine (130) preferably converts (316) the toed-in images into a parallel geometry. This conversion places the images in the same plane, which is parallel to a base line between the two locations used to capture the image. The graphics engine (130) also preferably processes (320) the images to eliminate keystone distortion and moves (321) the images together in virtual space to define a screen parallax for the image. The xe2x80x9cscreen parallaxxe2x80x9d is the distance between two homologous points when the image is displayed on a screen. The amount of screen parallax determines the amount of depth in the 3-D image.
Assume that a radiologist desires to flip a stereoscopic image about its vertical axis. Simply flipping the images in the stereo pair distorts the depth of the objects in the resulting stereoscopic image. Instead of simply flipping the images, it is desirable to xe2x80x9cgo behindxe2x80x9d the screen (412A) and look at the image from the back. In order to produce a stereoscopic image having this viewpoint, the graphics engine (130) preferably flips (322) the constituent images about the vertical axes and adjusts (324) the screen parallax of the resulting stereoscopic image. The graphics engine (130) preferably determines the proper screen parallax for the flipped image from the geometry of the radiographic system (100). An alternative embodiment of the present invention determines an area of interest in the unflipped stereoscopic image and adjusts (324) the screen parallax so that the area of interest is displayed at the level of the screen (312A) when the images are flipped.


A joint alignment method comprises using imaging data of at least a portion of a leg to create a leg model, wherein the leg model includes a femur having medial and lateral condyles and a tibia having tibial plateaus that are configured to engage the medial and lateral condyles at a knee joint, displaying an image of the leg model for manipulation by a user, locating a pivot point within one of the medial or lateral condyles, and rotating, in the displayed image, the tibia with respect to the femur, about the pivot point, to obtain a desired knee joint articulation in a specified plane.

Orthopedic procedures for the replacement of all, or a portion of, a patient's joint have been developed over the last thirty years. Currently, the procedures used to prepare the bone and seat the implants are generally referred to as open procedures. For the purposes of this discussion, the term "open procedure" will refer to a procedure wherein an incision is made through the skin and underlying tissue to fully expose a large portion of the particular joint surface. In both total and unicondylar knee arthroplasty, the typical incision for an open procedure can be about 7-12 inches long. After the initial incision in the skin, the internal wound can be enlarged to fully expose the areas to be prepared. While this approach provides surgeons with an excellent view of the bone surface, the underlying damage to the soft tissue, including the muscles, can lengthen a patient's rehabilitation time after surgery. While the implants may be well fixed at the time of surgery, it may be several weeks or perhaps months before the tissues violated during surgery are fully healed.
Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty can be utilized to correct a varus or a valgus deformity caused by, e.g., osteoarthritis affecting the medial (a varus deformity) or lateral (a valgus deformity) compartment of the knee. Traditionally, unicondylar knee arthroplasty is an open procedure in which a surgeon, after exposing the knee, resects diseased or otherwise undesirable bone from the appropriate compartment of the knee, including portions of the distal femur and the proximal tibia. The distal femur and proximal tibia of the affected compartment are also shaped to receive a unicondylar knee prosthesis.
In traditional unicondylar knee arthroplasty, leg alignment requires a trial and error technique in which the surgeon makes a distal femoral cut and a proximal tibial cut and thereafter selects the location of the other of the distal femoral cut and the proximal tibial cut based on experience and the knowledge that tibial prostheses are available in a limited number of thicknesses. Typically, the proximal tibial cut is made so as to remove the least amount of the proximal tibia, while ensuring sufficient removal of diseased or otherwise undesirable bone. The remaining femoral cuts can be made to complete shaping of the femur to receive a femoral prosthesis. After the femoral and tibial cuts are complete, the femoral prosthesis and the tibial prosthesis, or provisional versions thereof, can be temporarily implanted and leg alignment reviewed by the surgeon. If the tibial prosthesis does not include an integral bearing component, then a discrete bearing component can also be implanted. To adjust alignment of the leg, the surgeon can replace the tibial prosthesis or bearing component with an alternative tibial prosthesis or bearing component having an increased or decreased thickness. The surgeon can also recut the femur to achieve appropriate alignment. Additionally or alternatively, the surgeon can remove more tibial bone stock and again insert the previously used tibial prosthesis, or replace the previously used tibial prosthesis with a tibial prosthesis of a different thickness. This procedure of trial and error can be conducted until the surgeon believes that the appropriate alignment has been achieved.

System and method for pre-operatively determining desired alignment of a knee joint


Architecture for performing WLAN offload in a wireless device is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes an application section configured to form IP packets from data to be transmitted, a modem section configured to apply a cellular protocol to the IP packets to form cellular protocol packets, an endpoint configured to encapsulate the cellular protocol packets to form outer IP tunnel packets, and a WLAN interface configured to transmit the outer IP tunnel packets over a WLAN communication channel. In another exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes a WLAN interface configured to receive outer IP tunnel packets over a WLAN communication channel, an endpoint configured to extract cellular protocol packets from the outer IP tunnel packets, a modem processor configured to remove a cellular protocol from the cellular protocol packets to form IP packets, and an application processor configured to extract received data from the IP packets.

1. Field
The present application relates generally to the design and operation of wireless devices, and more particularly, to a wireless device providing WLAN offload.
2. Background
Wireless devices are becoming increasingly more sophisticated and offer many advantages over previous generations. Devices know as "smart phones" are now available that provide not only communication functions, but can also download and execute applications to provide additional features and functionality. It is now common to find smart phones that include a dual processor chipset, where a modem processor provides support for cellular communications and an applications processor provides a user interface, executes applications, and supports wireless local area network (WLAN) communications.
As more wireless devices are placed into operation, network overloading is becoming an increasing concern for cellular network operators. For example, many operators provide custom services so that wireless devices utilizing those services typically need to connect back to the operator's home network. Thus, the types of services offered by network providers also have contributed to the increase in network loading.
One technique used to address cellular network overloading is referred to as "Fixed mobile convergence" or "WLAN offload." For example, when a wireless device is in a WLAN coverage area, data that would normally be transmitted over the cellular network is offloaded to the WLAN network, thereby decreasing the loading on the cellular network. When the wireless device moves out of the WLAN coverage area, data services to the core cellular network use the cellular network as the air-interface.
Some network operators currently provide WLAN offload solutions. For example, in one implementation, an application executing on the device is configured to determine which air-interface is available for the application to use to communicate with the cellular home network. The application then has to specify to the Operating System which technology to use and the Operating system has to format the packets with the appropriate protocol and forward the packets for transmission using the determined air-interface. Such operation by an application is inefficient and may require modifications or updates to the operating system and/or applications that execute on the device.
Unfortunately, there are several additional issues that are not satisfactorily addressed by existing techniques for providing efficient WLAN offload. For example, WLAN offload should operate independently from the processor configurations provided by different handset venders. WLAN offload should also operate independently from the operating system (OS) running on the wireless device and independently of the cellular technology used by the cellular network. Furthermore, end-user applications should not even be aware of whether the underlying air-interface used for transporting packets to and from the core network is the cellular air-interface or the WLAN air-interface.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a device architecture that facilitates efficient WLAN offload and which overcomes the problems addressed above.

Architecture for WLAN offload in a wireless device


A data processing method for a memory storage apparatus having physical blocks is provided. The method includes: grouping the physical blocks into a data area, a spare area and a system area; configuring a plurality of logical addresses which would be formatted into a file allocation table area having cluster entry fields, a root directory area having directory entry fields and a file area having clusters; storing a communication file from the Kth cluster of the file area; recording a file description block corresponding to the communication file in the Mth directory entry field and storing an end of cluster chain mark in the cluster entry field corresponding to the last cluster of the clusters where the communication file stores, and K and M are positive integers which are larger than one. Accordingly, the method can prevent the communication file from being overwritten after the memory storage apparatus is formatted.

1. Technology Field
The present invention relates to a data processing method of a memory storage apparatus. Particularly, the present invention relates to a data processing method capable of preventing a pre-stored file from being overwritten after a memory storage apparatus is formatted, and a memory controller and a memory storage apparatus using the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Digital cameras, cell phones, and MP3 players have undergone rapid growth in recent years, so that consumer demands for storage media have also rapidly increased. Since a rewritable non-volatile memory (for example, a flash memory) has characteristics such as data non-volatility, low power consumption, small volume, and non-mechanical structure, etc., it is suitable for various aforementioned potable multimedia devices.
Particularly, as electronic wallets and pre-payments are gradually accepted by users, smart cards are widely used. The smart card is an integrated circuit chip (IC chip) having components such as a microprocessor, a card operating system, a security module and a memory etc. for performing a predetermined operation. The smart card provides functions of calculation, encryption, two-way communication and security, so that besides data storage, the smart card may provide a protection for the data stored therein. A subscriber identification module (SIM) card utilized in a cell phone applying a global system for mobile communication (GSM) is an application example of the smart card. However, since storage volumes of the smart cards are limited, memory cards with large volume are combined to the smart cards recently for increasing the storage volumes of the smart cards.
In a memory storage apparatus having a smart card chip, in order to implement command and data transmission between the smart card chip and a host system, according to an existing technique, a memory controller of the memory storage apparatus pre-stores a communication file in a rewritable non-volatile memory combined to the smart card in the memory storage apparatus, and uses the communication file as a communication interface between the smart card and the host system. In detail, each time when the memory storage apparatus is formatted to generate a partition, the memory controller of the memory storage apparatus stores a communication file in the partition, and records information of the communication file in a file system. Then, when an application program of the host system is to transmit a command to the smart card chip of the memory storage apparatus, the application program transmits a write command that indicates writing data to a logical address used for storing the communication file to the memory storage apparatus. Particularly, the memory controller identifies a data stream in the write command to be belonged to the smart card chip according to the logical address in the write command, and transmits the data stream to the smart card chip.
However, after the memory storage apparatus is formatted, when the host system executes a writing operation before rereading the information of the file system of the memory storage apparatus, since the file system information temporarily stored in a buffer memory of the host system does not include the information of the communication file, the host system probably writes data to an address used for storing the communication file, which may cause overwriting of the communication file. Therefore, it is an important issue under development to avoid overwriting the communication file after the memory storage apparatus is formatted and before the host system rereading the information of the file system of the memory storage apparatus.
Nothing herein should be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art of any portion of the present invention. Furthermore, citation or identification of any document in this application is not an admission that such document is available as prior art to the present invention, or that any reference forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art.

Apparatus with smart card chip for storing communication file in non-volatile memory


A computer-implemented method for aggregating data for at least one resource in a target group of resources is described. At least one resource in a target group of resources is monitored. Data from the at least one resource are collected in accordance with a single metric. The data collected from the at least one resource are aggregated. A predefined operation is executed on the aggregated data. A single instance of data representative of the aggregated data collected from the at least one resource in the target group of resources is generated.

The use of computer systems and computer-related technologies continues to increase at a rapid pace. This increased use of computer systems has influenced the advances made to computer-related technologies. Indeed, computer systems have increasingly become an integral part of the business world and the activities of individual consumers. Computer systems may be used to carry out several business, industry, and academic endeavors. The wide-spread use of computers has been accelerated by the increased use of computer networks, including the Internet.
Many businesses use one or more computer networks to communicate and share data between the various computers connected to the networks. The productivity and efficiency of employees often requires human and computer interaction. Users of computer technologies continue to demand that the efficiency of these technologies increase. Improving the efficiency of computer technologies is important to anyone that uses and relies on computers.
Data may be stored on a computer system. The data may reveal characteristics or behaviors of the computer system. The collection of data, however, from multiple computer systems may not be efficient. For example, the collection of data from many computer systems may result in an increased delay to analyze the collected data. As such, benefits may be realized by providing systems and methods for aggregating data for at least one resource in a target group of resources.

Systems and methods for aggregating data for resources in a target group of resources


A ground-engaging wear member is releasably retained on an associated support structure by a specially designed hammerless C-clamp and wedge connector system extending through aligned openings in the wear member and support structure. Illustratively, the wear member is an adapter, and the support structure is a bucket lip.

The present invention generally relates to ground-engaging apparatus and, in a representatively illustrated embodiment thereof, more particularly provides a specially designed connector system useable to releasably retain a ground-engaging wear member, such as an adapter, on an associated support structure, such as a bucket lip.
A variety of types of ground-engaging structures are typically provided with replaceable wear portions that are removably carried by larger base or support structures and come into abrasive, wearing contact with the material being displaced by the round-engaging structures. For example, the support structure might be an excavating bucket lip, and the wear portion might be an adapter which is removably secured to the bucket lip. To captively retain the adapter on the bucket lip, generally aligned transverse openings are formed through these elements, and a suitable connector structure is driven into and forcibly retained within the aligned openings to releasably anchor the replaceable adapter on the bucket lip.
The connector structure typically has to be forcibly driven into the aligned adapter and bucket lip openings (or the aligned openings in other types of telescoped wear and support members such as a tooth point disposed on an adapter) using, for example a sledge hammer. Subsequently, the inserted connector structure has to be forcibly pounded out of the aligned adapter and bucket lip openings to permit the worn adapter to be removed from the bucket lip and replaced. This conventional need to pound in and later pound out the connector structure can easily give rise to a safety hazard for the installing and removing personnel.
Various alternatives to pound-in connector structures have been previously proposed for use in releasably retaining a replaceable wear member, such as an adapter, on a support structure, such as an excavating bucket lip. While these alternative "hammerless" connector structures desirably eliminate the need to pound a connector structure into and out of telescoped wear and support members they typically present various other types of problems, limitations and disadvantages including, but not limited to, complexity of construction and use and inconvenient access for installation and removal. A need accordingly exists for improved wear member/support member connector structure and associated methods. It is to this need that the present invention is directed.

Hammerless c-clamp and wedge connector system


Disclosed is a fully implantable sensor for detecting at least one analyte in a sample of body fluid. The sensor has a measurement chamber plate that receives the sample of bodily fluid and a quantum cascade laser illumination source that generates an illumination light beam in the spectral range and transmits it to the measurement chamber plate. The illumination light beam at least partially illuminates the measurement chamber plate and the measurement chamber plate generates a reflection light beam in response to the illumination by the illumination light beam. The reflection light beam at least partially illuminates the sample of body fluid within the measurement chamber plate. An optical detector detects at least one property of the reflection light beam and generates a sensor signal dependent on the presence of the analyte. A controlled evaluates the sensor signal. A method using an inventive fully implantable sensor is also disclosed.

This disclosure relates to an implantable sensor element and a kit for detecting at least one analyte in a body fluid as well as to a method for detecting at least one analyte. The devices and methods according to this disclosure may mainly be used for long-term monitoring of an analyte concentration in a body fluid, such as for long-term monitoring of a glucose level or of the concentration of one or more other types of analytes in a body fluid. This disclosure may both be applied in the field of home care and in the field of professional care, such as in hospitals. Other applications are feasible.
Monitoring certain body functions, more particularly monitoring one or more concentrations of at least one metabolite concentration in a body fluid plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of various diseases. Such metabolites can include by way of example, but not exclusively, blood glucose, lactate, cholesterol or other types of analytes and metabolites. Without restricting further possible applications, this disclosure will be described in the following text with reference to blood-glucose monitoring. However, additionally or alternatively, this disclosure can also be applied to other types of analytes.
Conventional devices for determining analyte concentrations are in many cases based on generating a sample of a body fluid, for example a drop of blood, which is then tested with respect to its analyte content. Continuous surveillance of the body's glucose concentration can significantly improve the treatment and precaution of long-term complications of diabetes patients. Typically devices for continuous glucose monitoring are meant for minimally-invasive short-term use, for example shorter than 14 days, and are based on an electrochemical detection scheme, in particular on the enzymatic digestion of glucose. Transcutaneous sensor systems typically imply a large number of technical challenges. Thus, a first challenge resides in the fact that the lifetime of a sensor is limited. A sensor is generally worn for approximately one week. After that, influences such as enzymes being used up and/or a sealing off in the body generally reduce the sensitivity of the sensor, or it is expected that the sensor fails. However, long-term continuous glucose monitoring, for example for terms of around one year, is desirable for several applications. Sensors for long-term monitoring based on optical systems are an area of current research.
Optical systems generally use at least one sensor material which changes at least one optically measurable property in the presence of one or more specific analytes. Alternatively absorption methods may be used. For example, U.S. Publication No. 2007/0004974 describes an apparatus for assaying an analyte in a body comprising: at least one light source implanted in the body controllable to illuminate a tissue region in the body with light at at least one wavelength that is absorbed by the analyte and as a result generates photoacoustic waves in the tissue region; at least one acoustic sensing transducer coupled to the body that receives acoustic energy from the photoacoustic waves and generates signals responsive thereto; and a processor that receives the signals and processes them to determine a concentration of the analyte in the illuminated tissue region.
In principle, sensors based on mid-infrared technology may be used for long-term continuous glucose monitoring. Mid-infrared radiation can be used for excitation of fundamental oscillation modes of biomolecules, such as for quantitative determination of glucose. Beside spectroscopic detection of glucose using photoacoustic and photothermic methods, quantitative determination of glucose may be performed via absorption spectroscopy. However, for in vivo measurements using mid-infrared radiation absorption spectroscopy skin heterogeneity and, because typically relative change of absorption spectrum due to glucose concentration is small, high absorption coefficient of water are major challenges.
Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) are known as mid-IR radiation source with uniquely high spectral power density. Because of high spectral power density of QCLs the high absorption coefficient of water can be overcome by using QCLs and, thus, allowing quantitative determination of glucose. For example, C. Vrančić et al., "Continuous glucose monitoring by means of mid-infrared transmission laser spectroscopy in vitro", Analyst, 2011, 136, 1192-1198 and C. Vrančić et al., "A Quantitative Look Inside the Body: Minimally Invasive Infrared Analysis in Vivo", Anal. Chem., 2014, 86 1836-1845 describe implantable fiber-based sensors using mid-infrared laser spectroscopy. Such fiber-based sensors comprise a fiber transmitting light in the mid-infrared spectral range and having a central cavity as measurement volume. Molecules of interstitial fluid are transported via diffusion into the measurement volume and can be determined quantitatively via an absorption measurement.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,040,526 B2 describes an implantable product which includes an optical cavity structure with first and second parts, each of which can operate as an optical cavity. The first part includes a container with at least one opening through which bodily fluid can transfer between the container's interior and exterior when the product is implanted in a body. The second part includes a container that is closed and contains a reference fluid. The implantable product can also include one or both of a light source component and a photosensing component. Photosensed quantities from the first part's output light can be adjusted based on photosensed quantities from the second part's output light. Both parts can have their light interface surfaces aligned so that they both receive input light from a light source component and both provide output light to a photosensing component.
U.S. Publication No. 2012/059232 A1 describes an apparatus including a support configured to be implanted within a body of a subject and a sampling region coupled to the support. The apparatus is configured to passively allow passage through the sampling region of at least a portion of fluid from the subject. The apparatus also includes an optical measuring device in optical communication with the sampling region. The optical measuring device comprises at least one light source configured to transmit light through at least a portion of the fluid, and at least one sensor configured to measure a parameter of the fluid by detecting light passing through the fluid.
U.S. Publication No. 2008/231857 A1 describes a sensor system for detection of a gaseous chemical substance, which includes an optical sampling cell holding a sampling chamber of a volume of at most 20 mm3, a light emitter and a light receiver. The sampling cell is adapted for free-space, single monomodal propagation of the light beam.
U.S. Publication No. 2010/121163 A1 describes optical microneedles which are adapted for near-infrared or mid-infrared in vivo spectroscopic sensing; and provide a MEMS-based spectrometer for continuous lactate and glucose monitoring by means of a near-infrared or mid-infrared optical microneedle array in a transdermal patch.
However, despite the advantages of such known fiber-based sensors, fiber-based sensors have considerable disadvantages in practice. Optical fibers in practice have considerable sensitivity to mechanical influences, for example due to mechanical loads during implantation and/or removal and during wearing and monitoring in the body. Furthermore, sensor design of known fiber-based sensors leads to at least two permanent injuries of the skin for implantation which may limit wearing comfort and may permit ingress of contaminations. In addition, known fiber-based sensors require filtration of interstitial fluid for quantitative determination of glucose via infrared absorption spectroscopy in order to ensure functionality of the sensor. The measurement volume has to be membrane shielded and protected from macromolecules, for example by using a semipermeable membrane. However, implementation of such a membrane into the sensor design of known fiber-based sensors is difficult without increasing diffusion course and thus worsening response behavior of the sensor. Further, availability of such membranes is limited. Furthermore, known infrared fibers such as chalcogenide fibers, coated hollow fibers and silver halide fibers are cytotoxic and require a, e.g., polyethylene coating in order to be used in the body.

Implantable sensor and method for detecting at least one analyte in a body fluid