Improved doorstop composed of an elongated unitary strip of resilient material. The strip is bent to form a substantially closed geometric shape that includes at least one extended substantially flat side for attachment to a wall or baseboard. The second end of the strip lies over the extended flat side and engages same when the apparatus is flexed from contact with a door. The preferred form is trapezoidal in shape and has a resilient deformable pad disposed on the short parallel side. It is also preferred to include a stop at the distal end of the extended flat side to engage the other end when the apparatus is fully flexed.

Doorstops are, in general, relatively commonplace devices that have been in use for many years. The term doorstop is used to refer to both devices for propping doors open and devices for limiting the travel of doors. The present invention concerns a doorstop in the second sense of the word.
Over the years, a number of devices have been employed to limit the travel of a hinged door. They are familiar household and office items. Conventional construction practices normally provide hinged doors in locations where they can be rotated on their hinges far enough to collide with a wall, another door, or a nearby piece of furniture. Common experience teaches that, depending on the distance from the door hinges to the nearest intersecting wall, the edge of the door or its knob hardware can hit or penetrate the material of an adjacent wall. Also, even if the knob hardware is not arranged so as to impact a wall, the leading edge of a door being swung open can, unless otherwise restrained, hit the baseboard on an adjacent wall, chipping paint off of same, and gouging and otherwise damaging the baseboard. Furthermore, in situations in which cabinetry, furniture, or other objects need to be placed in the potential path of travel of the door as it rotates on its hinges, it is desirable to provide an apparatus that limits the travel of the door so as to prevent damaging collisions.
There are a number of doorstop devices known in the prior art. While not always safe, they are generally effective. However, most such devices have one or more drawbacks. One of the most common devices used for many years is a straight post secured to a wall or baseboard, the distal end of which is terminated with a non-abrasive resilient compressible or deformable pad. Such devices were generally formed of a metal or wood shank with a threaded wood screw section at one end that is screwed into the baseboard or wall. The distal end of the apparatus is terminated with a pad that strikes the door as it swung open, preventing same from hitting the wall or the baseboard. While these have been successfully used for many years, they have two significant drawbacks. The first is the fact that all the deformability of the structure resides in the pad. Therefore, it tends to be rather stiff. If a door is swung open at a high rate of speed, as it often is when children open a door with excessive enthusiasm, the relatively small contact area and relative stiffness of these devices tend to make an unattractive indentation in a door at the point at which it contacts the pad. Furthermore, as hollow doors have become more and more common in modern residential construction, there has been a greater problem with the potential of such devices puncturing a door when it hits a stop with excessive speed.
A second major drawback of such doorstops is the fact that they are, by their nature, a solid piece of metal firmly secured to a baseboard at about ankle height. Many people are familiar with the painful injuries that are encountered by accidentally running into a doorstop of this type.
The second of the above noted drawbacks is addressed by a modern version of this type of doorstop in which the shaft is formed of a relatively stiff coiled spring. The spring is arranged so that its coils are in complete contact when it is unflexed and it forms a straight shaft under these conditions. Therefore, the geometry of the shaft is stable under forces that are applied to the end of the shaft parallel to its longitudinal axis. This is the direction of force applied by the plane of a door striking the end pad of such a doorstop where the plane of the door is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the stop. However, the spring structure will bend and give way in response to forces that are off axis to a considerable degree. Thus, the accidental striking of such a stop as one walks parallel to the wall to which it is affixed normally creates only surprise, rather than painful injuries to the foot, as the spring gives way and bends when one's foot or ankle strikes it. However, it still has the problem of a relatively small contact area and limited resilient deformable material on the end pad that will tend to mar a door that contacts it with sufficient force a sufficient number of times.
More recently, stops have been employed for mounting directly on the hinge pin of a door and providing two shock absorbing pads that intersect a plane of rotation of the structure about the hinge pin. Typically, one pad is fixed relative to the eye through which the hinge pin of the door passes and the other is mounted on a threaded shaft so that the angular distance between the flat face of its pad and the flat face of the fixed pad may be adjusted. By employing this structure, the angle to which the door may be opened before one pad encounters the door and the other pad encounters an adjacent face of a door jamb may be adjusted so as to selectively limit the travel of the door while still assuring that the door surface engages the pad at the desired angle. These are particularly designed to be used in relatively close quarters where a door might, for example, strike a cabinet or other fixture in a bathroom if it is opened too far.
These devices have the advantage of avoiding horizontal protrusions from baseboards or walls that are a necessary part of the use of the other types of stops described hereinabove. The principal drawback of this third type of stop is the fact that the padded surface engaging both the door and the adjacent door jamb or wall is very close to the pivot point of the door hinge. As a result, the width of the door extending from the hinge to the handle acts as a long lever arm that gives the door a large mechanical advantage. In other words, the door acts as a long lever that tends to put very large forces on the small surface areas of the pads that contact the door and the door jamb. This increases the propensity of such devices to gouge both the door and the adjacent jamb, particularly under the influence of enthusiastic openings by children. Experience has also taught that these devices lack the positive stop action one gets from a more conventional post type doorstop. As a result, children can often be seen bouncing on a door that is equipped with this type of stop as it feels spring loaded to them. Furthermore, because of the large mechanical advantage created by the lever arm of the door against the stop, these stops tend to break more frequently than other doorstops.
Half round stops protruding from a floor are also known. These have an advantage of a somewhat higher surface area for encountering the door. However, they create a potential hazard in the floor and are deemed unsightly by many people. They are most commonly used in office environments as opposed to residences.
In particular, the inventor of the present invention encountered a recurring problem with half round doorstops set in concrete floors in commercial office buildings that motivated his consideration of the inadequacy of prior art doorstops. In most commercial construction, the basic flooring in office and warehouse space is a concrete slab. Doorstops are installed in such slab flooring by using a masonry bit to drill holes into which lead inserts are placed that function to expand like molly bolts. Screws are then passed through holes in the base of the half round stops into the lead inserts. The threads of the screws can cut the lead, and the insertion of the screw shaft into the lead causes it to expand and become securely wedged in the hole in the concrete. If the appropriate size combination is not made for lead insert and screw, the fitting can either be too loose, or can fracture the concrete.
It is the inventor's experience that severe impacts of doors against such half round stops have a tendency to cause the frangible concrete to shatter around the lead insert and the doorstop to thus be loosened. The conventional method of repair is to remove the old lead insert, drill a somewhat larger hole in the concrete and insert a larger lead insert for the next installation. This is labor intensive and quite inconvenient. Experience further indicated that the same sort of activity that caused the door to strike the doorstop with sufficient force to crack the concrete around the lead insert was often applied at a time when the doorstop was loose or removed awaiting repair, causing the door to be thrown into the wall that the stop formerly protected, with unfortunate and destructive results. Therefore, while the present invention is certainly not limited to applicability in commercial settings, the original motivation for creating same arose as a result of problems the inventor encountered with conventional floor installed doorstops.
U.S. Pat. No. 442,759 to H. W. Struss showed a two part doorstop that included a curved spring surface with a free end passing through an eye bolt. It was usable both as a door-to-door protective stop or a door-to-wall stop. The eye bolt was used to prevent the free end of the curved spring from encountering the door, and to give support so as to minimize stress on the spring when under compression.
While doorstops are relatively commonplace, the need for same remains. Replacement of baseboard and sheet rock, plaster repair, and the like are expensive jobs. It is highly desirable to have an improved doorstop that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture yet both safe and effective for use in a residence. Furthermore, it is desirable to have such a device that will cause less damage at its point of contact with the door that it encounters than has been conventionally caused by prior art stops, yet can absorb and dissipate the relatively high energy of a door being swung open too rapidly, as is often the case when children open doors.


The present invention relates to an aqueous, liquid, hard surface cleaning compositions containing amphoteric/zwitterionic detergent surfactant, specific anionic surfactant, cleaning solvent, optional nonionic detergent surfactant, and buffer. The buffers can be either alkaline or acid for improved cleaning of acid sensitive soils like soap scum and/or hard water deposits. The presence of the specific anionic surfactant permits the inclusion of more of relatively hydrophobic materials like cleaning solvents, which provide improved cleaning, especially under acid conditions where some greasy/oily soils are more difficult to remove.

The use of solvents and organic water-soluble synthetic detergents at low levels for cleaning glass are known.
General purpose household cleaning compositions for hard surfaces such as metal, glass, ceramic, plastic and linoleum surfaces, are commercially available in both powdered and liquid form. Liquid detergent compositions are disclosed in Australian Pat. Application 82/88168, filed Sep. 9, 1982, by The Procter & Gamble Company; U.K. Pat. Application GB 2,166,153A, filed Oct. 24, 1985, by The Procter & Gamble Company; and U.K. Pat. Application GB 2,160,887A, filed Jun. 19, 1985, by Bristol-Myers Company, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,660, Michael, issued Apr. 28, 1992, said patent and all of said published applications being incorporated herein by reference. These liquid detergent compositions comprise certain organic solvents, surfactant, and optional builder and/or abrasive.
Liquid cleaning compositions have the great advantage that they can be applied to hard surfaces in neat or concentrated form so that a relatively high level of surfactant material and organic solvent is delivered directly to the soil. Therefore, liquid cleaning compositions have the potential to provide superior soap scum, grease, and oily soil removal over powdered cleaning compositions. Nevertheless, liquid cleaning compositions need even more cleaning ability to improve their consumer acceptability and they have to have good spotting/filming properties. In addition, they can suffer problems of product form, in particular, inhomogeneity and/or lack of clarity.
An object of the present invention is to provide stable liquid detergent compositions which provide good glass cleaning without excessive filming and/or streaking while maintaining good overall cleaning, preferably including soap scum and greasy/oily soils.

Liquid hard surface detergent compositions containing amphoteric detergent surfactant and specific anionic surfactant


A message is received on a gaming device from a player. The message provides a message identifier and an identifier for the player. Using the message identifier and game state information related to an avatar that is displayed in a gaming environment and is associated with the player, a contextual message is constructed that includes more game state information than is present in the message. The contextual message is displayed on a display of the gaming device.

Multi-player games utilize network connections between gaming consoles or personal computers to allow players to play a game within a single gaming environment. In many games, players in distant locations from each other are grouped together on the same team or operating unit. In order for the players to work together, the players should be able to communicate with one another. Gaming systems have been provided that allow for voice communications between players. However, for many players, especially new players, it is difficult for the player to describe their current location or what they are observing to their other team members during the excitement of the game. Further, relying on voice communications creates language barriers to game play between players in different countries.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Construction of gaming messages with contextual information


A wide area turf mower has a wheel supported main frame and cutting units movably connected to the main frame and positioned in rows in a staggered order to form a mower cutting configuration for cutting a continuous swath of turf between any two outer cutting units located respectively on opposite sides of the main frame. One row of the cutting units includes a first pair of pivotally interconnected outer and inner cutting units at a first side of the main frame, and a second pair of pivotally interconnected inner and outer cutting units at the second side of the main frame. First hydraulic cylinders cause the outer cutting units to fold in a direction towards the rear end of the main frame. Second hydraulic cylinders cause the inner cutting units to lift in an upward direction. A controller operates all of the hydraulic cylinders.

Gang-type, wide area turf mowers are known but their width is largely limited by their ability, after use, to assume a width and height suitable for road use, where the mowers are being driven on roads before or after cutting turf.
To optimise width for cutting, but at the same time maintain a staggered configuration of cutting units to ensure that a continuous swath of turf is being cut, and to enable, after cutting, the necessary lifting and folding movements required for road use, each of the cutting units of these prior art turf mowers is of a relatively large width. The greater the width of a cutting unit, the less likely it is to follow closely the contour of the ground upon which grows the turf it is cutting.


A device for the manual metering of a medical fluid, such as a hardening resin of the bone cement type, comprises a chamber for the fluid to be metered (2, 102) with an end opening (6), a gripping handle (7, 107), a piston (10, 110) which is housed in the chamber (2, 102) and provided with an operating member (12) for a user, and screw-type actuating means (13) arranged in between the operating member (12) and the piston (10) so as to perform the longitudinal movement thereof and pressurise the fluid to be metered. The screw means (13) may be modified so as to change from an operative configuration, where the piston is fed micrometrically, to an inoperative configuration, where the piston may move freely. The screw means (13) comprise an outer thread (14, 114) associated with the piston (10) and a female-thread element (15, 115) formed integrally on the handle (7, 107); the handle may be deformed elastically by means of transverse compression so as to change the screw means (13) from their operative configuration to their inoperative configuration.

Metering devices of the type indicated above are known and generally comprise a substantially cylindrical metering chamber with an outlet opening for the fluid or resin to be metered, a gripping handle which can be fixed to the metering chamber, and a rod with a piston housed in the metering chamber in order to expel the fluid through the outlet opening. The piston is located at a longitudinal end of a rod which has at its opposite end an operating member which may be actuated manually by a user.
In order to allow accurate metering under pressure, especially where the fluid is in paste form or has a high viscosity, screw-type actuating means are envisaged and essentially consist of a thread which is formed on the outer surface of the rod with the piston and is intended to co-operate a female thread associated with the metering chamber. By imparting a rotation to the threaded rod by means of the operating member, the piston is made to move along the metering chamber causing the resin to be expelled in a controlled manner.
An example of a metering device of the type mentioned above is illustrated in German application DE-A-3,443,167. A drawback of said known device consists in the fact that, in order to fill the metering chamber in situ with the resin or bone cement to be metered, it is necessary to rotate the threaded rod in the opposite direction to that of delivery, which requires a certain time during which the resin may harden at least partially, reducing its fluidity and plasticity.
In order to prevent this problem, a number of manual metering devices of the type illustrated in European patent application EP-A-1,054,231 and French application FR-A-2,690,332 have been proposed, in which the metering chamber is provided with a lateral opening—which is different from the outlet opening—for the introduction of the fluid to be metered into the chamber.
The opening for introducing the resin is connected by means of a connecting line to a storage tank or an auxiliary syringe for introducing the fluid, which must necessarily be loaded beforehand in one of said auxiliary containers.
A drawback of said known former solution consists in its relative complexity and dimensions. Moreover, the procedure of transferring the fluid into the chamber is fairly long and elaborate and may lead to the partial hardening of said resin.
Dispensers of plastic fluids, such as gypsum or mastics, are known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,944 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,589, in which it is possible to change over from actuation of the piston with screw means to direct longitudinal actuation without screw means.
Another device of this type, which has the specific function of performing vertebral plastic surgery operations, is described in European patent application EP-A-1,157,677 and comprises a piston which may be actuated either with a screw mechanism or by means of a simple longitudinal movement without a screw mechanism. In particular, the female thread is formed by teeth which engage with the threaded rod in such a way as to transform the rotary movement of the threaded rod into the translatory movement of the piston. However, by moving the teeth away from the threaded rod, this rod may be freely moved axially so as to exert direct pressure on the bone cement. For this purpose, the teeth may slide inside the gripping handle against the opposing action of a spring and may be moved away from and towards the threaded rod by operating a lateral slider which protrudes from the handle.
Owing to this configuration, after operating the slider in order to move the teeth away from the threaded rod, the bone cement may be pressurised inside the metering chamber, both during intake and during delivery, as occurs with a normal syringe. At this point, after bringing the teeth towards the threaded rod by operating the slider, it is possible to perform micrometric feeding of the piston by rotating the operating member.
The main drawback of this known device consists in the significant constructional complexity of the mechanism for actuating the teeth, as well as the large number of component parts, resulting in the consequent high cost of the device as a whole.
This significant cost makes it disadvantageous from a cost-related point of view to use the device once only and therefore results in the need for the device to be cleaned and sterilised in an autoclave or applying other methods every time it is used, with the resultant need to use materials which are of high quality and/or resistant to heat and sterilisation procedures.
Another and perhaps greater drawback consists in the fact that the lateral slider must be moved with one finger of the hand while the other fingers grasp the handle and this makes the operation of disengaging the teeth difficult, especially where fluids and moisture are present in the operating area.
It is therefore possible that the doctor or surgeon, whose hands are normally covered in blood and other body fluids, will be unable to operate the slider easily and will be forced to ask for help or to use the other hand, in circumstances where it is necessary to act rapidly, also because the cement hardens in just a few minutes.
Last but not least another drawback consists in the fact that said known device has a slider on just one side, in particular on the left side, so as to allow the threaded rod to be actuated with the right hand, and therefore cannot be easily used by left-handed people.
It would be convenient to have a metering device which is more functional and can be handled easily compared to known metering devices in all conditions of use and by any user.
Moreover, it would be desirable to have a metering device which has a greater constructional simplicity so as to reduce its production cost considerably. In this way, after its initial use in conditions of maximum hygiene and safety, the metering device could be thrown away, avoiding laborious and costly cleaning and sterilisation operations.

Device for the manual metering of a medical fluid, particularly bone cement


An analog to digital converter includes leakage current correction circuitry to cancel leakage current injected by a reset switch employing a dummy PMOS switch with a shape factor substantially similar to that of the reset switch. An operational amplifier replicates the voltage of the comparator sense input node to the drain of the dummy transistor to create the same operating point as the reset switch. The resulting leakage current is then repeated and fed back to the node to cancel the offending leakage current.

Reference is now made to FIG. 1 which depicts a general block diagram of a successive approximation analog to digital converter 10. The successive approximation analog to digital converter 10 comprises a sample and hold circuit 12, a comparator 14, a successive approximation register (SAR) 16, and a digital to analog converter (DAC) 18. The sample and hold circuit 12 acquires an analog input voltage V. The comparator 14 compares analog input voltage Vin to the analog output voltage of the DAC 18 and outputs a digital signal to the SAR 16 representative of the comparison. The SAR 16 supplies an approximate digital representation of analog input voltage Vin to the DAC 18 and the DAC 18 supplies the comparator 14 with the analog voltage equivalent of the digital output of the SAR 16 for comparison with analog input voltage Vin. The SAR 16 is initialized so that the most significant bit (DMSB) is equal to a digital 1. This code is fed into the DAC, which then supplies the analog equivalent of this digital code (VREF/2) into the comparator 14 for comparison with the sampled input voltage Vin held by the output of sample and hold circuit 12. If the analog input voltage Vin exceeds VREF the comparator 14 signals the SAR 16 to set DMSB to 0 otherwise, DMSB remains a 1. Next DMSB-1 is set to 1 and the same test is performed by comparator 14. This cycle is repeated with the next bit until every bit in the SAR 16 has been tested down to D0. The resulting output from the SAR 16 at the end of the conversion (EOB) is the digital approximation of the sampled input voltage Vin which is finally output by the DAC 18.
Reference is now made to FIG. 2 which depicts a differential input, switched capacitor/resistor DAC 18 for use with a successive approximation analog to digital converter. The switched capacitor DAC 18 comprises an array 20 of individually switched, binary-weighted capacitors 1C-16C in combination with resistor divider array 21 having resistors R1-R128. It is to be understood that the DAC 18 could be implemented entirely with switched capacitors without the resistor divider array 21 without departing from the scope of the present invention. The digitization cycle starts by sampling the differential analog input (AINM AINP) and resetting the sense nodes of comparator 14 to half the analog supply (AVDD/2) by switching on comparator input reset switches 22a and 22b. A Person Having Ordinary Skill in the Art (PHOSITA) will readily recognize that only one switch is used for single-ended applications. The reset switches 22a and 22b are turned off during the approximation cycles (12 clock cycles for 12 bit ADC). During this time however, as explained in more detail herein below, switches 22a and 22b are injecting undesirable, voltage dependent leakage current into the input sense nodes of comparator 14 which accumulate enough charge to cause significant linearity errors. The problem is particularly acute at strong CMOS model corners and elevated temperatures when using deep submicron processes.
Reference is now made to FIG. 3 that depicts a typical switch 22 used for reset switches 22a and 22b. Switch 22 comprises a pMOS transistor and nMOS transistor coupled in parallel with their respective source and drain terminals coupled together. The gates of the pMOS and nMOS transistors are controlled in a complementary manner so that both transistors are either on or off When the voltage on the gate terminal is a logical 1 both the pMOS and nMOS transistor conduct and pass the signal between the analog supply (AVDD/2) and an input sense node on comparator 14. When the voltage on the gate terminal is a logical 0, both transistors are turned off forcing a high-impedance condition. In such an arrangement, the pMOS transistor in the switch 22 typically leaks current through the NWELL bulk node. Accordingly, the leakage current degrades the linearity of the analog to digital converter during successive approximation cycles.

Analog to digital converter with leakage current correction circuit


A facility for guiding users through a series of steps or tasks, often associated with a process, is described. The facility assigns tasks or steps to users having roles identified with the task or step. The role associated with the task or step may change depending on the state of the task or step. When the role associated with a task or step changes, the facility may assign the task or step to another user. The facility guides a user through a task or step by providing instructions and other information, such as data tables and user input fields, that may be used to complete the task or step. The facility provides for the definition of processes by allowing users to specify tasks, steps and instructions relating to processes.

Many business organizations have developed sophisticated user interfaces to facilitate the completion of processes such as sales processes, product design processes, processes associated with providing services, etc. Typically, such processes require substantial data entry and retrieval. Organizations may build the user interfaces that facilitate the completion of such processes using a set of screens and viewing components (e.g., views and applets) that expose a pre-defined set of fields in a pre-defined user interface metaphor.
As user interfaces become increasingly rich and complex, however, performing standard operations such as creating an account, creating a service request, creating a quote, accessing a price list, creating a business opportunity and following a process to the successful completion of an order becomes increasingly challenging. A standard task may be associated with a steep learning curve because the functionality that corresponds with the task is buried somewhere within sub-tabs of viewing components. Sometimes, organizations have no choice but to provide extensive training for employees, which can be costly and time consuming for the organization. Also, because the preferred method for completing a task (e.g., the "best practice") may be unclear throughout an organization, the organization may experience less than desirable results with respect to the completion of tasks due to inconsistencies in the way employees within the organization perform certain tasks.
The completion of tasks within an organization may be further complicated by the use of multi-task processes requiring a division of tasks among two or more individuals within the organization. For example, in the context of a sales quote, a sales agent may be responsible for the task or step of creating a quote, while a sales manager may be responsible for the task or step of approving that quote. While the sales agent may manually provide notice to the sales manager once the quote is ready for approval, providing such notice adds another unnecessary step to the task or and increases the likelihood that the results of the overall process will suffer from inconsistencies and inefficiencies. Moreover, when providing such notice is required, it becomes difficult to retain coherence between a particular task and the instructions required to complete that task.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have an easy-to-use facility that provides in-line support to users as they complete tasks ranging from simple to complex and allows various individuals involved in completing a multi-task process to receive notice of a task as soon as the task becomes available or necessary.


A mode-matched waveguide Y-junction with balanced or unbalanced splitting comprises an input waveguide, expanding from an input end to an output end, for expanding the input beam of light along a longitudinal axis; first and second output waveguides extending from the output end of the input waveguide separated by a gap. Ideally, each of the first and second output waveguides includes an initial section capable of supporting a fundamental super mode, and having an inner wall substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and a mode splitting section extending from the initial section at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis.

With reference to FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c, a junction section (JS) 4 of a conventional semiconductor waveguide Y-junction splitter 1 receives an input beam at an input port 2 for transmission to an input waveguide 3, and splits the input beam into two output beams onto two output waveguides 6 and 7 for output to two output ports 8 and 9, respectively. Typically, the input port 2 and the output ports 8 and 9 are optically coupled to external waveguides (not shown) for transmitting the optical beams to and from the Y-junction splitter 1. A good Y-junction splitter is characterized by low insertion loss (IL), i.e. the amount of power lost through the Y-junction splitter that does not go to the output waveguides 8 and 9; low return loss (RL), the amount of light reflected by the JS 4; and good split ratio, e.g. a balanced Y-junction splits evenly 50:50, not 51:49.
One problem that arises, especially with a high-index contrast platform, such as Si/SiO2 or SiN/SiO2, is that there can be an abrupt change in mode profile between the optical mode guided just before the JS 4 and the optical mode just after the JS 4. The abrupt change results in exciting multiple modes past the JS 4, such as high order guided modes or radiation modes. These parasitic modes can lead to high IL or RL.
Another problem arises with the design of unbalanced Y-junctions splitters. Although balanced Y-junction splitters are intuitively designed by symmetry, designing an unbalanced Y-junction splitter with an arbitrary split ratio is non-trivial; especially when low IL is required.
An object of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a more efficient Y-junction waveguide splitter.


An amphibious vehicle power train having an engine (2) with an output shaft (4), driving an input member (6) of a variable speed change transmission (11). The speed change transmission, which may be a continuously variable transmission is arranged to drive road wheels through an output member (8). The engine also drives a marine propulsion unit (24). The axis of the output member (8) is above the axis of the input member (6). Four wheel drive may be provided (FIG. 2).

The present invention relates to amphibious vehicles and in particular to power trains for such vehicles.
In one power train layout for an amphibious vehicle, as described in the applicant's co-pending application no. GB0422954.8, an engine is arranged so that its crankshaft drives a gearbox from which road and marine drive outputs are taken. The road drive is turned through an angle of up to 90.degree. by means of a bevel gearbox so as to provide an upwardly angled drive to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) speed change unit of the sort having two pulleys interconnected by a belt, which belt runs in a substantially horizontal plane. The output of the CVT unit then by means of a further substantially vertical shaft drives a differential coupled to the rear road wheels.
A problem with the aforesaid arrangement is that the provision of the CVT unit much above the crankshaft axis tends to cause vibration; while the location of the CVT unit weighing up to say 30 kg increases the amphibious vehicle's top weight. This in turn raises the vehicle's centre of gravity and increases its metacentric height, which deleteriously affects vehicle handling on both land and water.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An acquisition method for multi-dimensional Fourier transform NMR data allows efficient accumulation of the data and provides artifact suppression in the acquired data under many circumstances. The method comprises performing an excitation pulse sequence having at least one evolution period wherein excited nuclei will at least partially relax. A transient generated from the pulse sequence is collected and stored, and the sequence is repeated with the evolution period varied in a predetermined manner. Transient information is collected for all values of the evolution period, and then the phase of at least on RF pulse may be varied and the procedure repeated. Subsequently transient information having common evolution periods may be signal averaged to obtain the NMR data. The method avoids residual magnetization effects under many circumstances, and significantly reduces acquisition time for data collection in spectroscopy or imaging environments.

Multi-dimensional Fourier transform NMR spectroscopy, and imaging techniques, sometimes referred to as FT-NMR, is an important tool for characterizing the structure of complex molecules and is routinely used to provide information about chemical and biological systems and is becoming progressively important as a diagnostic imaging tool. Artifacts can complicate or lead to false interpretation of the data as well as obscure important spectral or image information. If artifacts result in misinterpretation of the spectral or image data, it should be evident that the resulting confusion will inhibit effective research and progress in our understanding of these systems. For example, the standard spectroscopic method for collection of COSY spectra, will generally produce artifacts at the frequencies of strong narrow resonances which can be confused with peaks that indicate J-coupling.
Methods of eliminating artifacts in 2D-NMR spectra and other NMR data have been previously proposed and include reduction of artifacts arising from such sources as instrument hardware including instabilities in RF phase and flip angle, variations in sampling intervals, lock and magnetic field instability, modulation of NMR signals by sample spinning, instabilities in receiver gain, in RF phase shifting, limited computer word length and others. (See, for example Mehlkcopf, et al. J. Magn. Resonance, 58, 315 (1984), Wider et al. J. Magn. Resonance, 56, 207 (1984) and Nagayama et al. J. Magn. Resonance, 31, 133 (1978)).
Careful instrument design and proper instrument maintenance have been used to remove most of the above stated problems. However, other sources of artifacts have also been identified. These problems include artifacts arising from post data acquisition processing including inaccuracies in Fourier transforms, improper weighing functions, and round-off errors in the Fourier transform.
Techniques have been described to resolve a number of these deficiencies in FT-NMR and other NMR experiments. Specifically, there have been techniques used to remove artifacts which arise from intense narrow resonances. Kramer et al. has disclosed (in U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,182) that certain resonant signal artifacts can be removed by applying a specific type of two-pulse sequence in an imaging system which results in phase variance of artifact signals. This two-pulse sequence causes the artifact signals to be reduced in amplitude or translated from the center of the NMR image acquired.
Glover et al. (in U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,183) has disclosed a method for reducing baseline error components in NMR studies by deriving a baseline error signal and thereafter using this signal to compensate for the error in the acquired NMR data. This invention also discloses certain types of pulse sequences and collection methods for refining signals. In spectroscopy experiments, baseline error corrections have been used to remove t.sub.1 ridges or other artifacts, but require longer acquisition times and do not address discrete artifacts but only baseline offset errors.
Although numerous techniques have been employed to attempt to remove or eliminate artifacts, artifacts in highly symmetrical strong resonances still remain and still plague NMR spectral interpretation or imaging, especially by people that are not extremely well trained in these areas. Artifacts which result from the inherent response of the nuclear spins to the pulse sequences used in the experiments have not been accounted for. The duration of the pulses used in standard types of spectral data collection techniques such as COSY, NOESY or ROSEY arise from the fact that the sample is not allowed to relax completely after the pulse sequence. Therefore, parts of the spectrum that were not allowed to relax will continue throughout the remainder of the sequence, and appear as additional artifacts.
For example, the standard method for collection of COSY 2D-FT-NMR data involves collection of all transients in a single evolution time before incrementing t.sub.1. Appropriate phase cycling to systematically eliminate some artifacts, and cancellation of DC offsets which might arise from imbalanced receiver channels facilitates the method. A pulse sequence conventionally used in this method is shown below: ##EQU1## where x is 0.degree., 90.degree., 180.degree. or 270.degree., y is x+90.degree., ss is the number of dummy steady state pulse cycles which are discarded before transient acquisition, NT is the number of transients averaged, n is the number of t.sub.1 increments, and AT is the acquisition time. The dummy scans are used to establish what in principle should be a steady state, and are not stored or used to obtain NMR data. Ideally, the repetition time for each cycle should be 5-10 times the T.sub.1 value of the proton in the molecule. Using a pulse sequence having a long relaxation delay to compensate for slower relaxing molecules is practically impossible since this would require 12-24 hours to collect a single spectrum. Therefore, zero to one second relaxation delays are normally used to permit reasonably short experiment times (1-2 hours).
When magnetization is not permitted to fully decay (as is typically the case) this method produces systematic t.sub.1 artifacts such as the characteristic "false" COSY cross-peaks that appear at the frequencies of strong narrow resonances.
With short repetition times, longitudinal and transverse magnetization which survives a first 90-t.sub.1 -90 cycle gets carried through additional cycles and contributes to the observed signal in subsequent transients. For example, magnetization from methyl or isolated aromatic protons, which have long relaxation times and produce intense sharp signals, are especially prone to produce artifacts. In fact, these and other protons can produce magnetization components which are carried through many cycles and can contribute to numerous COSY artifacts.
In typical 2D-FT-NMR acquisition methods, phase cycling methods are commonly used which prevent a true steady state magnetization from being established. Calculations of the observed COSY signal after one or more cycles show that residual magnetizations do indeed survive and carry a history of their behavior through successive evolution periods. These residual magnetizations that survive for n cycles will produce artifacts at n times the precession frequencies of the contributing signals.
For example, it can be shown that when using phase cycling techniques, the observable COSY signal at t.sub.2 =0 from an AB system after the first transient (x=0.degree.) is described by: ##EQU2## where .OMEGA..sub.A,B are the precession frequencies of A and B respectively.
It has been found that after a 90.degree. phase shift (x=90.degree.), the observable COSY signal becomes as follows: ##EQU3##
The first four terms of this expression represent the normal COSY diagonal and cross peaks while the last terms show residual magnetization components. These residual magnetization components which survive through a second cycle will carry a history of their behavior through two t.sub.1 evolution periods and show additional cross peaks at 2.OMEGA. in the f.sub.1 dimension. The residual magnetization components in the observable COSY signal could be destroyed by the application of a "homospoil" pulse sequence or a 90.degree. RF pulse sandwiched by two gradient pulses. Unfortunately, application of a "homospoil" pulse would disrupt a stable lock condition in the system and produce a different set of artifacts.
It has thus been found that phase cycling techniques may be used to eliminate undesirable magnetization effects which are not accounted for in standard acquisition techniques but other discrete artifacts are produced. The elimination of the discrete artifacts due to residual magnetization would require the elimination of phase cycling techniques in standard acquisition methods, which are used in the elimination of other artifacts. These contrary requirements have led to a choice being made between which artifact producing components will be accounted for in the acquisition method.
Another problematic aspect of presently known acquisition methods lies in the inability to conduct the NMR experiments in an efficient manner. A typical 2D-FT-NMR spectroscopy experiment will include signal averaging techniques as well as the use of dummy scans or steady state cycles to facilitate the elimination of artifacts. Such an experiment may take as long as several to tens of hours depending on the extent of the data set collected. As the length of the experiment increases, the necessity for backing up the data onto disk also increases to avoid loss of data in the event of power failure or the like. These input/output procedures add to the overall experiment time significantly, thereby exacerbating the problem of inefficient use of a computer for significant periods for only one experiment. These problems become more significant with the advent of 3D-FT-NMR or higher multi-dimensional NMR experiments which require the acquisition of enormous data sets. For example, in a recent publication of a 3D NMR experiment, by Boelens, et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 111, 8525 (1989), a spectrum was recorded with two dummy scans and eight scans and resulted in a real 200* 224* 512 data matrix in the t.sub.1, t.sub.2 and t.sub.3 dimension, respectively. The experiment took approximately 137 hours of machine time, with disk input/output operations accounting for about 29 hours of this total. Similarly, the acquisition methods used in imagining techniques may lead to visual artifacts which obscure important diagnostic information. The present methods of reducing artifacts in imaging require additional steady state cycles or pulse sequences to establish steady state magnetization, measure error components or attempt to remove residual magnetization effects. All these methods will add to some degree the acquisition time needed to obtain as error-free data as possible which may be unacceptable in imaging due to patient comfort and similar considerations.

Alternate method of Fourier transform NMR data acquisition


The present invention provides an isolated alpha-farnesene synthase and polynucleotide sequences encoding the enzyme. The invention also provides nucleic acid constructs, vectors and host cells incorporating the polynucleotide sequences. It further relates to the production of alpha-farnesene using the enzyme and modulation of alpha-farnesene synthesis in plants and selection of plants with altered alpha-farnesene synthase activity.

Alpha-farnesene (FIG. 1) is an acyclic sesquiterpene hydrocarbon (C15H24; 3,7,11-trimethyl-1,3,6,10-dodecatetraene) that is either constitutively present or induced in a wide range of species.
The biosynthetic pathway for the sesquiterpenes branches off from the general terpenoid pathway, beginning with the allylic diphosphate ester farnesyl diphosphate (FDP, also shortened to FPP) (Bohlmann, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 95, 4126-4133 (1998), Cane and Bowser, Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 9, 1127-1132 (1999), Davis and Croteau, Top. Curr. Chem. 209, 53-95 (2000)). Alpha-farnesene is synthesised from FDP in a reaction that proceeds through a carbocation intermediate (FIG. 2) and is catalysed by the sesquiterpene synthase alpha-farnesene synthase (Rupasinghe, et al., J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci. 123, 882-886 (1998)). The pathway for sesquiterpene biosynthesis, the acetate/mevalonate pathway, is localised to the cytoplasm; in contrast to the pathways for monoterpene and diterpene biosynthesis, which occur in the chloroplast (Croteau, et al., In Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plants, eds Buchanan, Gruissem and Jones, American Society of Plant Physiologists, 1250-1318 (2000); Lange, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 97, 13172-13177 (2000)).
All known plant terpene synthases, however, whether monoterpene, sesquiterpene or diterpene, appear to be closely related. Similarities include the positioning of intron sequences (Trapp and Croteau, Genetics 158, 811-832 (2001)) and the presence of conserved sequences, such as an aspartate-rich DDXX(D,E) motif (Lesburg, et al., Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol. 8, 695-703 (1998)). This motif is involved in the binding of metal ions, usually Mg2+, that are necessary for catalysis. (Lesburg, et al., Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol. 8, 695-703 (1998)).
Alpha-farnesene synthase has been partially purified from the skin of apple fruit (Malus domestica Delicious). However, poor recovery and instability of the partially purified enzyme restricted further purification (Rupasinghe, et al., J. Am. Soc. Hortic. 125, 111-119 (2000)).
Alpha-farnesene is an insect attractant. It is a sex pheromone in mice and insects. Oxygenated (including chemicals occurring on exposure to air) alpha-farnesene products (eg farnesol, farnesal) have characteristic aromas (flavour/fragrance use). Other uses for alpha-farnesene and its derivatives are as potent cancer prevention agents, and in plastic film synthesis.
There is also a link between both the levels of alpha-farnesene and its oxidation products and the development of superficial scald, a postharvest physiological disorder that appears as a dark coloration of the apple skin following cool storage (Watkins, et al., Acta Hort. 343, 155-160 (1993), Ju and Bramlage, J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci. 125, 498-504 (2000), Whitaker and Saftner, J. Agric. Food Chem. 48, 2040-2043 (2000), Rowan, et al., J. Agric. Food Chem. 49, 2780-2787 (2001)). To date the causal relationship between alpha-farnesene and scald is still unclear (Ju and Curry, J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci. 125, 626-629 (2000), Rupasinghe, et al., J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci. 125, 111-119 (2000)). Ethylene production and alpha-farnesene biosynthesis also appear to be closely associated (Watkins, et al., Acta Hort. 343, 155-160 (1993), Fan, et al., J. Agric. Food Chem. 47, 3063-3068 (1999)). Recently it has been shown that ethylene may regulate the biosynthesis of alpha-farnesene during fruit ripening by acting on the mevalonate pathway, specifically by inducing the conversion of hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA to mevalonic acid (Ju and Curry, J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci. 125, 105-110 (2000), Ju and Curry, Postharvest Biol. Technol. 19, 9-16 (2000), Ju and Curry, J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci. 126, 491-495 (2001)).
It is an object of the invention to provide methods for in vitro synthesis of alpha-farnesene and/or for genetically modifying plants to alter the levels of alpha-farnesene synthase activities in plants; and/or to offer the public a useful choice.

Plant alpha farnesene synthase and polynucleotides encoding same

The Horticulture and Food Research Institute of New Zealand Limited


System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to identifying changes within a surrounding environment of a vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes collecting, using at least one sensor of the vehicle, sensor data about the surrounding environment. The method includes analyzing the sensor data to identify features of the surrounding environment. The features are landmarks of the surrounding environment that are indicated within a map of the surrounding environment. The sensor data indicates at least measurements associated with the features as acquired by the at least one sensor. The method includes computing persistence likelihoods for the features according to a persistence model that characterizes at least prior observations of the features and relationships between the features. The persistence likelihoods indicate estimated persistences of the features to indicate whether the features likely still exist. The method includes controlling the vehicle according to the persistence likelihoods.

Autonomous vehicles may be equipped with many sensors that allow the vehicles to perceive other vehicles, obstacles, and pedestrians in the environment. Moreover, the autonomous vehicles can use information about perceived features in the environment to localize the vehicle. That is, the autonomous vehicle can correlate perceived features (e.g., road markings, terrain, etc.) with mapped features to determine a position within the environment. Accordingly, a static feature-based map that includes position information for the mapped features can be used as a basis for comparison to perform the localization. However, as aspects of an environment change from construction or other causes, the changes can cause difficulties with localizing the vehicle according to the feature map.

System and method for online probabilistic change detection in feature-based maps


A system for identifying at least one species in space includes a physical response module for outputting multiple spectral data based on received signals from a target in space; a calibration module for receiving the spectral data and outputting a first dataset, including density of an {x, y, z} coordinate location in space as a function of time, t; and a classification module for receiving the first dataset, and outputting a second dataset including multiple tuples of {x, y, z, t, d} associated with the at least one species, wherein d is density of the at least one species. Also included is an HD processor for receiving the second dataset from the classification module and providing a visual image of the second dataset to a user.

The Earth's magnetosphere occupies a region of space in which the Earth's magnetic field dominates the pressure exerted by the solar wind flowing outwardly from the sun. The solar wind includes constantly radiating enormous amounts of energy across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. In addition, the solar wind includes a steady stream of charged particles, such as protons, electrons and neutrons. The magnetosphere is the Earth's geomagnetic field.
The magnetosphere is partially flattened on the sunlit side of the Earth, flattened directly from the pressure applied to the magnetosphere by the solar wind. On the side of the Earth opposite that facing the sun, however, the geomagnetic field is stretched out, past the Earth, for millions of miles. On the sunlit side of the Earth, the geomagnetic field extends past the Earth for less than ten Earth radii.
Adding to the normal energy output from the sun, there are periodic and random solar activities that result in massive increases in ambient energy. The prime events in solar activities are the coronal mass ejection (CME) and the solar flare. A large CME may contain 10 billion tons of matter that is accelerated to several million miles per hour. A solar flare is an explosive release of energy including electromagnetic and charged particles. The energy released is substantial and may be equal to the simultaneous detonation of a trillion five-megaton nuclear weapons.
The Earth's magnetic field deflects some of the solar particles, but at some locations on the Earth, such as above the polar caps, the solar particles interact with the near-Earth environment. However, when strong solar winds sweep past the Earth, they cause shockwaves to ripple through the magnetosphere.
Geomagnetic storms cause rapid fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field and increase the amount of ionized particles impinging on the Earth's ionosphere. These rapid fluctuations may cause failure of power grids on the Earth, orientation errors in navigation systems relying on magnetic compasses, and sporadic or total blackouts of communication systems. In addition, satellites relying on optical sensors to gaze at stars to maintain orientation in space may be vulnerable to cosmic rays and high-energy protons. These energy protons may produce flashes of light, causing false-star detection and attitude errors with respect to the Earth.
Furthermore, a geomagnetic storm or proton event may physically damage a launch vehicle or its payload. The electrostatic charge deposited on the vehicle may be discharged by onboard electrical activity, such as vehicle commands from a flight control system. In fact, with newer microelectronics and their lower operating voltages, it is actually easier to cause electrical upsets than on older, simpler vehicles.
Due to limitations in available data, such as stratification of ionized species and their dynamics, very little has been done to effectively visualize or even represent dynamics of space weather. Current understanding is primarily limited to insitu measurements of species, tabular specifications of energy doses and capture of solar events. The current visualization of space weather and its dynamics revolve around mathematical modeling and simulation of various parts of the space weather system. The result is a very coarse, limiting and, at times, inaccurate representation of what actually happens. For example, in a Google Earth's depiction of space weather, the Earth's atmosphere is represented as an even spherical cover having color coding depicting energy levels or electron density. The specific ionic species, densities and interactions are not shown, and the resolution of distinguishing patterns are extremely large and cover entire continents at a time.
What is needed is a method and system for gathering sufficient data that is accurate enough to describe and visualize space weather including the volume of species, their dynamics and their geospatial coverage around the globe. The present invention addresses this need.

System and method of visualization of species characterization, dynamics and stratification of the magnetosphere


A signal detection method applied in an electronic device includes: resetting each optical sensor at a first time point; collecting a first signal output by the optical sensor at the first time point, a second signal output by the optical sensor at a second time point, a third signal output by the optical sensor at a third time point, and a fourth signal output by the optical sensor at a fourth time point; obtaining a first difference value between the first signal and the second signal and a second difference value between the third signal and the fourth signal, and determining a sum of the first difference value and the second difference value as a signal variation amount in a current cycle. Also disclosed are an associated electronic device and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium.

With the development of electronic technology and the widespread use of fingerprint identification technology, an under-screen fingerprint identification technology is currently proposed to perform fingerprint identification according to image information above a display screen, the image information being collected below the display screen by utilizing the characteristic that ultrasonic waves and light can penetrate through the display screen.
A liquid crystal display (LCD) screen is a common display screen. In related technologies, an optical sensor is provided below the LCD screen to detect a light signal above the LCD screen and obtain a signal variation amount above the LCD screen, the variation amount being used to represent the image information above the LCD screen, so that fingerprint identification can be performed according to the variation amount.

Signal detection method and electronic device

Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd.


The present invention relates to a joint mechanism (100), a method for controlling the joint mechanism (100), a multi-arm device (200) including the joint mechanism (100), and a robot. The joint mechanism (100) comprises: a base (4) having a pivot shaft (41); a swinging arm (1) having a first end (11) mounted on the pivot shall (41); a first driving member (2) and a second driving member (3) mounted on the pivot shall (41) for interacting with the swinging arm (1) through magnetorheological fluid; and a first electromagnetic component (22) and a second electromagnetic component (32), configured to change phase state of the magnetorheological fluid. The first driving member (2) and the second driving member (3) can selectively drive tire swinging arm (1) to rotate along a first direction or a second direction.

Robots have been widely used in industrial fields. Among others, joint robots are particularly popular due to their many advantages, such as large operating range, flexible movement, compact structure, or the like. The joint of a robot usually includes a rotatable swinging arm, and a driving mechanism for driving the swinging arm into rotation.
In current joint robots, each joint of a robot is directly driven by a motor, for example, a stepper motor, a DC servo motor, an AC servo motor, a hydraulic servo motor, etc. However, due to inherent characteristics of these motors, this design will cause a large inertia of the swinging arm of each joint of the robot, so that it is difficult to achieve high-speed reciprocal swing movement.

Joint mechanism, method for controlling the same, multi-arm device, and robot

GUANGDONG O-MATIC INTELLIGENT ROBOT LIMITED


An information processing system includes a processing device communication with an information terminal. The system includes an input unit receiving user input, a display unit, a screen transition unit which decides a screen to be displayed and performs a screen transition based on the input of the input unit and the display unit, a screen transition score calculation unit which calculates a screen transition score for each screen transition, an item database which associates and stores an item name and attribute, an attribute score database which associates and stores the item attribute and an attribute score, an item search unit which searches the item database based on the user's input, and extracts the item attribute, and a score addition unit which adds the screen transition score calculated by the score calculation unit to the attribute score associated with the item attribute extracted by the item search unit.

In recent years, the research and development of recommendation technologies for extracting an item which coincides with the user's preference from huge quantities of items and recommending the extracted item to the user are being actively conducted. For instance, digital TVs are equipped with a function of extracting the characteristics of programs viewed or recorded by a user, and recommending similar programs to be broadcast in the future to that user. In the foregoing case, values are given to attributes such as "category, "channel" and "time slot" in program units, values of the respective attributes of the viewed or recorded programs are vectorized as the user's preference information, and future programs to be recommended are also vectorized. Subsequently, the similarity ratio between the vectors of the respective attributes is calculated, and future programs with a high similarity ratio are recommended. When calculating the similarity ratio of the attribute vectors, the method of calculating the Euclid distance or the inner product is used. PTL 1 discloses an invention of analyzing the user's preference based on the user's actions with regard to contents and contents information, and thereby generating preference information.

Information processing system and information processing device


Embodiments of the present disclosure describe aquaculture filtration systems comprising a tidal basin, first bead filter unit, second bead filter unit, and optionally an inoculation tank. The tidal basin and first bead filter unit can be in fluid communication. The first bead filter unit can be in fluid communication with the second bead filter unit and optionally the tidal basin via a bypass line. The second bead filter unit can be in fluid communication with the tidal basin and optionally an inoculation tank via an inoculation loop. The aquaculture filtration systems can optionally further comprise pumps for circulating fluids, such as circulation pumps and inoculation pumps, and valves for controlling or directing fluid flow. Embodiments also describe related methods, systems, apparatuses, and the like.

Aquaculture may be described as the process of farming aquatic organisms, including plants, animals, or the like, for human consumption as a food source or other uses. In some aquaculture systems, an artificial environment is created that is suitable for habitation and growth of farmed plants or animals.
One important aspect of successful aquaculture is to provide a clean aqueous environment for organisms to live and thrive. For example, it may be important for successful aquaculture to provide for constant or relatively constant filtration of liquid water.
Known techniques for providing water filtration for aquaculture purposes suffer from drawbacks, in expense, degree of maintenance required, and complexity. In light of these deficiencies, a need exists for improved filtration techniques for the filtering of water for purposes of aquaculture.


A row decoder circuit is described of the type comprising at least one input stage connected to a first supply voltage reference and to an output stage connected to a second supply voltage reference, the output stage having at least one output terminal connected to a word line of a memory matrix. The row decoder circuit further comprises a biasing device, connected to a third supply voltage reference and comprising at least one generator of a negative voltage connected to a divider, in turn connected to a first biasing terminal of the biasing device. In particular, the first biasing terminal is connected to at least one input stage in correspondence with bulk terminals of MOS transistors comprised in the input stage and it is suitable for supplying it with a first negative voltage.

As it is well known, one of the most delicate and complex operations in the functioning of flash memories is the electric erase of the same.
This erase operation comprises, in reality, more steps which, according to the technology and to the manufacturer of the flash memory, can be slightly different both in type and in number.
The selective verify steps of the flash memory cells are particularly problematic, such as the verify step of the deplete state, the so called depletion verify. This depletion verify step in fact requires, at least in some technologies, that high negative voltage values are applied to the gate terminals only of some cells of the memory, in particular, the cells which are deselected with respect to this depletion verify step. Only in this way it is possible to avoid leakage due to the undesired conduction by cells which, due to a higher erase speed, reach a negative threshold state, i.e., a deep depletion state at the end of an erase pulse, which, as it is known, interests a whole sector of a flash memory.
In other words, the application of the erase pulse to a sector of the flash memory, calibrated so as to ensure the erase of all the memory cells of the sector and thus regulated for the "harder" cells to be erased (cells with low erase speed) causes the switching, into a deep depletion state, of the "easier" cells to be erased (cells with high erase speed).
The depletion verify step thus needs a voltage with high negative value for carrying out a correct verification also of the cells having high erase speed.
From a circuit point of view, this implies the introduction, into a row decoder circuit, of suitable circuitry able to generate the high negative voltage required.
It is to be noted that this circuitry generating the high negative voltage inside the row decoder circuit is not necessary for the correct execution of the real erase step. In fact, in the erase step, a negative voltage value (normally equal to about −8V) is applied to the gate terminals of all the cells of a sector: the erase step of a flash memory is thus an operation which is non selective, but interests all the cells of a memory sector.
It is known to realize this circuitry generating the high negative voltage by introducing, into the row decoder circuit, suitable level shifters. These level shifters, even if realized in a distributed way, i.e., in such a way as to be shared by more rows of the memory matrix, often must however be integrated in the pitch of the cells and they thus increase the area occupation thereof. In the known solutions, these level shifters substantially double the area occupation of the row decoder circuit.
Row decoder circuits with very compact layout and able to apply a strongly negative voltage to all the cells of a memory sector are also known.
Such a circuit is schematically shown in FIG. 1, globally indicated with 1.
The row decoder circuit 1 comprises an input stage 2 connected to an output stage, in particular a row driver 3, in turn connected to a control or gate terminal G4 of the memory cells 4. The row decoder circuit 1 also comprises a decoupling stage 5, inserted between the input stage 2 and the row driver 3, as well as a biasing block 6, connected to the row driver 3.
More in particular, the input stage 2 is inserted between a first and a second supply voltage reference, in particular, a supply voltage Vdd and a ground GND and it has a first input terminal I21 connected to an address buffer Add, as well as a second input terminal I22 receiving a clock signal, Ck. The input stage 2 comprises a first transistor M1, a second transistor M2 and a third transistor M3, as well as selection transistors Mn (in the example, for sake of simplicity, only one has been shown) inserted, in series to each other, between the supply reference Vdd and the ground GND.
In the example shown in FIG. 1, the first transistor M1 is a PMOS transistor inserted between the supply voltage reference Vdd and an output terminal O2 of the input stage 2 and having a gate terminal connected to the gate terminal of the third transistor M3 and to the second input terminal I22 of the input stage 2. This third transistor M3 is of the NMOS type and it is inserted between the selection transistors Mn and the ground GND.
The second transistor M2 and the selection transistor Mn are transistors of the NMOS type, inserted between the output terminal O2 and the third transistor M3 and they have gate terminals connected to the first input terminal I21 of the input stage 2.
The signals applied to the input stage 2 can vary between the ground GND (0V) and the supply voltage Vdd, generally equal to 3V, as indicated on the bus Add.
The row driver 3 comprises a first transistor M4 and a second transistor M5 inserted, in series to each other, between a third supply voltage reference, in particular a regulation voltage Vreg, and a biasing node XB. The first transistor M4 and second transistor M5 have gate terminals connected to each other and to an input terminal I3 of the row driver 3, and they are interconnected in correspondence with an output terminal O3 of this row driver 3, in turn connected to a word line wl, i.e., a gate terminal G4 of the memory cells 4.
In particular, in the example shown in FIG. 1, the first transistor M4 is a PMOS transistor and the second transistor M5 is a NMOS transistor, interconnected in the form of a CMOS buffer.
The biasing node XB is also connected to the biasing block 6, in turn comprising a negative voltage generator G6 connected to this biasing node XB by means of a switch SW6. The switch SW6 is connected, in a fixed way, to the biasing node XB and, in an alternated or switched way, between the ground and the negative voltage generator G6. In substance, the switch SW6 allows to substitute the ground GND with the voltage supplied by the generator G6 for biasing the second transistor M5 of the row driver 3.
It is suitable to note that the signals applied to the row driver 3 can vary between the ground GND (0V) and a programming voltage value Vpcx, distinct from the supply voltage. Vdd and generally equal to 9V, as indicated in correspondence with the input terminal I3 of the row driver 3.
The decoupling stage 5 comprises a first transistor M6, inserted between the output terminal O2 of the input stage 2 and the input terminal I3 of the row driver 3 and having a gate terminal biased by means of a suitable signal P, as well as a second transistor M7, inserted between the regulation voltage reference Vreg and the input terminal I3 of the row driver 3 and having a gate terminal suitably driven by means of a signal Pull.
Also the signals applied to the decoupling stage 5 can vary between the ground GND (0V) and the programming voltage Vpcx (generally equal to 9V), as schematically indicated in correspondence with the first transistor M6.
The bulk terminals of the second transistor M2 and of the third transistor M3 of the input stage 2 as well as of the first transistor M6 of the decoupling stage 5 are connected to the ground GND.
The row decoder circuit 1 is used for applying a strongly negative voltage to the word lines of a memory sector during the erase step.
Unfortunately, the row decoder circuit 1 is not suitable for the application of sufficiently negative voltages in a selective way, for example to the word lines which are deselected during the depletion verify step, voltages which take into account the process variations due to the cells in the deep depletion state.
Also the row decoder circuit 1 shown in FIG. 1 must thus be integrated with suitable level shifters for correctly conducting the depletion verify step also on cells in a deep depletion state, with the consequent problems relative to the increase of the area occupation.

Row decoder circuit and related system and method


An extrusion apparatus includes a diagnostic system with a material processing section and an extruder screw disposed for rotation in a barrel and surrounded by a shroud assembly. The apparatus includes a temperature control system with heater sand cooler. The apparatus includes a speed control apparatus that has a drive unit and a speed variation device that is coupled to the extruder screw. The apparatus includes a diagnostic system in communication with the material processing section and/or the speed control apparatus. The diagnostic system includes a sensor system in communication with the material processing section and/or the speed control apparatus; and a computer processor in communication with the sensor system and a computer. The computer processor includes a computer readable medium that employs one or more algorithms and that are executable by the computer to generate signals characterizing performance of the material processing section and/or the speed control apparatus.

Extrusion devices are used to melt, blend, and form materials into a desired shape. Typical extrusion devices include a rotating screw housed coaxially within a temperature controlled, cylindrically-shaped barrel. The screw rotates within the barrel and drives an extrusion material, such as plastic, through the barrel. The extrusion material is forced through a die or aperture at the end of the barrel. The speed of the screw rotation is typically controlled via a controller to obtain a predetermined flow of extruded material at an appropriate temperature.
The temperature of the extrusion material is usually controlled in the barrel to achieve a product having desired characteristics and one that has an appropriate consistency to be forced through the die. For example, the temperature within the barrel is controlled with the use of heaters (e.g., electronic coil heaters) and coolers (e.g., water or air circulating heat exchangers).
A controller receives signals from the temperature sensors positioned in and around the barrel of the extrusion apparatus at different locations along the length of the barrel. The controller determines whether the temperature of a given heat exchange zone is too cool or too hot relative to the temperature set point for that heat exchange zone. If there is a difference, the controller signals the appropriate heater or cooler to increase or decrease the heat in the particular zone.
Prior art extrusion systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,266,274 B2 to Christiano et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 9,782,922 B2 to Christiano et al. Referring to FIG. 1, these extrusion systems specifically disclose a plurality of heater-cooler systems 43 with a plurality of heaters in thermal communication with a barrel of an extrusion apparatus 40. As shown in FIG. 1, each of the heater-cooler systems 43 includes an intake port 55 with a blower 57 connected thereto. As shown in FIG. 2, the extrusion apparatus 40 includes a plurality of heaters 45, 46, 47.
In FIG. 3 one shroud assembly 51 is shown, for example. However, The extrusion apparatus 40 includes a plurality of the shroud assemblies 51 adjacent to one another and corresponding to each of the heater-cooler systems 43 shown in FIG. 1 As shown in FIG. 3, each of the shroud assemblies 51 has an intake port 55 and an exhaust port 56 with a blower 57 (see FIG. 1) connected to the intake port 55. The blower 57 shown in FIG. 1 delivers air to the cavity. A portion of each of the shroud assemblies 51 includes an exhaust port 56 that has a moveable flap 58F. Operation of the blower 57 shown in FIG. 1 increases the pressure in the cavity opening the flap 58F as shown in FIG. 3. When the blower 57 shown in FIG. 1 is de-energized, the flap 58F shown in FIG. 3 seals the cavity in a closed position.
The aforementioned prior art extrusion systems experience component failures that cause unexpected downtime leading to reduced productivity and profitability. Component failure in extrusion systems includes, but is not limited to, motor and gear box failures due to bearing wear, heater failure on the extrusion apparatus and downstream components, excessive wear on the screw and barrel causing processing problems and electrical component failure (e.g., motor drive control system, etc.).
CN202021800 discloses an air-cooled electromagnetic heating device for a plastic extrusion device, which includes a thermal insulation layer, an electromagnetic induction coil, and a temperature measuring element.
CN10279500 discloses a production method of a winding hose linkage production method and a device thereof, including a hose extruder, a hose freezer, a steel wire winding machine, and a tractor thereof, and other related equipment.
JP61241124 discloses a plastic molding machine such as an extruder, an injection molding machine, and a blow molding machine having a melting process of a plastic material and a control system for performing automatic diagnosis of transportation and mixing in a pool and a melting zone.
JPS6331731 discloses a method for controlling an extrusion molding machine, an injection molding machine, and a blow molding machine such as an extruder for molding a molten plastic material.
U.S. Pat. No. Re. 31,903 discloses the control of the operating temperature of an extruder barrel in a system which includes a shell surrounding the barrel and providing heat exchange elements for exchanging heat with the extruder barrel.
International Patent Application No. WO 01/58667 A1 discloses an extruder temperature controller for an extruder barrel including means for determining an actual screw speed and has means for storing a plurality of screw speeds.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2018/0180516 A1 discloses a method for real-time diagnostic equipment that generates vibration and static equipment with a plurality of sensors installed on or mounted proximate to the equipment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,595 discloses an apparatus for extrusion of a thermoplastic material comprises an extruder with an extruder screw and an extruder housing with a feed opening, a feed device, a drive with a variable speed motor and a regulating device cascade for the mass temperature.
EP 2 975 480 discloses systems and methods for receiving an indication of a selection of a first piece of equipment in an industrial monitoring system. The systems and methods also include determining a first feature of interest in a plot corresponding to a first sensor. Additionally, the systems and methods include matching the first feature of interest with corresponding second features of interest in a second plot. Furthermore, the systems and methods include overlaying the first plot with the second plot based at least in part on the first feature of interest and the corresponding second feature of interest.
ES2532750A1 relates to a method using an intelligent module (e.g., a computer) permanently installed in a production tooling capable of acquisition and storage of production data and expert evaluation of results in each cycle in a learning stage that generates an expert model to evaluate each production cycle in a phase production and orders autonomous control actions necessary to the production machinery incorporating such tools.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2016/0236392 relates to a molding condition diagnostic device which can diagnose appropriateness of a preset molding condition according to a measured value detected during continuous automated operation.
Thus, there is a need for a diagnostic troubleshooting system for extrusion apparatuses that identifies component failure to address the foregoing problems.

Diagnostic troubleshooting system for an extrusion system


A method for generating and registering an identification in a wireless sensor network. The method includes generating an identification of a first layer node; transmitting the identification of the first layer node to a second layer node; detecting whether the identification of the first layer node is duplicated, using the second layer node; if the identification of the first layer node is not duplicated, transmitting a determination message from the second layer node to the first layer node; and determining the identification of the first layer node as a determined identification. The method further includes: if the second layer node does not have a determined identification, re-transmitting the identification of the first layer node after a predetermined period of time has lapsed. Therefore, an automatically identification allocating method using a hierarchical structure can be adopted to enable a distributed management.

1. Field of the Invention
Methods consistent with the present invention related to efficiently generating and registering a node identification (ID) in a wireless sensor network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ubiquitous computing technology is to create a ubiquitous space (i.e., a space in which information is exchanged through ubiquitous computers beyond recognition of human beings) in which invisible computers are installed in a large number of environments and objects, and connected to an electronic space so as to exchange information. In general, sensor nodes are connected to various kinds of sensors (light, temperature, humidity sensors and the like) in a ubiquitous computing environment in which a large number of invisible computers are embedded in an object and connected to a network so as to be managed.
Thus, an ID system for independently managing such sensors is required under the ubiquitous computing technology. That is, a method of classifying and naming many sensor nodes is required. A numbering method of allocating different IDs to sensor nodes in advance before installing the sensor nodes may be taken as an example of a method of automatically allocating IDs to sensor nodes. However, even in a case where the numbering method is used, human beings or servers are additionally required to manage IDs. Also, it is difficult to rapidly configure a wireless sensor network.
According to a random number generating method that is another method of allocating IDs to nodes, sensor nodes randomly select a number n from a number range from 1 to m and transmit the number n to a base station. If another sensor node does not solicit for the number n as an ID, the base station transmits the number n to a sensor node having solicited for the number n, and then the sensor node uses the number n as its ID. If not, a random number is re-generated, and then the above-described process is repeated. However, in the random number generating method, the random number may be duplicately generated, and control traffic may concentrate at the base station.
In a location based method as another method of allocating IDs to nodes, geographical location information as to sensor nodes are obtained using a global positioning system (GPS), and then an ID system is established based on geographical coordinate values. However, the location based method depends on location information and thus, is difficult to be applied to mobile nodes.
In a central managing method, sensor nodes solicit a base station for IDs, and the base station allocates IDS to the sensor nodes without duplicating the IDs. However, excessive traffic can occur at the base station.
Accordingly, a method of generating and registering an ID is required to solve the above problems. Also, integrated collection and management of hierarchical information and content information of sensor nodes must be achieved to provide accurate services that users demand. As a result, a method of generating and registering an ID including hierarchical information and content information is required.

Method for generating and registering identification in wireless sensor network


Described is a three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment presenting defined biochemical and physical cues that regulate cellular behavior and use of the microenvironment. A composition to form the 3D microenvironment is provided by combining one or more natural or synthetic polymeric materials and substrate proteins recombinantly or chemically functionalized with a variety of bioactive peptides such as extracellular matrix-derived or growth factor-derived peptides. Also described are devices and methods for screening for optimal combinations of the bioactive motifs in order to create an extracellular microenvironment that can regulate specific cellular behavior such as cell growth, proliferation, migration or differentiation.

An extracellular microenvironment, as defined by biochemical cues and physical cues and supporting cells, plays a central role in the regulation of cellular behavior including cell attachment, spreading, migration, growth, proliferation and differentiation.
Extracellular matrix ("ECM"), growth factor, and cytokine signaling environments are the important mechanisms for regulating cell fate, and these microenvironmental stimuli are processed through combinatorial signaling pathways. The interactions between signaling pathways are critical in determining cell fate (C. J. Flaim et al., Stem Cells Dev. 2008, 17(1):29-39).
Most cells including pluripotent & multipotent stem cells, and adult cells in tissues are surrounded on all sides by a complex set of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins that are critical in guiding cell function. Cells bind to the ECM via specific cell surface receptors such as integrin receptors, and this binding serves as a biochemical cue that can directly affect cell function. In addition, the ECM acts as a modulator of biochemical and mechanical stimuli that are present in tissues. For example, ECM proteins can sequester and release growth factors, control the rate of nutrient supply, as well as control cell shape and transmit mechanical signals to the cell surface.
Understanding the principles and mechanism that underlie cell regulation or fate determination is central to realize clinical application of cell therapy, especially for stem cell based therapy or tissue engineering application.
Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs) or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSs) are capable of differentiating into any cell type of the body while adult stem cells such as mesenchymal stem cell are more limited in their ability to differentiate into different lineages, emerging evidence has shown that they have the ability to generate unrelated cell types via genetic reprogramming (see, L. Bouwens et al., The use of stem cells for pancreatic regeneration in diabetes mellitus, Nat. Rev. Endocrinol. 2013, 9(10):598-606; R. C. Addis et al., Induced regeneration—the progress and promise of reprogramming for heart repair, Nat. Med. 2013, 19(7):829-836). The stem cells represent highly promising cell sources for numerous biomedical applications, such as cell replacement therapies, tissue and organ engineering, and pharmacology and toxicology screens. Stem cell maintenance, proliferation and expansion are important for the applications above.
Generally a feeder composed of monolayers of inactivated fibroblast cells or reconstituted basement membrane such as Matrigel™ (BD Biosciences) or GelTrex™ (Life Technologies) are required to maintain self-renewal and pluripotentcy of embryonic stem cell or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) in media containing serum or serum replacement. These conditions include animal component and it has been reported that hESC cultured under these conditions acquired a non-human mammalian sialic acid, Neu5Gc (see, U.S. Patent Publication No. US20110039333, the contents of which are incorporated herein by this reference). These conventional substrates have significant lack of batch-to-batch or lot-to-lot consistency, resulting in experimental variability.
Various methods or surfaces have been developed to overcome the challenges described above. For example, a gelatin-coated surface in the presence of secreted factors from feeder cells, allowing the cells to be cultured in the absence of feeder cell layers (i.e., feeder-free). For example, feeder cell layers can be avoided through the use of "conditioned medium" (CM) (see, C. Xu et al., "Feeder-free growth of undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells," Nat. Biotechnol. 19:971-974 (2001)).
Additionally, current two-dimensional (2D)-based cell culture systems, which suffer from inherent heterogeneity and limited scalability and reproducibility, are emerging as a bottleneck for producing sufficient numbers of high-quality cells for downstream applications. An attractive approach for scaling up production is to move cell culture from 2D to 3D, and accordingly several 3D suspension systems have been probed for hPSCs production: cell aggregates, cells on microcarriers, and cells in alginate microencapsulates.
A major challenge remains with the in vitro expansion and culture of self-renewable stem cells and the subsequent differentiation of these cells. Recently, several protocols have been reported that alter culturing conditions and other factors (e.g., medium and design of cell culture vessel) that support reliable amplification of immature and differentiated stem cells. However, challenges still exist in optimizing the wide variety of platforms capable of supporting cell therapy needs.
The self-renewal and pluripotency of murine ESCs (mESCs) and human ESCs (hESCs) are regulated by a combination of extrinsic and intrinsic factors. The factors regulate signaling pathway to control pluripotency transcription factors such as Oct4, Sox2, and Nanog (see, J. A. Thomson et al. (1998), Embryonic stem cell lines derived from human blastocysts, Science 282(5391):1145-1147).
The hESCs show activated Nodal/Activin, FGF and WNT pathways and have the potential for long-term maintenance in undifferentiated state and generation of three germ layer derivatives (Sato et al., 2004; Thomson et al., 1998; Xiao et al., 2006). FGF2 promotes self-renewal of hESCs by activating the PI3K/Akt activation to promote cell proliferation, growth, motility, and survival. WNTs (wingless-type MMTV integration site family members) proteins also play an important role in controlling ESC maintenance.
Stem cells reside in a specialized microenvironment, stem cell niche, which provides extracellular cues to allow stem cell survival and to maintain a balance between self-renewal and differentiation. Extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins that bind to mainly integrin are key components shaping the niche and maintaining stem cell homoeostasis. Integrin crosstalk with other receptors regulates signaling Erk ½, Akt, or SMAds responsible for preserving sternness. Integrins can potentiate signaling pathways in response to growth factors, cytokines such as IL-3 or TGF-beta, essential ligands cell self-renewal or pluripotency of hESCs (see, M. F. Brizzi et al., Extracellular matrix, integrins, and growth factors as tailors of the stem cell niche, 2012 Current Opinion in Cell Biology, Volume 24, Issue 5, 645-651).
Extracellular microenvironments, defined by biochemical cues and physical or mechanical cues, are a deciding factor in a wide range of cellular processes including cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation, and expression of phenotype-specific functions (see, D. E. Discher et al., Science, 2009, 26; 324 (5935):1673-7; and R. O. Hynes, Trends Cell Biol. 1999, 9(12):M33-7).
Most cells in tissues are surrounded on all sides by a complex set of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins that are critical in guiding cell function. Cells bind to the ECM via specific cell surface receptors such as integrin receptors, and this binding serves as a biochemical cue that can directly affect cell function. In addition, the ECM acts as a modulator of biochemical and mechanical stimuli that are present in tissues. For example, ECM proteins can sequester and release growth factors, control the rate of nutrient supply, as well as control cell shape and transmit mechanical signals to the cell surface.
ECM and growth factor signaling environments are the important mechanisms for regulating cell fate; and, these microenvironmental stimuli are processed through combinatorial signaling pathways. The interactions between signaling pathways are critical in determining cell fate including stem cells (C. J. Flaim et al., Stem Cells Dev. 2008, 17(1):29-39).
Complexities associated with native extracellular matrix proteins, including complex structural composition, purification, immunogenicity and pathogen transmission have driven the development of synthetic biofunctionals for use as 2D (two-dimensional) or 3D (three-dimensional) extracellular microenvironments in order to mimic the regulatory characteristics of natural ECMs and ECM-bound growth factors (M. P. Lutolf et al., Nat. Biotechnol. 23(1):47-55 (2005); and K. Ogiwara et al., Biotechnol. Lett. 27(20):1633-7 (2005)).
Many attempts have been made to create a synthetic 2D or 3D extracellular microenvironment by incorporating cell adhesion ligands into synthetic surfaces. Biologically derived or synthetic materials have been explored as an extracellular microenvironment to gain control over the material and thus over the cellular behavior they induced. One example is a crosslinkable hyaluronic acid, alginate or polyethylene glycol based hydrogel with an RGD peptide motif grafted onto the polymer backbone (Woerly et al., J. Neural Transplant. Plasticity, 1995, 5:245-255; Imen et al., Biofunctionals, 2006, 27, pp. 3451-3458; U.S. Pat. No. 20060134050).
U.S. Pat. No. 8,728,818, the contents of which are incorporated herein by this reference, disclosed a defined surface that presents ECM-derived peptide motifs to activate integrin to support self-renewal and pluripotency of stem cell. U.S. Pat. No. 9,006,394, the contents of which are incorporated herein by this reference, disclosed a peptide presenting surface to support long-term self-renewal of human embryonic stem cell. The peptide is heparin-binding domain from vitronectin, fibronectin or from bone sialoprotein. The surfaces in these patents require soluble factors such as FGF or ROCK inhibitor to support long-term self-renewal and pluripotency of ESCs.
However, existing technologies have some limitations to generate a microenvironment that induces a combinatorial signal pathway by selectively, simultaneously or sequentially activating at least two different cell surface receptors in a precisely manner, due to their lack of physical or biochemical attributes. In addition, various microenvironmental cues are often intertwined and cannot be individually controlled in existing technologies.

Defined three dimensional microenvironment for cell culture


The present disclosure provides systems and methods for seizure detection. The method for seizure detection may include receiving a plurality of electroencephalography (EEG) signals over a plurality of channels for a subject, preprocessing the plurality of EEG signals by segmenting the plurality of EEG signals for each channel into a plurality of temporal data segments, extracting a plurality of features from each temporal data segment for each channel, and applying a machine learning algorithm to the plurality of features to perform a seizure binary classification for each temporal data segment for each channel. A control policy may be employed to determine a seizure burden on the aggregated seizure binary classifications. When the seizure burden is equal to or exceeds a threshold, a notification may be generated. The notification may be usable by a healthcare practitioner to assess whether the subject may be at risk of having a seizure.

Monitoring electroencephalography (EEG) signals is an important task for the early diagnosis in seizures. While analyzing EEG signals plays an important role in monitoring the brain activity of patients, an expert is needed to analyze all EEG recordings to detect seizure activity. This can be tedious and time-consuming, and a timely and accurate diagnosis of seizure activity is essential to initiate therapy and reduce the risk of future seizures and seizure-related complications.
At the moment, machine learning algorithms provide an avenue to classify EEG signals and minimize expert intervention. Though machine learning algorithms require good quality EEG signals to provide effective classification results. Oftentimes, the EEG signals provided to machine learning algorithms need to be optimized to make the machine learning algorithms more effective in predicting seizures.

Systems and methods for seizure prediction and detection