In a video decoding device, a quantization step size decoding unit calculates a quantization step size that controls a granularity of the inverse quantization by, based on an image prediction, selectively using a mean value of at least a quantization step size assigned to a leftwardly adjacent neighboring image block already decoded and a quantization step size assigned to a upwardly adjacent neighboring image block already decoded or a quantization step size assigned to an image block decoded immediately before.

A typical video encoding device executes an encoding process that conforms to a predetermined video coding scheme to generate coded data, i.e. a bitstream. In ISO/IEC 14496-10 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) described in Non Patent Literature (NPL) 1 as a representative example of the predetermined video coding scheme, each frame is divided into blocks of 16×16 pixel size called MBs (Macro Blocks), and each MB is further divided into blocks of 4×4 pixel size, setting MB as the minimum unit of encoding. FIG. 23 shows an example of block division in the case where the color format of a frame is the YCbCr 4:2:0 format and the spatial resolution is QCIF (Quarter Common Intermediate Format).
Each of the divided image blocks is input sequentially to the video encoding device and encoded. FIG. 24 is a block diagram showing an example of the structure of the typical video encoding device for generating a bitstream that conforms to AVC. Referring to FIG. 24, the structure and operation of the typical video encoding device is described below.
The video encoding device shown in FIG. 24 includes a frequency transformer 101, a quantizer 102, a variable-length encoder 103, a quantization controller 104, an inverse quantizer 105, an inverse frequency transformer 106, a frame memory 107, an intra-frame predictor 108, an inter-frame predictor 109, and a prediction selector 110.
An input image to the video encoding device is input to the frequency transformer 101 as a prediction error image, after a prediction image supplied from the intra-frame predictor 108 or the inter-frame predictor 109 through the prediction selector 110 is subtracted from the input image.
The frequency transformer 101 transforms the input prediction error image from a spatial domain to a frequency domain, and outputs the result as a coefficient image.
The quantizer 102 quantizes the coefficient image supplied from the frequency transformer 101 using a quantization step size, supplied from the quantization controller 104, controlling the granularity of quantization, and outputs the result as a quantized coefficient image.
The variable-length encoder 103 entropy-encodes the quantized coefficient image supplied from the quantizer 102. The variable-length encoder 103 also encodes the above quantization step size supplied from the quantization controller 104 and an image prediction parameter supplied from the prediction selector 110. These pieces of coded data are multiplexed and output from the video encoding device as a bitstream.
Here, an encoding process for the quantization step size at the variable-length encoder 103 is described with reference to FIG. 25. In the variable-length encoder 103, a quantization step size encoder for encoding the quantization step size includes a quantization step size buffer 10311 and an entropy encoder 10312 as shown in FIG. 25.
The quantization step size buffer 10311 holds a quantization step size Q(i−1) assigned to the previous image block encoded immediately before an image block to be encoded.
As shown in the following equation (1), the previous quantization step size Q(i−1) supplied from the quantization step size buffer 10311 is subtracted from an input quantization step size Q(i), and the result is input to the entropy encoder 10312 as a difference quantization step size dQ(i).dQ(i)=Q(i)−Q(i−1)  (1)
The entropy encoder 10312 entropy-encodes the input difference quantization step size dQ(i), and outputs the result as code corresponding to the quantization step size.
The above has described the encoding process for the quantization step size.
The quantization controller 104 determines a quantization step size for the current input image block. In general, the quantization controller 104 monitors the output code rate of the variable-length encoder 103 to increase the quantization step size so as to reduce the output code rate for the image block concerned, or, conversely, to decrease the quantization step size so as to increase the output code rate for the image block concerned. The increase or decrease in quantization step size enables the video encoding device to encode an input moving image by a target rate. The determined quantization step size is supplied to the quantizer 102 and the variable-length encoder 103.
The quantized coefficient image output from the quantizer 102 is inverse-quantized by the inverse quantizer 105 to obtain a coefficient image to be used for prediction in encoding subsequent image blocks. The coefficient image output from the inverse quantizer 105 is set back to the spatial domain by the inverse frequency transformer 106 to obtain a prediction error image. The prediction image is added to the prediction error image, and the result is input to the frame memory 107 and the intra-frame predictor 108 as a reconstructed image.
The frame memory 107 stores reconstructed images of encoded image frames input in the past. The image frames stored in the frame memory 107 are called reference frames.
The intra-frame predictor 108 refers to reconstructed images of image blocks encoded in the past within the image frame being currently encoded to generate a prediction image.
The inter-frame predictor 109 refers to reference frames supplied from the frame memory 107 to generate a prediction image.
The prediction selector 110 compares the prediction image supplied from the intra-frame predictor 108 with the prediction image supplied from the inter-frame predictor 109, selects and outputs one prediction image closer to the input image. The prediction selector 110 also outputs information (called an image prediction parameter) on a prediction method used by the intra-frame predictor 108 or the inter-frame predictor 109, and supplies the information to the variable-length encoder 103.
According to the processing mentioned above, the typical video encoding device compressively encodes the input moving image to generate a bitstream.
The output bitstream is transmitted to a video decoding device. The video decoding device executes a decoding process so that the bitstream will be decompressed as a moving image. FIG. 26 shows an example of the structure of a typical video decoding device that decodes the bitstream output from the typical video encoding device to obtain decoded video. Referring to FIG. 26, the structure and operation of the typical video decoding device is described below.
The video decoding device shown in FIG. 26 includes a variable-length decoder 201, an inverse quantizer 202, an inverse frequency transformer 203, a frame memory 204, an intra-frame predictor 205, an inter-frame predictor 206, and a prediction selector 207.
The variable-length decoder 201 variable-length-decodes the input bitstream to obtain a quantization step size that controls the granularity of inverse quantization, the quantized coefficient image, and the image prediction parameter. The quantization step size and the quantized coefficient image mentioned above are supplied to the inverse quantizer 202. The image prediction parameter is supplied to the prediction selector 207.
The inverse quantizer 202 inverse-quantizes the input quantized coefficient image based on the input quantization step size, and outputs the result as a coefficient image.
The inverse frequency transformer 203 transforms the coefficient image, supplied from the inverse quantizer 202, from the frequency domain to the spatial domain, and outputs the result as a prediction error image. A prediction image supplied from the prediction selector 207 is added to the prediction error image to obtain a decoded image. The decoded image is not only output from the video decoding device as an output image, but also input to the frame memory 204 and the intra-frame predictor 205.
The frame memory 204 stores image frames decoded in the past. The image frames stored in the frame memory 204 are called reference frames.
Based on the image prediction parameter supplied from the variable-length decoder 201, the intra-frame predictor 205 refers to reconstructed images of image blocks decoded in the past within the image frame being currently decoded to generate a prediction image.
Based on the image prediction parameter supplied from the variable-length decoder 201, the inter-frame predictor 206 refers to reference frames supplied from the frame memory 204 to generate a prediction image.
The prediction selector 207 selects either of the prediction images supplied from the intra-frame predictor 205 and the inter-frame predictor 206 based on the image prediction parameter supplied from the variable-length decoder 201.
Here, a decoding process for the quantization step size at the variable-length decoder 201 is described with reference to FIG. 27. In the variable-length decoder 201, a quantization step size decoder for decoding the quantization step size includes an entropy decoder 20111 and a quantization step size buffer 20112 as shown in FIG. 27.
The entropy decoder 20111 entropy-decodes input code, and outputs a difference quantization step size dQ(i).
The quantization step size buffer 20112 holds the previous quantization step size Q(i−1).
As shown in the following equation (2), Q(i−1) supplied from the quantization step size buffer 20112 is added to the difference quantization step size dQ(i) generated by the entropy decoder 20111. The added value is not only output as a quantization step size Q(i), but also input to the quantization step size buffer 20112.Q(i)=Q(i−1)+dQ(i)  (2)
The above has described the decoding process for the quantization step size.
According to the processing mentioned above, the typical video decoding device decodes the bitstream to generate a moving image.
In the meantime, in order to maintain the subjective quality of the moving image to be compressed by the encoding process, the quantization controller 104 in the typical video encoding device is generally analyzes either or both of the input image and the prediction error image, as well as analyzing the output code rate, to determine a quantization step size according to the human visual sensitivity. In other words, the quantization controller 104 performs visual-sensitivity-based adaptive quantization. Specifically, when the human visual sensitivity to the current image to be encoded is determined to be high, the quantization step size is set small, while when the visual sensitivity is determined to be low, the quantization step size is set large. Since such control can assign a larger code rate to a low visual sensitivity region, the subjective quality is improved.
As a visual-sensitivity-based adaptive quantization technique, for example, adaptive quantization based on the texture complexity of an input image used in MPEG-2 Test Model 5 (TM5) is known. The texture complexity is typically called activity. Patent Literature (PTL) 1 proposes an adaptive quantization system using the activity of a prediction image in conjunction with the activity of an input image. PTL 2 proposes an adaptive quantization system based on an activity that takes edge portions into account.
When the visual-sensitivity-based adaptive quantization technique is used, it will cause a problem if the quantization step size is often changed within an image frame. In the typical video encoding device for generating a bitstream that confirms to the AVC scheme, a difference from a quantization step size for an image block encoded just before an image block to be encoded is entropy-encoded in encoding the quantization step size. Therefore, as the change in quantization step size in the encoding sequence direction becomes large, the rate required to encode the quantization step size increases. As a result, the code rate assigned to encoding of the coefficient image is relatively reduced, and hence the image quality is degraded.
Since the encoding sequence direction is independent of the continuity of the visual sensitivity on the screen, the visual-sensitivity-based adaptive quantization technique inevitably increases the code rate required to encode the quantization step size. Therefore, even using the visual-sensitivity-based adaptive quantization technique in the typical video encoding device, the image degradation associated with the increase in the code rate for the quantization step size may cancel out the subjective quality improved by the adaptive quantization technique, i.e., there arises a problem that a sufficient improvement in image quality cannot be achieved.
To address this problem, PTL 3 discloses a technique for adaptively setting a range of quantization to zero, i.e. a dead zone according to the visual sensitivity in the spatial domain and the frequency domain instead of adaptively setting the quantization step size according to the visual sensitivity. In the system described in PTL 3, a dead zone for a transform coefficient determined to be low in terms of the visual sensitivity is more widened than a dead zone for a transform coefficient determined to be high in terms of the visual sensitivity. Such control enables visual-sensitivity-based adaptive quantization without changing the quantization step size.

Video decoding device and method using inverse quantization


If the remaining amount of a recording agent such as ink or toner becomes small in an image record apparatus, a message, etc., to the effect that the remaining amount is small is displayed on a display only for a predetermined time each time an image record command is entered, and then the display is restored to display indicating the current state of the image record apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image record apparatus for recording an image on a record medium such as paper using a recording agent such as toner or ink.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image record apparatus for displaying a near-empty state in which it will soon be made impossible to record although recording an image can continue on a liquid crystal display (LCD) on an operation panel by detecting the remaining amount of a recording agent such as toner or ink has been invented. For example, JP-A-11-69058 (see FIG. 4) discloses an ink-jet image record apparatus previously applied by the applicant of the present invention.
According to the image record apparatus, if the fact that the remaining amount of ink of some color is in a near-empty state is detected, an error message is displayed on an LCD and a buzzer is sounded. Accordingly, if the remaining amount of ink of some color enters a near-empty state, the user on the periphery of the image record apparatus can be notified that the ink remaining amount enters a near-empty state. Further, if an error transmission mode is set in the image record apparatus and a destination is also set, the description of the error is transmitted to the destination. Accordingly, a message to the effect that the remaining amount of ink of some color enters a near-empty state is also sent to the destination preset in the image record apparatus (telephone number of fixed telephone at the place where the user goes, at fixed called party, etc., mobile phone, radio pager, etc., e-mail address of mobile phone, personal computer, etc., or the like), so that the user can be notified more reliably that the ink remaining amount has become small.


An MMIC chip is disclosed that includes a planar substrate having a first surface and a second surface, a conductive layer having an opening on the first surface, a transmission line on the second surface, at least one conductor extending from the conductive layer to the second surface defining a waveguide around the opening, wherein the transmission line is connected to the at least one conductor such that a signal traveling along the transmission line is guided toward the opening in the first side by the at least one conductor.

Multichip modules (MCM) generally comprises a substrate, which may be, for example, a low temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) material, and one or more chips, such as millimeter/microwave integrated circuits (MMIC), associated therewith. Connections must be provided between the chips and the substrate. These connections, however, may be difficult to manufacture and assemble and often limit the performance of the MCM.
An example of a conventional MCM is illustrated in FIGS. 8-10, wherein a gallium arsenide chip 102 is shown mounted adjacent a multilayer LTCC module 104. A ribbon or wire 106 extends between chip 102 and module 104 to carry signals between these elements. The ribbon 106 is attached to chip 102 with a first bonding pad 108 and to the LTCC module 104 with a second bonding pad 110. Ribbon 106 extends across a space or air gap 112 between the chip 102 and module 104. The length of this ribbon connection may be on the order of 0.025 inches. When the chip 102 is mounted on a thermal spreader, such as thermal spreader 114 illustrated in FIG. 10, the length of the ribbon may be even greater.
The inductive reactance presented by ribbon 106 is significant at millimeter wave (MMW) frequencies and contributes significantly to transmission losses. The need to tune out this reactance with printed capacitive elements and the variability of the length of ribbon 106 due to manufacturing constraints results in narrow band performance with unacceptable test yields for many MMW module applications. It would therefore be desirable to provide an interconnect that does not suffer from these shortcomings.

Transmission line to waveguide interconnect and method of forming same including a heat spreader


There is provided a capillary separated vaporization chamber and nozzle method and device for improved electron ionization liquid chromatography mass spectrometry of samples in a supersonic molecular beam. The device includes a vaporization chamber located upstream of a supersonic nozzle; a capillary separating the vaporization chamber and the supersonic nozzle, means for spray formation from sample in a flowing liquid; a vacuum system into which the supersonic nozzle induces supersonic expansion of the vaporized sample compounds and solvent vapor, for forming a supersonic molecular beam with vibrationally cold sample molecules and vaporized solvent; flythrough electron ionization ion source; mass analyzer; an ion detector and means for data processing of the resulting mass spectral information, for identifying and/or quantifying the chemical content of the sample.

Mass spectrometry (MS) is a central analytical technology that finds a large variety of applications in a broad range of fields, especially when coupled with a chromatographic separation technique such as gas chromatography (GC) or liquid chromatography (LC). Since a growing fraction of compounds that need to be analyzed are either thermally labile or with a low volatility (low volatiles), the use of LC-MS is growing recently at a faster rate than GC-MS. However, GC-MS still possesses a major advantage over LC-MS of having an automated sample identification through the use of extensive 70 eV electron ionization (EI) libraries.
In the past, a method named particle beam was developed that enabled the combination of LC and MS with electron ionization and its associated advantage of automated library search and sample identification. The particle beam method was, however, confounded with problems of limited sensitivity, non-linear response, ion source induced peak tailing and limited range of samples amenable for analysis in view of excessive sample degradation at the ion source. In addition, standard electron ionization mass spectra suffer from a well-known "long felt need" of enhancing the relative abundance of the molecular ion which is missing or very weak in the EI mass spectra of about half of the particle beam LCL-MS sample compounds. Without having a trustworthy molecular ion, sample identification with the library cannot be trusted, in view of possible interference from homologous and degradation compounds and the identification of samples that are not included in the library, is practically precluded. Consequently, the particle beam method was phased out from the market and currently LC-MS analyses utilize almost exclusively electrospray ionization (ESI) and/or atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) for sample ionization.
Recently a method and apparatus for LC-MS has been developed which is based on spray formation and full solvent and sample vaporization before or inside a supersonic nozzle, supersonic expansion of the vaporization sample and solvent and its vibrational cooling in a supersonic molecular beam (SMB) followed by its electron ionization as cold molecules in the SMB. (A. Amirav, U.S. Pat. No. 7,247,495 and O. Granot and A. Amirav, Int. J. Mass. Spectrom. 244, 15-28 (2005)). This method has proven to be more sensitive than the particle beam, provides linear response and is compatible with an increased range of compounds in view of the elimination of sample degradation at the ion source. Most importantly, enhanced molecular ion and mass spectral information is provided due to the ionization of vibrationally cold sample molecules in the SMB. Automated library based sample identification was enabled and demonstrated with very good matching factors to the library MS in view of the feature of enhanced molecular ion combined with all the EI standard fragments. Furthermore, relatively uniform response was demonstrated to both polar and non-polar sample compounds.
This method of electron ionization LC-MS with SMB, however, suffers from a major problem (in addition to a few other problems) of poor robustness in view of too frequent clogging of the solvent delivery tube. This problem of poor robustness is further exacerbated by the need to open the vacuum chamber each time that the clogged solvent delivery tube has to be serviced or replaced, followed by lengthy cycles of pump down and MS and ion source and optics tuning.
The first and essential step in the vaporization of any flowing liquid (solution) as arriving from the LC is the formation of spray, and preferably mono-dispersed spray with small spray droplets. The standard methods of spray formation that has been used so far for sample vaporization are pneumatic assisted nebulization or thermally assisted spray and/or their combination. However, since with SMB all the added gas that is used for pneumatic assisted nebulization and spray formation is discharged into the vacuum, this mode of spray formation is considered as highly undesirable with SMB. The reason for this perception is that due to limited upper flow rate acceptance (also named "throughput") of the turbo molecular pump of the nozzle chamber, every added one ml/min gas flow rate reduces the maximum allowed LC liquid flow rate by about one micro liter/min. Thus, since the nebulization gas must be fully exhausted into the vacuum chamber, pneumatic spray that is frequently used in many other applications such as ICP-AE and ICP-MS was not used for LC-MS with SMB and thermally assisted spray was chosen instead.
The use of thermally assisted spray that is also known as Thermospray, however, requires the heating of the sample solution at the solvent delivery tube, and this heating results in frequent solvent delivery tube clogging. As the solution is heated, a portion of the sample precipitates or decomposes, particularly with concentrated solutions or when thermally labile sample compounds are analyzed which degrade, and gradually a layer of hard residue is build like limestone in a domestic kettle up to a full clogging. In addition, the output edge of the solvent delivery tube is unavoidably located inside the spray and sample vaporization tube, and this edge also suffers from a tendency to periodically clog. For this reason Thermospray was occasionally referred to in the literature as a method of "spray and pray" and this major clogging problem is reported in several publications in peer reviewed journals.
Thus, there is a major need for improved method and device for having effective electron ionization LC-MS.

Capillary separated vaporization chamber and nozzle device and method


Method and apparatus for a low floating boom curtain constructed of absorptive material made for use in waters polluted by oil, fuel, diesel fuel, chemicals such as dispersants or other petroleum based contaminants or the like wherein the boom curtain is comprised of an upper and a lower portion wherein the upper portion is the buoyant portion and the lower portion is a skirt portion, wherein the skirt portion has a weighted portion on the bottom of the skirt portion so that together they form an absorptive boom curtain for removing oil from oil containing waters. The upper portion, which provides the main flotation for the device, has an internal float/foam member which provides sufficient flotation and which foam member is wrapped in a single or double layer of absorptive material and wherein the entire device is made of and or covered by absorptive material. The boom curtain has a strap running longitudinally along it for interconnecting the individual curtain units wherein the strap may also have attachment rings and interconnecting rings for connecting individual units of the device so as to form a longer string of boom. The weighted portion may be weighted by any suitable material, however, it is believed that sand will be the weight of choice since it is also readily available.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to floating booms and, more particularly, is concerned with an absorptive floating boom.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Booms have been described in the prior art, however, it is believed that none of the prior art devices disclose the unique features of the present invention.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for absorptive boom


An electron density for a crystallographic structure having protein regions and solvent regions is improved by maximizing the log likelihood of a set of structures factors {Fh} using a local log-likelihood function:

The present invention relates generally to the determination of crystal structure from the analysis of diffraction patterns, and, more particularly, to identification of protein crystal structure represented by electron density patterns.
The determination of macromolecular structures, e.g., proteins, by X-ray crystallography is a powerful tool for understanding the arrangement and function of such macromolecules. Very powerful experimental methods exist for determining crystallographic features, e.g., structure factors and phases. While the structure factor amplitudes can be determined quite well, it is frequently necessary to improve or extend the phases before a realistic atomic model of the macromolecule, such as an electron density map, can be built.
Many methods have been developed for improving the phases by modifying initial experimental electron density maps with prior knowledge of characteristics expected in these maps. The fundamental basis of density modification methods is that there are many possible sets of structure factors (amplitudes and phases) that are all reasonably probable based on the limited experimental data that is obtained from a particular experiment, and those structure factors that lead to maps that are most consistent with both the experimental data and the prior knowledge are the most likely overall. In these methods, the choice of prior information that is to be used and the procedure for combining prior information about electron density with experimentally-derived phase information are important features.
Until recently, electron density modification-has generally been carried out in a two-step procedure that is iterated until convergence occurs. In the first step, an electron density map is obtained experimentally and then modified in real space in order to make it consistent with expectations. The modification can consist of, e.g., flattening solvent regions, averaging non-crystallographic symmetry-related regions, or histogram-matching. In the second step, phases are calculated from the modified map and are combined with the experimental phases to form a new phase set.
The disadvantage of this real-space modification approach is that it is not clear how to weight the observed phases from those obtained from the modified map. This is because the modified map contains some of the same information as the original map and some new information. This has been recognized for a long time and a number of approaches have been designed to improve the relative weighting from these two sources, including the use of maximum-entropy methods, the use of weighting optimized using cross-validation, and xe2x80x9csolvent-flipping.xe2x80x9d
A comprehensive theory of the phase problem in X-ray crystallography and a formalism for solving it based on maximum entropy and maximum likelihood methods has been presented by Bricogne, Acta Cryst. A40, pp. 410-445 (1984) and Bricogne, Acta Cryst. A44, pp. 517-545 (1988). This formalism describes the contents of a crystal in terms of a collection of point atoms along with probabilities for their positions. From the positions of these atoms, crystallographic structure factors can be calculated, with a certainty depending on the certainties of the positions of the atoms. Extensions of the formalism are described in Bricogne (1988). The extended formalism specifically addresses the situation encountered in crystals of macromolecules in which defined solvent and macromolecule regions exist in the crystallographic unit cell, and formulas for calculating probabilities of structure factors based on the presence of xe2x80x9cflatxe2x80x9d solvent regions are presented (Bricogne, 1988). The implementation of this formalism is not straightforward according to Xiang et al., Acta Cryst. D49, pp. 193-212 (1993), who point out that a full fledged implementation of this approach would be highly desirable and would provide a statistical technique for enforcing solvent flatness in advance. Xiang et al. (1993) report that they settled for an approximation in which solvent flatness outside the envelope is imposed after the calculation of a model for the distribution of atoms, which corresponds to the existing procedure of flattening the solvent in an electron density map (Wang, Methods Enzymol. 115, pp. 90-112 (1985)).
Somoza, et al., Acta Cryst. A51, pp. 691-708 (1995) describe an algorithm for recovering crystallographic phase information that is related to the method of Bricogne (1988), but in which electron density is estimated by minimizing a combined target function consisting of the weighted sum of two terms. One term is the weighted sum of squares of differences between calculated and known electron density in the region where electron density is known. The other term is the weighted sum of squares of differences between calculated and observed amplitudes of structure factors. In this method, the electron density in a model description of the crystal is adjusted in order to minimize the combined target function. The use of the first term was shown by Somoza et al (1995) to correspond to the solvent flattening procedures described above. This allowed solvent flattening and other related density modification procedures (such as non-crystallographic symmetry averaging) to be carried out without the iterative phase recombination steps required in previous methods. Beran and Szoke, Acta Cryst A51, pp. 20-27 (1995) describe a procedure for finding crystallographic phases that lead to an electron density map that matches known electron density within a target region. This procedure consists of minimizing a target function given by the squared difference between calculated and known electron density within the target region, by adjusting crystallographic phases and using observed amplitudes. The method was shown to be superior to difference Fourier methods and the improvement was attributed to the ability of the method to specify the uncertainties in electron density in different physical regions of the unit cell of the crystal.
The present invention solves the same problem that earlier procedures proposed by Bricogne (1988) address, and also includes the use of likelihood as a basis for choosing optimal crystallographic structure factors. The assumptions used in the present procedure differ substantially from those used by Bricogne (1988). For treatment of solvent and macromolecule (protein) regions in a crystal, Bricogne develops statistical relationships among structure factors based on a model of the contents of the crystal in which point atoms are randomly located, but in which atoms in the protein region are sharply-defined with low thermal parameters and atoms in the solvent region are diffuse, with high thermal parameters. In the present approach, no assumptions about the presence of atoms or possible values of thermal factors are used. Instead, it is assumed that values of electron density in the protein and solvent regions, respectively, are distributed in the same way in the crystal as in a model calculation of a crystal that may or may not be composed of discrete atoms.
The methods used to find likely solutions to the phase problem are also very different in the present approach compared to that of Bricogne (1988) because the assumptions used require the problem to be set up in different ways. Bricogne (1988) applies a maximum-entropy formalism developed by Bricogne (1984) to find likely arrangements of atoms in the crystal, which in turn can be used to calculate the arrangement of electron density in the crystal. In the present method, likely values of the structure factors are found by applying a likelihood-based approach based on a combination of experimental information and the likelihood of resulting electron density maps. These structure factors can be used to calculate an electron density map that is then, in turn, a likely arrangement of electron density in the crystal.
The present invention also addresses much the same problem that earlier procedures by Somoza et al. (1995) address. However the present invention differs considerably in the way that it is formulated, and consequently in the way that a solution is obtained. In particular, the approaches are different because Somoza et al (1995) use electron density as the independent variable and the present method uses crystallographic phases, generally fixing amplitudes to measured values. In the method of Somoza et al., (1995), the range of possible combinations of amplitudes and phases of structure factors that is explored is the set of all those that correspond to all or a subset of arrangements of positive electron density in the map, while in the present invention it is all possible crystallographic phases in combination with observed amplitudes. Consequently the two methods sample different possible combinations of amplitudes and phases of crystallographic structure factors.
The mathematical approaches for obtaining solutions in the two methods are different as well. The method of Somoza et al. (1995) calculates derivatives of their target function with respect to electron density, resulting in a linear system of equations to solve for the electron density at all points in the electron density map, while the present invention calculates derivatives of a likelihood-based target function with respect to structure factors in order to solve for crystallographic phases (or phases and amplitudes if amplitudes are not measured).
Finally, the target function that is optimized in the method of Somoza et al. (1995) is a weighted sum of squared differences, while the target function in the present invention is a log-likelihood-based function. The target function in Somoza et al (1995) simply restrains the electron density in the region where it is known to be similar to the known values. The present invention instead calculates the log-likelihood of the electron density map and maximizes it. Consequently the weighting schemes and the details of the target functions used are different.
The method of Beran and Szoke (1995) is related to the present method in that their target function has the same form as a special case of the map log-likelihood function to be described below, in which the local map log-likelihood is zero for all points outside the target area and a constant for all points within it. The method of Beran and Szoke differs in several ways from the present invention. First, as in the method of Somoza et al (1995), the target function is a weighted sum of squared differences, while the target function in the present case is a log-likelihood-based function. Second, in the method of Beran and Szoke (1995), no terms corresponding to agreement of phases with experimental observations are considered, while in the present method, these are a key source of phase information. Finally, the method of Beran and Szoke (1995) differs from the present method in that the means used to minimize the target function is based on simulated annealing (a method for sequentially adjusting phases in a biased, but random, walk, choosing those that improve the target function), contrasted with the approach of the present invention of calculating gradients of likelihood-based target function with respect to phases.
Various objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
An electron density map for a crystallographic structure having protein regions and solvent regions is improved by maximizing the log likelihood of a set of structures factors {Fh} using a local log-likelihood function:
xe2x80x83LL(xcfx81(x, {Fh}))=ln[p(xcfx81(x)|PROT)pPROT(x)+p(xcfx81(x)|SOLV)pSOLV(x)+p(xcfx81(x)|H)pH(x)],
where pPROT(x) is the probability that x is in the protein region, p(xcfx81(x)|PROT) is the conditional probability for xcfx81(x) given that x is in the protein region, and pSOLV(x) and p(xcfx81(x)|SOLV) are the corresponding quantities for the solvent region, pH(x) refers to the probability that there is a structural motif at a known location, with a known orientation, in the vicinity of the point x; and p(xcfx81(x)|H) is the probability distribution for electron density in the vicinity of point x, given that the structural motif actually is present.

Maximum likelihood density modification by pattern recognition of structural motifs

Abstract: where pPROT(x) is the probability that x is in the protein region, p(xcfx81(x)|PROT) is the conditional probability for xcfx81(x) given that x is in the protein region, and pSOLV(x) and p(xcfx81(x)|SOLV) are the corresponding quantities for the solvent region, pH(x) refers to the probability that there is a structural motif at a known location, with a known orientation, in the vicinity of the point x; and p(xcfx81(x)|H) is the probability distribution for electron density at this point given that the structural motif actually is present. One appropriate structural motif is a helical structure within the crystallographic structure.

The Regents of the University of California


A method of etching a feature in a surface of a substrate. The substrate is provided. A photoresist layer is formed on the surface of the substrate. A thickness profile of the formed photoresist layer is determined. A grayscale scanning pattern is determined based on the feature and the thickness profile of the photoresist layer. The determined grayscale scanning pattern is laser written on the photoresist layer to expose a portion of the photoresist layer. The exposed portion of the photoresist layer is removed to form a grayscale pattern in the photoresist layer. The photoresist layer and the surface of the substrate are etched to form the feature in the surface of the substrate.

Direct e-beam (electron-beam) milling has been used conventionally to produce grayscale features in a substrate by directing an electron beam towards the substrate in a scanning pattern and either modulating the intensity of the electron beam or the scan rate across the substrate such that a grayscale pattern is produced in the substrate as grayscale features. However, direct e-beam writing is both slow and costly, and also the precision of the grayscale features (e.g., the height of each step of the grayscale features) is based on how precisely the scan rate and/or the intensity of the e-beam are set. The use of lower intensities and commensurately lower scan rates may improve the precision with which these parameters may be controlled, but at a cost in throughput.
Given these potential disadvantages of direct e-beam milling, an alternative method of producing precise grayscale features in a substrate with a reduced time to completion and a reduced cost may be desirable. Improved precision in the height of these grayscale features (e.g., the overall height and the height of each step) may also be desirable. Three dimensional (grayscale) lithography may offer such an alternative approach to forming grayscale features. The present invention involves the use of a laser beam writer for grayscale lithographic applications.

3D lithography with laser beam writer for making hybrid surfaces


A device may include a communication component that may communicatively couple to a first network. The device may also include a processor that may transmit a first signal via the communication component to a network address translation (NAT) system, the first signal including a first request to discover a server device. The NAT system may communicatively couple to the first network and a second network, such that the first network is inaccessible to the second network. The processor may then receive location data associated with the server device and transmit a second signal addressed to the server device based on the location data. The second signal is transmitted to the NAT system, such that the second signal may include a second request for a security policy from the server device. The processor may then receive the security policy via the NAT system and adjust one or more communication operations based on the security policy.

This disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for deploying security policy and configuration through a network address translation architecture or boundary. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure discuss controlling communications from operation technology (OT) devices communicating via a first network to other devices communicatively coupled to each other via a second network.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present techniques, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Industrial automation systems may include automation control and monitoring systems. The automation control and monitoring systems may monitor statuses and/or receive information from a wide range of actuators, such as valves, electric motors, and so forth, a wide range of sensors, other suitable monitoring devices, or the like, which each may respectively collect data via a variety of sensors. One or more components of the automation control and monitoring systems, such as programming terminals, automation controllers, input/output (I/O) modules, communication networks, human-machine interface (HMI) terminals, and the like, may use the statuses and/or received information in providing alerts to operators, in changing or adjusting operation of one or more components of the industrial automation system (e.g., such as adjusting operation of one or more actuators), in managing the industrial automation system, or the like.
Generally, the networked devices described above may be associated with information, such as different statuses, sensing data, or the like. The information may relate to an operation of the industrial automation system and may be monitored by the automation control and monitoring systems. Certain precautions are taken to operate networked devices in industrial automation systems, such that the transmission of data from these networked devices are controlled and secured. With this in mind, it may be useful to provide improved communication protocols in industrial automation systems.

Securely deploying security policy and configuration through network address translation systems


A control device for a power conversion device according to an embodiment includes a drive control unit controlling a current that is caused to flow through a stator winding of a motor, a drive quantity adjustment unit calculating a drive quantity command value defining a drive quantity of the motor, a magnetic flux observer calculating calculates a first estimated value of a stator magnetic flux of the motor and a first estimated value of a rotor magnetic flux of the motor, a current observer calculating a first estimated value of the current flowing through the stator winding of the motor, and an average correction unit performing calculation on the first estimated values of the stator magnetic flux of the motor. The drive quantity adjustment unit calculates a control quantity defining the drive quantity of the motor on the basis of the first estimated values of the stator magnetic flux of the motor.

A deadbeat direct torque and flux control (DB-DTFC) system has been known as a control system directly controlling a magnetic flux and a torque of a motor. In the DB-DTFC system, a range designated to a magnetic flux of a motor is represented as a circle, and an equation of a change rate of a requested torque is represented as a straight line in a two-dimensional magnetic flux space. A control device using the DB-DTFC system controls a power conversion device by generating a command value used for controlling a magnetic flux and a torque of a motor using a relation between a circle and a straight line in a magnetic flux space. In a control device using the DB-DTFC system, it is desired that an induction motor is controlled with a high accuracy.

Control device for power conversion device, and motor drive system

TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION


Described examples include microelectronic devices and integrated circuits with an active first circuit in a first segment of a first wafer, a second circuit in a second segment of the first wafer, and second and third wafers bonded to different surfaces of the first wafer to provide first and second cavities with surfaces spaced from the first segment. An opening extends through the first wafer between the first and second cavities to separate portions of the first and second segments and to form a sealed cavity that surrounds the first segment. A bridge segment of the first wafer supports the first segment in the sealed cavity and includes one or more conductive structures to electrically connect the first and second circuits.

Precision circuits such as voltage references, precision amplifiers, thermal sensor circuits, resonator circuits, clock circuits, analog to digital converters (ADCs) and digital to analog converters (DACs) are used in a variety of applications. The stability and performance of signals in precision circuitry can be impacted by external environmental factors such as package stress, board stress, thermal isolation or other thermal and/or mechanical stress. Low modulus of elasticity packaging materials can be used to enhance mechanical stress immunity, but these materials are costly and typically have a high coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and IC devices packaged in such material still suffer from parametric variation due to mechanical stress and/or temperature drift. Integrated heating or thermal transfer components can control the temperature of electrical components in an IC, alone or in combination with thermal insulation structures to facilitate component temperature stabilization, and ceramic packages can be used with soft die attach techniques to minimize mechanical vibration. However, these approaches are expensive and increase power consumption.

Thermal and stress isolation for precision circuit


A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes sequentially stacking a mold layer and a supporter layer on a substrate, forming a plurality of capacitor holes passing through the mold layer and supporter layer, forming a plurality of lower electrodes filling the capacitor holes, forming a supporter mask pattern having a plurality of mask holes on the supporter layer and the lower electrodes, and forming a plurality of supporter holes by patterning the supporter layer. Each of the plurality of lower electrodes has a pillar shape, and each of the mask holes is between four adjacent lower electrodes and has a circular shape.

Devices consistent with some example embodiments relate to a semiconductor device having a supporter pattern.
Since highly integrated and miniaturized semiconductor devices such as Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) are in demand, sizes of capacitors of the semiconductor devices also have been miniaturized. Lower electrodes having high aspect ratios are utilized to obtain specific/predetermined capacitances of the capacitors disposed in fine patterns. Supporter patterns which support the lower electrodes are utilized to prevent or reduce the likelihood of the lower electrodes collapsing during the process.

Semiconductor device having supporter pattern


A client device implements a media player and a proxy application. The media player controls playback of media content on the client device. The proxy application is implemented to request a playlist from a media server, where the playlist corresponds to the media content. The proxy application receives the playlist from the media server, and the playlist includes encryption key reference parameters to obtain an encryption key. The proxy application modifies the playlist to include local encryption key access parameters for the media player, and the modified playlist is communicated to the media player. The proxy application can then receive a request for the encryption key from the media player that utilizes the local encryption key access parameters included in the modified playlist, and the proxy application securely communicates the encryption key to the media player.

The traditional notion of watching television at home has evolved into many different forms of viewing television content, on many different devices. For example, users can watch television content, such as live television, recorded television, and time-shifted programs and movies on various devices, such as televisions, display devices, entertainment devices, computers, and even mobile devices, such as tablets and mobile phones. However, television content that is viewed on a mobile device, such as a tablet or mobile phone, is primarily content that is either stored on the device or already recorded content that can be streamed to the device without interruption. There are challenges to streaming live television for viewing on a mobile device. HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) can be utilized for live streaming applications. HLS supports secure delivery of media content via stream encryption where an encryption key is obtained via an HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) Uniform Resource Locator (URL). However, other than using HTTP Secure (HTTPS) to obtain an encryption key from a server, conventional HLS does not address how to protect the key-fetching process.


A detergent or cleaning agent, in particular a cleaning agent for hard surfaces, especially an automatic dishwasher detergent, having a water-soluble envelope with a continuously encircling sealing seam and two phases which are different from one another.

Detergents or cleaning agents are usually present in solid form (as tablets, for example) or in liquid form (or also as a flowing gel). Liquid detergents or cleaning agents in particular are increasingly popular with consumers.
Solid detergents or cleaning agents have the advantage that, unlike liquid detergents or cleaning agents, they do not require any preservatives. Liquid product formats are increasingly gaining acceptance in the market, particularly due to their quick solubility and the resulting quick availability of the active ingredients they contain. This gives the consumer the option of using abbreviated rinsing programs while still obtaining good cleaning performance.
Furthermore, consumers have grown accustomed to the convenient metering of pre-portioned machine detergents or cleaning agents, such as dishwashing detergents, and use these products in the form of tablets (solid detergents or cleaning agents) or in the form of pouches that are filled with what is usually a liquid detergent or cleaning agent. Single-use portions in water-soluble pouches are therefore increasingly popular with consumers not only because they no longer come into contact with the chemical composition, but also importantly because of the attractive appearance of the pouches. The appearance of the dosage form is becoming increasingly important. Besides good cleaning performance and adequate storage stability, a good appearance is one of the reasons on which the selection of a product is based.

Detergent or cleaning agent portion having at least two phases


A method implemented by an analysis system is presented. The method comprises receiving task data objects. At least some of the received task data objects are aggregated into aggregated task data object groups. All task data objects belonging to the same aggregated task data object group share at least one step of a task. A selectable aggregation GUI element is specified for each of the aggregated task data object groups. The aggregation GUI elements are displayed in an aggregated view on a graphical user interface. Upon selection of one of the aggregation GUI elements by a user, the aggregated task data object group represented by the selected aggregation GUI element is selected and the user access to program instructions for executing the shared step of the selected aggregated task data object group is automatically provided.

The present disclosure generally relates to an analysis system and method for aggregating task data objects and, in particular to an analysis system and method for aggregating task data objects and providing an aggregated view, wherein at least some of the aggregated task data objects are indicative of a laboratory procedure.
In analytical laboratories, in particular clinical laboratories, a multitude of analyses on biological samples are executed in order to determine physiological and/or biochemical parameters being indicative of a disease, nutrition habits, drug effectiveness and/or organ function.
With the advent of new high-throughput technologies and advancement in lab automation systems, the number and complexity of tasks performed in parallel in a laboratory by a multitude of different lab devices has tremendously increased. While lab automation has helped to improve the quality of analysis results and to reduce payroll costs, lab automation has not rendered human interaction with automated or semi-automated laboratory workcell systems unnecessary. As lab automation allows performing a multitude of pre-analytical, analytical and/or post-analytical laboratory procedures in parallel by a multitude of different laboratory devices and/or laboratory workcell systems, a growing number of laboratory procedures executed in parallel has to be monitored and controlled.
Lab devices may fail or run out of reagents or other consumables. Often, a human is required to refill an empty reagent box, to replenish a consumable or to repair a failed lab device. In addition, in many cases, human interpretation of the gathered measurement values is still required. Although fewer lab workers are required to execute diagnostic or analytical tasks, a large number of highly diverse tasks related to monitoring and operating an analysis system and related to evaluating the gathered result still require human intervention.
Prior art laboratory workflow management systems allow the assignment of tasks to be performed in the context of a laboratory workflow to a particular user, thereby helping to clarify responsibilities in monitoring, controlling and/or executing tasks.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved analysis system, a computer-implemented method and a computer program product for displaying tasks which need to be performed in order to execute or complete a laboratory workflow which further assist a worker in efficiently executing assigned tasks and efficiently identifying and/or triggering actions which need to be performed in order to keep one or more monitored lab devices operative.

Method for aggregating task data objects and for providing an aggregated view


A method for fabricating DRAM capacitors is described. Field effect devices are foraged in the silicon substrate. A first oxide layer is formed over the device and field oxide areas. The capacitors are formed by first depositing a heavily doped silicon layer over the device and field oxide areas. Then forming openings to the desired source/drain structures by etching through the silicon layer, and first oxide layers, wherein the opening extends over a portion of the gate electrode polysilicon layer of the gate structure and the field oxide areas. An undoped polysilicon layer is deposited over the openings to the source/drain structures. Patterning anisotropically the silicon and molysilicon layers so as to have their remaining portions over the planned capacitor areas, and wherein a portion of the heavily doped silicon layer remains over both the portion of the polysilicon gate electrode of the gate structure and the field oxide areas. Then completely removing by selective etching the portion of heavily doped silicon layer using phosphoric acid at a temperature greater than 140.degree. C. to create an undercut of the undoped polysilicon layer over both the portion of the polysilicon gate electrode of the gate structure and the field oxide areas and to construct the bottom storage node electrode of the desired capacitor. The capacitor is then completed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the fabrication of integrated circuit devices and more particularly to a method of fabricating high density dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices and the like, with particular emphasis upon the capacitor formation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As DRAMs are scaled down in dimensions, there is a continuous challenge to maintain a sufficiently high stored charge per capacitor. In order to construct high density DRAMs in a reasonable sized chip area, the cell structures have to change from the conventional planar-type capacitors to either trench capacitors or stack capacitors, in particular beyond the 1 Mbit DRAM era. All efforts to increase capacitance without increasing the planar area of the capacitor can be categorized into the following techniques:
(1) Thinning the capacitor dielectric and/or using films with a higher dielectric constant, such as oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) films composite, nitride-oxide (NO) and more recently tantalum pentoxide which will require further development to overcome leakage and reliability problems. (2) Building three dimensional capacitor structures to increase the capacitor area without increasing the planar area of the capacitor. There are two major branches of this approach, that is trench capacitors and stacked capacitors. In the category of trench capacitors, when the DRAM is beyond 16 Mbit, the trench needs to be very deep. There are technology and even theoretical physical limitations to processing the deep trenches that would be needed. When the stacked capacitor approach is used to fabricate 16 Mbit DRAMs and beyond, very complicated stacked structures are needed, such as fin structures, crown structures, and so forth. The making of such structures require complicated manufacturing processes which are costly and result in reduced yield.
Most recently a new concept has been advance which calls for toughening the polycrystalline silicon surface of the capacitor electrode to increase the surface area.

Polysilicon undercut process for stack DRAM

Industrial Technology Research Institute


Certain aspects are directed to a capacity optimization sub-system for a distributed antenna system. The capacity optimization sub-system includes a switch matrix and a controller. The switch matrix includes variable attenuators and switches. The switch matrix can receive sectors from base stations. The switch matrix can provide the sectors to coverage zones. The controller can communicate with the switch matrix. The controller can determine that a number of wireless devices in one or more of the coverage zones is outside a specified range of threshold traffic levels. In response to determining that the number of wireless devices is outside the specified range of threshold traffic levels, the controller can configure one or more of the variable attenuators and corresponding switches to redistribute capacity among the coverage zones by, for example, increasing and/or decreasing capacity in one or more of the coverage zones.

A telecommunications system, such as a distributed antenna system, can provide signal coverage to several different coverage zones in which wireless devices are located. Distributed antenna systems may be configured to provide a level of capacity in each of the coverage zones that is sufficient to provide coverage to a maximum number of wireless devices. Configuring a distributed antenna system to provide a level of capacity sufficient to constantly provide coverage to a maximum number of wireless devices fails to account for periods of time in which a reduced level of capacity is sufficient for a reduced number of wireless devices in a coverage zone. For example, a distributed antenna system deployed in a stadium may provide capacity sufficient for a much larger number of wireless devices than is necessary during periods when relatively few wireless devices are present, such as time periods where no event is being hosted in the stadium.
Accordingly, it is desirable to optimize the distribution of capacity in a distributed antenna system having coverage zones with varying numbers of wireless devices serviced by the distributed antenna system.

Capacity optimization sub-system for distributed antenna system


A vacuum cleaner is provided which comprises a housing (100) provided with an electric motor (110) and with an electronic circuit (120) for controlling the electric motor (110), which housing (100) is constructed for the connection of a suction tube (200) with a remote control circuit (210) for controlling the electronic circuit (120), the electronic circuit (120) being adapted to control the electric motor (110) both in the presence and in the absence of the suction tube (200).

Such a vacuum cleaner is commercially available from Philips Electronics N.V. under the type number HR 6780. The relevant commercially available vacuum cleaner comprises a suction tube with a remote control circuit adapted to switch on/off the electric motor of the vacuum cleaner and an electric motor of a brush, which brush can be fitted onto a suction nozzle forming part of the suction tube.
A drawback of such a vacuum cleaner is that the electric motor of the vacuum cleaner cannot be switched on/off when the suction tube provided with the remote control circuit is not coupled to the vacuum-cleaner housing.

Vacuum cleaner and suction tube for use with a vacuum cleaner


The invention is directed towards the reduction of coke formation in furnaces.

Conversion of sec-butyl alcohol (2-butanol or SBA) to methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) can be accomplished by vapor phase catalytic dehydrogenation of the alcohol at high temperature over metal oxide using a series of adiabatic reactors. Because the reaction is highly endothermic, the process stream is reheated between stages.
The dehydrogenation was conventionally carried out in furnace tubes packed with brass turnings. Later the process was changed to employ a series of adiabatic reactors packed with metal oxide deposited on calcined coke. The process stream was initially heated to 715-825° F. (380-440° C.) in the lead furnace. The stream was reheated in the second and third furnaces prior to being passed through the corresponding reactors. Overall conversions of 80-92 mol % were obtained with selectivities of SBA converted to MEK of 94-98 mol %.
The reaction is commercially valuable and constant attempts to improve conversion, selectivity, run time, and the like, are always being made. One of such attempts included the addition of liquid water to the dehydrogenation section feed stream in order to reduce the production of heavy end byproducts. This improved the selectivity to MEK but with some loss of activity and conversion.
The present inventors have determined that coke formed in the furnace tubes can build and spall with a result that coke particulates can appear in the heavier co-product fractions of the downstream product purification section. The present inventors have also surprisingly discovered that the injection of steam into the furnace coils reduces the problem of coke generation and subsequent spalling of coke particulates. In preferred embodiments, continuous injection of steam selectively added into only the last furnace coil in the SBA to MEK conversion section resulted in one or more of (i) lowered tube metal temperatures; and (ii) reduction of coke formation, with minimal impact on overall unit conversion.
In addition it has also been discovered that the presence of coke in the furnace tubes can initiate a corrosion mechanism called Metal Dusting, particularly when tube metal temperatures are in the range 795-1112° F. (424-600° C.). Accordingly, the present inventors also believe that application of the present invention can mitigate Metal Dusting.

Use of steam to reduce coking and/or metal dusting


Apparatus and methods for in vivo determination of red and white blood cell characteristics from a flow of red and white blood cells in mucous membranes are provided wherein image capturing means are employed to optically isolate images from a flow of blood cells and transmit those images to an image receiving means for encoding into electronic signals. The images are also filtered through light filters and subsequently transmitted to a computer for evaluation and analysis. The results of this analysis are then made available for display either on a CRT or hard copy printer.

The red blood cell count, white blood cell count and the determination of blood cell indices are the most frequent of all clinical laboratory tests performed on patients in doctors' offices, clinics and hospitals in the United States and throughout the world. These tests provide essential information as to the health characteristics of individuals of all age groups.
Processes for evaluating and testing blood which are in widespread use in the art today uniformly require a sample of blood to be removed from the body for testing and analysis. The procedure for taking blood, known as phlebotomy, ordinarily involves the removal of blood from capillary or peripherial blood (usually in infants) and venous blood. Only certain licensed persons are permitted by law to carry out this procedure. These include nurses, laboratory technicians, physicians, and other specially trained persons.
In infant phlebotomies, the sample is ordinarily taken from the palmar surfaces of the tip of a finger or the plantar surfaces of the great toe or heel. The site is first rubbed vigorously with a gauze pad moistened with seventy-percent alcohol to remove dirt and debris and to increase blood circulation. Once the skin has dried, a puncture 2-3 mm deep is made with a blade or lancet. After the sample has been collected, slight pressure is applied to the area of the puncture with a gauze pad. This procedure is usually painful and frightening to the infant which results in further difficulties in effecting the phlebotomy.
The most common form of adult patient phlebotomy involves the removal of venous blood through puncture of a vein in the patient's arm. This procedure is also somewhat painful and is viewed with apprehension by most patients. Veins must be carefully inspected, particularly with those patients who have already had numerous punctures. The patient's life may depend on vein patency, and care must be taken to preserve these vessels. Hematomas or ecchymoses are usually evidence of the operator's poor technique or judgment.
The equipment necessary for this procedure ordinarily includes a syringe and a needle of the appropriate diameter. This needle must be carefully inspected as a blunt or bent tip will damage the patient's vein and often lead to failure to collect blood from the vein. A tourniquet is also used in the procedure in order to make the veins more prominent and help to eliminate blind probing.
The procedure involves making the patient comfortable, preferably having them sit in a chair with the patient's arm accessible to the operator. The tourniquet is then applied and the skin surrounding the target site is cleaned with a seventy-percent alcohol solution and permitted to dry. Once the appropriate vein has been located, the needle is pushed into the vein with a single direct puncture of both the skin and the vein. The tourniquet is then loosened and the desired amount of blood is obtained. The operator must be aware of the patient at all times as the trauma of venipuncture can cause the patient to faint. After the procedure is completed the operator must also insure that the patient's condition is satisfactory before he is dismissed.
Complications of venipunctures do occur and include a measurable increase in the concentration of blood cells when the tourniquet is applied for periods greater than sixty seconds. Failure of the blood to enter the syringe may also occur. This may result from excessive pull on the plunger of the syringe which can cause the vein to collapse. The piercing of the outer coat of the vein without entering the lumen can also account for failure. These complications are occasionally followed by hematoma formation. When this occurs, the needle must be withdrawn and the procedure must be carried out on the other arm. Late complications include possible thrombosis of the vein due to trauma, especially following many venipunctures at the same site. Finally, where non-disposable or contaminated needles are used, the transmission of contagious diseases such as serum hepatitis, etc. may be effected.
Blood removed from the patient's body is usually transported to a clinical laboratory where it is tested and the results are sent back to the requesting physician. In most doctors' offices in the Untied States today, such tests are performed at central laboratories and the results are usually available the following day. In addition to the delay, there is also a substantial cost for such testing because of the logistics involved in specimen collection, transport, laboratory accessioning, skilled and licensed personnel required for the removal procedure and testing of the specimens, reagents utilized and expensive instrumentation employed. Further disadvantages of this in vitro method include the numerous sources of error introduced into the analysis of the specimen as a result of in vitro changes in the blood sample. For example, in blood kept at room temperature, swelling of the red blood cells between six and twenty-four hours raises the hematocrit and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and lowers the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration and the red blood cell sedimentation rate.
Current in vitro testing requires strict adherence to procedure. Before taking a sample from a tube of venous blood for hematologic determination, it is important that the blood be mixed thoroughly. If the tube has been standing, this requires at least sixty inversions of the tube or two minutes on a mechanical rotator; less than this leads to unacceptable deterioration in precision.
The most common tests performed on blood samples taken from patients are the hematocrit (Hct), or the hemoglobin (Hb), which are often used interchangably, depending upon the individual preference of the treating physician. They are used to determine anemia, to monitor conditions in which the blood loss occurs, chronic diseases, drug reactions, allergies, and the course of therapy.
The Hct of a sample of blood is defined as the ratio of the volume of erythrocytes (red blood cells) to that of the whole blood. It is expressed as a percentage or, preferably, as a decimal fraction. The units (L/L) are implied. The venous hematocrit agrees closely with the hematocrit obtained from a skin puncture; both are greater than the total body hematocrit.
Hemoglobin, the main component of the red blood cell, is a conjugated protein that serves as a vehicle for the transportation of oxygen and CO.sub.2, throughout the body. When fully saturated, each gram of hemoglobin holds 1.34 ml of oxygen. The red cell mass of the adult contains approximately 600 g of hemoglobin, capable of carrying 800 ml of oxygen. The main function of hemoglobin is to transport oxygen from the lungs, where oxygen tension is high, to the tissues, where it is low. As used in this application the term hemoglobin (Hb) refers to the concentration of the iron-containing protein pigment found in red blood cells.
The Hct and Hb are often provided along with the total red blood cell count (RBC) which is usually expressed in the form of a concentration--cells per unit volume of blood. Once these three values are known (Hct, Hb and RBC), three red blood cell indices are calculated. These indices are particularly useful in the morphologic characterization of anemias. These values include the mean cell volume (MCV) which is the average volume of red blood cells and is calculated from the Hct and the RBC. Utilizing the formula: EQU MCV=Hct.times.1,000/RBC (in millions per u)
The mean cell hemoglobin (MCH) may also be calculated and is the content of Hb in the average red blood cell; it is calculated from the Hb concentration and the RBC utilizing the following formula: ##EQU1##
Another index calculable from the Hb and Hct is the mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). This index is the average concentration of Hb in a given volume of packed red blood cells. It is calculated using the following formula: ##EQU2##
Other characteristics of red blood cells which are available utilizing today's testing methods include values for the variability of the MCV about a mean value and estimates of abnormality in red blood cell morphology.
The above described indices are discussed in much greater detail in John Bernard Henry, M.D., Clinical Diagnosis And Management By Laboratory Methods, Part IV (17th edition 1984).
Modern clinical laboratory instrumentation has been built to make these primary analyses simultaneously in vitro on blood samples removed from the patient and the calculated indices are readily produced by these instruments. The calculated indices are often the preferred data on which physicians base their conclusions about a patient's condition.
A large number of testing methods, instrumentation, and techniques have been used in measuring and approximating values for Hct, Hb and RBC. The most common method used to determine the Hct (the ratio of packed red blood cells to volume of whole blood) involves centrifugation wherein a given blood sample is placed into a centrifuge for five minutes at approximately 10,000 to 12,000 g. The volume is then calculated by measuring the level of the red blood cells as a ratio of the total volume.
Sources of error in this method include insuring that the sample is subject to adequate centrifugal force for a sufficient duration so that the red cells may be packed and give an accurate reading. In addition, the final value must be corrected for trapped plasma present within the packed red blood cells. Technical errors in this method include failing to mix the blood adequately before sampling, improper reading of the level of cells to plasma, and irregularity of the inside diameter of the specimen tubes.
Methods used in the art to determine the Hb in a sample of blood include the cyanmethemoglobin method, the oxyhemoglobin method and the method of measuring iron content of the sample. Of the above three methods, the first (the cyanmethoglobin method) is recommended by the International Committee for Standardization in Hematology. That method involves diluting a sample of blood in a solution of potassium ferricyanide and potassium cyanide. The potassium ferricyanide oxidizes hemoglobins and potassium cyanide provides cyanide ions to form hemiglobincyanide which has a broad absorption maximum at a wavelength of approximately 540 nm. The absorbence of the overall solution can then be measured in a photometer or spectrophotometer at 540 nm and compared with that of a standard hemiglobincyanide solution.
The oxyhemoglobin method is not widely used, however it does yield reproducible results. The main disadvantage however is the lack of a stable standard with which to compare the results. This method involves the creation of a 1:251 dilution of blood in 0.007 N NH.sub.4 OH utilizing distilled water. This solution is then shaken to insure proper mixing and oxygenation of the hemoglobin. The solution is read in a photometer with a green filter with a 0.007 N ammonium hydroxide solution used as a standard.
The last method listed above involves a procedure whereby Hb may be measured by determining the iron content of the whole blood. The non-hemoglobin iron in blood is negligible compared to hemoglobin iron, however, the iron must first be separated from the hemoglobin, usually by acid or by ashing. It is then either titrated with TiCl.sub.3 or complexed with a reagent to develop color that can be measured photometrically since the iron content of hemoglobin is given as 0.347 percent, the concentration of hemoglobin in blood is calculated by dividing the iron concentration by 3.47.
Numerous sources of error are present in the above methods including those of the sample, the method, the equipment, and/or the operator. Errors inherent in the sample include improper venipuncture technique which may introduce hemo concentration, which will make hemoglobin concentration and cell counts too high. The photometer used for determining Hb must be calibrated in the laboratory before its initial use and must be re-checked frequently. The wavelength settings, filters and meter readings require constant monitoring.
The RBC, or red blood cell count may be determined by a number of different cell counting procedures. Any of these procedures includes three steps: dilution of the blood, sampling the diluted suspension into a measured volume, and counting the cells in that volume. Optical and electronic equipment have been developed to perform red blood cell counting, inter alia, in flowing systems in vitro. This equipment can also separately measure Hb by a chemical method in a separate analytic channel. The most widely used of such instruments is manufactured by Coulter Diagnostics of Hialeah, Florida, wherein red blood cells are passed through a glass tube with an aperture such that single cells can be detected based on a decrease in the voltage between electrodes positioned in a constricted portion of the tube. This measurement of voltage decrease yields an indirect value for RBC. The MCH is then computed utilizing the relationship: EQU MCH=Hb/RBC
then the Hct is calculated from the relationship: EQU Hct=MCV.times.RBC
after MCV is indirectly derived from the mean height of the voltage pulses formed during the red blood cell count.
Another instrument, made by Technicon Instrument Co., of Tarrytown, N.Y., and Fisher Scientific Co., of Pittsburgh, Pa., generates a value for RBC by using a system wherein red blood cells flowing in glass tubes are counted by deflection (scattering) of a beam of light that is directed to an opposing photo multiplier. Hb is measured by a chemical method in a separate channel of the instrument. The above-described instruments and methods are all characterized by their in-vitro analysis of specimen of blood withdrawn from the patient's body without the use of image analysis and yielding indirect (calculated or estimated) values for red blood cell indices.
Image analysis has been utilized to examine stained smears of blood fixed to glass slides with computer-controlled microscopes. Examples of such instruments include the "Hematrak" instruments manufactured by the Geometric Data Corp., Wayne, Pa. These instruments utilize pattern recognition software which identifies each of the major classes of white blood cells according to size, shape, staining and other morphologic characteristics. They also identify red blood cells for their morphology.
The imaging system includes a microscope with an automated scanning stage and an automatic focusing objective. Filters split the light transmitted through the stained cell into red, blue, and green portions of the spectrum. These allow the staining properties of the portions of the cells to be characterized. These instruments, however, do not produce any quantitative measures of red blood cells. These, and similar instruments, are also characterized by their in-vitro analysis of stained blood, fixed to slides for analysis. None perform quantitative analysis of red blood cell parameters.
Instruments which utilize flowing systems in conjunction with image analysis are exemplified by the International Remote Imaging Systems (IRIS) instruments which are designed to analyze in-vitro stream of the specimen flowing through glass tubing. This system utilizes a flow analyzer and system described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,024, issued to Bolz, et al., and assigned to IRIS. In that system, urine specimens are aspirated through a flow cell which is designed to orient cells and particles in one plane. Moving particles and cells are then photographed by a high-speed camera and counted by a microprocessor programmed to identify and classify the different particles and cells, including red blood cells. No quantitative analysis of red blood cell parameters is performed and the spectral analysis utilized is by transmission, rather than reflectance spectrophotometry.
A video computer system for measuring the lineal density of red blood cells and capillaries in vivo is described in an article by C. G. Ellis, et al. in Microvascular Research 27, Pages 1-13 (1984). This system utilizes a computerized frame-by-frame analysis of video images in order to perform continuous measurements of lineal density based on the spatial-average of blood opacity over a selected length of capillary. This method does not attempt to measure or even detect individual RBCs, but rather is directed to the measurement of light intensities along the centerline of the image of a capillary such that the number of RBCs in a given length of capillary is inversely related to he average light intensity over that length. A light intensity profile is determined utilizing a video analyzer which, for each frame, measured the light intensity values along a given length of capillary, first in the absence of RBCs to determine the "background light intensities" and then as the flow of RBCs is reestablished. A plot of mean opacity versus RBC for a particular capillary segment is then plotted and thus a value for RBC is estimated given a particular measured mean opacity. This system does not measure Hb, Hct or any of the other indices directly.

Apparatus and method for in vivo analysis of red and white blood cell indices


One embodiment provides a computer implemented method, including: receiving interaction logs of a plurality of services of an application running on a system; generating an interaction graph identifying interactions between at least the at least one of the plurality of services and other of the plurality of services, wherein the identifying comprises identifying a frequency of interactions between services; determining constraints between at least the at least one of the plurality of services and the other of the plurality of services, wherein the constraints identify services that are dependent upon other services of the plurality of services and a compatibility of services with respect to other services of the plurality of services; and creating a remediation plan for updating the at least one of the plurality of services, wherein the remediation plan identifies a time for updating the at least one of the plurality of services.

Services, software, and other systems generally are expected to comply with certain requirements or regulations. Failing to comply with the requirements or regulations could mean that the systems are not performing as intended or expected from a user perspective. For example, if a service is being run on a cloud environment that is accessible to many different users or entities, if the service is out-of-compliance, for example, with respect to security of the service, all of the users and entities could be affected by the non-compliance. This could mean that any data that the users or entities store or share with the service could be susceptible to attacks or security breaches. Thus, the users or entities that are responsible for maintaining the systems periodically check the systems to ensure that the system is still in compliance, for example, through auditing of the system. If the system is not compliant, the user or other entity will remediate or update the system to restore compliance.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


An exhaust manifold is provided having substantially ceramic inner and insulation layers. The manifold preferably has a metal outer structural layer to impart strength to the manifold. The ceramic layers are made of ceramic fibers with the interstitial spaces between the fibers being filled with ceramic filler material. The preferred ceramic fibers are aluminosilicate fibers. The preferred ceramic filler material is alumina, silica, glass-ceramic or other metal oxide. A method of making an exhaust manifold having a substantially ceramic inner and insulation layer is also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exhaust manifold, and more particularly to an insulated exhaust manifold for an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
Catalytic converters in motorized vehicles, particularly passenger automobiles, must reach a certain temperature before they xe2x80x9clight offxe2x80x9d. Light off occurs when the catalytic converter begins to convert harmful pollutants by oxidizing carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons to CO2, and reducing NOx to N2 and O2. It is important to minimize the time to light off once a car is started to minimize the amount of harmful pollutants emitted to the atmosphere.
Catalytic converters are typically heated to light off by the high temperature engine exhaust gas itself. Unfortunately, the catalytic converter is normally mounted downstream of the exhaust manifold which conducts the heated exhaust gas from the engine. A typical exhaust manifold is made of metal, or substantially made of metal. Metal exhaust manifolds conduct and disperse thermal energy away from exhaust gas to the outside atmosphere. This loss in thermal energy reduces the exhaust gas temperature before it reaches the catalytic converter and delays light off.
Various techniques for insulating exhaust manifolds and/or for providing other means to speed up light off have been suggested and attempted. Cast iron exhaust manifolds are useful but heavy. Also, the mass (large thermal mass) of iron drains heat from the exhaust gas. Welded tubing exhaust manifolds have less mass, but are complicated and expensive. Double-walled welded tubing exhaust manifolds have been suggested, with an air gap between the walls, but the two walls have the same thickness and are both structural and such an exhaust manifold would be unreasonably complex to manufacture.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,127 teaches an exhaust manifold having inner and outer metal walls enclosing a layer of insulating material. Because the inner layer is metal, and has finite thermal mass, it conducts heat from the traveling exhaust gas thus delaying light off. In addition, the metal inner layer is subject to erosion or loss of integrity over time from thermal cycling.
There is a need in the art for an exhaust manifold that substantially reduces the amount of heat conducted or convected away from the exhaust gas. Such an improved manifold will provide higher temperature exhaust gas to the catalytic converter, thus minimizing the time from engine start-up to light off.
An exhaust manifold is provided having a ceramic inner layer which defines an exhaust gas passageway of the manifold, a ceramic insulation layer disposed exterior to and adjacent the inner layer, and an outer structural layer disposed exterior to and adjacent the insulation layer. Each of the inner and insulation layers of the manifold comprises ceramic fibers and ceramic filler material.
A method of making an exhaust manifold is also provided having the steps of: a) providing a first aqueous slurry having 1-2 wt. % solids, wherein the solids comprise a mixture of ceramic filler material and ceramic fibers; b) vacuum forming an insulation layer from the first aqueous slurry; c) providing a second aqueous slurry having 1-2 wt. % solids, wherein the solids comprise a mixture of ceramic filler material and ceramic fibers; d) vacuum forming an inner layer on an interior wall surface of the insulation layer; e) firing the formed insulation and inner layers to provide finished insulation and inner layers respectively; and f) casting a metal outer layer over the insulation layer to form the exhaust manifold.
An exhaust manifold is also provided having a substantially ceramic integrated layer defining an exhaust gas passageway of the manifold, and an outer structural layer disposed exterior to and adjacent the integrated layer. The integrated layer comprises ceramic fibers and ceramic filler material, and has a radial porosity gradient such that localized porosity increases in an outward radial direction in the integrated layer.
A method of making an integrated layer having a radial porosity gradient for an exhaust manifold is also provided. The method has the steps of: a) providing a plurality of aqueous slurries, the slurries comprising a solids mixture of ceramic fibers and ceramic filler material and having incrementally increasing filler:fiber ratios; b) vacuum forming the integrated layer by successively introducing the slurries into a vacuum formation process to provide an integrated layer having a radial porosity gradient.
A method of making an exhaust manifold using a moldable dough is also provided. The method has the following steps: a) combining ceramic fibers, ceramic filler material, a binder, and water in the following proportions to form a dough paste:
b) mixing the dough paste to form a moldable dough; c) pressing the moldable dough into a mold to form a shaped part; d) curing or gelling the shaped part so that said shaped part can be handled without causing distortions; e) heating to burn off or remove residual organics and water, thereby forming a finished insulation layer; f) providing an aqueous slurry having 1-2 wt. % solids, said solids comprising a mixture of ceramic filler material and ceramic fibers; g) vacuum forming or spray-forming from the aqueous slurry an inner layer on an interior wall surface of the insulation layer; h) firing the formed insulation and inner layers to provide finished insulation and inner layers respectively; and i) casting a metal outer layer over the insulation layer to the exhaust manifold.