A polypropylene comprising within a range from 0.1 wt % to 4 wt % ethylene and/or C4 to C12 α-olefin derived units, one or more clarifiers, or both; wherein the polypropylene has a flexural modulus of at least 200 kpsi (0.05 in/min ASTM D790(A)) and an Mz/Mw of at least 4. The polypropylenes may be made by combining propylene and a comonomer with a Ziegler-Natta catalyst and at least two external electron donors, wherein the concentration of the electron donors is within a range from 1 to 100 ppm. The concentration of electron donors may be decreased to control the haze level of the polypropylene, and/or the level of comonomer derived units may be controlled to reduce the haze level of the polypropylene.

Polypropylene is increasingly used as a base material in thermoforming processes. Its use is only recently becoming realized as a foamable polymer as well. However, most polypropylenes do not have the melt strength to be of optimal use in thermoforming where sagging of the melt can be a problem in operations to make thermoformed articles. And in foaming, polypropylene typically does not have the melt strength and extensional viscosity to allow formation of cavities for the hardened "foam" material.
However, the inventors have found that certain polypropylenes having a high molecular weight component have improved melt strength and extensional viscosity, allowing for the improved manufacture of thermoformed articles and/or foamed articles. Ideally, these materials will be stiff as evidenced by a high flexural modulus. What is needed is a polypropylene material having both a high melt strength and high stiffness, but also improved clarity. Current clear polypropylene materials are useful in a number of thermoformed articles, but to get the desired stiffness, such articles must have a relatively high thickness and weight. What is also needed is a polypropylene that will allow for down-gauging but maintain its stiffness and clarity. The inventors have developed such materials, described herein.
Relevant publications include U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,453,093; 9,410,034; 9,290,600; 9,068,030; 6,503,993; 6,350,828; 5,670,595; WO 2013/004507; EP 0 919 572 A1; and EP 3 018 156 A1.

High melt strength polypropylene with high stiffness and clarity


Certain embodiments of the invention provide an antibody, or a fragment thereof, comprising a heavy chain complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR-H3) having at least about 80% sequence identity to a sequence described herein, as well as methods of use thereof.

As key cellular proteinases, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family members control various physiological and pathological processes. Multiple diseases are associated with altered MMP expression and aberrant proteolysis, including cancer (Overall et al., (2006) Nat Rev Cancer 6(3):227-239), wound healing (Cook et al., (2000) J Invest Dermatol 115(2):225-233, Liu et al. (2009) Diabetes Care 32(1):117-119), inflammation diseases (Elkington et al., (2005) Clin Exp Immunol 142(1):12-20, Vanlaere et al., (2009) Clin Microbiol Rev 22(2):224-239), neurological pain (Dev et al., (2010) Expert Opin Investig Drugs 19(4):455-468), and hypertension (Castro et al., (2013) Curr Drug Targets 14(3):335-343). There is a consensus among researchers that the individual MMPs are promising drug targets in diversified pathologies, and that inhibitor specificity is required for selective and successful MMP therapies (Deu et al., (2012) Nat Struct Mol Biol 19(1):9-16; Drag et al., (2010) Nat Rev Drug Discov 9(9):690-701; Botkjaer et al., (2016) Oncotarget 7(13):16773-16792). However, achieving target specificity and selectivity in small-molecule MMP inhibitors is exceedingly difficult. Because the catalytic mechanism and the catalytic domain fold are conserved among the MMP/ADAM (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase)/ADAMTS (ADAM with thrombospondin motifs) superfamily members, the available small molecule inhibitors (most frequently, active site zinc-chelating hydroxamates) target multiple proteinases resulting in off-target side effects (Deu et al., (2012) Nat Struct Mol Biol 19(1):9-16; Turk B (2006) Nat Rev Drug Discov 5(9):785-799; Zucker et al., (2009) Cancer Biol Ther 8(24):2371-2373). This is problematic given that some MMPs (e.g., MMP-14) are always pro-tumorigenic while some other MMPs are anti-tumorigenic in certain cancer microenvironments (Gialeli et al., (2011) FEBS J 278(1):16-27; Decock et al., (2011) J Cell Mol Med 15(6):1254-1265). As a result, broad-spectrum hydroxamates have failed in cancer clinical trials due to their low overall efficacy and side effects (Turk B (2006) Nat Rev Drug Discov 5(9):785-799).
Accordingly, there is a need for new enzyme inhibitors (e.g., selective inhibitors), such as MMP inhibitors. Additionally, there is a need for new methods to identify such inhibitors (e.g., selective MMP inhibitors).

The Regents of the University of California


A priority control value, which is smaller as the priority of access by each of requesters is higher, decreases with the lapse of time when an access request is issued. When the access is completed, the priority control value increases by a priority decrease value (PERIOD). When there is no access request, the priority control value decreases to a reference priority value (TMIN) and is then maintained at the reference priority value. Access permission is given to the one of the requesters issuing requests which has the smallest priority control value. As a result, proper arbitration is performed at a high speed with a simple hardware configuration.

As a system LSI (Large Scale Integrated circuit) has become used in recent years, it has been common practice to integrate a plurality of functional blocks having the respective functions of a plurality of previous chips in one chip. In such a case, the integration of an external memory is performed in most cases to achieve a cost reduction. In the case where a multi-chip LSI is used as previously, a plurality of memories are provided and occupied by the respective LSIs in most cases. In a system LSI, by contrast, it has become a very frequent practice to share a memory among a plurality of functional blocks. As a result, to arbitrate competing accesses from the plurality of functional blocks, an access arbiter is used.
The performance of the access arbiter is particularly important when processing having a high real-time property is required as in an AV processing block in digital AV (audio visual) home appliances. For example, a hardware mechanism has been known which uses a round robin method capable of guaranteeing the worst access time (the longest time period from the issue of an access request until access is made) to such processing of which a high real-time property is required (see, e.g., Patent Document 1).
Another mechanism has also been known which uses a method termed EDF (Earliest Deadline First) to schedule the execution of a plurality of programs in multitasking processing, though it does not particularly concern bus arbitration. Specifically, a process is performed which generates a waiting queue and performs sorting depending on the length of a time period until the deadline when a new task is generated or the like (see, e.g., Patent Document 2).
On the other hand, in recent digital AV (audio visual) home appliances, a structure can be considered in which, e.g., an AV processing block for performing AV processing having a high real-time property and a versatile microcomputer for performing complicated control comparable to that performed by a computer, such as a GUI (graphical user interface), are provided within a system LSI so that the individual functional blocks share one memory. In such a system requiring a real-time property and a system which does not require a high real-time property but requires high performance (averaged performance) such as a microcomputer, efficient arbitration between memory accesses that have been integrated to achieve compatibility between the real-time property and performance is particularly necessary.
Patent Document 1: Published Japanese Translation of PCT International Publication for Patent Application No. 2001-516100
Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. HEI 5-274162

Access arbiter and arbitrable condition verification device


The invention relates to a method and arrangement for continuously measuring substances in a pressurised body fluid. A probe (202) for enabling continuous measurement of the concentration of one or more substances in a pressurized body fluid is provided. The probe is adapted to be inserted into the pressurized body fluid, and comprises an interface and an outlet lumen. Furthermore, the probe is configured so that a continuous and spontaneous fluid flow is established from the body fluid through the interface to the outlet lumen. The fluid flow from the outlet may be analyzed by a sensor.

It is known that certain substances which may be present in the body can function as indicators for various pathological conditions in the body. Such substances are hereafter called indicator substances. Examples of indicator substances are glucose, lactate, pyruvate, glycerol, glutamate, and glutamine, cytokines and heart specific enzymes. Pathological conditions that may be indicated or detected, or as well forecasted, include ischemia, hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, sepsis, cell membrane damage or lipolysis, vasospasms, metabolic disorders and inflammatory disorders. By measuring indicator substances, pathological conditions may be detected before they lead to clinical signs. It may even be possible to detect processes or conditions that eventually may lead to a pathological condition. In many cases it would be advantageous to have the possibility to measure the concentration of indicator substances directly in a blood stream, or in tissue fluid. However, until now there have not existed any systems suitable for clinical use for continuous measurement of indicator substances. Systems known from the background art all have different drawbacks. Examples of common drawbacks in background art systems are that the measurement delay is extensive and that those systems have measured phenomena that are the result of a pathological condition, e.g. ischemia. This is clearly disadvantageous. With measurement delay is meant the time that passes from the moment that a sample is taken until the moment that a measurement value relating to this sample is obtained. Also, in background art systems measurement values can often only be obtained with relatively extended time periods between each measurement value, e.g. if sample fluid is collected in micro-vials. In another system, according to prior art, blood samples are drawn from a patient before being analysed with a blood gas analyser. In a further system, also according to prior art, a microdialysis probe provided with a semi-permeable membrane is inserted into a vein of a patient. A perfusion fluid (perfusate) is pumped into an inlet lumen before entering a microdialysis chamber on the inside of the membrane. The perfusate absorbs substances in the blood through the membrane and passes into an outlet lumen of the probe and then flows through a sensor where the substances are measured.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,135 describes a measuring system where a drug is administrated to a rat and where a microdialysis probe is placed in the vein of the rat. Mass spectrometry is used to batchwise analyse the dialysate for obtaining pharmacokinetic data.
US-A1-2004/0191848 describes a system for measuring the concentration of glucose in tissue fluid. The system uses a microdialysis probe which is fed with a perfusate already containing glucose. The concentration of glucose in the perfusate is controlled using self-adaptive control.
In view of the prior art, there is a need for a more reliable and accurate measuring system that can be used in monitoring the condition of a critical care patient.


Embodiments of the invention are directed to providing a proprietary file integration system for converting files in a proprietary format useable only by a legacy application or system to a new, useable file format to ensure continued access and use of the files. The invention comprises a nonconventional use of existing systems and modules of a file validation tool by improving and altering its core functions to additionally transform the proprietary files to the new, useable format. The invention extracts the file path from a data archive to open the file before capturing an image of the file, converting the image to a new, useable format, and storing the file for later access and use in the new format. Additionally, the invention can process the file in its new format to automatically generate a searchable index of the file for ease of user discovery and access.

As technology is improved and older devices and applications lose support or are decommissioned, users of said systems and applications tend to upgrade to new computer hardware and software to replace the old, existing systems either out of desire or necessity. Many systems and applications utilize proprietary file formats unique to the specific architecture of said systems and applications for the storage of files and data. However, without access to the required program associated with the specific architecture, the files and data can become un-viewable and inaccessible. As many entities need to store and maintain sometimes tens of thousands of old files, records, and data spanning years for either future reference or to comply with required regulations, a tool for transitioning and integrating old, legacy file formats to new or alternative existing systems is required.

Image capturing and processing for legacy format integration


A fluid evacuation device is attachable to a hand-held instrument to provide the hand-held instrument with fluid evacuation capabilities. The fluid evacuation device includes a nozzle, a hose mount, and an evacuation hose. The nozzle has a receptacle that receives a portion of a hand-held instrument therein. The distal end of the nozzle has an opening therein through which fluid may be drawn into the nozzle. The fluid can pass through a flow region in the nozzle. The hose mount extends from the nozzle and connects the hose to the nozzle. The hose mount includes a passageway through which the fluid can pass from the flow region into the evacuation hose.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to fluid evacuation devices. More particularly, the invention relates to fluid evacuation devices that may be selectively attached to other instruments.
2. The Relevant Technology
As is known to those skilled in the art, modern surgical techniques typically employ radio frequency (RF) power to cut tissue and coagulate bleeding encountered in performing surgical procedures. For a historical perspective and details of such techniques, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,842, issued to D'Amelio et al., and entitled "Electroprobe Apparatus," the disclosure of which is incorporated by this reference.
As is known to those skilled in the medical arts, electrosurgery is widely used and offers many advantages including the use of a single surgical instrument for both cutting and coagulation. A monopolar electrosurgical generator system has an active electrode, such as in the form of an electro surgical instrument having a hand piece and a conductive electrode or tip, which is applied by the surgeon to the patient at the surgical site to perform surgery and a return electrode to connect the patient back to the generator.
The electrode or tip of the electrosurgical instrument is small at the point of contact with the patient to produce an RF current with a high current density in order to produce a surgical effect of cutting or coagulating tissue. The return electrode carries the same RF current provided to the electrode or tip of the electrosurgical instrument, thus providing a path back to the electrosurgical generator.
To make the electrical connection for the RF current between the electrosurgical generator and the electrosurgical instrument, a cable having an electrically conductive core extends from the electrosurgical generator to the electrosurgical instrument. The cable may also include a cord with additional conductors. The cord provides a connection for transmitting control signals from the electrosurgical instrument to the electrosurgical generator. The control signals may be used to cause the generator to deliver RF currents to the electrosurgical instrument for different cutting modes such as cut, coagulate, and cut-coagulate blend.
When an electrosurgical instrument is used for cutting or coagulation, smoke is commonly produced. A surgeon or assistant often uses a separate smoke evacuation device to remove the smoke from the surgical field. Smoke evacuation devices commonly include a suction wand connected to a vacuum device via tubing. The surgeon or assistant holds the suction wand close to the surgical site and the smoke is drawn into the suction wand and through the tubing. However, using a smoke evacuation device separate from the electrosurgical instrument is not ideal. Using a separate smoke evacuation device requires additional hands and instruments near the surgical site, which can obscure the surgeon's view of the surgical site and reduce the room available around the surgical site for the surgeon to move.
As a result, combination electrosurgical instrument and smoke evacuation devices have been developed. These combination devices often include a hand piece that can receive an electrode tip for performing electrosurgical procedures. The hand piece is connected to a generator via a power cable to convey RF current to the electrode tip. Additionally, a smoke evacuation hose is connected between the hand piece and a vacuum device to draw smoke away from the surgical site. In some cases, the power cable runs through a portion of the smoke evacuation hose.
The power cables and smoke evacuation hoses have certain flexibility and weight characteristics that limit the ability of the physician during a surgical procedure. For example, the weight/moment-arm effect and drag of the power cable and/or the smoke evacuation hose as well as the connection location(s) of the power cable and/or smoke evacuation hose to the electrosurgical instrument limit the physician's ability to continually hold and use the electrosurgical instrument. The electrode tip is received within one end of the hand piece (commonly referred to as a pencil) and the power cable and/or smoke evacuation hose typically enter into the opposite end of the hand piece. As the physician manipulates the electrosurgical instrument during a surgical procedure, the weight of the power cable and/or smoke evacuation hose continually pulls on the end of the electrosurgical instrument to which it is attached. More specifically, as the physician adjusts the orientation of the electrosurgical instrument so as to bring the electrode into contact with the patient's tissue, the weight of the power cable and/or smoke evacuation hose resists the physician's movement. The constant resistance or drag created by the power cable and/or smoke evacuation hose can cause the physician to become fatigued during a surgical procedure that requires extensive and continual use of the electrosurgical instrument.
Additionally, many electrosurgical procedures are performed on very sensitive parts of the body, such as on or around the eyes. When performing such procedures, the physician must control the movements of the electrode with great precision and accuracy. The resistance or drag created by the power cable and/or smoke evacuation hose can make it more difficult for the physician to be as precise and accurate. For instance, when moving the electrosurgical instrument to make a delicate incision, the physician must accurately compensate for the resistance from the power cable and/or smoke evacuation hose. If the physician overcompensates, an incision that is too deep or too long can result. Alternatively, if the physician undercompensates, multiple passes may be required to achieve the desired incision. Furthermore, the fatigue caused by the resistance from the power cable and/or smoke evacuation hose can adversely affect the physician's ability to accurately compensate for the resistance from the power cable and/or smoke evacuation hose.
While combination electrosurgical instrument and smoke evacuation devices may reduce or eliminate the need to use a separate smoke evacuation device, as noted above, combination electrosurgical instrument and smoke evacuation combination devices have various drawbacks. As noted above, the hoses and cables of such instruments create resistance to the movement of the instruments. Furthermore, there are numerous electrosurgical instruments already being used that do not provide smoke evacuation capabilities. Thus, transitioning to a combination electrosurgical instrument and smoke evacuation device would require the purchase of an entirely new instrument that includes both the electrosurgical and smoke evacuation capabilities. Thus, while the combination devices may address some of the foregoing drawbacks, such as requiring the use of separate instruments to perform multiple functions, current combination devices do not address the resistance issues discussed above or the ability to retrofit existing hand-held instruments with fluid evacuation capabilities.
Thus, there remains room for improvement with regards to electrosurgical and smoke evacuation devices. Nevertheless, the subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.


A digital printer having at least two printheads, that are operative to mark simultaneously on one or more media; each printhead including one or more printing devices and being operative to mark on the corresponding media one or more images within a respective non-overlapping window.

Digital printing presses and other digitally fed printing machines are widely used and are made in a great variety of types and models. They vary in terms of mechanical configuration, the basic process utilized for marking, the types and formats of media being printed and the nature of the printed images. These variables are inter-related. The present invention is applicable to printing machines of almost any type, all of which will be referred to hereinafter interchangeably as digital printers or just printers, and constitutes an improvement thereto, which may be advantageous for certain applications, as explained hereunder.
Common to all such printers is the presence of a medium to be imprinted and of a printhead. The media to be imprinted may consist of any of a variety of materials, including paper, cardboard, plastics, metal, textiles, ceramics, etc., and may have any of a variety of formats and sizes, including cut or rolled-up sheets, plates, tiles and formed products or parts thereof. A printhead includes a printing device, or an assembly of printing devices, that faces the medium and, under control of suitable signals, causes image-related marks to be left thereon. This process is referred to as marking or printing. The printhead is primarily classified by the basic type of the marking process and by the mode in which the marking proceeds. Marking generally involves some relative motion between the printhead and the medium in a plane parallel to the printed face of the medium. Generally this motion is along two orthogonal axes, usually being relatively fast along one axis, say X axis, (this motion also referred to as a sweep motion) and relatively slow along the other axis, say Y axis, (this motion being either continuous or stepwise), such a combined motion tracing a rectangular raster of lines. In the following description these motions will sometimes be referred to simply as "fast" and "slow" motions, respectively. However, for certain types of printheads and modes of marking it need be along only one axis, while for certain other types or modes it may be at similar rates along both axes (the trace not forming a raster). There will now be described examples of commonly used general types of printheads and their related marking processes and tracing modes.
The presently most ubiquitous marking process is known as the ink-jet process, which may be of two basic types—the so-called continuous ink jet (CIJ) process and the so-called drop-on-demand (DOD) process. An ink-jet printhead may include one or more ink-jet devices, each device emitting drops from one or more nozzles or apertures; in the case of a plurality of nozzles or apertures (which is prevalent for the DOD type), they usually form a regular array. Often, a plurality of ink-jet devices is assembled into a single printhead, forming a regular array, and if each device has an array of apertures, the assembly is such that all the arrays effectively combine into one large array of apertures. The effect of the array is that during the fast relative motion between the printhead and the medium along one axis, the marking by the several apertures is along corresponding parallel traces, which are usually equispaced and span the width of the printhead array. Generally, this width is much less than that of the image to be printed, so that a slow relative motion between the printhead and the medium is required also along the other axis to cover the whole width of the image. Also generally the spacing of the traces is coarser than the desired printing resolution; the slow motion along the other axis is then such that traces of consecutive sweeps become mutually interlaced. In certain types of digital presses (such as the Idanit digital press by Scitex Vision), the printhead is made to span the maximum width of the media and thus the slow motion serves only for interlacing of traces. Another type of marking device that requires two-axes motion, possibly in a non-raster mode, is an air brush. It is used for special low-resolution printing (or image-painting) applications.
A group of printing device types based on optical processes is also known. In these processes, marking is generally achieved in two stages: during a first (exposure) phase, one or more focused light beams, emerging from the printhead modulated by control signals, strike the medium or an intermediate surface, leaving thereon a latent image. During a second (development) stage, the latent image becomes a visible image on the medium. Two main types of exposure devices, and thus of optical printheads, are prevalent: the first main type consists of an array of modulated light sources, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs); its mode of tracing is similar to that of an ink-jet array, generally requiring raster-like motion along both axes. The second main type has an intense beam of light, usually emanating from a laser, that is modulated and swept across the image area; here mechanical slow motion is required only along one axis. It is noted that the term light is used here to denote any focusable electromagnetic radiation and thus includes also ultra-violet and infra-red radiation. It is further noted that the marking process need not be based on photoelectric or photoconductive effects, but may for example be based on thermal effects.
Array-like printing devices using physical processes other than those discussed above are also known, such as those using direct thermal effects or direct electrostatic charging effects. Swept-beam printing devices using other than light beams, such as electron- or ion beams, are likewise known. Digital printers based on such and other devices are likewise subject to the improvements disclosed herein.
The marks left by the printing process on the medium may be any optically readable marks, such as those made by ink, paint or toner, or they may be any other material or effect on the medium, such as a varnish, a masking industrial layer or an etching, and the like. In the case of optically readable marks, the several devices in a printhead may include devices that mark in different colors. This is especially true for ink-jet (as well as air-brush) printing, where the inks themselves are colored. Such inks may be in the four primary printing colors or have any other desirable colors and constituent materials, including metallic and fluorescent materials. Digital printers based on such and other printing processes are likewise subject to the improvements disclosed herein.
Printers are mechanically differentiated by the manner in which the relative motion of the printhead and medium are carried out. There are three basic mechanical arrangements related to such motion. In a first arrangement, the medium is stationary during the printing of an image and the printhead is generally movable along the two orthogonal axes—usually in a relatively fast motion along the X axis and in a relatively slow motion along the Y axis. Often the medium is a sheet or a plate that lies flat, in which case this arrangement is also termed flat-bed printer. In the case of a swept-beam type of printhead, the sweep assumed to be along the X axis, there is only a slow mechanical motion along the Y axis. In the case of an array-type printhead that spans the entire maximal width of a printed image, the motion along the Y axis need only be for trace interlacing, as explained above. Any motion of a printhead during marking will be referred to as a marking motion.
In a second mechanical arrangement, the medium moves slowly along the Y axis, while the printhead generally moves repeatedly along the X axis, in a relatively fast motion. In the case of a swept-beam type of printhead, the printhead is stationary, the sweep being aligned with the X axis. Digital printers of this second basic arrangement vary according to whether the printed medium is flexible or rigid, and if flexible—whether it is in the form of a plurality of separate sheets or formed into a very long sheet, also known as a web. The case of a rigid medium also includes flexible media, such as one or more garments, that are attached to, or mounted on, a rigid substrate. A rigid medium or substrate is usually flat and during printing moves parallel to one of its coordinates; this may be regarded as another configuration of a flat-bed printer. A rigid medium or substrate may, however, also have another convenient shape, such as a cylinder; in the latter case it slowly rotates around its axis, while the printhead moves fast parallel to the axis of rotation. A web-formed medium moves from reel to reel, past a printing station, by means of rollers; at the printing station it is stretched to become planar or is made to run in contact with a backing surface. A flexible sheet is moved past a printing station either by means of rollers or temporarily attached to a substrate, which may be flexible (such as an endless belt) or rigid (such as a cylinder).
In a third mechanical arrangement, it is the medium that moves fast, e.g. attached to a rotating cylinder, while the printhead generally moves in a relatively slow motion. If the printhead includes an array that spans the width of the printed image, the slow motion need only be for trace interlacing, as explained above. It will be appreciated that a fourth basic mechanical arrangement is theoretically possible, though generally not practical nor known to be practiced, namely a stationary printhead with a medium moving along both orthogonal axes; the invention is applicable to such an arrangement, as well as to all the others mentioned hereabove, with obvious modifications, which would, moreover, be relatively simple to embody.
For each of the above arrangements there are known a variety of ways for loading the medium (i.e. bringing the medium into the general area of printing), moving it during marking and unloading it (i.e. taking the medium out of that area). In the cases of a rigid medium, or substrate, and a sheet-formed flexible medium, the motions required for loading and unloading are distinct from, and generally faster than, the aforementioned slow motion during marking. In the case of a web-formed medium all three motions have the same average rate but may be separately controlled; this is particularly apparent if the motion for marking is stepwise. There also is a possibility that the printer is but one station in a production line, where other stations may include similar printers or may involve other processes. In a configuration involving a web, the web may then continuously run into the printer from a preceding workstation and out of the printer into the next workstation. In configurations involving sheets or plates (including the case of substrates that carry pieces to be printed), the latter may be moved from one station to another, for example, in a round-robin fashion, whereby one or two stations may serve to load and unload the pieces or the substrates. It is noted that flat-bed configurations are useful for printing a large variety of media, particularly rigid ones or such that consist of fabricated pieces attached to a substrate. For any of the above ways of moving the media, the present invention is applicable with respect to the motion of the media during the marking process.
There are applications in which it is required to print, or image-wise paint, curved surfaces. These may, for example, be outside surfaces of various objects that cannot be fabricated by cutting, folding and gluing a flat medium (e.g. cardboard). To this end, a printer of any of the arrangements discussed above may be modified to allow relative motion between the printhead and the medium also along a third orthogonal axis, say—the Z axis. The motion along the Z axis is then controlled so that the distance between the printhead and the area of the medium being imprinted remains constant.
Essentially all printers of prior art are equipped, and designed to function, with a single printhead. The term printhead in this context is to be understood as any printhead of the types described hereabove, and similar ones, characterized by being mechanically a single assembly and operative to mark essentially the entire printable area of the medium, while the latter is in the printing position. Typically, the printhead gradually marks an entire image, as the aforementioned relative motion between it and the medium takes place. If the printhead includes an array of marking devices, they are arranged so as to mark parallel traces that are relatively close to each other and, as noted above, successive sweeps generally cause these traces to interlace. In the case of multiple color devices in a single printhead, they are generally arranged so that their traces overlap each other on successive sweeps.
There are many applications in which a plurality of separate images, often identical ones, need to be printed on a single medium. The multiplicity may be along the X axis, along the Y axis or along both. This need arises particularly where an array of discrete pieces of print media must be printed. Typical examples are decorative tiles, T-shirts, peel-and-stick labels. Yet other examples are multiple copies of a poster or leaflet, as well as of pages of a book, to be printed on a single sheet.
Clearly, all such printing jobs can be carried out in conventional single-printhead printers, by suitably programming the control signals. Such an operation may have two drawbacks: first, in many cases there are relatively large spaces between the printed pieces or between the page images, in which no marking is to take place; the time during which the printhead sweeps over these spaces is wasted—resulting in reduced utility of the printer. While speeding up the motion of the printhead or of the medium over these spaces is theoretically possible, it may not be practical, because of the high rates of acceleration and deceleration required. Secondly, since the multiple images are marked sequentially, the time it takes to mark all of them is that multiple of the time that it takes to mark any one of them, so that marking them sequentially using a single printhead is disadvantageous relative to marking several images simultaneously using multiple printheads.
The overall printing rate of a given printer may generally be increased by increasing the sweeping speed during marking or by increasing the number of printing devices operating simultaneously. The sweeping speed is ultimately limited by mechanical considerations and by the maximal marking rate of each device. Increasing the number of marking devices in a printhead would result in an increased number of traces marked per sweep. This would require, with respect to the Y axis, a commensurate increase in speed, in the case of continuous motion, or a commensurate increase in the step size; in either case, the mechanical precision required to maintain alignment between successive sweeps may be taxed. If the number of marking devices in the printhead is increased to span the whole width of the medium (thus requiring very little motion, if any, along the Y axis, as is the case in certain printers of the third basic arrangement, as explained above), there may be a considerable number of devices (or portions of such devices) that trace only spaces between images and therefore represent a wasteful investment.
In the case of curved surfaces to be printed, which requires also motion along the Z axis, there is a limitation on the size and number of printing devices in any one printhead: it must be small enough for the distance that is maintained between the printhead and the curved surface to be practically the same for all the devices and apertures.
It is further noted that in multiple-image applications, the size of the images, as well as the width of the gaps between them, may be variable—both between jobs and between images on the same sheet. Overcoming the investment inefficiency of a full-width array printhead, as suggested hereabove, by leaving out some of the marking devices, would be impractical in view of this variability.
It is furthermore noted that in some multiple-image applications, the various images may have to be printed on different media; for example, a batch of T-shirts to be imprinted may include samples made of different materials, or as another example, a fabricated object may include parts made of different materials. Such different media would need suitably different types of printing devices or inks and thus could not be printed by a single printhead in a single operation. Using a conventional printer, the job will have to be done in several runs—possibly on different printers. Alternatively, the printhead of a single printer could be equipped with several different printing devices (or devices with several different inks) and the job done over that number of printing operations. Obviously such operation would be very wasteful of the printer's time.
There is thus a clear need for digital printer configurations that would enable printing multiple images, of various sizes, at higher efficiency and considerably higher effective rates than possible with corresponding configurations of prior art.


A system can include a system processor that is programmed or adapted to classify pixels in a document image, and in some instances, to enhance the document image based upon such classification. Image data including pixels is received. For each pixel in some subset of the image data, a feature vector is generated. Each pixel in the subset is classified as text or image based upon its associated feature vector. The classifications can be outputted for storage and/or further processing. Further processing can include pixel level enhancement processing. Such enhancement processing can include application of a sharpening filter to pixels classified as text and of a smoothing filter to pixels classified as image. In some instances, background suppression can be performed upon a subset of the image data prior to classification.

This patent application is a continuation of the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/224,660, filed Aug. 20, 2002, entitled "Systems and Methods for Content-Based Document Image Enhancement" and assigned to the assignee of the present application.
The present invention is directed to systems and methods for enhancing images of documents. More specifically, without limitation, the present invention relates to systems and methods for enhancing images of documents based upon the content of such documents.
Digital copying, in which a digital image is obtained from a scanning device and then printed, involves a variety of inherent factors that compromise image quality. Ordered halftone patterns in the original document interact with the periodic sampling of the scanner, producing objectionable moiré patterns. These are exacerbated when the copy is reprinted with an ordered halftone pattern. In addition, limited scan resolution blurs edges, degrading the appearance of detail such as text. Fine detail also suffers from flare, caused by the reflection and scattering of light from the scanner's illumination source. Flare blends together nearby colors, blurring the high-frequency content of the document.
To suppress moiré, a filter may be constructed that is customized to the frequencies of interest. However, both the detection of the input halftone frequencies and the frequency-domain filtering itself can require significant computational effort. Although crude, a simple, small low-pass filter can correct the majority of moiré artifacts. Unfortunately, low-pass filtering affects detail as well, blurring it even further. Sharpening improves the appearance of text and fine detail, countering the effects of limited scan resolution and flare. Edges become clear and distinct. Of course, other artifacts such as noise and moiré become sharper as well.
The solution is simple in concept: determine the content of regions within the scanned image and then apply the appropriate filter to each region. Sharpening should be performed on fine detail, while moiré suppression should be applied to certain periodic artifacts. From the above discussion, therefore, for an image enhancement system to work properly, a preprocessing step should include the segmentation of the document into text and halftoned images, as well as identification of background. If this step is successfully completed, selection and/or application of appropriate additional processing such as filtering, interpolation, optical character recognition or transformation can occur.
Several techniques have been used to segment documents into text, images and background. These techniques have been primarily designed for optical character recognition (OCR). In these techniques, generally, the document is divided into columns. The columns are then separated into rectangular connected regions. Regions that are small are considered to be text, while large regions are treated as images. These techniques, however, require large portions of the document to be saved in memory and also require intensive computations, which render them impractical for real-time processing.
For enhancement purposes, a simpler and faster way to differentiate between text and image regions in scanned documents is to extract edge information. In general, a higher magnitude of edges would suggest high contrast between a pixel and its neighbors. This is usually an indication of the presence of a text element. Using a predefined threshold, a simple classifier can be constructed:                1. If edge values are higher than a certain threshold then pixels are classified as text; otherwise they are classified as images.        2. Text pixels are sharpened while image pixels are smoothed.
This technique, however, has several disadvantages. First, the algorithm, although simple, does not meet real-time computational constraints. Next, selecting an edge threshold low enough to sharpen all text will sharpen other features as well (resulting from misclassifying images as text), Finally, increasing the value of the threshold will cause parts of the text (especially fine strokes) to be misclassified and potentially blurred.
These and other disadvantages of known techniques are solved in one embodiment of the present invention by including spatial constraints with the edge information. Edge thresholds are set high enough to ensure smooth images, and spatial information ensures that fine text is sharpened. The output of this operation significantly improves the quality of the scanned document.

Systems and methods for content-based document image enhancement


Each computing node of a distributed computing system may implement a hardware mechanism at the network interface for message driven prefetching of application data. For example, a parallel data-intensive application that employs function shipping may distribute respective portions of a large data set to main memory on multiple computing nodes. The application may send messages to one of the computing nodes referencing data that is stored locally on the node. For each received message, the network interface on the recipient node may extract the reference, initiate the prefetching of referenced data into a local cache (e.g., an LLC), and then store the message for subsequent interpretation and processing by a local processor core. When the processor core retrieves a stored message for processing, the referenced data may already be in the LLC, avoiding a CPU stall while retrieving it from memory. The hardware mechanism may be configured via software.

1. Field of the Disclosure
This disclosure relates generally to parallel processing, and more particularly to systems and methods for performing message driven prefetching at the network interface for distributed applications that employ a function shipping model.
2. Description of the Related Art
Existing computer systems implement prefetching in several different ways and for a variety of purposes. For example, one commonly used method for prefetching (which is sometime referred to as "software prefetching") is to include a "prefetch" instruction in the processor instruction-set-architecture (ISA). In systems that employ software prefetching, these prefetch instructions can be placed in the application code to bring data into the cache hierarchy from memory before the processor requires it. These prefetch instructions can be inserted into the application code either explicitly by the programmer or automatically by the compiler. In cases in which the data access pattern is not known beforehand, prediction algorithms can be employed by the application and/or the compiler to issue prefetches on a somewhat speculative basis.
Another existing approach for prefetching, which is sometimes referred to as "hardware prefetching" does not require the explicit use of prefetch instructions to perform prefetching. Instead, systems that employ hardware prefetching typically rely on special hardware predictors that monitor memory requests issued by the processor to infer future accesses. These systems typically employ learning algorithms to predict future memory accesses based on the recent history of accesses.
Some existing network interfaces support fast user-level messaging mechanisms (e.g., for communication between the processes or threads of parallel programs). In a large cluster environment, such mechanisms remove operating system and message copy overhead, and can lead to improvements in latency and network bandwidth usage, especially in the case of small messages. In applications that employ a function shipping model of parallel processing, the inter-process/thread messages are typically requests that contain a reference (or pointer) to one or more data items, along with other processing specifications. In other words, applications that employ function shipping often access local data structures based on the content of a received message. In such cases, upon receiving a message, the user application accesses local data that is directly or indirectly referenced by the contents of the message. In the case that these applications include large problems (e.g., computations that operate on extremely large data sets, which are sometimes referred to as "big-data computations" or "data-intensive applications"), and due to the random access patterns they typically experience, these accesses almost always miss in the cache hierarchy, causing processors stalls. In such cases, the benefits of fast messaging with zero-copy optimizations are typically not fully realized, as the bottleneck is shifted to the local data accesses that are triggered by the receipt of the messages.

System and method for performing message driven prefetching at the network interface


Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing techniques for testing user interfaces of software application. The techniques include interacting with a user to identify one or more straight lines in a first rendering of a user interface for a software application, the straight lines being diagnostic of the correct layout of the first rendering of the user interface, and using the one or more straight lines as reference lines to determine if a second rendering of the user interface has a correct layout.

The present invention relates to data processing by digital computer, and more particularly to user interface testing for software applications.
Conventionally, user interface testing for software applications is performed manually. Typically, a user interface is displayed, and a tester, for example, a developer or a quality analysis engineer, inspects the displayed user interface for errors.
Once a user interface has been tested, it may subsequently need to be retested, for example, because modifications were made to the application. Typically, the retesting is also performed manually.


A lock system for a container with a movable closure or lid. The lock system includes a pivotally mounted latch member, a corresponding rigid latch member which interlocks with the pivoting latch member when the closure is closed, and a push-button lock mechanism having a shoulder portion which engages and displaces the pivoting latch member, thereby permitting the closure to be opened, when the lock mechanism is in its "unlocked" position and the push-button is depressed. The pivoting latch member includes a pair of plates slideably coupled to one another, one pivotally mounted in the container and the other supporting a cross-member which engages the rigid latch member. The pivoting latch member has a slot through which the shoulder portion of the lock mechanism passes (without engaging or displacing the latch member) when the lock mechanism is "locked".

Containers such as tool chests, boxes and cabinets typically have hinged movable closures (i.e., lids or doors) and some mechanism for locking the container to prevent loss or theft of items stored therein. These locking mechanisms have taken numerous mechanical configurations, including ones using push-button elements.
One such push-button lock system used previously in connection with containers has a rigid cross-member (such as a metal loop) welded or otherwise connected to the movable lid and a tang pivotally mounted on the container and spring biased to interlockingly engage the rigid cross-member when the lid is closed. A spring-biased push-button extends through a wall of the container in a location such that, when depressed, its inner surface impinges upon a portion of the tang and causes the tang to pivot and disengage from the cross-member, whereby the lid can be opened. A rotatable, cylindrical lock--having an inwardly projecting finger--also extends through the wall of the container substantially adjacent to the push-button. When the cylindrical lock is rotated to its "locked" position, the finger abuts a portion of the tang and prevents the tang from being pivoted by the push-button (i.e., prevents the tang and cross-member from disengaging).
This prior art push-button lock system is quite effective in preventing accidental and intentional unauthorized opening of containers, but is susceptible to damage (particularly the tang and the cross-member) upon forceful closing of the lid when the lock is in its "locked" position. Adjustment of the rigid cross-member to compensate for damage (i.e., bending of the tang or cross-member) is not easily accomplished in this lock system.


A self-aligned 1 bit silicon oxide nitride oxide silicon (SONOS) cell and a method of fabricating the same has high uniformity between adjacent SONOS cells, since the lengths of nitride layers do not vary due to misalignment when etching word lines of the 1 bit SONOS cells. An insulating layer pattern that forms a sidewall of a word line is formed on a semiconductor substrate, and a word line for a gate is formed on the sidewall thereof. Etching an ONO layer using a self-aligned etching spacer provides uniform adjacent SONOS cells.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a local silicon oxide nitride oxide silicon (SONOS) cell of a non-volatile memory (NVM) and a method of fabricating the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor memory devices are classified into volatile memories and NVMs according to whether data is lost or maintained, respectively, when power is terminated. Volatile memories, such as DRAMs, lose stored data when power is halted. In contrast, no data is lost in NVMs, such as flash memories, even when power is halted.
Therefore, NVMs have been widely used for devices that are not likely to have a continuous supply of power, such as mobile phone systems and devices that require a memory card for storing music and video data, or for electronic appliances that may abruptly lose power.
Generally, a memory cell of an NVM has a stack type gate structure, and can be a SONOS cell. The SONOS cell is constructed by sequentially stacking, on a first silicon layer, an oxide layer that forms a channel region on a semiconductor device, a nitride layer used as a charge trapping layer, an oxide layer used as a blocking layer, and a second silicon layer used as a control gate electrode.
In a conventional method of fabricating a 1 bit SONOS cell, a charge trapping layer formed by a photolithography process, and more specifically, a length of a nitride layer serving as this charge trapping layer, significantly affects characteristics of a NVM. The nitride layer used as the charge trapping layer is formed by etching that is performed twice. Currently, variation in length of the nitride layer arising from misalignment during etching is one factor that adversely affects uniformity of the local SONOS cell.
FIGS. 1 through 8 illustrate cross-sectional views of stages of a method of fabricating a local SONOS cell of a conventional NVM.
Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, an ONO layer 101, 102, and 103 is formed by sequentially stacking a first oxide layer 101, a nitride layer 102 and a second oxide layer 103 on a semiconductor substrate 100, as shown in FIG. 1. A first photoresist pattern 104 is formed on the second oxide layer 103, as shown in FIG. 2. The ONO layer 101, 102, and 103 is etched using the first photoresist pattern 104 as an etch mask, with the resultant structure shown in FIG. 3. After removing the first photoresist pattern 104, an upper oxide layer 105 is formed on the resultant structure, as shown in FIG. 4.
Referring to FIGS. 5 through 8, a conductive polysilicon layer 106 is formed on the upper oxide layer 105, as shown in FIG. 5. Then, a second photoresist pattern 111 is formed on the conductive polysilicon layer 106, as shown in FIG. 6. The second photoresist pattern 111 is used as an etch mask during etching of the polysilicon layer 106, the upper oxide layer 105 and the ONO layer 101, 102 and 103, with the resultant structure shown in FIG. 7. Then, the second photoresist pattern 111 is removed, and impurity junction regions 109 and 110 are formed in the substrate 100, as shown in FIG. 8.
However, the conventional method of fabricating the local SONOS cell of the NVM has the following disadvantages.
If misalignment occurs when the first photoresist pattern 104 is formed or used to etch the underlying layers, lengths 107a and 107b of the nitride layer 108 used as the charge trapping layer may be different in adjacent 1 bit SONOS cells.
Also, if misalignment occurs when the second photoresist pattern 111 is formed or used to etch the underlying layers, the lengths 107a and 107b of the nitride layer 108 used as the charge trapping layer may be different in adjacent 1 bit SONOS cells.
The length variation of the nitride layer 108 occurring in adjacent 1 bit SONOS cells arising from the foregoing misalignment degrades uniformity of the 1 bit SONOS cell, which in turn degrades characteristics of the NVM. More specifically, as the length of the nitride layer 108 used as the charge trapping layer increases, data programming characteristics of the 1 bit SONOS cell are improved, but data erasing characteristics of the 1 bit SONOS cell are degraded. On the other hand, as the length of the nitride layer 108 decreases, data erasing characteristics are improved, but data programming characteristics are degraded.

Self-aligned 1 bit local SONOS memory cell and method of fabricating the same


Methods and systems for circumventing content blocking systems are disclosed. Example implementations include detecting the presence of an existing blocker that disrupts a first content-type and circumventing the blocker, such that a circumvented first content-type is presented to a user. The method can also include determining that the blocker has adjusted to block the circumvented content, in which case, the method can include disrupting presentation of a second content-type.

Non-primary website content presentation is an important component of the business of many content producing internet companies (sometimes referred to in this application as "publishers"). The revenue earned from companies who pay to have their content displayed on an internet company's website provides a significant (and in many cases, the sole) source of income that allows such businesses to operate. Typically the non-primary content is displayed in designated portions of webpages (e.g., headers, side banners, or integrated within scrollable content lists) alongside the primary content produced by the website. In some instances, a webpage will include particular slots designated for non-primary content. The code generated to display the website to a viewer may: (i) send a request to a server to provide a URL for non-primary content that meets certain criteria (sometimes referred to as a "call") and (ii) display the non-primary content (defined by the URL) in a non-primary content slot.
Some website viewers prefer that the non-primary content not be displayed. An industry has emerged to service these preferences. In particular, website viewers can now download/use content blocking software designed to prevent non-primary content from being displayed. In some instances, the content blocking software prevents (e.g., blocks) URLs deemed to be non-primary content from being uploaded by the webpage. The content blocking software may determine which URLs to block by using a set of rules based on characteristics or patterns that are common of advertisement URLs.
Though viewers may be pleased with the short term results of content blocking software, its effects are harmful to many publishers. Publishers are often only paid if the non-primary content is actually displayed to viewers on their webpage. If the non-primary content is blocked, the publishers do not get paid, which has a significant impact on their ability to generate revenue and stay in business. Should the harmful effects become pronounced enough, the publishers may be forced to shut down, which is ultimately harmful to the viewers, as well.
As such, there is a significant need for systems and methods capable of circumventing the content blocking software such that the blocked content can continue to be presented to a viewer. Moreover, content blocking software providers are savvy such that they will often detect techniques for circumventing their software and design new rules to address the techniques. As such, there is a particular need for systems and methods capable of circumventing blocking software even after they have been detected by the content blocking software providers.

Content blocker detection and circumvention


A sliding load floor assembly for a motor vehicle comprises a sliding platform configured to receive a load floor and slidable along a support frame fixed to the vehicle. The support frame includes upper and lower flanges. An axle extends outward from the sliding platform, with a roller rotatably attached thereto and movable along the upper and lower flanges. The roller configuration elevates the sliding platform above a vehicle floor, while allowing the sliding platform the move between a stowed position and an extended position. A wedge is configured to exert a vertical force upon a portion of the sliding platform in the stowed position, thereby preventing vertical movement of the roller to reduce vibration. At least one detent member and at least one latch member are selectively engageable with one another to restrict movement of the sliding platform with respect to the support rail.

Many vehicles, such as pickup trucks, include a cargo area for transporting cargo. In a pickup truck, for example, the cargo area is a cargo-carrying box, also known as a "pickup box" or "pickup bed," typically constructed with a front wall, two sidewalls and a tailgate, all of which are of substantially equal height and whose top edges are high off the ground.
The tailgate is selectively pivotable between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the tailgate is generally vertically oriented to close a rear cargo box opening. In the open position, the tailgate is generally horizontally oriented so as not to obstruct the opening and allow access to the cargo area from the rear of the pickup box. Other vehicles, such as sport-utility vehicles and minivans, also include a cargo area accessible through a rear body opening.


A heater comprises a combustion tube connected to receive gaseous fuel or liquid fuel dispersed within a gaseous carrier gas from a source. The combustion tube communicates with an expansion chamber whose surface is provided with a plurality of openings. The expansion chamber is housed within a perforated container, the internal surface of which is spaced from the external surface of the expansion chamber to receive heating blocks.

This invention relates to heaters and more especially, but not exclusively, to heaters of the type traditionally known as braziers and used mainly out of doors for heating and cooking purposes.
In a traditional brazier, charcoal or other solid fuel is burnt in an open topped, cylindrical metal basket or drum and heat is dispersed by radiation and convection from the burning fuel. Characteristics of braziers include a large heat dispersement surface and an appealing visual effect.
Disadvantages include the unwelcome smoke and fumes created as the brazier burns and the time taken to light the brazier and to extinguish it after use.
Gas cooking devices for use outdoors which include a gas burner which heats an internally mounted cooking container are known. Such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,623. Also, an oil burning heater including a chamber bounded by a heat emitting wall with a grate which divides the chamber into an upper zone and a lower combustion space is known from Great Britain Pat. No. 527,388. Neither of these documents discloses the important features of this invention.
The present invention sets out to provide a heater which retains the advantageous characteristics of a brazier but which does not suffer from or at least alleviates the disadvantages referred to above.


The invention discloses the discovery that a pharmaceutical composition containing complex carbohydrates and natural or synthetic essential oils can work effectively as a topical pharmaceutical composition. Such pharmaceutical compositions reduce inflammation, assist in wound healing, protect against bruising, relieve itching, relieve pain and swelling and treat topical bacterial infections such as acne and decubitus ulcers. Such pharmaceutical compositions can be administered to mammals including humans. Also included in this invention are methods to deliver topically applied macromolecules into the tissue of mammals and methods of blocking the adhesion cascade.

Complex carbohydrates, for purposes of this invention are defined as any polymer comprising more than two sugar moieties and would thus include such classes of and oliosaccharides. Polysaccharides include glycosaminoglycans and mannans whereas oligosaccharides are inclusive of sialylated sugars such as milk sugars.
Glycosaminoglycans can be obtained from numerous sources {e.g. rooster combs, trachea, umbilical cords, skin, articular fluids and certain bacteria such as Streptococci spp). Most glycosaminoglycans (hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfates A, B, and C, heparin sulfate, heparin, keratan sulfate, dermatan sulfate, etc.) are composed of repeating sugars such as non-sulfated N-acetylglucosamine, glucuronic acid and n-acetyl galactosamine (these are known as non-sulfated glycosaminoglycans) or polysulfated sugars (sulfated glycosaminoglycans).
Mannans are mannose-based polysaccharides which are normally extracted from plants. The most noteworthy is acemannan which is a beta 1,4-linked acetylated mannan extracted from the Aloe Vera plant (Aloe barbadensis Miller). This plant has been thought for centuries to have certain healing powers. Not until the 1980s was the active ingredient isolated and proven to have an effect on the immune system (see J. Pharm. Sci., 73 (1), January 1984).
Sialylated sugars are oligosaccharides which contain sialyl groups (e.g. sialic acid). They often contain fucose and may be significant components in the inflammatory process. Sialyl Lewis.sup.x and its derivatives are examples from this group (Tyrell et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 88, November 1991). At present, this oligosaccharide is so difficult to prepare/obtain that the cost ($4,600,000/g as listed by Oxford Glycosystems) limits research activities to determine its mechanism of action. Some of the milk sugars (also called hexaoses) are also incorporated in this general class of compounds. Examples of these are difucosyllacto-N-hexaose a and b, Disialyl-monofucosyllacto-N-hexaose, monofucosyllacto-N-hexsaose I, II, and II (obtainable from Oxford Glycosystems, Inc.).
Heparin, hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate have been used therapeutically for several years. Heparin has been used for a number of years as an anticoagulant. Hyaluronic acid has been used therapeutically for several years as a replacement for the vitreous humor of the eye post surgery and, more recently, as replacement for joint fluid in arthritic joints. An extensive discussion of its various utilities is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,973 to Balazs. The mode of action for hyaluronic acid injected directly into joints for treatment of arthritis has been proposed to be lubrication and replacement of the degraded joint fluid with highly viscous hyaluronic acid (see J. Bone Jt. Surg. 54A, 1972). High molecular weight (>750,000 daltons) and high viscosity were reported to be critical. (For purposes of this patent, all molecular weights are expressed as daltons. The unit designation will not be added hereafter.)
In the 1980s, it was discovered that chondroitin sulfate, or polysulfated glycosaminoglycan (known by its commercial name as ADEQUAN) could be injected intramuscularly for reduction of pain and inflammation associated with arthrosis of horses. The mechanism of action of this glycosaminoglycan has been speculated to be inhibition of certain degradative enzymes present in the joint fluid which are up-regulated by trauma.
In 1989, it was discovered that intravenous, intramuscular or subcutaneous delivery of hyaluronic acid could reduce the pain of arthritis (U.S. Pat. No. 4,808,576 by Schultz et al) when the hyaluronic acid was delivered remote to the site of the arthritis (not into the joint). This patent specifically states that the hyaluronic acid is administered remote to the site, that the higher molecular weights are preferred for topical applications and that the hyaluronic acid must be of high purity (>99% pure hyaluronic acid). No mention is made of hyaluronic acid in combination with essential oils or use of other macromolecules such as complex carbohydrates.
The importance of high molecular weight for effectiveness of hyaluronic acid in the treatment of arthritis is emphasized by Balazs (U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,973) and in a publication by Howard and McIlraith (see The Compendium, 15(3), March 1993) who summarize several clinical studies conducted to determine the most efficacious molecular weight range of hyaluronic acid injected intra-articularly to treat traumatic arthritis in horses. The conclusion from these studies is that hyaluronic acid with a molecular weight below 1.times.10.sup.6 is not as effective as hyaluronic acid with a molecular weight above this value. More recently, della Valle et al (U.S. Pat. No. 5,166,331) claimed that there are two distinct pharmacologically active molecular weight ranges of hyaluronic acid or salts thereof. These moieties are utilized separately (purified one from the other) and defined as 50,000-100,000 (Hylastine) and 500,000-730,000 (Hylectin). Hylastine is specified for use in wound healing while Hylectin is specified for use in ocular surgery.
Whereas Balazs (U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,973), Schultz (U.S. Pat. No. 4,808,576) and della Valle (U.S. Pat. No. 5,166,331) all specify use of highly purified hyaluronic acid and whereas Balazs (U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,973) discards the fractions containing hyaluronic acid or their salts having molecular weights less than 750,000; and whereas della Valle (U.S. Pat. No. 5,166,331) discards impurities having molecular weights less than 30,000 and does not use hyaluronic acid with molecular weights between 100,000 and 500,000 and, thus, specifies use of clearly-defined molecular weights of hyaluronic acid for topical or ocular use; and whereas Schultz prefers use of hyaluronic acid with a molecular weight between 1.2.times.10.sup.6 and 4.0.times.10.sup.6 in topical formulations, we have discovered that all molecular weights of hyaluronic acids or salts thereof and all purities of this polymer are useful in topical preparations when mixed with essential oils for the treatment of various medical problems. The low purity hyaluronic acid or salt thereof useful in this invention (<98% pure hyaluronic acid) can be of a cosmetic grade which can contain up to 5% contaminants such as proteins, nucleic acids, teichoic acids and even endotoxins. Such material would not pass the owl monkey eye test used to select high purity hyaluronic acids and salts thereof (described by Balazs in U.S. Pat. No. 4.141.973) in that it would produce an inflammatory response in the eye. It also would not pass the horse joint injection test described by Schultz et al (U.S. Pat. No. 4,808,576). However, it does not produce a reaction when applied to the skin of mammals including humans, dogs, cats, horses, cattle, swine, rabbits, guinea pigs and mice.
Essential oils are natural components of plants which are extracted by various methods known to the art. They are generally very complex, containing numerous compounds (see Perfumer and Flavorist, 17, November/December 1992). More recently, some of the essential oils have been chemically synthesized. Most uses of these oils are as flavorings for foods and candies and as bath, cosmetic and perfume ingredients to provide pleasant aromas.
Some of the essential oils, also known as volatile oils, such as Rosemary Oil, Anise Oil, Cinnamon Oil, Clove Oil, Lemon Oil and Cardamom Oil have been shown to have limited antibacterial activity (see Elkhoully et al, 1980, Aust. J. Pharm. Sci., 9(3) September 1980 and Pharm. Acta Helv., 66(9-10) 1991). However, this activity was minimal when compared with a preservative used in current pharmaceuticals.
Several of the essential oils (i.e. Menthol, Eucalyptus Oil, Camphor, Peppermint Oil and Wintergreen Oil) are currently used in over-the-counter topical preparations such as BenGay, Mineral Ice, Flexall 454, etc. at concentrations as high as 30%. These topical medications claim pain relief but, according to FDA, act to relieve pain by producing a counterirritation, not by penetrating the skin and acting systemically to reduce inflammation and swelling which are the causes of pain. Also, these medications do not claim to reduce bruising, deep pain, itching, or induce wound healing. It has been noted by Williams and Barry (1989, Internat. J. Pharm., 57, 1989) that some essential oils such as chenopodium, eucalyptus, anise and ylang ylang oils penetrate the skin.
The inflammatory response is becoming better understood and has recently been summarized by Adams and Shaw (The Lancet, 343, Apr. 2, 1994). In their explanation, an adhesion cascade is stimulated when trauma occurs. This adhesion cascade is divided into four sequential steps of tethering, triggering, strong adhesion and motility. Tethering interactions are mediated by a family of three lectin-like carbohydrate-binding molecules (selectins). These interactions are strong enough to cause the leucocytes to roll along the blood vessel walls instead of flowing freely through such vessels, but not strong enough to cause these leucocytes to slow down. The triggering response is stimulated by factors such as cytokines and mediated by adhesion molecules called integrins. Integrins, by themselves, do not bind well to epithelium. However, when activated, integrins promote strong adhesion of the leucocyte to the epithelial surface. Leucocytes bind to the epithelial cells via their receptor sites such as CD44, CD31, etc. (see below). During strong adhesion, the interaction of these integrins with their ligands on the surface of the leucocytes are responsible for cessation of movement and flattening of the leucocyte. Finally, a process involving VCAM-1 and LFA-1 and other such integrins allows leucocytes to pass between endothelial cell junctions and into the tissue which has been traumatized. Collection of leucocytes at the site of trauma produces inflammation which is then followed by pain.
Previously, Shimitzu, et al (J. Immunol., 143, 1989) and Denning et al (J. Immunol. 144, 1990) determined that all leucocytes contain a receptor for hyaluronate which they named CD44. This receptor also binds chondroitin sulfate to a lesser extent and some other glycosaminoglycans. According to Munro et al (Am. J. Path, 141(6), December 1992) a ligand for E-selectin found on many or all leucocytes is a sialylated, polylactosamine containing a fucose moiety called Sialyl-Lewis.sup.x. This ligand seems to be specifically expressed during the process of inflammation and its blockage could be significant in inhibiting the inflammatory process. Other receptors which bind to various macromolecules and complex carbohydrates have also been identified.

Pharmaceutical composition of complex carbohydrates and essential oils and methods of using the same


The present invention relates a ceramic igniter comprising:. a) a pair of electrically conductive portions, each portion having a first end, PA1 b) a hot zone disposed between and in electrical connection with each of the first ends of the electrically conductive portions, the hot zone having an electrical path length of less than 0.5 cm, and PA1 c) an electrically non-conductive heat sink material contacting the hot zone.

Ceramic materials have enjoyed great success as igniters in gas fired furnaces, stoves and clothes dryers. A ceramic igniter typically has a hair-pin shape which contains conductive end portions and a highly resistive middle portion. When the igniter ends are connected to electrified leads, the highly resistive portion (or "hot zone") rises in temperature. Some of these igniters must meet the following requirements set by the appliance and heating industries to anticipate variations in line voltage:
______________________________________ Time to design temperature <5 sec Minimum temperature at 85% of design voltage 1100.degree. C. Design temperature at 100% of design voltage 1350.degree. C. Maximum temperature at 110% of design voltage 1500.degree. C. Hot-zone Length <1.5" Power (W) 65-100. ______________________________________
U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,804 ("the '804 patent") along with companion U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,237 disclose compositions suitable for a hot zone of a ceramic igniter, the hot zone comprising:
(a) between 5 and 50 v/o MoSi.sub.2, and PA1 (b) between 50 and 95 v/o of a material selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, boron nitride, aluminum oxide, magnesium aluminate, silicon aluminum oxynitride, and mixtures thereof. According to the '804 patent, these compositions provide the proper speed, room temperature resistivity and high temperature resistivity required for attaining the above-noted requirements without constraining the shape of the igniter. PA1 a) a pair of electrically conductive portions, each portion having a first end, PA1 b) a resistive hot zone disposed between and in electrical connection with each of the first ends of the electrically conductive portions, the hot zone having an electrical path length of less than 0.5 cm, and PA1 c) an electrically non-conductive heat sink material contacting the hot zone. PA1 a) providing a ceramic igniter comprising: PA1 b) applying a voltage of between 3 V and 60 V between the conductive ends of the igniter to produce an inrush current and a steady state current such that the ratio of the steady state current to the inrush current is at least 35% (preferably at least 50%), and raising the temperature of the hot zone to about 1350.degree. C. in less than 3 seconds (preferably less than 2 seconds).
One conventional igniter, the Mini-Igniter.TM., available from the Norton Company of Milford, N.H., uses a hot zone composition from the '804 patent which comprises aluminum nitride ("AlN"), molybdenum disilicide ("MoSi.sub.2 "), and silicon carbide ("SiC") and a total hot zone length of between about 1.5 cm (for 12V applications) and 6 cm (for 120 V applications). Although the Mini-Igniter.TM. performs well in many applications, its speed (i.e., the time it takes to heat up from room temperature to the 1350.degree. C. design temperature) is typically between 3 and 5 seconds (for 24V to 120V applications). It is believed the applicability of these igniters could be greatly expanded if their speed could be decreased below 3 seconds.
Attempts have been made to increase the speed of these igniters. For example, Washburn and Voeller, "Low Power Gas Ignition Device, presented in the Proceedings of the 1988 International Appliance Technical Conference--Europe" (1988), pp.134-149, discloses achieving speeds as low as 1.5 seconds by reducing the mass of the hot zone to about 0.07 to 0.08 grams (i.e., a length of about 1.0 cm to 1.3 cm). However, it is believed these igniters would be very susceptible to blowout caused by convective cooling. Willkens et al. "High Voltage Miniature Igniter Development", International Appliance Technical Conference, Madison, Wis. (1994) advise designing the length of the hot zone to be at least 0.7 inches (1.8 cm) for a 120V igniter. The '804 patent also advises providing a hot zone length of at least 0.2 inches (or about 0.5 cm) as a practical minimum limit.
In addition, these igniters generally experience a very high in-rush current (i.e, a current of about 10 amperes in the first millisecond) before settling down to a conventional 2 to 3 ampere current. Since any transformer designed for use with these igniters must be designed to accept this initial high current, these igniters must be paired with a transformer capable of receiving higher power instead of the less costly transformer rated for a lower power.
Simply lowering the resistivity of the hot zone composition (by increasing its conductive MoSi.sub.2 content) has been considered as a method of increasing the speed of the igniter. However, it was found that doing so increases the inrush current to even higher levels (due to a lower room temperature resistivity) and makes the igniter prone to burnout due to unacceptably high power levels for the typical igniter geometry. These igniters are unable to radiate energy sufficiently to produce a stable temperature.
Similarly, raising the resistivity of the hot zone composition (by decreasing its MoSi.sub.2 content) has been considered as a method of decreasing the inrush current of the igniter. However, it was found that doing so not only decreased the speed of the igniter(due to a higher room temperature resistivity), it also provided an unstable igniter at high temperatures (due to its negative temperature coefficient of resistance at high temperature).
Therefore, there is a need for a ceramic igniter which has high speed but also resists cooling effects, and which has a low inrush current.

Method of heating a stovetop range using a ceramic igniter


What is provided herein is a method for automatically selecting a subset of pages from a multi-page document for image processing wherein each selected page is substantially different from all other pages according to certain features of interest and wherein the combined content of the selected pages approximately represents the content in the entire document. Selected pages are clustered wherein each page is represented by a feature vector meaningfully related to the task to be performed. A matrix of feature vectors is analyzed. Basis vectors are extracted from the matrix using rank-reduction techniques. Clustering is performed by subspace projection of page features onto the basis vectors with each page being assigned to a cluster to which that page maximally projects. Representative pages are selected from each cluster. The representative pages can then be used as input to a secondary process.

Many image processing applications involve performing complex operations on multi-page documents. Examples include color correction, color palette design, proofing, image enhancement, etc. Derivation of the parameters of these imaging operations often involves analyzing the document content. When the documents are large, this can involve substantial cost by way of computer processing, storage, memory, or user operations.
In such cases, a large multi-page document undergoing subsequent complex image processing operations must first be properly characterized. This often entails selecting a small subset of representative pages from the multi-page document according to a set of features of interest. The complex imaging operations to be performed on the entire multi-page document based on the content from the selected pages are then optimized. The optimized imaging operation is then applied to the multi-page document.
The task of selecting the subset of representative pages is often done manually by a human operator who examines the large multi-page document in advance of performing one or more complex imaging operations and selects representative pages to derive and optimize the subsequent operations. The time devoted to this process can be significant in instances in document reproduction operations wherein the multi-page document can be relatively large. In many cases, the time and cost elements associated with this task can be prohibitive. If the subset of selected pages is not representative of the entire multi-page document then the optimized imaging operations may not be accurate and the finished results may be of insufficient quality. This may require, after the subsequent imaging operation is performed on the large multi-page document, that the entire selection process begin again. This can be prohibitive in imaging operations requiring more automated workflows.
Techniques found in the arts interpret document pages as nodes of a graph and subsequently apply graph partitioning techniques. Methods for graph partitioning are usually suited for semantic, high-level features where it may be difficult to attach a correspondence between features from different pages. Others use clustering techniques to group documents on a network or database. But, such techniques are directed primarily to the textual content of the document and not to other aspects or characteristics of the information associated with the document, particularly printing characteristics.
What is needed is a method for automatically selecting a small number of representative pages from a large multi-page document which accurately characterizes the overall document such that subsequent image processing operations to be performed can be properly optimized.

Automatic selection of a subset of representative pages from a multi-page document


A system for hemolysis detection, where the system generally includes—individually or in combination—a containment apparatus for holding the blood sample and a software application for analyzing the blood sample. The containment apparatus houses the sample therein, and blocks out any light from penetrating the apparatus and reflecting off of the sample. In conjunction, the software application uses camera color for processing the color of the sample to determine the hemoglobin level in plasma based on the color.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to mobile applications. Specifically, the invention relates to mobile applications for hemolysis detection.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Prenatal conditions are the fourth leading cause of death in developing nations and still pose significant health risks in countries with high income. Preeclampsia is a prenatal complication associated with high blood pressure and organ failure, which can result in potential maternal and/or fetal compromise and/or loss (Roberts, J. M. "Endothelial dysfunction in preeclampsia. Seminars in reproductive endocrinology". 1998. GEORG THIEME VERLAG; Habli, M. and B. Sibai. "Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy". Danforth's Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2008: p. 257-275). Globally, preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are a leading cause of maternal and infant illness and death. Its complications are the reason for 25% of maternal deaths worldwide in addition to fetal and neonatal death. By conservative estimates, these disorders are responsible for 76,000 maternal and 500,000 infant deaths each year. Preeclampsia can rapidly escalate to a dangerous complication known as HELLP syndrome. What is needed is a mechanism of detecting the first signs of this deadly complication while the mother is still stable and the baby can be promptly delivered, since this is the only opportunity to save their lives.
According to the Preeclampsia Foundation, the mortality rate of HELLP syndrome has been reported to be as high as 25%. HELLP syndrome can be difficult to diagnose, especially when high blood pressure and protein in the urine are not present. Its symptoms are sometimes mistaken for gastritis, flu, acute hepatitis, gall bladder disease, or other conditions. Among pregnant women in the United States, about 5% to 8% develop preeclampsia. It is estimated that about 15% of those women will develop evidence of HELLP syndrome. This mean as many as 48,000 women per year will develop HELLP syndrome in the U.S.
Most often, the definitive treatment for women with HELLP Syndrome is the delivery of their baby. During pregnancy, many women suffering from HELLP syndrome require a transfusion of some form of blood product (red cells, platelets, plasma). Corticosteroids can be used in early pregnancy to help the baby's lungs mature. Some healthcare providers may also use certain steroids to improve the mother's outcome, as well.
Overall, perinatal mortality from HELLP Syndrome (stillbirth plus neonatal death) ranges from about 7.7% to 60%. Most of these deaths are attributed to abruption of the placenta (placenta prematurely separating from the uterus), placental failure with intrauterine asphyxia (fetus not getting enough oxygen), and extreme prematurity.
The most reliable method of treatment is expedited delivery of the baby. Early diagnosis of this complication is difficult as most of its symptoms are non-specific. Current testing technologies require sending blood samples to the lab when early HELLP syndrome is suspected. By the time results of the test are available, the condition of the patient has already severely deteriorated.
One of the key signs of HELLP syndrome is the occurrence of in vivo hemolysis—a condition which occurs when red blood cells (RBCs) are lysed releasing hemoglobin into blood plasma. Free plasma hemoglobin in healthy individuals is 0.001-0.004 g/dL (Giuseppe Lippi, G. C., Emmanuel J. Favaloro, Mario Plebani, "Hemolysis, An Unresolved Dispute in Laboratory Medicine", In Vitro and In Vivo Hemolysis 2012). When it reaches a level of 0.01 g/dL, it indicates hemolysis, and during severe hemolytic episodes it can exceed 1 g/dL. (Rother, R. P., et al., "The clinical sequelae of intravascular hemolysis and extracellular plasma hemoglobin: A novel mechanism of human disease", JAMA, 2005. 293(13): p. 1653-1662. Rosse, W. F., "Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria-present status and future prospects", West J Med, 1980. 132(3): p. 219-28). The increase of hemoglobin concentration in blood above 0.01 g/dL is extremely dangerous, and by the time it reaches 0.1 g/dL the condition of the patient deteriorates so significantly that HELLP syndrome becomes obvious and immediate reaction is needed for saving the patient's life. Presence of high concentration of hemoglobin in plasma results in multiple organ failure and potentially death.
Blood testing is the most frequently performed medical procedure, and the number of blood tests in the US is measured in hundreds of millions per year. Several percent of those tests have to be repeated because of in vitro hemolysis—disruption of the red blood cells and release of hemoglobin and other intercellular content into plasma. Hemolysis is generally detected via visual assessment of plasma, but this is very inaccurate (see FIG. 7, where hemolyzed samples are analyzed visually). Hemolysis cannot be detected in whole blood because of the presence of cells; therefore, centrifugation and plasma separation are required to assess level of hemoglobin in plasma. This can introduce critical delays that can potentially result in death. Additionally, in resource-poor environments, sample pre-processing might be impossible because of a lack of access to hematology labs and trained specialists. Still, prompt detection of hemolysis near patient is critical for saving the lives of the mother and the fetus; however, the current technologies do not support such functionality.
Increase in concentration of hemoglobin in plasma results in color change from clear or yellow to red, when the sample is grossly hemolyzed. The visual assessment is very unreliable, does not provide any quantitative information, and may be even more complicated by elevated concentration of other blood components, such as bilirubin. While there are hemoglobin colorimetric assays allowing measurement of hemoglobin concentration from 0.005 g/dL to 0.5 g/dL, they all require sample preprocessing introducing critical delays to hemolysis detection. Current methods of detecting hemolysis only work with blood plasma, require extensive time for sample preprocessing, and must use large instruments on large blood samples (i.e., milliliters of blood), thus making them inapplicable to near patient analysis.
Accordingly, what is needed is a device and methodology that can utilize just a drop of whole blood and be able to promptly and reliably measure hemoglobin concentration in plasma. However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the field of this invention how the shortcomings of the prior art could be overcome.
All referenced publications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Furthermore, where a definition or use of a term in a reference, which is incorporated by reference herein, is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate disclosure of the invention, Applicants in no way disclaim these technical aspects, and it is contemplated that the claimed invention may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.
The present invention may address one or more of the problems and deficiencies of the prior art discussed above. However, it is contemplated that the invention may prove useful in addressing other problems and deficiencies in a number of technical areas. Therefore, the claimed invention should not necessarily be construed as limited to addressing any of the particular problems or deficiencies discussed herein.
In this specification, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge, or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which this specification is concerned.

Mobile hemolysis detection in whole blood samples


A method for recovering solid state drive (SSD) data may comprise: detecting a failed SSD comprising one or more data blocks; receiving a request to write data to the one or more data blocks of the failed SSD; writing the data to one or more data blocks of an operational drive; and rebuilding the failed SSD from the failed SSD and the one or more data blocks of the operational drive.

Solid state drives (SSDs) may wear out over time as the NAND technologies that the drives are based on have a limited number or program/erase cycles. Over time, SSDs may reach a point where an erase cycle fails to reset a NAND flash block to a writable state. Such an SSD may be said to be failed. Current disk array controllers designed to handle traditional spindle-based disk drives may employ failure modes that affect both reading and writing, rendering the drives useless.
However, some SSD may employ a read-only failure mode that allows the drive to execute read commands successfully even though write commands result in a failure. As the typical response of current disk array controllers to a failed write command is to designate the drive as failed, such controllers can not effectively utilize the read-only failure mode of SSDs.

System and method for recovering solid state drive data

Abstract: A system for recovering solid state drive (SSD) data may comprise: means for detecting a failed SSD comprising one or more data blocks; means for receiving a request to write data to the one or more data blocks of the failed SSD; means for writing the data to one or more data blocks of an operational drive; and means for rebuilding the failed SSD from the failed SSD and the one or more data blocks of the operational drive.