A method for providing an adherent, continuous, conformal, non-particulate coating of a compound of a metal or metalloid on the surface of individual phosphor particles. The method involves wetting each of the individual particles with a polymer solution including a polymer in a solvent base, the polymer being capable of chelating ions of the metal or metalloid. The particles then are dried to produce a continuous coating of the polymer on each of the individual particles. The polymer-coated phosphor particles are suspended in a solution containing ions of the metal or metalloid and having a pH of at least 9 to produce chelation of the metal or metalloid ions by the polymer coating, to produce the adherent, continuous, conformal, non-particulate, metal- or metalloid-compound coating on the particle surfaces. Also described are a method for improving lumen maintenance of a lamp, a coated phosphor powder, and a phosphor-coating composition for coating an inner surface of a lamp envelope.

The present invention relates to lamp phosphors, and particularly to coated phosphor powders exhibiting increased lumen maintenance when used in such lamps, as well as coating methods therefor.
Fluorescent lamps are known to experience a gradual decrease in brightness with extended operation of the lamp. There are several factors contributing to this low lumen maintenance including deposits of impurities from the lamp cathode onto the lamp envelope, the formation of various mercury compounds due to the bombardment of the phosphor by atoms and ions of the mercury included in the envelope, changes in the phosphor itself through inter- or intra-atomic reactions, and changes in the glass of the envelope, e.g., due to exposure to ultraviolet radiation. One of the chief causes of low lumen maintenance is the deposition of mercury compounds on the surface of the phosphor coating the interior surface of the lamp envelope. Such deposition is particularly deleterious in such lower cost, low maintenance phosphors such as zinc orthosilicate (synthetic willemite) phosphors.
Attempts have been made to coat phosphor particles with, e.g., a coating of an inert material such as alumina or other oxide, before their use in the lamp making process, to improve lumen maintenance in the lamp. It is particularly important that such a coating be highly conformal, since a conformal coating provides continuous coverage of each phosphor particle, shielding the phosphor from, e.g., chemical attack during lamp processing and operation. However, some of these coating attempts have resulted in poor adherence of the coating to the phosphor, or in non-conformality of the coating to the phosphor particle after, or even before bake-out of the lamp. Also, solid state diffusion of the oxide components into the bulk phosphor material at high temperatures can generate a new phase boundary between the oxide layer and the phosphor substrate. Undesirable phases can result, e.g., a phase having a high concentration of dislocations or defects in its crystal structure. Such excess dislocations or defects can act as energy traps for the phosphor under certain conditions of solid state diffusion thermodynamics, lowering the lumen output of the phosphor and defeating the purpose of the coating.
Further, many prior art processes for applying the oxide coatings to the phosphor particles involve suspending the phosphor powder in a fluidized bed for MOCVD (metal organic chemical vapor deposition) of the coating. This MOCVD process requires the use of a fluidized bed reactor, elaborate instrumentation, careful air flow and temperature monitoring, and separating out of a very narrow phosphor particle size range for successful suspension of the powder in the fluidized bed. In most of these processes, the oxide coating is deposited on a fully fired phosphor substrate, requiring an extra process step to apply the coating and increasing the cost of the phosphor fabrication process.
Non-CVD processes for applying protective coatings to phosphor particles using colloidal silica or precipitation of barium phosphate provide cost effective protection of the phosphor particles. These processes, however, provide only physically adsorbed coatings which require careful monitoring of the process to prevent spotty or non-conformal coatings.
The coating of individual phosphor particles with organometallic compounds, i.e., metal alkoxides, and converting the alkoxides to protective metal compounds during lamp burn-out is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,196,229 to Chung N. Chau, one of inventors of the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 5,196,229 is incorporated by reference herein. This method produces continuous, non-particulate, conformal, chemically adherent coatings on phosphors, and results in improved lumen maintenance in lamps in which the coated phosphor is used. However, the method is restricted in its use by the limited choice of precursor materials.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a phosphor and a phosphor coating method which overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a phosphor with improved maintenance properties.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a coated phosphor exhibiting modified surface properties.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a coated phosphor exhibiting improved coating adherence, continuity, and conformality in the powder and in the finished lamp.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a reliable, cost effective chemical adsorption process for production of a coated phosphor exhibiting improved maintenance properties.

Phosphor powder for coating lamp envelopes and method for preparation


A 3D wavelet-based filter for visualizing and locating structural features of a user-specified linear size in 2D or 3D image data. The only input parameter is a characteristic linear size of the feature of interest, and the filter output contains only those regions that are correlated with the characteristic size, thus denoising the image.

The need to visualize and discern structural features in noisy image data (2D or 3D) is ubiquitous to virtually every type of data capture modality and application and is appreciated in many if not most scientific and technical disciplines. In modern biology, in particular, structural visualization is important to the study of chromosome structure and other sub-nuclear component structures of cells, and is made possible in part by the theoretical resolution of state-of-the-art light/electron microscopy (˜50 nm/1.5 Å). At these high resolutions, however, practical limitations posed by the details of sample preparation and the methods used to acquire and process light and electron microscopy (EM) data produce noisy suboptimal images and complicate their interpretation, i.e. visualizing and discerning structural details and locations of features of interest in an image.
For example, the effective resolution of electron microscopy can be limited by the poor specificity of EM stains (non-specific staining). Uranyl acetate is a popular EM stain that forms complexes primarily with phosphates that are localized on DNA, RNA, and phosphoproteins. The consequence is that the acquired image is difficult to interpret, because it is a composite image of superimposed sub-images that contain every stained structure. This is analogous to determining the structure of an object buried in a cloud of nearly the same density material as the object. Interpretation difficulties are compounded if non-specifically stained structures are densely packed, which is typical for condensed chromosomes in a cell nucleus. Furthermore, nonspecific biological noise, detector noise (shot noise), EM microscope alignment uncertainties, and 3D tomographic data reconstruction noise may also contribute to the problem. Due to these factors, 3D EM cell structure cannot be interpreted unambiguously by direct visualization. Light microscopy also has similar and related problems to electron microscopy. Although the stains (especially fluorescent proteins) are spatially very specific compared to EM stains, the reduced specificity of low affinity antibodies may still produce a sizable background. And as in the EM data, densely packed structures compound the interpretational difficulties. Additional sources of noise, such as auto-fluorescence, high background due to pools of unassembled fluorescent proteins, and instrumentation can contribute to produce ambiguous results for 3D light microscopy cell structure studies as well.
Fourier methods (including matched filters) and other data analysis methods, such as correlation and model fitting, have been utilized to bring into view structural details and locations of the features of interest in an image. For Fourier methods in particular, difficulties can occur when there are few repeats of a given signal and much disorder at many angles, which can produce inconclusive results. While Fourier methods provide information about global frequency content (i.e. producing a frequency distribution that is peaked at the most commonly occurring frequencies), it does not provide information about the location of particular frequencies. Thus they are not particularly well adapted to picking out the non-repetitive, multiply oriented structures that comprise most biological data.
In contrast to Fourier methods, wavelet methods are known to be useful for extracting local frequency content, i.e. determining where particular sizes occur independent of how often they occur. A wavelet transform is a convolution of a user-selected wavelet kernel (a shape function) and the data, and can be generally expressed in the 1D case as:
                                          W                                      (                              x                ,                a                            )                                =                      ∫                                          Ψ                                                  (                                                            x                      -                                              x                        ′                                                              a                                    )                                                                          f                                                  (                                      x                    ′                                    )                                                                          ⅆ                                  x                  ′                                                                    ,                            Eq        .                                                    (          1          )                    where f is the data signal that is convolved with the wavelet kernel function, Ψ. The only physical requirement for Ψ is that a uniform signal of infinite extent produces no correlations, that is,
      ∫                  Ψ                          (                                    (                              x                -                                  x                  ′                                            )                        /            a                    )                                  ⅆ                  x          ′                      =  0.Beyond this restriction, the choice of the wavelet kernel, Ψ, is arbitrary and is tailored usually to the particular problem of interest. The only major exception is for image compression and reconstruction applications (a mature application of wavelets), for which an orthonormal set of wavelets is desirable. A wavelet transform differs from a Fourier transform in the choice of Ψ. The kernel function for a Fourier transform (Ψ(x′)=exp(ix′/a)) has nonzero values that extend over the entire x′ domain. Therefore W for the Fourier transform is only a function of (a). In contrast, the wavelet kernel, Ψ, for the wavelet transform is centered at x and is nonzero over a finite width, (a). It is this property of the wavelet kernel that produces frequency content as a function of spatial location. The wavelet transform, W, can be characterized as a correlation function, i.e. at each position, x, the correlation varies with the wavelet width (a), and is maximal for some value of (a). In other words, the wavelet transform shows how strongly the data correlates or is similar to the wavelet kernel at each location in the data.
Although wavelet theory rests on a well-established theoretical foundation, the mathematical complexity and rigor required for wavelet methods, particularly when analyzing 3D data, often requires specialized mathematical expertise that most scientists and researchers do not possess. An extension of Eq. (1) to 3D can be written as:
                                          W            *                                          (                          x              ,              y              ,              z              ,              a              ,              b              ,              c                        )                          =                  ∫                      ∫                          ∫                                                Ψ                                                        (                                                                  z                        -                                                  z                          ′                                                                    c                                        )                                                                                Ψ                                                        (                                                                  y                        -                                                  y                          ′                                                                    b                                        )                                                                                Ψ                                                        (                                                                  x                        -                                                  x                          ′                                                                    a                                        )                                                                                f                                                        (                                                                  x                        ′                                            ,                                              y                        ′                                            ,                                              z                        ′                                                              )                                                                                ⅆ                                      x                    ′                                                                                ⅆ                                      y                    ′                                                                                ⅆ                                          z                      ′                                                        .                                                                                Eq        .                                                    (          2          )                    The complexities in wavelet processing, however, arise from the methods used to evaluate Eq. (2). Since most problems to which wavelets are applied require computational speed, data compression, or data reconstruction, Eq. (2) is evaluated typically using the discrete wavelet transform (DWT), which is based on mathematically complex digital filtering methods. As stated above, image compression and reconstruction applications are best addressed using an orthonormal set of wavelets. Where data compression/reconstruction is not involved, however, the much simpler "continuous wavelet transform" (CWT) is preferably used which is a direct integration of Eq. (2).
In summary, there is a need for a greatly simplified and computationally fast wavelet-based filter and process for filtering image data to find features of a given size in any 2D or 3D dataset, and requiring no special expertise to use. This would preferably entail having a single input parameter which is a characteristic spatial size of the structure of interest, and whose output is a spatial image of correlation strength. In this manner, structural visualization of features and their locations in noisy image data may be achieved, such as condensed chromosomes in a cell nucleus, or images obtained from other applications, such as for example, medical imaging (e.g., bone structure), non-destructive evaluation (e.g., internal cracks and defects), airline baggage scanners, etc.

Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC


A storage device has a memory module and a cover pivotally coupled to a housing of the memory module. In one such storage device, the memory module and cover can pivot with respect to each other to configure the storage device in a first configuration or in each of one or more second configurations. In the first configuration, the cover substantially encloses a connector of the memory module that extends from the housing. In one or more second configurations, the connector is entirely exposed. For one embodiment, opposing light-transmission elements may pass through the cover and extend into an interior of the housing.

Portable memory modules, such as removable flash memory modules, e.g., USB flash drives, have gained widespread acceptance for use as portable storage media. Generally, the memory modules are removably coupled to a host device, such as a digital camera, a digital recording and playback device, a PDA, a personal computer, a memory card reader, an interface hub, or the like, for writing data to or reading data from the host device.
The memory modules typically include one or more memory devices, such as one or more NAND, NOR, AND, or NROM flash memory devices, dynamic random access memory devices (DRAMs), static random access memory devices (SRAMs), or the like, having a memory array coupled to a controller for controlling operations of the memory array. The one or more memory devices are typically disposed on a printed circuit board and are often enclosed within a housing along with the circuit board. The housing typically includes one or more contacts, e.g., in the form of a USB connector, for connecting the memory module to the host device. However, due to the portability of these memory modules, the contacts are susceptible to damage if not properly protected, and as these memory modules become smaller, they are more easily lost and are harder to handle. Therefore, covers are often used to cover the contacts when the memory modules are not in use. Moreover, some covers may act to increase the size of the memory module so that the memory module is easier to handle. However, some covers are removable from the memory module and may be easily lost.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for alternatives to existing memory module covers.

Memory module having a cover pivotally coupled thereto


A door checker for a vehicle includes a hinge rotatably connecting a door to a vehicle body and having a shaft, a slider penetratingly inserted into the shaft and linearly moving with rotational force of the shaft, and a checking unit linearly reciprocating in a radial direction of the shaft by the slider. By implementing a manipulation feeling in opening and closing a door by increasing a section for checking the door by converting a rotational movement of the door into a linear movement based on a screw principle, operability can be improved to enhance marketability, and durability can be enhanced by increasing the section for implementing operating force for opening and closing a door.

Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a door checker for a vehicle and, more particularly, to a door checker for a vehicle capable of implementing a manipulation feeling in opening and closing a door of a vehicle by increasing a section for checking a door by converting a rotational movement of the door into a linear movement.
Description of-Related Art
In general, a door of a vehicle is installed in a vehicle body by the medium of a door hinge, and rotates on the door hinge so as to be opened and closed.
When a driver gets in or gets off a vehicle through a door or when objects are loaded or unloaded, the door needs to be stably maintained in an open state so that the driver can easily get in or get off or objects can be easily loaded or unloaded. However, a door hinge merely serves to maintain an installed state of a door and enables the door to rotate to be opened and closed, without providing a role of maintaining an open state at a predetermined angle in the course of an opening and closing path of the door.
Thus, in a vehicle, a door checker device is installed in a central portion of a lateral surface in front of an inner panel of a door to enable the door to be maintained in a stopped state at two or three points in the course of opening and closing path of the door.
Conventionally, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a hinge-integrated checker is provided. A rotary slider 1 is mounted on a hinge shaft so that when a door is opened, the hinge shaft is moved and the rotary slider 1 is moved at the same angle, and here, an amount of rotation of the rotary slider 1 is determined depending on a degree of opening of the door.
As a result, when the degree of opening of the door is 70 degrees, a recess 3 implementing operating force in an operation section of the rotary slider 1 by the 70 degrees may be formed, and thus, operating force may be implemented in an approximately 10 to 15 mm section.
However, the related art hinge-integrated checker has a structure in which operating force of the door is implemented as a cylindrical protrusion 2 passes on the recess 3 of the rotary slider 1. Namely, since operating force should be implemented within a short section, the section between stages is shortened, lowering durability, and several stages of stops is not possible to implement, degrading operability.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

Pusan National University Industry—University Cooperation Foundation


Conductive coating compositions containing a pigment-grade carbon, a resin and a solvent. The compositions are useful as primers and coatings.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to conductive compositions which contain pigment grade carbon. More particularly, the invention relates to compositions suitable as primers and coatings in which pigment-grade carbons are utilized as the conductive component.
2. Description of Related
Coating compositions in which conductive carbon is the primary pigment material are well known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,596 discloses solvent resistant primer compositions containing elemental carbon such as graphite or lampback. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,504,431, conductive pastes comprising small amounts of conductive carbon and large quantities of masking pigment in a 100% solids system are added to fiberglass and cured to provide electrically conductive articles. Compositions that provide conductive coatings are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,818,437 and 4,818,438; the conductive additive is a ground, calcined, coal-based coke which approaches graphite in performance.
While providing the desired conductivity, these formulations contain high ratios of resin to pigment. High pigment loadings are not used because of the cost of conductive carbons, the inability of such carbon-resin mixtures to form a continuous film free of microcracks and the formation of very viscous compositions when substantial amounts of conductive carbon are included in the formulation. Nevertheless, continuous coatings containing high pigment loadings are desirable in order to provide black coatings in many applications and to reduce the volatile organic compounds (VOC) per gallon of coating to meet the EPA regulations.
Various types of coating compositions using pigment grade carbons are also well known. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,150,110 discloses high gloss aqueous paints containing small amounts of pigment grade carbon while U.S. Pat. No. 3,398,109 teaches solvent type black enamel coatings containing a carbon black which had been subjected to oxidative after-treatment. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,871 dispersable color concentrates based on a carbon black pigment powder are disclosed; the concentrates are used to prepare molded parts, castings, films, fibers, etc. However, these coating compositions have not been formulated for use in conductive coating applications.
Electrodepositable compositions containing anthracite and bituminous coals are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,658,737. These compositions function in the electrodeposition process because the coals do not provide conductive coatings.

Conductive coating composition comprising pigment grade carbon


A process for fracturing a selected region of a formation including: introducing a supply of fracturing fluid to the region of the formation until a first threshold is reached, adjusting the flow of the fracturing fluid to the region of the formation to reach a second threshold, adjusting the flow of the fracturing fluid to the region of the formation to reach a third threshold and ceasing flow of the fracturing fluid to region of the formation, the fracturing fluid being a non-participating gas and including a proppant in at least one of the stages of flow of the fracturing fluid.

A hydrocarbon bearing geological formation may include many different layers from which commercially valuable products may be obtained. In some instances, it may be desirable to recover gases from a substantially porous layered medium. That layered medium may or may not have been a zone from which commercial recovery of a product was originally foreseen at the time of original exploitation of that geological formation. However, the overall commercial recovery from well drilling and production operations in that formation may include an opportunity to obtain value from the formation by enhancing recovery from that formation, as by fracturing.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A light-emitting diode (LED) therapeutic apparatus includes a body portion formed of a light-weight resin material into a rectangular housing; a printed circuit board including a plurality of LEDs having different emission colors mounted linearly in a plurality of rows at required intervals; a thermal radiating plate provided with a plurality of thermal radiating studs formed of a light-weight thermally conductive material; and a transparent plate mounted on an opening surface of the body portion. The thermal radiating plate is mounted in tight contact in the body portion, and the printed circuit board is mounted in tight contact with the heat radiating studs. The heat generated by the LEDs is radiated from the surface of the body portion via the thermal radiating plate from the thermal radiating studs. The LEDs may be maintained to a junction allowable temperature or lower so that a long life span without noise is achieved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates principally to a jaundice therapeutic apparatus for a neonatal infant, and to a light-emitting diode (LED) therapeutic apparatus provided with a thermal radiating function on the therapeutic apparatus itself.
2. Description of the Related Art
A plurality of technologies as described later is known as the LED therapeutic apparatus for medical use of this type. For example, as a first known technology, there is a light-source apparatus including a number of LEDs, an LED mounting substrate having spherical depressed portions in which a number of the LEDs are disposed, and a flat-panel shaped printed circuit board to which electrode pins of the LEDs are joined, wherein the printed circuit board includes a heat sink formed of a plurality of conducting layers disposed on the surface thereof in an electrically insulated manner, the electrode pins of the LEDs are joined to the respective conducting layers, and the LEDs, the LED mounting substrate, and the printed circuit board are formed integrally (see JP-A-2003-135485).
In the LED therapeutic apparatus of the first known technology, the light-source apparatus allows a number of the LEDs to be integrally and stably mounted on the LED mounting substrate and the printed circuit board. Since the LEDs are mounted stably, not only is manufacture easy, but also troubles during use do not occur often. In addition, since the heat sink is sufficiently provided, the LEDs, as a matter of course, and also a hand piece are prevented from being heated abnormally. Therefore, the LEDs may have a long life span.
A second known technology is a near-infrared LED therapeutic apparatus including a cooling fan provided on an LED driving unit and configured to restrict a temperature rise of LED elements at the time of input and output, wherein the cooling fan is connected to an irradiation color digital output circuit, and heat of the LED elements restricted from rising in temperature by the cooling fan during light irradiation is emitted toward an area of disease (see Claim 8 of JP-A-2009-207605).
In the near-infrared LED therapeutic apparatus of the second known technology, the cooling fan for restricting the temperature rise of the LEDs used for input and output is mounted on the LED driving unit. The restricted heat is emitted from a slit or a gap portion provided on a body portion, so that a small amount of heat provides an ill patient with a comfortable feeling of warmth and enhances a hyperthermic effect. Therefore, by a composite synergic action among physical energy of near-infrared rays, electric vibrations and the sense of warmth, the ill patient may have an enhanced therapeutic feeling and hence satisfactory therapeutic effect upon pain relief (see paragraphs [0019] and [0021] of JP-A-2009-207605).
In addition, a third known technology is a light irradiating apparatus including, in essence, a plurality of LEDs arranged in an annular shape along a center axis, and lenses arranged in front of the respective LEDs in a thermal radiating portion, wherein the respective lenses are arranged so that the optical axes thereof extend obliquely with respect to the center axes to enable light beams emitted from the respective LEDs to converge toward the center axes or diverge from the center axes, wherein a front lens holding member and a rear lens holding member for sandwiching and holding the lenses from the front and the rear are further provided, wherein a mounting member having a plurality of arms extending radially and a thermal radiating fin to be mounted on bottom surfaces of the respective LEDs are further provided, and wherein the mounting member is fixed to the front lens holding member or the rear lens holding member, whereby the LEDs and the thermal radiating fin are fixed by being sandwiched with pressure between the arms and the rear lens holding member (see Claims 1 and 3 of JP-A-2009-231023).
In the light irradiating apparatus of the third known technology, the thermal radiating fin to be in tight contact with the bottom surfaces of the respective LEDs is provided as a thermal radiating structure, and a fan is mounted at a rear end portion of a housing further behind the thermal radiating fin, so that air passes from an outside air intake hole through the thermal radiating fin and is sucked into the fan and exhausted from a rear end opening, so that the thermal radiation is preferably achieved.
In the LED therapeutic apparatuses of the first known technology, the heat sinks formed of the conducting layers are provided on both surfaces of the printed circuit board, and a plurality of through holes of a number corresponding to the number of the electrode pins of the LEDs are provided, conductive collar members are inserted through the through holes, the collar members through which plus electrode pins of the LEDs are inserted are in continuity with the heat sink conducting layer on the back surface side, the collar members through which minus electrode pins are inserted are in continuity with the heat sink conducting layer on the front surface side, and the plus electrodes and the minus electrodes of the LEDs are soldered with the color members inserted therethrough, so that the heat sink conducting layers serve as power distributing elements to the LEDs. Therefore, this technology is superior in terms of configuration since it does not require a heat radiating fan.
However, a number of the LEDs disposed therein are provided in high density and, in addition, the mounting substrate having spherical depressed portions has a significant thickness and includes a number of depressions formed adjacently even though the LEDs generate heat at light-emitting portions, and the LEDs are mounted by fitting in the depressions. Therefore, accumulation or retention of heat is likely in the vicinities of the depressed portions, and the amount of thermal conduction to the printed circuit board via the thin electrode pins is considered to be small. Therefore, heat on the side of the light-emitting portions of the LEDs still increases beyond an allowable range of the junction temperature, so that there arise problems of a short life span of usage, and an occurrence of breakdown due to heat.
The LED therapeutic apparatus of the second known technology is a therapeutic apparatus on the basis of thermal therapy using near-infrared rays, is provided with a cooling fan for restricting the temperature rise of the LEDs, and is configured to use heat restricted by the cooling fan for therapy. However, this therapeutic apparatus cannot be used for therapies which may be hindered by a noise of the cooling fan, and in addition, has a problem as the therapeutic apparatus depends on the life span of usage or the breakdown of the cooling fan.
In the light-irradiating apparatus of the third known technology, a thermal radiating fin in tight contact with the bottom surfaces of the respective LEDs is provided as a thermal radiating structure, and a fan is mounted at the rear end portion of the housing further behind the thermal radiating fin, so that thermal radiation is preferably achieved. However, this therapeutic apparatus also cannot be used for therapies that are hindered by the noise of the fan, and there is a problem such as breakdown due to the life span of usage of the fan.
The allowable temperature of the junction temperature of the LEDs used for the therapeutic apparatus of this type is 125° C., and if the temperature exceeds 125° C., the life span of usage of the LEDs is reduced. For example, the life span of the LEDs is decreased by half every time the allowable temperature of the junction temperature rises 10° C., the percentage of breakdown is substantially doubled, and the life span becomes as short as 30 hours. Then, for example, if the temperature exceeds 175° C., the therapeutic apparatus may be destroyed depending on the case.
Therefore, in the therapeutic apparatus using the LEDs of the known technologies, those having no cooling fan have insufficient thermal radiating structures or functions and have a problem to be solved which is the reduction of the life span of usage by half; and those having the thermal radiation fan have problems to be solved such as being unusable due to being hindered by the noise of the thermal radiation fan, and breakage of the therapeutic apparatus due to the life span of the fan.

LED therapeutic apparatus having thermal radiating function


Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) transistors (18,22) are formed with vertical channel regions (30,52) on an insulator substrate (14). Highly doped polysilicon gates (44,68) are formed in trenches (36,58) to extend laterally around the channel regions (30,52) as insulatively displaced therefrom by gate insulators (41,62) that are grown on the sidewalls of the trenches (36,58). The transistors (18,22), which are formed in respective mesas (20,24) have deeply implanted source regions (28,50) that are ohmically connected to the semiconductor surface via respective source connector regions (34,70).

In traditional semiconductor fabrication techniques, integrated circuit devices such as transistors are laid out in a relatively planar, thin film at the surface of a semiconductor substrate. As time has passed, there has been a need to make these devices smaller and smaller, such that they occupy less "real estate" on the surface of the semiconductor chip which they occupy. As the dimensions of the device shrink, barriers to further downsizing begin to appear. For example, the depth of focus on small devices drops dramatically. One encounters line width control problems, alignment problems and problems with contacts. Squares become rounded in their shape; some features may disappear entirely with a loss of focus. Conventionally, the minimum size of a channel length of a transistor is determined by the minimum lithography obtainable by the stepper used to fabricate chips on the wafer. As the minimum channel length decreases, the cost of the stepper increases. A need therefore continues to exist for devices which occupy a small amount of real estate, whose critical dimensions are not controlled by lithographic constraints, and which at the same time have acceptable reliability, cost and operational performance.


Antibacterial compounds of the formula ##STR1## wherein n is 0 or 1, R is hydrogen or a radical forming an ester hydrolyzable under physiological conditions, and R.sup.1 is hydrogen or methyl; the pharmaceuticallyacceptable cationic salts thereof when R is hydrogen; pharmaceutical compositions thereof; a method of treating bacterial infections therewith; and intermediates useful in the synthesis of said compounds.

The present invention is directed to antibacterial 5R,6S-6-(1R-hydroxyethyl)-2-(3-thiolanyl)thio-2-carbapenem-3-carboxylic acids, as depicted by the for below; the pharmaceutically-acceptable salts and in vivo hydrolyzable esters thereof; and intermediates useful in the preparation of said compounds.
There are numerous reports in the literature concerning antibacterial 2-(alkylthio)-2-carbapenems and related compounds. See, for example, Andrus et al , J. Am. Chem. Soc., vol. 106, pp. 1808-1811, 1984; Afonso et al., ibid., vol. 104, pp. 6139-6140, 1982; DiNinno et al., Tetrahedron Letters, vol. 23, pp. 3535-3538 (1982); Ganguly et al., J. Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, vol. 9, suppl. C, pp. 1-5 (1982); Ghosez et al., Tetrahedron, vol. 39, pp. 2493-2503, 1983; Girijavallabhan et al., J. Antibiotics, vol. 39, pp. 1182-1190, 1986; Girijavallabhan et al., Tetrahedron Letters, vol. 24, pp. 3179-3182, 1979; Leanza et al., Tetrahedron, vol. 39, pp. 2505-2513, 1983; and Shih et al., Heterocycles, vol. 21, pp. 29-40, 1984.
In addition, antibacterial 5R, 6S-6-(1R-hydroxyethyl)-2-(cis-1-oxo-3-thiolanylthio)-2-penem-3-carboxylic acid and 5R,6S-6-(1R-hydroxyethyl)-2-(1,1-dioxo-3thiolanylthio)-2-penem-3-carboxyli c acid have been disclosed by Hamanaka, U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,924. More recently, the preferred diastereoisomer, 5R,6S-6-(1R-hydroxyethyl)-2-(1R-oxo-3S-thiolanylthio)-2-penem-3-acid, was identified by Volkmann in International Application No. PCT/US87/01114, designating inter alia the United States of America, published on Nov. 17, 1988 as WO-88/08845.


Provided are a method of producing a metal member, a method of producing a resin member, and a method of producing an exterior part of a vehicle, each using a laminated body including a paint substitute film that includes a thermoplastic resin film, a colored layer, and a semi-cured hard coat layer, in this order, and a protective film that is bonded to a surface of the semi-cured hard coat layer. (1) The method of producing a metal member uses a steel plate together with the laminated body, and includes: a molding step of performing thermocompression bonding on the laminated body and the heated steel plate and performing press-molding while curing the semi-cured hard coat layer. (2) The method of producing a resin member uses a molten resin together with the laminated body, and includes: inserting the laminated body into a mold; performing in-mold molding by performing injection-molding using the molten resin; and curing the semi-cured hard coat layer after the insertion into the mold and until the in-mold molding ends. (3) The method of producing an exterior part of a vehicle includes combining the metal member produced by the above-described method, and the resin member produced by the above-described method.

Conventionally, spray painting has been generally used to improve the design of vehicle exterior parts and the like (for example, resin-molded articles such as a fender, a bumper, a bonnet, and a wheel cap). However, a large facility and space are required to repeatedly perform painting and drying in a painting process including such a spray painting, and thus productivity is reduced. Therefore, in recent years, a method of improving the appearance of a product by bonding a decorative film (hereinafter, referred to as a paint substitute film) to the exterior part has been studied.
This type of paint substitute film 1 according to the related art is, for example, a film in which a clear layer 19, a colored layer 12, and an adhesive layer 14 are layered, in this order, as shown in FIG. 6, and is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S63-123469 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H09-183136.
Here, the clear layer 19 is formed by using, for example, a highly transparent resin material such as polyurethane, acrylic resin, polyester resin, silicon-based resin, polyvinyldene fluoride (PVDF), or any mixture thereof, and has functions such as protection of the colored layer 12 and polishing. The colored layer 12 is formed by blending a metallic pigment in substantially the similar resin material to that of the clear layer 19 to implement an appearance in a metallic color that is similar to that may be obtained by the spray painting. Further, the adhesive layer 14 is for adhering the paint substitute film 1 to a surface of an exterior part of an automobile or the like.
In the case of adhering the paint substitute film 1 to the exterior part or the like, the paint substitute film 1 is heated in advance by infrared lamp irradiation or the like, and then the paint substitute film 1 is molded by in-mold molding, vacuum molding, or the like so as to fit the surface shape of the exterior part and is bonded to the surface of the exterior part by the adhesive layer 14. Here, in the case of bonding the paint substitute film 1, the paint substitute film 1 is stretched so as to fit the contour of a mold or the exterior part while maintaining a layer structure shown in FIG. 6(a), and then is bonded to the exterior part.

Method of producing metal member, method of producing resin member, and method of producing exterior part


The provision of of an electromagnetic wave absorbing apparatus having a broadband electromagnetic wave absorbing characteristic, and which can also be used for the improvement of existing electromagnetic wave absorbing apparatus. Successive layers of an sintered ferrite magnetic body (F), a dielectric body (D) having a low permittivity, and a magnetic body (RF) having a low magnetic permeability, are overlapped on a flat reflector plate, and the relationship between the magnetic permeability .mu.1 of the sintered ferrite magnetic body and the magnetic permeability of the magnetic body having a low magnetic permeability is .mu.1.gtoreq.25.multidot..mu.2.

The present invention relates to an electromagnetic wave absorption apparatus of a multi-layer structure and which uses sintered ferrite magnetic bodies, and more particularly to an electromagnetic wave absorption apparatus with broadband characteristics. (Problem to be Solved by the Invention)
An absorber for preventing the reflection of TV waves from buildings and electromagnetic wave darkrooms for the measurement of irradiated electromagnetic waves from electrical apparatus require a favorable absorption of electromagnetic waves over a broad frequency bandwidth. With respect to this, electromagnetic wave absorption bodies which use sintered ferrite have a thickness of 5-8 mm and also has excellent absorption of electromagnetic waves from low frequencies of 30 MHz for example.
FIG. 6 shows the structure of a most fundamental type of ferrite electromagnetic wave absorption body and is configured so that there is an sintered ferrite magnetic body having a thickness d, with a metallic conductor plate behind it (Refer to Hans Wilhelm Helberg "Die Absorption electromagnetischer Wellen in einem grossen Frequenzbereich durch eine duenne homogene Sehicht mit Velusten" Zeitschrifit fuer angewandte Physik, XIII Band Heft 5-1961, p. 237-245; Suetake et al. "Magnetic-type resistance film absorption barriers" Electronic Communications Society Microwave Research Association, 1967.1; Japanese Patent Publication No. 26143-1968.) When the magnetic field reflector coefficient of the surfaces of the ferrite magnetic bodies F in these configurations is made s, then the power absorption coefficient of the electromagnetic wave absorption body is 1-.vertline.s.vertline..sup.2. Accordingly, there is more favorable absorption for the smaller the value of .vertline.s.vertline.. In normal cases, .vertline.s.vertline..ltoreq.0.1 as a guide, or more specifically, coefficient of absorption .gtoreq.0.99 is used.
FIG. 7 shows the absorption characteristics of the electromagnetic wave absorption body shown in FIG. 6, when the frequency f is on the horizontal axis, and the coefficient of reflectivity .vertline.s.vertline. is on the vertical axis. In this case, when the lower of the two frequencies for which .vertline.s.vertline.=0.1 is f1 and the higher is fh, then the frequency band B for which .vertline.s.vertline.=0.1 is satisfied becomes EQU B=fh-f1
This frequency band B has the following relationship with the materials that are used to realize the electromagnetic wave absorption body.
(a) When f1 is to become 30 MHz, the ferrite which is used is of the sintered type and is therefore of an NiZn or MnZn system. The value for fh becomes 300-400 MHz using such a system.
(b) When f1 is to become 90 MHz, the ferrite which is used is also of the sintered type in this case, fh becomes 350-520 MHz.
Of these, an absorber described (a) assumes an absorber of an electromagnetic wave darkroom and so fh=1000 MHz with respect to f1=30 MHz but it is not possible to satisfy this requirement. In addition, with (b), an absorber so that walls of a building can absorb television waves is assumed and f1=90 MHz and fh=800 MHz are assumed, but it is also not possible to satisfy this (Refer to Naito et al. "Ferrite absorbers with broader bands" Electronic Communications Society, Microwave Research Association Japan 1968.3; "Die breitbandige Absorption electromagnetischer Wellen durch duenne Ferritschichten" Zeitschrifit fuer angewandte Physik, XIX Band Heft 6-1965, p.509-514; Japanese Patent Laid Open Application No. 101605-1989) and so the ferrite F shown in FIG. 6 is divided into the two portions F1 and F2 shown in the FIG. 8, and having the respective thicknesses d1 and d2, with a metal reflector plate being attached to the one portion d1, and the other portion d2 being placed apart at the interval Po. This interval Po is filled with air.
According to this configuration, it is possible to satisfy requirements for fh=1000 MHz for f1=30 MHz, and fh=800 MHz for f1=90 MHz. The ferrite F1 and F2 either have the same characteristics, or they can be slightly different. Sintered ferrite having a magnetic permeability of approximately 500 is used when ferrite having the same characteristics is used, and sintered ferrite having a magnetic permeability of approximately 500 is used for F1, and sintered ferrite having a magnetic permeability of approximately 200 is used for F2 so that the overall characteristics are roughly the same as for when the same material is used (Refer to Naito et al. "Ferrite absorbers with broader bands" Electronic Communications Society, Microwave Research Association 1968.3.)
Improved absorbers have not been used for the following reasons. The first is that having both F1 and F2 as sintered ferrite increases the cost, since the number of sintered materials doubles when the required area is configured as in this method.
FIG. 9 shows a conventional example of an absorber having a broader band, where a dielectric body D is inserted between a metal conductor plate C and a ferrite body F. In this case, it is possible to obtain f1=30 MHz and fh=1000 MHz (Refer to Hans Wilhelm Helberg, "Die Absorption electromagnetischer Wellen in einem duenne Materialschieht in Kleinem Abstand vor einer Metallfaeche" Zeitschrifit fuer angewandte Physik, XVI Band Heft 4-1963, p.214-220; Japanese Patent Publication No. 4423-1975; U.S. Pat. No. 3,754,225, Aug. 21, 1973; Japanese Patent Laid Open Application No. 35797-1990; Hashimoto et al., "Practical Design of simple, compact electromagnetic wave darkrooms using ferrite' Shingakuron, Vol. J73-B No. 8, p.421-431 [1990-08]; and S. Abdulah Mirtaheri et al. Widening the Bandwidth of Ferrite Absorbing Wall by Adding a Dielectric Layer" 1991 Electronic Information Communications Society, Shunki Zenkoku Taikai B-290.).
A frequency of 1000 MHz is the current maximum frequency fh, but in the future, when the operating frequencies of electronic apparatus, such as the clock frequencies of personal computers become higher, the electromagnetic waves which are generated by and irradiated from such apparatus will have higher frequencies and fh will become higher than 1000 MHz. (Summary of the invention)
In the light of the problems described above, the present invention has as an object the provision of an electromagnetic wave absorbing apparatus having a broadband electromagnetic wave absorbing characteristic, and which can also be used for the improvement of existing electromagnetic wave absorbing apparatus.


A cutting blade having a pair of razor-sharp cutting edges and adapted to be oscillated back and forth in order to cut through the periodontal ligaments which surround a tooth root of a patient during dental surgery so that the root or a portion of a tooth root can be removed from the patient's jawbone. The cutting blade has a connecting shaft at one end by which the blade can be coupled to the driver head of an oscillating dental handpiece. Located opposite the connecting shaft is a cutting end having a tissue debris transfer canal at the bottom or inside thereof and a smooth tissue gliding surface at the top or outside. A positioning collar surrounds the connecting shaft to provide to the oral surgeon a visual indication of the alignment of the pair of cutting edges of the cutting blade relative to the tissue to be cut.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a longitudinally-curved cutting blade adapted to be oscillated back and forth around a tooth root and having a pair of razor-sharp cutting edges that cut through the periodontal ligaments that hold a tooth within the socket of the jawbone. By cutting most of the periodontal ligaments with the disclosed cutting blade, the tooth may be extracted with much less force and with less risk of damage to surrounding bone or other soft tissues.
2. Background Art
The need for extracting a tooth arises from a variety of circumstances. Gross decay or trauma may compromise the integrity and function of the crown or the root of a tooth to the point that the tooth must be removed. Wisdom teeth have no functional utility for most patients and can cause a variety of problems that make it advisable to extract them. Such problems can include crowding and distorting the placement of functional teeth causing pain and, because wisdom teeth are hard to reach and clean, increasing the likelihood of oral infection and decay. Traditionally, tooth extraction has been performed using a combination of physical forces that create risk of damaging the bone surrounding the tooth and the adjacent gum tissue. Such techniques include rocking the tooth back and forth using forceps, leveraging the tooth using elevators to create pressure against the surrounding bone or, in some extreme cases, extracting a tooth or root by cutting into the bone or even using a chisel and hammer. In general, all of these methods pose the risk of damaging the bone socket surrounding the tooth and the gum tissue adjacent to the tooth. This damage increases patient discomfort, requires additional time to heal, and increases the risk of infection. Moreover, in many cases, when the bone surrounding the tooth has been damaged, such damage becomes permanent because of bone resorption. For all of the above reasons, a cutting blade is desirable that will minimize the force required to extract a tooth, minimize damage to surrounding bone and gum tissue, and be compatible with modern dental equipment utilizing high speed power equipment.

Oscillating blade for cutting periodontal ligaments and luxating tooth roots


The invention provides methods to increase the production of an amino acid from Corynebacterium species by way of the amplification of amino acid biosynthetic pathway genes in a host cell chromosome. The invention also provides novel processes for the production of an amino acid by way of the amplification of amino acid biosynthetic pathway genes in a host cell chromosome and/or by increasing promoter strength. In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides processes to increase the production of L-lysine in Corynebacterium glutamicum by way of the amplification of L-lysine biosynthetic pathway genes in a host cell chromosome. The invention also provides novel isolated nucleic acid molecules for L-lysine biosynthetic pathway genes of Corynebacterium glutamicum.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the areas of microbial genetics and recombinant DNA technology. The invention provides gene sequences, vectors, microorganisms, promoters and regulatory proteins useful for the production of L-lysine. The invention further provides a method to increase the production of L-lysine.
2. Related Art
L-lysine is an important economic product obtained principally by industrial-scale fermentation utilizing the Gram positive Corynebacterium glutamicum, Brevibacterium flavum and Brevibacterium lactofermentum (Kleemann, A., et. al., Amino Acids, in ULLMANN'S ENCYCLOPEDIA OF INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTRY, vol. A2, pp. 57-97, Weinham VCH-Verlagsgesellschaft (1985)).
The stereospecificity of the amino acids produced by fermentation makes the process advantageous compared with synthetic processes; generally L-form amino acids are produced by the microbial fermentation process. The production of L-lysine and other amino acids through fermentation, utilizing cheap carbon sources such as molasses, glucose, acetic acid and ethanol, is a relatively inexpensive means of production.
Microorganisms employed in microbial processes for amino acid production may be divided into 4 classes: wild-type strain, auxotrophic mutant, regulatory mutant and auxotrophic regulatory mutant (K. Nakayama et al., in NUTRITIONAL IMPROVEMENT OF FOOD AND FEED PROTEINS, M. Friedman, ed., (1978), pp. 649-661).
Several fermentation processes utilizing various strains isolated for auxotrophic or resistance properties are known in the art for the production of L-lysine: U.S. Pat. No. 2,979,439 discloses mutants requiring amino acid supplementation (homoserine, or L-methionine and L-threonine); U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,557 discloses mutants having a nutritional requirement for L-threonine, L-methionine, L-arginine, L-histidine, L-leucine, L-isoleucine, L-phenylalanine, L-cystine, or L-cysteine; U.S. Pat. No. 3,707,441 discloses a mutant having a resistance to an L-lysine analog; U.S. Pat. No. 3,687,810 discloses a mutant having both an ability to produce L-lysine and a resistance to bacitracin, penicillin G or polymyxin; U.S. Pat. No. 3,708,395 discloses mutants having a nutritional requirement for homoserine, L-threonine, L-threonine and L-methionine, L-leucine, L-isoleucine or mixtures thereof and a resistance to L-lysine, L-threonine, L-isoleucine or analogs thereof; U.S. Pat. No. 3,825,472 discloses a mutant having a resistance to an L-lysine analog; U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,763 discloses mutant strains of Corynebacterium that produce L-lysine and are resistant to at least one of aspartic analogs and sulfa drugs; U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,790 discloses a mutant strain able to produce L-glutamic acid and L-lysine in the absence of any biotin action-suppressing agent; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,650,304 discloses a strain belonging to the genus Corynebacterium or Brevibacterium for the production of L-lysine that is resistant to 4-N-(D-alanyl)-2,4-diamino-2,4-dideoxy-L-arabinose-2,4-dideoxy-L-arabinose or a derivative thereof.
A considerable amount is known regarding the biochemical pathway for L-lysine synthesis in Corynebacterium species (recently reviewed by Sahm et al., Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 782: 25-39 (1996)). Entry into the L-lysine pathway begins with L-aspartate (see FIG. 1), which itself is produced by transamination of oxaloacetate. A special feature of C. glutamicum is its ability to convert the L-lysine intermediate piperidine 2,6-dicarboxylate to diaminopimelate by two different routes, i.e. by reactions involving succinylated intermediates or by the single reaction of diaminopimelate dehydrogenase. Overall, carbon flux into the pathway is regulated at two points: first, through feedback inhibition of aspartate kinase by the levels of both L-threonine and L-lysine; and second through the control of the level of dihydrodipicolinate synthase. Therefore, increased production of L-lysine may be obtained in Corynebacterium species by deregulating and increasing the activity of these two enzymes.
More recent developments in the area of L-lysine fermentative production in Corynebacterium species involve the use of molecular biology techniques to augment L-lysine production. The following examples are provided as being exemplary of the art: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,560,654 and 5,236,831 disclose an L-lysine producing mutant strain obtained by transforming a host Corynebacterium or Brevibacterium species microorganism which is sensitive to S-(2-aminoethyl)-cysteine with a recombinant DNA molecule wherein a DNA fragment conferring both resistance to S-(2-aminoethyl)-cysteine and L-lysine producing ability is inserted into a vector DNA; U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,925 discloses a mutant strain produced by integrating a gene coding for aspartokinase, originating from coryneform bacteria, with desensitized feedback inhibition by L-lysine and L-threonine, into chromosomal DNA of a Corynebacterium species bacterium harboring leaky type homoserine dehydrogenase or a Corynebacterium species deficient in homoserine dehydrogenase gene; increased L-lysine production is obtained by gene amplification by way of a plasmid vector or utilizing a gene replacement strategy. European Patent Applications EP 0 811 682 A2 and EP 0 854 189 A2 both provide for increased production of L-lysine in Corynebacterium species by way of gene amplification based on plasmid copy number.

Method of producing lysine by culturing a host cell expressing a polynucleotide encoding a feedback resistant aspartokinase from


The disclosed invention is drawn to pyrazolinone derivatives, and methods of use thereof, for non-radioactive labeling of amine-functionalized molecules, especially biomolecules such as DNA, RNA, PNA, oligomers, carbohydrates, amino acids and peptides. Carboxyl-containing reporter groups such as biotin and fluorescein may be activated for nucleophilic addition to a primary or secondary amine moiety. Representative compounds of the invention include Dimethoxytritylbiotin-XPP, biotin-XPP, and fluorescein-XPP.

1. Field of the Invention
The detection and identification of molecules is the aim of the present application. In particular, the invention is directed to the labeling and detection of amine-functionalized biomolecules such as amino acids, oligonucleotides, carbohydrates, peptides and peptide nucleic acids with detectable marker molecules such as biotin or fluorescein by post-synthetic derivatization with marker molecule esters of 1-Phenylpyrazolin-5-one (XPP).
2. Description of the Prior Art
The need for detecting chemicals and molecules is an ongoing one in the biotechnology industry. It is a well known fact that biochemical assays and procedures in general are dependent upon the accurate identification and quantification of biomolecules, including pharmaceuticals, proteins, peptides, DNA, RNA, and PNA (Peptide Nucleic Acid). Many of these biomolecules are directly detectable by virtue of their intrinsic properties, and devices have been built to measure their ultraviolet excitation, infrared absorption, mass spectra, atomic absorption, fluorescence emission, nuclear magnetic resonance, and a host of other identifying data. However, certain classes of molecules are difficult to directly detect, and these are "labelled" with a marker molecule that is itself directly detectable.
Biomolecules are a particular class of difficult-to-detect molecules. Often they do not absorb in the ultraviolet region because of their lack of extended aromatic structures. Generally, they are not analyzable by mass spectrometry because they are too big to be rendered both ionic and volatile, and the technique requires very expensive and complex instrumentation. Infrared spectra are useful only for simple molecules. In addition, the amounts of DNA, RNA, PNA, amino acids and peptides that are present in today's sensitive recombinant assays are so low that new labels and attachment chemistries are constantly being developed in an effort to lower detection limits. Today, radioactive labels such as .sup.32 P are used in the 5' labeling of oligonucleotides, but they have unstable shelf lives, and the attendant hazards of radiation present significant drawbacks. Thus, affinity labels such as biotin were adopted as non-radioactive labels. Biotin is strongly bound by the proteins avidin and streptavidin, which in turn may be conjugated to an enzyme such as alkaline phosphatase, or equivalently horseradish peroxidase. Addition of the avidin/streptavidin-enzyme complex to a biotin-containing target allows detection by the addition of a color indicator, which is facilitated by enzymatic reaction. In addition, biotinylated biomolecules may be extracted from a solution containing other compounds by adsorption to a streptavidin affinity column. Other non-radioactive labels include fluorescent detection by excitation of a biomolecule-fluorescer complex. Fluorescent labels such as fluorescein, coumarin, calcein, ethidium homodimer and intercalation dyes in general are common.
A variety of methods have been developed for the addition of biotin to oligonucleotides. See Wilchek, M, et al., Anal. Biochem. 171: 1-32 (1988). Chemical addition of biotin to a completed oligonucleotide is usually performed in a two-step procedure involving synthesis of an oligonucleotide modified by a primary amino group, followed by coupling, in aqueous solution, to a biotin N-hydroxysuccinimide ester. Chollet, A., et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 13:1529-41 (1985); Sinha, et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 16:2659 (1988); Bengstrom, M, et al., Nucleosides and Nucleotides 9: 123-7 (1990). Nick translation is frequently used as the enzymatic technique of choice for adding biotin to an oligonucleotide (Langer et al., Enzymatic synthesis of biotinylated polynucleotides: Novel nucleic acid affinity probes, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 78:6633-6637 (1981).
Lately, biotin-phosphoramidite monomers have become available to take advantage of biotinylating in situ when performing automated polynucleotide synthesis. Edge, European Patent Application No. 88307934.5, discloses processes for automated synthesis of oligonucleotides in a DNA synthesizer. The polynucleotides so prepared may be used as probes for diagnostic tools in clinical diagnosis and research use. The biotin label is attached to the phosphoramidite monomer, which is then added to the growing polynucleotide chain. Similar biotin-phosphoramidite products are made by Amersham and Clontech. Recently, R. T. Pon disclosed an alternative method of making a long-chain phosphoramidite reagent for the automated synthesis of 5'-biotinylated oligonucleotides in Tetrahedron Letters 32(14): 1715-18 (1991). An N-dimethoxytritylated biotin group coupled to a 6-aminohexanol linker was converted into a phosphoramidite to yield a biotinylating reagent which can be used in automated solid phase synthesis to produce 5'-biotinylated oligonucleotides in high yields. However, in all of these biotin-phosphoramidites, the polynucleotide probe may not bind to its target sequence as well as an un-labelled probe due to the fact that the spacer-Biotin moiety now takes up the place of the omitted base, and so no base-pairing will occur where the biotin label is, affecting the hydridization characteristics. In cases where multiple labels are desired, this may be a significant drawback. In addition, some of these reagents have inadequately sized linker arms, or are insoluble in acetonitrile, a significant drawback.
Other biotinylating reagents (N.sup.4 -biotinylated deoxycytidine reagents) have been reported that can introduce biotin at any position. However, these reagents require lengthy and expensive synthetic procedures. See Roget, A., et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 17:7643-51 (1989); Pieles, U., et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 18:4355-60 (1990).
The use of 1-Phenylpyrazolin-5-one ("XPP") for activation of amino acid esters for solid phase peptide synthesis has been recently disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,044 (Hudson). The '044 patent discloses the use of the enol amino acid esters of XPP for the efficient coupling of amino acids in solid-phase peptide synthesis ("SPPS"). The solid phase synthesis of peptides is a complex process which involves stepwise additions of amino-terminus-blocked amino acids to a peptide chain, the initial carboxyl terminus of which is attached to a solid support. SPPS typically begins with covalent attachment of the carboxyl end of a first alpha-amine protected amino acid through an organic linker to an insoluble resin synthesis bead. The general synthesis cycle then consists of deprotection of the alpha-amine group of the last amino acid, washing and, if necessary, neutralization, followed by reaction with a carboxyl-activated form of the next alpha-amine protected amino acid to be added. Each successive amino acid is attached to the terminal nitrogen by the carbonyl carbon of the carboxylic acid group. The '044 patent provides a unique reagent for activating amino acids for N-terminal addition, but does not disclose any method of labeling the resulting peptide.
There exists a need for more efficient and effective methods of adding non-radioactive marker molecules such as biotin and fluorescein to amine-functionalized biomolecules.

Activated esters of 1-phenylpyrazolin-5-one for labeling amine-functionalized molecules


A method for detecting communication loop in an ad hoc network is provided. The method may comprise: receiving, at a node of the ad hoc network, a message comprising a commutative value, wherein the node is associated with a node identifier and the commutative value pertains to node identifiers associated with one or more nodes along a path the message has been traversed along regardless of the order of the nodes; and determining, with aid of one or more processors, presence of a loop based on whether the commutative value is identical to a previously obtained commutative value.

Wireless networks have become increasingly popular in a wide range of applications. Wireless networks include different types such as infra-structured network, ad-hoc network, or a combination of both. In Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs), one important issue is how to provide stable communication between nodes against transition of network state such as node mobility or quality transition of communication links.
In MANETs, due to the fragile nature of wireless links, routing protocols are designed to be resilient against failure, while restraining the network load of control messages even if nodes are distributed densely. For example, some proactive link-state routing algorithms utilize dynamic link metrics to find better quality paths. However, such protocols also increase the risk of message looping or duplication caused by the paths flapping.
Message looping is a harmful phenomenon in which messages are forwarded among the same nodes or along the same link repeatedly thus consuming significant capacity of the network or cause network congestion. Methods such as path-vector routing schemes or link-state routing schemes have been used to prevent routing loops. However, such methods require maintaining full paths information for every destination or require all nodes in the network share the same image of whole network topology leading to increased overhead of control messages.

Systems and methods for wireless communication network loop detection


The present invention relates to a method for decelerating a vehicle comprising an electrical machine being arranged to provide a controllable torque to at least one drive wheel, said vehicle including driver controllable means for actively requesting a torque for propelling the vehicle. The method includes, when a driver request for a propelling torque is reduced at least to a first extent: applying a first brake torque by means of said electrical machine, by means of said first brake torque, decelerate said vehicle to a stationary state, and by means of said electrical machine, when said vehicle has been decelerated to said stationary state, continue applying a torque by means of said electrical machine to keep said vehicle in said stationary state.

With regard to vehicles in general, and at least to some extent heavy/commercial vehicles, such as trucks, buses and the like, there is constantly ongoing research and development with regard to increasing fuel efficiency and reducing exhaust emissions.
This is often at least partly due to growing governmental concern in pollution and air quality, e.g. in urban areas, which has also led to the adoption of various emission standards and rules in many jurisdictions.
Apart from governmental concern, one of the main expenses associated with vehicle operation is consumption of fuel for propulsion of the vehicle. The degree of utilization of heavy vehicles is often high, and with its associated fuel consumption, the cost of fuel can affect the profitability of the owner of the vehicle to a great extent.
In view of this, and in view of the fact that transport of goods on roads is expected to continuously increase, alternatives to conventional combustion engine technology are increasingly being considered.
For example, electric vehicles and hybrid-electric vehicles are undergoing extensive research and development. These vehicles often include an electrical machine, where the electrical machine is controlled by means of an inverter drive.
Commercial vehicles are often used for transportation of goods from one location to another, and, in general, spend a lot of time traveling on roads, for which reason a lot of effort in research and development with regard to such vehicles is spent on methods for reducing fuel consumption and making driving of the vehicle comfortable to the driver.
There are, however, also other aspects with regard to the use of commercial vehicles that are important from a driver point of view. For example, one important aspect in transportation of goods is maneuvering of the vehicle at low speeds e.g. when the vehicle is to be loaded and unloaded. In these situations the vehicle is often maneuvered with high precision at low speeds, e.g. when maneuvering the vehicle to and from loading docks/loading bays, and maneuvering is often carried out in situations when pedestrians frequently are present.
Maneuvering of this kind can involve a number of starts and stops with the vehicle moving backwards and forwards, and it is important that the vehicle behaves as expected by the driver to ensure that dangerous situations do not arise.

Method and system for decelerating a vehicle


A temperature compensating voltage variable attenuator includes at least two temperature variable resistors. The temperature variable resistors have different temperature coefficients of resistance, preferably, with one temperature variable resistor having a positive temperature coefficient of resistance and the other temperature variable resistor having a negative temperature coefficient of resistance. The temperature coefficient of resistance of the temperature variable resistors being such that the attenuation of the attenuator varies with changes in temperature of the attenuator. A voltage variable heater resistor is adjacent both temperature variable resistors so that a change in the voltage applied to the heater resistor changes the temperature of the heater resistor. The heat from the heater resistor is applied to the temperature variable resistors so as to change the resistance of the temperature variable resistors. This provides a controlled change in the attenuation of the attenuator.

Attenuators are used in applications that require signal level control. For microwave applications, absorptive attenuators, i.e., attenuators which absorb some of the signal in the attenuator itself, are preferred over reflective attenuators which reflect a portion of the input signal back to its source. The important parameters of an absorptive attenuator are its accuracy as a function of frequency, its return loss and its stability over time and temperature. It is known that variations in temperature can affect various component parts of a microwave system causing differences in signal strengths at different temperatures. Much time, effort and expense has gone into the components of such systems in an effort to stabilize them over various temperature ranges. This greatly increased the cost of microwave systems that must be exposed to wide temperature ranges.
A system which has been developed to simply and easily overcome temperature variation problems in a microwave attenuator is the temperature variable attenuator shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,981 to Joseph B. Mazzochette et al., issued Jul. 26, 1994, entitled "Temperature Variable Attenuator", which is incorporated herein by reference. This device comprises at least two temperature variable resistors. One of the resistors has a temperature coefficient of resistance which is different from that of the other resistor. Preferably, one of the resistors has a positive temperature coefficient of resistance and the other resistor has a negative temperature coefficient of resistance. The temperature coefficient of resistance of the two resistors are such that the attenuation of the attenuator changes at a controlled rate with changes in ambient temperature, but wherein the impedance of the attenuator remains constant at the attenuation changes. Although this device operates satisfactorily, it is often desirable to extend the use of the device by making it a voltage variable attenuator and to provide better compensation at high temperatures.


A system and method for improving heart contractions during a heart function cycle (heartbeat) of a patient requires detecting a local electrical event (depolarization) during the cycle. This local electrical event is then used to trigger a stimulation interval Δt at a time t0. Importantly, the stimulation interval Δt is set to end at a time t1 during the absolute refractory period of the heart function cycle. At the time t1, a stimulator is triggered to stimulate a local sympathetic nerve on the epicardial surface of the heart. With this stimulation the sympathetic nerve secretes norepinephrine to improve a subsequent contraction of the heart.

A normal heart muscle cycle (i.e. a heartbeat) is repetitive and is characterized by several well-known and distinctly identifiable mechanical and electrical characteristics. In its mechanical cycle, the heart muscle alternately functions to pump blood into the vasculature of a patient by its contractions (systole), and to receive blood from the vasculature by its relaxation (diastole). Physiologically, the heart muscle cycle is the result of an electrical cycle that is superposed on the mechanical cycle. Of immediate interest here, however, is the absolute refractory period.
During the absolute refractory period, which follows cell firing during diastole, and which is approximately 120-300 msec in duration, the heart muscle is not able to respond to an electrical stimulation. Sympathetic nerves on the epicardial surface of the heart, however, can be electrically stimulated during the absolute refractory period to thereby secrete norepinephrine. The import here is that the secreted norepinephrine can then subsequently assist in controlling and improving a heart muscle contraction. It is, of course, essential to stimulate the sympathetic nerve during the heart's absolute refractory period so that the electrical and mechanical cycles of the heart are not disturbed.
Identifying the appropriate time for electrically stimulating a sympathetic nerve must necessarily be established relative to the heart muscle cycle. Heretofore, the timing for nerve stimulation has been determined by the operation of a pacing device. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,463,376, which issued to Curtis for an invention entitled "System and Method for Transvascular. Activation of Cardiac Nerves with Automatic Restart," discloses and claims the electrically paced stimulation of a heart muscle.
The present invention now recognizes that the heart muscle itself creates natural signals (i.e. electrical events) which can be used to trigger a subsequent electrical stimulation of a sympathetic nerve. Importantly, this subsequent nerve stimulation can be timed to occur in the absolute refractory period of the heart muscle cycle.
With the above in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for electrically stimulating a sympathetic nerve of a patient in response to a naturally occurring electrical event of the heart muscle. Another object of the present invention is to electrically stimulate a sympathetic nerve of a patient using a single pulse, or multiple pulses, during the absolute refractory period of a heart muscle cycle to assist with a contraction of the patient's heart muscle. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for electrically stimulating a sympathetic nerve of a patient which is easy to use, is simple to manufacture and is commercially cost effective.

Method for stimulating heart muscle activity during the refractory period

GUY P. CURTIS AND FRANCES L. CURTIS TRUST


A method and apparatus for synchronizing multiple-stage multiplexers are disclosed. According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, multiplexer circuits in the multiple-stage multiplexer are synchronized based upon a frequency response of the output of the multiplexer. The power level of the output of the multiple-stage multiplexer is measured at a frequency corresponding to the input data rate of the multiple-stage multiplexer, during the time a test pattern is sent through the multiple-stage multiplexer. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the multiple-stage multiplexer is placed in substantially random states until the measured power level reaches the predetermined.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to synchronizing multiplexers, and particularly to a method and apparatus for synchronizing multiple-stage multiplexers.
2. Description of Related Art
A multiplexer is a device that combines multiple streams of data into a single, higher speed stream of data. Some multiplexers can be viewed as parallel-to-serial converters. An N:1 multiplexer, shown in FIG. 1, receives N streams of input data at a data rate R and generates a stream of data at data rate N*R. A simplified block diagram of the N:1 multiplexer is illustrated in FIG. 2. An input register stores a bit value from each input data stream in parallel. A selector switch is connected between the output of each bit from the input register and the output of the N:1 multiplexer. An N-state counter cycles through N different counter states. The output of the counter drives a control input of the selector switch. In this way, the selector switch sequentially connects the output of the N:1 multiplexer to the output of each bit from the input register. For exemplary purposes only, the order of connection to the multiplexer output is from the top bit of the input register to the bottom bit thereof, as shown in FIG. 2. The carry output of the N-state counter drives the clock input of the input register. For an input data rate R, the clock frequency of the N-state counter is N*R and the clock frequency of the input register is R.
For reasons of practicality, multiplexers are typically implemented using smaller sized multiplexer circuits. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an implementation of a multiple-stage multiplexer. The multiple-stage multiplexer employs, in a first stage, N M:1 multiplexer circuits or sub-multiplexers that operate in parallel at input data rate R. In a second stage, a single N:1 multiplexer circuit receives the output of each M:1 multiplexer circuit at input data rate M*R. The output of the N:1 multiplexer circuit has a data rate of M*N*R.
In the multiple-stage multiplexer illustrated in FIG. 3, the multiplexer circuits in the first stage must be synchronized with each other so that the data generated by the multiple-stage multiplexer is in a predictable order. The multiplexer circuits in the first stage are synchronized when the N-state counters therein are all in the same state. FIG. 4 illustrates the multiple-stage multiplexer generating the correct ordering of output bits when the multiplexer circuits are synchronized with each other. In contrast, FIG. 5 illustrates the multiple-stage multiplexer when a multiplexer circuit in the first stage thereof is not synchronized with the other multiplexer circuits.
When power is first applied to a multiple-stage multiplexer, the internal (N-state) counters initially assume random states. Consequently, the multiplexer circuits in the first stage of a multiple-stage multiplexer will not be initially synchronized with each other. A conventional approach for synchronizing the internal counters in a multiple-stage multiplexer implements the internal counters with reset capability so that the internal counters may be reset simultaneously with a single reset signal This conventional synchronization approach, however, requires that the reset signal have relatively precise timing for each internal counter in order to comport with necessary set-up and hold times relative to the clock signal applied to the internal counters. In instances in which the multiplexer circuits in the first stage are implemented in more than one integrated circuit chip, the conventional synchronization approach becomes less effective as speeds increase.
Another prior synchronization approach places the multiplexer circuits of a multiple-stage multiplexer in random states until the carry output signals generated by the internal counters occur at the same time. The multiplexer circuits may be placed in random states by, for example, connecting the reset input of each multiplexer circuit to a pseudo-random pulse generator, as shown in FIG. 6. By resetting the multiplexer circuits at pseudo-random times, the multiplexer circuits are effectively placed in pseudo-random states. Alternatively, the multiplexer circuits may be placed in random states by temporarily powering down each multiplexer circuit at the same time. Circuit breaker type circuits may be utilized to temporarily power down the multiplexer circuits, as shown in FIG. 7. A shortcoming with this prior synchronization approach, however, is that the carry output signals generated by the multiplexer circuits are substantially slower relative to the frequency of the clock input of the internal counters. The carry output signals thus lack the timing precision necessary to accurately determine whether the carry output signals are generated during the same period of the internal counter clock.
Other prior synchronization techniques utilize built-in-test-equipment (BITE) for applying test patterns to the multiple-stage multiplexer and monitoring the value of each bit in the output generated by the multiple-stage multiplexer. As the output data rate of the multiple-stage multiplexers increases, more sophisticated BITE must be utilized in order to monitor the bit values generated by the multiple-stage multiplexers. Sophisticated BITE is undesirable because it is expensive.
Based upon the foregoing, there is a need for synchronizing multiplexers in a relatively accurate and inexpensive manner.

Method and apparatus for synchronizing a multiple-stage multiplexer


A technique which enables a navigation system mounted on a vehicle or the like to be connected with an information providing device by utilizing a short range base station.

The present invention relates to a navigation system to be mounted on a vehicle or the like.
The vehicle-mounted navigation system has functions to set a destination, to search a route from the current place to the destination by the Dijkstra's algorithm or the like, and to guide the vehicle according to the searched route. The vehicle-mounted navigation system further has a function to be connected with an information providing device such as a server thereby to acquire useful information from that information providing device.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-264088 (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 1) discloses a technique in which the information providing device transmits information concerning shops, parking areas or events to the navigation system through public networks, satellites or broadcasts.
In order to acquire the information, as described above, it is necessary to connect the information providing device and the vehicle-mounted navigation system. For this connection between the information providing device and the vehicle-mounted navigation system, enterprises and the like have provided, as services, base stations for short range communication (i.e., DSRC: Dedicated Short Range Communication) such as wireless LAN (Local Area Network), Bluetooth or ETC (Electronic Toll Collection). Usage charges for the base stations provided as services by the enterprises, are mostly free or low. From the viewpoint of communication costs, therefore, it is desired to communicate using the base stations for short range communication.
For communication with a base station within a short range, therefore, the vehicle mounted navigation system has to be so positioned as can communicate with that base station.
However, the vehicle-mounted navigation system is thought to move with the traveling vehicle so that it cannot always be located in an area in which communication with the short range base station is possible.

Navigation system, and information acquisition method

Abstract: In cases where a recommended route passes through a communication spot, which is an area enabled for communication by the short range base station, the navigation system is connected with the information providing device through the base station, after moving as far as the communication spot, and in cases where the recommended route does not pass through the communication spot, the system is connected with the information providing device through a public network by a communication terminal.


In a block model abstraction of an integrated circuit developed from a hierarchal netlist, the hierarchal handling of timing exceptions is accomplished by selecting certain nodes not viewable at the top level in accordance with a set of rules, and raising these nodes to the top level so that defined timing exceptions may be applied. The timing model is next generated, and exception signatures created for paths between the selected nodes. Signatures are then removed from paths were such signature would not otherwise be valid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to semiconductor design apparatus and processes and, more particularly, to novel apparatus and methods for hierarchal handling of timing exceptions in a block model representation of an integrated circuit.
2. Description of the Background Art
During the performance of simulation and analysis of an integrated circuit, a block model representation of the integrated circuit is used. Each block model is an abstraction of a section of the integrated circuit. The abstraction is typically viewed on a display monitor of a workstation user interface, wherein the workstation reads data from an appropriate computer readable medium associated with the workstation. The medium may be internal to the workstation or readable over a local area, wide area, or public computer network.
The data, which is read, is commonly referred to as a netlist, the netlist being a textual representation of the contents of one block model. The netlist contains objects, which textually set forth the instances, modules, cell, terminals, ports, and nets and net segments, as well as the interrelation among them, thereby textually defining the block model.
Typically, the netlist is hierarchal. In a hierarchal netlist, the textual representation of the block model maintains only one copy of a module that may be used in multiple locations within the block model. When displayed in the user interface, the block model generated from the hierarchical netlist would show basic and non-repetitive devices in schematic form, and also would show each instance of the more complex and repetitive circuit modules as black box modules with only their input and output ports. The black box modules, although masking the complexities of the circuits therein, provide a known function between its input and output ports.
In the black box module, the allowed timing paths are either combinatorial or sequential. A combinatorial path proceeds from an input pin of the black box to an output pin, passing only through combinatorial logic. The combinatorial paths are modeled as pin to pin delays. A sequential path represents a convergence of data and clock inputs presented at multiple input pins, passing through clocked devices such as latches and gates, to an output pin. The sequential paths are modeled using setup and hold times, and may also include slope and load dependent delays with respect to the driving of an input or output pin.
Typically, a timing model is generated for each block model, and then subsequently the timing model for each block is combined with the timing model for each other block to determine the timing for the full chip. In generating the timing model for each block, it may be necessary to define certain timing path exceptions and exception operands for the block model.
For example, in a block model which may have two input pins, In1 and In2, and two output pins, Out1 and Out2, it may be necessary to define for one exception the path between In2 and Out1 as being disabled. The details of the path between these two pins cannot be seen at the top level block model since the path may contain instances of black box modules and lower level nodes within such modules. It may nonetheless be necessary to carry this exception along one or more paths between these instances and nodes to generate the timing model. It thus becomes desirable to see into the block model and raise such instances and nodes to the top level to define the timing exceptions necessary and generate the timing model.
It is possible to use a flat netlist for the block model, wherein the flat netlist contains data for all devices within the block model, including redundant data for repetitively used modules, thereby eliminating any hierarchy. The block model when viewed would accordingly contain all elements of the circuit, thus making it possible to see all nodes in the block model at a single level. However, not all nodes may need to be visible to define the timing exceptions, but only selected ones of the nodes may be required. Accordingly, it would become necessary to store significant amounts of extraneous data when using the flat netlist. Furthermore, in the block model which abstracts a portion of a complex integrated circuit, the additional amounts of data required to be stored for the flat netlist may be disadvantageously and prohibitively large.
Accordingly, there is a need for apparatus and methods for hierarchal handling of timing exceptions. There is a need for apparatus and methods for selecting only such nodes within modules as required for viewing at the top level. There is also a need for apparatus and methods which minimizes the amount of data stored in a data file.
According to the present invention, in a netlist that includes a plurality of objects, wherein the objects include a plurality of instances and a plurality of nodes, a method for handling of timing exceptions within the circuit or block model comprises marking selected ones of the nodes, generating a timing model having a plurality of timing arcs wherein each of the timing arcs are between any two of the selected ones of the nodes, creating exception signatures for the timing exceptions to be carried in the timing model in association with the timing arcs, and removing extraneous ones of the exception signatures from association with the timing arcs.
In one aspect of the present invention, the method set forth above may be implemented by a program embedded in a computer readable medium. The program when executed reads data, which may be contained in memory or in a readable file, containing information relating to the circuit or block model, similar to the description of the circuit or block model set forth above, and implements the above described method for hierarchal handling of user or software program inputted timing exceptions.
In another aspect of the present invention, a computer system for hierarchal handling of timing exceptions comprises a computer workstation including a user interface having at least a display monitor and an input device, and a storage medium usable by the workstation, wherein the medium includes data readable by the workstation and program code readable and executable by the workstation. The data contains information of a circuit or a block model similarly as set forth above. The program code causes the circuit or block model to be displayed on the monitor and further causes the input device to be responsive to a user inputted timing exceptions within the circuit or block model when displayed. The program code in response to the timing exceptions being inputted then causes the workstation to mark selected ones of the nodes. Next, the program code in response to the selected ones of the nodes being marked causes the workstation to generate a timing model having a plurality of timing paths wherein each of the timing paths are between any two of the selected ones of the nodes. Thereafter, the program code, in response to the timing model being generated, causes the workstation to create exception signatures for the timing exceptions to be carried along the timing paths. Finally, the program code in response to the exception signatures being created causes the workstation to remove extraneous ones of the exception signatures from the timing paths.
A feature of the present invention is that the selected ones of the nodes, which are marked, are made visible at the top level of the hierarchy irrespective of the level at which the marked nodes may be within the netlist. Exception signatures may now be carried along paths between these nodes. Another feature of the present invention is that extraneous exceptions signatures, being those signatures along paths wherein they could not exist, are removed from the data. Another feature of the present invention advantageously limits the amount of data that would be necessary when using a flat netlist wherein all nodes and modules are visible.

Integrated circuit block model representation hierarchical handling of timing exceptions