Bearing assemblies are provided that include a bearing having a split bearing body that includes a material such as a composite or a thermoplastic; and at least one recess configured for receiving a rotary seal assembly; and at least one rotary seal assembly comprising an energizing component. The bearing assemblies may further include at least two recesses and/or an energizing component that is an o-ring.

Air-cooled heat exchangers and other similar types of heating and cooling equipment are used in many industries, including oil refineries, petrochemical manufacturing, drilling and reservoir applications, natural gas manufacture, transportation systems, the chemical manufacturing industry, transportation industry and various industrial uses. Essentially, they are used wherever heat exchange equipment may be implemented and required to maintain constant temperature in equipment or climate control in manufacturing and processing and/or in transporting materials that must be kept at constant temperature.
One problem in the art with respect to such apparatus, particularly with respect to air-cooled heat exchangers, is that the equipment typically involves use of grease-lubed, sealed ball bearings, which are situated on the top portion or surface of a heat exchanger. The lubricants and bearing assemblies are thus constantly heated when the fan pulls heat from the heat exchanger. The fans pull cool air across the fins to extract heat from fluid in the heat exchanger. The lubricants are not only affected by heat, but also are affected by the work that is done by the individual balls in the ball bearing assembly. Bearings typically fail in approximately eighteen months of service. Failure contributes to high expenses associated with replacement due to peripheral equipment for associated with disassembling the fan to replace the bearings. Thus, current costs can be about $20,000 for a single replacement. Similar replacement and failure costs can be seen in various types of heating and cooling equipment throughout the various industries noted.
There is a need in the art for a bearing assembly that will enable a longer life for bearings between failures as well as that will allow for an easier replacement process.

Split bearing assemblies, air-cooled heat exchangers and related methods


A process for preparing low-water ethanol from at least two streams of relatively water-rich ethanol that have a different water content by dewatering at membranes. The low-water ethanol can be used to prepare ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE).

ETBE is a component for increasing the octane number in fuels for gasoline engines. ETBE is increasingly being used as an octane number improver in place of MTBE, because there is discussion about the use of MTBE in fuels due to possible groundwater contamination. In addition, the use of ETBE is required in some countries, for example Germany, when bioalcohol, i.e. ethanol, prepared from renewable raw materials (plants) is used to prepare ETBE.
ETBE can be obtained from C4 olefin mixtures, for example from C4 cuts from steamcrackers. These mixtures consist substantially of butadiene, the monoolefins, isobutene, 1-butene and the two 2-butenes, and also the saturated hydrocarbons isobutane and n-butane. Customary workup processes practiced worldwide for such C4 cuts include the following steps. First, the majority of the butadiene is removed. When butadiene can be brought to market viably or there is in-house consumption, it is removed, for example, by extraction or extractive distillation. Otherwise, the butadiene is hydrogenated selectively to linear butenes to as full an extent as possible, but at least up to concentrations of from 1 to 0.1% by mass. In both cases, a hydrocarbon mixture (frequently referred to as raffinate I or hydrogenated crack-C4) remains, which, in addition to the saturated hydrocarbons (n-butane and isobutane), includes the olefins (isobutene, 1-butene and 2-butenes). The isobutene present therein is reacted with ethanol to give ETBE. The distillative workup gives rise to ETBE and an ethanolic C4 hydrocarbon mixture from which ethanol is removed by extraction with water.
In industry, isobutene or isobutenic hydrocarbon streams are usually reacted over solid acidic catalysts, for example, over acidic ion exchange resins.
In this reaction, water reduces the activity of the catalyst very greatly and thus lowers the space-time yield for ETBE. In addition, isobutene in the presence of water forms tert-butanol (TBA) as a by-product. In industry, low-water ethanols are therefore used in the preparation of ETBE, especially those that have a water content of below 1% by mass.
The commercial ethanol qualities have a water content of from 5 to less than 1% by mass. The homoazeotrope of ethanol and water still has a water content of 4.4% by mass. Drier ethanols, especially those having a water content of below 1% by mass, can be prepared only at a high level of cost and inconveniently.
An industrial process for dewatering ethanol is azeotropic distillation with an azeotroping agent that forms a ternary minimum heteroazeotrope with ethanol and water. The azeotroping agents used are, for example, heptane, cyclohexane or benzene. A general flow diagram of such a plant and literature references can be found in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Technical Chemistry, Vol. 9, pages 634-635, 5th Edition. The main disadvantage of these dewatering processes lies in their high operating costs.
A further process for drying ethanol is water removal by pervaporation at membranes (for example, U. Sander, H. Janssen, Industrial application of vapour permeation, Journal of Membrane Science, 61 (1991), p. 113 to 129, Elsevier Science Publishers B. V, Amsterdam; A. H. Ballweg, H. E. A. Brüschke, W. H. Schneider, G. F. Tusel, Pervaporation Membranes, Proceedings of Fifth International Alcohol Fuel Technology 1982, p. 97 to 106; H. E. A. Brüschke, State of Art of Pervaporation, Proceeding of Third International Conference on Pervaporation 1988, p. 2 to 11). In this process, the water to be removed is obtained together with ethanol in vapor form as the permeate. In order to achieve maximum water removal, the pervaporation is carried out in a plurality of membrane modules connected in series, the retentate of one module in each case being the use mixture of the next module. This process is suitable particularly for the dewatering of ethanols with a very low water content (from 1 to 10% by mass). The permeates obtained can be worked up in a column to give the ethanol/water azeotrope which can be recycled into a membrane unit. The main disadvantage of this process lies in the high capital investment for the membrane modules.
In most ETBE plants, there are typically at least two different ethanol streams, specifically the use ethanol (ethanol from another plant or bought-in material) and at least one ethanol stream recovered from an ethanolic C4 mixture by extraction and distillation. The fresh ethanol generally has a water content of from greater than 0 to less than 1 to approx. 5% by mass; the recovered ethanol usually has a water content of from 5 to 12% by mass. Typically, these streams are combined before dewatering.


An automatic document feeder according to the present invention is mountable on a copying machine. The automatic document feeder mounted on the copying machine is displaceable to a closed state and an open state with respect to the copying machine. In the closed state, originals can be automatically set on the copying machine by the automatic document feeder. When the originals are manually set on the copying machine, the automatic document feeder is brought into the open state. A tray 11 provided in the automatic document feeder is divided into a main tray 61 and a sub tray 62. The main tray 61 and the sub tray 62 are so connected to each other that their connected state is changeable to an extending state or a contracted state. When the automatic document feeder is brought into the open state, the connected state between the main tray 61 and the sub tray 62 is automatically brought into the contracted state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic paper feeder which can be mounted on an image processing apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile, or an original image reader. More particularly, the present invention relates to an automatic document feeder for automatically conveying originals to be read by an image processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A copying machine is taken as an example. An automatic document feeder mounted on the main body of the copying machine has been conventionally known. There exist automatic document feeders of various types and in various shapes. When the automatic document feeder is arranged on the main body of the copying machine, the automatic document feeder has been recently designed so that the width and the depth thereof fall in the ranges of the width and the depth of the main body of the copying machine, that is, it is not projected rightward and leftward or backward or forward from the main body of the copying machine.
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing one example of a conventional automatic document feeder for a copying machine, which is viewed from the front. An automatic document feeder 92 mounted on the upper surface of the main body 91 of the copying machine is caused to have such a shape that the width and the depth thereof fall in the width and the depth of the main body 91 of the copying machine. Therefore, the upper surface in the center of the automatic document feeder 92 is taken as an original set surface 93. Originals set on the original set surface 93 are taken in from an inlet port 94 on the left side, are rotated in the reverse direction through an angle of 180.degree., and are sent onto an original glass plate 95 provided on the upper surface of the main body 91 of the copying machine. The contents of the originals are read in this state, and copies of the originals are made in the main body 91 of the copying machine. Thereafter, the originals on the original glass plate 95 are moved rightward, are rotated in the reverse direction through an angle of 180.degree., and are discharged onto a tray 97 from a discharge port 96 on the right side. The tray 97 extends obliquely up to a space above the original set surface 93 with its lower end mounted in the vicinity of a left end of the original set surface 93. By thus arranging the tray 97, the space above the original set surface 93 is effectively utilized, and the tray 97 is not projected outward from the main body 91 of the copying machine.
When an attempt to set originals of large size, for example, A3 size in Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) (hereinafter referred to as "JIS A3 size") on the original set surface 93 is made, the tray 97 extending to the space above the original set surface 93 interferes with the setting.
In such a case, the originals have been set on the original set surface 93 after the tray 97 is manually raised almost perpendicularly, as indicated by a broken line, so as not to interfere with the setting in the conventional automatic document feeder. Further, the tray 97 is returned to the original oblique state after the originals are set.
The automatic document feeder 92 is mounted on the upper surface of the main body 91 of the copying machine and its front side can be opened upward with its opposite side as a fulcrum, therefore, the originals can be manually set on the original glass plate 95.
In a case where the originals are manually set on the original glass plate 95 in a state where the tray 97 in the automatic document feeder 92 is almost perpendicularly raised, when the automatic document feeder 92 is opened upward in this state, the tray 97 is projected toward a space behind the main body 91 of the copying machine. When there is a wall or the like in the space behind the main body 91 of the copying machine, therefore, the tray 97 collides with the wall.

Document feeder with responsive paper receiving tray


A process for preparing the interior surfaces of aquariums with debris-repellant properties, comprising the irradiation of a surface by far infrared light, thereby inducing an electron deficiency upon the surface. Dirt particles are repelled by the positively charged surface, since most dust particles have positively charged centers. The negatively charged periphery of said dust particles adhere to the positively charged surface, but the attractive forces between the surface and the dirt particles are too weak to overcome gravitational forces which cause the particles to fall off or float away from the surface. In addition, the electron deficiency on the inner surface of the aquarium drives a surface reaction which produces oxygen. This evolving of gas from the inner surface further repels the adherence of debris particles and provides a healthy atmosphere for fish dwelling in the aquarium. Further, specially prepared water used in conjunction with the tank further contributes to the debris-repellant properties of the inner surface of the aquarium.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally pertains to the field of debris repellants and other cleaning agents, and specifically to a process for the preparation of the inner surfaces of an aquarium with debris repellant properties.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Debris accumulates on the inside surfaces of aquariums. This may include dirt particles, fish feces, and various forms of algae. Any part of the inside surfaces of an aquarium exposed to water is likely to collect such debris within a given period of time. Cleaning the surfaces often involves emptying the aquarium of its existing water and scrubbing the surfaces with a sponge soaked in a cleaning agent. Care must be taken that the glass, plexi-glass, or other clear surface is not scratched or damaged in the cleaning process.
It is commonly known that dirt particles in water are often charged electrically, with a positive charge at the center of the particle, and negative charges towards the ends of the particle, due to the high electron density along the ends of the particle. This amounts to an attractive force between debris and surfaces.
Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a process for preparing the interior surfaces of an aquarium with debris repellant properties.

Process for preparing the interior surfaces of an aquarium with debris-repellent properties


A coextruded biaxially oriented polyolefin packaging film has a cold seal release layer, a core layer, and a cold seal receptive skin layer. The release layer is made of (A) about 10% to about 60% by weight ethylene-butylene random copolymer containing between 0% and about 6.0% by weight ethylene and between about 94% and 100% by weight butylene; (B) a blend of two polymers selected from the group consisting of polyethylene ionomers, syndiotactic homopolymer polypropylene, conventional polyethylenes having densities of between 0.91 and 0.965 gm/cm.sup.3, and metallocene-catalyzed polyethylene plastomers; and optionally (C) a non-migratory slip agent present in an amount sufficient to decrease the coefficient of friction of the release layer. Alternatively, the release layer may be made of a two-component blend of the ethylene-butylene random copolymer and high density polyethylene. The packaging films exhibit excellent cold seal release, coefficient of friction, and a matte finish surface without the need for migratory slip additives or an overprint varnish.

Cold seal cohesives are generally natural or synthetic rubber latex compositions which, when applied to a flexible packaging substrate, allow the package to be cohesively sealed by pressure and dwell time at ambient temperature. Cold seal latex cohesives are particularly useful in wrapping products which are heat sensitive, such as confectioneries.
Flexible cold seal packaging laminates for confectioneries are known. Configurations for such laminates comprise an outer web constructed of 50 to 100 gauge biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film having a slip and antiblock modified cold seal release layer formed thereon. Reverse printed ink may then be applied to the BOPP film surface opposite the release layer, and a laminating adhesive or polyethylene extrusion is typically applied between the outer web and an inner web. The inner web typically comprises a cold seal receptive BOPP or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) metallized, clear or opaque white film having a thickness of from 32 to 150 gauge. A cold seal latex cohesive is applied in a registered pattern onto the exposed surface of the inner web.
Flexible single web cold seal packaging configurations for confectioneries are also known. Single web configurations comprise a 50 to 150 gauge cold seal receptive BOPP or PET metallized, clear or white opaque film having surface printed ink applied to one side thereof. A cold seal latex cohesive is applied in a registered pattern to an opposite side thereof. An outer surface is formed over the surface printed ink and comprises an overprint, varnish and/or overlacquer.
For the aforementioned configurations and others, cold seal cohesives are generally applied to the inside (cold seal receptive surface) of a film lamination or to a single web film. In each case, the outer film surface (facing away from the cold seal) must repel adhesion to the cold seal on the inner web so that the roll stock may be unwound when it is used to wrap a product. In the case of a single web film, the surface opposing the cold seal cohesive is typically coated with a polyamide type overlacquer to provide sufficient release from the cold seal, i.e., to prevent roll blocking.
In the case of laminated films, the outer web of the film is generally modified with migratory additives which, when sufficiently bloomed to the surface, promote a low coefficient of friction (COF) for machinability, resulting in good cold seal release (CSR) properties. It is known that migratory additives, particularly amides, coming in intimate contact with the cold seal composition surface in sufficient quantities will cause the cohesive strength of the cold seal composition to become significantly weakened. This phenomenon is known as cold seal deadening.
Biaxially oriented polypropylene film (BOPP film) by itself does not give adequate cold seal release or coefficient of friction and requires additives to accomplish these objectives. Such additives, which are predominantly migratory, have two main problems: (1) they must bloom to the film surface and remain there to be consistently effective; and (2) they have a tendency to retard the cold seal cohesive strength. The current industry standard film for such an application is a monolayer BOPP homopolymer film modified with an amide additive. The film is corona discharge treated on one or both sides but preferably an untreated surface is used for cold seal release applications.
While some good results can be achieved for certain applications with these films, they must be aged for a period of time after production and at a certain temperature so that the cold seal release and coefficient of friction additives have adequate time to sufficiently bloom to the surface. If conditions are such that the additives are not allowed to sufficiently bloom, the film is rendered non-functional.
A need therefor exists for a polypropylene packaging film formulation which provides good cold seal release without the need for migratory slip and antiblock additives.
In addition to cold seal release properties, many applications in today's packaging industry require a film having a relatively high haze, low gloss, matte finish surface. Matte-finish films are aesthetically useful for many applications. A matte-finish can be used to provide a desirable satin paper-like finish when employed as an outer surface of a packaged product. Films having a matte-finish surface are particularly useful as outer webs of laminated composite packaging films such as those used to package snack foods, bakery products, diary products, and other confectioneries such as candy. A matte finish can additionally be used to mask or minimize the appearance of oil from snack foods.
Matte-finish films are also useful as tape base films where a pressure sensitive adhesive is applied to the reverse side of the film and an overlacquer is applied to the matte-finish surface. The use of such films eliminates the need for an expensive matte coating step prior to application of the overlacquer. Matte-finish films can also be used in graphic arts applications where a non-glossy satiny-paper look is desired on an exposed surface, such as in book covers. In addition, matte-finish surfaces can generally be written on with a variety of printing inks.
Many matte-finish films are currently available but are manufactured out-of-line as coatings which are subsequently applied to an existing film surface. The matte-finish coatings generally comprise a combination of ingredients which yield a pressure sensitive adhesive layer. Such films are taught, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,339 (the disclosure of which is herein incorporated in its entirety). Such a process involves double film handling and is uneconomical compared to coextrusion techniques. Unfortunately, none of the currently available matte-finish films exhibit cold seal release properties.
An alternative route to a matte-finish film surface has been achieved by exposing one or more surfaces of a substrate to an embossing or impression roller which physically changes the surface roughness of the substrate. Many embossing techniques are known. However, embossing and otherwise roughening the film surface renders the surface less adept to cold seal release and more adept to cold seal anchorage.
A solution to the problems of migratory slip and antiblock additives is provided in the commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,482,780 and 5,489,473 (the entire disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference), but the films described in these patents are relatively smooth and glossy and, like the other prior art, do not exhibit matte finish surfaces.
A need therefore exists for a packaging film or film layer which exhibits both a matte finish surface and cold seal release properties.

Matte finish biaxially oriented polypropylene film for cold seal release applications


Methods and apparatus operate in a computer system to manage initiation and operation of plug-in modules providing plug-in services. The plug-in manager obtains identities of a plurality of plug-in modules and retrieves a dependency list indicating respective plug-in services provided by, and required by, each plug-in module identified in the identities of the plug-in modules. The plug-in manager then calculates a plug-in initiation order based upon the dependency list indicating respective plug-in services provided by, and required by, each plug-in module. The plug-in manager then initiates service operation of plug-in modules according to the plug-in initiation order, such that if a first plug-in module provides a service required by a second plug-in module, the first plug-in module is initiated such that the service provided by the first plug-in module is available to the second plug-in module when required by the second plug-in module. In addition, the plug-in manager can operate a wait state operation within plug-in modules that provide services that depend upon each other in order to avoid service deadlocked situations.

Many types of conventional computing systems operate software programs that require services of various types during their operation. By way of example, a software application such as an Internet web browser which operates (e.g., executes) as a web browser process within a computer system may require audio and/or video playback services, document rendering services, document interpretation services or other services for which service logic (i.e., software code or instructions that provide such services) is not built-in to the web browser application itself. The reason that developers of software applications do not often provide all required service logic for every service within the application code is because service software developers are constantly developing new services that applications may require access to for various purposes. In addition, service capabilities can change when service developers update service logic to accommodate new features or revisions. For these reasons, many conventional software applications access services by incorporating the use of software modules called "plug-ins."
Generally, a conventional plug-in module is a software procedure, library routine, function, or other entity which a service developer creates to operate in a computer system in order to provide required processing functionality for a particular purpose. The purpose of the plug-in module is referred to as the "service" provided by the plug-in module. A typical plug-in module incorporates the use of a standardized application programming interface (API) that allows other software applications, such as the web browser process mentioned above, to access the service provided by the plug-in module by making a function or system call to the service using the plug-in application programming interface. In operation, the application programming interface for a plug-in module offering a service receives a set of input variable values which the service logic and processing within the plug-in module can operate upon in order to provide the service offered by the plug-in module. The application programming interface can also return or output a result that reflects the performance of the service logic upon the input variable values. A plug-in module may direct the output, for example, to a specific output device such as the computer display or an audio or video output device.
In some instances, a conventional software application might attempt to access or process data that requires a service provided by a plug-in module that is not presently resident within the computer system in which the software application is operating. As an example, consider a situation in which a user directs a web browser to access video data that is arranged in a video format that requires the services of a video plug-in module in order for that web browser to playback the video to the user operating the web browser. Unless the web browser has previously accessed video data in this particular video format, it is unlikely that the plug-in module providing the video playback service is resident on the computer system in which the web browser is operating. The web browser process may automatically make this determination since the video data may specify what plug-in service is required to playback the video data. The web browser can check a list of currently available plug-in services to determine if the required service is available from a resident plug-in. If the web browser process determines that the required plug-in service is not resident on the computer system, the web browser may prompt the user to obtain the required plug-in module that provides the required plug-in service, for example, via downloading the plug-in module from a plug-in developer web site. If the user instructs the web browser to download the plug-in module, the web browser can proceed to obtain (via a download process), install and operate (i.e., run, interpret or otherwise perform or access) the required plug-in module in order to obtain and use the video playback service that the plug-in module provides.

Methods and apparatus for managing plug-in services


In an affinity-type purification, ligands dissociated from a packed bed that would otherwise leach into the solution containing the species being purified are captured by a second ligand that resides in a porous barrier downstream from the packed bed, the second ligand exhibiting an affinity-type interaction with the dissociated first ligand with sufficient specificity to avoid the undesired retention by the second ligand of species from the liquid sample or source liquid other than the species sought to be purified in the affinity column.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention resides in the field of affinity chromatography, and addresses concerns arising from the labile character of ligands coupled to a support as the stationary phase.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Affinity chromatography is widely used for separating and detecting components in biological samples and for the isolation or purification of biological species or recombinant species from clinical samples, cell growth cultures, or any medium in which the species are produced or can be extracted. Affinity chromatography is commonly performed by passing a liquid medium containing the species of interest through a column or membrane to which a ligand is bound as a stationary phase, the ligand being one to which the species of interest binds by an affinity-type interaction. Affinity chromatography that is used for isolation and purification is also termed "affinity extraction," and the species-ligand interaction in this type of extraction is one that occurs with sufficient specificity to differentiate between the species of interest and other species in the source liquid. Affinity extraction techniques include immunoextraction in which the ligands are antibodies; protein-protein extractions using such ligands as wheat germ agglutinin, concanavalin A, protein A, and protein G; and interactions involving non-protein species such as heparin or nucleic acids. Once the species of interest is immobilized by the bound ligand as a result of the affinity interaction, ligand and its support are washed to remove unbound species and the bound species is then released from the ligand. Release is effected by an appropriate change in conditions such as a change in pH or the introduction of a detergent, chaotrope, salt, competitive binding species, or any agent that will overcome or lessen the binding affinity of the species to the ligand. The types of changes that will be effective in releasing the bound species in particular systems are well known in the art of affinity chromatography.
The ligand is typically a protein or other affinity-binding species that is coupled by covalent bonding to a solid support to form the stationary phase, the support often having been activated to facilitate the covalent bonding. Activation commonly involves the placement of a reactive group, one example of which is an epoxide group, on the support surface. The linkage between the ligand and the support is typically labile, however, leaving the ligand prone to dissociation from the support as the sample and other liquids pass through the medium. In addition to dissociation due to a simple shift in equilibrium, dissociation can also occur as the result of enzymatic or chemical degradation of the ligand itself. Proteases in the process stream can cause proteolysis of protein affinity ligands, for example, and endo- and exo-nucleases can cause cleavage of nucleic acid ligands. The amount of ligand that is leached as a result of this dissociation may be small compared to the amount of ligand remaining on the support, but even a small amount of leached ligand can seriously contaminate the otherwise purified species eluted from the medium. When a therapeutic agent that is either biologically derived or produced by recombinant chemistry is contaminated with a leached affinity ligand, the leached ligand can recombine with the agent and thereby impede the effectiveness of the agent, or bind to, or impede the functions of, other species or tissues in the patient's body, such as membranes, cell walls, or enzymes, causing harm. Concanavalin A, for example, is an affinity ligand that is used for purifying lysosomal enzyme preparations, but is known to leach from affinity columns and contaminate the enzyme preparations, particularly by activating T cells in the patient to whom the enzyme preparation is administered. To eliminate these types of contamination, the leached ligands must be removed, and this is typically performed by separations downstream of the affinity column or membrane. This adds cost and time to the preparation.

Multi-media affinity column to prevent leaching of ligands


An orthogonal frequency division multiple access-passive optical network including a plurality of optical network units each configured to generate orthogonal frequency division multiplexed signals, which are allocated thereto, based on a central frequency for frequency division multiplexing that is allocated in advance, and to use the generated signals in upstream transmission.

1. Field
The following description relates to technology for an orthogonal frequency division multiple access-passive optical network (OFDMA-PON), and more particularly, to technology for an upstream optical link structure of OFDMA-PON and upstream transmission of data, capable of enhancing economic efficiency.
2. Description of the Related Art
Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, hereinafter referred to as OFDM, is a modulation method for multiplexing high-speed transmission signals with multiple orthogonal narrowband subcarriers.
An orthogonal frequency division multiple access-passive optical network, hereinafter referred to as an OFDMA-PON, which is technology to apply OFDM to a PON, represents one type of a next-generation optical access network for high-speed and long-reach transmission. OFDMA-PON, by using an intensity modulation/direct detection (IM/DD) scheme ensuring cost-effectiveness, maximizes transmission efficiency, enables useful control of network resources, and requires no additional compensation technology for long-distance/high-speed transmission.
Even with the benefits as the above, the commercialization of OFDMA-PON has been delayed due to many reasons, one of which is the absence of a high-speed digital signal processor, hereinafter referred to as a high-speed DSP, enabling real-time operation, and the absence of a data converter (an analog-to-digital converter and a digital-to-analog converter) ensuring speed support for high-speed sampling of several tens of giga bits per second.
Various methods to overcome these shortcomings have been suggested. One of the methods is to multiplex in a manner to reduce physical bandwidth of OFDM signals by using both OFDM modulation and FDM multiplexing so that transmission is achieved at a relatively lower cost and sampling speed of the data converter. Another method is to greatly reduce the size of a fast Fourier transform (FFT), which is required for realizing an OFDM baseband modem, so that a real-time operated DSP is implemented using a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and etc.

Orthogonal frequency division multiple access-passive optical network comprising optical network unit and optical line terminal

ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE


Methods, systems and computer program products are provided which may provide for determining a point of loss for data records to be communicated between a source and a destination on a communication network. A topology of the communication network between the source and the destination is determined which includes a plurality of connecting nodes. A number of data records from the source directed to the destination passing between ones of the connecting nodes during a determined period of time is monitored. At least one of the connecting nodes is identified as the point of loss based on the monitored number of data records and the determined topology.

Computer networks have grown increasingly complex with the use of distributed client/server applications, mixed platforms and multiple protocols all in a single physical backbone. The control of traffic on networks is likewise moving from centralized information systems departments to distributed work groups. The growing utilization of computer networks is not only causing a move to new, high speed technologies, but is at the same time making the operation of computer networks more critical to day to day business operations. The use of quality of service (QoS) criteria for managing and/or contracting communication service level agreements (SLAs) is becoming increasingly common in networks, such as networks supporting Internet protocol (IP) communications.
Deregulation of telecommunications providers, new communications technologies, and the Internet have often been cited as important factors in bringing about increased competition in the delivery of telecommunications services. As a result of this increased competition, telecommunications providers have generally been under pressure to improve efficiency and cut costs and yet still maintain a high quality level of service for their customers. In this competitive environment, one area in which telecommunications providers may be able to gain a competitive edge is in the support systems that are used to operate, manage, and maintain the telecommunications networks. These support systems may be called operational support systems (OSS).
Broadly stated, an OSS for a telecommunications network may include software services that are used to support the operations of a telecommunications network. Three support areas that may be addressed by a telecommunications OSS are 1) provisioning and order management, 2) billing and customer support, and 3) network management. Provisioning and order management may include such functions as service activation, service order processing, and service provisioning. Billing and customer support may include such functions as data collection, retail and wholesale billing, bill compilation, and customer care. Finally, network management and/or network service quality management may include such functions as fault management, performance monitoring, error analysis, and security.
One problem related to network management which may be encountered is a loss of data records during transmission from a source device to a destination device over a communication network. It is desirable, under such circumstances, to be able to identify the root cause device for such lost data records, so as, for example, to facilitate prompt initiation of corrective actions. However, the increasingly complex structure of such communications networks, such as the Internet, complicates the identification of the root cause for such losses given the numerous routing devices which may define the network between the source and destination device and further given the nature of the structure of the Internet in which it is common to have a variety of different paths which may be utilized for transmission of data records between a given source and destination device. It is known with various commercially available network management system packages to utilize commands such as segment path identification commands and "ping" features in combination with direct queries to the routing devices defining the topology of a network to obtain status and performance information. This approach generally relies on overall performance information from the various routing devices defining the communications network based on either passive or active generated data transmissions to characterize the status of communications network components rather than evaluating the specific data flow which encountered the lost data records and directly identifying a point of loss.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods, systems and computer program products for determining a point of loss of data on a communication network


A flash memory includes a shallow trench isolation and an active region formed at a substrate, a plurality of stacked gates formed on and/or over the active region, a deep implant region formed at a lower portion of the shallow trench isolation and the active region between the stacked gates and a shallow implant region formed at a surface of the active region between the stacked gates.

Aspects of semiconductor manufacturing technology include nonvolatile memory devices such as a floating gate memory device or a metal insulator semiconductor (MIS) memory device constructed having two or more multilayered dielectric layers. The floating gate memory device embodies memory characteristics using a potential well and may be constructed in an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) tunnel oxide (ETOX) structure. The ETOX structure is a simple stack structure which is presently being the most widely applicable as an EEPROM, or a split gate structure having two transistors for each cell. On the other hand, MIS type memory device performs a memory function using a trap existing at a dielectric layer bulk, a dielectric layer/dielectric layer interface, and a dielectric layer/semiconductor interface. A metal/silicon oxide nitride oxide semiconductor (MONOS/SONOS) structure, which is being presently applicable as a flash EEPROM, is a representative example.
A flash memory device has a source connection layer that interconnects sources of respective unit cells to form a source line. In recent years, a source line, which is a dopant diffusion layer obtained through a self-aligned source (SAS) process to achieve high integration of the flash memory device, has been greatly applied as the source connection layer of the flash memory device.
As illustrated in example FIG. 1, a method of forming a source line includes a step of forming shallow trench isolation 120 in substrate 110 to define active region 130. As illustrated in example FIG. 2, a stack gate is then formed on and/or over active region 130 and shallow trench isolation 120 is filled in the field region with, e.g., an oxide film, and is then etched by reactive ion etching (RIE) using a photoresist mask to form trench T. As illustrated in example FIG. 3, ions are implanted in substrate 110 where trench T is formed by double ion implantations, i.e., a vertical ion implantation (Iv) and a tilt ion implantation (It), to form common source 140 having laterally extending surface portions 141 and 143 and vertical surface portion 142 connected to each other as illustrated in example FIG. 4.
As illustrated in example FIG. 4, damage due to the RIE is removed through chemical dry etching (CDE) before the oxidation of a sidewall (SW). Specifically, the portion stressed due to the ion implantation and oxide film etching (oxide RIE) is removed by the CDE process. However, high etching selectivity between the oxide film and the substrate is required, and therefore, high-priced equipment is required, and an additional process is also required. Also, a margin is reduced at a subsequent photo process due to high step difference between the substrate and the etched shallow trench isolation. A read failure may also occur when a photoresist (PR) residue is generated at a valley portion of the portion where the shallow trench isolation is etched. For example, when the PR residue is generated at the valley portion, an oxide etch block is generated. Consequently, a subsequent ion implantation of a recessed common source (RCS) is blocked, with the result that a source line is not connected, and therefore, a floating phenomenon may occur. Also, an active damage is caused, when the shallow trench isolation is etched, with the result that annealing of the sidewall (SW) is required. When curing is not appropriately performed, dislocation occurs, with the result that a word line (W/L) stress failure may occur.
For example, the active damage may be caused, at the time of performing the oxide etching, as follows. While the source line is being etched, damage is caused at the active region adjacent thereto due to stress. As a result, the W/L stress is caused, and therefore, a stress failure may occur. Also, a CDE process and a SW annealing step are additionally required due to the damage to a control gate and a floating gate at the time of etching the shallow trench isolation. When curing is not appropriately performed, a retention failure may occur. For example, side poly damage is caused only at the source region at the time of performing the oxide etching at the recessed common source (PCS), with the result that an oxide film grows thinner than a drain region when forming oxide by a subsequent SW oxidation. Consequently, a retention failure occurs. In order to remove this phenomenon, it is required to remove the region where the damage is caused using CDE equipment which cause little damage. As a result, an additional process is required. Furthermore, the removal of the damaged regions using the CDE is an additional etching process, with the result that sheet resistance Rs of the recessed common source (RCS) increases.

Flash memory and manufacturing method of the same


A motor vehicle screen wiper apparatus comprises a screen wiper mounted on the upper end of a drive spindle, the apparatus including means for varying the inclination between the spindle axis and a reference axis which is substantially at right angles to the plane of the glass to be swept. The drive spindle is mounted for pivoting movement about at least one pivot axis, and the apparatus includes a cam mechanism which controls this pivoting movement of the drive spindle, so as to vary the inclination between the drive spindle axis and the reference axis as a function of the rotational position of the drive spindle about its own axis of rotation.

In such an apparatus, the screen wiper includes a wiping strip of flexible elastomeric material which it holds against the swept surface, and which it drives in alternating rotational wiping movement in the well known way.
Motor vehicle glass surfaces, and more particularly windshields, are generally curved, so that it is necessary for the screen wiper to include a screen wiper blade having an articulated structure adapted to force the wiping strip to be in contact over its whole length with the swept surface. The articulated structure also enables the contact pressure of the wiping strip against the swept surface to be substantially homogeneous over the whole length of the wiping strip. For this purpose the articulated structure is arranged to be deformable in a plane which is substantially at right angles to the swept surface, and it holds the wiping strip in this plane of deformation by means of claws.
However, as the screen wiper blade travels over the swept surface in its alternating rotational wiping movement, the plane of deformation of its articulated structure does not remain rigorously perpendicular to the plane of the swept surface, because of the curvature of the latter. As a result, the wiping strip is in contact with the swept surface at an angle which varies according to the position of the screen wiper on the glass.
It has become apparent that this inclination of the wiping strip has a very detrimental effect on the quality of wiping given by the screen wiper blade. A particularly unfavourable situation is the case where, with reference to a motor vehicle windshield, the screen wiper is so designed as to wipe over an end portion at the side of the windshield, which is curved backwards so that it terminates substantially parallel to the lateral riser of the vehicle bodywork that supports the side edge of the screen. The angle of inclination of the wiper strip with respect to the glass is then very large, and tends to adversely effect the efficiency of the screen wiper in that zone.

Screen wiping apparatus for a motor vehicle, having an improved mechanism for orientation of a drive spindle


The present invention is directed to recombinant hosts which contain and express the ClaI Type-II restriction endonuclease and/or modification methylase genes. The present invention is also directed to vectors or DNA molecules which contain these gene, and to methods of producing the enzymes. One source of these enzyme is Caryophanon latum, although other microorganisms may be used to isolate the restriction endonuclease isoschizomers and modification methylase isoschizomers of the invention.

Restriction endonucleases are a class of enzymes that occur naturally in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. When restriction endonucleases are purified away from other contaminating cellular components, the enzymes can be used in the laboratory to cleave DNA molecules in a specific and predictable manner. Thus, restriction endonucleases have proved to be indispensable tools in modern genetic research.
Restriction endonucleases cleave DNA by recognizing and binding to particular sequences of nucleotides (the "recognition sequence") along the DNA molecule. The enzymes cleave both strands of the DNA molecule within, or to one side of, this recognition sequence.
Different restriction endonucleases have affinity for different recognition sequences. About 100 kinds of different endonucleases have so far been isolated from many microorganisms, each being identified by the specific base sequence it recognizes and by the cleavage pattern it exhibits. In addition, a number of restriction endonucleases, called restriction endonuclease isoschizomers, have been isolated from different microorganisms which in fact recognize the same recognition sequence as those restriction endonucleases that have previously been identified. These isoschizomers, however, may or may not cleave the same phosphodiester bond as the previously identified endonuclease.
Modification methylases are complementary to their corresponding restriction endonucleases in that they recognize and bind to the same recognition sequence. However, in contrast to restriction endonucleases, the modification methylases chemically modify certain nucleotides within the recognition sequence by the addition of a methyl group. Following this methylation, the recognition sequence is no longer bound or cleaved by the restriction endonuclease. Thus, in nature, methylases serve a protective function, i.e., to protect the DNA of an organism which produces its corresponding restriction enzyme.
Restriction enzymes and modification methylases can be purified from the host organism by growing large amounts of cells, lysing the cell walls, and purifying the specific enzyme away from the other host proteins by extensive column chromatography. However, the amount of restriction enzyme relative to that of the other host proteins is usually quite small. Thus, the purification of large quantities of restriction enzymes or methylases by this method is labor intensive, inefficient, and uneconomical.
An alternative method for producing large quantities of restriction and modification enzymes is to clone the genes encoding the desired enzymes and overexpress the enzymes in a well studied organism, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli). In this way, the amount of restriction and modification enzymes, relative to that of the host proteins, may be increased substantially. The first cloning of a DNA endonuclease gene was described by Mann et al. Gene 3:97-112 (1978). Since then more than seventy DNA methylase and restriction endonucleases have been cloned. Thus far, the majority of the restriction endonuclease genes are closely linked to their corresponding methylase genes.
Restriction-modification systems can be cloned by several methods. A number of endonuclease and methylase genes have been cloned from endogenous plasmids: EcoRII (Kosykh et al., Mol. Gen. Genet. 178:717-718 (1980)), EcoRI (Newman et al., J. Biol. Chem. 256:2131-2139 (1981)), Greene et al., J. Biol. Chem. 256:2143-2153 (1981)), EcoRV (Bougueleret et al., Nucl. Acids Res. 12:3659-3676 (1984)), PvuII (Blumenthal et al., J. Bacteriol. 164:501-509 (1985)), KpnI (Hammond et al., Gene 97: 97-102 (1990)), and PaeR71 (Gingeras et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 80:402-406 (1983)). An alternative method of cloning is the phage restriction method in which bacterial cells carrying cloned restriction and modification genes survive phage infection (Mann et al., supra; Walder et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 78:1503-1507 (1981); Rodicio et al., Mol. Gen. Genet. 213:346-353 (1988)). Another procedure is based upon methylation protection and has been suggested by Mann et al., supra, and Szomolanyi et al., Gene 10:219-225 (1980). This latter scheme involves digestion of a plasmid library with the restriction enzyme to be cloned. Only those plasmids with DNA sequences modified by the corresponding methylase will be resistant to digestion and will produce transformants in a suitable host. This selection method has been used to clone endonuclease and methylase genes together as well as to clone methylase genes alone (Szomolanyi et al., supra; Janulaitis et al., Gene 20:197-204 (1982); Walder et al., J. Biol. Chem. 258:1235-1241 (1983); Kiss et al., Gene 21:111-119 (1983); Wilson, Gene 74:281-289 (1988)). However, this technique sometimes yields only the methylase gene, even though the endonuclease and modifying genes are closely linked.
A multi-step approach has been required to clone certain restriction-modification systems in E. coli, including DdeI (Howard et al., Nucl. Acids Res. 14:7939-7950 (1989)), BamHI (Brooks et al., Nucl. Acids Res. 17:979-997 (1989)), KpnI (Hammond et al., supra) and ClaI (disclosed herein). In each case, protection of the host with methylase expressed on a plasmid was necessary to stabilize a compatible vector containing the functional endonuclease gene. Wilson, supra, has proposed a model to explain why certain restriction-modification systems must be cloned utilizing a protected host. This model proposes that in order to establish a plasmid carrying a restriction-modification system, methylase protection must occur at a rate that is greater than the rate of endonuclease digestion. Otherwise, restriction enzymes would cleave unmethylated plasmid and/or genomic DNA and degrade the plasmid and/or kill the host. Although this model is a plausible explanation of plasmid establishment, it has yet to be determined whether continued independent expression of methylase from a separate plasmid is necessary to maintain the plasmid carrying the restriction-modification system during cell growth and replication.

Cloning and expressing restriction endonucleases and modification methylases from caryophanon


An improved flash EEPROM memory-based storage subsystem includes one or more flash memory arrays, each with three data registers and a controller circuit. During a flash program operation, one data register is used to control the program operation, a second register is used to hold the target data value, and a third register is used to load the next sector's data. Subsequent to a flash program operation, a sector's data are read from a flash array into the first data register and compared to the target data stored in the second register. When the data is verified good, the data from the third register is copied into the first and second registers for the next program operation. This creates an improved performance system that doesn't suffer data transfer latency during program operations that require data verification after the program operation is complete. Alternate embodiments perform the comparison using two register implementations and a single register implementations. The post-writer verification can be repeated and use different bias conditions for reading the data. The process can be automatic or executed by command that can specify the read conditions.

A common application of flash EEPROM devices is as a mass data storage subsystem for electronic devices. Such subsystems are commonly implemented as either removable memory cards that can be inserted into multiple host systems or as non-removable embedded storage within the host system. In both implementations, the subsystem includes one or more flash devices and often a subsystem controller.
Flash EEPROM devices are composed of one or more arrays of transistor cells, each cell capable of non-volatile storage of one or more bits of data. Thus flash memory does not require power to retain the data programmed therein. Once programmed however, a cell must be erased before it can be reprogrammed with a new data value. These arrays of cells are partitioned into groups to provide for efficient implementation of read, program and erase functions. A typical flash memory architecture for mass storage arranges large groups of cells into erasable blocks. Each block is further partitioned into one or more addressable sectors that are the basic unit for read and program functions.
The subsystem controller performs a number of functions including the translation of the subsystem's logical block address (LBA) to a physical chip, block, and sector address. The controller also manages the low level flash circuit operation through a series of commands that it issues to the flash memory devices via an interface bus. Another function the controller performs is to maintain the integrity of data stored to the subsystem through various means (e.g. by using an error correction code, or ECC).
FIG. 1 shows a typical prior art flash EEPROM device's internal architecture 4000. The key features include an I/O bus 411 and control signals 412 to interface to an external controller, a memory control circuit 450 to control internal memory operations with registers for command, address and status, one or more arrays 400 of flash EEPROM cells, each array with its own row decoder (XDEC) 401 and column decoder (YDEC) 402, a group of sense amplifiers and program control circuitry (SA/PROG) 454 and a Data Register 404.
If desired, a plurality of arrays 400, together with related X decoders, Y decoders, program/verified circuitry, data registers, and the like is provided, for example as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,192; issued Mar. 30, 1999, and assigned to SanDisk Corporation, the assignee of this application, and which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The external interface I/O bus 411 and control signals 412 could be configured with the following signals:
CS-Chip Select.Used to activate flash memory interface.RS-Read Strobe.Used to indicate AD bus is being usedfor a data read operation.WS-Write Strobe.Used to indicate AD bus is being usedfor a data write operation.AS-Address Strobe.Indicates that AD bus is being usedto transfer address information.AD[7:0]-Address/Used to transfer data between controllerData Busand flash memory command, address anddata registers.
This interface is given only as an example as other signal configurations can be used to give the same functionality. This diagram shows only one flash memory array 400 with its related components, but a multiplicity of arrays can exist on a single flash memory chip that share a common interface and memory control circuitry but have separate XDEC, YDEC, SA/PROG and DATA REG circuitry in order to allow parallel read and program operations.
Data from the EEPROM system 4000 data register 404 to an external controller via the data registers coupling to the I/O bus AD[7:0] 411. The data register 404 is also coupled the sense amplifier/programming circuit 454. The number of elements of the data register coupled to each sense amplifier/programming circuit element may depend on the number of bits stored in each flash EEPROM cell. Each flash EEPROM cell may include a plurality of bits, such as 2 or 4, if multi-state memory cells are employed.
Row decoder 401 decodes row addresses for array 400 in order to select the physical sector being accessed. Row decoder 401 receives row addresses via internal row address lines 419 from memory control logic 450. Column decoder 402 receives column addresses via internal column address lines 429 from memory control logic 450.
FIG. 2 shows a typical flash card architecture that has a single controller 301 that performs host and memory control functions and a flash memory array that is composed of one or more flash memory devices. The system controller and the flash memory are connected by bus 302 that allows controller 301 to load command, address, and transfer data to and from the flash memory array.
It is common practice that each sector's worth of host data programmed into a sector is appended with an Error Detection and Correction Code (ECC) that is used to determine the validity of the stored data upon read back. Some such systems would use the occasion of the transfer from the memory device to the controller as an opportunity to check the validity of the data being read as a way to ensure that the data has not been corrupted.
In order to ensure the validity of the data programmed, some systems read the data from a sector immediately after it is programmed. The data is verified before the next operation proceeds by means of ECC, data comparison, or other mechanism. In prior art systems, this data verification, as it is known to those experienced in the art, occurs during the data transfer that takes place after the read. Thus there is an increase in the time to perform a program operation due to the addition of a read operation and the transfer of the data from the flash memory device to the controller circuit, where the verification is actually performed. The program verify operation indicates whether or not all cells have been programmed to or above the desired level and does not generally check if cells have over-shot the target state, possibly to the next state in the case of multi-state memory, but only if they have exceeded a particular verification condition. Due to the overall fidelity of these storage devices, the occurrence of failure during such verifications is rare.
FIG. 3 shows a timing diagram of a two-sector program/verify operation in which data is programmed into two destination addresses (DST[N] and DST[N+1]) and subsequently read in order to verify before programming to the next destination address (DST[N+2]). The READ signal indicates that a read is taking place from the source sector. The XFER signal indicates a data transfer between the flash data register and the controller. The R/WB signal indicates the direction of the transfer (high being a read from the flash to the controller and low being write from the controller to the flash). The PROG signal indicates that a program operation is taking place upon the destination page.
FIG. 4 illustrates the sequence of events that occur during a program/verify operation:                1. Transfer data to master data register 403 from external controller circuit (not shown).        2. Transfer contents of master data register 403 to slave data register 404.        3. Program the data from slave data register 404 into flash memory array 400.        4. Read back data from flash memory array 400 into slave data register 404.        5. Transfer data from slave register 404 to master data register 403.        6. Transfer data from master data register 403 to external controller circuit (not shown) for validation.
The exact cost of these verification operations varies depending on the times of various flash memory operations, the data set size, the I/O bus size and the I/O bus cycle time. But an example using some typical values is shown below:TRD=25 μs TX=26.4 μs TPRG=300 μsThe total time to program and verify a single sector (as shown in FIG. 4).TPgm/Vfy=TX+TPRG+TRD+TX=377 μsMaking the data verification time 14% of the overall program/verify operation.
It is a general trend in non-volatile memory design to increase the number of cells that can be programmed and read at one time in order to improve the write and read performance of these devices. This can be accomplished by increasing the number of memory cell arrays on a single die, increasing the page size within a single plane, programming multiple chips in parallel or some combination of these three techniques. The result of any of these is that the data transfer length increases for the larger number of cells being programmed or read with the program and read times changing little or not at all. Thus, the expense of data verification in a system that has such increased parallelism is that much higher. As an example, the same timing values as used in the above example show the impact on a system with a four-fold increase in parallelism:TPgm/Vfy=4*TX+TPRG+TRD+4*TX=526.4 μsMaking the data verification time 24% of the overall four-page copy operation.

Method and structure for efficient data verification operation for non-volatile memories


Retinoic acid metabolism blocking agents (RAMBAs). The RAMBAs may be used for treatment of cancer, including breast and prostate cancers. Methods for preparing novel retinamide RAMBAs. The methods include reacting RAMBAs with terminal polar carboxylic acid group with a variety of amines in the presence of suitable coupling reagents. The retinamide RAMBAs are potent inhibitors of the growth of prostate and breast cancer cells and may be useful for the treatment of these diseases in humans.

Cancer
Despite many years of research, there exists a compelling need to develop new and more effective therapeutic strategies for cancer. The use of many agents used in cancer treatment is limited because of their cytotoxic effects on normal tissues and cells. This is a particular concern for agents that kill cells by damaging DNA and/or inhibiting DNA replication.
Retinoids
Retinoids are a group of natural and synthetic analogues of vitamin A. All-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), the biologically most active metabolite of vitamin A plays a major role in regulating cellular growth and differentiation.i Since retinoids are capable of inhibiting growth, inducing terminal differentiation and apoptosis in cultured cancer cell lines, there is a wide interest in their use in cancer therapy.ii The biological effects of retinoids result from modulation of gene expression, mediated through two complex types of nuclear receptors, retinoic acid receptors, and retinoid X receptors (RARs and RXRs).iii Each type includes 3 distinct subtypes (α, β, and γ) encoded by distinct genes. Each RAR and RXR subtype is expressed in specific patterns in different tissues and is thought to have a specific profile of gene-regulating activity. The nuclear receptors function as dimers. RARs form heterodimers with RXRs. RXRs are more versatile, binding to RARs and other nuclear receptors, including thyroid hormone receptors and vitamin D receptors. Therefore, ATRA and other retinoids, through a variety of mechanisms, can modulate the expression of an extraordinarily large number of genes.iv
One of the most impressive effects of retinoids is on acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Treatment of APL patients with high doses of ATRA results in most of the cases in complete remission (Castaigne et al., 1990). Other research has been conducted on retinoid-based therapies for other cancers.v
Exogenous application of retinoids such as ATRA inhibits the growth and induces apoptosis in prostate cancer cell lines. Pasquali et al showed that the concentration of ATRA was 5-8 times lower in prostate carcinoma tissue compared with normal prostate and benign prostate hyperplasia.vi In vivo studies showed that ATRA inhibited induction and caused the disappearance of prostate tumors in animals.vii In spite of these encouraging results, the effects of ATRA therapy on human prostate cancer in the clinic have been disappointing.
One of the causes of the scarce therapeutic effects seems to be the rapid in vivo metabolism of ATRA into inactive metabolites.viii The inhibition of cytochrome P450 mediated ATRA metabolism by retinoic acid metabolism blocking agents (RAMBAs) is a promising approach in order to increase the levels of ATRA.ix Liarozole, the first RAMBA to undergo clinical investigations, was shown to increase ATRA levels in the tumor, resulting in anti-tumor activity.x Although, clinical development of this compound for prostate cancer therapy was discontinued for undisclosed reasons, it was recently approved in Europe and USA as an orphan drug for the treatment of congenital ichthyosis.xi
PCA tumors that arise after anti-hormonal therapy generally are less differentiated. Differentiation therapy remains a promising therapeutic approach in the treatment and chemoprevention of a variety of cancers, including PCA. Among the differentiation agents, retinoids, rexinoids, retinoid-related molecules (RRIVIs) and histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) have shown promising biological activities as single agents in several preclinical studies of both hematological and solid malignancies.xii
A goal of differentiation therapy is to induce malignant cells to pass the block to maturation by allowing them to progress to more differentiated cell types with less proliferative ability. Others have led the way in the discovery of agents that inhibit the enzyme histone deacetylase, thereby altering chromatin structure and changing gene expression patterns.xiii RAs exert their effects via a nuclear receptor complex that interacts with promoters of RA-responsive genes.xiv
Applicants have reported on a family of compounds that inhibit the P450 enzyme(s) responsible for the metabolism of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA).xv These compounds, also referred to as retinoic acid metabolism blocking agents (RAMBAs), are able to enhance the antiproliferative effects of ATRA in breast and prostate cancer cells in vitro.xvi In addition, the RAMBAs were shown to induce differentiation and apoptosis in these cancer cell lines. Applicants' observed that the breast cancer cell lines were exquisitely more sensitive to the RAMBAs.xvii
By introduction of nucleophilic ligand at C-4 of ATRA or 13-CRA, and modification of the terminal carboxylic acid group, Applicants invented a series of potent RAMBAs some of which are by far the most potent retinoic acid metabolism inhibitors known.xviii xix See U.S. Pat. No. 7,265,143, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Applicants also demonstrated that these RAMBAs inhibited the growth of several breast and prostate cancer cell lines and could exquisitely enhance the ATRA-mediated antiproliferative activity in vitro and in vivo.xx xxi xxii It was shown that VN/14-1 binds and activates the RARα,β,γ receptors, albeit it is significantly less potent than ATRA. Furthermore, none of the RAMBAs showed significant binding to either cellular retinoic binding proteins (CRABP I or II).XXiii It has also been demonstrated that some RAMBAs inhibited the growth of established breast and prostate tumor xenografts and that their mechanisms of action may in part be due to induction of differentiation, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest.xxiv xxv xxvi xxvii
Some of Applicants' proprietary RAMBAs appear to be the most potent ATRA metabolism inhibitors known.xxviii Furthermore, some of these proprietary RAMBAs also exhibit retinoidal and cell antiproliferative activities in a number of human cancer cell lines. These multiple biological activities have prompted Applicants to classify them as "atypical RAMBAs".
The anti-neoplastic activities of RAMBAs may be cell type dependent. Applicants have shown that some RAMBAs (e.g., VN/14-1) are more effective in breast cancer cell lines while others (e.g., VN/66-1) are more effective in prostate cancer cell lines.xxix xxx xxxi xxxii
The apparent lack of sensitivity of the breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) and two prostate cancer cell lines (LNCaP and PC-3) to ATRA and some of Applicants' proprietary RAMBAs may be due to the differential expressions of various genes that are essential for retinoid activity.
There continues to be an urgent need to develop new therapeutic agents with defined targets to prevent and treat cancer, including prostate and breast cancer.


A semiconductor integrated circuit is applied to a system using a first power source voltage and a second power source voltage independent of the first power source voltage and that includes a first area to which the first power source voltage is supplied, a thermal sensor placed in the first area, and a first input path placed in the first area, for transferring trimming data that determine the control contents of the thermal sensor to the thermal sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the trimming of the temperature control contents of an on-chip thermal sensor (thermometer assembled in a chip).
2. Description of the Related Art
Highly efficient semiconductor integrated circuits execute computations in parallel with each other at a high speed, from which a problem arises in that a chip temperature is increased.
When the chip temperature becomes higher than a certain limit, the transistors in the chip become in danger of breakage or firing. Therefore, technologies for controlling the chip temperature and preventing these failures of transistors are required.
One of the technologies is to assemble a thermal sensor in a semiconductor integrated circuit and to reduce a computation speed or stop a computation itself when a chip temperature exceeds a predetermined value (refer to, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 10-4 1466).
In the technology, a trimming data which determines the temperature control contents of a thermal sensor is stored in a fuse circuit after a trimming test is executed to calibrate the temperature of the thermal sensor, for example, before a product is shipped.
However, in a conventional trimming test, since a signal path used in a normal operation is used as it is, a power source voltage is supplied to a core in a chip in a test. Accordingly, the test cannot be executed accurately due to the heat generated by a leakage occurring in the core.


A switchable dual-band filter comprises first and second switchable resonators, a coupling structure having two ends respectively connecting the first and the second switchable resonators, an input impedance conversion circuit connecting an input terminal and the first resonator, and an output impedance conversion circuit connecting an output terminal and the second resonator. The coupling structure couples the first resonator to the second resonator, and vice versa. The input/output impedance conversion circuit converts the impedance on the input/output terminal into two distinct impedances that correspond to a first and a second operating frequency. The filter is simple in structure, occupies a smaller circuit area, and is cost-effective in manufacturing. The impedance at both operating passbands can also be matched properly.

The trend of wireless local area network (WLAN) and mobile communication moves towards the multi-band/multi-modal system integration, for example, the WLAN 802.a, 802.b, 802.g system. The conventional dual-band RF transceiver device usually includes plural independent transceivers, and each independent transceiver is used for the signals with an individual frequency band. In the front end of the RF system, the research in demands aims at integrating RF components operating at different frequency band.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a prior-art dual-band RF front end. As shown in FIG. 1, a complete dual-band RF front end 100 includes a bandpass filter (BPF) element 101, a balun element 105, a power amplifier (PA) element 103, and a low-pass filter (LPF) element 107. Each element has two separated components that are included for operating at frequencies 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz, respectively. In a highly integrated multi-band/multi-modal RF structure, an RF filter that is switchable between different passbands will play an important role in functional integration and size reduction of RF front-end module.
Several proposals have been made for the implementation of tunable or switchable RF filters. An RF filter with tunable center frequency is usually implemented with a switch to switch among a number of filters, usually referred to as a filter bank. A filter bank includes a plurality of filters that each has a different center frequency. The input end and the output end of each filter are all connected to switches, which are controlled by an external voltage for switching on the filter corresponding to the required operating frequency, and switching off all the other filters. This type of filter allows the user to switch between any passbands, and usually shows good filtering response. However, because each switched passband requires a filter and two switching circuits, this design has the drawbacks of requiring a larger circuit area and more elements. A few developments have been disclosed to address the above drawbacks.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,560 disclosed a switched bandpass filter 200 as shown in FIG. 2. The bandpass filter 200 includes a plurality of triple tuned bandpass filter sections 205a-205c coupled in parallel between an input terminal 203 and an output terminal 201. The input terminal 203 is shunted with a pair of series resonant circuit 203a, 203b while the output terminal 201 is shunted with a pair of series resonant circuit 201a and 201b. Each tuned bandpass filter section includes a respective switch in the internal path, as indicated by s1-s3. As shown in FIG. 2, when the switch is switched off, for example switch s1, the filter is not affected. When the switch is on, as switches s2, s3 in FIG. 2, the filter is grounded and the filter is not in effect. This filter reduces the number of required switches. However, as a filter section is required for each passband, this filter still requires a large filter circuitry.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,917,387 disclosed an RF filter, and the RF filter provides a tunable center frequency across a specified frequency by only one or more resonator elements, wherein normalized frequency response of the filter related to the center frequency remains substantially constant over the specified frequency range. FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the filter.
As shown in FIG. 3, the filter includes a varactor diode inside each resonator element of the filter. The varactor diode is an equivalent of a capacitor, whose capacitance depends on the external control voltage. Therefore, the frequency of the resonator element can be changed by changing the external control voltage. This leads to the change of the center frequency of the filter. With this type of varactor diode, a single filter can operate at different passbands. In comparison with the prior design, the above design successfully reduces the circuit area. However, the drawback of this filter is that the tunable range of operating passbands is small.
Another obstacle to overcome for the tunable or switchable filter is the matching between the output/input terminals and a resonator element when the resonance frequency of the resonator element has a drastic change. This is also referred to as external quality factor. The external quality factor also changes when the frequency changes. This causes a major problem as the filter usually fails to have good matching when the two resonance frequencies have a large difference. Japan Patent No. JP2002009573 disclosed a design including a tunable capacitor or a tunable inductor between a resonance circuit and an input terminal or an output terminal to adjust the matching at different frequencies.

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A wallet comprising a concave top hingably attached to a concave bottom. The hinge pin has a central bore adapted to receive a cylindrical article. The top and bottom each include a half latch mechanism. There is also a spring attached to the hinge pin and bearing on either the top or the bottom and a pin, passing radially through the hinge pin and one of the hinge knuckles, for securing the hinge pin in place in the wallet assembly. The wallet remains closed when the top and bottom are latched to each other and will open by itself when the latch is unlatched. The wallet preferably includes a badge attached to the top and internal springs to retain items against the top and bottom.

The present invention relates to the field of wallets and more particularly to wallets with a pivoted, latachable, hard, concave top and bottom and a protected space for containing an essentially cylindrical object.
Wallets are used to contain small items such as credit cards, coins, postage stamps, business cards, money or small pictures. They are generally sized and shaped to fit in a coat or pants pocket. However, most wallets provide little or no protection to the contents. They are useless for containing hard, shape or delicate items such as keys, screwdrivers, needles, pens, laser pointers, styli or pencils. Moreover, most wallets must be manually opened.
Development of a wallet which can protect and hold small objects and springs open at the release of a latch represents a great improvement in the field of wallets and satisfies a long felt need of the public.


Card-type memories have a memory unit with an area having a minimum memory capacity and a control unit for interpreting a command issued by a host system and controlling the memory unit in accordance with the command. The memory area is formatted in accordance with the universal disk format so each sector of the area has a user data area of 2048 bytes with a logical sector length of 2048 bytes. File management is performed by a UDF file system of a host computer.

In computer systems, magnetic disk devices (such as an HDD and an FDD) and optical disk devices (such as an MO, CD, and DVD) are widely used to store data. However, those disk devices are large in volume and weight and consume large amounts of electric power. Furthermore, disk devices are precision machines that are very sensitive to mechanical vibrations or shocks. Therefore, disk devices are unsuitable for use as storage devices in information devices that are small in size, weight, and power consumption.
In recent years, to solve the above problems, semiconductor storage devices using a nonvolatile memory have been developed. The semiconductor storage device is a storage device using a flash EEPROM that is one type of non-volatile memory and that allows all data to be electrically erased, and the semiconductor storage device can be used in an interface similar to that used for conventional magnetic disk devices. Thus, the conventional magnetic disk device can be replaced by the semiconductor storage device.
Specific examples of semiconductor storage devices include an SD card, a COMPACT FLASH (registered trademark), a MEMORY STICK (registered trademark), SMART MEDIA (registered trademark), an xD-PICTURE CARD (registered trademark), and a USB memory used in a state in which it is inserted in a USB port of a host system.
Unlike magnetic disk devices or optical disk devices, semiconductor storage devices have no mechanical moving parts for performing a storing or reading operation. Thus, semiconductor storage devices are suitable for use in information devices having small size, weight, and power consumption. Because of the above-described advantages, the semiconductor storage devices can be loaded on information devices such as a digital camera, a digital video camera, or a portable telephone, to store image data, data received from a computer, or audio data. The data stored in the semiconductor storage device can be reproduced using proper devices.
Flash memories have a lifetime determined by the number of times rewriting/erasing is performed. In flash memories, writing of data is not allowed unless a memory area specified to be used to write data has already been erased. If rewriting/erasing is performed the maximum allowable number of times, which is in the range of 10,000 to 1000,000, it becomes impossible to continue using the flash memory. The tendency in recent years has been to reduce the number of times rewriting/erasing can be performed. To use the flash memory in a more useful manner, it is necessary to develop a way of reducing the number of times rewriting/erasing is performed or develop a new framework wherein flash memories are used as consumables.
In this regard, conventional semiconductor storage devices are used via an interface compatible with a conventional magnetic disk interface, and are dealt with by using a storage device that allows data to be randomly read and written in the same units as the magnetic disk sectors. Such an arrangement requires complicated processing associated with memory control. An effective method of reducing the number of times writing/erasing is performed is not known.
On the other hand, DVDs include various types of semiconductor memory devices such as a read-only type, a write-once type, and a rewritable type. In the write once type, data is written without rewriting physical blocks. If data is written until a memory space becomes full, it is not possible to either write additional data nor delete existing data to create a blank memory space to rewrite data (that is, write-once DVDs are consumables that are not rewritable). Low price DVDs can be used as archive memories for archiving data. Except for DVDs, semiconductor storage of various types, such a the read-only type, write-once type, and rewritable type, are not available at present.
In view of the above-described problems, it is a first object of the present invention to provide various types of semiconductor storage devices, such as the read-only type, the write-once type, and the rewritable type that can be used by a host system by using an existing command set or interface without needing any modification. A second object is to provide semiconductor storage devices of various types such as the read-only type, the write-once type, and the rewritable type using a semiconductor memory with the same structure. A third object is to provide a semiconductor storage device of the rewritable type in which intensive writing or erasing of data in one or more particular memory areas is prevented, thereby achieving a long lifetime. A fourth object is to provide a high-convenience semiconductor storage device of the write-once type that can be initialized when the memory capacity becomes full such that writing of data is again allowed until a blank memory area created by initialization becomes full. Although this semiconductor storage device is not of the write-once type in a strict sense, this semiconductor storage device is also referred to as a semiconductor storage device of the write-once type.


A linear guide unit, in particular a gantry axis, that has an oblong guide support (14), is provided with two essentially parallel guide rails (24, 26) extending in the guide direction (F), but rotated in relation to each other around a rotation axis (V) parallel to the guide direction (F), each of which guide rails (24, 26) has at least one sliding carriage (36, 38) guided on it so that it can slide in the guide direction (F), the sliding carriages (36, 38) being connected to a sliding carriage assembly (36, 38) capable of moving as a unit in the guide direction (F). According to the present invention, the two guide rails (24, 26) rest essentially without moving play against at least two counterpart support surfaces (GF24, GF24L, GF24R, GF26, GF26L, GF26R) of the guide support (14) extending essentially in the guide direction (F), two of the counterpart support surfaces (GF24, GF24L, GF24R, GF26, GF26L, GF26R) enclosing a predetermined angle, preferably of at most 90°, between them.

A linear guide unit of this kind, known as a gantry module, is produced by Afag AG, a company specializing in automated manufacturing technology in Menziken (CH).
The disadvantage in the known gantry modules is that each guide rail is only affixed to the guide support frictionally. The guide rails are attached to the guide support by means of screws; the screws press a support surface of the respective guide rails against a counterpart support surface of the guide support with a predetermined contact force. The intensity of the contact force determines the amount of frictional force preventing the guide rail from shifting in the lateral direction, which lateral direction lies in a contact plane orthogonal to a lifting direction of the guide rail away from the guide support, between the support surface and the counterpart support surface, and is oriented orthogonal to the guide direction. It is therefore clearly evident that the lateral forces that can be absorbed by each guide rail are merely a fraction of the contact forces exerted by the fastening screws of the respective guide rail.
In the known gantry axis, the two guide rails are rotated in relation to each other by 90° around a rotation axis parallel to the guide direction. It is therefore possible to attach loads to two fastening surfaces orthogonal to each other on a moving load carrier of the known gantry axis; a guide rail and a sliding carriage guided on it is continuously acted on by an applied load. But the above-mentioned lateral forces still act on the respective other guide rail with a force component orthogonal to the guide direction and orthogonal to the lifting direction of the respective guide rail away from the guide support.

Linear guide unit, in particular gantry axis


A surgical access device includes a cannula having a variable length. The cannula may include a shaft assembly including an outer shaft, an intermediate shaft disposed within and longitudinal slidable relative to the outer shaft, and an inner shaft disposed within and longitudinal slidable relative to the intermediate shaft. The shaft assembly is movable between an unextended position, a fully extended position, and a semi-extended position between the unextended and fully extended positions. The cannula may include a shaft having annular folds formed therein. The annular folds are axially movable relative to each other such that the shaft is longitudinally movable between an unextended position and a plurality of extended positions.

In minimally invasive surgical procedures, including endoscopic and laparoscopic surgeries, a surgical access device permits the introduction of a variety of surgical instruments into a body cavity or opening. A surgical access device (e.g., a cannula or an access port) is introduced through an opening in tissue (e.g., a naturally occurring orifice or an incision) to provide access to an underlying surgical site in the body. The opening is typically made using an obturator having a blunt or sharp tip that may be inserted through a passageway of the surgical access device. For example, a cannula has a tube of rigid material with a thin wall construction, through which an obturator may be passed. The obturator is utilized to penetrate a body wall, such as an abdominal wall, or to introduce the surgical access device through the body wall, and is then removed to permit introduction of surgical instruments through the surgical access device to perform the surgical procedure.
Minimally invasive surgical procedures, including both endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures, permit surgery to be performed on organs, tissues, and vessels far removed from an opening within the tissue. In laparoscopic procedures, the abdominal cavity is insufflated with an insufflation gas, e.g., CO2, to create a pneumoperitoneum thereby providing access to the underlying organs. A laparoscopic instrument is introduced through a cannula into the abdominal cavity to perform one or more surgical tasks. The cannula may incorporate a seal to establish a substantially fluid tight seal about the laparoscopic instrument to preserve the integrity of the pneumoperitoneum. The cannula, which is subjected to the pressurized environment, e.g., the pneumoperitoneum, may include an inflatable anchor to prevent the cannula from backing out of the opening in the abdominal wall, for example, during withdrawal of the laparoscopic instrument from the cannula.
Cannulas are available in different lengths and a surgeon chooses a cannula based on the thickness of the abdominal wall of a patient. Factors, such as the patient's height, weight, sex, and overall body composition provide the surgeon with information to help choose a cannula (e.g., short, standard, or long), however, abdominal wall thickness can still vary between patients with similar statistics. This may lead to opening and trying cannulas of different lengths which can add time and cost to a surgical procedure.

Surgical access device including variable length cannula