A liquid dispensing container is provided having a cap assembly preventing dispensing of fluid therefrom prior to both an alignment of markers and a pivoting of a nozzle which helps prevent use by children lacking dexterity and knowledge for achieving concurrent positioning of the nozzle and markers. A tamper alarm prior to purchase is provided by a pillar and tab preventing dispensing until removed, which if removed, provide a visually discernable alarm to tampering with the container. The container is capable of inverted dispensing with upward projection of fluid by the pivoting nozzle engaged with a cap assembly.

Plastic squeeze bottles for dispensing cleaners, soaps, and other liquids have been manufactured for many years and are well known. Such bottles are employed for soaps, shampoos, cleaning solutions and hundreds of other uses. Most such flexible bottles where the dispensing component is conventionally engaged to a centered opening in the bottle, are configured primarily for upright use, or use in a vertical disposition. They are unable due to the dispensing component engaged to the bottle, to disperse liquid from the bottle in and direction but substantially along the axis of the bottle to which the dispensing component is engaged.
There other flexible bottles configured to be employed in an inverted positioning, and dispense the liquid in the bottle at a direction traverse to the axis of the inverted bottle or even at an upward angle from the inverted dispensing component and bottle. Such bottles are employed for instance when communicating cleaning solution on the bottle to the underside of a rim surrounding a toilet bowl. Bottles employed for this inverted positioning are employed widely and in order to provide this inverted dispensing of fluid, have a gooseneck appearance where the opening to the bottle and the dispensing end are positioned at the distal end of a curved neck portion of the bottle.
However, bottles with curved ends leading to the opening have a number of problems. First, they are not well adapted to simply be used in an inverted positioning to for instance, disperse shampoo into one hand of a user while being held by the other hand. Due to the curved neck, they inherently dispense the fluid at and angle whereby the user must hold one hand spaced from the other horizontally, rather than in the normal fashion where the hand receiving the fluid is located inline with the longitudinal axis of the dispensing bottle.
Another more vexing problem for manufacturers of fluid products contained in such gooseneck style bottles, is that the filling neck of a bottle with a curved portion leading to the bottle opening, is disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the bottle when standing upright on the bottle base. Machinery employed to fill bottles with fluid in factories work well and fast where the bottle opening is in line with the bottle axis. However, when the bottle opening is at an angle traverse to the bottle axis, and spaced therefrom by the distance of the curved portion of the bottle, special machinery is required to fill the curved neck bottles causing increased cost and a limiting of choice of bottlers to provide service since most do not have the assembly-line capacity to fill curved neck bottles.
Consequently, providers of liquids which are sold for dispensing at an angle traverse to the axis of the bottle, are left with few options as to the bottlers they use. Further, the cleaners used and dispensed from many such curved neck bottles, are the same liquid used for other cleaning tasks in the home. However users must purchase two different bottles for the same cleaner if they wish to have one for dispensing inline with the axis of the inverted bottle in a normal fashion, and one bottle to dispense liquid at an angle away from the axis of the inverted bottle. Also, manufacturers must purchase, fill, ship, and sell two types of bottles for similar or the same cleaning solution.
Still further, cleaning solutions, soap, shampoo, and other liquid product dispersed from such containers, can be hazardous to children should they come in contact with them or ingest them. Conventional containers whether for inline dispensing from an axially located dispensing component, or from a dispensing component which is engaged to a curved neck, ideally should provide a safety cap configuration to prevent children from coming into contact with the contents.
As such, there is an unmet need for a fluid container which is configured with an opening for filling and engagement of a dispensing component, which is located along the longitudinal axis of the container. Such a container should be employable for the dispensing of cleansers as well as shampoos and cosmetic products and the like to eliminate the need for manufacturers to use multiple container styles. Such a fluid container should have a dispensing component which is employable to dispense fluid to the hand or person of the user, or, in a stream at an upward angle from the inverted container. Such a fluid container should be configured with components rendering it child-resistant, to help prevent children from coming into contact with the contents or ingesting such. Still further, such a container should include a tamper-resisting component which will alert a buyer that the container has been tampered with prior to purchase.
With respect to the above, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the squeezable fluid container herein in detail or in general, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of employment and to the arrangement of the components or the steps set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The various apparatus and methods of the herein disclosed container invention are capable of other embodiments, and of being practiced and carried out in various ways, all of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art once the information herein disclosed is reviewed thereby.
Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure of an improved fluid container is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for other fluid containers. It is important, therefore, that the embodiments, objects and claims herein, be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.


After a refresh operation, a word control circuit holds the selection state of a word line selection signal line selected in each memory block corresponding to a refresh address. Further, in response to an access request, the word control circuit unselects only a word line selection signal line of a memory block selected by an external address corresponding to this access request. In each memory block, the word line selection signal line once selected is not unselected until the access request is received, so that the frequency of unselection and selection of the word line selection signal lines can be lowered. Consequently, a charge/discharge current of the word line selection signal lines can be reduced, which can reduce current consumption of a semiconductor memory.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory which automatically refreshes memory cells.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a technique for reducing power consumption in a DRAM having a self-refresh mode, by assigning a memory block and a word line to low-order bits and high-order bits of a refresh address generated in the DRAM and lowering the reset frequency of address predecode signals during the self-refresh mode (for example, disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei 9-161477).
Also, in recent years, a semiconductor memory called a pseudo SRAM has been developed. The pseudo SRAM includes DRAM memory cells (dynamic memory cells) and operates as an SRAM by internally, automatically performing a refresh operation to the memory cells. The dynamic memory cell used in the pseudo SRAM is small in area. Therefore, the pseudo SRAM of a large capacity can be developed with a low cost per bit.
In the DRAM, the reception of an access request is disabled during the self-refresh mode. Accordingly, the only access to the memory cells during the self-refresh mode is the refresh operation. Since the refresh address is sequentially incremented or decremented, the address of the memory cell to be accessed (refreshed) next is known. In contrast, in the pseudo SRAM, the access request is received also during a standby period. Hence, the address of the memory cell to be accessed next cannot be known until an external address is received. Accordingly, the technique described in the above document is not applicable to the pseudo SRAM since it is for the semiconductor memories to operate on condition that no access request is generated.


A disposable fluid connector includes a first single-use tubing component having proximal and distal ends and a second single-use tubing component having proximal and distal ends, where the first single-use tubing component and the second single-use tubing component are each usable only for a single patient procedure. The disposable fluid connector also includes a connection comprising an electrical connector that is configured to electrically connect the connection to both a powered injector and to an external medical device, where the disposable fluid connector comprises a disposable cassette including a portion that is non-removably attached to both the first single-use tubing component and the second single-use tubing component.

Angiography is a procedure used in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular conditions including abnormalities or restrictions in blood vessels, the network of passageways through which blood travels in a human or animal body. During angiography, a radiographic contrast material is injected through a catheter into a vein or artery, which then passes to vascular structures in fluid communication with the vein or artery. When X-rays are passed through the region of the body into which the contrast material is injected, they are absorbed by the contrast material, providing radiographic images of the desired vascular structure(s). The images can be recorded on film or video tape and/or displayed on a fluoroscope monitor. The images can be used for many purposes, as for example, diagnostics and for therapeutic procedures such as angioplasty, wherein a balloon is inserted into a vascular system and inflated to open a stenosis.
The contrast material can be injected into the catheter by either manual or automated injection systems. While the apparatus for injecting the contrast material can vary, most current systems include a syringe operatively connected with the catheter. The syringe has a chamber for holding the contrast material and a plunger reciprocally moveable within the chamber. The contrast material is suctioned into the chamber when the plunger is moved to create a partial vacuum within the chamber. A reversal of the plunger direction first forces air out of the chamber and then delivers the contrast material to the catheter at a rate and volume determined by the speed of movement of the plunger.
In a manual system the user or operator loads the syringe and ejects air from the chamber before connecting the syringe to the catheter. The user of a manual system adjusts the rate and volume of injection by altering the manual force applied to the plunger. The maximum injection pressure for manual systems is typically limited to about 150 p.s.i. (i.e. the maximum pressure that can be applied by the human hand), and the maximum quantity of fluid is about 12 cc. Such manual systems typically do not accommodate any safety features such as the restriction or prevention of injections outside of predetermined injection parameters (such as rate or pressure), and generally do not include active sensors or alarms to detect air bubbles or other hazards.
Angiography can include the injection of fluids other than the contrast material. For example, a saline flush and/or the injection of fluid medications may be desired. One of the most commonly used manual injection systems includes a valve mechanism having a plurality of manually activated valves that the operator selectively opens and closes to direct flow of the desired fluids into or out of fluid channels connected to the syringe or catheter. When the operator aspirates or injects the contrast fluid into or out of the syringe chamber, the fluid flows through the path of least resistance as directed by the relative positions of the valves. When changing the valve positions, one or more fluids may be selectively injected.
Certain automated fluid delivery systems provide a control panel or user interface that may be used, or operated, by a trained professional, such as a physician. The professional may enter one or more injection parameters using the control panel. The user interface may comprise a touch-panel screen. These parameters can then be used during a patient injection procedure. Certain automated injection systems require entry of the following injection parameters: the volume of contrast material to be injected, the flow rate of injection, the maximum permitted injection pressure and the rate of change of injection flow rate (i.e. the rise time). The control panel may be connected directly to an injector head or to a patient bed table.

Disposable fluid connector having multiple tubing components and an electrical connector


A device, system and method for allocating resources for video streaming is provided. A device determines, respective differences between reserved and actual allocated resources for videos provided to a streaming system by client devices, and selects, at the streaming system, from a plurality of discrete selectable allocated resources available at the streaming system, first reserved aggregate allocated resources based on the actual allocated resources for the videos, the first reserved aggregate allocated resources for streaming the videos to video-playing devices. The device monitors used resources for streaming the videos to the video-playing devices and, in response to determining that the used resources are within a threshold value of the first reserved aggregate allocated resources: from the plurality of discrete selectable allocated resources, selects second reserved aggregate allocated resources based on the respective differences between the reserved allocated resources and the actual allocated resources for the videos.

Videos are often provided to streaming systems by client devices for streaming on-demand by video streaming devices. However, allocation of resources for streaming the videos can be problematic. For example, planning for resources used to stream the videos must be made in a balanced manner, to balance expected demand for the videos with actual demand, such that bandwidths and/or resources allocated for streaming the videos are neither too high (e.g. which may lead to a waste of allocated bandwidth), nor too low (e.g. such that the streaming of the videos exceed an allocated bandwidth, which may lead to slow streaming of the videos and/or other videos).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Device, system and method for allocating resources for video streaming


A pallet includes a deck and a plurality of supports below the deck. The pallet includes at least one frame extending upward from the deck. The at least one frame is pivotably secured to the deck, such that the at least one frame is pivotable from an upright position to a collapsed position. The deck may include at least one recess for receiving the at least one frame in the collapsed position.

Pallets generally include a deck supported above a floor by a plurality of supports or feet. The pallet may be nestable, such that the feet of one pallet can fit into complementary recesses on an identical pallet stacked therebelow when the pallets are empty.
Sometimes the pallets are loaded with goods on which another pallet cannot be stacked. For example, the goods on the pallet may be too fragile to support the weight of another pallet (or more than one) loaded with goods. Alternatively, the goods on the pallet may be different sizes, such that a level upper surface is not provided by the goods stacked thereon.


An automatic shooting target system is provided with an automatic target resetting arrangement that returns all of a plurality of laterally spaced targets to an upright disposition. Each of the targets is carried by a set of separate target mounting arms that are mounted for independent rotation about a target mounting shaft. The target resetting mechanism is formed by target resetting levers that are locked to the target mounting shaft for rotation therewith. A reset biasing mechanism, which may be a wound band spring that urges a ratchet wheel in rotation, is coupled to urge the target mounting shaft in rotation in a direction that resets the targets concurrently by means of the target resetting levers. However, a rotation inhibiting device, such as a sear, obstructs rotation of the ratchet wheel, and therefore rotation of the target mounting shaft, in the reset direction. Control rods are operable by movement of at least one of the targets from the upright to the fallen position to temporarily disable the rotation inhibiting sear. This allows the band spring to rotate the target mounting shaft in the reset direction, whereby the target reset mechanism concurrently carries all of the targets from their fallen position to their upright positions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for automatically resetting an array of targets in a target shooting system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In conventional target shooting systems, particularly target systems of firearms, a plurality of targets are typically lines up at laterally spaced positions to project above a target mounting frame. The targets are usually separately mounted by means of arms that are secured for rotation about a target mounting shaft that is protected behind the target mounting frame. The arms for each target are rotatable independently of each other about the target mounting shaft.
A target shooter, standing at a firing line located a prescribed distance from the target mounting frame, fires a firearm while aiming at a particular target in the array. If the shot is on target, the impact of the projectile against the target carries the target rearwardly in rotation by virtue of the hinged mounting arm connection. Upon impact, the target moves from an upright position in which it is visible above the target mounting frame to a fallen position vertically lower than the upright position. In the fallen position the target is concealed behind the target mounting frame. The target shooter is apprised of the accuracy of the shot by whether or not the intended target is knocked down.
Once all of the targets in an array have been successfully knocked down, it is necessary for them to be reset. This can be done by physically moving to the area at the rear of the target mounting frame, and manually counter-rotating each target about the target mounting shaft in a target resetting direction to return the targets from their fallen positions to their upright positions in which they are again visible above the target mounting frame. However, manual resetting of targets is both time consuming and tedious. Moreover, there is always a certain danger to an individual in manually resetting targets, since it is possible that other shooters may not be aware of the presence of the person resetting the targets in the area behind the target mounting frame.
Systems have been designed to remotely reset targets from their fallen to their upright positions. However, such systems are not automated, and are rather primitive in their operation. For example, one such conventional system provides a target resetting apparatus which is mounted for rotation about the target mounting shaft. The apparatus includes levers that are capable of concurrently engaging the target mounting arms from behind and for carrying the targets concurrently to an upright disposition. However, actuation of this resetting mechanism is performed by pulling on a rope or other flexible line that is coupled to a crank arm that operates the target resetting mechanism. Although the system does provide for remote resetting of the targets, it is entirely manually operated.


A system for remotely monitoring and controlling an HVAC device includes a server which receives queries from an entry device and data from the HVAC device. Databases with information regarding the location and status of the HVAC devices reside on the server, as does a user name/password file, instead of in the entry device or the HVAC controller. Connection is provided over various communications links including the Internet, POTS, and GSM networks. A user with an entry device such as a handheld computer or cell phone using wireless access protocol (WAP) can change settings, obtain diagnostic information, and receive alarm messages about a plurality of HVAC devices.

HVAC equipment is becoming more and more automated. Along with this automation comes the desire to control and diagnose the equipment from a distance. Data controllers for furnaces and air conditioning equipment are frequently "smart" devices capable of transmitting data including alarms to a targeted device. This targeted device may be a dedicated computer or a computer identified for receiving the communications from the particular HVAC device. In either case, the targeted computer is the end of the communication link as opposed to any further routing of the communication. A need exists to have the ability to monitor and control HVAC devices from other than the device itself or a remote computer in a central location.

Method and apparatus for connecting to HVAC device


The present invention relates to medical instrument tracking. In order to facilitate tracking a medical instrument, a system (100) is provided for tracking a medical instrument. The system comprises an instrument marker (14), a tracking arrangement (16), and a processing unit (18). The instrument marker is attached to the medical instrument on a marker position (20). The tracking system is configured to detect line segments (22) in the 5 field of interest and to detect the attached instrument marker. The processing unit is configured to identify a line segment (24) on which the attached instrument marker is detected as the medical instrument, and to determine an offset (26) between a position of a medical instrument tip (28) and the marker (14) by touching a reference marker (34) on the subject with the medical instrument (10).

Medical instruments, such as steerable devices, flexible catheters or more rigid arms or shafts, are used in minimally invasive procedures for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. In certain applications and circumstances, it is valuable to know the position and orientation of the medical instruments e.g. for performing delicate procedures without damaging critical surrounding structures, such as arteries and nerves, in image guided surgical interventions. For example, WO 2015/032676 A1 describes electromagnetic tracking sensors for determining the position and shape of an interventional device.
Some tracking methods may require the information about the dimensions of the medical instruments, which may be stored in a database. For example, US 2012/0259204 A1 describes providing an instrument with visibility elements along an axis, whereby positions of the elements characterizing a specific instrument are stored in a database.
Thus, only a limited number of known medical instruments may be tracked.


The present invention concerns a device for sea urchins picking or the like from a water-filed area and collecting the urchins into a collecting member without damaging the same. The device includes an operable picking member for intaking and conveying an urchin-water mixture via a piping system into the collecting member, a draining system for draining water of the mixture from the collecting member and a pumping member for ensuring flow of the mixture within the picking member, piping system and collecting member, and of the water through the draining system.

The present invention relates to a mechanism for collecting objects laying down at the bottom level of different water basin, and more particularly, to a device for sea urchins or sea hedgehogs picking or the like and collecting the same.
For ages, seawater-filled areas and streams, rivers and waterways have been a source of food for humans. Regularly, new species of edible fish or seafood start to be commercially exploited. Consequently, an important new market of sea urchins and other animals living at the bottom of seas, oceans and rivers, and the like started to develop.
Traditionally sea urchin picking is a generally manual work performed by a diver at the bottom of reefs and collecting them in a basket or the like. This relative archaic method is slow, tedious and also not economical. There also exists a relatively high potential for accidents since the diver must resurface to empty his basket(s) a large number of times during a working day.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,737 granted on Sep. 22, 1977 to Lemmon and U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,671 granted on Feb. 28, 1983 to Grimes disclose fish pumping systems, which pump fish and water passing nearby their location using submersible rotary impeller means; non-submersible impellers could also be used.
The limitation of the prior art is that it is impossible picking sea urchins or non-living objects weighting approximately up to two pounds (2 lbs) from a water-filed area and automatically collecting them into collecting areas without potentially high damages of the sea urchins.
It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a device for sea urchins picking that obviates the above-mentioned disadvantages.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for sea urchins picking that allows for gathering the sea urchins without any damage/hurt to the same, thereby allowing for collected young small sea urchins to be returned into the sea.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a device for sea urchins picking that allows for continuous and economical gathering process.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device for sea urchins picking that is simple, adaptable, and easy to build.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a device for sea urchins picking that is adaptable for operating by a person or by a different operating system (for example optical or acoustical).
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device for sea urchins picking that is efficient and requires a relatively low power pumping system.
An advantage of the present invention is that the device for sea urchins picking is also capable of picking other living and non-living objects from the waterbed with a weight up to two pounds (2 lbs) or even more.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided herein, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
According to the present invention, there is provided a sea urchin collecting device for allowing an intended user to individually harvest sea urchins located within a body of liquid, said device allowing for the individual and sequential collecting of sea urchins having an urchin outer diameter below a predetermined threshold outer diameter, said device comprises:
a collecting tube for individually collecting at least one of said sea urchins, said collecting tube defining a tube first end, a tube second end and a tube intermediate segment extending therebetween, said tube defining a tube inner diameter for allowing sequential movement within said tube of individual sea urchins having an urchin outer diameter below said predetermined threshold urchin outer diameter while preventing adjacent sea urchins from being in a side by side relationship within said tube, said tube being manually maneuverable for allowing said intended user to manually position said tube first end adjacent a targeted sea urchin located within said body of liquid;
a pump hydraulically coupled to said tube second end for pumping an urchin-liquid mixture including targeted sea urchins and adjacent portions of said body of liquid into a collecting means, said collecting means being coupled to said pump.
Preferably, the device further comprises a separating means in communication with said collecting means for separating said targeted sea urchins from said portions of said body of liquid.
Preferably, the pump and said separating means are positioned on a buoyant body for maintaining said pump and said separating means above the surface of said body of water when said tube first end is positioned below said surface of said body of water in an operational configuration; whereby said tube first end is at least partially decoupled from said pump and said separating means by said collecting tube and said buoyant so as to facilitate manual maneuvering of said tube adjacent said tube first end.
Typically, the separating means is located downstream relative to said pump, said separating means being located between said collecting means and said pump.
Typically, the separating means includes a container, said container being provided with at least one drainage aperture extending therethrough, said drainage aperture allowing said pump to drain liquid out of said container while said container retains said sea urchins therein.
Preferably, the separating means includes:
a first container and a second container, each of said first and second containers being provided with at least one corresponding drainage aperture extending therethrough, each of said drainage aperture allowing the drainage of liquid from a corresponding one of said first or second containers and the retention of sea urchins within a corresponding one of said first or second containers;
an hydraulic circuitry including valve means for selectively allowing either one of said first or second containers to be individually filled with said liquid-urchin mixture, whereby said hydraulic circuitry allows said first or second containers to be individually filled with said liquid urchin mixture while the other one of said first or second containers is being individually drained from said liquid.
Preferably, the device further comprises a pre-filling means hydraulically coupled to either one of said first or second containers for ensuring that a corresponding either one of said first or second containers maintains a predetermined minimal amount of liquid therein.
Preferably, the pre-filling means includes a pre-filling hydraulic circuitry hydraulically coupled to said corresponding either one of said first or second containers for redirecting a portion of said liquid having been drained from said corresponding either one of said first or second containers into said corresponding either one of said first or second containers.
Preferably, the hydraulic circuitry includes:
a first and a second inlet duct hydraulically coupling said tube second end respectively to said first and second containers;
a first and a second inlet duct valve for selectively allowing and preventing the flow of said liquid-urchin mixture respectively in said first and second inlet ducts.
Preferably, the hydraulic circuitry further includes:
a first and a second outlet duct respectively hydraulically coupling said first and second containers to said pump;
a pump valve means for selectively allowing and preventing the flow of liquid from said first and a second outlet ducts to said pump.
Typically, at least one of said first or second containers includes a container door, said container door being movable between a door closed configuration and a door open configuration, wherein when said door is in said door closed configuration said container door retains said urchins within a corresponding one of either said first or second containers and wherein when said container door is in said door open configuration said container door allows said urchins to be retracted from a corresponding one of either said first or second containers.
Alternatively, the container door is positioned so as to be pivotable towards said door open configuration under the action of gravity and wherein said door is provided with a releasable door locking component for releasably locking said container door in said door closed configuration.
Preferably, either one of said first or second containers further includes a container basket, said container basket being movable between an extended and a retracted configuration wherein when said container basket is in said retracted configuration said container basket is confined to a corresponding either one of said first or second containers and wherein when said container basket is in said extended configuration at least a portion of said container basket protrudes from said urchin removing aperture for facilitating the retrieval of sea urchins therefrom.
Preferably, the pump is a rotary pump, said rotary pump being positioned downstream relative to said separating means.
Alternatively, the pump includes;
a pump housing defining a first and a second housing aperture;
a first and a second pump inlet ducts, said first and second pump inlet ducts being in fluid communication with said tube second end and respectively with said first and second housing apertures;
a first and a second pump outlet ducts, said first and second pump outlet ducts being in fluid communication with said separating means and respectively with said first and second housing apertures;
a first and a second pump inlet duct valve for selectively allowing and preventing the flow of said liquid-urchin mixture respectively in said first and second pump inlet ducts;
a first and a second pump outlet duct valve for selectively allowing and preventing the flow of said liquid-urchin mixture respectively in said first and second pump outlet ducts;
a reciprocating piston slidably mounted within said pump housing for alternatively increasing. and decreasing the hydraulic pressure of said liquid-urchin mixture adjacent said first and second housing apertures,
whereby when said hydraulic pressure is increased by said piston adjacent either one of said first or second housing apertures a corresponding one of said first or second pump inlet duct valve is closed and a corresponding one of said first or second pump outlet duct valve is opened for allowing a fraction of said liquid-urchin mixture within said pump housing to be discharged towards said separating means and the hydraulic pressure is decreased by said piston adjacent the opposed first or second housing apertures with a corresponding one of said first or second pump outlet duct valve closed and a corresponding one of said first or second pump inlet duct valve opened for allowing a fraction of said liquid-urchin mixture emanating from said tube second end to fill at least a portion of said pump housing.
Alternatively, the pump includes:
a pump housing defining a first and a second housing aperture;
a first and a second pump inlet ducts, said first and second pump inlet ducts being in fluid communication with said tube second end and respectively with said first and second housing apertures;
a first and a second pump outlet ducts, said first and second pump outlet ducts being in fluid communication with said separating means and respectively with said first and second housing apertures;
a first and a second pump inlet duct valve for selectively allowing and preventing the flow of said liquid-urchin mixture respectively in said first and second pump inlet ducts;
a first and a second pump outlet duct valve for selectively allowing and preventing the flow of said liquid-urchin mixture respectively in said first and second pump outlet ducts;
a pressure creating means for increasing the hydraulic pressure of said liquid-urchin mixture within said pump housing;
a reciprocating pump valve slidably mounted within said pump housing for alternatively allowing the flow of said liquid-urchin mixture into or out of said first and second housing apertures.


A confidential envelope/bag is composed of a face and a back. The face and the back are linked with each other and formed with an edge at circumference; a sealing print is formed across the edges either at the back or on both the face and the back. The sealing print includes patterns, marks, graphics, texts or numbers made of paint, coating, ink, fluorescent dye, or even concaves, or extrusions. The circumference of the face and the back are adhered to each other with a suitable region to form a sealing zone.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to an envelope/bag used for confidential materials and in particular relates to an envelope/bag that leaves visible evidence when being opened.
2. Related Art
Conventional mails in the past several centuries have played an important role in communicating and expressing one's feelings and emotions (not to mention what one can put in the mail). In order to ensure privacy, various types of envelopes and bags were developed to contain such information.
As "privacy" tends to draw unwanted curiosity, in order to easily detect whether contents inside the envelope or bag has been tampered, sealing methods from ancient wax seals to today's super bond glue and tapes were developed. Still, after all these years no matter how hard people tried, simple tampering methods continue to violate privacy and leave envelopes or bags visually intact. Nowadays, in accompany with new technologies and worldwide web developments, electronic mails have become an important communication media among people. However, most consumers think that electronic mails are virtual, insubstantial and intangible, and may have safety problems during transfer. Therefore, conventional mails are still commonly used to deliver formal or important articles or items. To secure the safety and confidentiality of the mail becomes an important issue to be resolved.
It is well known that sometimes in the military, an officer can check a private mail by simply cutting a narrow slit on any side of the envelope to access the content, then gluing it back afterwards. Yet, the recipients will not notice the breakage.
Other conventional safety mails, such as express envelopes for delivering confidential documents, bank and credit card statements, credit cards or other important articles, face the same serious problem related to privacy and security.
For example, as shown in FIG. 6a, after an express envelope 70 is cut at its edge and forms a slit 71, items inside the envelope can be easily peeped or stolen from the slit edge; then, as shown in FIG. 6b, after the slit is recovered by re-seal or glue, not only will the envelope seem like it's never been opened, it will also be hard for the recipient to notice the breakage.
FIG. 7 shows a convention confidential envelope 80 having a tearing line 83 at the sealed side. Normally, breakage of the tearing line is a sign of being "already opened". However, an intruder can access the enclosure of the envelope from other portions, such as by cutting a slid 82 at the edge of the envelope 80; then glue it back easily afterwards without any sign or evidence for the recipient to notice. Other similar stealing or intrusion manners can also happen, and that make most currently used confidential envelopes meaningless and useless.
Therefore, it is required to have a confidential envelope that clearly shows evidence after being opened.
Japan publication number 61-110547 disclosed an envelope characterized in: using a strong coating paint to print texts, graphics and symbols onto any two opposite sides of the inner film (2a), forming the envelope and sealing the envelope by this printed side. In other words, before the envelope is sealed, a layer of printed texts, graphics or symbols is painted on its "inner surface". Since this printed layer is hidden in between the two sides of the envelope being sealed, it cannot be seem from outside when looking at the envelope. However, if the sealed area is peeled apart, the hidden printed layer will reveal and the printed texts, graphics or symbols will be separated as shown in FIG. 8.


Systems, apparatus and methods are described related to optimizing fixed point divide.

In computing environments, a fixed point number may represent a real number. The fixed point number may include a fixed number of digits after the decimal point and/or before the decimal point. Commonly, in computing environments, the fixed point numbers are binary fixed point numbers. In fixed point divide (i.e., the division of fixed point numbers), a fixed point denominator may be inspected to determine a leading number of zeros (i.e., any zeros that lead a number string in the positional notation of the fixed point number) in the fixed point denominator. The denominator may then be shifted left by the number of zeros to generate a shifted denominator. The shifted denominator or the most significant portion of the shifted denominator may be used, via a lookup table for example, to determine a shifted denominator inverse (i.e., an inverse associated with the shifted denominator). As will be appreciated, the shifted denominator inverse may be an approximation of the actual inverse of the shifted denominator.
The shifted denominator inverse may then be multiplied by a fixed point numerator to determine a temporary result. The temporary result may be shifted right to form a divide result, which may be clamped and used for a variety of purposes. For example, in graphics processing, fixed point divide may be an important feature of a graphics processing unit. The fixed point divide may be called upon in a variety of circumstances such as image manipulation, interpolation, or the like. As will be appreciated, in the described implementation, a number of transistor gates (and associated silicon surface area) must be utilized for the multiplication of the shifted denominator inverse and the fixed point numerator. In general, it may be advantageous to reduce the number of gates and associated silicon surface area. Further, it may be advantageous to increase the precision of the fixed point divide.


A processing device determines a memory layout for an executable comprising a plurality of functions and data, wherein the memory layout is determined based on one or more object files. The processing device updates the memory layout by inserting an unused memory region between a first function and a second function of the plurality of functions in the memory layout, wherein the first function and the second function have adjacent memory locations in the memory layout prior to insertion of the unused memory region. The processing device resolves references between the plurality of functions. The processing device then generates an executable comprising the plurality of functions and the data arranged in accordance with the memory layout, the executable having the resolved references.

Many modern appliances, consumer devices, and other devices include embedded systems that are configured to perform one or more dedicated functions. Frequently, developers of the embedded systems develop patches to update firmware for the embedded system to fix bugs and/or add new functionality.
Updates to computer software and to firmware can be delivered as patches. A patch is not a complete piece of software or firmware. Instead, a patch describes a set of changes that will turn one version of software or firmware into another. This process of taking an original piece of code and applying the patch is called patching. When source files change, a common change is to add some new instructions in. The effect of this is that all the functions and data that are after the added instructions will have a different offset inside the executable file. Instructions that reference these memory locations, e.g. a function call, typically then have to be changed from original version for the patched version. As a result, patches are frequently nearly the size of the original executable. For resource-constrained devices such as embedded systems, the extra memory capacity used by the patch can be restrictive and impair the ability to make patches on such devices.

Patching improvement for executables in memory constrained devices


Embodiments of the invention relate to a method for constructing a gene interaction network by combining two sources of genomic information, namely RNAi imaging data and gene expression data. Tools are provided to gather data, including gene expression data and gene image data, and to compute measurements and relationships, respectively. A graph is constructed with nodes representing genes and edges drawn between the nodes to form gene clusters. The graph is refined such that the shape captures a structural pattern of the cluster.

This invention relates to gene interaction network construction. More specifically, the invention relates to combining information from two information modalities for gene interaction network construction, the former being clustering of gene expression data, and the latter being derived from morphological similarity of RNA Interference (RNAi) imaging data from the same genes.
Research in the area of biotechnology is constantly growing and evolving. Construction of a gene interaction network is sought after to provide knowledge and understanding of biological processes and diseases, and in the future may help with the identification of therapeutic compounds. Building gene interaction networks and predicting functions of genes poses a significant challenge to scientists. Model organisms are known to contain a large number of genes whose functions are unknown. Pathways, such as those for apoptosis and mitochondrial biogenesis, have only been partially identified. The rate of gene function determination significantly lags behind gene sequencing, thereby causing a backlog of genetic sequences in search of a function.
A number of approaches have been used to reveal genetic pathways, ranging from traditional low-throughput genetic screens based on phenotypes to microarray experiments that reveal gene expression similarity under various experimental conditions. In particular, visual assays using microscopy represents a medium for phenotypically assessing gene function that is complementary to microarrays. With the increasing use of RNAi through modern three dimensional restorations or confocal microscopy and high throughput imaging platforms, large amounts of image based data has become available. Microscopic imaging is a powerful tool that allows functions and aspects of cells to be studied via morphological changes, such as changes in size and shape of cells, number of subcellular organelles and structures, or the redistribution of specific proteins within the cell.

Combining RNAi imaging data with genomic data for gene interaction network construction

International Business Machines Corporation


A device, method, and use of a device for temporary management of a wound, such as a wound in a heart. The device has a shaft, a blood flow blocking membrane at the first end of the shaft for blocking blood flow through the wound, and an abutment member that is mounted to the shaft and is axially movable along the shaft towards and away from the blood flow blocking membrane for abutting the wound and holding the blood flow blocking membrane adjacent the wound. The blood flow blocking membrane is resiliently flexible and movable between at least a first collapsed state for inserting the blood flow blocking membrane through the wound, and a deployed state for blocking blood flow through the wound.

U.S. Pat. Pub'n. No. 2013/0018302 (A1) (Nour et al.) purports to disclose a single-use device, intended to be used in surgery each time a vascular approach by cannulation or catheterization is found to be necessary, in particular in heart surgery or interventional cardiology. This device essentially includes a body, a sealing system consisting of two inflatable disks, a control connector for inflating and deflating the disk, a tubular unit and a flexible guide.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,506,525 (B2) (Bosarge) purports to disclose a wound sealing fluid delivery apparatus and method including a surface seal. A catheter with a first end and a second end is provided such that the catheter passes through the surface seal. An infusion port is connected with the first end of the catheter and an expandable internal seal is connected with the catheter at the second end.