A vehicle bumper includes a hollow tubular wall structure adapted to span the front or rear end of an automotive vehicle so as to absorb crash forces when the vehicle is involved in a crash situation at vehicle speeds above some predetermined speed level, e.g., five miles per hour. The hollow tubular wall structure includes an outer wall disposed to receive the crash force, an inner wall connectable to the vehicle, and four connector walls joining the outer wall to the inner wall. The four connector walls bend at a controlled rate to absorb crash energy. The outer and inner walls have aligned air openings adapted to conduct ram air to the vehicle radiator.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vehicle bumpers, and particularly to a vehicle bumper having force-absorbing capabilities.
2. Related Prior Developments
A force-absorbing bumper absorbs some of the crash force applied to it, rather than transmitting all of the crash force to the vehicle. The advantage of such a bumper is that it minimizes vehicle damage, and also reduces potential human injury.
Force-absorbing bumpers are well known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,466, issued to S. Norlin, shows a bumper that includes a rigid structural channel having several egg-crate energy-absorbing units. Each energy-absorbing unit includes a rectangular box having intersecting partitions that form individual cells. The cell spaces allow the partitions to collapse so as to absorb crash energy.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,042, issued to J. Scrivo, shows a vehicle bumper that includes a rigid channel having a thick energy-absorbing elastomeric strip. Apparently, the elastomeric strip absorbs crash energy by compressing in the direction of the crash force and expanding in a direction normal to the direction of the crash force.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,925, issued to G. Huber, shows an energy-absorbing bumper that includes a zig-zag leaf spring extending forwardly from a rigid support bar. Impact buffer pads are spaced along the support bar to cushion the rearward motion of the leaf spring in a crash situation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,462, issued to R. Carpenter, shows an energy-absorbing bumper that includes an elongated rigid tubular support having a thick foam rubber strip extending along its front surface. During a crash, the foam rubber strip deforms to absorb crash energy.


A fluorescence light detection device includes an excitation light fiber having an excitation light emitting end configured to emit excitation light; a fluorescence light fiber having a fluorescence light incident end on which fluorescence light is incident; an objective lens arranged between where the excitation light emitting end and the fluorescence light incident end are located, and a sample; and a reflective member arranged between where the excitation light emitting end and the fluorescence light incident end are located, and the objective lens, and having two reflective surfaces facing in opposite directions. The two reflective surfaces of the reflective member are positioned between an optical axis of the excitation light fiber and an optical axis of the fluorescence light fiber.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluorescence light detection device and a fluorescence light detection method configured to irradiate a test object with excitation light and detect fluorescence light produced by the test object.
2. Description of the Related Art
A growing number of fluorescence light detection devices have been used in the field of life science. A fluorescence light detection device is easy-to-use and has high detection sensitivity. A fluorescence light detection device may sometimes be used in combination with an amplification step for efficient quantitative detection of nucleic acid such as DNA marked by a fluorescent chemical substance.
For example, patent document 1 discloses a device including a light projection fiber for guiding excitation light onto a sample, a light receiving fiber for guiding fluorescence light produced by the sample, and a support means for supporting an emitting end of the light projection fiber and an incident end of the light receiving fiber.    [Patent document 1] JP2009-14379
However, a fluorescence light detection device in which a fiber for guiding excitation light and a fiber for guiding fluorescence light are provided as separate components as in patent document 1 has the following problem.
FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a problem with a fluorescence light detection device in which a fiber for guiding excitation light and a fiber for guiding fluorescence light are provided as separate components. FIG. 1A illustrates how excitation light emitted from an excitation light fiber 101 is focused by an objective lens 103 onto a sample S. FIG. 1B illustrates how fluorescence light emitted from a fluorescence light fiber 102 is focused by the objective lens 103 onto the sample S. In reality, the fluorescence light is produced in the sample S and travels toward the fluorescence light fiber 102 via the objective lens 103. For ease of understanding, the fluorescence light is considered as traveling in the opposite direction.
As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, given that the excitation light fiber 101 and the fluorescence light fiber 102 are provided as separate components, the image of the core end surface of the excitation light fiber 101 formed by the objective lens 103 on the sample S (hereinafter, referred to as "excitation light spot") does not coincide with the image of the core end surface of the fluorescence light fiber 102 formed by the objective lens 103 on the sample S (hereinafter, referred to as "fluorescence light spot"). The images are displaced from each other. For example, it is assumed that the excitation light spot is formed at point A and the fluorescence light spot is formed at point B in the configuration of FIGS. 1A and 1B. Since the intensity of excitation light is at maximum at the excitation light spot A, the intensity of fluorescence light produced by the sample S is also at maximum at the excitation light spot A. However, the fluorescence light produced at the excitation light spot A is not captured by the fluorescence light fiber 102. The principle of reversibility of light path tells that the light produced at the fluorescence light spot B is captured by the fluorescence light fiber 102 at the maximum solid angle. Since the fluorescence light spot B is not irradiated by the excitation light, however, fluorescence light is not produced at the fluorescence light spot B in the first place. In this case, the distance between the objective lens 103 and the sample S need be adjusted so as to capture fluorescence light in a portion outside the excitation light spot or the fluorescence light spot in which the beams overlap. For example, the sample S may be brought closer to the objective lens 103 from where it is in FIGS. 1A and 1B. In other words, a defocused state need be induced. Naturally, however, fluorescence light cannot be captured at a high efficiency in a defocused state.
Thus, given that the excitation light fiber 101 and the fluorescence light fiber 102 are provided as separate components, the excitation light spot A having rich potential of producing an intense fluorescent signal and the fluorescence light spot B from which the fluorescence light fiber 102 can capture produced fluorescence light most effectively do not coincide at all so that it is difficult to detect fluorescence light of high intensity. Patent document 1 does not explicitly teach an objective lens but similarly indicates existence of misalignment between a region irradiated by excitation light and a region from which fluorescence light can be captured.

Fluorescence light detection device and fluorescence light detection method


A transimpedance amplifier includes a feedback circuit that generates a bypass current in accordance with a charging voltage of a capacitor based on a difference between a voltage signal and a reference voltage signal, a differential amplifier circuit that generates a differential signal in accordance with the difference between the voltage signal and the reference voltage signal, and a detector circuit that resets the charging voltage of the capacitor in response to a detection of end of a burst optical signal. The feedback circuit detects start of the burst optical signal based on the charging voltage, maintains a time constant at a first time constant for a predetermined period from the detection of the start of the burst optical signal, and, upon an elapse of the predetermined period, switches the time constant from the first time constant to a second time constant larger than the first time constant.

In Ethernet (registered trademark) Passive Optical Network (EPON) which is an optical access system, a transimpedance amplifier is used in an optical receiver of an Optical Line Terminal (OLT). The optical receiver of the OLT receives burst optical signals from a plurality of Optical Network Units (ONUs) by Time Division Multiplexing (TDM). The ONUs each are away from the OLT by different distances. Thus, a transmission line loss from each ONU to the OLT varies in accordance with the distance. Thus, for example, a signal strength of a burst optical signal from an ONU located at a relatively near distance from the OLT is high and a signal strength of a burst optical signal from an ONU located at a farther distance from the OLT than the relatively near ONU is low. In this manner, burst optical signals having various signal strengths are input to the optical receiver of the OLT. Thus, the transimpedance amplifier included in the optical receiver of the OLT includes a feedback circuit which draws (subtracts) a bypass current from a current signal in accordance with a burst optical signal so as to receive burst optical signals having various signal strengths.

Transimpedance amplifier for receiving burst optical signal


An apparatus includes a valve member configured to be reciprocatably disposed within a valve pocket defined by an interior surface of a cylinder head. The valve member has a tapered portion defining multiple flow passages and including multiple sealing portions. At least one sealing portion is disposed adjacent each flow passage and is configured to contact a portion of the interior surface of the cylinder head such that each flow passage is configured to be fluidically isolated from an area outside of the cylinder head.

The invention relates generally to an apparatus for controlling gas exchange processes in a fluid processing machine, and more particularly to a valve and cylinder head assembly for an internal combustion engine.
Many fluid processing machines, such as, for example, internal combustion engines, compressors, and the like, require accurate and efficient gas exchange processes to ensure optimal performance. For example, during the intake stroke of an internal combustion engine, a predetermined amount of air and fuel must be supplied to the combustion chamber at a predetermined time in the operating cycle of the engine. The combustion chamber then must be sealed during the combustion event to prevent inefficient operation and/or damage to various components in the engine. During the exhaust stroke, the burned gases in the combustion chamber must be efficiently evacuated from the combustion chamber.
Some known internal combustion engines use poppet valves to control the flow of gas into and out of the combustion chamber. Known poppet valves are reciprocating valves that include an elongated stem and a broadened sealing head. In use, known poppet valves open inwardly towards the combustion chamber such that the sealing head is spaced apart from a valve seat, thereby creating a flow path into or out of the combustion chamber when the valve is in the opened position. The sealing head can include an angled surface configured to contact a corresponding surface on the valve seat when the valve is in the closed position to effectively seal the combustion chamber.
The enlarged sealing head of known poppet valves, however, obstructs the flow path of the gas coming into or leaving the combustion cylinder, which can result in inefficiencies in the gas exchange process. Moreover, the enlarged sealing head can also produce vortices and other undesirable turbulence within the incoming air, which can negatively impact the combustion event. To minimize such effects, some known poppet valves are configured to travel a relatively large distance between the closed position and the opened position. Increasing the valve lift, however, results in higher parasitic losses, greater wear on the valve train, greater chance of valve-to-piston contact during engine operation, and the like.
Because the sealing head of known poppet valves extends into the combustion chamber, they are exposed to the extreme pressures and temperatures of engine combustion, which increases the likelihood that the valves will fail or leak. Exposure to combustion conditions can cause, for example, greater thermal expansion, detrimental carbon deposit build-up and the like. Moreover, such an arrangement is not conducive to servicing and/or replacing valves. In many instances, for example, the cylinder head must be removed to service or replace the valves.
Other known internal combustion engines use rotary valves to control the flow of gas into and out of the combustion chamber. Known rotary valve arrangements include a disc or cylinder having one or more openings configured to align with corresponding ports in the cylinder head as the valve continuously rotates, thereby creating a flow path into or out of the combustion chamber. Because such known rotary valves do not extend into the combustion chamber, they address some of the disadvantages of poppet valves addressed above. Because of their continuous rotation, known rotary valves, however, are susceptible to valve leakage. Moreover, because of the continuous nature of operation, the timing of the valve events of known rotary valve engines is not easily varied.
Other known internal combustion engines use slide valves to control the flow of gas into and out of the combustion chamber. Known slide valves are reciprocating valves that include an obstructing portion configured to block the flow path into and/or out of the combustion chamber without any portion of the valve extending into the combustion chamber. While known slide valve arrangements minimize some of the disadvantages associated with poppet valves, they are generally susceptible to valve leakage.
Other slide valves and rotary valves are known for use in fluid flow control assemblies for low-pressure systems. Such assemblies, while potentially useful in controlling the flow of low-pressure liquids, are inadequate for use in high-pressure systems.
Thus, a need exists for an improved valve and cylinder head assembly for an internal combustion engine and like systems and devices.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Valve apparatus for an internal combustion engine


An embodiment of a slider in accordance with the present invention for use in a hard disk drive having a rotatable disk can include a plurality of rails arranged across a surface of the slider such that an air bearing is formed when the slider is positioned over the disk and the disk is rotated such that the slider traverse a servo wedge of the disk. The surface of the slider further includes a trailing pad arranged near a trailing edge of the surface of the slider such that when the slider traverses debris having a height higher than minimum height, the air bearing increases such that the slider is not in communicative proximity with the disk for a time at least as long as a time for the slider to traverse the servo wedge.

A hard disk drive typically contains one or more disks clamped to a rotatable spindle motor, at least one head for reading data from and/or writing data to the surfaces of each disk, and an actuator utilizing linear or rotary motion for positioning the head(s) over selected data tracks on the disk(s). The actuator positions the read/write head over the surface of the disk as the spindle motor rotates and spins the disk. An air bearing forms between the read/write head and the disk surface so that the read/write head follows the contours of the disk without impinging on the disk surface.
Contamination may be introduced to the recording medium via a number of sources. For example, oil can leak from a bearing or moving parts can collide to form debris left on the disk surface. As the read/write head traverses the disk surface, it can potentially collide with the debris or the debris can collect on the underside of the slider, potentially leading to writing and/or reading errors. Where an error is detected, a hard disk drive can often perform corrective steps to ensure that data is not lost or contaminated.

Slider design for high fly write immunity

Matsushita Electrical Industrial Co., Ltd.


A control system, method and computer program product use control circuitry to respond to an optical detection of a wearable object worn by a user by initiating a service provided to the user, the service being associated with the wearable object.

In general, in resort facilities or tourist places, various services such as photographing have been provided. For example, in large amusement parks, so-called theme parks, cameras are installed in the spots of attractions. Automatic photographing is performed when vehicles arrive at the spots of attractions, and then photos are printed and sold to people interested in the photos after the attractions end.
In regard to a photographing service, PTL 1 below discloses an image photographing system that distributes a communication mechanism such as a wireless tag only to a visitor to be photographed and performs photographing using a camera installed in a park based on detection of identification information transmitted from the communication mechanism.
PTL 2 below discloses a shutter device that is distributed to a visitor. When a user arrives at a photographing spot in a park, the shutter device notifies the user that the user has arrived at the photographing spot by generating an alarm from a speaker. Further, the shutter device can instruct the camera installed in the photographing spot to perform photographing in response to a button pressing operation performed by the user.

Control system, control method and computer program product


A curvature forming device has an upper member and a lower member. A clamping member is mounted on a spring within a recess in the upper member. An elongate deforming member is fixedly mounted in the same recess. The deforming member protrudes out of the recess more at one end than at the other. The upper member is pressed down against a flat anvil or die of a lower member, with a metal strip between them. The clamping member clamps the strip, whilst the deforming member deforms a small length of it. The upper member is raised and the strip moved forward a little bit. The upper member is then brought down again to clamp and deform the adjacent small length. Each deformed portion is generally fan shaped. These build up to produce a curve in the strip.

The construction industry currently uses straight extruded aluminum plate modules fitted together to form building sunshields. However there is an increasing desire to use curved profile plates that blend onto buildings with concave and/or convex structures.
Curved aluminum strips have been created by cutting the curve out of a larger sheet of aluminum, but that is extremely wasteful of aluminum.
Extensive experimentation has been conducted 1 to roll flat aluminum plates with rollers to form metal plates with compound curvatures. However, with small processes the result is usually that the aluminum is undesirably deformed after being rolled. Published patents U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,694 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,501 and published patent application WO-A-00/32,328 all show a series of rollers to produce sheet metal with compound curvatures. However these processes are huge and require substantial investment to produce a particular curve. The systems are very inflexible to changes in curvature and require the change of several rollers if there is a change in specifications (radius or width).

Apparatus and method for forming curvature in sheet metal

Agency for Science, Technology and Research


Digital signatures for network coding are described. In one aspect, digital signatures for network coding are described. In one aspect, segmented blocks of content for distribution are digitally signed using homomorphic digital signatures generated from an elliptic curve. A linear combination of packets comprising the digitally signed content is distributed to a destination device according to an implemented distribution scheme. The linear combination of packets includes public information when digitally signing the segmented blocks. The homomorphic digital signatures and the public information allow a device receiving one or more packets of the linear combination of packets to verify and authenticate content associated with the one of our packets independent of secure transmission of secret keys and hash digests used to digitally sign the one or more packets.

Increased network bandwidth has allowed distribution of large amounts and types of media content on the internet. Peer to peer networks handle the problem of broadcasting data from a single source to multiple receivers on the network by allowing intermediate nodes to also send data. To transmit a large file, conventional distribution systems will typically segment the file into smaller portions for transmission. The problem with such a scheme is that bandwidth utilization need not be optimal as there could be bottlenecks upstream. Network coding used in conjunction with large-scale content distribution mechanisms address this problem. Network coding allows all nodes in a network to do local coding of incoming data. This has been shown to yield optimal network capacity utilization both theoretically and practically. However, up until this point, any consideration of distributing content with network coding has lacked real world applicability because of security issues. For example, conventional network coding systems and techniques do not allow for authentication and verification of transmitted data.


A plastic closure cap (1) produced by injection molding for a fuel tank of a motor vehicle is provided, within the region of fuel lines which extend through it, with bushings (6, 7) of a temperature-resistant material of low thermal conductivity. Polyphenylene sulfide containing a proportion of mineral and/or of glass fibers or polyacetate reinforced with glass fibers is suitable for instance as material for the bushings (6, 7).

The present invention relates to a plastic closure cap made by injection molding for a fuel tank of a motor vehicle, the cap having at least one fuel line passing through it and contact pins which also pass through it.
Such a closure cap is frequently use in modern motor vehicles when an electric fuel pump is arranged in the fuel tank, and it is therefore known. In that case, the fuel lines which extend out of the fuel tank preferably pass through the closure cap. Electric wires leading to the fuel pump are contacted with the contact pins which are incorporated in the closure cap. Plastic has proven particularly suitable as material for the closure cap since it can be easily worked by injection molding and therefore is of very favorable price in mass production. The contact pins can be simply pressed into such a plastic, or the plastic injected around them.
Furthermore, a closure cap made by plastic injection molding has a high resistance to impact and is of a very good vibrational behavior. Such a closure cap offers a high degree of acoustic dampening and good protection against the fuel flowing out of the fuel container, for instance upon an accident.
A closure cap produced by plastic injection molding has the disadvantage of low material strength at high temperatures. Particularly in modern motor vehicles with diesel engine, temperatures of up to 120.degree. C. and pressures up to 4 bar prevail in the fuel lines, so that the mechanical strength of the closure cap is exceeded in the region of the fuel line. One could consider making the closure cap of a material having a higher resistance to temperature. Such closure caps would then, however, be expensive to manufacture or too brittle to prevent the escape of the fuel from the fuel tank in the event of an accident. Furthermore, no heat-resistant plastic is known into which the contact pins can be worked as easily as in the case of the known plastic for injection molding. In the case of a closure cap consisting of a metallic material there is furthermore the problem of insulating the contact pins.

Plastic closure cap produced by injection molding


A wearable user interface device provides a display (e.g. an augmented reality display) for a user/wearer. The device includes a camera or other optical sensor and wireless communication capability. The camera or sensor provides an input to detect and possibly communicate with a lighting device or system. The communications and display capabilities allow the device to obtain and present lighting-related information to the wearer. For example, before installation, the device may identify a light fixture and communicate with a server to obtain information about fixture installation or configuration. As another example, the user can operate the device to identify and communicate with an installed fixture, to configure the fixture into a system (e.g. as part of a lighting group) or to check or repair fixture or system firmware. Hence, the device provides a wearable, interactive user interface for a variety of lighting-related functions.

Electrical lighting has become commonplace in modern society. Electrical lighting devices are commonly deployed, for example, in homes, buildings of commercial and other enterprise establishments, as well as in various outdoor settings. Even in a relatively small state or country, there may be millions of lighting devices in use.
Traditional lighting devices have tended to be relatively dumb, in that they can be turned ON and OFF, and in some cases may be dimmed, usually in response to user activation of a relatively simple input device. Lighting devices have also been controlled in response to ambient light detectors that turn on a light only when ambient light is at or below a threshold (e.g. as the sun goes down) and in response to occupancy sensors (e.g. to turn on light when a room is occupied and to turn the light off when the room is no longer occupied for some period). Often traditional lighting devices are controlled individually or as relatively small groups at separate locations.
With the advent of modern electronics has come advancement, including advances in the types of light sources as well as advancements in networking and control capabilities of the lighting devices. For example, solid state sources are now becoming a commercially viable alternative to traditional light sources such as incandescent and fluorescent lamps. By nature, solid state light sources such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) are easily controlled by electronic logic circuits or processors. Electronic controls have also been developed for other types of light sources. As increased processing capacity finds its way into the lighting devices, it becomes relatively easy to incorporate associated communications capabilities, e.g. to allow lighting devices to communicate with system control elements and/or with each other. In this way, advanced electronics in the lighting devices as well as the associated control elements have facilitated more sophisticated lighting control algorithms as well as increased networking of lighting devices.
There are a variety of situations in which it is desirable to allow a user an appropriate form of interface for various functions related to lighting. For installation, and service or maintenance for example, a technician may need data about specific devices, their installation and configuration in preparation for and/or while doing work relative to the lighting device. Traditionally, such technical information took paper form, such as specification sheets packaged with the lighting devices and construction plans as to where each device should be installed. More recently, technicians have accessed the appropriate information via portable computer terminal devices or via mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. Where the lighting device or system supports data network communications, such user devices may also communicate with lighting devices or other elements of a system to obtain data as to device or system health, diagnose issues and take corrective steps (e.g. change configuration settings and/or change or re-install firmware).
In a somewhat related field a variety of entities are proposing controls for lighting and other functions in a building from a variety of portable user devices, for example, from remote controls or from mobile devices such as smartphones or tablet computers.
Despite such recent efforts, there is still room for further improvement in the user interface with a lighting system and/or in the functions that a lighting system may offer through its user interface.

Head-wearable user interface device for lighting related operations


The invention provides loaded platelets that include an absorbed loading vehicle having associated diagnostic or therapeutic agents. A method of loading platelets with diagnostic or therapeutic agents is provided. The method includes combining a loading vehicle having associated diagnostics or therapeutic agents with platelets at sufficient concentration and temperature to allow uptake of the loading vehicle by the platelets. Also provided is a method of targeting diagnostic or therapeutic agents to platelet localizing areas. The method includes the steps of: (a) combining a loading vehicle having associated diagnostic or therapeutic agents with platelets at sufficient concentration and temperature to allow uptake of the loading vehicle by the platelets; (b) isolating the platelets from excess loading vehicle; and (c) administering the isolated platelets to an animal in an effective concentration so as to promote targeting of the isolated platelets to platelet localizing areas. A method of imaging is also provided.

This invention relates to the introduction of diagnostic or therapeutic agents into platelets and more specifically to the use of platelets having associated diagnostic or therapeutic agents for in vivo imaging and targeting.
Platelets are small cells derived from precursor megakaryocytes which control blood clotting and aid in repair of blood vessels. Because of their biological functions, platelets localize to specific areas of diseases including sites of inflammation, infection, thrombosis and neoplastic tumors.
Removal of foreign materials from the blood may also be a major physiological role for platelets. Platelets are known to endocytose a variety of particles in vitro, Clawson, C. C., Am. J. Pathol. 70:449-464, 1973, which is incorporated herein by reference. Particles and solutes may be endocytosed by different mechanisms, Zucker-Franklin, D. J., Cell Biol. 91:706-715, 1981, which is incorporated herein by reference. For example, uptake of particles is energy dependent and arrested when both oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis are inhibited. Particle uptake is also divalent cation dependent and the process is usually associated with release of platelet granule contents into the extracellular media. On the other hand, the uptake of soluble substances is not energy dependent, is arrested at 4.degree. C. and does not result in degranulation.
Previously, latex spheres have been used as a model for foreign particle ingestion by platelets. Progressive accumulation of latex spheres in the open channel system (OCS), a system of channels believed to be formed by invagination of the plasma membrane, was followed by localization of the particles in acid phosphatase-positive electron-opaque vacuoles, Lewis et al., Blood 47:833-840, 1976, which is incorporated herein by reference. Platelets have also been shown to take up virus particles. Influenza virus, a myxovirus, is taken up by platelets via the OCS, Jerushalmy et al., Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 106:462-466, 1962, which is incorporated herein by reference. The mechanism of incorporation and the fate of the virus have not been determined.
Cellular uptake mechanisms such as phagocytosis and viral mediated uptake have been used for introducing drugs and macromolecules in vitro into specific cell types. Such drugs and macromolecules include inorganic and organic compounds, liposomes, red blood cell ghosts and polypeptides. For example, phagocytosis has been used to introduce liposome encapsulated muramyl dipeptide (MDP) into macrophages, Fidler et al., Cancer Res. 49:4665-4670 (1989), which is incorporated herein by reference. Monocytes have also been shown to ingest similar materials in vitro. Viral mediated mechanisms include uptake of Sendai virus, a murine paramyoxovirus, which is capable of entering a cell through membrane fusion.
Although the applications are limited, preferential delivery of drugs and macromolecules to specific cell types in vivo has ben accomplished through nonspecific mechanisms such as phagocytosis. For example, liposomes loaded with agents which activate macrophages and thereby kill tumor cells have been used parenterally to treat tumor metastases. Macrophages are localized to various tissues and organs especially those of the reticuloendothelium system (e.g., liver, spleen, lymph nodes and lungs) and after phagocytosis of liposomes containing activating agents show increased rates of phagocytosis and killing of various infectious agents and tumor cells.
The applications described above cannot be employed for the specific targeting of drugs and macromolecules to many desired locations within an organism. Instead, such applications are limited to specific phagocytotic cell types and have been used to enhance a particular function exhibited by cells, such as enhanced tumoricidal rate of macrophages.
In vivo liposome delivery to macrophages and monocytes is also very inefficient. The percentage of liposomes taken up by these cells is small and therefore requires administration of liposomes in a large excess to achieve an effective delivery. Phagocytosis of the liposomes by other cell types is one factor which can account for this low efficiency. Additionally, the lipid composition of the liposome is another factor which influences their uptake.
Systems which employ particles other than liposomes have been used for diagnostic purposes. Platelets have been labeled with radio-isotopes and used for in vivo imaging. These methods involve chemically linking the imaging reagent to the platelet surface and can result in transfer of the label to other cells within the blood stream after injection. Such label transfer has unnecessary deleterious effects on the receiving cells, results in a lower effective amount to the imaged area and can also affect the resolution of the final image.
There exists a need to be able to target a variety of specific disease locations within an organism, organ or graft with effective amounts of diagnostic and therapeutic agents. The present invention satisfies this need and provides related advantages as well.

Blood platelet loaded with diagnostic or therapeutic-containing liposome or reconstituted Sendai virus


A planetary gearbox (1, 101) having a differential gear (2, 102), having a planet carrier (3, 103) to which planet wheels (5, 6, 105) that are in meshed engagement with at least one sun gear (9, 10, 11, 106, 107) are rotatably connected, wherein the planet carrier (3, 103) can be connected to a drive wheel (15), wherein in addition a bearing (19, 108) having an inner bearing ring (29) and an outer bearing ring (28, 117) rotatably mounts the planet carrier (3, 103) in a stationary housing determining the axial and/or radial position of said carrier, wherein the outer bearing ring (28, 117) is rotatably fixedly connected to the planet carrier (3, 103) and the inner bearing ring (29) is connected to the stationary housing.

Different planetary gearboxes are already known from the prior art, such as, for example, from EP 0156067.
Basically, differential gears for motor vehicles are known from DE 10156890 C1. There, a differential gear is disclosed for a motor vehicle with a differential housing having a drive sprocket mounted in a housing wall, in which housing a cross pin is arranged with at least one rotatably mounted pinion, which is engaged with a driveshaft sprocket of a driveshaft mounted in the differential housing. The driveshaft is mounted by means of at least one first bearing in the housing wall of the differential gear and/or of the differential housing by means of at least one second bearing on the driveshaft, and the driveshaft has a common bearing bush for the first bearing of the driveshaft designed as a shaft bearing and for the housing bearing of the differential housing.
A differential arrangement drawing on bevel gears is also known from U.S. Pat. No. 7,775,928.
Further, a gear arrangement is known from DE 10 2009 017 397 A1, which draws on planetary gearboxes. The gear arrangement presented there relates to a differential gear having a drive-side plate part, a first drive member which is rotationally fixedly connected to a first driven axle, and a second drive member, which is rotationally fixedly connected to a second driven axle, wherein a toothed wheel assembly is provided between the first drive member and the second drive member for transmitting torque from the drive side plate part to the first drive member and the second drive member. The first drive member has thereby the shape of a first drive plate and has a bulge spaced at a radial distance from the first driven axle. The second drive part additionally has the shape of a second drive plate extending radially outward from the second driven axle. Further, the bulge points away from the second drive plate. The toothed wheel arrangement is arranged in a space formed by the bulge of the first drive plate and the opposing region of the second drive plate.
Planetary gearboxes of this type, which are designed as differential gears, can be designed as spur gear differential gears, such as are known, for example, from WO 2010/112366 A1. The spur gear differential gear arrangement depicted there discloses the utilizability in a motor vehicle. Bevel toothed sun gears, planetary gearboxes, and a ring gear of a surrounding housing with supported bearings are thereby respectively used, such that the parallel arranged sun gears are each coupled to parallel arranged driveshafts. It is provided in this document that friction surfaces are respectively arranged between the parallel arranged sun gears and/or between the sun gears and the surrounding housing.
The known planetary gearboxes have, however, the disadvantage that they require a lot of axial installation space. It is the object of the present invention to create a remedy for this and to create a space-saving, in particular an axial installation space saving, improvement, which can be implemented durably and at the same time at least cost-neutrally, or, in the optimal case, even with a cost-reducing effect.

Planetary gearbox comprising a differential


The offline map generation process may collect multiple point cloud data of the same area. A perception algorithm may operate on the point cloud data to detect static objects, which may be fixed road features that do not change among the point cloud data, allowing the perception algorithm to more accurately detect the static objects. During online operation of the ADV through the area, the ADV may trim regions-of-interest (ROI) of the area to exclude the predefined static objects. The perception algorithm may execute the sensor data of the ROI in real-time to detect objects in the ROI. The may be added back to the output of the perception algorithm to complete the perception output.

Vehicles operating in an autonomous mode (e.g., driverless) can relieve occupants, especially the driver, from some driving-related responsibilities. When operating in an autonomous mode, the vehicles can navigate to various locations using onboard sensors, allowing the vehicles to travel with minimal human interaction or in some cases without any passengers.
Motion planning and control are critical operations in autonomous driving. The safety, accuracy and efficiency of motion planning and control operations depend on the ability of the ADVs to sense and predict the motions of moving obstacles such as other vehicles or pedestrians as well as to recognize non-moving objects. Sensors such as cameras, light detection and range (LIDAR) units, radars, etc., are used to capture video and electromagnetic images of environments around the vehicles. The ADVs may process information captured by the sensors to perceive driving environment including obstacles, traffic elements and road features surrounding the ADVs for planning and controlling the motions of the ADVs.
To recognize objects surrounding an ADV and to predict the motions or trajectories of nearby vehicles, a perception module of the ADV may use a neural network that operates on the captured sensor data. The motion planning and control operation may process the objects detected by the perception module in view of a pre-generated high-definition (HD) map of the surrounding environment to safely navigate the ADV. The HD map may include road information such as road boundaries, lane configuration, terrains, etc. In some circumstances, captured sensor data may not have sufficient details to enable the perception module to detect all surrounding objects.

Static obstacle map based perception system


Advanced resin compositions are prepared from a compound having an average of more than one vicinal epoxide group per molecule and an epoxide equivalent weight of from about 170 to about 200 and a compound having an average of more than one aromatic hydroxyl group per molecule wherein the resultant advanced resin has an epoxide or aromatic hydroxyl equivalent weight of from about 200 to about 50,000.

Coatings, particularly coatings for the interior of beverage and the like cans have been formulated from advanced epoxy resins. Such coatings prepared from these advanced epoxy resins usually possess good dry adhesion properties, yet the wet adhesion properties are somewhat lacking. For these purposes, the coating of the interior of beverage cans and the like, it is desirable for the coating composition to have both good dry adhesion and wet adhesion properties. U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,861 issued Jun. 24, 1986 to sheih et al. disclosures coating compositions containing advanced epoxy resins which coatings possess good wet adhesion and dry adhesion properties. These coating compositions contain high amounts of solvent. In order to decrease the amount of solvent released to the atmosphere during curing or to decrease the amount of solvent which must be recovered during curing of these coatings, it would be desirable to have available advanced epoxy resins which possess both good wet adhesion and dry adhesion properties and which coating would also be relatively low in solvent content.
Methods exist for the preparation of advanced epoxy resins by the batch process, but because the resultant resins are solid at room temperature, upon completion of the reaction for their preparation they are flaked. However, there are inconsistencies in characteristics between batches due the the necessity of having to maintain the resins at elevated temperatures during this flaking operation thus causing continual reaction during this time.
Heinemeyer et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,156 issued Sep. 16, 1986 disclose a method for the continuous preparation of advanced epoxy resins by means of an extruder process.
It would be desirable to have available an epoxy resin composition having low solvent content which could be employed in waterborne coating applications which coatings would also possess both good dry adhesion and good wet adhesion properties.

Epoxy resin composition and process therefor


An apparatus for dispensing material from a container having a dispensing element includes a motor for repeatedly actuating the dispensing element to facilitate dispensing of the material from the container and a controller for activating the motor at predetermined time intervals. The apparatus includes a stall detection circuit coupled to the motor and to the controller to detect a stall condition of the motor, the stall detection circuit configured to issue a stall detection signal when the stall condition is detected. The controller deactivates the motor in response to receiving the stall detection signal.

The present invention relates generally to devices for repeatedly dispensing material and more specifically to an energy conserving dispensing device and method for dispensing material. In the past, various solid materials were utilized which sublimated, thereby dispersing a substitute odor for the odor found in public facilities. In order to enhance the dispersion of such sublimating materials, many suppliers developed powered fan devices which assisted in the dispersal of the sublimated material. Such devices are well known in the art. For example, the common assignee of the present invention owns U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,791 entitled Odor Control Device, issued May 16, 1989 which discloses a solid dispensing device. Also, odor control devices where a pressurized aerosol container is utilized are well known in the art. Aerosol-type dispensing devices typically include a battery powered motor that actuates the nozzle on the aerosol container on a periodic basis. Known devices have significant disadvantages. These devices do not inform the user of the amount of time or the number of days remaining until the container must be replaced or refilled. Additionally, such devices are not particularly energy efficient and if powered by batteries, require frequent servicing to replace the batteries.
It is also known to use liquid containers for dispensing odorizing liquid. Typically, a dispensing tube attached to the container directs a flow of liquid cleaning, disinfecting, or odorizing chemical (e.g. directly into a toilet bowl or the inside wall of a urinal). Such devices may also operate based on the flush action of a urinal or toilet and are referred to as in-line devices. One known device is a system for injecting metered amounts of chemicals into flush water as the flush water enters the toilet.
The above-described devices are usually battery powered to simplify installation. Because connection to a conventional AC outlet is not required for battery powered devices, installation is simplified and cost is reduced. When the batteries become depleted, the unit ceases to function. Accordingly, the batteries must be replaced periodically. Frequent replacement of the batteries is a significant disadvantage that becomes even more troublesome in devices that are not particularly energy efficient. Replacement of the batteries, if performed at unnecessarily frequent intervals, is an annoying task that increases maintenance costs and customer dissatisfaction. The problem of battery disposal also gives rise to environmental concerns. Customers are unwilling to perform frequent battery replacement and have been known to replace the entire device when battery replacement is required too frequently. Often, the device is replaced with an alternate model or a different manufacturer's device.
In any motorized device, a portion of the battery's energy is used during motor activation. In most devices described above that use a pressurized can or a liquid pump, a motor is coupled to the nozzle of the container through a gear and hammer arrangement. When the motor is activated, the nozzle of the container is depressed by the hammer resulting in dispensing of the odorizing material from the container. The motor is periodically activated for a predetermined period of time at predetermined intervals, causing a known power drain. It has been found that in these devices, the nozzle of the container is, at sometimes, depressed for a longer period of time than is necessary to activate dispensing. This is required to allow for a lower than optimal battery voltage level after some period of usage. In such systems, when the energy level of the battery is less than maximum, but still within operating parameters, nozzle depression occurs with less force and occurs more slowly, often resulting in dispensing of an inadequate amount of odorizing, disinfecting, or cleaning chemical. At very low battery levels, torque may be inadequate for the dispensing of any material.
To prevent this situation from occurring, the above-described devices are designed such that the motor causes the nozzle to be depressed for a predetermined period of time that is longer than necessary, such that a minimum amount of odorizing, cleaning, or disinfecting chemical will always be dispensed, even if the batteries are somewhat depleted. Accordingly, when the power level of the batteries is at a maximum, the motor continues to be energized even after the nozzle has been fully depressed and cannot be displaced any further. This is referred to as a motor stall condition because the motor is energized but the mechanical components cannot be further displaced, causing the motor to stop rotation.
Thus, during the dispensing cycle for known devices, especially when the batteries are at a full power level, the nozzle is fully depressed while the motor enters the stall condition. As described above, this guarantees that an adequate amount of odorizing, cleaning, or disinfecting chemical will be dispensed, even when the batteries are at a relatively low power level. Typically, the stall condition is terminated when a timer expires which deactivates the motor. However, applying power to the motor during a stall condition consumes a large portion of the stored power available from the batteries. The amount of power consumed during a motor stall condition is greater than the amount of power consumed during normal motor activation. This adversely affects the battery life and renders many of the above-described devices inadequate. To many consumers, the useful battery life of the dispensing device is the single most important factor in determining the acceptability and hence, the desirability of the device. Therefore, power efficiency is critical.
Additionally, a motor stall condition places excessive stress on the motor and on the gear arrangement used to convert motor motion into a nozzle-depressing motion. Excessive stress placed on the various mechanical components of the device may cause early component failure.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide novel apparatus to substantially overcome the above-described problems.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel device for dispensing material that significantly reduces power consumption so that battery life is greatly increased.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel device for dispensing material having a stall detection circuit to eliminate motor stall conditions.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a novel device for dispensing material that eliminates motor stall conditions to greatly reduce the power drain on the batteries.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel device for dispensing material having very low power requirements such that the batteries operating the dispensing device rarely need to be replaced.

Material dispensing method and apparatus with stall detect


A primary cell and a secondary cell are distinguished from each other. A microcomputer of a digital camera determines a first cell (a primary cell) and a second cell (a secondary cell) as a built-in cell. When a dedicated charging device is connected to a digital camera, a microcomputer activates transistor switches to thus detect a terminal voltage of the second cell. When the terminal voltage shows a finite value, the second cell is determined to be incorporated. When the terminal voltage shows a value of essentially zero, the transistor switch is activated to thus apply a predetermined voltage. When a voltage drop attributable to a resistor has arisen, the second cell is determined to be overcharged. When both a terminal of the second cell and a terminal of the first cell show finite values, a short circuit is determined to have arisen.

A technique for determining the type of a cell and performing charging operation according to the type of the cell is known. For instance, JP Publication No. 2002-10508 describes detection of a connection of an external cell through use of a mechanical mechanism and electrical detection performed by way of a terminal for use in detecting a connection, wherein a resistance value or an impedance value of a cell is read beforehand and the type of an external cell connected to equipment is determined by means of taking the value as an ID signal. Further, the patent publication also describes exchange of an electrical pulse signal between a detection section and a cell pack by use of a microprocessor, or the like, to thus determine the type of a cell connected to the equipment.
JP Publication No. 2001-54243 describes computation of the amount of change between the voltage of a cell terminal acquired when a voltage is applied to the cell terminal from the outside and the voltage of the cell terminal acquired when no voltage is applied to the cell terminal from the outside, thereby determining, from the amount of voltage change, whether the cell is a primary cell or a secondary cell.
However, if the type of a cell can be determined simpler without use of the mechanical mechanism, such a determination is desirable. When the type of a cell is determined by use of a terminal voltage, the capability of determining an overdischarge of the secondary cell as well as the capability of distinguishing between a primary cell and a secondary cell are preferable. Specifically, in addition to the case where the terminal voltage of the secondary cell is substantially zero and where the secondary cell is not present, there is a conceivable case where the secondary cell is present but simply remains overdischarged. In reality, if the secondary cell is determined not to be present despite the secondary cell remaining overdischarged, there may arise a case where originally-required recharging of the secondary cell is not performed. Further, when the primary cell and the secondary cell are of the same type but differ from each other in terms of the position of a terminal, the primary cell and the secondary cell are housed in a single housing. Therefore, detection of a difference between the positions of the terminals in principle enables distinction between the primary cell and the secondary cell. However, when the difference between the positions of the terminals cannot be detected for reasons of physical damage, and a like case, it may be the case where the battery cells cannot be distinguished from each other.


The invention relates to a method for testing a memory device with the memory device being able to be operated in a normal operating mode and a test mode and encompassing an output driver, input driver, and data pads. The method includes the steps of communicating test input data to be used for a test to the memory device, performing a test using the test input data in order to obtain test output data, the test data read out being passed via an output driver, at least one data pad, and an input driver, wherein the input drivers and output drivers are switched during the test in such a way as to enable data to be simultaneously read from and written to the memory device, and creating a data test result from the test output data. Furthermore, the invention relates to a memory device and a system for testing a memory device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and a system for testing a semiconductor device, and to a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Methods for testing semiconductor devices, in particular the interface timing, are known in which a test pattern to be used for testing the semiconductor device is communicated to the semiconductor device and passed along a signal path in the semiconductor device to be tested. The data passed via the signal path are compared with the original test data in order to determine possible errors which have occurred during the test. For this purpose, the original test data have to be maintained with a very precise timing. For this reason, it is necessary to provide additional circuits on the semiconductor device in order to achieve the precise timing and the comparison of the data, which leads to an enlargement of the size of the semiconductor device and/or an impairment of the timing accuracy of the semiconductor device.

Loop-back method for measuring the interface timing of semiconductor devices with the aid of signatures and/or parity methods


A composition of matter comprising a capsule or tablet, sized and designed for oral ingestion by a human, containing the 3R-3′R stercoisorner of zeaxanthin. The 3R-3′R stereoisomer of zeaxanthin constitutes at least about 90 percent of all zeaxanthin, while S-S and S-R stereoisomers constitute less than about 10 percent of all zeaxanthin in the capsule or tablet. The capsule or tablet contains a sufficient quantity of the 3R-3′R stereoisomer of zeaxanthin to cause a detectable increase in zeaxanthin concentration in retinal tissue, or at least about 0.5 milligrams. It can be concentrated into an oily fluid or prepared in a microencapsulated granular formulation. The zeaxanthin can also be added to various types of foods, such as margarine, dairy products, syrup, cookie dough, and meat preparations. When consumed, the zeaxanthin can help treat and prevent eye diseases including macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss.

This invention is in the field of pharmacology, and relates to human use of a yellow pigment called zeaxanthin (ZX) in preventing or treating macular degeneration, a disease which damages retinal tissue and causes blindness.
A related U.S. Pat. No. 5,854,015 ("Method of Making Pure 3R-3′R Stereoisomer of Zeaxanthin for Human Ingestion", assigned to the same assignee herein) contains a fairly extensive discussion of retinal physiology and carotenoid chemistry. The contents of that patent are incorporated herein by reference. Although that Background information will not be repeated herein in its entirety, a brief overview is provided in the next paragraphs, to help introduce and explain this invention.
Briefly, there is a yellow region called the macula in the central area of the retina, inside the eyeball. The yellow color is caused by two carotenoid pigments, lutein and zeaxanthin. These carotenoids have a yellow color because they absorb the high-energy radiation of the near-ultraviolet and blue light spectrum and reflect the yellow/yellow-orange wavelengths. It is theorized that since these two pigments absorb wavelengths in the high-energy spectrum, they may help protect retinal cells in the macula against "phototoxic" damage caused by short-wavelength high-energy light radiation.
Lutein and zeaxanthin are chemically very closely related to each other; both have the exact same chemical formulae, differing only in their ring stereochemistry and the spatial placement of one end ring and the placement of a double bond in that end ring, as shown in FIG. 1.
"Macular degeneration" is a medical term that applies to any of several disease syndromes which involve a gradual loss or impairment of eyesight due to cell and tissue degeneration of the yellow macular region in the center of the retina. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common form of this type of disease. AMD affects millions of Americans over the age of 60, and is the leading cause of new blindness among the elderly. It is characterized and usually diagnosed by the presence of elevated levels of two types of cellular debris within the retina, called drusen and lipofuscin. These types of cellular debris may accumulate to abnormal levels for a number of reasons, including: (1) retinal cell damage caused by repeated exposure to too much light; (2) inherited genetic factors; (3) poor overall health of an individual; and (4) insufficient quantities of anti-oxidant compounds such as vitamins A, C, and E and selenium in a person's diet. Accumulation of drusen occurs within the capillaries and in the Bruck's membrane, and can impede the transport of oxygen and nutrients to the retinal tissues, and the removal of metabolic wastes from the tissues. Accumulation of lipofuscin occurs within a cellular layer which underlies the photoreceptors and which is responsible for nourishing, replenishing and removing wastes from these highly active visual cells. Accumulation of one or both of these types of debris can disrupt the normal metabolic and cellular processes which must occur in order to maintain retinal and visual health.
Although the presence and the apparent or likely protective role of zeaxanthin in the retina have been recognized for more than a decade, no one has previously been able to create purified zeaxanthin preparations suitable for human consumption, either as drugs for treating macular degeneration, or as vitamin/nutritional supplements for reducing the risk of macular degeneration later in life. This has been a major shortcoming, since there are no other effective means for treating or preventing macular degeneration; although β-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E have generally beneficial anti-oxidant effects and may slightly retard the rate of macular degeneration, they do not rise to the level of truly effective treatments. For practical purposes, macular degeneration must be regarded as unpreventable, unstoppable, and irreversible, and antioxidants such as β-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E are merely palliative measures that can be used to try to slow down the encroaching damage somewhat, since nothing better is available to the public.
The primary (and previously insurmountable) problems that have been encountered in prior efforts to create purified forms of zeaxanthin for human ingestion include: (1) the extremely high level of chemical similarity between zeaxanthin and other less desirable carotenoids, including lutein and β-carotene, make it extremely difficult to separate zeaxanthin from lutein and β-carotene on any commercial scale; and, (2) zeaxanthin itself has three different stereoisomers, called the 3R-3′R isomer (which is desirable, and which is present in retinal cells), the 3S-3′S isomer (which is undesirable and which is not believed to exist naturally in retinal cells) and the S-R meso isomer. The S-R meso isomer is not normally ingested in the human diet, and is not present in human blood, but it is sometimes found in the retina, apparently as a conversion product that is sometimes created when lutein is chemically altered by high-energy light waves. Although hard scientific evidence of its roles and effects in the retina is not yet available, the S-R meso isomer of zeaxanthin is presumably less desirable than the naturally occurring R-R isomer.
It is effectively impossible to separate these three isomers of zeaxanthin from each other in commercial quantities; therefore, synthetic methods of creating racemic (mixed-isomer) mixtures of zeaxanthin are effectively useless in efforts to create zeaxanthin for human ingestion.
That completes an overview of the scientific and medical background of this invention; as mentioned above, these topics are discussed in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,854,015.
Prior Art Involving Zeaxanthin Synthesis
In analyzing the prior art, it must be recognized that zeaxanthin has been known for more than a decade to be present in the retina, and scientists have hypothesized for at least that long that zeaxanthin appears to play a beneficial protective role in helping prevent phototoxic damage in the retina. However, no one prior to this invention has ever been able to synthesize the purified R-R stereoisomer of zeaxanthin in any quantities sufficient for human consumption. This failure can be attributed to the extraordinary difficulties of (1) separating zeaxanthin from other carotenoids, and (2) isolating the desired R-R isomer of zeaxanthin and removing the undesirable S-S and S-R isomers.
Accordingly, as of October 1995, the only way to purchase zeaxanthin, either in purified form or in a semi-concentrated form in which zeaxanthin comprises more than about 5% of the weight of the preparation, requires the purchase of very small quantities of zeaxanthin (measured in milligrams) from specialty chemical manufacturers such as Atomergic Chemicals Corporation (Farmingdale, N.Y.) or Spectrum Chemical Manufacturing Company (Gardena, Calif.). The 1995 prices of purified zeaxanthin from these specialty manufacturers, in synthetic racemic mixtures that contain large amounts of the undesirable S-S and S-R isomers, ranges from about $90 to about $125 per milligram (which translates to about $100,000 per gram). Clearly, zeaxanthin is not a widely available chemical, and is not available to the public except in extremely small trace quantities, in mixtures of other carotenoids.
Prior art items which describe zeaxanthin production using microbial fermentation include the following:
(1) Courington and Goodwin 1955, which is the earliest known reference describing the production of zeaxanthin by microbes. The bacteria they described reportedly belonged in the genus Flavobacterium; however, as noted below, microbial classification definitions have changed a great deal over the past few decades, and those bacteria probably would not be classified as Flavobacterium under the current nomenclature.
(2) U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,504 (Schocher and Wiss, 1975, assigned to Hoffman LaRoche). This patent described the production of zeaxanthin by microbes from the genus Flavobacter, which were deposited with the American Type Culture Collection and given ATCC numbers 21081 and 21588. As with the Courington and Goodwin 1955 microbes, these microbes would not be classified as Flavobacter today. These cells and their zeaxanthin pigment were fed to chickens, and caused suitable coloration.
(3) U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,967 (Dasek et al, 1974, assigned to Nestle). This patent described the production of zeaxanthin by microbes from the genus Flavobacter; some of their work involved the same strain cited in the Hoffman-LaRoche '504 patent (21081 and 21588), and they also used ATCC strain 11947. This patent, as well as U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,743 (Shepherd et al, 1976, also assigned to Nestle) described certain cell culturing conditions and nutrient media that could be used to increase the quantity of zeaxanthin produced by the cells being cultured.
(4) Two more recent US patents (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,308,759 and 5,427,783, both invented by) describe a strain of bacteria (Flavobacterium multivorum) isolated from a Missouri waterway. These bacteria were discovered to create zeaxanthin without creating substantial quantities of other carotenoids. This is important, because it makes more zeaxanthin available as a pigment, when fed to poultry or fish to give their flesh a darker color. That wild-type strain of F. multivorum was deposited with the ATCC, and was given ATCC accession number 55238. Because these bacteria generate a certain type of lipid called sphingolipids, the ATCC has provisionally reclassified these bacteria as Sphingobacterium multivorum, which is the name they are listed under in the ATCC's catalog. However, as of the filing date of this application, the Sphingobacterium name that appears in the ATCC catalog has not yet appeared in either of the reference works which are widely recognized as the official guides to microbial taxonomy: Bergy's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, which is appended and updated by the International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology.
Gierhart's '759 patent claims methods for producing zeaxanthin, using the F. multivorum bacteria. The '783 patent (which was a divisional) claims feed mixtures that can be given to poultry or fish. Both of these patents are limited to using zeaxanthin in poultry or fish feed; although zeaxanthin is much more expensive than lutein, it is several times more effective (on a per-weight basis) than lutein in imparting color to animal flesh or chicken yolks. Neither of the Gierhart patents says or suggests anything about using zeaxanthin for treating humans.
Various efforts to synthesize zeaxanthin by standard chemical means (without using microbial fermentation) have been reported over the past 20 years (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,153,615, Saucy 1979). However, non-fermentation processes suffer from several disadvantages. They typically require numerous reaction steps, and each step has a less-than-100% yield, so that the final yield of zeaxanthin at the end of the multi-step processing tends to be relatively poor. In addition, chemical synthesis tends to yield undesirable S-S and S-R stereoisomers of zeaxanthin, as well as various conversion products such as oxidized zeaxanthin, and zeaxanthin molecules which have lost one or more of the double bonds in the straight portion or end rings.
Recently, Hoffman-LaRoche obtained two US patents which relate to the chemical synthesis of the R-R isomer of zeaxanthin; these are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,952,716 (Lukac et al 1990) and 5,227,507 (Lukac et al 1993). These processes require the production and purification of three major intermediates, with yields of approximately 70 to 85% for each intermediate from its precursor. The overall process described in the Lukac et al patents apparently requires a series of 14 reaction steps, which take a minimum of 83 hours (excluding purification), and the synthesis reactions yield a mixture of reactants and products. This reaction mixture must then be extensively treated to purify the R-R isomer of zeaxanthin. Accordingly, the entire process that would be required for both synthesis and purification using this technique would make production on a commercial scale very difficult, and extremely expensive.
Two types of poultry feed additives may be of interest, since they have the highest lutein or zeaxanthin quantities of any commercially available animal feeds. Certain types of poultry feed additives prepared from corn gluten contain a relatively high percentage of zeaxanthin (about 15-30%), when measured as a percentage of total carotenoids. However, the total carotenoid content of these feed additives is very low (only about 100 milligrams of total carotenoids per pound of poultry feed). The other type of poultry feed additive is prepared from marigold extracts. This additive contains roughly 100-200 times as much yellow pigment per pound of additive (i.e., about 10 to 20 grams of lutein and zeaxanthin per pound); however, more than 95% of the yellow pigment in this marigold preparation is lutein, not zeaxanthin. Zeaxanthin comprises only about 2 to 5% of the yellow pigment in this poultry feed additive (Bauernfeind 1981).
As a matter of prior art, it should also be noted many health food stores sell carotenoid preparations that are labeled as being beneficial to the eyes and eyesight. That labeling claim on carotenoid mixtures may be valid and reasonable, since (as noted above) β-carotene and vitamin A are known to be useful and beneficial in the eyes as general anti-oxidants. However, even though at least one commercially available carotenoid mixture that is sold in health food stores (the "Beta-Carotene Formula Preparation," sold by General Nutrition Corporation) lists zeaxanthin as one of the carotenoids contained in their carotenoid mixtures, none of the commercially available carotenoid mixtures contains more than extremely small, trace quantities of zeaxanthin. The great majority of the carotenoids in the carotenoid mixtures that are sold in health food stores are other, non-zeaxanthin carotenoids (mainly β-carotene and vitamin A).
The current positions and publicly stated research goals of several government agencies and research consortia are also worth noting. The National Institutes of Health, acting through the National Eye Institute (NEI) and the National Advisory Eye Council, has issued two recent government publications which are directly relevant. These two reports are "Vision Research: A National Plan 1994-1998," NIH Publication No. 93-3186 (1994; see pages 55-65 in particular), written by the members of the National Advisory Eye Council, and "Age related eye disease study," NIH Publication 93-2910 (1993). Both publications, and the research projects they describe, focus on β-carotene rather than zeaxanthin as the compound which holds the greatest apparent promise for treating AMD. To the best of the Applicants' knowledge and belief after discussing the subject with officials of the NEI, neither the NEI nor any other organization affiliated with the National Institutes of Health is willing to fund, or has recently funded, any research on zeaxanthin as a potential treatment for AMD. Instead, the NIH and various other tax-funded organizations are allocating millions of dollars to carry out research on β-carotene as the most promising candidate agent for treating or preventing AMD.
Another research group that deserves attention (and which contains various members who are employed as researchers at the NEI) is the Eye Disease Case Control Study Group. This group recently published two articles entitled, "Antioxidant status and neovascular age-related macular degeneration," Arch. Ophthalmol. 11: 104-109 (1993), and "Risk factors for neovascular age-related macular degeneration," Arch. Ophthalmol. 10: 1701-1708 (1992). As in the official NIH reports, neither of these articles teaches or suggests the use of zeaxanthin as a drug for treating AMD. To the best of the Applicants' knowledge and belief, this consortium also has declined or refused to fund any research into zeaxanthin as a possible agent for treating or preventing AMD.
Accordingly, as of late 1995, there are no available sources of concentrated or purified zeaxanthin for human use, either as a drug or as a nutritional supplement.
One object of this invention is to disclose an economically viable method of producing zeaxanthin pills (such as capsules or coated tablets) which contain the R-R stereoisomer of zeaxanthin as the sole detectable zeaxanthin isomer in the formulation, and which are intended and well-suited for human ingestion as a prescription drug or as a nutritional supplement, to help treat or prevent macular degeneration.
Another object of this invention is to disclose food preparations such as margarine, dairy products, syrup, cookie dough, meat preparations that will not be subjected to harsh cooking conditions, and other similar foodstuffs, which contain the R-R stereoisomer of zeaxanthin as the sole detectable zeaxanthin isomer in the formulation, and which are intended for human ingestion, and which can be produced at a reasonable and economically viable cost in commercial quantities.
Another object of this invention is to disclose zeaxanthin preparations that are intended and well-suited for human ingestion as a prescription drug or nutritional supplement, which contain the R-R stereoisomer of zeaxanthin as the sole zeaxanthin isomer in the formulation, and which do not contain any other carotenoids that would compete against zeaxanthin for alimentary uptake and which would therefore reduce the bioavailability of zeaxanthin if present in a mixed carotenoid preparation containing zeaxanthin and other competing carotenoids.
Another object of this invention is to disclose that zeaxanthin preparations produced by fermenting the strain of F. multivorum (ATCC accession number 55238) or its descendants are exceptionally well suited for human ingestion as a prescription drug or nutritional supplement, for treating or preventing macular degeneration.
Another object of this invention is to disclose that a compound called tertiary butyl hydroquinone, abbreviated as TBHQ and also called 2-(1,1-dimethyl)-1,4-benzenediol, is an especially good stabilizing agent in formulations containing zeaxanthin for human ingestion.
Another object of this invention is to disclose micelle formulations containing the R-R isomer of zeaxanthin, for improved bioavailability.
These and other objects will become more apparent, in the following summary and description of the invention.

Zeaxanthin formulations for human ingestion


A multimedia framework includes a monolithic multimedia component to include a specific interface provided by the multimedia framework, and a component control unit layer to serve as a point of control of an application, and to control a data flow through the monolithic multimedia component. When the application queries the component control unit layer for the specific interface, the specific interface passes a pointer thereof that signifies a role required by the application matching a role identified by the multimedia framework for the monolithic multimedia component to the application. A command from the application is transmitted to a tunnel of a multimedia stack interfaced with the monolithic multimedia component to ensure that the same monolithic multimedia component serves as a source component, one or more transform component(s) and/or a renderer. The application is unaware of the multi-tasking associated with the monolithic multimedia component.

Multimedia frameworks simplify tasks related to multimedia handling over processing systems and processing system networks. Tasks may be simplified by easing multimedia capturing and playback, and multimedia streaming. Multimedia frameworks, such as DirectShow® for Windows®, can include modular multimedia components (e.g., filters in DirectShow® for Windows®). Specific interfaces may be provided by the typifying multimedia framework through the modular multimedia components. For example, a multimedia framework may identify roles for each component, and may give each component specific interfaces, thereby enabling the components to handle tasks and notify events.
To enable interfacing between components, member objects called pins may be provided. These pins, which may be data structures, are components that are aggregated within a component. In existing systems, every component communicates with every other component through pins thereof. Information regarding the correspondence between components and respective individual pins needs to be provided. Also, an architecture utilizing pins tends to create threads including worker threads corresponding to individual pins. As data flow occurs in worker threads, memory and resource consumption in a pin-based architecture are causes for concern.

Multimedia framework to provide ultra-low power multimedia playback


An electron microscope capable of producing EELS (electron energy-loss spectroscopy) has a spectral position correcting signal supply circuit for supplying a spectral position correcting signal H to a first driver amplifier to project spectra at the center of a CCD camera. This correcting signal H corresponds to a beam deflection signal A′ supplied from a scan generator to a second driver amplifier, an excitation signal B′ supplied from an intermediate lens excitation signal supply circuit to a third driver amplifier, and another excitation signal supplied from a projector lens excitation signal supply circuit to a fourth driver amplifier.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electron microscope capable of analyzing the electronic state of a solid specimen by electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS).
2. Description of Related Art
When incident electrons collide against atoms constituting a solid specimen, some of the electrons interact with electrons within the specimen crystal or crystal lattice, lose part of their energy, and are scattered, that is, their velocity decreases. These scattered electrons are known as inelastically scattered electrons. A technique for analyzing the electronic state of a solid specimen by analyzing inelastically scattered electrons in terms of energy is known as electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). On the other hand, when incident electrons collide against atoms constituting a solid specimen and scatter without losing energy, the electrons are termed elastically scattered electrons.
In the current electron microscopy, specimens are analyzed by the aforementioned EELS. FIG. 1A shows an EELS profile obtained by an EELS analysis. This profile has been obtained by image-processing a spectral image shown in FIG. 1B. This spectral image has been taken by a CCD camera disposed behind the projector lens. A method of gaining this spectral image shown in FIG. 1B is described below.
To obtain this spectral image, an electron microscope equipped with an energy filter (such as an Omega filter) behind a specimen is used. In this microscope having the energy filter, a sharply focused electron beam is directed at the specimen. As a result, electrons are ejected from the specimen. The ejected electrons are energy-dispersed in a given direction (i.e., direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which electrons hit the specimen) by an energy filter. This energy-dispersed electron beam creates the spectrum shown in FIG. 1B between the energy filter and the projector lens. The spectrum is projected onto the CCD camera by the projector lens.
A method of gaining the spectral image shown in FIG. 1B has been described so far. The arrow E shown in the spectral image of FIG. 1B indicates the direction of energy dispersion. This direction E is coincident with the longitudinal direction of the spectrum.
The spectral image obtained in this way is converted into the EELS profile shown in FIG. 1A by an image processor. In particular, the processor accumulates the intensity of the obtained spectral image in a direction perpendicular to the direction of energy dispersion E. The intensity variation is plotted against the direction of energy dispersion, thus giving rise to an EELS profile (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-76664). A sharp peak P0 appearing on the EELS profile shown in FIG. 1A is a zero-loss peak at which energy loss is zero. This zero-loss peak P0 is produced by the aforementioned elastically scattered electrons.
Where some surface of a specimen is analyzed by EELS, the electron beam hitting the specimen is deflected in the x- and y-directions by deflectors. The specimen surface is scanned in two dimensions by the sharply focused beam. The aforementioned spectral image is obtained at each analysis point on the specimen irradiated with the beam. Hence, an EELS profile at each analysis point on the sample is obtained. The electronic state of some surface of the specimen can be analyzed from these EELS profiles.
However, this surface analysis using EELS produces the following problems: (1) When the electron beam scans over the specimen surface, the spectral position on the CCD camera is moved. The amount of movement of the spectrum is in proportion to the scanning width of the beam on the specimen surface. Where the electron beam is deflected to a great extent and a wide area of the specimen surface is scanned by the beam, the spectrum does not lie within the light-sensitive surface of the CCD camera. (2) Since the spectral position moves across the CCD camera as mentioned previously, the spectral positions within plural spectral images taken by the CCD camera are not fixed. Consequently, the EELS profile cannot be calibrated in the direction of energy dispersion unless the image position (position p in FIG. 1B) corresponding to the zero-loss peak P0 is detected by an image recognition technique for every spectral image obtained at each analysis point. Since the image recognition processing is time-consuming, it has been heretofore difficult to display EELS profiles at high speed. (3) Where the spectral position moves across the CCD camera and the spectral part forming the zero-loss peak P0 comes out of the light-sensitive surface of the camera as described above, it is impossible to determine the energy position of the EELS profile by the image recognition technique.


A method performed in an intrusion detection/prevention system, a system or a device for analyzing segments in a transmission in a communication network. The transmission includes segments in the same transmission control protocol (TCP) session. Segments in a transmission are monitored. Data in the segments in the transmission are reassembled in an order indicated by a segment reassembly policy, the segment reassembly policy indicating an order specific to at least comprehensively overlapped segments.

The transport layer protocol utilized in packet network communications allows a TCP transmission to be separated into variable sized segments which are sent to the destination, as part of the same TCP session. Each segment still belongs to the original TCP transmission, and can be reassembled by the destination to re-create the original TCP transmission.
Different kinds of operating systems have unique methods of TCP segment reassembly. These methods of reassembling TCP segments can be exploited by attackers. In their landmark 1998 paper, "Insertion, Evasion, and Denial of Service: Eluding Network Intrusion Detection," Thomas Ptacek and Timothy Newsham exposed some weaknesses in intrusion detection systems (IDS). The authors revealed that an IDS cannot be effective and accurate because it does not necessarily process or even observe network traffic exactly as the destination host that receives the message does.
If an IDS utilizes a single reassembly method, it may not analyze the same reassembled payload as an operating system at the destination. Consequently, an attack that successfully exploits these differences in TCP segment reassembly can cause the IDS to miss the malicious traffic.

Device, system and method for analysis of segments in a transmission control protocol (TCP) session


A dispensing nozzle assembly for dispensing a number of micro-ingredients into a fluid stream. The dispensing nozzle assembly may include a micro-ingredient mixing chamber, a number of micro-ingredient lines in communication with the micro-ingredient mixing chamber such that the micro-ingredients mix therein, and a mixed micro-ingredient exit such the mixed micro-ingredients are dispensed into the fluid stream.

Current post-mix beverage dispenser nozzles generally mix streams of syrup, concentrate, sweetener, bonus flavors, other types of flavoring, and other ingredients with water or other types of diluent by flowing the syrup stream down the center of the nozzle with the water stream flowing around the outside. The syrup stream is directed downward with the water stream such that the streams mix as they fall into a cup.
There is a desire for a beverage dispensing system as a whole to provide as many different types and flavors of beverages as may be possible in a footprint that may be as small as possible. Preferably, such a beverage dispensing system can provide as many beverages as may be available on the market in prepackaged bottles or cans.
In order to accommodate this variety, the dispensing nozzles themselves need to accommodate fluids with different viscosities, flow rates, mixing ratios, temperatures, and other variables. Current nozzles may not be able to accommodate multiple beverages with a single nozzle design and/or the nozzle may be designed for specific types of fluid flow. One known means of accommodating differing flow characteristics is shown in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/233,867 (U.S. Publication Number U.S. 2004/0040983A1) that shows the use of replaceable fluid modules that are sized and shaped for specific flow characteristics. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/233,867 is incorporated herein by reference. Even more variety and fluid streams may be employed in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/276,551 that shows the use of a number of tertiary flow assemblies. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/276,551 also is incorporated herein by reference.
There is a desire, however, for a dispensing nozzle to accommodate even more and different types of fluids that may pass therethrough. The dispensing nozzle preferably should be able to accommodate this variety while still providing good mixing and easy cleaning.


The present invention provides a 3D data analysis apparatus and a 3D data analysis method.

The present invention relates to a 3D data analysis apparatus and a 3D data analysis method. More specifically, the present invention relates to a 3D data analysis apparatus and the like capable of specifying microparticles to be analyzed in a 3D stereoscopic image.
To analyze microparticles including biologically relevant particles such as cells, microbes, and liposomes and synthetic particles such as latex particles, gel particles, and particles for industrial use, a microparticle measurement apparatus is used which introduces a dispersion liquid of microparticles in a flow channel and measures the microparticles optically, electrically, or magnetically.
As an example, there is a particle analyzer that distinguishes synthetic particles on the basis of sizes or shapes. Examples of a parameter (variable) which can be measured by the particle analyzer include an elemental composition and a particle diameter of a microparticle.
Further, to analyze biologically relevant particles, a flow cytometer (flow cytometry) is used. Examples of a parameter which can be measured by the flow cytometer include forward scattered light (FS), side scatter (SS), fluorescent light (FL), and impedance of microparticles. The forward scattered light (FS), the side scatter (SS), and the fluorescent light (FL) are used as parameters that indicate an optical characteristic of a cell or a microbe (hereinafter, simply referred to as "cell"), and the impedance is used as a parameter that indicates an electrical characteristic of a cell.
Specifically, first, the forward scattered light is light that is scattered at a small angle in a forward direction with respect to an axis of laser light and includes scattered light, diffracted light, and refracted light of laser light which is generated on a surface of a cell. The forward scattered light is mainly used as a parameter that indicates the size of a cell. Next, the side scatter is light that is scattered at approximately 90 degrees with respect to an axis of laser light and is scattered light of laser light that is generated in a granule or a core inside a cell. The side scatter is mainly used as a parameter that indicates an internal structure of a cell. Further, the fluorescent light is light that is generated from a fluorochrome labeled to a cell and is used as a parameter that indicates existence or nonexistence of a cell surface antigen recognized by a fluorochrome-labeled antibody, the amount of a nucleic acid to which a fluorochrome is combined, or the like. Furthermore, the impedance is measured by an electrical resistance method and used as a parameter that indicates a cell volume.
To analyze measurement data in a flow cytometer, a data analysis apparatus is used in which measurement values of cells are plotted with these measurement parameters being as axes, thereby creating a diagram that shows a characteristic distribution of the cells in a cell population. A one-dimensional distribution chart with the use of one measurement parameter is called as a histogram, which is created with an X axis indicating the measurement parameter, and a Y axis indicating the number of cells (count). Further, a two-dimensional distribution chart in which two measurement parameters are used is called as a cytogram, which is created by plotting cells on the basis of the measurement values in a coordinate plane with the X axis indicating one measurement parameter and the Y axis indicating the other measurement parameter.
The cell population as a sample includes unnecessary cells not to be analyzed, so the analysis of the measurement data is performed after a cell small population to be analyzed is selected from the cell population as the sample. The cell small population to be analyzed is selected by specifying an area in which the cell small population exists on the histogram or the cytogram. This operation is called as "gating" because cells as targets are enclosed in an area specified on the histogram or the cytogram.
On the histogram with one measurement parameter as an axis or on the cytogram with one combined measurement parameter as axes, the cell small population to be analyzed and unnecessary cells may exist in an overlapped area in some cases. For example, when a lymphocyte is analyzed with human peripheral blood as a sample, on a cytogram with a forward scattered light (FS) and a side scatter (SS) used for axes, a part of monocyte exists in the same area as the lymphocyte in some cases. Therefore, when performing gating, a user has to specify an area in which only lymphocyte exists so as not to enclose the monocyte.
In order to specify an area so that only a cell small population to be analyzed is enclosed without enclosing unnecessary cells, conventionally, a user has to perform gating while referring to a plurality of histograms or cytograms. Along with improvement of the performance of a flow cytometer, the number of parameters that can be measured is increased, so the user has to refer to more histograms or cytograms. Further, at this time, the user is requested to perform a gating operation while imaging a three-dimensional distribution chart (3D distribution chart) in which two cytograms are combined.
To assist the user in performing the gating operation, Patent Document 1 proposes "an analysis apparatus including a measurement data obtaining means for obtaining first, second, and third measurement data items from an analyte, a 3D distribution chart creating means for creating a 3D distribution chart that indicates a distribution of formed elements contained in the analyte with the first, second, and third measurement data items as axes, an area setting means for variably setting a separate area on the 3D distribution chart, and a reference distribution chart creating means for creating, with respect to formed elements that belongs to the separate area set by the area setting means, at least one of a 2D distribution chart with the first and second measurement data items used as the axes and a frequency distribution chart with the first measurement data item used as the axis" (see, claim 9 of Patent Document 1). By the analysis apparatus, it is possible to set the separate area on the 3D distribution chart while referring to the 2D distribution chart (cytogram) and the frequency distribution chart (histogram) displayed along with the 3D distribution chart. It should be noted that the 3D distribution chart of the analysis apparatus is not viewed stereoscopically but is displayed two-dimensionally on a display.
In relation to the present invention, twin-lens stereo image technology (3D stereoscopic image technology) will be described. In the twin-lens stereo image, first, two images when an object is viewed with a right eye and a left eye are prepared. Then, these images are displayed at the same time, and an image for the right eye is presented only to the right eye, and an image for the left eye is presented only to the left eye. As a result, an image that appears in the eyes at a time when the object is viewed in a 3D space is reproduced, and a user is caused to stereoscopically view the object.
For a 3D display which allows a stereoscopic view, a (a) glasses type, a (b) glasses-free type, and a (c) viewer type are mainly adopted. The (a) glasses type includes an anaglyph type, a polarization filter type, and a time-sharing type. Further, the (b) glasses-free type includes a parallax barrier type and a lenticular type, and the (c) viewer type includes a stereoscope type and a head mount type.

3D data analysis apparatus and 3D data analysis method

Abstract: A 3D data analysis apparatus including a data storage unit that stores measurement data of microparticles, an input unit that selects three kinds of variables independent of the measurement data, a data processing unit that calculates positions and graphics in a coordinate space with the three kinds of variables being coordinate axes and creates a 3D stereoscopic image that represents a characteristic distribution of the microparticles, and a display unit that displays the 3D stereoscopic image, and the 3D data analysis apparatus variably sets a separate area in the coordinate space on the basis of an input signal from the input unit and displays the area in the 3D stereoscopic image.