A system may include at least one display and at least one processor installed in an aircraft. The at least one processor may be communicatively coupled to the at least one display. The at least one processor may be configured to: obtain aircraft data associated with the aircraft; obtain an azimuth value associated with an azimuth; obtain radar data associated with at least one threat; generate a three-dimensional threat image based at least on the aircraft data, the azimuth value, and the radar data; and output the three-dimensional threat image as graphical data. The at least one display may be configured to display the three-dimensional threat image to a user. The three-dimensional threat image may depict a three-dimensional relationship between the aircraft and the at least one threat. The three-dimensional threat image may convey a range dimension, a lateral dimension extended perpendicularly from the azimuth, and a height dimension.

Current implementations of a vertical weather display only show the vertical profile along a single azimuth. In order to obtain additional weather information along the selected azimuth, continual control panel adjustments are required of the pilot. The vertical display is also limited in range compared to the horizontal display, requiring constant "switching" between displays.

Aircraft system and method to display three-dimensional threat image


A system for scanning a target is provided. A light source directs a beam of light toward piezoelectric material having an arcuate reflective surface. The reflective surface directs at least a portion of the beam of light to a beam expander, which in turn directs light onto the target. A power source provides movement in the piezoelectric material to scan at least a portion of the beam of light across at least a portion of the target. The at least a portion of the beam of light is reflected onto a photosensor to provide an electrical signal representing the reflected light. A mirror is further provided between the reflector and the target to allow scanning of a target at an angle to the system components.

Bar code scanning and reading devices provide one of the great technological innovations of modern times. From quick check-outs in the grocery store to accurate inventory control for businesses, scanners/readers provide almost instantaneous computer recognition and documentation of various items while greatly relieving humans of mundane tasks thereby saving time and effort. Bar codes are typically vertical black and white bars that are scanned in a sequential fashion. In order for a computer to interpret a bar code, a scanner generally illuminates the bar code with a beam of light in a sequential, straitline fashion, while concurrently, a reader detects whether or not a region of a bar code is black or white. Depending on order and spacing of the vertical black and white bars, a unique numerical pattern may be determined for a particular item. In most cases, the bar code scanners and readers have been combined to form one integral device to perform bar code scanning and reading simultaneously. Many styles for these devices include: hand-held gun style devices; wand-like devices; pen-like devices; and stationarily mounted devices in factories for example. In fact, a vast array of styles, shapes, and sizes of devices exist to provide for many diverse bar code applications.
Over the years, fairly complicated and elaborate mechanisms have evolved to scan bar codes. In order to produce a straitline, sequential scan pattern across the face of a bar code, many scanners employ rotating components to deflect a beam of light from one end of the bar code to another. In many conventional systems, the rotating components may be rotating mirrors that deflect a continuous light beam across the bar code as the mirror is rotated in front of the light beam. In other systems, the beam of light itself may be rotated while focusing the light directly on the bar code. Many times, motors and other electro-mechanical devices are employed to rotate the mirrors and/or lights. Unfortunately, mechanical components such as motors and rotating mirrors tend to wear over time which may ultimately produce mechanical failures in the scanners.
Other techniques have evolved which employ electronic systems to cause a light beam to move across a bar code. While solving some of the aforementioned problems with moving mechanical components, many of these electronic systems are fabricated by employing elaborate processes and materials. Also, many conventional electronic systems employ complicated geometrical shapes and structures to achieve desired scanning results.
Consequently, there is a strong need in the art for a system and/or method for bar code scanning that requires minimal components and fewer manufacturing processing steps as compared to that which is conventionally available.


In this invention methods are described by which prostaglandins of the E.sub.1 class and compounds that mimic or induce cyclic adenosine monophosphate are used to block collagenase gene expression by cells responsible for connective and support tissue breakdown. The consequence of using pharmaceutically acceptable preparations of prostaglandin E.sub.1, analogs of prostaglandin E.sub.1 or cyclic adenosine monophosphate agonists or inducers of cyclic adenosine monophosphate is to preserve and protect connective and support tissues. These methods provide new treatment modalities useful in protecting humans and animals against connective and support tissue degradation that occurs in aging, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.

A. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to methods of protecting and preserving connective and support tissues by utilizing prostaglandin E.sub.1 (PGE.sub.1) compounds or cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) agonists or inducers of endogenous cAMP to block collagenase gene expression. Since connective and support tissues, which comprise skin, bone, cartilage, fascia, tendons, ligaments and collagen containing elements that encapsulate organs, have as their major organic constituent the protein collagen, these methods provide new treatment modalities useful in protecting humans and animals against connective and support tissue degradation that occurs in aging, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.
Several types of collagen exist: skin, bone, fascia, tendons and ligaments are comprised primarily of type I collagen; cartilage is largely comprised of type II collagen. Breakdown or degradation of these tissues requires the enzyme collagenase (EC 3,424.7), this unique neutral metalloproteinase is produced by cells normally present in connective and support tissues. In certain metabolic disorders or inflammatory diseases, increased levels of this enzyme is produced leading to the accelerated destruction or breakdown of connective and support tissues.
Only collagenase is currently known to be capable of the initial cleavage necessary to degrade type I, II and III collagens. Therefore, regulation of collagenase production can be a critical point at which to control connective and support tissue breakdown and thereby prevent the disorders that this breakdown causes. Examples of conditions or diseases caused by accelerated connective and support tissue breakdown include but are not limited to aging, osteoporosis and arthritis. Prior art approaches to preventing accelerated connective and support tissue breakdown have focused on regulating the effect of collagenase or providing replacement tissue. However, none of the prior art methods have been fully effective, universally applicable and risk free.
B. Description of the Prior Art.
In contrast to the methods of the present invention, prior art methods for protecting or preserving connective and support tissue focussed almost exclusively on preventing tissue inflammation. Previously described methods for blocking collagenase have utilized peptide inhibitors of the formed (previously synthesized) collagenase enzyme or agents that generally suppress immune or connective tissue metabolic function or are toxic for the tissues.
At the present time no specific therapies exist to prevent collagen breakdown associated with aging. In the skin the attritional loss of collagen from breakdown and decreased synthesis of new collagen results in a thinning and the loss of structural integrity. The consequence of these changes is a looseness and wrinkling of skin. Physicians have used injections of bovine collagen to temporarily restore skin fullness but this xenograft material is soon resorbed, that is, removed by immune cells. The injection of foreign collagen does not restore tissue strength as it is not incorporated into the normal architecture of the extracellular matrix. The injection of this foreign protein into the skin has been associated with severe immune reactions and has been reported to cause severe autoimmune responses clinically producing collagen vascular diseases that actually accelerate connective and support tissue breakdown. No proven therapies for preserving skin integrity by protecting skin collagen from collagenase-action have been reported.
The loss of the organic (collagen) and inorganic (mineral) matrices of bone characterizes the pathologic process that leads to osteoporosis. Several agents and drugs have been used to prevent the excessive breakdown of bone in order to treat osteoporosis. The efficacy of these treatment modalities has usually been assessed by following the mineral (calcium) content of bone or its loss from the body. Therapies have not been directed at preventing collagen breakdown as the means of protecting and preserving bone.
Calcitonin is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved medication for the treatment of low bone (mineral) mass. Calcitonin is a naturally produced hormone which in pharmacologic amounts can transiently inhibit bone resorbing cells (osteoclasts) and thereby block bone breakdown. This hormone acts via cell surface receptors to activate biochemical signals within the osteoclast leading to a decrease in metabolic activity.
Estrogen, the female sex steroid, is an approved medication for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. While its mechanism of action is not fully understood, it can induce bone cells to synthesize new collagen as well as endogenous growth factors such as insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) (Ernst, et. al, "Estradiol Effects on proliferation, messenger RNA for collagen and insulin like growth factor-1 and parathyroid hormone stimulated adenylate activity on osteoblastic cells from calvariae and long bone." Endocrinology 125:825-833 (1989)). However, the benefits of estrogen are limited to perimenopausal women and estrogen treatment is associated with increased risks of uterine and breast cancer (Bergkvist, et. al, "The risk of breast cancer after estrogen and estrogen-progestin replacement." New Engl J Med. 321:293-297 (1989)).
Recently, naturally produced substances have been discovered which promote growth and healing of connective and support tissues. Such substances have been termed growth factors. Growth factors, usually proteins, initiate programs of differentiation and/or development within an organism. Although growth factors would appear to be ideal for inducing support and connective tissue repair, such factors are not practically useful as pharmaceutical agents. Growth factors are proteins and like most proteins are not stable and tend to break down upon storage. As proteins, growth factors are not suitable for oral administration since they are digested and destroyed before entering the blood stream. Growth factors cannot be satisfactorily administered as topical ointments. As a result of the lability of growth factors the preferred route of administration is parenteral, that is, injected into the body or blood under medical supervision. Unfortunately, many of the growth factors are species specific and are recognized as foreign by other species. Thus, there is the constant danger of eliciting an immune response. Lastly, growth factors when administered parenterally, do not necessarily target to skin, connective and support tissues and are more likely to affect many different cells throughout the body. With the exception of certain recently described naturally occurring growth factors, there is no disclosure or suggestion in the prior art of pharmaceutically acceptable compounds that can protect and preserve connective and support tissues by preventing collagenase gene expression, the critical enzyme needed for collagen breakdown.
Osteoarthritis is a disease characterized by inflammation and degradation of the cartilage and subchondral (adjacent) bone in joints. The erosion of connective and support tissues is mediated in large part by proteolytic enzymes (including collagenase) released by cells involved in the inflammatory process within the joint. Collagenase is produced by most of the cell types found in inflamed joints including fibroblasts (Goldberg, G. L.; et. al, "Human fibroblast collagenase." J. Biol Chem 261:6600-6605 (1986)), monocytes and macrophages (Campbell, E. J.; et, al, "Monocytes procollagenase and tissue inhibitor metalloproteinases" J. Biol Chem 262 15862-15868 (1987)), endothelial cells (Herron, G. S.; et. al, "Secretion of metalloproteinases by stimulated capillary endothelial cells." J. Biol Chem 261:2810-2813 (1986)), and synoviocytes (Harris, Jr., E. D. "Pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis." In Textbook of Rheumatology, pp. 886-914, Kelly, W. N.; et. al, (eds.) (W. B. Saunders, Phil Pa. (1984); and Georgescu, H. I. "HIG-82 an established cell line from rat periarticular soft tissue which retains the `activable` phenotype." In Vitro Cell and Dev. Biol 24:1015-1022 (1988)). Collagenase derived from the synoviocyte is thought to play a central role in mediating collagen and thus the cartilage destruction associated with osteoarthritic disorders (Krane, S. M.; et. al, "Mechanisms of matrix degradation in rheumatoid arthritis." Ann NY Acad Sci 580:340-354 (1990)).
A number of agents and drugs have been employed to prevent and treat the cartilage and bone destruction occurring in joints affected by osteoarthritis. Principle amongst these agents and drugs are steroidal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents and drugs. Steroids include glucocorticoids, hormones produced by the adrenal cortex and the more potent synthetic analogs of these hormones. These agents have many anti-inflammatory activities including the ability to inhibit the proliferation or activity of the immune cells that produce cytokines capable of stimulating collagenase synthesis, release and activation. Unfortunately, anti-inflammatory steroids have a potent catabolic effect on matrix producing cells, therefore they block the synthesis of new matrix components. The consequence of such treatment is the thinning and weakening of connective and support tissues as well as a decreased ability of these tissues to repair themselves.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDS) such as aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, flurbiprofen, etc. act by inhibiting the synthesis or action of key "second messengers" such as prostaglandins. These second messengers carry the "inflammatory signal" to effector cells capable of breaking down connective and support tissues (Vane, J. R. "Prostaglandins as mediators of inflammation." In Advances in Prostaglandin and Thromboxane Research, pp. 791-801, B. Samuelsson and R. Paoletti (eds.), Raven Press NY (1976)). In principle, blocking the signal-chain should prevent the synthesis and activation of the effector molecules that are directly responsible for connective and support tissue destruction. Unfortunately, many signal pathways exist and agents such as the NSAIDS are not effective in fully blocking the inflammatory response seen in osteoarthritic joints nor have they been proven to prevent the connective and support tissue destruction that characterized degenerative joint disease such as osteoarthritis. NSAIDS do not act by inhibiting collagenase gene expression, indeed to one skilled in the art, it is evident based on the data presented in this disclosure that blocking PGE.sub.1 with NSAIDS would block the beneficial effects of PGE.sub.1 which is to suppress collagenase gene expression.
Considerable scientific interest has focused on naturally occurring and synthetic molecules which inhibit neutral metalloproteinases. This class of neutral enzymes, of which collagenase is the prime example are thought to be critical for connective and support tissue breakdown. Natural and synthetic inhibitors have been found capable of blocking the activity of endogenously synthesized, active enzyme collagenase. These inhibitors act directly on the formed enzyme to chemically block its activity, these inhibitors do not act at the level of gene expression. Unfortunately, at the present time, no pharmaceutically acceptable or therapeutically effective collagenase inhibitor is available. Furthermore, should such a compound be produced, there is no indication that it could be properly targeted to connective and support tissues. Cartilage for example is essentially devoid of a vascular supply making drug delivery difficult. Many of the potent, naturally occurring metalloproteinase inhibitors are small peptides. As mentioned earlier with regard to "growth factors" such inhibitor peptides would require parenteral administration and are potentially immunogenic which makes the likelihood that they would be acceptable therapeutic agents remote. Up until the present invention there has been no fully acceptable method for inhibiting the expression of collagenase, the critical enzyme that causes connective and support tissue breakdown. With the exception of certain recently described naturally occurring growth factors, there is no disclosure or suggestion in the prior art of a pharmaceutically acceptable compound that can block collagenase gene expression in connective and support tissues and thereby reduce collagenase activity.
Moreover, the prior art appears to teach away from the findings of the present invention. Prostaglandins are hydroxylated fatty acids which can be produced by many tissues in the body usually in response to inflammatory stimuli. Prostaglandins have been characterized as mediators of inflammation and are thought to be involved in the accelerated connective and support tissue breakdown associated with rheumatic disorders. Prostaglandins of the E.sub.2 class, the class most commonly produced by mammalian cells and the class most commonly studied, stimulate collagenase activity in cells derived from connective and support tissues. Thus, in contrast to prior disclosures that prostaglandins of the E.sub.2 class stimulate collagenase activity, one novel aspect of the present invention is that prostaglandins of the E.sub.1 series can actually block collagenase activity and that prostaglandin E.sub.1 and cyclic adenosine monophosphate block collagenase activity by inhibiting collagenase gene expression.

Methods of protecting and preserving connective and support tissues


A smart display including one or more groups of smart pixels and at least one graphics engine. The at least one graphics engine is fragmented into GPU (graphics processing unit) minute cores. The GPU minute cores are distributed throughout the smart display. The smart pixels with distributed graphics within the smart display perform deep learning. Libraries stored on GPU minute core embedded memory are used to perform object identification using deep learning. The smart display monitors for pixel degradation and, if necessary, performs pixel enhancement.

A display device receives display information in the form of characters, images, video, etc. A display presents the information that it receives without needing any further knowledge or thinking on what is being displayed. In other words, displays are not smart devices. What comes in as input goes out as output onto the display device without thought by the device and without the ability for the display device to manage the display output based on power efficiencies.

Fragmented graphic cores for deep learning using LED displays


A method including enumerating plausible queries of a target database using query generation rules, and generating associated teasers for each of the enumerated queries using query matching rules.

A Web-enabled search engine is software that receives search terms from a user and identifies documents on the Web that contain, or are otherwise associated with, those search terms. Conventional search engines create an inverted index of all the terms that occur in all the documents that have been spidered on the World Wide Web. The search engine receives a user query and attempts to match the user query with terms in the index. Uniform resource locators ("URLs") represent addresses of Web locations that contain hyperlinks that contain the full text of the identified documents within the index.


A method and apparatus to implement a touch-sensor device using shared capacitive sensors. The apparatus includes a first plurality of sensor elements coupled together, a second plurality of sensor elements coupled together independently of the first plurality of sensor elements, and a third plurality of sensor elements coupled together independently of the first and second pluralities of sensor elements. The sensor elements of the first, second, and third pluralities of sensor elements are interspersed and disposed in a repetitive sequence along a movement path of a conductive object.

Computing devices, such as notebook computers, personal data assistants (PDAs), and mobile handsets, have user interface devices, which are also known as human interface device (HID). One user interface device that has become more common is a touch-sensor pad. A basic notebook touch-sensor pad emulates the function of a personal computer (PC) mouse. A touch-sensor pad is typically embedded into a PC notebook for built-in portability. A touch-sensor pad replicates mouse x/y movement by using two defined axes which contain a collection of sensor elements that detect the position of a conductive object, such as finger. Mouse right/left button clicks can be replicated by two mechanical buttons, located in the vicinity of the touchpad, or by tapping commands on the touch-sensor pad itself. The touch-sensor pad provides a user interface device for performing such functions as positioning a cursor, or selecting an item on a display. These touch-sensor pads can include multi-dimensional sensor arrays. The sensor array may be one dimensional, detecting movement in one axis. The sensor array may also be two dimensional, detecting movements in two axes.
FIG. 1A illustrates a conventional touch-sensor pad 100. The touch-sensor pad 100 includes a sensing surface 105 on which a conductive object may be used to position a cursor in the x- and y-axes. Touch-sensor pad 100 may also include buttons such as left and right buttons 110 and 115, respectively. These buttons 110 and 115 are typically mechanical buttons, and operate much like left and right buttons on a mouse. These buttons 110 and 115 permit a user to select items on a display or send other commands to the computing device.
FIG. 1B illustrates another aspect of the conventional touch-sensor pad 100. The touch-sensor pad 100 includes a plurality (e.g., twelve) of metal strips 120, which are also referred to as sensor elements. The sensor elements 120 are coupled to the processing device 125, which includes a plurality of capacitance sensors 130. The capacitance sensors 130 are also referred to as capsensors. Typically, each sensor element 120 is coupled to a corresponding capsensor 130 via an independent pin 135 (i.e., metal pin extending from the chip package of the processing device 125). Thus, the illustrated touch-sensor pad 100 has twelve pins 135 to independently couple each of the twelve sensor elements 120 to the corresponding capsensors 130 within the processing device 125. This one-to-one correspondence between sensor elements 120 and capsensors 130 limits the number of sensor elements 120 and, therefore, the size of a touch-sensor pad 120. Additionally, the functionality of the processing device 125 is limited by the number of pins 135 used for the capsensors 120 because the processing device 125 is not able to electrically connect to other components of the touch-sensor pad 100.
In general, the sensor elements 120 can be used to determine the location or position of a conductive object 140 such as a finger or stylus on the touch-sensor pad 100. For ease of discussion and illustration, the depicted touch-sensor pad 100 includes sensor elements 120 to detect the location and directional movement of the conductive object 140 along a single axis, for example, left-right. One type of touch-sensor pad 100 that detects only directional movement, but not necessarily the location, of the conductive object 140 is referred to as a directional slider. Other touch-sensor pads 100 detect movement in multiple directions such as left-right and up-down.
In order to determine the location and/or directional movement of the conductive object 140 relative to the sensor elements 120, the processing device 125 implements linear search algorithms on the sensor elements 120. With a linear search algorithm, capacitance variations of the sensor elements 120 are detected one-by-one in a linear fashion at the corresponding capsensors 130. By comparing the detected capacitance variation of a sensor element 120 with a baseline capacitance and the capacitance variations on neighboring sensor elements 120, the position of the conductive object 140 (e.g., x coordinate) is determined. For example, the processing device 125 may first detect the capacitance variation on the first sensor element 120, then on the second sensor element 120, and so on from left to right across several sensor elements 120. The processing device 125 implements this linear search algorithm by sequentially sampling the capsensors 130. If the conductive object 140 is on the first sensor element 120, then the processing device 125 only takes one cycle to sample the first capsensor 130. If the conductive object 140 is on the n-th sensor element 120, then the processing device 125 takes as many as n cycles to sample the first through the n-th capsensor 130. Accordingly, the processing device 125 takes, on average, (n+1)/2 cycles to locate the contacting point of the conductive object 140 using this linear search algorithm.
Accordingly, the one-to-one correspondence between the sensor elements 120, capsensors 130, and pins 135 limits the functionality of the processing device 125 and impacts the number of cycles used to detect the position or movement of the conductive object 140.

Touch-sensor with shared capacitive sensors


The invention provides devices, systems and methods for clamping arteries which are useful in reducing or abolishing blood flow in an artery, and may be used to control hemorrhage following a caesarian delivery. A clamping device embodying features of the invention includes a pair of clamping members with opposed pressure-applying members having facing pressure-applying surfaces, at least one of which is a yieldable pressure-applying surface. The yieldable pressure-applying surface is preferably resilient. The clamping members are configured to adjust the distance between pressure-applying surfaces, and a blood flow sensor is disposed on at least one of the pressure-applying members to aid in locating the target artery and also to monitor blood flow through the artery. The clamping device is particularly suitable for occluding uterine arteries by compressing the broad ligament which contains the uterine artery and which is connected to the patient's uterus with the arterial clamp.

Delivery of a baby is followed by separation of the placenta from the uterine wall, usually resulting in a significant loss of blood. Fortunately, the uterus is resistant to anoxic damage caused by reduced blood flow. For example, uterine muscle is typically poorly perfused during labor contractions, yet typically suffers no lasting ill effects from this situation. However, hemorrhage from the uterus following delivery may cause loss of a significant fraction of the mother's blood if it is not stopped quickly. Blood loss from prolonged hemorrhage following delivery presents a serious threat to the life and health of the mother.
The muscular contractions and hormonal changes accompanying vaginal delivery promote rapid cessation of postpartum hemorrhage. However, caesarian delivery is typically not accompanied by such contractions and hormonal changes, and also entails physical injury to the uterus additional to that caused by placental separation. Delivery by caesarian section is thus often accompanied by hemorrhage from the placental attachment site and from the uterine incision required for delivery of the infant. Medical intervention is typically required to reduce blood loss following caesarian deliveries.
The primary blood supply to the uterus, both in the non-gravid uterus and in the pregnant uterus, is from the uterine arteries. A small communicating artery arising from each ovarian artery reaches uterus but in gravid and non-gravis states supplies less than 10% of uterine blood flow. The uterine arteries arise from the internal iliac arteries and reach the uterus through the base of the broad ligament in a space that can not be seen from a surgical perspective looking down on the uterus from within the peritoneal cavity or from a gynecological perspective looking up at the cervix from the vagina. The uterine arteries are, therefore, not visible.
Once the uterine arteries reach the uterus, they give rise to a large ascending branch that supplies the uterus and a smaller descending branch that supplies the cervix. These branches, in turn, give rise to anterior and posterior arcuate arteries. Right and left anterior arcuate arteries anastomose in the anterior sagittal midline of the uterus; posterior arcuate arteries, in the posterior sagittal uterine midline. Consequently, to reduce blood loss following caesarian delivery from the hysterotomy site and from the placenta attachment site, right and left uterine arteries must both be occluded.
Attempts have been made to reduce caesarian delivery blood loss. One method has been to initiate uterine contractions by administering oxytocin or oxytocin-like drugs following caesarian delivery. Another method has been blind clamping of the uterine and ovarian arteries using rubber covered arterial clamps, which was proposed as early as 1922. Similarly, intestinal clamps have been applied to the uterus along its right and left lateral borders, across the entire broad ligament, to minimize caesarian blood loss. Another method includes bilateral surgical ligation of the internal iliac arteries to diminish hemorrhage following caesarian delivery. Bilateral surgical ligation of the uterine arteries, or of the ascending branches of the uterine arteries, to reduce hemorrhaging has been performed from abdominal cavity and from transvaginal approaches. Intravascular balloon occlusion of the aorta and embolic occlusion of the uterine arteries have also been used to treat caesarian hemorrhage. However, all of these methods have met with only limited adoption for a variety of reasons.
For example, many physicians do not possess the training or equipment necessary to perform catheter-based uterine artery embolization under radiologic direction. In addition, such treatments are not appropriate in the case of caesarian hemorrhage, where rapid treatment can be critical and arterial catheterization may not be practical.
Location of the uterine arteries in a patient immediately following a caesarian delivery may be difficult; in addition to being located within the broad ligament that supports the uterus, the uterine arteries are near or within the caesarian surgical field, and so are typically covered with blood, amniotic fluid, and the like which can impede visual identification and medical access following caesarian section. Rapid identification and location of the uterine arteries is required in order to prevent unchecked hemorrhage.
Accordingly, there is need for devices and methods to control blood flow in blood vessels such as uterine arteries by physicians with little training in a simple medical setting or environment.


A holder for a noise current absorber in one aspect of the invention comprises a pair of accommodating portions, and one or more pairs of an engaging portion and an engaged portion. The accommodating portion accommodates a magnetic body. The engaging portion and the engaged portion are engaged with each other and maintain a state that a pair of the magnetic bodies exhibits a cylindrical shape or an annular shape. The engaging portion and the engaged portion form a through hole that penetrates in an insertion direction of the engaging portion. When at least one of the engaging portion and the engaged portion is elastically deformed by using a jig inserted in the through hole, engagement between the engaging portion and the engaged portion is released.

A noise current absorber that is attached to an electric wire and absorbs noise current flowing through the electric wire has been known. As one of the noise current absorbers, a noise current absorber that includes a pair of magnetic bodies and a holder is available. When abutting against each other, the pair of magnetic bodies exhibits a cylindrical shape or an annular shape (both of the shapes are hereinafter collectively referred to as the cylindrical shape) as a whole of the pair of magnetic bodies. The holder holds both of the magnetic bodies in a state that the pair of magnetic bodies exhibits the cylindrical shape.
When the noise current absorber with such a structure is attached to the electric wire, the pair of magnetic bodies in the cylindrical shape surrounds the electric wire from an outer peripheral side. As a result, the pair of magnetic bodies magnetically forms a closed magnetic path and exerts intended noise current absorbing capacity (for example, see Patent Document 1).


Apparatus is provided for connecting rows of contact pads on a leadless integrated circuit (22, FIG. 1 ) to rows of traces on a circuit board (24), which facilitates the connection and which facilitates substitution of a probe for the integrated circuit. The apparatus includes a socket (32) forming a largely rectangular cavity (34) which closely receives the integrated circuit (22), the socket having a lower portion with elongated slots (51-54), each slot holding an elastically compressible interface device (60). Each interface device has a row of compressible conductors each having an upper end engaging a contact pad (26) on the integrated circuit and a lower end engaging a conductive trace (30) on the circuit board. With the socket securely held to the circuit board, the socket can be used to hold a probe (220, FIG. 13 ) with a probe board (222) having contact pads (224) on its lower surface that can lie at the same locations as the contact pads on the integrated circuit when it lies in the socket. Each interface device can have contacts at a finer pitch than the contacts on the integrated circuit or the circuit board, to reduce the precision required in mounting the interface devices on the socket.

IC's (integrated circuits) are often mounted on circuit boards by the use of multiple wire leads on the IC or on a socket holding a leadless IC. The wire leads must be soldered to the circuit board even for testing the entire circuit with the IC in place. As the contact pitch has decreased to 0.5 mm and below, it has become difficult to hand solder the circuit for experimental purposes, and expensive automated soldering equipment is required which also may be limited in the contact pitch it can be used with. The soldering requirement makes it difficult to connect a test probe to the circuit board in place of the integrated circuit to test the board prior to installation of the integrated circuit. The fine pitch can also increase crosstalk which limits the frequency at which the circuit can be used. An apparatus of moderate cost which enabled integrated circuits to be readily connected and disconnected from a printed circuit board, and which allowed a probe to be connected in place of the integrated circuit, would be of considerable value.


A semiconductor device is manufactured by etching a semiconductor substrate including an active region, forming a bit line contact hole from which the active region is protruded, forming a first spacer exposing a top of the active region at each of an inner wall and a bottom of the bit line contact hole, forming a bit line contact plug and a bit line over the exposed active region, and forming a second spacer over the semiconductor substrate including not only the bit line contact plug but also the bit line.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly to a semiconductor device including a Global Bit Line (GBL) and a method for manufacturing the same.
In recent times, technologies of 40 nm or less have been applied to semiconductor devices so that a Global Bit Line (GBL) process has been proposed. However, if misalignment between a bit line contact and a bit line occurs, the GBL process unavoidably generates a poor self-aligned contact (SAC) between a bit line contact and a storage node contact. If a thick bit line spacer is formed to solve the above-mentioned problem, a Not-Open phenomenon of a storage node contact occurs. In addition, if the bit line contact spacer is formed thick, resistance of the bit line contact is increased. In order to prevent the increasing resistance of the bit line contact, an inner GBL process has been proposed. However, the inner GBL process is disadvantageous in that it makes difficult a SAC contact process, and increases parasitic capacitance (Cb) between the bit line and a plate electrode. Increased parasitic capacitance (Cb) has a negative influence upon a sensing margin of the entire semiconductor device, resulting in deterioration of device characteristics.

Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same


A mandrel has a main body having a substantially-cone-shape. The main body has, on its circumferential surface, a spiral-shaped groove at which the glass tube to be wound is held. The groove, in cross section, has a contact range in which the glass tube's circumferential surface is in contact. One end of the contact range corresponds to a circumference part of the glass tube in wound state which is closest to the axis of the main body of the mandrel, a part of the groove that extends from the circumference part towards the apex of the main body is parallel to the axis of the mandrel, and the pitch of the groove in the axial direction of the mandrel is formed smaller than the outer diameter of the glass tube. The glass tube wound on the mandrel is easily removed from the main body by lowering the mandrel. In the arc tube formed in such a way, any two glass tube portions, which are adjacent to each other in the axial direction of the arc tube, overlap with each other.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an arc tube formed in a spiral that broadens out from the middle part towards the end-side, a low-pressure mercury lamp, a lighting apparatus, a mandrel, and to a production method of such an arc tube.
(2) Related Art
Conventionally, there are fluorescent lamps for general lighting purpose that use a circular arc tube (hereinafter, this type of fluorescent lamp is referred to as "circular fluorescent lamp"). The majority of such circular fluorescent lamps have a rated lamp wattage of 18 w to 40 w, and their usage is varied.
Recently, there are strong demands for making smaller circular fluorescent lamps. This is because if a circular fluorescent lamp is made smaller, the lighting apparatus to which the fluorescent lamp is to be fixed can also be made smaller.
One kind of arc tube smaller than conventional circular arc tube is disclosed in the specifications of West German Patent No. 871927, and of West German Patent No. 860675. The disclosed arc tube is formed by winding a glass tube from its center to the both ends around the axis of spiral (hereinafter, "spiral axis"), into a double-spiral configuration that broadens out from the center to the both ends.
Specifically, a body of the double-spiral arc tube is formed by winding a glass tube in softened state on double-spiral grooves cut on a circumferential surface of a mandrel having a substantially circular-cone shape(hereinafter, "glass tube in softened state" is referred to as "softened glass tube" in this specification). The grooves at the circumferential surface of the mandrel are cut to be concave in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the mandrel, and towards the axis. Furthermore the grooves are formed to be concave in a semicircular shape so as to be in contact with half of the circumference of the glass tube. Note that the arc-tube body formed in double-spiral configuration using this mandrel will be shaped so that its glass tube is wound around the axis of the mandrel, and this axis will be the spiral axis for the arc-tube body and of the arc tube.
The pitch of the grooves in the direction into which the axis of the mandrel extends (this direction is called "height direction") is larger than the outer diameter of the glass tube wound on the mandrel. Therefore, there is a problem that, when the arc-tube body is viewed in the direction orthogonal to the spiral axis, space exists between adjacent glass tubes in the direction into which the spiral axis extends (this direction is also called "height direction").
To be more specific, a conventional circular fluorescent lamp is usually fixed to a lighting apparatus having been fixed to the ceiling and the like, and so it is preferably thin. As opposed to this, the arc tube formed using the aforementioned mandrel has large height (i.e. thickness), although being able to have smaller outer diameter than conventional arc tubes used for circular fluorescent lamps. This makes it difficult to make such an arc tube to replace the conventional circular fluorescent lamp.
In addition, suppose that the glass tube's cross section is divided into two by a height-direction line passing through the center of the cross section. Then the cross-section of the grooves of the mandrel has such a shape as to be in contact with a half of the circumference of the glass tube cross-section that is positioned closer to the axis of the mandrel. Accordingly, when taking the wound glass tube out from the mandrel, it is necessary to rotate either the mandrel or the wound glass tube in the reverse direction to the direction of rotation adopted at the time of winding the glass tube. This makes the production of the arc-tube body troublesome, as well as necessitating a complicated production apparatus that includes a driving apparatus for rotating such mandrel or glass tube.

Small arc tube, low-pressure mercury lamp, lighting apparatus, mandrel for forming the arc tube, and production method of the arc tube

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Joint formations that, in joining together joining members employed in a variety of electrical and electronic components, yield sufficiently high joint strength in the direction perpendicular to the plane in which two joining members join, and meanwhile in the direction parallel to the joint plane. First and second joining members have respective joint phases each formed with a different number of distinct yet continuous conformational faces, defining the joint phases so that neither is the matching complement of the other. A bonding agent interposed between the joint phases joins the joining members together. The difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the two joining members, and between them and the bonding agent, is 5.0×10−6/° C. or less. The joining members are a metal such as tungsten or Cu—W, or a ceramic such as AlN or Si3N4; and glass or a solder material is utilized for the bonding agent.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to joint structures in which two members made of ceramic or metal are joined together; more particularly it relates to joint formations for superior joint strength and durability.
2. Description of the Background Art
The various joining members in a variety of electrical and electronic components have conventionally been joined by diverse joining techniques. An example is in susceptor electrodes employed in semiconductor fabrication devices, in which case electrodes consisting of tungsten or other metal are joined into an aluminum-nitride or other ceramic substrate. Techniques that employ glass, and techniques that employ brazing/soldering materials, as a bonding agent in joining the various members in such electrical and electronic components are known. For example, the joining of metal to metal or ceramic to ceramic, or of metal to ceramic, is accomplished with joining techniques employing glass. Likewise, the joining of metal to metal, or of metal to ceramic, and the joining of ceramic on which a metallized superficial layer is formed to like metallized ceramic, are generally accomplished by the joining technique employing brazing/soldering materials.
With the conventional joining techniques noted above, joining is by means of a bonding material between, as shown in FIG. 1, two joining members 1 and 2 where they face each other in like single planar surfaces. Specifically, they are joined by setting like planar surfaces of the joining member 1 on the one hand, and of the joining member 2 on the other, in opposition and applying a bonding agent 3 between the opposing planar surfaces.
Nevertheless, a drawback with conventional joint structures of this sort has been that though the joint strength as far as the direction perpendicular to the joint plane is concerned has been sufficiently high, the joint strength in the direction parallel to the joint plane has been weak. In particular, such joint structures have been extremely weak against force acting in the direction parallel to the joint plane. Consequently, if force in a direction parallel to the joint plane should act on the joining member on the one hand, the two joining members will be liable to come simply apart at the joint plane.


In an optical transmitter, continuous wave light from a laser passes through a data modulator (DM) for non-return-to-zero (NRZ) encoding of a data stream and through a pulse modulator to add return-to-zero encoding to the modulated optical signal. A modulator controller monitors the output optical signal power, optimizes the bias setting for the DM and the PM, and optimizes the phase relationship between the pulse and data components of the modulated optical signal. For each optimization, a low amplitude and low frequency dither signal is injected at appropriate points in the modulator. A single photo detector and electrical receiver are used in a multiplexed fashion to monitor the optical output signal and derive separate feedback signals. Remaining control circuitry forces a null in a respective residual dither component in the optical output signal to maintain the desired bias level or phase alignment.

The present invention relates generally to data encoding and transmission for telecommunications applications, and more specifically to serial encoding to permit reliable and efficient communication of digital data across a fiber optic cable.
In recent years there has been a desire to transmit data across fiber optic cables at ever increasing speed and over longer distances. Current efforts in the industry are targeted at data transmission rates of 40 Gb/s in a single optical channel over hundreds or thousands of kilometers. The demands of such operating frequencies are driving a need for greater performance from system components, such as optical transmitters. Additionally, because of the relatively high prices of components capable of operating at such frequencies, there is a need to realize cost savings where possible so that the prices of new systems can be set sufficiently low to attract customers. Additionally, because of the wide variety of network installations among different communications providers and the emerging nature of many of the formal and de-facto operating standards, it is desirable that system components be sufficiently flexible so as to be usable in a variety of configurations that might be required in such installations over the expected component lifetime.
Among the variations in network installations are the use of different modulation techniques. Non Return-to-Zero (NRZ) modulation is in widespread use and offers relatively simple system design. Binary Phase Shift Key (BPSK) modulation provides power-efficiency gain over NRZ at the expense of more complex transmitter and receiver design. A variant of BPSK is Differential Phase Shift Key (DPSK) modulation in which the baseband binary data is differentially encoded before optical phase modulation. Return-to-Zero (RZ) modulation has beneficial properties in combating distortions seen in fiber optic cables at longer distances. In RZ modulation, the light is turned on and then off to represent one state of a bit, and the light is left off to represent the other state of a bit. Variants of BPSK and DPSK modulation are Return-to-Zero Binary Phase Shift Key (RZ-BPSK) and Return-to-Zero Differential Phase Shift Key (RZ-DPSK) modulation, in which the light is turned on with one phase and then off to represent one binary state, and the light is turned on with another phase and then off to represent the other binary state.
In systems employing any of these modulation formats, the problem of accurately recovering the transmitted data from the received optical signal becomes more difficult as transmission speed and/or distance increases. Generating a very high-quality optical signal at the transmitter becomes more critical. Among the many features of an optical transmitter that contribute to the quality of the transmitted optical signal are the characteristics of the optical modulator. It is important, for example, that the modulator be accurately and stably biased to yield an accurate modulated signal with minimum noise. While there are known techniques for biasing optical modulators that have achieved good operational results, better performance is needed at current and future transmission rates and distances. In systems employing RZ, RZ-BPSK and RZ-DPSK modulation in particular, it is also important to obtain precise, low-jitter phase alignment between a modulating data stream and an RZ pulse stream that are combined to produce the modulated optical signal for transmission.

Control of an optical modulator for desired biasing of data and pulse modulators


A pressure sensing insole according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a first electrode layer including a first conductive region; a first adhesive layer disposed on the first electrode layer and including an insulating region; an intermediate layer disposed on the first adhesive layer; a second adhesive layer disposed on the intermediate layer and including an insulating region; and a second electrode layer disposed on the second adhesive layer and including a second conductive region.

Recently, with the development of electronic technology and information communication technology, a field of health care has been rapidly developing. That is, there has been a need for a health management system capable of measuring a body condition of a person using biometric information. For example, technology has been developed for detecting a wearer's health condition and walking posture by mounting a pressure sensor inside a shoe.
However, when pressure sensors are provided in a sole of a shoe or an insole, a plurality of pressure sensors are required, and additional space is required to insert the pressure sensors. In addition, since the pressure sensors are not flexible and stretchable, the pressure sensors are difficult to apply to a shoe having a curved shape, and a user is likely to feel a sensation of a foreign body.


The present invention provides methods and systems for managing short-term risk to a portfolio of securities holdings while executing an outstanding trade list. The methods and systems may include steps of determining covariances between securities in the outstanding trade list and securities in the portfolio of holdings; receiving a risk variable, at least one constraint on the execution of a trade, and a proposed quantity representing a portion of said outstanding trade list desired to be executed at a particular time; and determining an immediately executable trade list based at least in part on the covariances and risk variable. The executable trade list must satisfy all of the trade constraints and also must be substantially equal to or less then the proposed quantity.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to trading strategies in securities markets. Particularly, this invention relates to a method and system for automatically determining an immediately executable trade list, or "wedge," which both satisfies user constraints, and advances the objectives of the traders, such as minimizing the overall risk to a portfolio of financial security holdings.
2. Background of the Related Art
Various automated trading systems are known, which execute so-called "program" trading strategies in response to market movements.
Generally, portfolio managers for large institutional investors, such as mutual funds, hedge funds, etc., are responsible for trading large blocks of financial securities. These portfolio managers typically prefer not to send large market orders, which may have adverse market implications creating inferior execution prices. However, a portfolio manager's desire to avoid negative trade implications must be balanced with the time frame within which the portfolio manager's trades must be completed. In order to best satisfy the competing criteria, portfolio managers, generally, divide large trade blocks of financial securities into multiple smaller portions which are sent over the given time frame according to a predefined trading strategy. Generally, such a predefined trading strategy would minimize risk to the unexecuted portion of the larger trade block by minimizing unfavorable market movements caused by the execution of the smaller orders.
An example of a known trading strategy is the treatment of an unexecuted trade list as a long-short portfolio and utilizes a multi-factor risk model to construct a minimal risk "portfolio" of unfilled orders to be sent simultaneously for execution. The minimal risk "portfolio" when executed minimizes the risk to short-term return of the unexecuted trade list.
The Markowitz Model (as described in "Portfolio Selection," Dr. H. M. Markowitz, Journal of Finance, Mar. 7, 1952), is a well-known optimization strategy that balances the expected return and risk of a portfolio to allow the construction of one such minimal risk "portfolio." The decision variables used in the model are the amounts invested in each asset. According to this model, the statistical variance of a stock's price is used as a measure of its risk, the expected return of the stock is used as a measure of its utility or long-term prospects, and the variance of a portfolio's return is derived from the covariances for the returns of the individual assets in the portfolio.
Variance is a measure of fluctuation in the rate of return of an asset, such as a financial security. Generally, higher variance levels indicate higher risk investments. Covariance is a measure of the correlation between return fluctuations of multiple assets. A high covariance between two assets indicates that an increase or decrease in one asset's return is likely to correspond to a parallel increase or decrease in the second asset's return. Conversely, a negative covariance indicates that an increase or decrease in one asset's return is likely to correspond to an opposite increase or decrease in the second asset's return. Moreover, a low covariance indicates that the return rates of the two assets are relatively independent, meaning an increase or decrease in one asset's return will have little or no effect on the return of another asset. Thus, the risk of a portfolio is best determined not by a simple weighted average of the risks of individual assets in the portfolio, but instead by assessing the relationships between the returns of the various individual assets in a portfolio.
A shortcoming of the known trading risk objective model is that it fails to account for short-term effects that each trade has on the overall portfolio of holdings, which includes securities not to be traded and unexecuted securities to be traded. Further, this shortcoming is exacerbated when portfolio managers must adhere to certain constraints in their trades, thus limiting the viable options for any given trade.
Thus, there exists a need for improvements in the art which allows for proper selection of the best trade option from all viable trade options which a portfolio manager has available. This selection should be based on both the objectives of and constraints on the individual trades.

Managing security holdings risk during portfolio trading


Titanium based and nickel based castings are made by casting a suitable melt having a relatively low melt superheat into a mold cavity defined by one or more low carbon steel or titanium mold members where the melt solidifies to form the desired casting. The melt super-heat is limited so as not to exceed about 150.degree. F. above the liquidus temperature of the particular melt being cast. For a steel mold, one or more titanium melt inlet-forming members are provided for cooperating with the steel mold members to form an melt ingate that communicates to the mold cavity for supplying the melt thereto in a manner to avoid harmful iron contamination of the melt during casting. The mold body-to-mold cavity volume ratio is controlled between 10:1 to 0.5:1 to minimize casting surface defects and mold wear/damage.

Titanium, titanium based alloy, and nickel based alloy castings are used in large numbers in the aerospace industry. Many such castings are made by the well known investment casting process wherein an appropriate melt is cast into a preheated ceramic investment mold formed by the lost wax process. Although widely used, investment casting of complex shaped components of such reactive materials can be characterized by relatively high costs and low yields. Low casting yields are attributable to several factors including surface or surface-connected, void type defects and/or inadequate filling of certain mold cavity regions, especially thin mold cavity regions, and associated internal void, shrinkage and like defects.
Permanent mold casting has been employed in the past as a relative low cost casting technique to mass produce aluminum, copper, and iron based castings having complex, near net shape configurations. However, only fairly recently have attempts been made to produce titanium and titanium alloy castings using the permanent mold casting process. For example, the Mae et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,865 issued Jun. 9, 1992, discloses a copper alloy mold assembly for use in the permanent mold, centrifugal casting of titanium and titanium alloys.


An in vitro method for predicting the onset of type 1 diabetes (T1 D) in a subject, comprises the steps of: (a) measuring the concentration of at least one amino acid, amino acid derivative or amino acid metabolite in a biological sample taken from the subject; (b) determining the subject's HLA genotype; (c) assigning the subject's genetic risk of developing T1 D on the basis of the subject's HLA genotype; (d) combining the information obtained in step (a) with the information in step (c); and (e) predicting the likelihood of onset of T1 D based upon the combination of step (d). The diagnostic method can be used to select target subjects for T1 D prophylactic treatment, and as part of a T1 D preventative treatment regime for neonates having a likelihood of developing childhood T1 D.

Diabetes mellitus ("diabetes") is a medical disorder characterized by persistent variable hyperglycemia (i.e. high blood sugar levels). It can result from either inadequate secretion of the hormone insulin, an inadequate response by the body to insulin, or a combination of these factors. The most common forms of diabetes are type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes (T1D, also known as "childhood", "juvenile" or "insulin-dependent" diabetes) is most commonly diagnosed in children and adolescents. It is an autoimmune disorder, in which the patient's own immune system attacks the beta cells in the Islets of Langerhans of the pancreas—where insulin is produced, and/or the insulin molecule itself. Consequently, patients with clinical T1D require regular insulin replacement therapy, immunosuppression treatment or even more experimental therapies such as islet transplantation and stem cell therapy. However, none of these treatments are ideal. While insulin replacement therapy and immunosuppression require long term treatment and cannot eradicate all diabetes induced complications, islet transplantation and stem cell therapy are not widely available and are very expensive.
Throughout the world the percentage incidence of T1D is increasing, and this is especially true of the early onset form of T1D, which affects children under the age of 4 yrs. Currently in North America T1D affects approximately 1 in 300 people and accounts for approximately 10% of all diabetic cases.
T1D is a multigenetic disorder, with up to 20 genes known to contribute. Of these, the major genetic susceptibility determinants are the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II alleles, HLA-DR and HLA-DQ, which are associated with up to 50% of all T1D cases. However, genetic factors alone cannot account for a person's susceptibility to the disease. For instance, less than 10% of new T1D patients have an affected family member, while the concordance between genetically identical twins is only approximately 50%. In addition, the incidence of T1D is rising far too rapidly to be attributed merely to the inheritance of diabetogenic genes. Thus, it is widely acknowledged that non-genetic, environmental factors (e.g. nutrition, infectious agents) must also play an important role in either the triggering or progression of the disease process, or both.
Indeed, several prospective studies have suggested that factors operating early in life may play an important role in the etiopathogenesis of T1D (Akerblom H. K. Vaarala O, Hyoty H, Ilonen J, Knip M., Environmental factors in the etiology of type 1 diabetes, 2002, Am. J. Med. Genet. May, 115(1), 18-29). Amongst the environmental factors that may be involved, dietary factors operating early in life, i.e. short breast feeding, early exposure to cow's milk, early introduction of gluten, have been suggested to increase the risk of developing the disease (Virtanen S. M. & Knip M. Nutritional risk predictors of beta cell autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes at a young age, 2003, Am. J. Clin. Nutr., December, 78(6), 1053-1067; and Ziegler A. G. Schmid S, Huber D, Hummel M, Bonifacio E., Early infant feeding and risk of developing type 1 diabetes-associated autoantibodies, 2003, J. Am. Med. Assoc, October, 290(13), 1721-1728).
The non-genetic factors that contribute to T1D susceptibility are even less well defined than the genetic factors. In particular, there is little verifiable evidence of the specific contribution of non-genetic factors to T1D or how such factors interact with and influence the known genetic predeterminants.
The clinical onset (i.e. the insulin-dependent stage) of T1D is preceded by a sub-clinical phase, that can last up to several years, during which the insulin-producing islet cells and/or the patient's insulin are progressively destroyed. The sub-clinical phase is typically characterized by the presence of autoantibodies, which target one or more of the subject's islet cells (islet cell antibodies, ICAs), insulin (insulin autoantibodies, IAAs), glutamic acid decarboxylase (glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibodies, GADAs) and tyrosine phosphatase (tyrosine phosphatase autoantibodies, IA-2As). Accordingly, there is potentially a window of opportunity during which subjects at risk of T1D may be identified for preventative therapy.
Increasingly, combinations of markers are being used to better define the risk of diabetes. However, while the detection of two or more types of autoantibody (ICA, IAA, GADA and IA-2A) has been linked to the future onset of diabetes, significant problems remain in the selection and identification of subjects having a high probability of developing T1D, and especially of children vulnerable to the early-onset form.
In this regard, until now, the selection of candidates for T1D predictive testing has largely focused on those subjects who have a family member already with the disease. However, with a less than 10% familial correlation, this approach is entirely inadequate to provide an effective means of identifying 90% of eventual T1D patients for intervention therapy. Hence, there is a need for a reliable, effective and simple method for predicting susceptibility or predisposition to T1D, that can be readily used for large-scale screening of the general population, rather than of specific genetic sub-groups.
Although children who develop early-onset T1D (i.e. in the period 0-4 yrs) may show signs of IAAs even from birth, it is not possible to distinguish neonatal autoantibodies from transplacental maternal IgGs in the first year of life. Accordingly, of those neonatal children tested and found positive for particular autoantigens, the vast majority may not ultimately develop T1D.

Prediction and prophylactic treatment of type 1 diabetes


A method and system for receiving user input data into a computer system having a graphical windowing environment. A touch-sensitive display screen for displaying images and detecting user activity is provided. A management component connects to the graphical windowing environment to create an input panel window for display on the screen. An input method which may be a COM object is selected from multiple input methods available, and installed such that the input method can call functions of the management component. Each input method includes a corresponding input panel, such as a keyboard, which it draws in the input panel window. When the user taps the screen at the input panel, the input method calls a function of the management component to pass corresponding input information appropriate information such as a keystroke or character to the management component. In response, the management component communicates the user data to the graphical windowing environment as a message, whereby an application program receives the message as if the message was generated on a hardware input device.

Small, mobile computing devices such as personal desktop assistants including hand-held and palm-top computers and the like are becoming important and popular user tools. In general, they are becoming small enough to be extremely convenient while consuming less and less battery power, and at the same time becoming capable of running more and more powerful applications.
Although such devices continue to shrink in size, size limitations are being reached as a result of human limitations. For example, a full character keyboard that enables user data input cannot be so small that human fingers cannot depress the individual keys thereon. As a result, the size of such devices (e.g., palm-top computers) has become limited to that which can accommodate a full character keyboard for an average user.
One solution to reducing the size of the portion of the device that receives user input is to provide a touch-sensitive display, and thereby substantially eliminate the need for a physical keyboard. To this end, an application program such as a word processor displays a keyboard, whereby the user enters characters by touching the screen at locations corresponding to the displayed keys. Of course, touch screen devices can also be used simultaneously with devices having a physical keyboard, whereby characters can also be entered by manually pressing the keys of the physical keyboard.
While a touch-screen device serves to provide a suitable means of user data entry, the data entry panel is typically part of the application program, i.e., each application needs to develop its own touch-sensitive interface. As a result, a substantial amount of duplication takes place. For example, both the word processor and a spreadsheet program require alphanumeric keyboard input, whereby each provides its own touch-screen keyboard interface. Other types of programs, such as a calculator program, need a numeric keypad with additional keys representing mathematical operations. This makes each program larger, more complex and consumes computer system resources.
Alternatively, the operating system can supply all the virtual keyboards and thus eliminate the redundancy, however this limits applications to using only those virtual keyboards supplied by the operating system. Newer applications (e.g., those added by plug-in modules) are unable to provide an input mechanism that is more tailored to its particular needs. For example, a new paintbrush program may need its own graphical input screen. In sum, there is a tradeoff between flexibility and efficiency that is inherent with present user data input mechanisms.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An LED light with kaleidoscope effects includes an LED light source in the form of a matrix that can be electronically controlled to provide different images. Since image changing is carried out by turning on and off LEDs in the LED matrix, there is also no need for the changing or adjustment means to move the display unit(s) or inner medium (if any). Instead, the changing means only needs to change the LEDs color, brightness, and/or turn-on and turn-off timing or sequence.

This application has subject matter in common with the inventor's U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/021,124, entitled "LED Light has Changeable Image and Pattern and filed on Feb. 4, 2011 (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2012-0200828).
The application also has subject matter in common with the inventor's U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/710,918, entitled "LED Light has More Than One Reflector Means", now U.S. Pat. No. 8,277,087, which discloses an LED light with a kaleidoscope means that has more than one reflective means, mirror, or mirror-like means assembled into the kaleidoscope means.
The application also has subject matter in common with the inventor's U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/806,284, entitled "LED Light has More Than One Optic Means" and now U.S. Pat. No. 7,632,004, which discloses an LED light that is similar to that of the current invention in that it applies an optics means in front of or in back to create, adjust, magnify, reduce, or enlarge the an image, the LED light beams, the LED lights' image, or the shape of the image, and which includes any combination of optics lens, optics mirror, laser hologram, laser grating film, and optics assembly.
The inventor's U.S. Pat. No. 7,455,444 discloses an LED light having more than one LED light means that, like the LED light of the current invention, uses more than one LED to form matrix arrangements with one or more of the following additional elements: circuit means, IC means, sensor means, switch means, brightness control means, color mix means, color selection means, color freeze means, motor means, gear means, and turn-on and turn-off means that cause a certain number of LEDs to turn-on and off with a desired color, brightness, light brightness output, light functions, or matrix combinations. The additional elements may also include motor means, rotating means, gear set means, optics means, or laser means, to cause the kaleidoscope to create desired light patterns.
Additional applications of the inventor that have subject matter in common with the present application include U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 12/948,953; 12/938,564; 12/886,832; 12/876,507; 12/771,003; 12/624,621; 12/914,584; 12/318,471; 12/318,470; 12/834,435; 12/292,153 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,871,192); Ser. No. 12/232,505 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,832,917); Ser. No. 12/318,473 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,832,918); Ser. No. 12/624,621; (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,303,150); Ser. No. 12/771,003; (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,408,736); Ser. No. 12/876,507 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,083,377); Ser. Nos. 12/886,832; 12/938,564; 12/948,953; and 13/021,107.
Included in the above-listed patent applications of the inventor are nine that disclose projection light devices.
The inventor's patent applications also disclose light devices that have interchangeable power AC and DC power source arrangements, including prong means, extension cords, adaptors, transformers, for connection to different power source types such as solar or wind power, batteries, chemical power, and biologic power that can be utilized for both desk top and plug-in types of projection light devices having built-in kaleidoscope means. These applications include U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 12/318,473 and 12/940,255 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,231,246).
As described above, the inventor's U.S. patent applications and issued patents thus disclose a wide variety of different LED light device features, including: (1) a project light device; (2) more than one optics means; (3) more than one LED; (4) more than one reflective means; (5) interchangeable power sources; (6) laser means; (7) an adjustable focus and position changing mechanisms (8) and a motor and gear set for moving the adjustable focus and positioning changing mechanisms, any or all of which may be used in the LED light device having kaleidoscope means disclosed in the inventor's U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/021,124, which incorporates (1) the traditional kaleidoscope-means and a variety of constructions; (2) an LED light; (3) changing-means to cause an inner-medium of the kaleidoscope means to change position, orientation, or relationship; (4) control means to control the changing-means, light functions, brightness, color, and/or light effects; (5) a projection assembly with optics-means and parts and accessories; and (6) a power source to provide power to the LED device with kaleidoscope means during desired hours and thereby offer illumination.


A magnetic recording medium is provided that comprises a non-magnetic support and at least one magnetic layer above the support, the magnetic layer comprising a ferromagnetic powder dispersed in a binder, and the binder comprising a polyurethane resin having a weight-average molecular weight of 200,000 to 400,000. There is also provided a magnetic recording medium that comprises a non-magnetic support, a non-magnetic layer above the support, the non-magnetic layer comprising a non-magnetic powder dispersed in a binder, and at least one magnetic layer above the non-magnetic layer, the magnetic layer comprising a ferromagnetic powder dispersed in a binder and the binder of the magnetic layer and/or the non-magnetic layer comprising a polyurethane resin having a weight-average molecular weight of 200,000 to 400,000.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic recording medium comprising a non-magnetic support and at least one magnetic layer above the support, the magnetic layer comprising a ferromagnetic powder dispersed in a binder.
2. Description of the Related Art
Magnetic recording technology has been widely used in various fields including video, audio, and computer applications, etc. since it has the excellent advantages, which cannot be seen in other recording systems, that the medium can be used repeatedly, a signal is easily converted to electronic form and a system can be built in combination with peripheral equipment, and the signal can easily be corrected.
In general, in order to meet the demand for higher recording density in magnetic recording media for computers, etc., it is necessary to further enhance the electromagnetic conversion characteristics, and it is important to make a ferromagnetic powder finer and make the surface of the medium ultra smooth.
With regard to making a magnetic substance finer, a ferromagnetic metal powder or a ferromagnetic hexagonal ferrite powder of 0.1 μm or less has recently been used as a magnetic substance. Furthermore, in order to highly disperse the fine particle magnetic substance or a fine particulate non-magnetic powder used in a non-magnetic layer when a multi-layer structure in which the non-magnetic lower layer is provided on the surface of a support and a magnetic layer is then provided as an upper layer is employed, there has therefore been proposed a dispersion technique for carrying out planarization by introducing a hydrophilic polar group such as —SO3M (M denotes hydrogen, an alkali metal, or an ammonium salt) into a binder and making a binder chain adsorb on the magnetic substance and the non-magnetic powder via the polar group.
For example, there has been proposed an adhesive composition and a binder of a magnetic recording medium employing a polyurethane resin obtained from an aliphatic isocyanate and a diol having a branched side chain (ref. JP-A-5-70757, JP-A-6-162487, JP-A-8-17036, JP-A-2000-319585, JP-A-2001-126230, JP-A-11-39639, and JP-A-9-69222; JP-A denotes a Japanese unexamined patent application publication). However, even when these binders are used, the dispersibility of the magnetic substance is insufficient; in particular, an ultrafine particle ferromagnetic powder necessary for achieving higher density cannot be dispersed sufficiently, and there is the problem that adequate electromagnetic conversion characteristics cannot be obtained.
Furthermore, when these binders are used, there are the problems that sufficient coating strength cannot be obtained and sufficient repetitive transport durability cannot be guaranteed.


A Group II-VI IR photodiode 10 has a passivation layer 16 overlying at least exposed surfaces of the p-n diode junction 15, the passivation layer being a compositionally graded layer comprised of Group II atoms diffused into a surface of the p-n diode junction. The passivation layer has a wider energy bandgap than the underlying diode material thereby repelling both holes and electrons away from the surface of the diode and resulting in improved diode operating characteristics. A cation substitution method of the invention includes the steps of preparing a surface to be passivated, such as by depleting an upper surface region of Group II atoms; depositing a layer comprised of a Group II material over the depleted surface region; and annealing the deposited layer and underlying Group II-VI material such that atoms of the deposited Group II layer diffuse into the underlying depleted surface region and fill cation vacancy sites within the depleted surface region. The resulting passivation layer is a compositionally graded layer having an energy bandgap which gradually decreases in value as a function of depth from the surface until the bandgap energy equals that of the underlying bulk material. The preparation of the surface may also be accomplished by providing a body of Group II-VI material which has a substantially stoichiometric composition.

Mercury--cadmium--telluride (Hg.sub.(1-x) Cd.sub.x Te, where x ranges from approximately zero to 1.0 and has typical values ranging from 0.2 to 0.4) photodiodes are typically fabricated as two dimensional arrays and include a layer of passivation applied to an upper surface of the array, the passivation layer comprising low-temperature photochemical SiO.sub.2, evaporated ZnS, or anodically grown CdS. While suitable for some imaging applications it has been found that during certain subsequent processing steps which involve the array, such as a 100.degree. C., high vacuum bake cycle required to outgas a vacuum Dewar which houses the photodiode array, that such a conventional passivation layer may be disadvantageous. For example, there has been observed a degradation in critical performance parameters such as leakage current, quantum efficiency, noise (especially at low frequencies), spectral response, and optical area. This degradation is especially evident in long-wavelength detectors where changes in surface potential approaches the bandgap energy. Porosity of the passivation layer and lack of adhesion to the underlying HgCdTe surface are also common problems observed with the aforedescribed conventional passivation layers.
Furthermore, inasmuch as these conventional passivation materials form no more than a coating upon the HgCdTe surface, control over the energy levels at the HgCdTe/passivation interface is difficult or impossible to achieve. A limitation of such conventional coatings is that it is necessary to both create and maintain flatband conditions at the HgCdTe/passivation interface if the array is to maintain a desired level of performance parameters, especially during and after high temperature processing and storage.

Graded layer passivation of group II-VI infrared photodetectors


An insert forming apparatus and method is provided for making an insert to conformingly fit a shoe and a person's foot within the shoe. The method for practicing the invention includes using standard molding techniques to form a mold of the bottom of the last and using the mold to vacuum form a lower shell half that conforms to the bottom of the last. With the lower shell half covering the mold and having vacuum communicating holes drilled therein, the last is placed in the lower shell half and the upper shell half is drawn down over the last and lower shell half by vacuum forming. When the upper and lower shell halves have been formed, a hole is drilled in the lower shell half for injecting curable material. A sheet of fabric or leather is placed over the lover shell half, a person's foot is placed on the fabric or leather in the lower shell half, and the upper shell half is placed over the person's foot and fastened to the lower shell half. Curable material is then injected into the lower shell half between the lower shell half and the fabric or leather, thus forming an orthotic appliance that conforms to the shoe and to the person's foot.

This invention relates to orthotics and specifically to orthotics that fit a foot and a shoe. The invention particularly relates to orthotics formed in a casting shell that conforms to the contours of the last of the patient's shoe.
Orthotics are known in the prior art. See for example, Meyer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,142; Sloane, U.S. Pat. No. 2,742,657; Daley, U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,252; and Cumberland, U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,841.
Although ready-made and custom-made orthotics have been known in the prior art there are two outstanding obstacles that interfere with the success of these products. First, there is the problem in matching the orthosis to the contour of the insole of the shoe it is to be worn in, as well as the foot's plantar surface. This is particularly the case when an orthotic technician is making soft or flexible orthotics. This takes considerable skill and some art work. If these two surfaces fail to mate perfectly the orthosis will distort under body weight and take the shape of the shoe, thus losing accommodation.
Another major problem is the fact that the foot does not always fall into the range of standard shoe sizes, widths, and last shapes, and even with a custom-made orthosis to fit a foot, the orthosis may not fit the shoe. This will mean that the orthosis may help with symptoms but may not address the cause of the problem.
The present invention makes it possible to accommodate many people in ready-made shoes who now must have their shoes custom-made. This will greatly increase their shoe style selection and reduce their costs. Additionally, there are thousands of people who badly need custom-made shoes but cannot afford them and have suffered greatly as a result. With this invention, many of them will be able to be fitted comfortably in ready-made shoes.
According to the present invention a casting shell for making an orthosis to conformingly fit a shoe and a patient's foot within the shoe comprises a shell piece which conforms to a portion of a last of the shoe, the shell piece having an opening to allow removal from the patient's foot, a mating shell piece which conforms to the rest of the last of the shoe, means for injecting an insole forming material into said shell, and means for fastening the shell pieces together about a foot.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention a casting shell is provided for making an insole to conformingly fit a shoe and a patient's foot within the shoe. The casting shell comprises an upper shell half which conforms to a last of the shoe, the upper shell half having an opening flange to allow removal from the patient's foot, a lower shell half which conforms to the last of the shoe and has an aperture in the medial arch area, an injector tube coupled to the aperture in the lower shell half for injecting insole forming material, fasteners for fastening the upper and lower shell halves together, and a clamp for maintaining the opening flange in the closed position while injecting insole forming material.
The present invention also comprises a method for making an insole to conformingly fit a shoe and a patient's foot within the shoe. The method comprises the steps of obtaining an appropriate sized shoe having a deep last to provide room to accommodate the insole and the foot, obtaining a shell made from the last from which the shoe is made, placing the patient's foot in the shell, injecting a curable insole forming material under and about the patient's foot to fit the contour of the foot and the interior of the shell, curing the insole forming material, and removing the insole and placing it in the shoe.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the shell has an upper shell half and a lower shell half joined together at a parting line about generally the largest perimeter of the shell and means for fastening the upper and lower shell halves together. Insole forming material is then injected into the lower shell half under and about the patient's foot to form a shape that fits the patient's foot and the shell.
To practice the invention, spacing tape may be affixed to the bottom sides of the last from which the patient's shoe is made. The spacing tape should have a thickness that is substantially equal to that of the lower shell half material. The last is then inverted in a sand casting box and a suitable casting material such as Liquid Last, a product of Riecken's Orthotic Laboratory, which material is made from talc, polyester resin, and microcellular glass beads or plaster, is poured over the last to form a mold. The mold should have the proper heel height for the last cast into it. The edges of the mold should turn up around the sides of the last to the last's widest perimeter leaving a ledge along the edge of the last for the upper half of the casting shell to mate with.
This mold of Liquid Last can be used as the lower shell half, however it is an opaque, heavy, and solid block of expensive material. Thus, for production purposes it may be modified slightly and used as a master mold for forming the production casting shells on a vacuum forming machine. The mold is removed, trimmed as appropriate, and holes are drilled through the mold to communicate a vacuum from the vacuum forming machine to the material to be vacuum formed. A heated blank of lower shell half material is placed over the mold on the vacuum forming machine and drawn down by the vacuum forming machine. That lower shell half is then removed from the mold and a second blank of lower shell half material is drawn down to form a second lower shell half. One of those lower shell halves is put aside for use as the lower portion of a casting shell, and the other lower shell half has holes drilled through it to coincide and align with the holes previously drilled in the mold. These holes are drilled to allow the vacuum to communicate between the vacuum forming machine and the upper shell half material to be formed by the vacuum forming machine. The second lower shell half is then reinserted in the mold and the last is placed therein. A notch is cut through the lower shell half and into the mold at a position adjacent to the heel curve of the last. A flange forming piece is then mounted on the last and the last is inserted into the foot receiving cavity of the lower shell half ensuring that the flange forming piece engages the notch in the lower shell half and the mold. A blank of upper shell half material is then drawn down over the last and the lower shell half. The upper shell half is removed and trimmed to provide a hole for the ankle and to allow the upper shell half opening flange to open and close. The upper shell half is laid on and aligned with the lower shell half and fastener receiving holes are drilled through mating flanges formed in the shell halves. Injector tube holes are drilled in the medial arch area to accommodate a filler tube for injecting the insole forming materials.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, an insole cover is placed in the foot receiving cavity of the lower shell half, the patient's foot is placed on the insole cover, and the position of the fastener receiving holes are marked on the insole cover. The insole cover is removed, the holes are punched through, and the insole cover is replaced in the foot receiving cavity. The patient's foot is lightly placed on top of the insole cover and the insole cover is then adjusted to align the holes punched therein to align with the fastener receiving holes. The upper shell half is then placed over the patient's foot and fasteners are inserted through the fastener receiving holes, thereby joining the upper shell half, the lower shell half, and holding the insole cover therebetween. Insole forming material is then injected through the injection tube into the lower shell half under and about the patient's foot.
The present invention can be practiced for various purposes. One such use is as a sizing device. The clear plastic casting shell base alone lets you see at a glance, once a foot is placed in it, if the size is proper. These bases would be of great assistance as fitting devices in all shoe stores, even self-service stores. A second use would be to improve fit and comfort of ready-made footwear to the extent that in many cases ready-made footwear can be made as comfortable as custom-made footwear. By sizing patients in casting shells, in accordance with the invention, a technician can determine the true insole size needed for comfort and proper function and can form insoles that will be the exact shape of feet and thick enough to take up any excess room in ready-made shoes.
A third use of the casting shells would be to serve as a mold to cast, fabricate, or heat form custom orthosis for the foot's plantar surface area. After the proper size shell has been selected, it is used as a form in which to assemble needed modalities on a full or partial insole to make a custom orthotic.
Another and important use of the casting shell is to accommodate partial amputations and/or mis-mated foot conditions. When dealing with major amputations, the bottom of the orthosis can be made up in the casting shell out of fiberglass. This gives the rigidity needed to prevent the shoe from folding back and it also becomes a spring that stores energy from the gait cycle to aid in toe off situations. If the amputation has been rather extensive, such as a chopart, lisfranc, or transmetatarsal, a filler block of flexible foam may be formed. It can be made of urethane or silicone foam and can be formed in the casting shell so as to become part of the orthotic. It preferably should not extend closer than one-half inch to the anterior end of the foot, this remaining space being filled with accommodative visco elastic polymer. This saves considerable weight, eliminates the need for a high, rigid rocker and improves function.
Additional objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.