A computer implemented method of passive verification of an electronic design, includes the steps of receiving a first electronic design file of a first electronic design comprised at least in part of a mixed signal or analog system, the first electronic design file including at least one first system and first subsystem, collecting first input data from at least one first system input and first subsystem input, analyzing a first parameter of the first input data, receiving a second electronic design file of a second electronic design comprised at least in part of a mixed signal or analog system, the second electronic design file including at least one second system and second subsystem that are comparable in function to the at least one first system and first subsystem of the first electronic design file, collecting second input data from at least one second system input and second subsystem input of the second design file, analyzing the first parameter of the second input data, comparing the analysis of the first parameter of the first input data of the at least one first system and first subsystem in said first design file to the analysis of the first input parameter of the second input data of the least one second system and second subsystem in the second design file and repeating the comparison for a series of input parameters to build a history of verification coverage of input parameters of the at least one second system and second subsystem of the second design file relative to the at least one first system and first subsystem of the first design file.

The method and system and is particularly useful in, but not limited to the passive verification of analog and mixed signal integrated circuits.
Electronic design automation (EDA) is software for designing electronic blocks. There are several broad types of electronic signals, components and blocks, digital, analog and a mixture of digital and analog termed mixed signal. The electronic design generally comprises at least one of the following levels of circuit information, a system level, an architectural level, a dataflow level, an electrical level, a device level and a technology level and/or the like.
Digital signals have discrete input and output values "0" and "1", occurring at discrete time values, typically tied to a clock signal. Digital components which input and output the digital signals typically have static pin outs and interaction protocols. Digital blocks comprised of the digital components have well established and well documented physical layouts and electrical interactions. The simulators for digital blocks are discrete time event driven simulators.
Analog signals generally have continuous input and output values that may vary over time. Analog components typically have customizable layouts, in order to modify inputs, outputs, triggers, biases, etc. Therefore, due to customization, analog blocks comprised of the analog components, may not have well established or well documented physical layouts or electrical interactions. The simulators for analog blocks generally necessitate continuous time domain simulators.
Mixed signal blocks are a combination of digital signal blocks and analog signal blocks within a component being simulated. The most common options available for simulation are to simulate the component as a grouping of analog blocks, or, to separately analyze the analog components/blocks and the digital components/blocks and translate the inputs and outputs at the boundaries of the digital and analog domains for inter-domain communication.
Within EDA there are two broad categories of circuit review that are often related, simulation and verification. Simulation is a numerical solution set that predicts the behavior of a circuit. Verification is the systematic pursuit of describing the behavior of a circuit under relevant conditions (functional verification) and over manufacturing process variation (parametric verification). Therefore, verification generally necessitates a much more extensive review of the circuit, its operating conditions and manufacturing operation variations than a simulation. It is possible to run a large number of simulations without verifying to any significant degree the functionality of a circuit. Verification is the mathematical modeling of circuit behavior and evaluation of circuit performance over a range of conditions. Ultimately, the measure of success of verification is to report how well the circuit design complies with the circuit specification. Analog and mixed signal verification methodology is struggling to keep pace with the complexity, cost, and computational demands of ever-growing analog and mixed signal circuits.
The number and complexity of verification test cases grows with the complexity of analog and mixed signal designs. Additionally, simulation speed decreases and memory utilization increases as the size of the circuit grows. Thus, the computational processing-power to verify a circuit may dramatically increase with circuit complexity. To make this issue more painful, verification occurs at the end of a design cycle where schedule delays are perceived to be most severe. Thus, verification is an activity that generally necessitates a significant amount of simulation processing-power for a small part of the overall design cycle, and the efficient use of verification resources is generally necessitated to meet time to market demands.
Today's complex verification solutions specifically focus engineering on the verification activity to ensure that the operation of the circuit is fully and efficiently verified under at least most pertinent conditions. This focused analog and mixed signal verification is much more manual and experience driven than digital verification. There is a long felt need to gain as much information from the verifications that have been run to reduce duplicate simulations and to insure that primary and secondary sub-circuit simulations are aligned internal to the circuit and externally to the test bench.
Robust verification of analog and mixed signal circuits generally necessitates a significant investment in test benches, performance analysis routines, and macro-models that may be used to accelerate the simulations. The complexity of this collateral grows with the complexity of the analog and mixed signal integrated circuits. As a design team adds design resources it also needs to add verification resources, adding to the cost of the design. The efficient use of those resources becomes paramount due to the inevitable time constraints that are imposed at the end of the design cycle, when companies are trying to get a product to market.
The current technology trajectory within the electronics manufacturing industry is to move more and more toward single chip designs, called Systems on a Chip (SoC). Most systems on a chip generally necessitate some level of mixed signal verification. As mixed signal designs continue to increase in size and complexity, this places additional burdens on verification to insure first pass design success and reducing time-to-market. Although the complexity of analog and mixed signal ASIC design has aggressively followed Moore's law, innovations in design verification generally have not.
Valuable design time and compute resources as well as expensive simulator resources may be saved by the disclosed method for achieving verification coverage based on passive data collection of simulations that have been and are being run. This historical sampling and analysis allows an alignment of test conditions within hierarchies and between hierarchies to insure that duplicate tests are avoided and that untested conditions are identified.
Therefore the disclosure implements improved verification efficiency through utilization of historical data acquired through passive recording and analysis. These and other potential advantageous, features, and benefits of the present disclosure may be understood by one skilled in the arts upon careful consideration of the detailed description of representative examples of the disclosure in connection with the accompanying drawings.

System and method for passive verification


Apparatus configured to open, close, unlock and lock a flap of a motor vehicle. A drive link of a kinematic drive mechanism is configured to act on a kinematic flap mechanism, in which a deflecting lever of the kinematic actuating mechanism is drivable by an actuator and, during a closing movement, engages in an engagement element of the kinematic flap mechanism or of the flap and, in the process, closes and locks the flap.

A folding-top compartment cover is disclosed in European Patent Publication EP 1318041 B1, and includes a first slider which moves to and fro and actuates a locking mechanism in order to unlock or lock the vehicle flap, and a second slider which is movable to and fro in the first slider and is coupled directly or indirectly to the vehicle flap for opening and closing the vehicle flap. In this case, at least the main direction of movement of the first slider and of the second slider is preferably substantially parallel. Use is made of at least two sliders which have to be guided in guide rails or the like. Such sliders are driven via driving cables, gearwheels and/or racks, belts, links and the like.


The systems and methods disclosed relate to an air intake assembly, wherein the air intake assembly comprises: a frame comprising a plurality of openings, wherein each one of the plurality of openings comprises a V-shaped cross-section. The air intake assembly further comprises a plurality of slats, wherein each one of the plurality of slats comprises a V-shaped cross-section. The air intake assembly further comprises a stiffener configured to provide structural support to the plurality of slats, wherein the stiffener is disposed within an interior of the frame. The plurality of slats are disposed within the frame through the plurality of openings of the frame and through the stiffener.

There are updated standards requiring air intake assemblies, or louvers, to be sight-proof while continuing to allow air flow. Existing structures will need to be retro-fitted with such sight-proof air intake assemblies, however, the required dimensions for each assembly varies as each existing structure may be sized differently from one another. Furthermore, there is a need for the horizontal slats to be structurally sound while blocking a line of sight into the existing structure.

Modular slim sight-proof air intake assembly


A memory operable at a high speed is obtained. This memory comprises a plurality of word lines, first transistors each connected to each the plurality of word lines for entering an ON-state through selection of the corresponding word line, a plurality of memory cells including diodes having cathodes connected to the source or drain regions of the first transistors respectively and a data determination portion connected to the drain or source regions of the first transistors for determining data read from a selected memory cell.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a memory, and more particularly, it relates to a memory comprising memory cells including diodes.
2. Description of the Background Art
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-268370 discloses a crosspoint mask ROM (hereinafter referred to as a crosspoint diode ROM) having a plurality of memory cells, each including a diode, arranged in the form of a matrix. This crosspoint diode ROM is generally known as an exemplary memory.
FIG. 11 is a circuit diagram showing the structure of the conventional crosspoint diode ROM disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-268370. Referring to FIG. 11, a plurality of word lines WL and a plurality of bit lines BL are arranged in a memory cell array 101 to intersect with each other in the conventional crosspoint diode ROM. The word lines WL and the bit lines BL are connected to a row decoder 106 and a column decoder 107 respectively, as described later.
The gate electrodes of a prescribed number of selection transistors 102 are connected to each word line WL at prescribed intervals. Each selection transistor 102 is constituted of a pair of n-channel transistors 102a and 102b. The pair of n-channel transistors 102a and 102b constituting each selection transistor 102 have a common source region. The source region of each selection transistor 102 (n-channel transistors 102a and 102b) is grounded through a corresponding source line S101. In the selection transistors 102 connected to the same word line WL, each pair of a first selection transistor 102 (n-channel transistor 102a) and a second selection transistor 102 (n-channel transistor 102b) adjacent to each other have a common drain region.
A plurality of memory cells 104 each including a diode 103 are provided in the memory cell array 101. The plurality of memory cells 104 are arranged in the form of a matrix along the plurality of word lines WL and the plurality of bit lines BL respectively, while a prescribed number of such memory cells 104 are connected to each word line WL through the corresponding selection transistor 102. More specifically, the cathodes of the prescribed number of diodes 103 are connected to the drain regions of the n-channel transistors 102 and 102b constituting the corresponding selection transistor 102. The anodes of the diodes 103 of prescribed memory cells 104 included in the plurality of memory cells 104 are connected to the corresponding bit lines BL respectively, while the anodes of the diodes 103 of the remaining memory cells 104 are not connected to the corresponding bit lines BL. In the conventional diode ROM, data held in each memory cell 104 is determined as "0" or "1" depending on whether or not the anode of the diode 103 of this memory cell 104 is connected to the corresponding bit line BL.
An address input circuit 105, a row decoder 106, a column decoder 107, a sense amplifier 108 serving as a data determination portion and an output circuit 109 are provided outside the memory cell array 101.
A data read operation of the conventional crosspoint diode ROM is now described. In the following description of the data read operation, it is assumed that a memory cell 104 (hereinafter referred to as a selected memory cell 104) enclosed with a broken line in FIG. 11 is selected.
In the data read operation of the conventional crosspoint diode ROM, the row decoder 106 changes the potentials of the plurality of word lines WL on the basis of address data received from the address input circuit 105. More specifically, the row decoder 106 converts the potential of the word line WL (hereinafter referred to as a selected word line WL) connected to the selected memory cell 104 and the potentials of the remaining word lines WL (hereinafter referred to as nonselected word lines WL) to high and low levels respectively. Thus, the selection transistors 102 connected to the selected word line WL enter ON-states, while the selection transistors 102 connected to the nonselected word lines WL enter OFF-states. In the memory cells 104 connected to the selected word line WL, therefore, the potentials of the cathodes of the diodes 103 lower to the GND level (low level) through the source lines S101 due to the ON-state of the corresponding selection transistors 102. In the memory cells 104 connected to the nonselected word lines WL, on the other hand, the cathodes of the diodes 103 enter floating states due to the OFF-states of the corresponding selection transistors 102.
The bit line BL (hereinafter referred to as a selected bit line BL) corresponding to the selected memory cell 104 is connected to the sense amplifier 108 through the column decoder 107 on the basis of the address data received from the address input circuit 105, while the remaining bit lines BL (hereinafter referred to as nonselected bit lines BL) enter floating states. The anode of the diode 103 included in the selected memory cell 104 is not connected to the selected bit line BL, whereby no low-level potential is transmitted to the sense amplifier 108. In this case, a load circuit (not shown) provided in the sense amplifier 108 holds the potential of the selected bit line BL at a high level. Thus, the sense amplifier 108 determines and amplifies the potential of the selected bit line BL, and thereafter outputs a low-level signal of reversed polarity with respect to the high-level potential of the selected bit line BL. Consequently, the output circuit 109 outputs the low-level signal received from the sense amplifier 108.
In the conventional crosspoint diode ROM disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-268370, however, the nonselected bit lines BL enter floating states in the data read operation, whereby the potentials of the anodes of the nonselected memory cells 104 (diodes 103) connected to the nonselected bit lines BL tend to fluctuate. If the potential of the anode of any nonselected memory cell 104 (diode 103) lowers from a high level, for example, the potentials of the cathodes of the remaining nonselected memory cells 104 connected to the nonselected bit line BL connected with this nonselected memory cell 104 also disadvantageously lower from high levels. If the anode of the diode 103 of any nonselected memory cell 104 is connected to the selected bit line BL in the data read operation in this case, the potential of the selected bit line BL disadvantageously temporarily lowers through the low potential of the cathode of this nonselected memory cell 104 (diode 103). Consequently, the selected bit line BL requires a standby time for returning the potential to the high level. Thus, it is disadvantageously difficult to operate the diode ROM at a high speed.


A method for controlling combustion in a spark-ignition direct-injection internal combustion engine includes monitoring at least one combustion input parameter, and when the at least one monitored combustion input parameter deviates from a respective desired combustion input parameter, adjusting a combustion input mechanism associated with controlling the at least one monitored combustion input parameter to converge toward the respective desired combustion input parameter.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure. Accordingly, such statements are not intended to constitute an admission of prior art.
Internal combustion engines, especially automotive internal combustion engines, generally fall into one of two categories, spark ignition engines and compression ignition engines. Traditional spark ignition engines, such as gasoline engines, typically function by introducing a fuel/air mixture into the combustion cylinders, which is then compressed in the compression stroke and ignited by a spark plug. Traditional compression ignition engines, such as diesel engines, typically function by introducing or injecting pressurized fuel into a combustion cylinder near top dead center (TDC) of the compression stroke, which ignites upon injection. Combustion for both traditional gasoline engines and diesel engines involves premixed or diffusion flames that are controlled by fluid mechanics. Each type of engine has advantages and disadvantages. In general, gasoline engines produce fewer emissions but are less efficient, while, in general, diesel engines are more efficient but produce more emissions.
More recently, other types of combustion methodologies have been introduced for internal combustion engines. For example, a homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) combustion mode includes a distributed, flameless, auto-ignition combustion process that is controlled by oxidation chemistry, rather than by fluid mechanics. In a typical engine operating in HCCI combustion mode, the cylinder charge is nearly homogeneous in composition temperature at intake valve closing time. Because auto-ignition is a distributed kinetically-controlled combustion process, the engine operates at a very dilute fuel/air mixture (i.e., lean of a fuel/air stoichiometric point) and has a relatively low peak combustion temperature, thus forming extremely low nitrous oxides (NOx) emissions. The fuel/air mixture for auto-ignition is relatively homogeneous, as compared to the stratified fuel/air combustion mixtures used in diesel engines, and, therefore, the rich zones that form smoke and particulate emissions in diesel engines are substantially eliminated. Because of this very dilute fuel/air mixture, an engine operating in the auto-ignition combustion mode can operate unthrottled to achieve diesel-like fuel economy. The HCCI engine can also operate at stoichiometry with substantial amounts of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR).
There is no direct control of start of combustion for an engine operating in the auto-ignition mode, as the chemical kinetics of the cylinder charge determine the start and course of the combustion. Chemical kinetics are sensitive to temperature and pressure, as such, the controlled auto-ignition combustion process is sensitive to temperature and pressure. One variable affecting the combustion initiation and progress is the effective temperature of the cylinder structure, i.e., temperature of cylinder walls, head, valve, and piston crown. Therefore, controlling the start of combustion for an engine operating in the auto-ignition mode is very hard to control, where poor combustion initiation timing can lead to poor overall combustion phasing.
It is known to control the start of combustion and combustion phasing based on differences between desired and monitored combustion output parameters. For instance, air-fuel ratio and peak pressure after a combustion event can be monitored and compared with respective desired combustion output parameters. However, the combustion output parameters can only be obtained after the combustion event has occurred, resulting in a complex and convolute relationship between maintaining desired combustion output parameters when monitored combustion output parameters deviate there from.


Methods and systems are provided for an exhaust aftertreatment system. In one example, a system comprises an air injector positioned to inject air between a first catalyst and a second catalyst in response to an oxygen concentration of an exhaust gas falling below a threshold concentration while exhaust gas temperatures are less than a threshold temperature.

Reduction of NOx is of increasing concern as emission guidelines become more stringent. Types of emission treatments may include nitrogen oxide storage catalysts, also known as NSR catalysts, (e.g., NOx storage and reduction catalyst) or a lean NOx trap (LNT) may represent one exemplary aftertreatment device for the catalytic conversion of nitrogen oxides. An alternative technology may include a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) device, which may utilize a reductant solution applied thereon to reduce nitrogen oxides.
LNT catalysts may store nitrogen oxides at lower temperatures, wherein the nitrogen oxides stored thereon may be reduced in the presence of a rich air/fuel mixture. The hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide may function as reducing agents. Contrastingly, the SCR device may increase reduction efficiency at higher temperatures, resulting in the SCR and LNT working in tandem to treat nitrogen oxide emission at a greater range of exhaust gas temperatures.
Thus, to meet the more stringent emission guidelines, it may be desired to pair the LNT catalyst and the SCR device in an exhaust gas treatment arrangement to increase a temperature range in which the nitrogen oxides may be reduced. However, internal combustion engine operating temperatures may be maintained at lower temperatures to decrease fuel consumption, which may decrease a conversion rate at the SCR.
One example approach is for increasing SCR conversion rates is shown by Cavataio et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 9,163,543. Therein, a supply of air in lean operation to the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine upstream of an SCR catalyst is shown. More specifically, Cavataio teaches a NOx treatment device downstream of a three-way catalyst in an exhaust passage of a spark ignited engine. Air (e.g., oxygen) may be introduced into the exhaust gas in response to lean engine operating conditions that may lead to NOx production at the TWC. The air is introduced into the lean burn of a spark ignited engine, wherein the introduction of air is adjusted based on catalyst temperatures. For example, air may be introduced to cool catalysts downstream of the TWC, while maintaining a desired TWC temperature (e.g., 950° C.). Thus, if temperatures are low, such as during a cold-start, air is not introduced since the SCR catalyst temperature is too low. Additionally, Cavataio teaches an upper concentration limit of oxygen (e.g., 10%), at which air is blocked from being further introduced.
However, due to the lower combustion temperatures of diesel engines compared to spark-ignited gasoline engines, the method for introducing air in the exhaust gas may not sufficiently increase a conversion rate of the SCR. As one example, cold-start conditions may be a primary contributor to NOx emissions, where air injection would not occur in the method described by Cavataio. Thus, there remains a desire to improve a nitrogen oxide conversion rate in an SCR catalyst at low exhaust gas temperatures in an exhaust passage of a vehicle comprising a diesel engine.
The inventors have identified the above problems and come up with a way to at least partially solve them. In one example, the issues described above may be addressed by a method for a system comprising an exhaust passage fluidly coupled to an engine, the exhaust passage comprising a first catalyst upstream of a second catalyst and a controller with computer-readable instructions stored on non-transitory memory thereof that when executed enable the controller to adjust an air injection rate between the first and second catalysts in response to an exhaust gas temperature and an oxygen concentration upstream of the second catalyst. In this way, oxygen concentrations may be maintained above a lower threshold to preempt a reduction of a nitrogen oxide conversion efficiency of the second catalyst.
As one example, the first catalyst is a lean NOx trap and the second catalyst is an SCR, where aftertreatment of exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine via the SCR catalyst utilizing an increase in oxygen concentration may comprise introducing the air in response to the temperature of the exhaust gas upstream of the SCR catalyst being less than a threshold temperature and an oxygen concentration upstream of the catalyst being less than an oxygen threshold. The oxygen concentration or oxygen content in the exhaust gas upstream of the SCR catalyst may be determined and/or measured, for example via a lambda sensor and/or an exhaust gas sensor. If the temperature of the exhaust gas falls below a threshold temperature, and the oxygen concentration falls below an oxygen concentration threshold value, the oxygen concentration of the exhaust gas upstream of the SCR catalyst is increased to a concentration of at least 5 percent (5%). The exhaust gas is then supplied to the SCR catalyst.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Methods and systems for an exhaust gas aftertreatment arrangement


A process for production of a glass substrate coated with a patterned Nesa glass membrane which comprises, in sequence:. the first step of coating a photoresist on a glass substrate to form a photoresist membrane, exposing the membrane to electromagnetic waves through a mask and then developing the photoresist to form a patterned photoresist membrane on the glass substrate; PA1 the second step of forming a Nesa glass membrane on the entire surface of the glass substrate thus provided with the patterned photoresist membrane; and PA1 the third step of removing the patterned photoresist membrane together with the Nesa glass membrane thereon from the glass substrate to leave a patterned Nesa glass membrane on the glass substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for production of a glass substrate coated with a filnely patterned Nesa glass membrane or a transparent and electroconductive inorganic tin oxide film having a fine pattern on a glass substrate. The glass substrate coated with a finely patterned Nesa glass membrane is especially suitable for use as a flat panel in liquid crystal displays or plasma displays.
2. Description of Prior Art
Various processes are already known for the production of a glass substrate coated with a finely patterned Nesa glass membrane, among which is an etching process wherein a Nesa glass membrane is formed on the entire surface of a glass substrate by, for example, a spraying method; a metal mask or a photoresist mask is formed on the Nesa glass membrane; and then a pattern is formed by etching and removing the membrane according to the pattern, as is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 56-94542, No. 63-65090 or No. 63-171886.
According to this process, a pattern can be formed with high accuracy of about 30 .mu.m in line width or line separation, however, there is needed nascent hydrogen to effect the etching, and hence a concentrated mineral acid such as concentrated hydrochloric acid is needed. Thus, the method is not suitable for pratical use.
There is also known a lift off process wherein a glass substrate is masked with a masking paste by screen process printing; a Nesa glass membrane is formed thereon; and then the masking paste is washed and removed to leave a patterned Nesa glass membrane on the glass substrate. This process is simple and convenient, however, based on a limited fineness of the screen used and the viscosity of the paste has, the process has had a limit of accuracy of about 80 .mu.m in line width or line separation.

Process for production of glass substrate coated with finely patterned nesa glass membrane


The present invention relates to a method for predicting whether or not transplant recipients are likely to reject tissue allografts. It is based, at least in part, on the discovery that, based on analysis of three immunologic factors, cardiac transplant recipients could be classified into risk categories for progression to high-grade rejection. The present invention, by enabling a determination of the risk for high-risk rejection in a transplant patient, reduces unnecessary diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in low risk patients and clinical intervention in patients who would most benefit.

The long-term success of cardiac transplantation is currently limited by the high incidence of transplant-related coronary artery disease (TCAD) (Hosenpud et al., 1996, J. Heart and Lung Transplantation 15:655). This complication may be related to the recipient's ongoing immune response against donor major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens since long-term allograft survival correlates directly with the number of donor-recipient human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matches (Kormos, et al., 1992, J. Heart and Lung Transplantation 11(3:S104–110; Kerman, et al., 1994, Transplantation 1994, 57(6): 884–8); Smith, et al., 1995, Lancet 346: 1318–22; Constanzo-Nordin, M. R., 1992, J. Heart and Lung Transplantation 11: S90–103) and inversely with the development of circulating antibodies against donor HLA molecules (Suciu-Foca, et al., 1991, Transplantation 51:716–724; Hess, et al., 1983, Circulation 68:94–101; Rose, et al., 1992, J. Heart and Lung Transplantation S120–123). Moreover, since donor/recipient HLA-DR mismatching is associated with increased cardiac allograft rejection episodes (DeMattos, et al., 1994, Transplantation 57(4)626–630; Kirklin, et al., 1994, Transplantation 13(4): 583–95; Keogh, et al., 1995, J. Heart and Lung Transplantation 14(3):444–51), TCAD may be the end result of recurrent or persistent allograft rejection (Constanzo-Nording, M. R., 1992, J. Heart and Lung Transplantation 11: S90–103).
In order to identify patients at high risk of having a positive donor-specific cross-match, cardiac transplantation candidates are prospectively tested for anti-HLA antibodies against lymphocytes from a panel of volunteers representative of the major HLA allotypes, collectively referred to as measurements of panel-reactive antibodies (PRA). In addition to predicting an increased likelihood of donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies and a consequent risk of early graft failure related to humoral rejection, several studies have shown that high levels of pretransplant PRA in cardiac allograft recipients are associated with adverse post-transplant outcome when compared to patients with low or negative reactivity (Smith et al., 1993, Transplant Immunol. 1:60–65). High PRA levels have been associated, in some studies, with increased frequency of acute cellular rejections, decreased long-term graft survival, and increased mortality (Lavee et al., 1991, J. Heart and Lung Transplantation 10:921–930; Loh et al., 1994, J. Heart and Lung Transplantation 13:194–201). Moreover, the onset of accelerated coronary artery disease (CAD) in cardiac transplant recipients, the major limitation to long-term graft survival, has been associated with the presence of anti-HLA antibodies (Hess et al., 1983, Circulation 68:94–101; Rose et al., 1989, Surgery 106:203–208; Suciu-Foca et al., 1991, Transplantation 51:716–724). Since accelerated CAD in these patients may be a consequence of cumulative episodes of high-grade cellular rejections, it is possible that this association may actually reflect a relationship between anti-HLA antibodies and acute cellular rejection.
The only consistently reliable method for diagnosis of cardiac allograft rejection in patients who have received a transplant is the endomyocardial biopsy (EMB). The probability of progression from a negative or low-grade EMB to a high-grade biopsy is greatest during the first six months following transplantation (Rizeq, et al., 1994, J. Heart and Lung Transplantation 13(5):862–868; Winters, et al., 1995, Circulation 91:1975–1980; White, et al., 1995, J. Heart and Lung Transplantation 14:1052; Billingham, M., 1990, J. of Heart and Lung Transplantation 9:77). Since the EMB can only diagnose established rejection episodes, and the procedure has several drawbacks, including risk of complications, high cost, sampling error, and potential variation in interpretation, it would be highly desirable to have non-invasive modalities to prospectively identify patients at high risk of progression from a low to high EMB grade. Although various non-immunologic modalities, including measurement of hemodynamic parameters (Valentine, et al., 1991, J. Heart and Lung Transplantation 10:557), radionuclide scanning (Kemkes, et al. 1992, J. Heart and Lung Transplantation 10:557), and magnetic resonance imaging (Baumgartner, 1986, J. Heart and Lung Transplantation 5:419; Wisenberg, 1987, American Journal of Cardiology, 60:130), have shown good correlation with established high-grade rejections, none have demonstrated sufficient predictive value to be included in routine clinical management. Among immunologic assays, measurement of panel-reactive anti-HLA antibodies (George, et al., 1995, J. Heart and Lung Transplantation 14:856–864; Smith, et al., 1992, Transplantation 53:1358–62; Zavazava, et al., 1993, Tissue Antigens 42:20–26), detection of IL-2 activated T cells in the allograft using a 48-hour IL-2 dependent lymphocyte growth assay (LGA) (Fischer, et al., 1995, J. Heart and Lung Transplantation 14:1156–1161), recipient sensitization to donor derived HLA peptides (Liu, et al., 1993, J. Experimental Medicine 177:1643–1650), (Liu, et al., 1996, J. Clinical Investigation 98:1150–1157; Tugulea, et al., 1997, Transplantation 64:842–847; Ciubotariu, 1998, J. Clinical Investigation 101:398–405), and lack of induction of donor-specific hyporeactivity, as measured by recipient T cell proliferation against donor cells (Markus, et al., 1993, Cell Transplantation 2:345–353; Zeevi, et al., 1995, Transplantation 59:616–620; Creemers, et al., 1997, Nephron 75:166–170) have been shown to correlate with episodes of established cellular rejection, however the predictive value of these assays has not been extensively evaluated.
Currently, five year allograft survival is estimated to occur in 70% of cardiac transplantation patients; with approximately 40% of patients experience a high-grade rejection episode in the first year after transplant. For transplants involving other tissues, long-term graft survival continues to be a problem. For example, in kidney and liver the ten year survival rate is approximately 50%; for lung and pancreas the three year survival rate is approximately 50%.
The immunological basis for transplant rejection is the subject of extensive research. Cumulative experimental data in rodent models suggest that initiation of allograft rejection is predominantly a CD4 T cell-dependent process, and that there may not be an absolute requirement for CD8 cells (Krieger, et al., 1996, J. Experimental Medicine 184:2013–2018). Moreover, long-term graft acceptance appears to be associated with reduced direct recognition of donor alloantigens by recipient CD4 T cells (Zeevi, et al., 1995, Transplantation 59:616–620; Creemers, et al., 1997, Nephron 75:166–170). Donor-specific hyporesponsiveness can be augmented by infusion of donor bone marrow cells at the time transplantation (Zeevi, et al., 1995, Transplantation 59:616–620), and may be accompanied by persistent microchimerism (Starzl, et al., 1994, Progress in Liver Diseases 12:191–123), suggesting that recipient CD4 T cells can be rendered tolerant to direct allostimulation by donor leukocytes. However, since donor-type microchimerism has not been found to correlate well with either acute or chronic allograft rejection (Schlitt, et al., 1994, Lancet 343:1469–1471), mechanisms other than direct allorecognition may significantly impact on allograft rejection. Recent evidence has emerged that over time the indirect pathway of CD4 T cell activation plays an increasingly important role in the development of acute and chronic allograft rejection (Liu, et al., 1993, J. Experimental Medicine 177:1643–1650). This may be a consequence of continuous shedding of donor alloantigenic HLA peptides and their processing by host antigen-presenting cells (APCs) such as macrophages and B cells. Primary rejections appear to be invariably accompanied by recipient T cell recognition of a dominant HLA-DR allopeptide presented by self-APCs (Liu, et al., 1996, J. Clinical Investigation 98:1150–1157; Tugulea, et al., 1997, Transplantation 64:842–847), whereas recurrent rejections, as well as the onset of TCAD, appear to be accompanied by inter- and intra-molecular spreading and T cell recognition of multiple donor HLA-DR alloantigenic determinants (Tugulea, et al., 1997, Transplantation 64:842–847; Ciubotariu, 1998, J. Clinical Investigation 101:398–405). This diversification of the immune response has been postulated to be a result of activation of antigen-specifics B cells by soluble MHC class II products, particularly HLA-DR molecules, and the subsequent efficient presentation of multiple HLA-DR allopeptides by self B cells to CD4 T cells (Vanderlugt, et al., 1996, Current Opinion in Immunology 8:831–836; Mamula, et al., 1993, Immunology Today 14:151–154; Reed, et al., 1996, Transplantation 61:556–572).

Method for predicting transplant rejection


Isolated stress-responsiveness promoters suitable for directing gene expression in plant cells or plants are provided, along with constructs, vectors, host cells, plant cells and plant comprising the promoters. Methods for producing plant cells or plants with modified phenotype via transformation of the plant cells or plants with the promoters are also provided.

An important for goal for agriculture is to produce plants with agronomically important traits. Recent advances in genetic manipulation provide the tools to transform plants to contain and express foreign genes. This has led to the development of plants capable of expressing pharmaceuticals and other chemicals, plants with increased pest resistance, increased stress tolerance and many other beneficial traits.
It is often desirable to control expression of a polynucleotide of interest, in a particular tissue, at a particular developmental stage, or under particular conditions, in which the polynucleotide is not normally expressed. The polynucleotide of interest may encode a protein or alternatively may be intended to effect silencing of a corresponding target gene.
Plant promoter sequences are useful in genetic manipulation for directing such spatial, temporal and inducible expression of polynucleotides in transgenic plants. To achieve this, a genetic construct is often introduced into a plant cell or plant. Typically such constructs include a plant promoter operably linked to the polynucleotide sequence of interest. Such a promoter need not normally be associated with the gene of interest. Once transformed, the promoter controls expression of the operably linked polynucleotide of interest thus leading to the desired transgene expression and resulting desired phenotypic characteristics in the plant.
Promoters used in genetic manipulation are typically derived from the 5′ un-transcribed region of genes and contain regulatory elements that are necessary to control expression of the operably linked polynucleotide. Promoters useful for plant biotechnology can be classified depending on when and where they direct expression. For example promoters may be tissue specific or constitutive (capable of transcribing sequences in multiple tissues). Other classes of promoters include inducible promoters that can be triggered on external stimuli such as environmental, and chemical stimuli.
It would be beneficial to have a variety of promoters available in order to ensure that transgenes are transcribed efficiently in the right tissues, at an appropriate stage of growth or development. Additionally it may be desirable to direct a gene expression in response to certain environmental or chemicals signals.
Promoters that are responsive to stresses, including mechanical and environmental stresses may be of particular benefit. It has been shown that constitutive expression of stress-inducible genes has negative impact on plant growth and development in the absence of the stress (Kasuga et al. 1999 Nature Biotechnology 17:287-291). Stress responsive promoters may therefore be particularly useful for driving expression of stress-inducible or stress-protective genes. If such genes are linked to a stress responsive promoter such genes are only induced under the appropriate stress conditions.
Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L) is the major grass species grown in New Zealand and other temperate climates throughout the world. Valuable traits that may be improved by genetic manipulation of perennial ryegrass include stress tolerance, disease tolerance and nutritional quality. Genetic manipulation of such traits in perennial ryegrass is limited by the availability of promoters, particularly stress-responsive promoters, capable of appropriately controlling the expression of genes of interest.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a stress responsive promoter from ryegrass useful for controlling expression of genes in plants or at least to provide a useful choice.


A cathode catalyst for a fuel cell including a metal selected from the group consisting of In, Ga, and combinations thereof, and Ru—Ch supported on the metal, where Ch includes a material selected from the group consisting of S, Se, Te, and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the Ru—Ch includes from about 70 to about 95 atom % of Ru, and from about 5 to about 30 atom % of Ch, and/or the Ru—Ch is supported in an amount from about 5 to about 80 wt % based on the Ru—Ch and the metal.

A fuel cell is a power generation system for producing electrical energy through an electrochemical redox reaction of an oxidant and hydrogen in a hydrocarbon-based material such as methanol, ethanol, or natural gas.
Representative exemplary fuel cells include a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and a direct oxidation fuel cell (DOFC). The direct oxidation fuel cell includes a direct methanol fuel cell, which uses methanol as a fuel.
The polymer electrolyte fuel cell has a high energy density, but requires a fuel reforming processor for reforming methane or methanol, natural gas, and the like in order to produce hydrogen as the fuel gas.
By contrast, the direct oxidation fuel cell has a lower energy density than that of the polymer electrolyte fuel cell, but does not need an additional fuel reforming processor.
In an above-mentioned fuel cell, a stack that generates electricity substantially includes several cell units (or unit cells) stacked in multiple layers, and each cell unit (or unit cell) is formed by a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) and a separator (also referred to as a bipolar plate). The membrane-electrode assembly has an anode (also referred to as a fuel electrode or an oxidation electrode) and a cathode (also referred to as an air electrode or a reduction electrode) that are separated by an electrolyte membrane therebetween.

Supported ruthenium cathode catalyst for fuel cell


An optical sensing enhancing material (and corresponding method of making) comprising: a medium, the medium comprising a plurality of aggregated nanoparticles comprising fractals; and a microcavity, wherein the medium is located in a vicinity of the microcavity. Also an optical sensor and sensing method comprising: providing a doped medium, the medium comprising a plurality of aggregated nanoparticles comprising fractals, with the material; locating the doped medium in the vicinity of a microcavity; exciting the doped medium with a light source; and detecting light reflected from the doped medium. Also an optical sensing enhancing material comprising a medium, the medium comprising a semicontinuous metal film of randomly distributed metal particles and their clusters at approximately their percolation threshold. The medium preferably additionally comprises a microcavity/microresonator. Also devices and methods employing such material.

1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates to enhancing linear and nonlinear optical emission using nanoparticles, wherein the nanoparticles are either non-aggregated or aggregated, and microcavities. The aggregrated nanoparticles comprise fractals. Microcavities are used in combination with nanoparticles for greatly enhanced optical emission.
The present invention also relates to optical methods and structures employing semicontinuous metal films and microresonator/semicontinuous-metal-film composites.
2. Background Art
Recently, fractal aggregates of gold, silver, and other noble metals have received attention in the field of linear and nonlinear optical research. Fractals comprise aggregates of particles in colloidal solutions, sols and gels, and soot and smoke. Also, most macromolecules exist in the form of fractals. A fractal aggregate is a system of interacting particles, with special scale-invariant geometry. Scale-invariance in particle aggregates manifests itself in spacial scales larger than the sizes of particles forming the cluster and smaller than the size of the whole cluster; therefore, to track the fractal geometry in a single aggregate it must be relatively large. However, an ensemble of small aggregates of particles, with the number of particles on the order of only ten or more, can also manifest the fractal geometry statistically, on average, despite the fact that single clusters do not manifest the fractal geometry when considered individually. Thus, the term fractals comprises an ensemble of large aggregates (the ensemble can be small and consist of few, or even one, cluster), or a large ensemble of small aggregates of particles, which statistically show the fractal (scale-invariant) geometry with some interval of sizes.
Enhanced optical response in metal nanocomposites characterized by fractal geometry and thin metallic films containing nanoscale surface features has been intensively studied. R. K. Chang and T. E. Furtak, Ed., Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (Plenum Pres, NY, 1982); M. Moskovits, Rev. Mod. Phys. 57, 783 (1985); R. W. Boyd, et al., Pure Appl. Opt. 5, 505 (1996); V. M. Shalaev and M. I. Stockman, Sov. Phys. JETP 65, 287 (1987); V. A. Markel, et al., Phys. Rev. B 43, 8183 (1991); V. M. Shalaev, Phys. Reports 272, 61 (1996); V. A. Markel, et al., Phys. Rev. B 53, 2425 (1996); V. M. Shalaev, et al., Phys. Rev. B 53, 2437 (1996); M. I. Stockman, Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 4562 (1997); S. G. Rautian, et al., JETP Lett. 47, 243 (1988); V. P. Safonov et al., Phys. Rev. Lett 80, 1102 (1998); V. M. Shalaev et al., J. Nonlinear Optical Physics and Materials 7, 131 (1998). Enhancement in the optical response is associated with the excitation of surface plasmons, collective electromagnetic modes whose characteristics are strongly dependent on the geometrical structure of the metallic component of the medium. Collective optical excitations, such as surface plasmons, are often spatially localized in fractals. This localization leads to the presence of nanometer-scale spatial regions of high local electric fields, "hot spots", and accordingly, to significant enhancement for a variety of optical processes, such as Raman scattering, four-wave mixing, and nonlinear absorption and refraction. In some cases, the local enhancement at a hot spot can be 109 greater than the average enhancement resulting from the fractal itself, averaged over the entire surface of the fractal.
Fractals also have another important property—they are subject to surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) by adsorbed molecules. Suitable substrates known to exhibit SERS include colloidal metal particles, vacuum deposited films, single crystals, and matrix isolated metal clusters. O. Silman, et al., J. Phys. Chem. 87, 1014–23 (1983). Also, adsorption of dye molecules, e.g., Rhodamine 6G (R6G), on colloidal Ag or Au is known. P. C. Lee and D. Melsel, J. Phys. Chem. 86, 3391–95 (1982). Once adsorbed onto the colloidal particle, the adsorbed molecules may exhibit strong surface enhanced Raman scattering.
Fractal aggregates of metal nano-sized particles can provide dramatic enhancement for various linear and nonlinear optical responses, including Raman Scattering (RS) and Hyper-Raman Scattering (HRS). This occurs because of localization of optical plasmon excitations within small parts of a fractal aggregate, hot spots, smaller than the size of the fractal and often smaller than the wavelength. When sufficiently concentrated, the large electromagnetic fields in the hot spots can result in very large enhancement of optical responses. The small areas, where the fractal optical excitations are localized, have very different local structures and, therefore, they are characterized by different resonant frequencies. Because of the large variety in local geometries of fractal hot spots, the normal modes of a fractal aggregate cover a huge spectral range, from the near ultra-violet to the far-infrared, leading to giant enhancement of optical responses within this large spectral range. Furthermore, since the dielectric constant of metal is negative and increases in magnitude toward the longer wavelengths, the enhancement for optical processes becomes progressively larger toward infrared (IR) wavelengths.
The various nano-scale areas, where the resonant fractal excitations are localized, can be thought of as a set of different optical "nano-resonators", each having different resonance frequencies resonating in the visible and IR spectral ranges. These fractal nano-resonators have large resonance quality-factors (Q), representing the local-field enhancement, that increase from the visible to the IR region of the spectrum.
Large enhancement for SERS can also be obtained in compact structures, such as nano-sized spheroids or small chain-like aggregates of particles. However, a compact structure of a given geometry has very few normal modes, for example, one, in a sphere, and three, in a spheroid, and thus provide enhancement at only a few selected frequencies. In contrast, in random fractals, there are always such configurations of particles (nano-resonators) that resonate at any given wavelength. Thus, the inherent properties of random fractals provide localization of optical excitations which become sensitive to the local structures. In addition, the fractals exist as a large variety of resonating local structures, which leads to a very broad enhancement band from the near ultra-violet to the far-infrared region of the spectrum.
An alternative approach for achieving large enhancement of the optical response involves the excitation of morphology-dependent resonances (MDRs) in dielectric microcavities. R. K. Chang and A. J. Campillo, Ed., Optical Processes in Microcavities, World Scientific, Singapore-NewJersey-London-Hong Kong (1996). These resonances, which may have very high quality factors, Q on the order of 105 to 109, result from confinement of the radiation within the microcavity by total internal reflection. Light emitted or scattered in the microcavity may couple to the high-Q MDRs lying within its spectral bandwidth, leading to enhancement of both spontaneous and stimulated optical emissions. For example, enhanced fluorescence emission from a dye-doped cylindrical or spherical microcavity occurs when either the laser pump or the fluorescence, or both, couple to microcavity MDRs. J. F. Owen, Phys. Rev. Lett. 47, 1075 (1981). Moreover, the increased feedback produced by MDRs is sufficient to obtain laser emission from a dye-doped microdroplet under both a continuous wave (CW) and pulsed laser excitation. H. M. Tzeng, et al., Opt. Lett. 9, 499 (1984); A. Biswas, et al., Opt. Lett. 14, 214 (1988). The existence of high-Q microcavity modes is also responsible for numerous stimulated nonlinear effects including stimulated Raman and Rayleigh-wing scattering and four-wave parametric oscillation under moderate intensity CW excitation. M. B. Lin and A. J. Campillo, Phys. Rev. Lett. 73, 2440 (1994).
Optical microcavities are resonators that have at least one dimension, on the order of a single or at most a small integral number of optical wavelengths. See Dodabalapur, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,710, entitled "Article Comprising Microcavity Light Sources." The specific geometry of the microcavity and the boundary conditions on the interface of the dielectric-to-air impose selective normal modes on the optical microcavity. Typical microcavities have diameters of 100 microns or less. Such microcavities have shown technological promise for constructing novel light emitting devices. Possible applications of microcavities devices include flat panel displays, optical interconnects, optical fiber communications, and light emitting diode (LED) printing. For example, in a display application, a device may consist of three microcavities, each microcavity emitting in the blue, green, and red regions of the visible spectrum. Further, resonant microcavities have the advantage of emitting light in a highly directional manner as a result of their inherent geometry.
As described briefly above fractal aggregates and resonating microcavities are known to cause large enhancements of optical emissions. The present invention uses the properties of nanoparticles, fractals, and microcavities to enhance optical emissions for a variety of apparatuses and methods. The present invention further combines the properties of these optical enhancement processes by placing nanoparticles and/or fractal aggregates within a high-Q microcavity. Overall, the observed optical enhancement of the invention is multiplicative rather than additive of the two processes. Results demonstrate the unique potential of such devices in the development of ultra-low threshold microlasers, nonlinear-optical devices for photonics, as well as new opportunities of micro-analysis, including spectroscopy of single molecules, quantum wells and nanocrystals.
For purposes of the specification and claims, a semicontinuous metal film, also called a random metal-dielectric film, is a thin film comprising randomly distributed metal particles and their clusters at or near the percolation (conductivity) threshold. The percolation threshold is defined as the metal filling factor pc at which the metal-dielectric film experiences a transition from an insulator to a conductor, with respect to the DC electric current. Semicontinuous metal films can be grown on top of a dielectric or semiconductor substrate. A metal film reaches its percolation threshold where there exists a continuous conducting path between two opposite ends of the film. A metal film developed at or near its percolation threshold is semicontinuous, in contrast to discontinuous films at much lower metal-filling factors and continuous films at much higher metal-filling factors.
Surface-plasmon excitations in a semicontinuous metal film are localized in small nanometer-scale volumes, called hot spots. V. M. Shalaev, Nonlinear Optics Of Random Media: Fractal Composites and Metal-Dielectric Films (Springer Verlag, Berlin, December 1999); A. K. Sarychev and V. M. Shalaev, Physics Reports 335, p. 275 (September 2000); S. Grésillon, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, p.4520 (May 1999); A. K. Sarychev, et al., Phys. Rev. B 60, p. 16389 (December 1999); V. M. Shalaev, et al., Phys. Rev. B 57, p. 13265 (May 1998); A. K. Sarychev, et al., Phys. Rev. E 59, p. 7239 (June 1999). The electromagnetic energy is concentrated in the hot spots, leading to the local optical intensity that can exceed the intensity of the incident light beam by four to five orders of magnitude, i.e., by a factor up to 100,000. The very intense local fields in the hot spots, with dimensions of approximately 10 nm, result in dramatically enhanced linear and, especially, nonlinear optical responses. While a linear optical response is proportional to light intensity, a nonlinear optical response is scaled with the square, cube or even higher power of light intensity and, therefore experiences a larger enhancement.
A semicontinuous metal film provides enhanced linear and nonlinear optical responses as long as its metal-filling factor p satisfies the condition of |p−pc|≦(εdielectric/|εmetal|) 1/(t+s), where pc is the metal-filling factor at the percolation threshold, εdielectric is the dielectric function (i.e., permittivity) of the dielectric component of the semicontinuous metal film, and εmetal is the dielectric function of the metal component of the film. For a three-dimensionally semicontinuous metal film, t=2.05 and s=0.76 so that the exponent 1/(t+s)=0.356. For a very thin semicontinuous metal film, which can be viewed approximately as two dimensional, t=s=4/3 so that the exponent 1/(t+s)=0.375, which is quite close to the three-dimensional value of 0.356. For the purpose of defining the applicable range of a semicontinuous metal film for enhancing optical responses, the metal-filling factor p of the film should be within a range between pc−(εdielectric/|εmetal|)0.36 and pc+(εdielectric/|εmetal|)0.36.
The following patents are illustrative of the prior art, albeit not disclosing use of semicontinuous metal films: U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,630 discloses forming ultrafine particles on a substrate by directing a slanting high energy irradiating beam against side walls of a plurality of pores in a target material. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,817,410, 4,448,485, 5,401,569, 5,472,777, and 5,113,473 relate to isolated (i.e., independent) particles. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,583,818, 6,122,091, 5,991,488, 5,067,788, 6,034,809, and 5,858,799 relate to continuous films. Additionally, periodic arrangements, different from random distribution of metal clusters in semicontinuous metal films, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,583,818, 4,448,485, and 5,113,473.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Optical devices and methods employing nanoparticles, microcavities, and semicontinuous metal films


A press for removing water from masses containing materials of organic origin. The press has a compression chamber (2) with a perforated mantle. The discharge end of the compression chamber contains a piston part (3), which is reciprocable in relation to the compression chamber and movable in and out and through which (6) the mass discharges from the compression chamber. The invention is suitable for use, for example, for drying sludges resulting from sewage treatment.

Such presses have been used for drying sludges, wherein aqueous sludge is compressed by means of a screw in a cylinder with a perforated mantle. An adjustable gate may be provided at one end of the cylinder in order to create counter-pressure.
Waste which is to be burnt must be made as dry as possible. The dry-matter content even of waste to be composted should be brought to a level of 40-60%. This is often difficult with known equipment and, for example, when treating normal municipal waste it is even impossible to achieve. To raise the dry-matter content to an adequate level, dryer fibrous material, such as dried peat, must usually be added in relatively big quantities as back-up material to sludges.


A coupler and a system are provided for mounting panels, such as a plurality of display tiles. According to an embodiment, the system includes a mount sheet having a plurality of mounting positions, a plurality of chassis having at least one locating feature and at least one magnetic coupler on one side and at least one magnet on an opposite side. The locating features on one side of the chassis are adapted to locate a locating feature on at least one display tile. The magnetic couplers on one side of the chassis are adapted to magnetically couple at least one magnetic coupler on a display tile. The magnet or magnets on an opposite side are adapted to magnetically couple the mount sheet in one of the mounting positions.

Quickly and accurately mounting panels, and the like, to a surface can be challenging. For example, advances in display technologies have made larger displays available, but there remains a limit beyond which larger displays become increasingly technically challenging and expensive to fabricate. The same is true of displays with non-rectangular and/or irregular shapes. One solution that overcomes the size and shape limitations of individual display devices is a video wall. Video walls are display systems that comprise a plurality of local display units mounted on a surface and arranged contiguously. A single image may be divided into a plurality of images, each displayed on a local display unit such that the original image may be viewed on the display system as a whole. Video wall systems are scalable to various sizes and shapes; however, video walls provide their own challenges for installation and alignment.
One challenge of video walls is that the display units must be aligned precisely when mounted, as even slight gaps and misalignments are noticeable to the viewer. Spaces or gaps between display units may be minimized by affixing display units to neighboring display units; however, this may result in tolerance stack up, resulting from variations in the dimensions or alignment of individual units that accumulate as the number of display units increases, causing interference or gaps between neighboring display units. Other mounting systems provide dedicated supports for each display unit that allow adjustments to be made with multiple degrees of freedom to compensate for fit issues; however, these systems necessitate aligning each display unit individually and verifying the accuracy of each alignment. This is a time-consuming and cumbersome process which increases the likelihood of damage occurring to the display units.
A further challenge of video walls is that temperature fluctuations during operation may cause the components to expand. The temperature of an LED display unit may increase by approximately 50° C. when the unit displays a fully white image. If neighboring video display units are installed such that they abut one another, temperature fluctuations may inflict internal stress on the assembly.


A digital broadcast receiver is provided, including a receiver which receives a plurality of broadcast signals, a channel scanner which scans the plurality of broadcast signals and acquires service information (SI) related to the plurality of broadcast signals, and a controller which selects a broadcast signal having a preset type of SI from among the acquired SI, and updates channel information.

Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the exemplary embodiments relate to a digital broadcast receiver and a method of updating channel information. More particularly, the exemplary embodiments relate to a digital broadcast receiver capable of selecting a broadcast signal according to the type of service information (SI) of the received broadcast signal and providing a channel, and a method of updating channel information.
Description of the Related Art
Recently, broadcast media have converted from analog to digital due to many operational and structural advantages of using the digital method. The digital method is more resistant to noise than conventional analog signals, can use error correction technology and can enable drastic band compression of video and audio signals. Accordingly, broadcast media have been rapidly digitalized around the world.
Currently, digital broadcasts are mostly based on MPEG-2 coding, the broadcasts extract metadata from a transferred broadcast stream and provide channel information (or service information (SI)) related to the broadcast stream.
The SI is defined as program and service information protocol (PSIP) by extending program specific information (PSI) of an MPEG-2 system by the Advanced Television System Committee (ATSC) which is a digital broadcast standard based on MPEG-2 (ATSC A/65 PSIP).
In a known video on demand (VOD) service, channel information of a broadcast stream is provided to the user using PSI of the MPEG-2 system, whereas in a digital cable broadcast service, channel information of a broadcast stream is provided using PSIP according to the ATSC A/65 standard.
However, a known digital broadcast receiver does not distinguish PSI and PSIP but scans and organize all the channels uniformly so that specially used channels, such as VOD services, cannot be distinguished. For this reason, in diverse digital broadcast environments, the receiver may organize an unintended broadcast service (for example, an unscrambled VOD adult broadcast channel) as a channel.

Digital broadcast receiver and method of updating channel information


A method to selectively receive mail by an Internet mail apparatus includes receiving and storing mail header information of at least one mail. Mail header information is selected corresponding to a predetermined mail from the at least one mail. A mail transmission command is transmitted to an incoming mail server requesting transmission of the predetermined mail corresponding to the mail header information selected. The Internet mail apparatus, in response to the mail transmission command, receives the predetermined mail.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method to selectively receive electronic mail, and more particularly, to a method to selectively receive electronic mail by using only mail header information in an Internet mail apparatus, and a method to selectively transmit/delete electronic mail from an incoming mail server.
2. Description of the Related Art
An Internet mail apparatus is defined as a facsimile, a scanner, or a printer having a mail receiving function, excluding a Personal Computer (PC).
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a general process of transmitting and receiving electronic mail. Referring to FIG. 1, in a mail transmitting and receiving block 10, which is well-known in the art, a sending party and a receiving party are linked to each other through the Internet.
The sending party includes an outgoing mail client (or a client program for sending electronic mail) 1 and an outgoing mail server 3. The outgoing mail client 1 transmits mail to the outgoing mail server 3 using a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP).
The receiving party includes an incoming mail server 5 and an incoming mail client 7 (or a client program for receiving electronic mail). The incoming mail server 5 transmits mail to the mail client 7 using Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3).
The incoming mail client 7 periodically accesses the incoming mail server 5 and receives (or downloads) all mail or new mail from a mail box in the incoming mail server 5. In this case, the incoming mail client 7 also periodically receives spam mail.
Accordingly, as the incoming mail client 7 receives the spam mail which a user does not want to receive, a communications cost of the Internet mail apparatus which uses a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) increases. Also, as the Internet mail apparatus having a print function to receive and print the spam mail, the printing cost increases.

Method of receiving selected mail at Internet mail device


Disclosed is a bus stop using a large-scale perovskite solar cell in which a perovskite solar cell is prepared using a hybrid structure including a graphene-carbon nanotube. The bus stop includes a body unit fixed to the ground to maintain the overall shape, a solar cell unit for producing electrical energy from sunlight, and an energy storage system (ESS) for storing the electrical energy produced by the solar cell part.

The present invention relates to a bus stop using a large-scale perovskite solar cell, and more particularly, to the bus stop using the large-scale perovskite solar cell in which a perovskite solar cell is prepared using a hybrid structure including a graphene-carbon nanotube to maintain the efficiency of the solar cell even in humid and oxygen conditions, check an air condition on the day by changing colors according to an ultra-fine dust level, and provide a place where a bus passenger takes a rest comfortably while waiting for the bus by enabling chairs installed in the bus stop to be cooled and heated according to an external temperature by using electricity supplied by sunlight.
In general, a bus stops at multiple bus stops spaced apart from each other along a route to pick up or drop off passengers. In the vicinity of the bus stop where the bus stops for passengers, an open temporary building is installed to provide a space for passengers to wait to take a bus, which is called a bus stop. Such a bus stop is formed in a structure form so that passengers waiting for the bus can avoid sunlight, rain or snow for convenience.
In the case of city centers or some local roads, conventional bus stops have been supplied with power required for lighting devices, advertisements, etc. through work on a separate connection to an external power supply. However, such an external power supply is generated from power generation, such as solid fuel or nuclear energy, which has a limitation that can damage the environment and cannot cope with global energy depletion problems.
In addition, in the case of local roads with a small population, external power supply devices at the bus stops are not provided at all due to the above-mentioned construction difficulties and economic reasons. As a result, it often happened that the bus does not recognize the presence of passengers and passes the bus stop at night, the bus collides with passengers finding the bus and coming forward to cause an accident, or there are vulnerabilities to passenger convenience and safety, including crimes against passengers waiting for the bus in the dark.
Accordingly, in order to compensate for the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors recognized an urgent need to develop a bus stop capable of easily installing a power supply device anywhere without an external power supply, and completed the present invention.

Bus stop using large-scale perovskite solar cell

Pusan National University Industry-University Cooperation Foundation


When an image formed on an intermediate transfer film is heat-transferred to a recording medium, the film surface is prevented from being deteriorated or distorted due to heat so as to enable high-quality printing. The printing apparatus of the present invention comprises a recording medium supply unit, an image formation unit which forms the image on the transfer film, a transfer unit which transfers the image on the transfer film to the recording medium, a film supply unit which supplies the transfer film, a film winding unit which winds the film, a media transport path which transports the recording medium sent from a medium supply unit to the transfer unit through an information recording unit, a film transport path which transports the transfer film sent from the film supply unit to the transfer unit through the image formation unit, a film delay unit which temporarily delays the transfer film disposed at the film transport path, a driving means which is connected to at least one of the film supply unit and the film winding unit, and a control means which controls the driving means.

In general, an apparatus of such a type is known as an output apparatus that prints image data such as a face picture onto a recording medium such as a plastic card. For example, a large volume printing system is not suitable for printing of a certification card such as a driver's license, a membership card, or an ID card due to its inclusion of personal information.
Thus, recently, a multi-purpose printing system integrated into a computer network and configured to simultaneously perform printing of a face picture and its accompanying text and recording of electronic data such as personal information is used as on-demand printing. As a printing system, sublimation ribbon transfer, wax ribbon transfer, inkjet printing, electrostatic printing, and the like are used.
Among various printing methods as above, an intermediate transfer printing method is used when irregularities are formed on a surface of the recording medium and when a hologram or the like is coated on the recording medium surface. The intermediate transfer printing method is known as a method that forms a primary image on an intermediate transfer film (hereinafter, referred to as "transfer film") and then transfers the primary image formed on the transfer film onto the recording medium by means of a downstream side platen and is used for a medium having irregularities on a surface thereof, a medium requiring surface coating, and the like.
Such an intermediate transfer printing apparatus is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. An image is formed on a transfer film at a primary transfer (printing) position, and the transfer film is fed to a downstream side transfer platen. At the same time, a recording medium such as a card is fed to the transfer platen, and the image on the transfer film is transferred onto the recording medium by means of the transfer platen (while heat is applied by a heating roller).
In the apparatus of Patent Document 1, the transfer film is fed from a supply roll (supply spool) to a winding roll (winding spool). A printing platen for primary transfer and a transfer platen for secondary transfer are provided between the supply spool and winding spool. A feeding direction of the transfer film and a feeding direction of the recording medium are set in the same direction.
Thus, the transfer film delivered from the supply roll is subjected to image formation by means of the printing platen, and the image formed on the transfer film is transferred onto the recording medium such as a card by means of the transfer platen provided on the downstream side of the printing platen. As described above, the transfer film is fed in one direction, and the supply roll, printing platen, transfer platen, and winding roll are arranged in this order along the film feeding direction.
A heating roller is disposed opposite to the transfer platen. The heating roller holds the transfer film and recording medium between itself and transfer platen, brings them into pressure contact with each other, and applies heating thereto to thereby transfer the image on the transfer film onto the recording medium. The heating roller is configured to be movable between an operating position at which it is brought into pressure contact with the transfer platen and a retreating position at which it is positioned spaced apart from the operating position and is provided with a shifting unit such as a cam.
Such a feeding method has a problem in that the intermediate transfer film is consumed more than necessary due to a variation in position of a card rear end (print terminating end). That is, the heating roller cannot (almost impossible) be separated from the card simultaneously with the termination of printing on the card rear end due to length error of the card and card feeding precision error, so that a print terminating portion of the transfer film is brought into contact with the heating roller to be consumed.
More specifically, in this feeding method, a contact surface with the heating roller is generated at its rear end portion of the intermediate transfer film due to the variation in position of the card rear end (print terminating end). The film surface that has contacted the heating roller cannot be used any more. That is, an unnecessary heated portion is generated every time printing is performed at the print terminating end portion, and the print terminating end portion is inevitably consumed.
Patent Document 2 proposes a film feeding method in which a feeding direction of the transfer film and a feeding direction of the card are set in opposite directions so as to eliminate the above-described waste of the transfer film. More specifically, in method of the Patent Document 2, the transfer film is delivered from the supply roll, through the transfer platen, to the downstream side printing platen, where the transfer film is subjected to image formation and, thereafter, the resultant transfer film is switched back (back-fed) to be fed in the same direction as the card feeding direction to the transfer platen.
According to the feeding method of Patent Document 2, the waste of the transfer film can be eliminated. That is, the rear end portion of the film onto which the image has been transferred by means of the transfer platen is followed by a spent film, surface, thus preventing a surplus heated portion from being generated by the heating roller.

Printing apparatus with controller for preventing warping of intermediate transfer film and printing method for the same


Disclosed herein is an information search apparatus includes: search means configured to search for an associated object associated with a specified search source object; associated object display means configured to display a searched associated object onto a display screen; display count setting object display means configured to display a display count setting object for setting the number of the associated objects to be displayed on the display screen onto the display screen; and associated object display count control means configured to, if a setting of the number of associated objects has been changed by an operation executed on the display count setting object, adjust the number of associated objects displayed on the display screen in accordance with the changed setting and display the resultant number of associated objects.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information search apparatus, an information search method, an information search program, and a graphical user interface, and more particularly, to an information search apparatus, an information search method, an information search program, and a graphical user interface that are suitably applicable in searching associated objects and presenting the searched objects to a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
Information search processing is widely known in which an information processing apparatus, such as a computer, is used to search masses of information for associated information and extract the searched associated information.
In such information search processing, a keyword set by the user is matched against a character string (an object name or attribute for example) belonging to a candidate object subject to search, for example, to present candidate objects highly associated with the keyword to the user as associated objects.
In such information search processing, many associated objects may be searched depending on the setting of keywords or the number of candidate objects subject to selection, for example. Therefore, it is a general practice in information search processing to make each user set the number of displays of associated objects, thereby presenting only the number of associated objects desired by the user.
However, in the above-mentioned example, the user have to set the number of displays of associated objects in advance and, if the user wants of change the number of displays, discontinue an information search operation to set the number of displays again, which hampers the ease of operation.

Information search apparatus, information search method, information search program, and graphical user interface


Magnetite particles (and their manufacturing method) that enable suppression of blooming caused because of their large coercive force when used as magnetic toner, exert a light environment load, and are excellent in cost. The magnetite particles contain 0.1 to 1 mass % of phosphorus, have a coercive force of 10 to 25 kA/m at a load magnetic field of 796 kA/m, and have a shape of octahedron.

Particulate magnetite obtained by aqueous solution reaction and the like is widely utilized as a powder material in various fields, especially of magnetic toners for MICR printers or dry electronic copiers and printers. Checks, securities, tickets, etc. are printed with identification marks called fonts in order to prevent forgery or alteration. The identification marks are printed in magnetic ink having a given amount of magnetic powder dispersed in a binder. The magnetic force of the magnetic powder is made use of to read the identification marks, fonts, with a special reader to give information, with which to distinguish between authenticity and inauthenticity of checks, etc. accurately. In applications to magnetic toners, magnetite particles are required to satisfy various general characteristics for development. The recent development of electrophotography has boosted rapid development particularly of copiers and printers using digital technologies, and the demands for magnetite particles with higher performance have ever been increasing.
For MICR application, toners capable of providing an increased print density and enhanced reading accuracy have been studied. Of development processes in electronic copying, development with a one-component developer, i.e., magnetite particles dispersed in a resin, is adapted widely. Today, magnetic toners used in electrostatic development, too, have been required to fulfill various characteristics to cope with the advanced performance of equipment in terms of size, precision, speed, and the like. In particular, a magnetic toner which causes little fog and achieves high resolution with excellent fine line reproducibility has been awaited.
It is required for an MICR toner to have an increased coercive force for increasing print density and improving reading accuracy. Magnetite particles as a powder material of magnetic toners are required to have a high residual magnetization and a high coercive force for suppressing fog. The related art is described in JP-A-59024.
JP-A-9-59024 refers to magnetite particles having high coercivity including those having an octahedral shape and those having a small particle size (or a large specific surface area).
However, the approach using octahedral particles encounters a limit on achievable coercivity, and the one relying on particle size reduction also has a limit because fine particles are liable to agglomerate heavily and difficult to disperse in toner preparation or inferior in blackness.
Among other proposals so far disclosed for increasing coercivity of magnetite particles are addition of a specific heavy metal, e.g., cobalt, heat treatment, compaction, and use of acicular particles with magnetic anisotropy. Taking into consideration the recent tendency to avoid use of environmentally unfriendly substances as well as economy, the state-of-the-art magnetite particles are still unsatisfactory in terms of higher coercivity, reduced environmental burden, and cost. For application to MICR toners, in particular, highly coercive acicular particles are usually used in a toner as a mixture with blackish isotropic particles, in which case the acicular particles are apt to be broken, or the resulting toner is poor in blackness.


A carrier for multiple packages. The carrier is particularly suitable for packages containing household products such as detergent bottles or cartons. The carrier includes dividing walls which in two embodiments are hinged together at the top. The dividing walls may also be hinged together at the sides. The carrier provides side walls and a bottom to hold the package in place. The carrier does not require shrink wrap.

Recent years have seen the evolution of household products, particularly laundry products into new and varied forms. The use of liquid laundry detergents, which provide consumers with the opportunity to pretreat selected areas of the clothes with the detergent prior to washing, is more prevalent now than in years past. On the powders side of the business, increases in concentration, and therefore weight, have been undertaken to minimize packaging. In addition, many consumers looking for value purchase larger quantities of product at a single time. These larger quantities may be reflected in packages containing higher effective doses of product and/or in greater number of items purchased at the same time.
There is on the market a carrier for bottles of household products sold under the "Purex" brand. The Purex carrier comprises two dividing walls hinged at the top, each of which has a bottom flap separated from the dividing wall by a fold line. The Purex carrier also includes sidewalls on either side of each dividing panel and separated therefrom by fold lines. The Purex carrier includes shrink wrap to keep bottles contained and supported within the carrier. Without the shrink wrap, the bottles would fall through the carrier. The Purex carrier also includes a handle.
It will be appreciated that the purchase of heavier and/or multiple items will increase the burden on the consumer carrying home goods from the supermarket. Tearing of paper or plastic grocery bags stuffed with heavy items, including detergent and other household products, is not uncommon. There is a need therefore for a carrier suitable for transporting by hand larger and multiple packages, especially packages of household products such as detergent cartons and bottles.


A method for ascertaining a depth information image for an input image. The input image is processed using a convolutional neural network, which includes multiple layers that sequentially process the input image, and each converts an input feature map into an output feature map. At least one of the layers is a depth map layer, the depth information image being ascertained as a function of a depth map layer. In the depth map layer, an input feature map of the depth map layer is convoluted with multiple scaling filters to obtain respective scaling maps, the multiple scaling maps are compared pixel by pixel to generate a respective output feature map in which each pixel corresponds to a corresponding pixel from a selected one of the scaling maps.

Conventional functions of a technical system, in particular a robot, a vehicle, a tool, or a work machine, may be carried out as a function of a depth information image of the surroundings. For example, autonomous or semiautonomous vehicle functions, controlled by vehicles or external devices, are based on the reliable recognition of open space, vehicles, and humans or other objects in the surroundings of the motor vehicle. The detection of images in the surroundings with the aid of one or multiple cameras or other image detection devices is a fundamental requirement for implementing such a driving function in a motor vehicle.
The detected camera images are suitably evaluated, for example to segment the vehicle surroundings or recognize objects in the vehicle surroundings. Ascertaining a piece of depth information for the individual pixels or image objects of the detected images is extremely important. The depth information allows or simplifies, among other things, the association of image areas with individual objects, which is advantageous for a reliable segmentation of the image to be examined.
Thus far, methods for creating such depth information images, i.e., images provided with depth information or images that correspond to a depth map and indicate the depth of each pixel of a reference image, have generally utilized stereocameras for detecting stereoimages. By identifying features in the recorded scene, distances of the detected features may be ascertained based on image differences between the two stereoimages, and a depth map may be created from same.
Ascertaining depth information images based on an input image that is not stereoscopically detected with the aid of a monocamera has thus far not been known or reliably implemented.

Method and device for ascertaining a depth information image from an input image