A collapsible utility cart that is composed of a pair of a plurality of interconnected frames that when in the usage state assumes a box-like configuration mounted on a plurality of wheels. There is a handle assembly that is mounted to the frames with this handle assembly being movable between an extended position and a retracted position. The frames that make up the utility cart body are to be collapsed in juxtaposition when in a collapsed position and said handle assembly is to be positioned against the frames when in the retracted position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a utility cart and more particularly to a utility cart that is collapsible.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has long been known a substantial number of different transporting structures in the materials handling art. One such transporting structure is known as a utility cart. The utility cart is designed to be pulled by a handle by a user. Generally, the utility carts are useful when a user wishes to transport small items of cargo over a relatively short distance.
Utility carts find utility in both residences and commercial establishments. Typically, such a cart may be commonly used in conjunction with nurseries where it is desirable to transport potted plants from their location within the nursery to a purchaser's car or truck. Utility carts can also be of benefit when utilized in conjunction with homes where a homeowner can use the cart when performing of yard work such as planting of plants.
It is desirable in the constructing of such carts that in order to decrease the amount of space that the cart takes up during non-usage is to have the cart to be collapsible. In the past, the collapsing of such carts has not been to where the cart really assumes a minimal amount of space. It would be desirable to construct the cart to where a minimum amount of space is utilized in the collapsed position.


A method to determine deposits in a steam generator having the steps of creating a calibration standard having at least two rings of deposit material, subjecting the calibration standard to an eddy current signal, wherein an amplitude of the signal reflected from the calibration standard is used to obtain a polynomial equation fit of the reflected eddy current signals to actual thickness of the rings, obtaining a steam generator with tubes, initiating an eddy current signal into the tubes of the steam generator, detecting and recording reflections of the eddy current signal initiated into the tubes of the steam generator, and determining a thickness of the deposits in the steam generator from the recorded reflections of the eddy current signal and the polynomial equation.

Nuclear steam generators used in pressurized water reactors, for example, are subject to the accumulation of feedwater impurities. Although the feedwater is maintained at a high level of purity, minute concentrations of corrosion products and/or feedwater impurities may be concentrated in the flow stream, consequently leading to buildup of these materials within the steam generator as the water is converted into steam. These deposits will eventually degrade the thermal hydraulic performance of the component.
To increase the heat transfer capabilities of the steam generator, the thickness of the deposits, as well as the locations of the deposits, must be determined such that removal techniques may be implemented. Currently, visual inspections and eddy current inspections are utilized to ascertain locations and approximate thickness of material. These techniques, however, are prone to error. Moreover, visual inspections introduce a significant radiological risk to workers if the steam generator is connected to a nuclear power generation system.
There is therefore a need to provide a system that will determine the thickness of deposit accumulations as well as the location of those accumulations on the heating surfaces of a steam generator.
There is also a need to provide a system that will determine the accumulations of deposits on the heating surfaces of the steam generator, while minimizing the need for worker ingress into a potentially radioactive environments.

Steam generator mapping with reflections of eddy current signal


An automatic feeder includes a computerized dispenser for dispensing different programmed quantities of food for each meal (e.g., 1-10 cups of dry food) to an animal at up to ten programmed times. The computerized dispenser includes food-dispensing components for dispensing food and, preferably, water-dispensing components for dispensing water. The computerized dispenser also includes a programmed microcomputer and integrated control circuitry operatively coupled to the food-dispensing components for automatically controlling the food-dispensing components in order to dispense different programmed quantities of food for each meal at programmed times. According to a major aspect of the invention, the integrated control circuitry includes components (e.g., a digital voice circuit) for recording and playing audio in order to enable an owner to record a message (e.g., a 30-second message) for automatic playback at preprogrammed times, normally just ahead of feeding time. The control circuitry preferably includes a telephone interface that enables remote control of the pet feeder by conventional telephone. It may include a video telephone interface and a personal computer interface. A battery backup protects against power failures.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to automatic feeders for dogs and other animals, and more particularly to a computerized feeder with increased functionality.
2. Background Information
Recall how the recurring task of feeding and watering the dog can interfere with other activities. One may have to drive all the way home after work before going out to dinner in order to feed and water the dog. An overnight business trip or short vacation may require a kennel and involve veterinarian services before and afterwards. Even then, unfamiliar scents and surroundings at the kennel may upset the dog, and knowledge of that possibility may worry the owner. Moreover, emergencies, weather conditions, and various unforeseen contingencies may prevent one from returning home on schedule. So, dog-feeding and watering responsibilities can cause some problems.
Some mechanized dog feeders attempt to alleviate those problems by automatically dispensing measured amounts of food and water at timed intervals. An existing feeder, for example, may include a motor-driven auger that dispenses food from a storage bin and an electrically operated valve that dispenses water from a tank. They operate automatically in the owner's absence to meet a predetermined feeding schedule. However, the dog may react poorly to being fed by a machine. For that reason, existing automatic feeders can be somewhat poor substitutes for the owner's presence, and so owners need a better way to feed their dogs.

Automatic feeder for dogs and other animals


A fuel composition comprising a major amount of hydrocarbons boiling in the gasoline or diesel range and an alkylene oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amide reaction product having from about 3 to 50 moles of alkylene oxide per mole of hydrocarbyl amide, wherein the reaction product is prepared by (a) first reacting a fatty acid or fatty acid lower alkyl ester with ammonia or a mono- or di-hydroxy hydrocarbyl amine and (b) subsequently reacting the resulting intermediate with an alkylene oxide to provide a reaction product comprising the alkylene oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amide, a mixture of mono- and di-ester products, and amine by-products, wherein the amount of amine by-products in the reaction product is less than 7 wt %, based on the total weight of the alkylene oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amide reaction product, and the amide:ester ratio in the reaction product is in the range of about 0.1:1 to 1.1:1.

Alkylene oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amides have efficacious detergency properties. Their usefulness in hydrocarbon fuels, e.g. fuels in the gasoline or diesel boiling range, is known for preventing deposits in internal combustion engines, controlling octane requirement increases and reducing octane requirement. In addition, the combustion is improved through the use of certain of these compounds. The driveability of vehicles is believed to be enhanced when using fuels containing alkylene oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amides.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,297,107 to Boehmke, issued on Oct. 27, 1981, discloses a fuel comprising a hydrocarbon, water and an emulsifier wherein the emulsifier is a non-ionic emulsifier and comprises the addition product of ethylene oxide or propylene oxide and a carboxylic acid amide with 9 to 21 carbon atoms.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,312,481 to Lin et al., issued on Nov. 6, 2001, discloses the use of monoamide-containing polyether alcohol compounds as additives in fuel compositions and the use of these compounds to decrease intake valve deposits, control octane requirement increase, and reduce octane requirement.
The preparation of alkylene oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amides may be carried out by methods familiar to one skilled in the art. For example, one may begin by reacting a fatty acid ester with a mono- or di-hydroxy hydrocarbyl amine to first yield a hydroxylated fatty acid amide as an intermediate reaction product. The alkylene oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amide can then be obtained by further reaction of the intermediate with an alkylene oxide, such as ethylene oxide or propylene oxide. However, during the course of the reaction, low molecular weight by-products, particularly amine by-products, e.g. alkoxylated amines, such as propoxylated diethanolamines, are produced that are counter beneficial to the desired properties of the alkylene oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amide when employed as a fuel additive. Such amine by-products are polar, basic and water soluble, resulting in the tendency to accumulate in the water bottoms of fuel storage tanks and on metal surfaces. Fuel tank water bottoms are notorious for harboring numerous accumulated compounds. Under the right conditions, certain low molecular weight amines may react with certain other compounds present, e.g. acidic corrosion inhibitors, possibly forming salts or gums which could potentially form deposits within the distribution system, e.g. filters, flow meters, etc. Within an internal combustion engine, there may be interactions between the amine by-products and other additive components in fuel compositions that could aggravate engine performance due to increased engine wear or sludge or varnish accumulation. Removal of amine by-products resulting from the preparation of alkylene oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amides is complicated because of the propensity of these materials to form emulsions with aqueous extractions. Thus, it is highly desirable to minimize amine by-products from fuel additive packages containing alkylene oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amides.
In addition, an important factor in engine no-harm performance is the compatibility of the fuel additive with the engine lubricating oil. Typically, a fraction of most fuel additives survives the combustion process intact and migrates past the piston rings into the crankcase. It is therefore very important that the additive not react negatively with the engine oil in ways that harm the oils functionality, e.g. sediment or cloud formation.
Commonly assigned copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/993,344, filed Nov. 19, 2004, discloses a process for preparing alkylene oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amides having very low residual levels of amine by-products, particularly alkoxylated amines such as propoxylated diethanolamines (PO-DEA). This process provides reduced levels of amine by-products down to less than 2 wt %.

Fuel composition containing an alkylene oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amide having reduced amine by-products


A method includes communicating at a translator device with first devices in a first network using a first protocol and with second devices in a second network using a second protocol. The method also includes receiving data messages at the translator device, where the data messages include first data messages communicated between devices using a common protocol and second data messages communicated between devices using different protocols. The method further includes communicating each first data message from the translator device, where each first data message is routed towards a destination using the common protocol associated with the first data message. In addition, the method includes, for each second data message, translating contents of the second data message at the translator device to generate a new data message compliant with another protocol and communicating the new data message from the translator device towards a destination over the first or second network.

Wireless networks are frequently used in industrial process control systems. For example, sensors could provide measurements over a wireless network, and actuators could receive control signals over the wireless network. A controller could receive the sensor measurements and generate the control signals. A wireless network in an industrial facility often supports wireless devices that operate in accordance with a single wireless communication protocol. Devices in different wireless networks are typically able to communicate only via their respective gateways.

Apparatus and method supporting wireless communications between devices using different application protocols in industrial control and automation systems


A printing device is provided with a printing unit configured to print an image on a sheet, a sheet discharge unit having a discharge tray and configured to discharge the sheet from the printing unit to the discharge tray, and a control unit configured to control the sheet discharge unit to execute a slow discharge process between two subsequent print jobs, the slow discharge process being a sheet discharge process in which sheet discharging ability of the sheet discharge unit is impaired.

1. Technical Field
Aspects of the present invention relate to a printing device which prints images on printing sheets.
2. Related Art
Recently, printing devices such as a printer, a copier, a facsimile machine, etc. have been improved so that a printing speed is significantly increased. In association with the speed-up of the printing operation, it becomes difficult to remove printed sheets collected (stacked) on a discharge tray when a continuous printing operation is performed.
In a conventional device, by switching the sheet discharge trays when the continuous printing operation is performed (i.e., when a plurality of print jobs are continuously executed), the user can remove the printed sheets while the printing operation is kept performed. Alternatively, the continuous printing operation is paused to allow the user to remove the printed sheets.

Printing device having slow discharge process for sequential print jobs


The present invention relates to methods of preventing or treating a mammal with a viral-induced disorder. The method involves administering to the mammal a therapeutically effective amount of a compound represented by Formula I, as shown below:

Cyclosporin A (CsA), a neutral cyclic undecapeptide isolated from the fungus Tolypocladium inflatum and currently marketed as NEORAL® and SANDIMMUNE® (Novartis, Basel, Switzerland), has been widely used for the prevention of organ transplant rejection. The molecular basis for the immunosuppressant activity of cyclosporin A and cyclosporin analogues begins with the passive diffusion of the cyclosporin (Cs) molecule into the cell, followed by binding to its intracellular receptor, cyclophilin A (CypA). CypA belongs to a family of proteins that catalyze cis-trans peptidyl-prolyl isomerization, i.e., PPIase, a rate-limiting step in protein folding. CsA and other cyclosporin analogues bind to the active site of CypA. However, immunosuppression is not believed to be due to the inhibition of CypA PPIase activity. The target of the CsA-CypA complex is a Ca2+-calmodulin-dependent serine-threonine-specific protein phosphatase, calcineurin. In T-cells responding to antigen presentation, an increase in intracellular Ca2+ activates calcineurin, which subsequently dephosphorylates the transcription factor called the nuclear factor of activated T-cells ("NFAT"). Dephosphorylated NFAT undergoes a molecular change, e.g., homodimerization that allows it to cross into the nucleus, and promotes the expression of T-cell activation genes. CsA and other immunosuppressive cyclosporin derivatives inhibit calcineurin which results in the inhibition of expression of cytokine genes, e.g., interleukin-2 (IL-2) that promotes T-cell activation and proliferation, i.e., immunosuppressive activity.
Human Immunodeficiency Viruses and Cyclosporin A or Non-Immunosuppressive Cyclosporins
Human immunodeficiency viruses ("HIVs") are lentiviruses, a family of mammalian retroviruses evolved to establish chronic persistent infection with gradual onset of clinical symptoms. There are two major families of HIV. Most of the epidemic involves HIV-1; HIV-2 is a close relative whose distribution is concentrated in western Africa.
Human cyclophilins A and B have been identified as cellular proteins which bind specifically to HIV-1 Gag polyprotein, p555gag. Gag proteins play a major role in several steps of the virus life cycle, including the assembly and release of virions (Willis et al., "Form, Function, and Use of Retroviral Gag Proteins," AIDS 5:639-654 (1991)). A cleavage product of the Gag polyprotein, the capsid protein, has been shown to bind specifically to cyclophilin A. Cyclophilin A is functionally associated with the HIV-1 virions through interaction with the Gag polyprotein. This interaction between cyclophilin A and Gag proteins is inhibited by the immunosuppressive drug, cyclosporin A (Thali et al., "Functional Association of Cyclophilin A With HIV-1 Virions," Nature 372:363-365 (1994)).
Cyclosporin A has demonstrated in vitro antiviral activity against HIV-1 (Karpas et al., "Inhibition of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Growth of Infected T-cells by the Immunosuppressive Drugs Cyclosporin A and FK 506," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:8351-8355 (1992)); however, initial in vivo studies in which cyclosporin A was administered as a monotherapy in HIV-infected patients at advanced stages of disease did not show a beneficial effect from the treatment (Levy et al., "Long-Term Follow-Up of HIV Positive Asymptomatic Patients Having Received Cyclosporin A," Adv. Ex. Med. Biol. 374:229-234 (1995)). U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,323 to Andrieu et al. reported that administration of cyclosporins may be used for the prevention of AIDS in patients infected with the virus before the appearance of the AIDS symptoms, that is patients with no symptoms or patients with AIDS related complex.
Highly active antiretroviral therapy ("HAART") has dramatically decreased the HIV-related morbidity and mortality rates among HIV-infected patients and the transmission of HIV from mother to child by efficiently suppressing viral replication (Palella et al., "Declining Morbidity and Mortality Among Patients With Advanced Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection," N. Eng. J. Med. 338:853-860 (1998)). Limitations of HAART have become better understood. Thus, the virus can be suppressed to undetectable levels but not eradicated. In addition, there is an ever-growing list of side effects, the eventual development of resistance, and the cost and complexity of HAART regimens that must be contended with.
HAART covers a broad range of antiretroviral agents that include nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors ("NRTI"), nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors ("NNRTI"), HIV protease inhibitors, and fusion inhibitors. Specific examples of antiviral agents from each of these families include: Zidovudine, Didanosine, Stavudine, and Lamivudine from the NRTI antiviral class; Nevirapine, Efavirenz, and Delavirdine from the NNRTI antiviral class; Saquinovir, Indinavir, and Ritonavir from the HIV protease inhibitor class; and Enfuvirtide from the fusion inhibitor antiviral class.
From an immunological standpoint, the introduction of HAART allows for only a partial immune reconstitution. Indeed, ex vivo measures of immune function do not generally normalize and, most importantly, HIV-specific T cell responses remain almost invariably impaired. Though several variables have been identified that correlate with the degree of immune reconstitution during HAART, the actual underlying mechanism(s) responsible for such an incomplete immune reconstitution are still poorly understood and likely reflect the severe HIV-driven perturbations in T cell dynamics and homeostasis and the interaction between host and viral factors (Douek, "Disrupting T-Cell Homeostasis: How HIV-1 Infection Causes Disease," AIDS Rev. 5:172-177 (2003)).
A strategy aimed at the broadest immune reconstitution, possibly overcoming the limitations of HAART, consists in the adjuvant use of immunomodulants. By combining cyclosporin A with HAART, the goal is to contain the immune activation, either virus-specific or owing to non-specific "by-stander" activation. Results from pilot studies in HIV-infected patients has shown that the rapid shutdown of T-cell activation induced by cyclosporin A has produced a more rapid and stable increase in CD4+ T-cells and a significant long-term increase in IFN-γ secreting CD4+ and CD4+ CCR7-T-cells, establishing a more favorable immunological set-point (Bandera et al., "Immunomodulants in HIV Infection," Expert Opin. Ther. Patents 15(9):1115-1131 (2005)). Determination of the long-term efficacy must be assessed in order to understand if this approach truly has value.
SDZ NIM 811 is a cyclosporin analogue that is completely devoid of immunosuppressive activity but exhibits potent and selective anti-HIV-1 activity (Mlynar et al., "The Non-Immunosuppressive Cyclosporin A Analogue SDZ NIM 811 Inhibits Cyclophilin A Incorporation Into Virions and Virus Replication in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1-Infected Primary and Growth-Arrested Cells," J. General Virology 78:825-835 (1997)). SDZ NIM 811 does not prevent the activation of CD4+ T-cell activation as cyclosporin A does. In a manner similar to cyclosporin A, it is proposed that SDZ NIM 811 interferes with the HIV-1 Gag-cyclophilin A interaction to effect its antiviral activity.
SDZ NIM 811 does not inhibit calcineurin and possesses none of the immunosuppressive activity of cyclosporin A. The potent inhibition of calcineurin by cyclosporin, in addition to being responsible for the potent immunosuppressive activity of cyclosporin A, is also believed to be the cause of the toxicity and the narrow therapeutic index of this drug. Separation of immunosuppressive and antiviral activity could lead to novel antiviral cyclosporins with fewer side effects and improved therapeutic index. Elucidation of structure activity relationships for cyclosporins permits the design of non-immunosuppressive cyclosporin derivatives that retain potent (cyclophilin A) PPIase activity to achieve this goal (Bartz et al., "Inhibition of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Replication by Non-Immunosuppressive Analogs of Cyclosporin A," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92:5381-5385 (1995)). European Patent No. 484 281, U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,069, U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,884, and French Patent Nos. 2,757,520, 2,757,521, and 2,757,522 disclose non-immunosuppressive cyclosporins with antiviral activity.
Hepatitis C Virus and Cyclosporin A
Recently, cyclosporin A, the most widely prescribed immunosuppressive drug, was reported to be clinically effective against hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection (Nakagawa et al., "Specific Inhibition of Hepatitis C Virus Replication by Cyclosporin A," Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 313:42-47 (2004)). The authors of the Nakagawa et al. paper state that certain chaperone activities, such as those of cyclophilins, may be crucial for the processing and maturation of the viral proteins and for viral replication.
A subsequent controlled clinical trial showed that a combination of cyclosporin A with interferon α2b is more effective than interferon monotherapy, especially in patients with high viral loads (Inoue et al., "Combined Interferon α2b and Cyclosporin A in the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C: Controlled Trial," J. Gastroenterol. 38:567-572 (2003)).
PCT International Patent Publication No. WO 2006/005610 recently described the use of a combination of cyclosporin A and pegylated interferon for treating hepatitis C viral infection. In addition, PCT International Patent Publication No. WO 2005/021028 relates to the use of non-immunosuppressive cyclosporins for treatment of HCV disorders. Also, Paeshuyse et al., "Potent and Selective Inhibition of Hepatitis C Virus Replication by the Non-Immunosuppressive Cyclosporin Analogue DEBIO-025," Antiviral Research 65(3):A41 (2005) recently published results for a non-immunosuppressive cyclosporin analogue, DEBIO-025, that exhibited potent and selective inhibition of hepatitis C virus replication. Notably, the cyclosporin derivative DEBIO-025 is also effective for the treatment of HIV-1 (Rosenwirth et al., "Debio-025, A Novel Non-Immunosuppressive Cyclosporine Analog with Potent Anti-Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Activity: Pharmacological Properties and Mode of Action," Antiviral Research 65(3):A42-A43 (2005)). Debio-025 does possess potent binding affinity for cyclophilin A.
There is still a large need for novel cyclosporin analogues that have therapeutic utility in the treatment of viral-induced diseases.
The present invention is directed to achieving these objectives.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Use of cyclosporin alkyne/alkene analogues for preventing or treating viral-induced disorders

Abstract: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, with X, R0, R1, and R2 defined herein, under conditions effective to prevent or treat the viral-induced disorder.


The present invention is a razor blade carrier having a base with at least two stepped protrusion extending outwardly therefrom. The stepped protrusion define at least two landing positions that support a portion of the razor blade. The landing surfaces of the stepped protrusions cooperate to define at least two razor blade locations. The razor blade carrier is used in a razor cartridge.

Modern safety razors typically include a razor cartridge that supports at least one razor blade for removing hair from hirsute surfaces during a shaving operation. These razor cartridges typically incorporate two or more razor blades to allow for greater hair removal in a single pass of the razor.
The positioning of multiple razor blades within a small, often disposable razor cartridge, can be complex. For example, to ensure an acceptably close shave and to minimize the potential for cutting, abrading, or nicking the skin, or uncomfortably pulling the hair during a shaving operation the orientation of the razor blades in a multi-blade razor cartridge important. A problem associated with prior art razor cartridges concerns the difficulties associated with establishing and maintaining a desired blade alignment and orientation. This is due in part to the fact that the razor cartridge consists of a multiplicity of parts including spacers. Each of these parts has associated with it an acceptable tolerance range. When assembled these tolerance ranges can sometimes become additive thereby resulting in a less than desirable alignment of the razor blades. In addition, due to the miniature nature of the parts that comprise the razor cartridge, difficulties in assembly can further misorient components. As a result of the multiple parts, manufacturing is expensive with quality control being problematic.
In addition, the multiple parts cause undesirable blockages within the razor cartridge. In a wet shaving operation wherein a shaving aid, such as a cream or gel is employed, debris, such as hair and shaving cream, may become lodged within the multi- blade razor cartridge between the razor blades. The debris is customarily removed from the multi-blade razor cartridge by flushing with water, however, blockages due to the positioning of features and components in the cartridge can make removal of the debris difficult or impossible. In extreme cases, blockages can cause a buildup of debris within the cartridge that alters the spacing between the blades or causes the development of surfaces that prevent the skin from properly engaging the blades leading to a shaving outcome that is less than optimum.
Based on the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to improve upon or overcome the problems associated with prior art razors and cartridges.

Razor blade platform and razor cartridge using same


A matrix display maintains synchronization with an input NTSC composite video signal by combining the functions of a phase locked loop, a column selector, and a row selector. The matrix includes display cells arranged in rows and columns, each display cell enabled for display on receipt of a column pointer signal and a row pointer signal. The column selector includes a shift circuit that shifts a walking-one pattern to assert in turn one column pointer signal at a time for each column in the matrix. An overflow signal from the shift circuit is used for three functions: (1) to reinstate the walking pattern in the column selector, (2) to lock the phase locked loop on the horizontal synchronization pulse of the NTSC signal, (3) to clock the row selector. The row selector includes a shift circuit and walking-one pattern to assert in turn one row pointer signal for each row of the matrix. Vertical synchronization is maintained by recording several samples of the NTSC signal taken after successive horizontal synchronization pulses, and selectively disabling the phase comparator of the phase locked loop. In a preferred embodiment, the matrix display includes field emission display cells arranged with all support circuitry on an integrated circuit substrate. Shift circuits, consisting of low power dynamic shift stages, eliminate conventional counter circuitry saving surface area on the substrate and reducing heat and power consumption.

As an introduction to the problems solved by the present invention, consider the conventional flat panel matrix display having a row-column array of picture elements (pixels), each pixel at the intersection of a row and a column. Display in such pixels is conventionally accomplished by a display cell matrix aligned with the pixel matrix so that each display cell is addressed as a member of one row and one column. In an active matrix display, where each display cell includes at least one switch, each display cell is addressed for enabling display when it receives a column pointer signal and a row pointer signal. Many thousands of such pointer signals are needed to address a moderate size matrix of, for example, one million pixels arranged in one thousand rows and one thousand columns. Without integrated circuit packaging techniques, reliable displays having so many interconnections are not economically feasible.
One type of matrix display includes the field emission display wherein the matrix of display cells, circuits for generating the column and row pointer signals, and all the interconnecting conductors are formed on an integrated circuit substrate. Although it would be highly desirable to form video signal processing circuits on the same substrate, further integration of such support circuitry on the substrate has been frustrated by the excessive amount of substrate surface area occupied by conventional addressing circuits, and the excessive power consumed by such circuits.
Conventional video signals are sophisticated, requiring considerable circuitry for deriving color and intensity information for each pixel. In the conventional video signal, row and column addressing information must be derived from the video signal by synchronizing higher frequency clock signals with the video signal, by counting pulses, by detecting pulse frequency, and by detecting pulse duty cycle. Using conventional circuitry, these functions cannot be economically formed on the integrated circuit substrate with other display circuitry because conventional circuitry requires considerable substrate surface area, consumes excessive power, and is so complex that overall reliability goals cannot be economically met.
Without economical integrated circuit displays, systems designs will be limited to use of bulky, unreliable cathode ray tube displays, slow, dim liquid crystal displays, and expensive electroluminescent displays. Such limitations on systems designs will effectively prohibit introduction of new, portable, long life, reliable, and sophisticated industrial and consumer products in wide ranging fields including, for example, such fields as instrumentation, communications, entertainment, photography, and information processing.
In view of the problems described above and related problems that consequently become apparent to those skilled in the applicable arts, the need remains in matrix display products for improved matrix displays and methods for synchronizing such displays with an input signal.

Timing control for a matrixed scanned array


Administration of inhibitors of carboxypeptidase E provides significant neurotropic effects in warm-blooded vertebrates evidenced inter alia by anxiolytic and anti-aggressive behavior and enhanced cognition. Certain xcex2-Lactam antibiotics, most significantly, certain 1-oxa-1-dethia cephems with blood brain barrier transport, exhibit potent therapeutic neurologic activity.

This invention relates to a novel mechanism of neuropsychiatric intervention. More particularly, this invention is directed to pharmaceutical formulations and methods for treatment of a variety of neurological disease states, including cognitive and behavioral disorders.
The pharmaceutical industry has directed extensive research and development efforts toward discovery and commercialization of drugs for treatment of neurological disorders. Such disorders typically derive from chemical imbalances in the brain. Overproduction or underproduction of pertinent neurochemical species and/or receptor dysfunction has been identified with many disease states recognized by neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists and other medical practitioners skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disease. Most of the discovery effort for new neurologically active drugs has been based on the study of agonist/antagonist drug interaction with one or more of the numerous receptors in the brain and/or their respective receptor ligands.
The present invention provides a novel approach to drug intervention in the treatment of a wide variety of neurologic disease states and other disease states or clinical conditions of related etiology. It is based in part on the discovery that xcex2-lactam containing compounds known for their activity as inhibitors of bacterial peptidases or proteases, particularly transpeptidases and/or carboxypeptidases, are also potent inhibitors of certain mammalian neuro-peptidases, including N-acetylated-xcex1-linked acidic pediptidases (NAALADases), several of which have been identified/characterized in the literature [Pangalos et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1999, 274, No. 13, 8470-8783]. The present invention is also based in part on the discovery that neurogenic carboxypeptidases can be targeted with carboxypeptidase inhibitors to effect significant behavioral modification and enhanced cognitive performance. Preliminary studies have confirmed that one or more neurogenic proteases, now believed to be NAALADases and related peptidases and transferases, capable of recognizing and transforming certain neuropeptides (e.g., N-acetyl-L-aspartyl-L-glutamate) play a significant if not dominant role at the neurochemical level of brain function and concomitantly have a substantial impact on patient behavior and cognitive performance. It has been previously reported that certain glutamate analogs acting as NAALADase inhibitors can be used to treat prostate disease and glutamate abnormalities associated with certain nervous tissue insult. It has now been determined that certain xcex2-lactam-containing bacterial peptidase inhibitors capable of blood-brain barrier transport, can function in the brain at very low concentrations as potent neuroactive drug substances to reduce the symptoms of a wide variety of neurological disorders characterized by behavioral aberration or sensory/cognitive dysfunction. Significantly, such bacterial enzyme inhibitors are believed to be effective inhibitors of neurogenic peptidases, particularly carboxypeptidase E, at concentrations below those concentrations known to be required for clinically effective bacterial enzyme inhibition.
Accordingly, one embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method for treatment of cognitive and behavioral disorders in warm-blooded vertebrates by administering compounds known for their activity as bacterial protease or peptidase inhibitors, which compounds, when present at effective concentrations in the brain, have now been determined to be capable of inhibiting or otherwise modulating the activity of one or more neurogenic enzymes.
In a related embodiment there is provided method for treatment of cognitive and behavioral disorders in a patient in need of such treatment. The method comprises the step of inhibiting neurogenic peptidases, particularly, carboxypeptidase E and related neurogenic enzymes. Such neuropeptidase inhibition is effected by administering an effective amount of a xcex2-lactam compound recognized for its capacity to bind to and inhibit a bacterial enzyme, for example, a xcex2-lactamase or a bacterial protease involved in bacterial cell wall synthesis. Such bacterial proteases are known in the art as xe2x80x9cpenicillin binding proteins.xe2x80x9d xcex2-lactam compounds for use in this invention are moxalactam, its salts, esters and structrually related cephems and 1-oxa-1-dethia cephems. Effective inhibition of such neuro-carboxypeptidase E and related neuro-peptidase activity in warm-blooded vertebrates in accordance with this invention has been found to produce marked enhancement in cognitive performance and behavioral management.
Exemplary of cognitive and behavioral disorders susceptible to treatment in accordance with this invention include aggressive disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and memory impairment. Animal data suggest that the method and formulation of this invention have potential as an antiaggressive agent to control impulsivity and violence in autism, Tourette""s syndrome, mental retardation, psychosis, mania, senile dementia and individuals with personality disorders and history of inappropriate aggression. Clinic applications extend to the treatment of children with ADHD and conduct disorder, as an anxiolytic, and as a cognition enhancer for the geriatric population to improve learning and memory and to ameliorate disorientation.
In another embodiment of this invention there is provided a method of treating a patient afflicted with a condition, or disposed to development of a condition, characterized at least in part by abnormal extracellular concentration of glutamate in the brain or other nervous tissue. The method comprises the step of administering to the patient in effective amounts of a compound capable of inhibiting the activity of a penicillin-binding protein of bacterial origin. The composition is administered in an amount effective to prevent or alleviate the symptoms of such condition. The method and formulation embodiments of the invention find use in both human health and veterinary applications, e.g., in canine, feline and equine species.
In one embodiment of the present invention a warm-blooded vertebrate, most typically a human patient, affected by a neurologic disease state characterized by cognitive or behavioral abnormalities is treated with a 1-oxa-1-dethia cephalosporin, more preferably a 7-methoxy-1-oxa-1-dethia cephalosporin, optionally as an active ester derivative in an orally (including buccal or sublingual administration) or a parenterally administered formulation. In one embodiment, the peptidase inhibitor is moxalactam, [7-xcex2-[2-carboxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)acetamido]-7xcex1-methoxy-3-[[(1-methyl-1H-tetrazol-5-yl)thio]methyl]-1-oxa-1-dethia-3-cephem-4-carboxylic acid], described and claimed with related compounds, including their orally absorbed active ester derivatives, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,567, the specification of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. Moxalactam has been found to exhibit significant dose responsive neuroactivity when administered parenterally at least at about 50 xcexcg/kg of body weight.
In another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a pharmaceutical formulation for treatment with consequent reduction of symptoms of behavioral or cognitive disorders in patients in need of such treatment. The formulation comprises a compound characterized not only by its affinity to bacteria derived penicillin-binding proteins, but as well, its affinity to neurogenic carboxypeptidases, particularly carboxypeptidase E. In that embodiment the level of activity exhibited by the carboxypeptidase inhibitor in the present method is not only dependent on its affinity to penicillin-binding proteins and to carboxypeptidase, namely carboxypeptidase-E, it is also particularly dependent on ability of the inhibitor compound to cross the blood brain barrier to achieve levels in the brain effective to modify patient behavior and/or cognitive performance. While the formulations of this invention can be prepared specifically for any art-recognized mode of administration capable of achieving threshold minimum protease inhibiting concentrations in the brain, they are typically formulated for parenteral or oral administration, optionally in the form of prolonged release or xe2x80x9cdrug depotxe2x80x9d type formulations well known in the art.

Neurotherapeutic use of carboxypeptidase inhibitors


A method for gathering management information about an asset that includes receiving a first request for the management information about the asset, wherein the first request complies with the information model format, identifying a data acquisition (DAQ) definition for the DAQ definition complies with the DAQ format, triggering a protocol handler according to the DAQ definition, receiving the management information from the protocol handler about the asset, and updating a cache entry with the management information.

A network corresponds to an interconnection of more than one computer system. For example, one type of network is a home network. A home network may correspond to two or more personal computers that can exchange data with each other and the Internet. Different types of networks exist throughout society. For example, large organizations often have data centers, servers, and various personal computer systems to exchange information between users, and to provide processing power to a single user.
In order to provide such functionality, a network includes various types of hardware and software. For example, the hardware includes the computer systems (personal computers, servers, and other such computing devices), network interface hardware, interconnection mediums (e.g., cables, wireless signals, etc.) routers, switches, hubs, and other such hardware. The software is instructions for providing the functionality of the network. For example, the software may include operating systems, network specific applications, user applications, server applications, etc.
In order to keep a network operating properly, the network must be managed. Managing a network involves managing the different resources (i.e., hardware and software) of the network. Typically, a resource can be managed through an application programming interface (API) of the resource. An application programming interface is the interface that a resource provides in order to allow management requests for service and management data to be made of the resource by management applications. Specifically, a management application that has knowledge of the application programming interface of the resource can manage the resource by accessing the different functions and data available through the application programming interface of the resource.

System and method for efficient meta-data driven instrumentation


The present disclosure discloses a method and a device for transmitting data. The method includes: a UE determining, according to a preset rule, whether to transmit PUCCH and/or PUSCH and/or an SRS or not on a last symbol of a current subframe; the UE determining the PUCCH and/or the PUSCH to be transmitted on the current subframe according to availability of the last symbol of the current subframe for transmitting the PUCCH and/or the PUSCH; and the UE transmitting the PUCCH and/or the PUSCH on the current subframe and/or transmitting the SRS on the last symbol of the current subframe. In virtue of the present disclosure, it can be realized that a plurality of types of physical uplink signals/channels are simultaneously transmitted.

The physical uplink channels of the Long Term Evolution (LTE for short) system comprise a physical random access channel (PRACH for short), a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH for short), and a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH for short). In addition, there are two types of physical uplink signals, one type is demodulation reference signal (DMRS for short) for demodulating a data/control signaling, and the other type is sounding reference signal (SRS for short) for measuring an uplink channel. The PUSCH/PUCCH has two different types of cyclic prefix (CP for short) lengths, i.e. normal cyclic prefix (Normal CP for short) and extended cyclic prefix (Extended CP for short).
In the current LTE system, a physical uplink control information (Uplink Control Information, UCI for short) comprises an ACK/NACK, a channel state information (CSI, wherein the CSI includes: a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), a Precoding Matrix Indicator (PMI) and Rank Indicator (RI)), and a scheduling request (SR) and a combination when they are simultaneously transmitted. It is also prescribed by the LTE that if there is no PUSCH transmission in the current subframe, one or more types of the UCIs above (only limited to combinations of two types of the UCIs) are transmitted on the PUCCH, and if there is PUSCH transmission in the current subframe, one or more types of the UCIs above are transmitted on the PUSCH together with the data.
The LTE defines multiple types of PUCCH format, including PUCCH format 1/1a/1b (a schematic diagram of channel structure thereof is as shown in FIG. 1) and format 2/2a/2b (a schematic diagram channel structure thereof is as shown in FIG. 2), wherein the format 1 is configured to transmit a scheduling request from a UE, the format 1a and format 1b are configured to feed back an 1-bit ACK/NACK and 2-bit ACK/NACK respectively, the format 2 is configured to transmit downlink channel state information, the format 2a is configured to transmit CSI information multiplexed with 1-bit ACK/NACK and the format 2b is configured to transmit CSI information multiplexed with 2-bit ACK/NACK.
In addition, in order to support the simultaneous transmission of the PUCCH format 1/1a/1b and an SRS, LTE also defines the shortened format of the PUCCH format 1/1a/1b, that is, the PUCCH is not configured to transmit the PUCCH on the last symbol of a subframe, and the last symbol of the subframe is configured to transmit the SRS. With respect to the shortened format, a format in which a last symbol of a subframe is configured to transmit the PUCCH is called a normal PUCCH format.
The SRS is a signal transmitted from the UE for the eNB to measure wireless the channel information (channel state information, CSI for short) by an eNB. In the LTE system, the UE transmits an uplink SRS periodically on the last symbol of a subframe according to parameters such as bandwidth, frequency domain location, sequence cyclic shift, period and subframe offset configured by an eNB. The eNB determines an uplink CSI of the UE according to a received SRS and performs operations such as frequency domain selection scheduling and closed-loop power control according to the obtained CSI. The LTE only supports periodic SRS. Therefore, in the following descriptions, the SRS always refers to periodic SRS if there is no specific instruction.
It is prescribed by the LTE that the SRS is transmitted on the last symbol of a subframe, and meanwhile, in order to maintain single-carrier properties of an uplink signal and avoid mutual interference between an SRS and a PUSCH/PUCCH of different UEs, the LTE makes the following regulations.
(1) When the UE needs to simultaneously transmit the PUSCH and the SRS on a certain subframe, the last symbol of the corresponding subframe does not transmit PUSCH, and the SRS is transmitted on the last symbol of the subframe.
(2) When the UE only needs to transmit the PUSCH on a certain subframe, if the subframe is higher layer configured as a cell-specific SRS subframe, then, when a resource allocation of the PUSCH partially overlaps with the higher layer configured cell-specific SRS bandwidth configuration, the last symbol of the subframe does not transmit the PUSCH; otherwise, the last symbol of the subframe transmits the PUSCH.
(3) When the UE needs to simultaneously transmit the PUCCH and the SRS on a certain subframe, if the PUCCH is of the PUCCH format 1/1a/1b, then, when a higher-layer configured parameter Simultaneous-AN-and-SRS is TRUE, the PUCCH is transmitted using a shortened format, and the SRS is transmitted on the last symbol of the subframe; otherwise, the PUCCH is transmitted using a normal format, and meanwhile, the SRS is skipped (that is to say, no SRS is transmitted on the current subframe).
(4) When the UE needs to simultaneously transmit the PUCCH and the SRS on a certain subframe, if the PUCCH is of the PUCCH format 2/2a/2b, then, the UE only transmits the PUCCH, and meanwhile, the SRS is skipped.
In an International Mobile Telecommunications-Advanced (IMT-Advanced for short) system, a high-speed transmission of data can be realized, and there is a quite large system capacity. A peak rate of the IMT-Advanced system can reach 1 Gbit/s in a situation of low-speed movement and hot-spot coverage, and 100 Mbit/s in a situation of high-speed movement and wide Area coverage.
In order to satisfy requirements of the International Telecommunication Union-Advanced (ITU-Advanced for short), the Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A for short) system, as the evolution standard of the LTE, should support wider system bandwidths (up to 100 MHz), and also needs to be backward compatible with the existing standards of the LTE. On the basis of the existing LTE system, the bandwidths of the LTE system can be combined to obtain a wider bandwidth, which technology is called carrier aggregation (CA for short) technology. This technology is capable of enhancing the frequency spectrum utilization of the IMT-Advance system, relieving the shortage of the frequency spectrum resources and further optimizing the utilization of the frequency spectrum resources.
In a system to which the CA is introduced, a carrier performing aggregation is called a Component Carrier (CC for short), and is also called a cell. Moreover, concepts of primary component carrier/cell (PCC/PCell for short) and secondary component carrier/cell (SCC/SCell for short) are also put forward. A system having performed the CA at least comprises one primary component carrier and one secondary component carrier, wherein the primary component carrier is always in an activation state. In the following descriptions, the component carrier and the cell are equivalent.
After the introduction of the CA, in the current discussion about relationships among a downlink component carrier, a PDSCH transmission block and a HARQ process, one basic working assumption is that when no space division multiplexing is used, one downlink component carrier is corresponding to one PDSCH transmission block and one HARQ process, that is to say, the UE needs to feed back a 1-bit ACK/NACK for one PDSCH transmission block of each component carrier. When the space division multiplexing is used, it is currently prescribed by the LTE-A that at most two transmission blocks are supported. As a result, when the space division multiplexing is used, the UE needs to feed back a 2-bit ACK/NACK for two PDSCH transmission blocks of each downlink component carrier.
In an LTE-A system in which the frequency spectrum aggregation technology is used, the uplink bandwidth and the downlink bandwidth can comprise a plurality of component carriers. When an eNB has PDSCHs on a plurality of downlink component carriers to be scheduled to a certain UE, and when the UE has no PUSCH to be transmitted in a current subframe, a terminal should feedback the ACK/NACK for the PDSCHs of the plurality of downlink component carriers on the PUCCH. A current working assumption is that these ACK/NACK are transmitted on one UE-specific uplink component carrier; as for SR information, a current working assumption is that the UE only transmits one SR, and the SR information is transmitted on one UE-specific uplink component carrier; and as for CSI information, a current working assumption is that the CSI information is transmitted on one UE-specific uplink component carrier.
In the LTE-A system, a current working assumption is that the UE transmits the SR information by using the PUCCH format 1, and the UE transmits the CSI by using the PUCCH format 2. As for the ACK/NACK, it can be transmitted not only by the PUCCH format 1a, 1b and multiplexing with channel selection, which have been already defined in LTE, but also by a new DFT-s-OFDM-based format, which is added to the LTE-A for transmitting ACK/NACK with a larger payload, and the channel structure schematic diagram of the DFT-s-OFDM-based format is as shown in FIG. 3. For the sake of convenient description, this format is called PUCCH Format 3. For a UE that at most can support a 4-bit ACK/NACK feedback, the ACK/NACK thereof will be fed back in a manner of the PUCCH format 1b with channel selection, and for a high-end UE that can support more than 4 bits ACK/NACK feedback, the mode in which the UE feeds back the ACK/NACK is configured by higher-layer signaling.
Apart from the CA technology, an uplink multi-antenna is also introduced into the LTE-A, and at most four antennas can be configured as uplink transmitting antennas. Therefore, in order to obtain the channel state information of each uplink transmitting antenna, the UE needs to simultaneously transmit the SRS on multiple antennas.
It is put forward in the existing LTE-A research that in the uplink communication, non-precoded (i.e. antenna-specific) SRS should be used, and the DMRS of the PUSCH should be precoded. The eNB can get an estimate of an original CSI of the uplink by receiving the non-precoded SRS, and the DMRS that has been precoded cannot enable the eNB to get an estimate of the original CSI of the uplink. At this time, when the UE transmits the non-precoded SRS by using multiple antennas, SRS resources needed by each UE are increased, which also results in decrease of the number of UEs that can be simultaneously multiplexed in the system. Besides, apart from retaining the original periodic transmission of the SRS of the LTE, in order to improve the utilization ratio of the SRS resources and enhance the flexibility of the resource scheduling, the SRS also can be transmitted aperiodically via downlink control information or higher-layer signaling for a UE.
In the LTE-A, in order to make full use of the uplink resources and consider the generally good channel quality in an application scenario of the carrier aggregation, requirements to the single carrier properties of the uplink signal are relaxed, and the PUCCH and the PUSCH are allowed to be simultaneously transmitted. Whether to allow the UE to simultaneously transmit the PUCCH and the PUSCH or not can be configured with higher-layer parameters.
Therefore, in the LTE-A system, when confronted with introduction of various novel technologies, such as CA, uplink multi-antenna, PUCCH format 3, aperiodic SRS and simultaneous transmission of the PUCCH and the PUSCH, the existing UE cannot realize simultaneous transmission of a plurality of types of physical uplink signals/channels.


A device for improved on-line histogramming of data acquired in a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan. The device is a Smart DRAM (SD) PCI card, of which more than one can be used in combination within a PC-based architecture for on-line histogramming. The SD PCI card is applied as either of a Gating Buffer, a histogramming card, and a normalization buffer. The Gating Buffer card alternately stores an arriving PET data packet stream into two dedicated DRAM banks. The two DRAM banks store and retransmit the packet stream in the order of arrival for an entire physiological cycle. The histogramming SD RMW PCI cards provide a very high rate of histogramming. The extendible daisy-chain of SD RMW PCI cards supports large memory banks across potentially hundreds of SD RMW PCI cards. Under a single PC, a multiple PCI Expansion chassis is employed such that a large number of PCI cards are supported.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of Positron Emission Tomography (PET). More particularly, this invention is directed to a dedicated memory device for extremely flexible and general purpose support of on-line event-by-event normalization, real-time physiological gating, unity (+/−) histogramming, and weighted histogramming.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various techniques are used for medical imaging. Positron emission tomography (PET) is one of several popular methods in radiology because of its ability to non-invasively study physiological processes and structures within the body. PET is a nuclear imaging technique used in the medical field to assist in the diagnosis of diseases. PET allows the physician to examine the whole patient at once by producing pictures of many functions of the human body unobtainable by other imaging techniques. In this regard, PET displays images of how the body works (physiology or function) instead of simply how it looks. PET is considered the most sensitive, and exhibits the greatest quantification accuracy, of any nuclear medicine imaging instrument available at the present time. Applications requiring this sensitivity and accuracy include those in the fields of oncology, cardiology, and neurology.
In PET, short-lived positron-emitting isotopes, referred to as radiopharmaceuticals, are injected into a patient. When these radioactive drugs are administered to a patient, they distribute within the body according to the physiologic pathways associated with their stable counterparts. As the radiopharmaceutical isotopes decay in the body, they discharge positively charged particles called positrons. Upon discharge, the positrons encounter electrons, and both are annihilated. As a result of each annihilation event, gamma rays are generated in the form of a pair of diametrically opposed photons approximately 180 degrees (angular) apart. After the PET scanner detects these annihilation "event pairs" over a period of time, the isotope distribution in a cross section of the body is reconstructed. These events are mapped within the patient's body, thus allowing for the quantitative measurement of metabolic, biochemical, and functional activity in living tissue. More specifically, PET images (often in conjunction with an assumed physiologic model) are used to evaluate a variety of physiologic parameters such as glucose metabolic rate, cerebral blood flow, tissue viability, oxygen metabolism, and in vivo brain neuron activity.
For the current state-of-the-art in PET, critical technical challenges to data acquisition are frequently encountered. Clinical PET places a demanding burden on the electronic data acquisition architecture, especially when using larger, higher sensitivity detector arrays coupled with demands for high patient throughput. Pure list-mode data acquisition, in which gamma-pair-coincidence event packets are simply stored to disk in the order detected, can have limited acceptance due to either too-slow event-packet collection speeds and/or too-slow post-acquisition processing. The typical resolution for this problem, which is well documented in the literature, has been to perform histogramming (+/− unity to memory) in an on-line manner. For example, projection space "sinograms" are generated during the acquisition while the patient is still in the tomograph. Still, this solution alone shows several limitations when upcoming requirements for modern large-array PET detectors are considered—i.e., requirements such as dynamic studies, continuous bed motion, physiological gating, time-of-flight, and correction for patient motion. In the clinical setting, demands for high-patient throughput combined with these more complex data acquisition modalities result in a critical need for very capable and flexible electronic architectures to support on-line processing of the PET data stream.
One example of a long-axis, high-count-rate PET is described by Wienhard, et al., "The ECAT HRRT: Performance and First Clinical Application of the New High Resolution Research Tomograph," IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci., vol. 49, pp. 104-110 (2002). Another example of long-axis, high-count-rate PET is described by Jones, et al., "First Time Measurement of Transaxial Resolution for a New High-Sensitivity PET Prototype Using 5 LSO Panel Detectors," IEEE NSS/MIC Conf. Rec.,
2002. For an example of work in support of list-mode continuous bed motion in
PET, see Townsend, et al., "Continuous bed motion acquisition for an LSO PET/CT scanner" IEEE NSS/MIC Poster, 2004 Rome. As an example of recent work in support of time-of-flight, refer to the work by Conti, et al., "Implentation of Time-of-Flight on CPS HiRez PET Scanner," IEEE NSS/MIC Oral Presentation, 2004 Rome. For work in the field of list-mode correction of patient motion, see the article by Fulton, et al., "Event-by-event motion compensation in 3D PET", IEEE MIC Conf Rec., October 2003.
So as broad progress in PET continues, important challenges must be met in digital electronic architectures to bring these multiple, complex data-acquisition modalities into the clinical world of high-patient throughput. As a basis for progress, note Section VIII from this 1996 article which proposes the use of quad-interleaved DRAM for fast on-line PET histogramming: Jones, et al., "Next generation PET data acquisition architectures," IEEE MIC Conf Rec., (1996).

Device for on-line data acquisition in three-dimensional positron emission tomography


A communication device is provided having wireless capabilities configured to communicate in a first communication mode via an access point and in a second communication mode directly between other communication devices without utilizing an access point. The communication device includes a detecting unit configured to detect the existence of an available wireless network; a receiving unit configured to receive a request from another communication device for transferring communication parameters in the second communication mode; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit communication parameters relating to the available wireless network to the other communication device in response to the request.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for setting communication parameters of networks among communication devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, devices that are treated as peripheral devices of a computer, such as a digital camera, a printer, a storage, a scanner, a data input unit, and a data output unit, have been capable of directly communicating with each other via cables without computer intervention. Furthermore, demand for performing wireless communication instead of wired communication has increased, and wireless communication among the aforementioned peripheral devices has come into use.
A method for setting parameters for wireless communication in individual devices is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 20030100335-A1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-163668). In this publication, one device holds two types of communication parameter information. The one device transfers second wireless communication parameters (parameters for infrastructure communication) directly to another device by wireless communication (ad hoc communication) using a wireless network that is configured with first wireless communication parameters (parameters for ad hoc communication). Then, the second wireless communication parameters are set in the other device, and both devices connect to the same wireless network with the second wireless communication parameters.
However, in the foregoing known method, the one device does not necessarily transfer wireless communication parameters that are suitable for the environment to the other device. Thus, the one device may transfer to the other device wireless communication parameters with which actual communication cannot be performed, and the other device may be incapable of connecting to any network.
Moreover, a problem exists, in that the other device can connect only to a specific network that can be accessed with the second wireless communication parameters even in an environment in which a plurality of wireless networks are available.

Communication device and method for setting communication parameters


There is provided a detergent composition suitable for use in laundry and dish washing methods comprising (a) a cationic ester surfactant; and (b) a grease dispersing agent.

The satisfactory removal of greasy soils/stains, that is soils/stains having a high proportion of triglycerides or fatty acids, is a challenge faced by the formulator of detergent compositions for use in laundry and dish washing methods. Surfactant components have traditionally been employed in detergent products to facilitate the removal of such greasy soils/stains. In particular, surfactant systems comprising cationic esters have been described for use in greasy soil/stain removal.
A challenge faced in laundry and dish washing is not just the removal of greasy soils and stains from the soiled/stained substrate, but dispersion of the greasy stain/soil components, thereby preventing their (re)deposition onto the substrates. Grease dispersing agents can be employed in detergents to achieve prevention of (re)deposition of greasy stains/soils. Examples of grease dispersing agents are polymers with hydrophobic side chains and hydrophilic monomer units in the backbone.
EP-B-21,491 discloses detergent compositions containing a nonionic/cationic surfactant mixture and a builder mixture comprising aluminosilicate and polycarboxylate builder. The cationic surfactant may be a cationic ester. Improved particulate and greasy/oily soil removal is described.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,042 discloses biodegradable cationic surfactants, including cationic ester surfactants for use in detergent compositions to provide greasy/oily soil removal. The combination of these cationic surfactants with nonionic surfactants in compositions designed for particulate soil removal is also described.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,260,529 discloses laundry detergent compositions having a pH of no greater than 11 containing cationic ester surfactant and nonionic surfactant at defined weight ratios.
WO 91/08281 discloses dispersing polymers for dispersion of detergent droplets, with a hydrophilic backbone and hydrophobic side chains.
It has now been found that the performance of certain grease dispersing agents in the traditional detergents is affected by the washing conditions, such as water hardness. Essential for the performance of grease dispersing agents is their affinity for and absorbance onto the (greasy) stain/soil components on the fabric. However, absorbance onto the stained fabric can be problematic when `limesoaps` (formed by the alkali and earth alkali metals of the water hardness with fatty acids) are present on the fabric. This problem is believed to cause the reduced performance of the dispersing agents.
The Applicants have now found that this problem can be ameliorated by the inclusion of cationic ester surfactants in detergents containing grease dispersing agents, which are polymers with a hydrophilic backbone and hydrophobic side chain(s). Detergent compositions employing both components have shown to deliver a surprisingly better cleaning performance.
Two mechanisms are believed to be responsible for these benefits. Firstly, the cationic ester surfactant is can reduce deposition of `lime soaps` on the fabric. The reduction of deposition will facilitate the absorbance of the grease dispersing agent onto the greasy soils or stains. Thereby, an improvement of their dispersing performance is achieved. Secondly, it is believed that the cationic ester surfactant can act to facilitate solubilisation of greasy soil/stain components. This will aid the grease dispersing agent's dispersal of the soil/stain components. Thus, an overall improved cleaning of the detergent is achieved.
All documents cited in the present description are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference.

Detergent compositions comprising a cationic ester surfactant and a grease dispensing agent


A wireless communication device includes multiple properly arranged indication members. Thus, the indication members may be operated corresponding to the strength of the local RF (radio frequency) signal, so that the user may directly learn the strength of the local RF signal easily, rapidly and instantaneously, so as to decide whether to transmit or receive the data or not, or to take other procedures, thereby preventing from incurring unnecessary time consumption, and thereby enhancing the working efficiency. In addition, the method for directly indicating the strength of a signal for a wireless communication device includes the steps of: querying a signal strength value; determining a control value according to the signal strength value; and using the control value to control operation of the multiple indication members.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for directly indicating the strength of a signal and the device thereof, and more particularly to a method for directly indicating the strength of a signal and the device thereof, wherein the indication members may be operated corresponding to the strength of the local RF (radio frequency) signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional wireless network card in accordance with the prior art shown in FIG. 4 may be inserted into a notebook computer, and comprises multiple indication lights "A" for indicating the states of the conventional wireless network card, such as the state of power supply, the transmitting state, the receiving state or the like, so that the user may learn the whole operation situation of the conventional wireless network card. However, the indication lights "A" cannot indicate the strength of the local RF (radio frequency) signal, so that when the local RF signal is very weak, the user cannot instantly get the poor conditions of transmitting and receiving the wireless signals until he learns that the data of the conventional wireless network card cannot be transmitted or received, thereby consuming much time, and thereby causing inconvenience to the user.

Method for directly indicating the strength of a signal and the device thereof


Opto-electronic linear encoding apparatus includes a scale and a readhead movable relative to the scale in a direction of spacing of the scale lines. The readhead is formed of a single semi-conductor substrate, typically made of gallium arsenide. The substrate is divided into two regions, the first region including a light emitting diode having a plurality of elongate electrodes provided on its upper surface and spaced in the direction of spacing of the scale lines. The light emitting diode region, the elongate electrodes and the substrate cooperate to produce a plurality of coplanar elongate light emitting regions between the elongate electrodes which perform the combined functions of a diffused light source and an index grating. The second region is an analyzer having a plurality of elongate photosensitive elements spaced apart in the direction of spacing of the scale lines. The photosensitive elements are divided into a plurality of sets and are interleaved on the substrate in a repeating pattern with the outputs of elements of a given set being connected in common. The analyzer thus performs the combined functions of an analyzer grating and a plurality of photodetectors which generate a plurality of phase-shifted cyclically varying signals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an opto-electronic scale reading apparatus used, for example, to determine the magnitude and direction of movement of one member relative to another. Such an apparatus is typically used on coordinate positioning machines such as machine tools or coordinate measuring machines.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known from GB Patent No. 1,504,691 to provide a reflective scale which is scanned by a readhead having an index grating and an analyser grating. The readhead illuminates the scale via the index grating, and a periodic light pattern in the form of interference fringes is formed at the analyser grating as a result. Upon relative movement of the scale and the readhead the fringes move across the analyser grating creating, at a given point on the analyser, a light intensity modulation. In one embodiment of the said apparatus, the analyser grating may be positioned so that its lines extend fractionally obliquely to the interference fringes; this results in the generation of moire fringes. Four photo-detectors behind the analyser grating are offset with respect to a single moire fringe so that four phase-shifted cyclically varying electrical signals are produced, from which the magnitude and direction of said relative movement may be determined.
GB 1,231,029, proposes, in substitution of the analyser grating, a detector array comprising a plurality of photosensitive elements which combine the functions of the analyser grating and the photo-detectors. In order to provide phase-shifted detection signals, two or more of such detector arrays are required.
Both the above constructions suffer from a disadvantage. If, due to contamination of the scale or the readhead with dirt, the intensity of light incident upon one of the detectors or detector arrays differs significantly from that incident upon the other detectors or detector arrays, the phase-shifted signals produced will be significantly modified. This phenomenon is known as selective contamination, and affects the accuracy of the measurement.

Opto-electronic scale reading apparatus having an array of elongate photo-sensitive elements and a periodic light pattern


An active pixel comprises a sensor circuit for collecting radiation induced charges and transducing them to a measurement signal corresponding to the amount of charge collected, and a capacitor element with two nodes, where the measurement signal is present on a node of the capacitor element. The memory circuit is clocked, i.e. driven by a pulsed signal. The pulse on the memory circuit will rise the reset level at the output, which is lowered due to threshold voltage losses in the active pixel circuit, thus restoring a large signal swing. Arrays of the pixels are described, as well as a method for reading out such a pixel.

From Orly Yadid-Pecht & al., "A random access photodiode array for intelligent image capture", IEEE transactions on electron devices, vol. 38, no. 8, p.1772 (August, 1991) is known a sensor comprising a light detection unit, an information sampling and holding unit, and a reading unit. The light detection unit comprises a reverse-biased photodiode coupled in series with a reset transistor, which is coupled to a positive power supply. The connection point between the photodiode and the reset transistor is called the photodiode node. This photodiode node is coupled to a sample circuit. The output of the sample circuit is fed to a first terminal of a memory capacitor, of which the second terminal is tied to the ground. The first terminal of the memory capacitor is also connected to a read out circuit.
The processes of sensing and reading out are separated, i.e. the light sensing is periodical but reading can take place at any time. The memory capacitor in the pixel keeps a sampled value for additional readings in the same integration period. In order to enable simple application of multiple readings, buffers are provided. According to a preferred embodiment, a first buffer is placed between the photodiode and the memory capacitor, and a second buffer is placed between the memory capacitor and the reading unit.
This known active pixel has the disadvantage that, due to the presence of several transistors, more specifically the reset transistor, and each of the buffer transistors, there are different MOSFET threshold voltage drops in the circuit, which cause signal attenuation. In view of modern CMOS processes with low power supply voltages (3.3 V, 2.5 V, . . . ), the signal range is thereby greatly reduced. In a 0.5 μm CMOS process, the different threshold voltage drops lower the reset level at the output to about 0.5 V, leaving a difficult to use and not linear signal range of less than 0.5 V.

Method to adjust the signal level of an active pixel and corresponding active pixel

Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Belgium) BVBA


The present invention relates to: manipulation of the amino acid sequence of tropoelastin, particularly human tropoelastin, to modify its protease susceptibility; to tropoelastin derivatives having modified protease susceptibility; to peptidomimetic molecules which contain amino acid sequences which correspond to or incorporate the protease susceptible sequences of tropoelastin; and to uses of the tropoelastin derivatives and peptidomimetic molecules.

The present invention relates to: manipulation of the amino acid sequence of tropoelastin, particularly human tropoelastin, to modify its protease susceptibility; to tropoelastin derivatives having modified protease susceptibility; to peptidomimetic molecules which contain amino acid sequences which correspond to or incorporate the protease susceptible sequences of tropoelastin; and to uses of the tropoelastin derivatives and peptidomimetic molecules.
The invention also relates to nucleic acid molecules and genetic constructs encoding the amino acid sequences of the derivatives and peptidomimetic molecules of the invention.
The insoluble cross-linked elastin molecule is highly resistant to proteolytic degradation by many proteases. However, tropoelastin, the soluble precursor of elastin, is far more vulnerable to proteolysis. Attempts at purifying tropoelastin from tissues usually result in a collection of degraded products. This degradation can be decreased by using traditional inhibitors of serine proteases (Franzblau et al., 1989; Rucker, 1982, Rich and Foster, 1984; Sandberg and Wolt, 1982). Specific degradation has also been noted in cell culture of smooth muscle cells which was attributed to metalloproteinases (Hayashi et al., 1995). Even highly purified tropoelastin can degrade into discrete bands on prolonged storage. This observation has led to a hypothesis that mammalian tropoelastin is occasionally co-purified with an intrinsic protease which will promote its gradual breakdown (Mecham et al., 1976; Mecham et al., 1977; Mecham and Foster, 1977). Experiments have shown that mammalian serum contains proteases which are capable of degrading tropoelastin (Romero et al., 1986). Thus, any newly-synthesized unprotected tropoelastin exposed to blood, such as in a blood vessel wall, would be rapidly degraded. Serum has also been shown to induce elastase activity in smooth muscle cells leading to degradation of elastin (Kobayashi et al., 1994). Elastin peptides are known to be chemotactic and this could be a role of tropoelastin proteolysis in vivo (Grosso and Scott, 1993; Bisaccia et al., 1994). However, proteolysis could also result in inadequate or faulty elastin fiber repair at the site of injury. Serine protease inhibitors have been shown to reduce the degradation of tropoelastin caused by serum (Romero, et al., 1986). These experiments suggested that kallikrein was a candidate serum protease. Other experiments (McGowan et al., 1996) proposed that plasmin was a major protease involved. Thrombin has been used to digest heterogeneous porcine tropoelastin in vitro (Torres et al., 1976). However, none of these studies has provided indication of where the tropoelastin molecule is cut by proteases.


Systems and methods are provided for annealing a semiconductor device structure using microwave radiation. For example, a semiconductor device structure is provided. An interfacial layer is formed on the semiconductor device structure. A high-k dielectric layer is formed on the interfacial layer. Microwave radiation is applied to anneal the semiconductor device structure for fabricating semiconductor devices.

Modern silicon-based transistors often include a high-k dielectric layer as gate dielectric. For example, a silicon-based transistor is fabricated using a complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process flow. As shown in FIG. 1, a high-k dielectric layer 102 (e.g., HfO2) is often formed on an interfacial layer 104 (e.g., SiO2) grown on a silicon substrate 106 for fabricating the transistor 100. Dipole effects often occur at the interface between the high-k dielectric layer 102 and the interfacial layer 104, as shown in FIG. 2. The interfacial layer 104 may have a larger areal density of oxygen atoms (i.e., a higher a), compared with the high-k dielectric layer 102. The difference in the areal density of oxygen atoms between the high-k dielectric layer 102 and the interfacial layer 104 is compensated by oxygen atoms transferring (e.g., in a form of O2−) from the interfacial layer 104 to the high-k dielectric layer 102, leaving behind oxygen vacancies in the interfacial layer 104 (e.g., in a form of VO2+), which results in interface dipole effects. A post-high-k annealing process is often performed to repair defects and reduce the interface dipole effects between the interfacial layer 104 and the high-k dielectric layer 102 so as to improve device performance. Usually, rapid thermal annealing (RTA) is used for the post-high-k annealing process.
Other processes may also be involved for fabricating the transistor. For example, the silicon substrate is doped (e.g., adding desired impurities into the substrate) to form junctions. Dopants introduced into the substrate are usually electrically activated, and the activation of the dopants often includes transferring the dopant atoms/molecules from interstitial positions into lattice sites of the lattice structure of the substrate.
Under certain circumstances, the fabrication process of the transistor involves microwave radiation which typically includes electromagnetic waves with wavelengths ranging from 1 m to 1 mm (corresponding to frequencies between 0.3 and 300 GHz). When microwave radiation is applied to a certain material (e.g., a dielectric material) which includes electric dipoles, the dipoles change their orientations in response to the changing electric fields of the microwave radiation and thus the material may absorb the microwave radiation to generate heat. The response of the material to the electric field of the microwave radiation can be measured using a complex permittivity, ∈(ω)*, which depends on the frequency of the electric field:∈(ω)*=∈(ω)′−i∈(ω)″=∈0(∈r(ω)′−i∈r(ω)″)  (1)where ω represents the frequency of the electric field, ∈(ω)′ represents a real component of the complex permittivity (i.e., a dielectric constant), and ∈(ω)″ represents a dielectric loss factor. In addition, ∈0 represents the permittivity of a vacuum, ∈r(ω)′ represents the relative dielectric constant, and ∈r(ω)″ represents the relative dielectric loss factor.
Whether a material can absorb the microwave radiation can be characterized using a loss tangent, tan δ:
                              tan                                                              δ                =                                                            ɛ                ″                                                          μ                ′                                      -                                          ɛ                ′                                                          μ                ″                                                                                ɛ                ′                                                          μ                ′                                      +                                          ɛ                ″                                                          μ                ″                                                                        (        2        )            where μ′ represents a real component of the magnetic permeability of the material, and μ″ represents a magnetic loss factor. Assuming negligible magnetic loss (i.e., μ″=0), the loss tangent of a material is expressed as follows:
                              tan                                                              δ                =                                            ɛ              ″                                      ɛ              ′                                =                                    ɛ              r              ″                                      ɛ              r              ′                                                          (        3        )
Materials with a low loss tangent (e.g., tan δ<0.01) allow microwaves to pass through with very little absorption. Materials with an extremely high loss tangent (e.g., tan δ>10) reflect microwaves with little absorption. Materials with an intermediate loss tangent (e.g., 10≧tan δ≧0.01) can absorb microwave radiation.

Systems and methods for annealing semiconductor device structures using microwave radiation

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited


A flexible printed circuit (FPC) connector is surface mountable on a printed circuit board (PCB). An edge of an FPC is insertable into a slot in the connector so that contact beams in the connector press on corresponding conductors in the FPC, thereby making electrical contact with the FPC conductors. Each contact beam is mounted on and is coupled to a conductor of a substrate member within the connector. The substrate member has a microstrip design so that the characteristic impedance of a signal path from an FPC conductor, through a contact beam, through a surface mount attachment structure of the connector, and to a conductor in the PCB has only a small variation. The contact beam is not part of a fork-shaped metal clamp that has a spring portion and a radiating stiffening portion, but rather is a beam that presses on the FPC from one side only.

FIG. 1 (Prior Art) is a perspective view of a type of connector, referred to here as a flexible printed circuit (FPC) connector. An edge 1 of an FPC 2 slides into an accommodating receiving slot 3 in an FPC connector 4. FPC connector 4 is mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) 5. Inserting FPC edge 1 into the slot 3 in FPC connector 4 causes each one of a plurality of conductors on the bottom of FPC 2 to be coupled through FPC connector 4 to a corresponding one of a plurality of surface mount leads 6 on the connector. These surface mount leads 6 are coupled to traces in the PCB 5 so that conductors in the FPC 2 are coupled to traces in PCB 5 as desired.
FIG. 2 (Prior Art) is a more detailed cross sectional view of the FPC connector 4 of FIG. 1. FPC connector 4 includes an insulative housing 7, and a plurality of metal fork clamping contact structures. The metal fork clamping contact structures are typically stamped out of a sheet of metal. One of the metal fork clamping contact structures 8 is illustrated in FIG. 2. One end of structure 8 has a spring beam 9 and a stiff support portion 10. When the edge 1 of FPC 2 is forced into slot 3, the FPC 2 forces the spring beam 9 down such that the spring beam pushes on a conductive surface on the bottom of FPC 2. FPC 2 is therefore clamped between spring beam 9 and the stiff support portion 10 of the metal contact. Stiff support portion 10 ensures that over time the upward force of spring beam 9 pressing on FPC 2 does not distort the softer plastic insulative material of housing 7 and cause the connector to fail. The other end of structure 8 forms surface mount lead 11. Surface mount lead 11 is one of surface mount leads 6. FPC connector 4 involves many such metal fork clamping structures, disposed parallel to one another as illustrated in FIG. 2.
FIG. 3 (Prior Art) illustrates how FPC connector 4 is fabricated. The metal fork clamping structures are slid in the direction of arrow A into the insulative housing 7 of connector 4. Insulative housing 7 is typically a single piece of plastic material.
FPC connectors of the type illustrated in FIGS. 1–3 are used in numerous applications in electrical equipment. For example, the liquid crystal display (LCD) screen of a laptop computer usually is disposed on a hinged cover panel of the laptop computer whereas the keyboard and CPU of the laptop computer are disposed in the main lower panel to which the cover panel is hinged. Information to be displayed on the screen is driven from the electronics in the main lower panel, through the hinge, and to the screen in the cover panel. An FPC extends from the main electronics in the main lower panel, through the hinge, into the cover panel, and into a receiving slot in an FPC connector in the cover panel. Through the electrical connections provided by this FPC connector, the electronics in the main panel communicates information to the LCD in the cover panel so that the information can be displayed on the LCD screen of the laptop.
With larger and higher resolution LCD displays being used in laptop computers, there is a need to communicate higher and higher speed signals through the FPC connectors in the hinges of the laptop computers. The FPC connector of the type illustrated in FIGS. 1–3, however, does not have good performance characteristics for signals above approximately one gigabit per second. An improved FPC connector is desired.

Flexible printed circuit (FPC) edge connector