The present invention provides a composition, a kit and the use thereof, as well as the method for detecting the cell proliferative abnormality in individuals or grading the disease degree in the individuals. The composition comprises nucleic acids for detecting the methylation level within at least one target region of a gene and the fragment thereof.

The disease caused by abnormal cell proliferation, such as cancer, is a major challenge for public health. In the United States, the death toll due to cancers accounts for about 25% of the total death toll. Among these, gastric cancer, as the fourth cancer most commonly diagnosed in the world with the second mortality ranking in all cancers, is considered as one of the largest enemies to health worldwide. Especially in many Asian countries including in China, gastric cancer ranks first in various malignancies, with very high morbidity and mortality.
Gastritis is a general name for the inflammation in gastric mucosa, which is common in adults. Many etiological factors, such as improper diets, viral and bacterial infections, drug stimulation, can stimulate stomach and cause gastritis, but gastritis is relatively easy to be corrected and treated.
However, it is often easy to confuse the symptoms of gastritis and gastric cancer, so that many people often mistake gastritis for gastric cancer in daily life and fear all day long. Even if gastritis is not a serious disease, it will continue to deteriorate due to psychological effects. Meanwhile, some people mistake gastric cancer for gastritis and overlook it, and believe that it is not a serious problem. As a result, they miss the best time for treatment.
Therefore, there is an urgent need for a detection method with high sensitivity and specificity so as to distinguish among normal, gastritis and gastric cancer, in particular for a detection method with high sensitivity and specificity without pain.
With the continuous development of biotechnology, use of gene detection in diagnosis method for diseases has attracted extensive attentions. Among these, DNA methylation is an important component of epigenetics, which plays an important role not only in the maintenance of normal cell functions, but also in the occurrence of cancer and inflammation, that is, the change of methylation status is an important factor in the occurrence of cancer and inflammation, and includes decreased methylation level of whole genome and abnormally increased local methylation level of CpG island, leading to instable genome and expression failure of disease-resistant genes. If an active allele of a disease-resistant gene is inactivated, the risk of the occurrence of cancer and inflammation will increase. Therefore, a research on methylation provides a new basis for the early prediction, classification, grading and prognosis evaluation of cancer and inflammation, and becomes one of the current research focuses.

Gene composition for detecting cell proliferative abnormality or grading disease degree and use thereof

Biochain (Beijing) Science & Technology, Inc.


According to one embodiment a system is described. The system includes a direct memory access (DMA) controller and an input/output (I/O) device coupled to the DMA controller. The DMA controller is adaptable to operate in a normal mode and a descriptor mode.

DMA controllers are used in computer systems for moving blocks of data from one location to another location. Consequently, the system processor is relieved of the need to generate a long sequence of addresses to accomplish the transfer of data. Typically, the data transferred is a large block of data that begins at a source address and is moved to a destination beginning at a destination address. The DMA controller is started by an event responsive to which the DMA controller generates addresses of a source location and of a destination location wherein data is transferred.
FIG. 4A is a block diagram of an exemplary DMA controller coupled to an input/output (I/O) device. The DMA controller is coupled to the I/O device via a request signal line and an acknowledge signal line. Typically, the I/O device requests the service of the DMA controller by asserting the request signal line. In response, the DMA controller asserts the acknowledge signal line when the DMA controller is able to service the device.
However, before the acknowledge is transmitted and data is transferred to (or from) the I/O device, the system processor, or other bus master, must typically set up the DMA transfer parameters and mode of operations by writing directly to the control registers of the controller. Therefore, the processor is required to update the registers prior to each subsequent transfer. Using the system processor to continuously set up the DMA controller is not efficient. As a result, a more efficient system and method for executing DMA transfers is desired.

DMA protocol extension for packet-based transfer


A method for implementing a Packet Switched domain (PS) short message service (SMS) includes: after receiving request message containing an SMS-only indication transmitted by a user equipment, a mobility management entity enquiring subscription information of the user equipment from a home subscriber server, and receiving the subscription information of the user equipment returned by the home subscriber server; and when the mobility management entity supports the PS SMS and the subscription information supports the PS SMS, the mobility management entity transmitting request acceptance message to the user equipment, receiving and transmitting an SMS between the mobility management entity and the user equipment through a Packet Switched domain. Embodiments of the present document further provide a system for implementing a PS SMS and a user equipment. By means of the scheme of the present document, the PS SMS can be implemented in an EPS system.

Mobile communication network services can be divided into two categories in view of a technical implementation: one is Circuit Switched (CS) services, such as voice services and SMS services; the other is Packet Switched (PS) services, such as web browsing services.
In order to effectively use mobile network resources, the 3GPP proposes Long Term Evolution (LTE), which is a system architecture completely based on packets, and supports real-time services and voice session services through the packet architecture. The LTE based system is referred to as an EPS, and the EPS architecture of the 3GPP is shown in FIG. 1.
Roaming is a major function of the mobile communication network, different operators can allow subscribers to share their networks by a roaming agreement, and roaming commonly occurs between networks of operators which are deployed in different geographical regions. In order to identify an original network to which the subscriber belongs and a new network to which the subscriber roams, both of the networks are generally distinguished by a home location and a visited location. When the network properties of the home location and the visited location are the same, for example, both are the LTE or Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) networks, the roaming is referred to as an in-band roaming. Even being the in-band roaming, services provided by the home network and the visited network may also be different.
The SMS is for the purpose of transmitting information through a Service Centre (SC) between a Short Message Entity (SME) and a user equipment. The SMS includes Mobile Originated (MO) services and Mobile Terminating (MT) services, i.e., including the user equipment transmitting or receiving information. The network architecture of the transmission of the CS SMS is shown in FIG. 2, an SME and an SMS-SC are included outside the 3GPP or GSM network, and an SMS Gateway Mobile Switching Center (GMSC) or an SMS Interconnect Mobile Switching Center (IWMSC), an SMS router, a MSC or Visitor Location Register (VLR) or a Service GPRS Support Node (SGSN) and a Mobile Station (MS) are included in the 3GPP or GSM network.
With respect to the demand for LTE packet access, the 3GPP proposes requirements of PS-only SMS, i.e., the SMS being implemented through the PS domain, the PS-only here includes two cases: one is that the SMS can only be implemented through the PS domain; and the other is that if the SMS cannot be implemented through the PS, it can also be implemented through the CS, i.e., PS-preferred.
At present, the SMS in the 3GPP can be implemented through a CS domain or a PS domain, wherein the traditional 2/3G networks generally use the CS domain SMS, for the EPS system, the core network uses packet architecture, there are the following several schemes for implementing the EPS SMS: SMS over IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), CS FallBack (CSFB), SMS over SGs etc., and the EPS structural diagram of CSFB and SMS over SGs are illustrated in FIG. 3. All the above schemes are based on the auxiliary systems or add the interfaces from the PS to the circuit domain to implement the SMS, and in the related art, there has no specific solutions for the PS SMS in the EPS. For the scene of LTE in-band roaming, how to implement the SMS also has not been solved.

Method and system for implementing packet switch domain short message service, and user equipment


The invention relates to an optoelectronic component for converting electromagnetic radiation into an intensity-dependent photoelectric current. The component includes one substrate which is formed especially according to CMOS technology. The substrate has an integrated semiconductor structure and an optically active thin layer structure which is situated upstream in the direction of light incidence. The structure includes a layer of a transparent conductive material and at least one layer of semiconductor material, which are arranged on an isolating layer, inside which connection means are provided for establishing a connection between the optically active thin layer structure and the integrated semiconductor structure arranged on the substrate. The aim of the invention is to develop one such optoelectronic component in such a way that the electrical connection between the layer of transparent conductive material and an electrical potential connection can be established in a technically simple manner. To this end, the layer of transparent conductive material can be connected to the potential connection arranged outside the pixel arrangement by means of an additional conductive structure formed on the substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an optoelectronic component for converting electromagnetic radiation into an intensity-dependent photocurrent comprising a substrate, especially one formed according to CMOS technology, with an integrated semiconductor structure (ASIC) and an optically active thin layer structure situated upstream in the direction of light incidence, which comprises a layer of a transparent conductive material and at least one layer of semiconductor material, which are arranged on an isolating layer, inside which connection means are provided for establishing a connection between the optically active thin layer structure and the integrated semiconductor structure arranged on the substrate, wherein an arrangement of respective spatially adjacent image elements (pixels) is formed in the horizontal plane of the component, each having individual contacts on the back, and whose front contacts are together formed by the layer of transparent, conductive material.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
An optoelectronic component of the described kind is known from B. Schneider, P. Rieve, M. Böhm, Image Sensors in TFA (Thin Film on ASIC) Technology, ed. B. Jähne, H. Hausecker, P. Geiβler, Handbook of Computer Vision and Applications, pp. 237-270, Academic Press, San Diego, 1999).
An optoelectronic component of this kind consists of a matrix-organized or linear arrangement of image points, so-called "pixels." The electronic circuits for operating the component, i.e., the pixel electronics, peripheral electronics or system electronics, are usually realized using CMOS-based silicon technology, and form an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Separated from the above by an isolating layer and connected to the above by corresponding electrical contacts, a multi-layer arrangement is vertically situated on the ASIC in the form of a photodiode that converts electromagnetic radiation into an intensity-dependent photocurrent. This photocurrent is relayed to specific contacts of the underlying pixel electronics present in each pixel.
According to other prior art (J. A. Theil, M. Cao, G. Kooi, G. W. Ray, W. Greene, J. Lin, A J. Budrys, U. Yoon, S. Ma, H. Stork, Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Photodiode Technology for Advanced CMOS Active Pixel Sensor Imagers, MRS Symposium Proceedings, Vol. 609, 2000), the photodiode is a pin-configuration based on amorphous silicon, i.e., a sequence of a p-conductive, an intrinsically conductive (intrinsic) and an n-conductive amorphous silicon layer. The n-layer normally forms the lowermost layer facing the ASIC. The electrical contacts are formed on this side facing the ASIC, e.g., by a metal layer, while contacting on the side facing the direction of light incidence usually takes place via a transparent and conductive layer. Component structures other than the mentioned pin-photodiode are also possible, e.g., Schottky photodiodes, in which an intrinsic semiconductor layer is brought into contact with a suitable metal (e.g., chromium, platinum, palladium, silver), so that the metal-semiconductor transition forms a Schottky photodiode. Also known are detector structures with a controllable spectral sensitivity (P. Rieve, M. Sommer, M. Wagner, K. Seibel, M. Bohm, a-Si:H Color Imagers and Colorimetry, Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, Vol. 266-269, pp. 1168-1172, 2000). This basic structure of a TFA image sensor can be expanded further by additional layers situated upstream in the direction of light incidence, for example via color filter layers (e.g., Bayer pattern, U.S. Pat. No. 3,971,065).
Optoelectronic components of the kind known from prior art have a back contact for each image element (pixel) inside the arrangement of spatially adjacent image elements, which is connected with the respective pixel electronics by means of a contact structure allocated to the individual pixel. By contrast, the front contact (located upstream in the direction of light incidence) consists of transparent, conductive material, the so-called TCO layer, extending through the layer for all image elements. This layer can consist of indium-tin-oxide (ITO) or aluminum-doped or aluminum-oxide doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al or ZnO:Al2O3), for example, which are applied by means of the cathode sputtering process (sputtering process). Both the electrical conductivity and the optical transmission of such TCO layers depend greatly on the oxygen content of the layer, and hence also on the oxygen content of the plasma during deposition. Metering in oxygen in an efficient manner during the sputtering process (reactive sputtering) makes it possible to modify the electrical and optical layer parameters within broad limits, and to optimize conductivity and transmission.
In prior art, one way of connecting the layer consisting of transparent, conductive material with an electrical potential tap is to apply a connecting wire connected with a bonding pad to the layer in a bonding process. The disadvantage to this process involving the use of a connecting wire in a bonding process is that it reduces the durability or adhesion of the bonding wire to the layer.
In another variant, the layer of transparent, conductive material is guided laterally down on a contact structure of the ASIC. However, this necessitates an additional photolithographic structuring step, since the silicon layers and contact layer must be structured with various masks, resulting in a higher production outlay. Furthermore, a disadvantage to this known solution is the danger that the contact layer might be torn off at the edge of the photodiode.

Optoelectronic component having a conductive contact structure


A loin puller apparatus that incorporates a scribe saw with an associated decelerator and depth gauge immediately in advance of the loin knife for the purpose of cutting through the ribs of the carcass middle. To assist in orienting a carcass middle with regard to the scribe saw and loin knife, the apparatus is provided with a load bar that engages the chine and provides for a more uniform alignment of the carcass middle with the loin knife in relation to the position of the chine. Also, a guide bar that is in substantial alignment with the load bar is provided to assist in the initial alignment of the carcass middle as the carcass middle is loaded into the loin puller. A laterally driven impeller is provided to force the chine portion of the carcass middle into the load bar, thus straightening the chine against the load bar. The impeller is also rotatably driven to assist in driving the carcass middle toward the loin knife. A programmable logic controller, ("PLC"), is provided to control various operations of the loin puller device.

In the field of meat processing, such as pork processing, it is well known that excess fat is removed from the back of the loin of a animal carcass to recover the loin before final cutting and/or packing the meat for market. Typically, the carcass of the animal is cut into two halves, and then cut transversely to remove the hind and fore quarters. The resulting portion is commonly referred to as the "middle" and will be referred to herein as the "carcass middle". Each carcass middle includes a loin to be removed from the back fat. The loin is adjacent to the back bone, or chine, and is situated between the ribs and the outer layer of fat.
Various automatic devices have been developed to provide for the separation of the loins from the carcass middle. Typical of the art is the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,806 issued to W. P. Van Heyningen on Feb. 26, 1980 and Canadian Patent No. 1,079,114 issued on Jun. 10, 1980. Both of these disclose the same invention and, like other known devices at that time, required the carcass middle to be further subdivided prior to the removal of the loin.
A device for accomplishing the automatic removal of the loin from a full carcass middle is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,371 owned by a common assignee of the present invention. A further device for accomplishing the automatic removal of the loin from a full carcass middle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,898 also owned by a common assignee of the present invention. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,384, ("the '384 patent"), also owned by a common assignee to the present invention, discloses a further device for accomplishing the automatic removal of the loin from a full carcass middle. These devices are incorporated herein by reference for teachings regarding the general structure and operation of a "loin puller". It is an improvement over the device disclosed in the '384 patent that is described fully hereinafter.
The shortcoming of the known art, including that of the above cited U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,371, and the '384 patent, is that, as known in the art, the chine is naturally curved and the known devices do not include a means for straightening the chine as the carcass middle approaches and engages the loin knife. And, while the loin puller described in the '384 patent includes a guide plate at the edge of the work surface for positioning the carcass middle during its movement through the device, the known devices do not include means for insuring that the carcass middle is automatically aligned with the loin knife in reference to the positioning of the chine. Also, since the invention of the device disclosed in the '384 patent, it has been learned that the loin can be more uniformly pulled if the depth of the scribe saw cut can be limited. Finally, the known devices do not automatically detect when the carcass middle has reached the location of the scribe saw and are thus unable to automatically activate the downward motion of the scribe saw for engagement with the carcass middle.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a guide bar for guiding the carcass middle into the loin puller and to provide a load bar that engages the chine in order to uniformly align the carcass middle with the loin knife.
A further object is to provide a means for pressing the chine against the load bar as the carcass middle travels through the loin puller so as to substantially straighten the chine before the carcass middle engages the scribe saw and the loin knife.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide for a means of decelerating the downward movement of the blade of the scribe saw and to limit the depth of the cut of the scribe saw.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide automatic engagement and disengagement of the scribe saw with the ribs of the carcass middle.
Other objects and advantages over the prior art will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description together with the drawings as described as follows.


A distortion compensation device compensates a distortion component generated in a nonlinear circuit having a nonlinear input-output characteristic. The distortion compensation device includes a predistorter and an estimator. The predistorter converts an input signal into an inverse characteristic signal by using a compensation coefficient so that an estimation value of an inverse characteristic to the nonlinear input-output characteristic is given to the input signal. The estimator generates the compensation coefficient based on the input signal, the inverse characteristic signal and an output signal of the nonlinear circuit.

Predistortion has been known as a technique for giving an inverse characteristic to an input signal of a circuit having a nonlinear input-output characteristic to thereby linearize an output signal of the circuit. A distortion compensation device using the predistortion technique has an estimation block which updates a transfer function of a predistorter in accordance with a nonlinear circuit which is the target.
Two inverses, i.e. post-inverse and pre-inverse, are present as inverse system characteristics for linearizing a nonlinear system. The post-inverse is a system characteristic which is placed after the nonlinear system to linearize an overall input-output characteristic. The pre-inverse is a system characteristic which is placed in front of the nonlinear system to linearize an overall input-output characteristic. An input-output characteristic which should be originally provided in the predistorter using the predistortion technique is the pre-inverse system characteristic.
However, since it is strictly difficult to obtain the pre-inverse system characteristic, a post-inverse system which can obtain a characteristic comparatively easily has been heretofore often used instead. For this reason, there is a problem that the thus obtained linearization characteristic is limited. In addition, the predistorter using the post-inverse system may generate an unstable signal with an extremely large amplitude when the gain of the nonlinear circuit as the compensation target changes. This incurs serious damage to the target nonlinear circuit.


Included are embodiments of a quantum cascade laser structure. Some embodiments include a plurality of quantum wells and a plurality of barriers, at least a portion of which define an active region. In some embodiments, a photon is emitted in the active region when an electron transitions from an upper laser state in the active region to a lower laser state in the active region. Additionally, a final quantum well in the plurality of quantum wells may define the active region, where the final quantum well extends below an adjacent quantum well in the active region. Similarly, the final quantum well may include a thickness that is less than a thickness of the adjacent quantum well in the active region.

The present disclosure relates to quantum cascade lasers (QCL) with a high continuous wave (CW) power at high temperature that can be used in infrared countermeasures, thermal collimating aiming devices, gas sensing, and/or other applications at high environmental temperatures. The concepts of the present disclosure will enjoy broad applicability in a variety of fields where multi-wavelength lasers are used.

Quantum cascade laser design with stepped well active region


An image reading apparatus includes a casing, an upper plate and a transparent plate. The casing has a first opening, and a reading means is disposed in the casing. The upper casing plate is disposed over the casing and has a second opening that is positioned opposite the first opening. The transparent plate is mounted on the first opening. The transparent plate is wedged in the second opening through assembly of the casing and the upper plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to an image reading apparatus and an optical module thereof, and more particularly to an image reading apparatus being dust-proof, and an optical module thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In addition to a scanner, the present commonly used image reading apparatus includes a digital photocopy machine and a multi-function printer (MFP) with scan function. In terms of the ways documents are scanned, the image reading apparatuses can be classified into the flatbed type, where the documents are still when being scanned, and the sheet-fed type, where documents are moving when being scanned. No matter whether the former or the latter type of the image reading apparatus is used, the image reading apparatus acquires the image of the documents through a scan window. If dust particles adhere to the scan window, the images obtained by the scan apparatus will be affected. Take a sheet-fed scanner as an example. Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a partial schematic diagram of a conventional sheet-fed scanner and an exploded view of the scanner of FIG. 1A are respectively shown. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a sheet-fed scanner 1 includes a casing 10, an optical module 11, an upper plate 12, window glass 13 and a document-feeding device 14. The document feeding device 14 and the window glass 13 are both disposed on the upper plate 12. The optical module 11 is fixed in position in the casing 10 and facing the window glass 13. The document-feeding device 14 is for transporting a to-be-scanned document across the window glass 13 of the upper plate 12 such that the optical module 11 can read the images of the to-be-scanned document.
As shown in FIG. 1B, when the upper plate 12 is disposed on the casing 10, owing to a gap that exists between the upper plate 12 and the casing 10, dust particles will enter the casing 10 from the exterior via the gap. If the dust particles are attached to the window glass 13, the images generated will be greatly downgraded. Referring to FIGS. 1C and 1D, FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram of the scanner scanning a document and FIG. 1D is a schematic diagram of the image generated by the scanner of FIG. 1C. If the dust particles are attached to the upper surface of the window glass 13, the user can easily clean them out. However, as shown in FIG. 1C, if the dust particles (such as P1 and P2) are attached to the lower surface of the window glass 13 and located right on the scan line S of the optical module 11, when the to-be-scanned document A moves in the direction D and passes the window glass 13, the dust particles P1 and P2 will result in unexpected lines L1 and L2 on the image generated by the optical module 11 as shown in FIG. 1D.
In order to clean the lower surface of the window glass 13, normally, the scanner has to be taken apart before the cleaning operation, which is very inconvenient for the user. If the dust particles attached to the lower surface of the scan window are not cleaned out, the optical module 11 will scan the dust particles attached to the scan window 13 along with the to-be-scanned document A and the dust particles become a part of the scan image of the to-be-scanned document A.

Image reading apparatus and optical module thereof


An industrial transmitter assembly includes an industrial transmitter and a transmitter mount. The transmitter includes electronics contained in a housing. The transmitter mount is configured to attach the housing to a structure and includes a stem member, an adaptor and a locking member. The stem member includes a first end connected to the housing of the transmitter, and a second end having a flange or a first twist-lock connector. The adaptor is configured for attachment to the structure and includes a base member having a slot configured to receive the flange or a second twist-lock connector configured to attach to the first twist-lock connector. The locking member is configured to secure the second end of the stem to the base member.

In industrial settings, control systems are used to monitor and control inventories of industrial and chemical processes, and the like. Typically, the control system performs these functions using transmitters distributed at key locations in the industrial process. Some transmitters perform process parameter monitoring and measurements using one or more sensors, and/or process control operations using one or more control elements. Exemplary sensors include pressure sensors, flow sensors, level sensors, temperature sensors, and other sensors used in industrial processes. Exemplary control elements include actuators, solenoids, valves, and other control elements.
Other industrial transmitters may be used to track "tags" worn by personnel or attached to assets in the processing plant. Here, the transmitters are positioned in a grid pattern and wirelessly communicate with the tags to determine the location of the tags based on a received signal strength indicator of the communication with the tags.

Universal industrial transmitter mounting


For a motor vehicle control device, a housing lid and a base plate form a hollow area that contains an interconnect device arranged on the inner side of the housing lid. The housing lid has at least one opening surrounding the interconnect device, adjacent to an electronic component and/or an electrical contact area on the interconnect device. On or in the opening, a flexible foil conductor strip is arranged with an end section thereof covering the opening. A lid plate covers the opening completely, and the interposed foil conductor strip is thus connected in an oil-tight manner with the housing lid. Electrical connection lines between the components and/or the contact areas on the interconnect device and an electrical contact area on the end section of the foil conductor strip create the electrical connection between the control electronics on the interconnect device and the surrounding area outside of the control device.

For some time, it has been a standard procedure in the motor vehicle manufacturing industry to integrate control devices for the engine or gearbox into the motor vehicle assembly to be controlled, i.e. the engine or gearbox. The gear control devices in particular form an extremely compact unit as an on-site control device. In comparison with the conventional use of external control devices, this arrangement has enormous advantages in terms of costs, weight, functionality and quality. In particular, this results in a significant reduction in plug-in connections and lines.
The integration of the control devices into the gearbox sets high demands on its thermal and mechanical resilience. The functionality must be guaranteed both within a broad temperature range (approx. −40° C. to 150° C.) and under strong mechanical vibrations (up to approx. 40 g). Since the control device is surrounded by gear oil, it must also be oil-tight.
A control device of this type is known from DE 199 07 949 A1. A housing lid and a base plate on which a two-dimensional, flexible foil conductor is applied, surround a hollow area. In this hollow area, an electronic circuit is arranged on the base plate in such a manner that it is surrounded on all sides by the flexible printed circuit board. Here, conductive paths on the flexible printed circuit board are connected via bond wires with corresponding contact pads on the interconnect device. The housing lid is mounted to the base plate in an oil-tight manner via a circular ring seal. The flexible printed circuit board is extended out of the hollow area of the control device housing between the ring seal and the base plate. The flexible printed circuit board creates the connection between the electronic circuit in the hollow area of the control device housing to the electrical components such as sensors or actuators outside the hollow area.
The flexible printed circuit board is a single piece. With complex arrangements of the control device and the surrounding components, this leads to a large amount of waste of printed circuit board material and is therefore not economical, even if one only calculates or considers the recess for the electronic circuit in the center of the flexible printed circuit board.
Furthermore, the position of the electrical components outside of the hollow area, for example, is determined by the form or shape of the flexible printed circuit board, and requires a change in the form of the entire flexible printed circuit board when the position of just one component is changed.


A knitting machine for manufacturing plush fabrics includes latch-less cylinder needles in a cylinder, latch needles located on a needle dial and a cutting unit. The loop formed by a plush thread can be directly knitted in a fabric formed by ground threads to form a longer plush on the fabric surface. By changing the dimension of the needle dial, the interval of the peripheral edge of the needle dial and the cylinder needle can be increased so that the plush thread held on the hook of the cylinder needle can be stretched by the latch needle to become a longer loop. Finally, the loop is severed by the cutting unit to form a plush fabric of a longer plush.

Plush fabrics are generally produced by knitting machines, also called artificial wool knitting machines. The techniques of using circular knitting machines to produce plush fabrics are known in the art. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,735,987 has latch needles located in a cylinder and a plurality of sinkers located horizontally on a needle dial that interact with each other to hold a plush thread on the front edge of the sinkers to form a longer loop.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,128,930, 6,094,944 and 5,463,882 basically include latch-less cylinder needles located in a cylinder, latch needles located on a needle dial and a cutting unit that interact to produce plush fabrics. The loop is formed on the hook of the latch-less cylinder needle, and is severed by two sinkers that have a blade on the front side and slide on two sides of the cylinder needle to form the plush.
In the U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,128,930 and 5,463,882, the length of the plush is determined by the interval of the hook of the cylinder needle and the edge of the needle dial. In general, the plush fabrics produced by such techniques have plush length about 3 mm. To make toys and puppets with the artificial furs or pelts, the plush length of 3 mm cannot create a real-like appealing look. To increase the plush length, the interval of the hook of the cylinder needle and needle dial edge must be greater. This may be accomplished by increasing the diameter of the cylinder. Then the sinker ring to hold the blade on the periphery of the cylinder also must have a greater diameter. As a result, the relative position and the dimensions of the blades and cylinder needles have to be changed. It will result in a greater gap between the blade and the cylinder needle and make severing of the loop difficult or impossible.

Knitting machine for manufacturing plush fabrics


Embodiments that dynamically manage physical and virtual multipath I/O are contemplated. Various embodiments comprise one or more computing devices, such as one or more servers, having at least two HBAs. At least one of the HBAs may be associated with a virtual I/O server that employs the HBA to transfer data between a plurality of virtual clients and one or more storage devices of a storage area network. The embodiments may monitor the availability of the HBAs, such as monitoring the HBAs for a failure of the HBA or a device coupled to the HBA. Upon detecting the unavailability of one of the HBAs, the embodiments may switch, dynamically, from the I/O path associated with the unavailable HBA to the alternate HBA.

The present disclosure relates generally to computing and information storage devices and more particularly to dynamic physical and virtual multipath input/output (I/O) of computing and information storage devices. Common types of computing devices are desktop computers and server systems. As for information storage, an increasingly common technology is referred to as storage area networking, or simply storage area network (SAN). SAN technology comprises connecting remote computer storage devices, such as disk arrays and optical storage arrays, to servers and other computing devices in such a way that the storage devices appear as locally attached devices to the computing devices and the operating system which share the storage devices.
Fibre channel switches often connect servers and other computing devices to SANs. In a conventional fibre channel SAN, an Input/Output Controller (IOC) or Host Bus Adapter (HBA) includes an N_Port connected to a fibre channel switch or Just a Bunch Of Disks (JBOD) via a fibre channel link. During initialization, a driver of a host operating system (OS) initializes a fibre channel sequence and causes the HBA to send a Fabric Login command (FLOGI) to the fibre channel switch, including a World-Wide Port Name (WWPN) for the N_Port. The fibre channel switch returns a FLOGI response to the N_Port, including a fibre channel address or virtual identifier (virtual ID) associated with the WWPN for the N_Port.
The driver also performs a discovery function in which it communicates with the fibre channel switch via the HBA and obtains a list of the addresses of all devices in the fabric. The discovery function then includes going out to every address, logging into the device associated with that address, and determining if the device is a fibre channel/Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) target. If the device is a fibre channel/SCSI target, the discovery function establishes a connection between the target and the HBA. In addition, the physical fibre channel link is exported as a SCSI bus to the OS, and the remote port associated with the discovered FC/SCSI device thereafter appears as a target on the SCSI bus in a conventional SCSI fashion.
Conventional fibre channel SANs are limited because only one WWPN and fibre channel address can be assigned to the N_Port on a single fibre channel link. In other words, a conventional computing model contemplates a single OS per computing device, such that the OS explicitly owns the fibre channel port. Consequently, system management tools have been defined, such as zoning and selective storage presentation/Logical Unit Number (LUN) masking, based on the fibre channel port.
Fibre channel SAN technology has been extended, however, to include N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV). NPIV is a standardized method for virtualizing a physical fibre channel port. NPIV allows a fabric-attached N_Port to claim multiple fibre channel addresses. Each address appears as a unique entity on the fibre channel fabric. Utilizing NPIV, multiple WWPNs and fibre channel addresses recognizable by the fibre channel switch can be assigned to a single physical fibre channel link and N_Port. Allowing the physical fibre channel port to appear as multiple entities to the fabric therefore extends or expands the conventional computing model.
Engineers have improved the fault-tolerance and performance of SANs by creating multiple physical paths, between physical processors of computing devices and the SANs. The multiple physical paths generally involve creating I/O paths through such devices as multiple buses, multiple controllers, multiple switches, and multiple bridge devices. The technique of creating multiple paths is typically referred to as multipath I/O. Existing implementations of multipath I/O use dedicated physical resources, such as dedicated fibre channel host bus adapters, switch ports, cables, and other physical resource elements.

Dynamic physical and virtual multipath I/O

International Business Machines Corporation


An earpiece using optical fiber shields the human brain from radio frequency radiation generated by wireless phones and similar radio devices. The disclosed device and method prevents unwanted exposure to potentially harmful radiation and provides an enhanced communication path between a cell phone and ear-piece.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to wireless phone technology. More particularly, the invention relates to a protective, radiation free earpiece to protect the user from RF energy radiation emanating from a phone apparatus and to provide an enhanced, high-quality communication signal between the cell phone and an earpiece.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, there have been several attempts to protect cellular phone users from RF radiation. But none of the approaches have been entirely satisfactory. One such protective device for cell phone users is illustrated in Katz U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,896, wherein the entire cell phone, including the antenna is placed in a shielding enclosure. The cell phone antenna is retracted into the shielding enclosure and makes contact with a second antenna outside the shielding enclosure. The second antenna is mounted away from the user's head to reduce exposure to the radiation emanating from it. Though the energy level is reduced to a certain extent, the user's head is still directly exposed to the radiation.
Schwanke, U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,386 discloses a cellular phone having a shield for protecting the user from electromagnetic radiation emanating from the antenna. The shield is pivotally mounted to the housing of the cell phone and it can be positioned between the antenna and the head of the user's phone. But this approach shields only that portion of the antenna extending upwardly outside of the cell phone housing. The portion of the antenna inside the cell phone housing does not have any of the shield structure blocking radiation.
A cellular telephone user's level of exposure to RF radiation depends upon several factors. These factors include the: amount of cellular telephone traffic, quality of the transmission, how far the antenna is extended, and size of the handset. A cellular telephone's main source of RF energy is its antenna. Therefore, the closer the antenna is to the head, the greater a person's expected exposure to RF radiation. The amount of RF radiation absorbed decreases rapidly with increasing distance between the antenna and the user. The antenna of hand-held cellular telephones is in the handset, which is typically held against the side of the head while the phone is in use. The antenna of a car cellular telephone is mounted on the outside of the car, some distance from the user.
Since radiation decreases exponentially (one over the square root over the distance between the operator and the phone), it is normally assumed that by using a headset, which has copper wires inside, and holding the phone away from the body would solve the problem. However, recent investigations reveal that headsets may actually intensify exposure to harmful EMFs emitted by a cell phone. Contrary to popular belief, research has shown that hands-free cell phone kits can significantly increase the user's brain exposure to radiation. The findings confirmed claims that that using hands-free earpieces in certain positions could more than triple the brain's exposure to radiation compared to a conventional cell phone call. By itself, a headset can act as an antenna that actually channels radiation to your brain.
Wireless headsets are even worse, because the wire is replaced with a transmitter and receiver operating with low power at frequency levels between 900 MHz. to 2.4 GHz. The maximum frequencies for wireless products compliant with Bluetooth specifications are 2.497 GHz. The frequency power of wireless headsets rivals that of microwave ovens, which also operate at 2.4 GHz. And, while in a few cases emission may be lessened by the use of a headset or earpiece, it may not reduce radiation enough. This means that even a product that offers up to 70 percent reduction in EMR is not nearly as effective as necessary.
Bluetooth phones could be under attack from a new technique, even when the handset's security features are switched on. Using specialized equipment the attacker can connect to a Bluetooth handset without authorization and then make calls, siphon off information or listen in on data transfers between the device and, for example, a PC. Some security firms recommend financial traders avoid Bluetooth handsets because of the potential attack. Firstly, confidential data can be obtained, anonymously, and without the owner's knowledge or consent, from some Bluetooth enabled mobile phones. This data includes, at least, the entire phonebook and calendar, and the phone's IMEI.
Secondly, it has been found that the complete memory contents of some mobile phones can be accessed by a previously trusted ("paired") device that has since been removed from the trusted list. This data includes not only the phonebook and calendar, but media files such as pictures and text messages. In essence, the entire device can be "backed up" to an attacker's own system. Thirdly, access can be gained to the phone's command set, giving full access to the higher level commands and channels, such as data, voice and messaging.

Fiber optic earpiece to reduce radiation transmitted to a cell phone user


A method, system and computer program product pertained to adaptive discretization refinement of shell structure is disclosed. The adaptive mesh-free model is based on a technique for dividing the critical area into a finer model. The present invention is a method for enabling adaptive mesh-free shell structure in a time-domain analysis, the method comprises: defining the mesh-free shell structure by a structural geometry description file including a plurality of nodes and a reference 3-D mesh, which includes a plurality of shell elements, mapping the 3-D reference mesh into a 2-D parametric plane, wherein the 2-D parametric mesh includes a plurality of integration cells corresponding to the plurality of shell elements, solving structural responses at current solution cycle using mesh-free mathematical approximations pertaining to each of the plurality of integration cells, performing adaptive discretization refinement for the plurality of the integration cells.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to method, system and computer program product used in computer aided engineering analysis, more particularly to enabling adaptive discretization refinement for general three-dimensional (3-D) shell structures in mesh-free analysis.
2. Description of the Related Art
Finite element analysis (FEA) is a computerized method widely used in industry to model and solve engineering problems relating to complex systems since its invention in late 1950's. With the advent of the modern digital computer, FEA has been implemented as FEA computer program product. Basically, the FEA computer program product is provided with a model of the geometric description and the associated material properties at each point within the model. In this model, the geometry of the system under analysis is represented by solids, shells and beams of various sizes, which are called elements. The vertices of the elements are referred to as nodes. The individual elements are connected together by a topological map, which is usually called mesh. The model is comprised of a finite number of elements, which are assigned a material name to associate with material properties. The model thus represents the physical space occupied by the object under analysis along with its immediate surroundings. The FEA computer program product then refers to a table in which the properties (e.g., stress-strain constitutive equation, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, thermo-conductivity) of each material type are tabulated. Additionally, the conditions at the boundary of the object (i.e., loadings, physical constraints, etc.) are specified. In this fashion a model of the object and its environment is created.
FEA computer program product can be classified into two general types, implicit analysis computer program product and explicit analysis computer program product. The implicit analysis computer program product uses an implicit equation solver to solve a system of coupled linear equations. Such computer program product is generally used to simulate static or quasi-static problems. Explicit computer program product does not solve coupled equations but explicitly solves for each unknown assuming them uncoupled. The explicit analysis computer program product usually uses central difference time integration which requires very small solution cycles or time steps for the method to be stable and accurate. The explicit analysis computer program product is generally used to simulate short duration events where dynamics are important such as impact type events.
Although FEA has been successfully applied to many fields to simulate various engineering problems, there are some instances that FEA may not be advantageous due to numerical compatibility condition is not the same as the physical compatibility condition of a continuum. For example, in Lagrangian type of computations, one may experience mesh distortion, which can either end the computation altogether or result in dramatic deterioration of accuracy. In addition, the FEA often requires a very fine mesh in problems with high gradients or a distinct local character, which can be computationally expensive. For this reason, adaptive re-meshing in FEA has been developed. In the adaptive re-meshing process, only the high strain gradient portion of the structure requires mesh refinement. Hence, the simulation can be carried out with computational efficiency.
However, the FEA adaptive re-meshing procedures for simulations of impact/penetration problems, explosion/fragmentation problems, flow pass obstacles, and fluid-structure interaction problems etc., have become formidable tasks to undertake. The difficulties for employing adaptive mesh in FEA are not only re-meshing, but also mapping the state variables from the old mesh to the new mesh. In FEA, a linear adaptivity is used in the adaptive re-meshing process, which means that each of the newly adapted mesh is constraint to the original mesh surfaces. As a result of this restriction, the analytical results are often too stiff in deformation. It is evident that this process often introduces numerical errors; frequent re-mesh is not desirable. Therefore, it would be desirable to have the new improved techniques to numerically analyze a general 3-D shell structure with adaptive discretization.

Method and system for adaptive mesh-free shell structures

Livermore Software Technology Corporation


An electronic device includes a first application. The electronic device detects a first operation. The electronic device displays, in a landscape orientation state, a first interface of the first application in a first area of a display screen of the electronic device in response to the first operation. The electronic device detects a second operation on the first interface, where the second operation enables the electronic device to open a second interface of the first application. The electronic device displays the second interface in a second area in response to the second operation. The display screen includes at least two areas, the at least two areas include the first area and the second area, and different areas of the display screen do not overlap.

With development of electronic technologies, more services can be processed by portable electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets, and more applications can be used on electronic devices. Generally, a user uses an application on an electronic device in a portrait orientation state of the electronic device, and the application on the electronic device can usually support display in a portrait mode. In a portrait orientation state, a height of a display screen is greater than a width of the display screen, that is, a vertical length of the display screen is greater than a horizontal length of the display screen. When an electronic device is in a landscape orientation state, a width of the display screen is greater than a height of the display screen, that is, a horizontal length of the display screen is greater than a vertical length of the display screen; and consequently, some applications cannot be normally displayed.

Displaying interfaces in different display areas based on activities


It is proposed that in a telecommunications network (KN) for control of mass callings to subscribers of the telecommunications network (KN) with exchanges (VST1, . . . , VST7), each of which has a control means (SM1), to perform measurements to detect a mass calling to a subscriber exclusively in those exchanges (VST1, . . . , VST5) of the telecommunications network (KN) to which a subscriber, who is the possible target of such a mass calling, is connected. The exchange (VST1) which detects the mass calling signals its occurrence to respective predetermined further exchanges (VST2, . . . , VST5, VST7) in the telecommunications network (KN). Each of the predetermined further exchanges (VST2, . . . , VST5, VST7) and the exchange (VST1) which detects the mass calling, chokes the traffic to this subscriber at a rate that is fixed for the respective predetermined further exchange.

Mass calling events to subscribers of a telecommunications network, for example prompted by surveys or puzzles on radio or TV shows, can lead to bottlenecks or blockages in the telecommunications network. Many short-time usages taking place in the telecommunications network exchanges within a limited time interval, displace normal commercial usages. When the telecommunications network operator has been previously informed of such actions, the use of choke mechanisms, for example "call gapping" or "leaky bucket" from the CCITT recommendation E.412, is known to reduce or prevent bottlenecks or blockages in the telecommunications network.

Method and telecommunications network for control of mass calling


A terminal includes a box-shaped body part including a pair of a first side wall and second side wall which are raised from both side ends of a bottom wall, a top wall extended from the first side wall, and an auxiliary wall extended from the second side wall. The top wall includes a first slit opening on a side end face of the top wall. The auxiliary wall includes a second slit opening on a side end face of the auxiliary wall. A stabilizer is formed by a portion on a front side of a separating portion formed by the second slit. A stabilizer reinforcing section is formed by a portion on a front side of a separating portion formed by the first slit. An engagement section is formed by a portion on a rear side of the separating portion formed by the first slit of the top wall.

As a conventional terminal of this kind, there is one disclosed in JP 2008-153074 A (PTL 1). A male terminal 50 as a conventional terminal, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, is formed by folding a conductive metal plate of a predetermined shape. The male terminal 50 includes a box-shaped body part 51, a terminal contact part 70 disposed on a front side of the body part 51, and an electric wire connecting part 71 disposed on a rear side of the body part 51.
The body part 51 includes a bottom wall 52, a pair of a first side wall 53 and a second side wall 54 which are raised from both side ends of the bottom wall 52, a top wall 55 which is extended from the first side wall 53, and an auxiliary wall 56 which is extended from the second side wall 54.
On the top wall 55, a hole 59 for forming a stabilizer 57 and an engagement section 58 is formed. The stabilizer 57 is integrally provided from a part of the top wall 55. The engagement section 58 is formed by a portion of the top wall 55 on the front side of the hole 59, and the front end face of the hole 59 is made as an engagement face 58a. Inside the hole 59 is made as an entry space for an elastic lance (not illustrated).
On the auxiliary wall 56, a cutout portion 61 (see FIG. 8) is formed. The cutout portion 61 is formed in a shape that approximately coincides with the opening of the hole 59. That is, it is dimensioned such that it does not close the opening of the hole 59.
When the male terminal 50 is inserted into a terminal housing chamber of a connector housing (not illustrated), the stabilizer 57 serves as a guide by being inserted in a guide groove inside the connector housing, and prevents an insertion in a direction other than a proper terminal direction (such as a direction that is turned upside down). The elastic lance is engaged with the engagement section 58 in a state that the male terminal 50 is housed in the terminal housing chamber. Thus, the male terminal 50 is fixed so as not to come off from the terminal housing chamber.

Downsized terminal having a box-shaped body part


A magnetic element includes a bobbin assembly, at least one pancake winding assembly, a winding coil assembly and a magnetic core assembly. The bobbin assembly includes plural bobbin units. The plural bobbin units are detachably coupled with each other. Each bobbin unit includes a main body, a coupling structure and at least one engaging structure. The main body includes an external surface, a channel and a first winding section. The coupling structure is disposed on the external surface of the main body. The engaging structure of the bobbin unit is engaged with the engaging structure of an adjacent bobbin unit. The pancake winding assembly is disposed around the main body and coupled with the corresponding coupling structure. The winding coil assembly is wound around the first winding section. The magnetic core assembly is partially accommodated within the channel of the bobbin unit.

A transformer is a magnetic device that transfers electric energy from one circuit to another circuit through coils in order to regulate an input voltage to a desired range for powering an electronic device.
FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded view illustrating a conventional transformer. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional transformer 1 comprises a bobbin 11, a magnetic core assembly 12, a primary winding assembly 13 and at least one pancake winding assembly 14. The primary winding assembly 13 and the pancake winding assembly 14 are disposed around the bobbin 11. The pancake winding assembly 14 is used as a secondary winding assembly. The magnetic core assembly 12 is partially accommodated within a channel 111 of the bobbin. During operations of the transformer, an input voltage is inputted into the primary winding assembly 13, the magnetic core assembly is subject to electromagnetic induction, and a regulated voltage is outputted from the pancake winding assembly 14.
Generally, the pancake winding assembly 14 of the conventional transformer 1 is implemented by one or more copper foil sheets. The bobbin 11 comprises a channel 111, a main body 112, two lateral plates 113 and plural partition plates 114. The two lateral plates 113 are located at two opposite sides of the main body 112. The plural partition plates 114 are disposed on the main body 112. Moreover, an accommodation space 115 is formed between every two partition plates 114 for accommodating the pancake winding assembly 14. The primary winding assembly 13 is wound around a winding accommodation space 116 between the plural partition plates 114 and the main body 112. Since the partition plate 114 has a specified thickness, a portion of the winding space of the bobbin 11 is occupied by the partition plate 114. Under this circumstance, the overall volume of the conventional transformer 1 is large. Moreover, for expanding the bobbin 11, it is necessary to produce a new mold of the bobbin with a corresponding size. Since the expansion of the bobbin 11 increases the fabricating cost of the transformer 1, the expansibility of the bobbin 11 is limited.
Please refer to FIG. 1 again. The pancake winding assembly 14 further comprises two extension parts 141. The primary winding assembly 13 in one winding accommodation space 116 may cross over one of the extension parts 141 to the adjacent winding accommodation space 116. Moreover, the extension part 141 further comprises an indentation 141a for assisting in positioning the fly line of the primary winding assembly 13. However, since the pancake winding assembly 14 is a combination of plural ring-shaped metallic sheets, the arrangement of the extension parts 141 may increase the complexity of forming the pancake winding assembly 14 and result in lot of metal scrap during the fabricating process. Moreover, since pancake winding assembly 14 is produced by welding the plural ring-shaped metallic sheets, the fabricating cost of the pancake winding assembly 14 is very high. Moreover, after the transformer 1 is assembled, the tightness between the primary winding assembly 13, the pancake winding assembly 14, the magnetic core assembly 12 and the bobbin 11 is possibly insufficient. Consequently, the applications of the conventional transformer 1 are limited.

Magnetic element and bobbin assembly thereof


A circuit including a clock module, a control module, a manipulation module, and a function module. The clock module generates a first clock signal. The control module generates a control signal. The manipulation module, based on the control signal, either (i) forwards the first clock signal without modifying the first clock signal or (ii) modifies a cycle of the first clock signal to simulate a second clock signal. The second clock signal has a frequency higher than a frequency of the first clock signal. The function module: during a first mode and based on a non-modified cycle of the first clock signal, operates devices in a predetermined configuration; ceases operating in the first mode and changes the predetermined configuration of the devices to form a scan chain; and during a second mode and based on the modified cycle, operates the scan chain to test the devices.

Modern integrated circuits generally comprise a large number of circuit elements. It is desirable to test these circuit elements in order to ensure the proper operation of the integrated circuit. However, the number of test points (that is, locations where signals can be measured) is limited by the number of terminals of the integrated circuit, which are vastly outnumbered by the number of circuit elements to be tested.
Consequently, designers of modern integrated circuits often employ test techniques referred to herein as "scan testing." According to scan testing, a mode signal can be asserted that causes predetermined storage elements within an integrated circuit to connect serially to form a scan chain. Data can be shifted into, and out of, the scan chain. Before a test begins, a test vector can be shifted into the scan chain to provide a known starting point for the test. At the end of the test, data can be shifted out of the scan chain for analysis. During the test, the mode signal is negated, thereby breaking the scan chain, so that the integrated circuit can be tested in its nominal configuration. The clock signal is then toggled slowly to simulate nominal operation.
However, it is desirable to test integrated circuits with the clock at higher speeds, in order to identify problems that only appear during high-speed operation. That is, at low speed, an integrated circuit should pass most, if not all tests. However, as the clock speed is increased, the integrated circuit will pass fewer of the tests. The failed tests indicate so-called "speed paths," where portions of the integrated circuit are unable to pass one or more tests at the clock speed tested. It is desirable to locate these speed paths quickly in order to debug the integrated circuit efficiently.

Apparatus and method for testing a scan chain including modifying a first clock signal to simulate high-frequency operation associated with a second clock signal


A method and apparatus for using a service provider network that supports point-to-point channels is disclosed. One or more encryption parameters are associated with a channel from among a set of one or more predefined point-to-point channels provided by the service provider to connect customer points for a customer different than the service provider. Payloads for a particular flow of one or more data packets directed through the channel are encrypted at a first customer point, using the set of encryption parameters associated with the particular channel, to generate a set of one or more encrypted payloads. The encrypted payloads are inserted in the particular flow sent through the channel of the service provider network. The encrypted payloads are decrypted at a second customer point connected to the first customer point by the channel.

The approaches described in this section could be pursued, but are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
A point-to-point data communication channel provides a persistent, always-on connection between two or more sites that are connected to a wide area network (WAN). Point-to-point channels are attractive to enterprises with many personnel and data resources at multiple sites, so that resources can be shared among those sites. In addition, point-to-point connections add a level of security because they prevent delivery of traffic to points other than the enterprise sites that can be trusted.
Some independent WAN service providers (SPs) provide point-to-point channels for which a customer enterprise (a "customer") can subscribe. Typically the customer pays the SP for a particular number of channels each supporting a specified level of service between two of the customer's sites. Each channel is associated with a channel identifier.
Point-to-point channels can be formed in both circuit switched and packet switched networks. A circuit switched network devotes all the data carrying capacity ("bandwidth") of a physical medium link to a channel. A packet switched network allows sharing the bandwidth of a physical medium link among several channels. A physical circuit is composed of one or more physical links that are used to connect two customer sites.
Devices attached to a WAN fall into two general categories: data terminating equipment (DTE) that produces or consumes the data transported over the network; and data circuit-terminating equipment (DCE). DTE devices are typically located on the customer premises and are procured by the customer independently of the SP. Example DTE devices include terminals, personal computers, routers and bridges. DCE devices are SP-procured internetworking devices that provide clocking and switching service that actually transmit data through the WAN.
Two DCEs are directly connected by a physical link. A DCE that directly connects to a DTE is a service provider edge (PE) device. The DTE that directly connects to a DCE is a customer edge (CE) device. Some PE devices are physically located on customer premises, even though they are owned and operated by the SP; these are termed PE customer located equipment (PE-CLE).
Frame Relay (FR) is a high-performance packet-switched WAN protocol that provides point-to-point channels using virtual circuits. A virtual circuit is a logical connection created between two customer sites, such as two PE-CLEs, across the FR packet switched network. A virtual circuit is uniquely identified by a data-link connection identifier (DLCI) value. The DLCI values are typically assigned by the SP. Several virtual circuits can be multiplexed into a single physical circuit made up of a series of physical links between SP-procured networking devices. FR typically provisions virtual circuits with bandwidths in multiples of 0.064 Megabits per second (Mbps) up to about 1 Mbps, where a bit is a binary digit and a Megabit is a million bits.
A common implementation of a Frame Relay WAN involves an optical backbone that connects the DCEs of the WAN. An optical PE-CLE is typically located by an SP in the basement of a building that houses one or more customers of the SP. For each customer in the building, an optical cable is run from the PE-CLE to a FR communication processor ("FR box"). The optical cable carries only the channels to which the customer has subscribed. The FR box manages the DLCIs associated with those channels. When data packets arrive at the FR box destined for one of the customer's remote sites, the data packets are inserted into FR data packets with the correct DLCI. The FR data packets are sent on the optical cable to the optical PE-CLE, and from thence to the optical WAN.
For example, the Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) protocol is a standard adopted for optical WANs by many SPs. SONET is capable of transmission rates up to almost 10,000 Mbps, split among up to 192 levels of byte-interleaved synchronous transport signals (STS). Each level of STS is capable of carrying 51.84 Mbps. A signal that carries N levels is called an N level STS (STS-N) or an N level optical carrier (OC-N). In a typical FR implementation, the PE-CLE may handle OC-48 (about 2,488 Mbps) and the cable to the FR box may handle OC-12 signals (about 622 Mbps).
In the typical implementation, the FR box is a DTE connected to the customer's local area network (LAN) inside a customer premises or building. Typically, the FR box is a printed circuit card occupying a slot in a customer's router. The LAN can rely on any LAN protocol. Typically, the LAN uses the Ethernet protocol.
While suitable for many purposes, optical FR boxes suffer some disadvantages. They are expensive, bandwidth is limited, changes in bandwidth require re-provisioning the optical PE-CLE and the FR box and the optical cable connecting the two, and security is less than complete.
At present the cost of an FR router with an OC-12 optical connection is about ten times the cost an Ethernet router. FR channels are limited to bandwidths of 1 Mbps. The cheaper Ethernet devices can handle bandwidths of 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, and even 1000 Mbps ("Gigabit Ethernet"). FR channels are defined for the whole WAN, so changing the number or bandwidth of the channels involves re-provisioning one or more of the PE-CLEs of the SP, the FR boxes, and perhaps replacing the cable between the PE-CLE and the FR box.
Security is less than complete, so the WAN might not be completely trusted. Much of the backbone of the SP WAN is physically secure, involving buried cable and proprietary equipment. However, in a building housing several customers, the PE-CLE may be accessible by multiple customers and often includes interfaces, like SONET interfaces, that follow an open standard. Compared to other parts of the WAN, it is relatively easy for a non-trusted party to snoop traffic from a customer at the PE-CLE.
To reduce snooping, the PE-CLE is often placed behind locked doors. Other factors that reduce snooping by non-trusted parties include the lack of electromagnetic emissions from optical cable, the limited knowledge of FR protocols among the community of hackers that demonstrate a readiness to snoop, and the expense of the equipment needed to interface with the PE-CLE. However, even if these factors that reduce snooping are completely effective, they do not prevent the SP itself from snooping. A customer is forced to trust the SP. In some circumstances, the customer may prefer not to completely trust the SP. Nonetheless, it is standard practice to assume that point-to-point connections provided by an SP provide sufficient security because the SP prevents traffic from being delivered to points other than the trusted customer sites and the SP is not motivated to snoop.
One approach to alleviate the cost and bandwidth and provisioning limitations of FR networks is to use more Ethernet equipment in the customer location. This can be accomplished by providing an Ethernet interface on the PE-CLE optical device or by replacing the optical device with an Ethernet device that uses as a network backbone multiple segments connected by Ethernet devices.
The Ethernet protocol allows traffic to traverse different segments separated by Ethernet devices by using virtual local area network (VLAN) tags on Ethernet data packets called frames. The VLAN tags allow an SP to assign interfaces on DCEs to logical groups and to communicate among these interfaces on DCEs across multiple LANs as though the interfaces on the DCEs were on a single LAN. Bridges and switches filter destination addresses and forward VLAN frames only to interfaces that serve the VLAN to which the traffic belongs. VLANs also can be used to connect multiple buildings in a metropolitan area WAN.
While advantageous from the perspective of cost, bandwidth and provisioning, use of Ethernet interfaces increases security vulnerability. The extension to Ethernet interfaces does not alleviate the security problems associated with physical control of the PE-CLE or the trustworthiness of the SP. In contrast to optical PE-CLEs, Ethernet cables do emit electromagnetic waves that can be snooped externally. Furthermore, in contrast to the FR protocol, the Ethernet protocol is widely known among the community of hackers who demonstrate a readiness to snoop. In addition, Ethernet cable and PE-CLE interfaces can be tapped with interface equipment, such as hubs, that are inexpensive.
Based on the foregoing, there is a clear need for using incompletely trusted service provider point-to-point networks without suffering the security disadvantages of the existing approaches. In particular, there is a clear need for using higher bandwidth, less expensive Ethernet equipment on service provider point-to-point networks without suffering the security disadvantages of the existing approaches.

Method and apparatus for using incompletely trusted service provider point-to-point networks


The invention provides an isolated or purified nucleic acid molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:1, which contains cDNA comprising exons 1-5 of a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) joined to genomic DNA comprising introns 5, 6, and 7 and exons 6, 7, and 8 of VEGF and a mutation in one or more of the splice donor, branch point, and splice acceptor regions, which promotes the production of a VEGF189 isoform. Expression constructs, compositions, and cells comprising such a nucleic acid molecule also are provided by the invention.

Gene therapy is emerging as a popular form of treatment that aims to address a variety of disease states through the transfer of functional genetic material into cells. Conventionally, gene therapy is carried out by including a transgene composed of a cDNA or, less commonly, the genomic configuration of the transgene (including the exons and introns) into a gene delivery vehicle (e.g., a gene transfer vector). Typically, there is a limit to the amount of DNA or RNA (i.e., transgene) that can be packaged in a gene therapy vector. To minimize the size occupied by the transgene, expression cassettes containing the transgene generally contain cDNA rather than genomic clones. However, in some cases, gene therapy vectors have been constructed to contain introns. For example, a gene therapy vector useful in treating cystic fibrosis has been described which includes an intron-containing region in the 5′ end of the primary transcript of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. The intron-containing region in this vector is a hybrid between the cytomegalovirus (CMV) immediate early intron and an intron from the human immunoglobulin gene. The rationale for using an intron at the 5′ end of the primary transcript is based on two considerations. First, in vitro transfection studies indicate that such genes introduced into cells are expressed more efficiently when the primary transcripts contain introns. Second, an intron at the 5′ end of the primary transcript is convenient for PCR analyses to distinguish vector DNA from the mRNA transcript. Genomic clones have rarely been used in gene therapy with the exception of relatively small genomes (e.g., erythropoietin) or in the gutless adenovirus vectors for which a genomic clone of the human α1-antitrypsin gene has been used as a transgene. In vivo data using the gutless vector have shown prolonged expression of the transgene, but this observation was interpreted to reflect the properties of the gutless vector rather than the nature of the transgene. In contrast to cDNA, pre-mRNA splicing of genomic DNA is essential for protein production.
RNA splicing is part of a process whereby primary transcripts made by transcription of a DNA template by an RNA polymerase are rearranged to make messenger RNA (mRNA). For most mammalian genes, one or more introns present in the primary transcript are removed, leaving only the exons which, when spliced together, constitute the mature mRNA. The number and length of introns differ greatly among genes.
RNA splicing is mediated by the spliceosome, which is a large protein/RNA complex responsible for removing introns in a two-step process. First, cleavage occurs at the splice donor site (5′ end of intron) exposing a 5′-phosphate, which immediately ligates to a 2′-OH at the branch point that is located close to the splice acceptor within the intron. Secondly, there is a cleavage at the splice acceptor site with the simultaneous ligation of the 3′-OH of the upstream exon to the 5′-phosphate of the downstream exon. These two steps result in the release of the intron as a lariat with a free 3′-OH end.
In the process of constitutive splicing, all of the introns are excised from the pre-mRNA to give a unique mRNA species. However, a number of genes have been described for which more than one mRNA species is derived from a single pre-mRNA. Such an occurrence is referred to as alternative splicing. When this takes place, many different isoforms of a protein can be produced from a pre-mRNA. Moreover, each of these isoforms can have different biological activities. An example of an alternatively spliced pre-mRNA transcript is demonstrated by the angiogenic factor VEGF. The VEGF-A (sometimes referred to as "VEGF-1") gene contains 8 exons and 7 introns that, by alternative splicing, can form at least six isoforms of the protein.
The longest protein isoform is VEGF206, whose mRNA contains the entirety of all eight exons encoding a pre-protein of 232 amino acids, which is processed to the mature form of 206 amino acids. Alternative splicing to produce the different isoforms is focused around exons 6, 7, and 8. The VEGF121 isoform results from joining the splice donor at the end of exon 5 directly to the splice acceptor in exon 8, thereby completely eliminating exons 6 and 7. Exon 6 is especially complex with three different potential splice donors which can ligate to exon 7, resulting in the VEGF206, VEGF189, and VEGF183 isoforms. The 3′ non-translated end of the gene contains regulatory elements that increase mRNA half-life in response to ischemia. Since the mRNAs for all isoforms share the same 5′ and 3′ end, RT-PCR can be used to estimate the relative amounts in any tissue. In most normal tissues, VEGF165 and VEGF189 are most abundant, with changes in expression related to neoplastic transformation (see, e.g., Jackson et al., J. Urol., 157, 2323-2328 (1997), and Cheung et al., Hum. Pathol., 29, 910-914 (1998)). For example, in carcinomas originating in lung or colon, a switch to the shorter VEGF121 isoform was observed (see, e.g., Cheung et al. (1998), supra). In non-small cell lung cancer, an increase in VEGF189 has been associated with a more aggressive form of the disease, indicating a poor prognosis for the patient (see, e.g., Tokenaga et al., Br. J. Cancer., 77, 998-1002 (1998)). In addition, the VEGF145 isoform was initially discovered in carcinomas (see, e.g., Poltorak et al., J. Biol. Chem., 272, 7151-7158 (1997)) but has not been observed in non-transformed tissues (see, e.g., Jackson et al. (1997), supra, and Cheung et al. (1998), supra).
The significance of the VEGF isoforms is in their different biological activities. First, the different isoforms have different affinities for the VEGF receptors. At least three VEGF receptors (fltl, flkl/KDR, and neuropilin) are known, which are found in different cell types and at different times during development. Fltl mediates cell migration, while KDR is required for the proliferative effects of VEGF (see, e.g., Barleon et al., Blood, 87, 3336-3343 (1996)). While VEGF165 has approximately equal affinity to the flkl/KDR receptor and the fltl receptor, VEGF 121 has a much lower affinity for fltl and binds primarily to KDR (see, e.g., Keyt et al., J. Biol. Chem, 271, 7788-7795 (1996)). Thus, VEGF121 is expected to be biologically inactive in tissues lacking fltl. In the same way, neuropilin is believed to enhance the interaction of VEGF165 with KDR (but not fltl), but has no effect on the binding of VEGF121 to KDR (see, e.g., Gitay-Goren et al., J. Biol. Chem., 271, 5519-5523 (1996), and Park et al., J. Biol. Chem., 269, 25646-25654 (1994)). Second, the different VEGF isoforms differ in their ability to bind heparin and other negatively charged cell matrix components. VEGF121 is missing the basic domains located in exons 6 and 7 which determine interaction with heparin. The presence of heparin can modify both the affinity of the VEGF for its receptors and the residency time in tissue (see, e.g., Keyt et al. (1996), supra, and Cohen et al. (1995), supra). The heparin binding isoforms, such as VEGF165 and VEGF189, will bind extracellular matrix strongly and can be released as biologically active peptides by proteases such as plasmin (see, e.g., Keyt et al. (1996), supra, Athanassiades et al., Bio. Reprod., 59, 643-654 (1998), and Terman et al., Growth Factors, 11, 187-195 (1994)).
The biological significance of the different properties of VEGF isoforms is proven by the phenotype of mice which are unable to make the heparin binding isoform VEGF164/188 (note that the mice VEGF isoforms are one amino acid shorter than the human homologues) (see, e.g., Carmeliet et al., Nat. Med., 5, 495-502 (1999)). Complete deletion of only the VEGF gene is lethal to a mouse embryo even when only one of the two alleles is deleted (see, e.g., Carmeliet et al., Nature, 380, 435-439 (1996)). However, mice can be made with small genomic deletions which encompass exons 6 and 7, thereby making VEGF120 the only isoform that can be produced (see, e.g., Carmeliet et al. (1999), supra). Homozygote mice for VEGF120 are lethal neonatally and suffer from impaired myocardial angiogenesis, which results in decreased contractility and ischemic cardiomyopathy. Thus, the developmental roles of VEGF can be furnished by VEGF120 while the postnatal development of the blood supply, especially to cardiac muscle, depends on the VEGF164/VEGF188 isoforms. This evidence supports the contention that different therapeutic effects might be expected from the production of different isoforms or mixtures of isoforms of VEGF delivered by gene therapy. It is also conceivable that genes other than VEGF can be used in a similar manner. While alternative splicing can accomplish the production of different isoforms of a particular gene, it would be advantageous to construct nucleic acid molecules that comprise splice sites that promote the production of one isoform of a particular gene over another. Such nucleic acid molecules will allow for more control over splicing and isoform production and will be useful in therapeutic applications, as well as early, sensitive, and accurate methods for measuring the effectiveness of such therapeutic applications in a mammal.
The invention provides such nucleic acid molecules, therapeutic applications, and methods. These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.

Alternatively spliced nucleic acid molecules


A rugged optical micromodule cable is provided. The cable includes a composite cable jacket including a first cable jacket layer formed from a first material and a second cable jacket layer formed from a second material. The first cable jacket layer provides at least 10% of the thickness of the cable jacket and the second cable jacket layer provides at least 10% of the thickness of the cable jacket. The first material is different than the second material, and each material provides different physical properties to the cable jacket.

The disclosure relates generally to cables and more particularly to a fiber optic cable having a composite cable jacket suitable for use in a harsh or outdoor environment. Optical cables have seen increased use in a wide variety of fields including various electronics and telecommunications fields. Optical cables contain or surround one or more optical fibers. The cable provides structure and protection for the optical fibers within the cable. In some optical fiber cables, optical fibers are bound together within a thin sheath of material, and this fiber is often referred to as a micromodule.


A method and apparatus for establishing discrete zones of pressure at the surface of a perforated panel of the type typically used for laminar fluid flow control includes a first array of channel members fluidly communicating with perforations in the panel, all of the channel members in the first array extending in a first direction and being substantially parallel to one another, and a second array of channel members fluidly communicating with the fluid in the first array of channel members, all of the channel members in the second array extending in a second direction and being substantially parallel to one another, where the first and second arrays of channel members being disposed in crossing relationship with a source of pressure being applied to the second array of channel members. By this arrangement, control of fluid flow in at least one of the first and second arrays results in discrete zones of pressure at the surface of the panel. Various additional embodiments include variable sized apertures in the second array of channels and various condition-responsive actuators for the apertures.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to laminar flow control apparatus, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for defining discrete zones of pressure at the surface of a laminar flow control member.
2. Background of the Invention
Panels having surface perforations through which compressible and incompressible fluids are introduced to control the flow of fluid over the surface are well known. Such panels, known as laminar flow control panels, are based on the premise that fluid flowing over the surface of the panel will be closely entrained along the contour of the surface via a suction force generated within the panel and "visible" to and acting on the fluid flowing over the panel surface through perforations in the panel. Laminar flow control has proven very useful in controlling fluid flow over or around surfaces immersed in various fluid environments.
A typical laminar flow control panel comprises a multi-layer structure including inner and outer skins and one or more interior members delimiting compartments within the panel. The interior members may be wall partitions, honeycomb or truss core structures, or corrugated elements bonded at selected regions to the inner and outer skins. The panel skins may be of any thickness and material, with emphasis generally being on minimized weight, and maximum strength and workability. The skin perforations may be provided with hole-spacing tailored for optimum suction distribution.
Factors which typically influence design of these panels include the known or anticipated pressure distribution over the region to be laminarized; skin perforation patterns, size and spacings; and internal flow requirements and capabilities. Control of the latter factor influences the pressure distribution required over the suction surface for a range of desired conditions.

Method and apparatus for laminar flow control


A low threshold voltage MOS device on a semiconductor substrate is disclosed. The substrate has an upper surface, and a first well region is disposed in said semiconductor substrate extending downwardly from the semiconductor substrate upper surface. The first well region includes a dopant of a first conductivity type having a first average dopant concentration. Source and drain regions of a second conductivity type are laterally spaced from each other and are disposed in the first well region, the source and drain regions extending downwardly from the semiconductor substrate upper surface a predetermined distance. A channel region comprising the first well region of the first conductivity type is disposed between the source and drain regions. The channel region also extends at least the predetermined distance below the semiconductor substrate upper surface. A second well region is disposed in the semiconductor substrate below the channel region, the second well region being of the first conductivity type having a second average dopant concentration. A buried electrode region is disposed below the source and drain regions between the second well region and the channel region. The buried electrode region has a dopant of the first conductivity type at a concentration which is greater than both the first and second dopant concentrations of the channel region and the second well region, respectively. Finally, a gate is disposed over the channel region with the buried electrode creating a low gate threshold voltage with significantly reduced likelihood of punch through.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to high performance transistor devices and, more particularly, to low threshold voltage transistors. Specifically, the present invention relates to low Vt semiconductor devices having improved implanted well structure which permits short channel design while substantially reducing punch through characteristics, reduced threshold variation and high mobility.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
As the semiconductor industry has advanced, the sizes of active semiconductor transistor devices have shrunk to sub-micron dimensions. This has required the formation of devices that push the limits of known manufacturing techniques and processes. Semiconductor devices formed with a short channel length are particularly affected by manufacturing process variations. For example, short channel MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) transistor devices can be difficult to manufacture with acceptable threshold voltage (Vt) control.
In a MOS transistor, the threshold voltage is the voltage or potential that must be applied to the gate region of the transistor before a current will flow in the channel below the gate region between the source and drain. In general, higher threshold voltages are undesirable because higher power supplies are required for operating the semiconductor devices. In addition, with higher threshold voltages, the semiconductor devices are slower. As power supply voltage decreases, analog circuitry can be adversely affected as the devices are stacked between Vdd and Vss. Moreover, this loss of "headroom" reduces the available voltage swing. Moreover, if the threshold voltage of an access device for a memory cell is too high, then it is more difficult to write data into the cell.
As MOS technology has evolved, the supply voltage (Vdd) has also scaled with the size of the devices. For example, as channel lengths have decreased, the supply voltages have correspondingly decreased. In many applications, it is desirable to provide lower supply voltages for given device sizes. This is because devices requiring lower supply voltages generally conserve power, a feature which is particularly desirable in systems which dissipate large amounts of energy or rely on limited power sources such as batteries. However, there has been some concern about the effects of low supply voltage on device performance.
In circuits made up of conventional MOS devices, the relationship of maximum frequency, or the performance of the circuit, to supply voltage and threshold voltage is governed by the long and short channel effects of the component MOS devices. It has been found that the performance of a circuit made up of truly long channel devices is dependent on the absolute value of the supply voltage. Consequently, if the supply voltage to the devices in such circuits is lowered, then performance is also lowered. However, in circuits made up of truly short channel devices, performance is governed by the ratio of threshold voltage to supply voltage. This means that in such circuits, the supply voltage can be lowered with no loss in performance so long as the threshold voltage is also lowered to maintain a constant Vt/Vdd ratio.
Thus, while low threshold voltage MOS devices appear to be desirable, there have been certain problems associated with such devices in the past. First, as the threshold voltage is lowered, the drain-to-source leakage current of the transistor increases. Leakage current is that current which flows across the channel region when the transistor is turned off. In applications where the device must frequently switch, such as in microprocessors, this does not cause a problem. However, in other applications where the device is normally inoperative or inactive, such as in memory devices, this is a significant problem. Moreover, in short channel devices having a low threshold voltage, the distance between the drain and source regions is very small, and if this distance becomes too small, the depletion regions of the source and drain in the channel region can overlap to cause punch through. When this occurs, current flows through the path between the source and drain created by the depletion regions overlapping even when the transistor is turned off. In such instances, the gate control of the channel is lost.
There have been numerous attempts to develop transistor devices which overcome the aforementioned problems. Some examples of these efforts are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,251, U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,940, U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,701, U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,045, U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,880 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,719,422. It is known that the threshold voltage of a short channel MOS device is very sensitive to the dopant concentration of the substrate of the device. As a result, many approaches used to form low threshold devices rely on counterdoping the "standard" threshold devices, resulting in significant mobility degradation. Conversely, approaches that rely on "natural" or very low doping levels suffer from short channel Vt rolloff or punch through. It is also known that the variation of the threshold voltage is affected by the number of implant steps required to set the Vt. Hence, counter-doped devices have higher variability. Moreover, in both high and low threshold voltage devices, it is known that a buried electrode region of relatively high dopant concentration will help to suppress growth of depletion regions and thereby reduce punch through. However, there is still a need for an improved high performance, short channel transistor device having a low threshold voltage which experiences little if any punch through characteristics while maintaining high mobility and low threshold variation.

Low threshold voltage MOS transistor and method of manufacture


An apparatus for severing fiber bale ties and removing cut ties from a fiber bale includes a tie cutter for severing a metal tie surrounding the bale at a bale location; and a first metal sensor for responding to a presence of a metal tie around the bale. The first metal sensor is situated ahead of the tie cutter, whereby the first metal sensor passes by the bale tie prior to being severed by the tie cutter. There is further provided a second metal sensor for responding to a presence of a metal tie in engagement with the bale. The second metal sensor is situated after the tie cutter, whereby the second metal sensor trails the tie cutter relative to the fiber bale. The apparatus further has a device for displacing the bale and the first and second metal sensors relative to one another.

This invention relates to an apparatus for detecting metal ties such as wires, straps or the like used for textile fiber bales. The apparatus includes a metal detector which operates without mechanical contacting and which is oriented towards a surface of the textile fiber bale. The metal detector and the fiber bale are relatively movable with respect to one another, and the metal ties are removed from the fiber bale after severance and before the fiber bale is processed.

Apparatus for detecting metal ties in fiber bales