A data processing apparatus wherein, upon occurrence of an exception in a coprocessor, appropriate and flexible exception processing can be performed and the regularity of operation of the coprocessor can be verified. The data processing apparatus includes a command execution control section provided in a CPU for receiving a command to access a coprocessor command storage section of the coprocessor and executing the command to access the coprocessor command storage section. A group of commands is adopted for executing such access so that the CPU can execute access to the coprocessor command storage section. The data processing apparatus can be applied to a data processing apparatus having a coprocessor such as a floating-point calculation apparatus.

1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a data processing apparatus having a coprocessor for asynchronously processing commands to execute commands at a high speed, an exception processing method for processing, when an exception occurs at a coprocessor, the exception, and a method of verifying the regularity of operation of the coprocessor.
2) Description of the Prior Art
In order to process an exception precisely with a data processing apparatus having a coprocessor such as, for example, a floating-point calculation apparatus, information of the exception must be reported in detail as the need arises. Further, in order to verify whether an operation dependent upon occurrence of an exception is performed correctly, an abnormal condition must be set in the program and a result of the abnormal condition must be confirmed.
An exemplary one of conventional exception processing systems for an asynchronous coprocessor is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. Heisei 4-106652. In the conventional exception processing system, only direct information regarding a coprocessor command with which an exception has occurred is notified to a central processing unit (hereinafter CPU) from a coprocessor. Here, an exception signifies an event wherein a command cannot be executed regularly, for example, a certain value is divided by 0 or an inaccessible area is designated by an operand in a command.
FIG. 6 schematically shows an exemplary construction of a data processing apparatus of the type described above. Referring to FIG. 6, the data processing apparatus shown includes a CPU 60 for executing a command, and a coprocessor 70 connected to the CPU 60 for asynchronously executing coprocessor commands issued by the CPU 60.
A memory 64 is provided for the CPU 60. The CPU 60 includes a command control section 61, a plurality of general-purpose registers 62 and an arithmetic unit 63. The coprocessor 70 includes a control section 71, at least one coprocessor arithmetic unit 72 and a coprocessor command queue 73.
A coprocessor command bus 81 is provided between the command control section 61 and the coprocessor command queue 73 for transmitting coprocessor commands from the command control section 61 to the coprocessor command queue 73. A register number bus 82 is provided between the control section 71 and the general-purpose registers 62 for transmitting write register numbers, read register numbers, and so forth, from the control section 71 to the general-purpose registers 62.
A source data bus 83 is provided between the general-purpose registers 62 and the data input side of the coprocessor arithmetic unit 72 for transmitting source data from the general-purpose registers 62 to the coprocessor arithmetic unit 72. An output bus 84 is provided between the calculation result output side of the coprocessor arithmetic unit 72 and the general-purpose registers 62 for transmitting the output of the coprocessor arithmetic unit 72 to the general-purpose registers 62.
The command control section 61 of the CPU 60 synchronously and successively reads out program commands stored in the memory 64 and sequentially executes the program commands. The command control section 61 notifies commands to the coprocessor 70 by way of the coprocessor command bus 81 when commands to be calculated by the coprocessor 70 are detected during execution of the series of commands.
The control section 71 of the coprocessor 70 controls a calculation processing operation of the coprocessor arithmetic unit 72 and controls and executes an exception processing operation, hereinafter described, when an exception occurs during calculation processing of the coprocessor arithmetic unit 72.
The coprocessor arithmetic unit 72 of the coprocessor 70 receives source data from the general-purpose registers 62 of the CPU 60, executes calculation processing using the source data in response to an instruction from the control section 71 and outputs a result of the calculation to the general-purpose registers 62 of the CPU 60.
In this instance, source data are inputted, to the coprocessor arithmetic unit 72 from that one of the general-purpose registers 62 which has a read register number designated by the control section 71, or where a plurality of coprocessor arithmetic units 72 are provided, to a selected one of the coprocessor arithmetic units 72, by way of the source data bus 83. Meanwhile, the result of calculation by the coprocessor arithmetic unit 72 is written, via the register number bus 82 by way of the output bus 84, into the general-purpose register 62 which has a write register number designated by the control section 71.
The coprocessor command queue 73 of the coprocessor 70 stores coprocessor commands notified thereto from the command control section 61 of the CPU 60 by way of the coprocessor command bus 81. The coprocessor command queue 73 includes a plurality of exception flag registers 74 each for storing, when an exception has occurred in the coprocessor 70, a flag representing the occurrence of an exception.
In the data processing apparatus constructed in such a manner as described above, when an exception occurs during calculation processing in the coprocessor arithmetic unit 72, a type of the exception is written into a corresponding one of the exception flag registers 74 provided in the coprocessor command queue 73.
Meanwhile, the control section 71 recognizes an exception occurrence position at the coprocessor command queue 73, discriminates a type of the exception from the exception flag register 74 and executes exception processing in accordance with the type of the exception. Then, the control section 71 notifies the CPU 60 of information regarding the coprocessor command at which the exception has occurred.
In the conventional data processing apparatus described above, information other than information regarding a coprocessor command at which an exception has occurred except that a result of calculation is reported from the coprocessor arithmetic unit 72 to the CPU 60. Accordingly, the CPU 60 cannot readily grasp a flow of processing in the coprocessor 70 executed under a series of commands at a point of time at which an exception occurs. Consequently, the conventional data processing apparatus has a problem in that the CPU 60 cannot make a suitable determination of a cause of occurrence of an exception which has occurred in the coprocessor 70 and the CPU 60 cannot execute processing based on an appropriate determination regarding the exception.
Further, in the conventional data processing apparatus, access from the CPU 60 to the coprocessor command queue 73 is permitted to write a coprocessor information, but any other access from the CPU 60 to the coprocessor command queue 73 is not permitted. Accordingly, the conventional data processing apparatus has another problem in that it is difficult for the CPU 60 to verify whether coprocessor commands instructed from the CPU 60 to the coprocessor 70 are held regularly in the coprocessor command queue 73 and also in that, when the processing of the CPU 60 returns to regular processing, the CPU 60 cannot change the information in the coprocessor command queue 73 arbitrarily and consequently the CPU 60 cannot take a flexible countermeasure against an exception.

Data processing apparatus with a coprocessor which asynchronously executes commands stored in a coprocessor command storage section


A folding portable keyboard includes a first keyboard section, a second keyboard section, and a folding structure. The first keyboard section and the second keyboard section are coplanar with each other when the portable keyboard is unfolded, or overlap each other when the portable keyboard is folded. The folding structure includes a rotary assembly having a first sleeve, a second sleeve, and a pivot. The first sleeve is defined on a first sidewall of the first keyboard section. The second sleeve is defined on a second sidewall of the second keyboard section. The pivot is sleeved by the first sleeve and the second sleeve. The first sleeve and the second sleeve are capable of rotating relative to each other about the pivot until the first keyboard section overlaps the second keyboard section.

1. Technical Field
The disclosure relates to keyboards and, particularly, to a portable keyboard for an electronic device.
2. Description of Related Art
Keyboards are important input/output (I/O) devices of computing devices, such as desktop computers. However, most keyboards are rigid structures that are packed with as many keys as possible and this makes keyboards have large dimensions. Thus, keyboards take up a lot of real estate on shelves and display counters and are also inconvenient to transport. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art.

Fu Tai Hua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.


A backlight unit for a liquid crystal display (LCD) device includes a light source, a bottom cover to receive the light source, a diffuser positioned to diffuse light irradiated from the light source, and resistors positioned between the bottom cover and the light source.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a backlight unit for a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, and more particularly to a backlight unit for an LCD device that effectively reduces an induction current by generated by parasitic capacitance by inserting a resistor in a reflection film.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In the current information society, the roles of electronic display devices become increasingly important, such that various types of electronic display devices are used in the diverse industrial sectors. Accordingly, the electronic display devices having new functions are continuously developed to meet the demands of the information society. In general, an electronic display device refers to a device for visually presenting the information to humans. Specifically, the electronic display device converts electronic information signals output from the various electronic apparatus into optical information signals recognizable by humans. Thus, the electronic display device serves as a mediator between humans and the electronic apparatus.
There are two types of display devices: a light emission type and a light receiving type. The light emission type display device displays light information signal according to an illumination phenomenon. The light emission type display device is also called an active display device and includes a cathode ray tube (CRT), a plasma display panel (PDP), an organic electroluminescent display (OELD), a light emitting diode (LED), and the like. The light receiving type display device displays light information signal that has been light-converted according to a reflection, scattering, and interference phenomenon. The light receiving type display apparatus is also called a passive display device and includes the LCD, an electrophoretic image display (EPID), and the like.
The CRT has been employed for televisions and/or computer monitors and still occupies a high market share in terms of economical efficiency. However, due to its disadvantages, such as heavy weight, bulky size, and higher power consumption, the CRT is facing challenges competing against the flat panel display devices. Recently, the rapid advancement of the semiconductor techniques allows various electronic devices to improve their power consumption, their sizes, and their weights. Accordingly, the flat panel displays devices such as the LCD, the PDP and the OELD devices have been developed. Specifically, the LCD devices are developed having small and thin size, light weight, low power consumption, and low drive voltage.
Since the LCD devices are light receiving type display devices, they need a light source such as a backlight unit. There are two types of backlight units for the LCD devices: a direct type backlight unit and a light guide plate type backlight unit. The direct type backlight unit is constructed such that a plurality of lamps are arranged on a plane and a diffuser is inserted between the lamps and a liquid crystal panel to maintain a space between the liquid crystal panel and the lamps. The light guide plate type backlight unit is constructed such that lamps are installed at an outer edge of a flat panel and light received from the lamps is irradiated onto the liquid crystal panel by using a transparent light guide plate. The direct type backlight unit is commonly used for the LCD device because it has a high light utilization rate and can be easily handled.
A related art backlight unit for an LCD device will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing parasitic capacitance formed between lamps of a related art backlight unit for an LCD device and a bottom cover. FIG. 2 is a view showing waveforms of a high level voltage applied to the lamps and an induction current generated by the parasitic capacitances between the lamps and the bottom cover.
As shown in FIG. 1, the related art backlight unit for an LCD device comprises a plurality of lamps 13 arranged in parallel with each other to irradiate light, a bottom cover 15 for receiving the lamps 13, and a reflection film 14 positioned between the bottom cover 15 and the lamps 13. Each of the lamps 13 includes inert gases (Ar and Ne) inside a glass tube, and a cathode and an anode installed at end portions of the glass tube. The glass tube filled with the inert gases therein has phosphor coating on an inner wall of the glass tube.
When an AC voltage is applied to the anode and the cathode of each of the plurality of lamps 13 from an inverter (not shown), electrons are discharged from the cathode to collide with the inert gases inside the glass tube. The amount of electrons increases by geometric progression. When a current flows inside the glass tube owing to the increased electrons, the inert gases are excited by the electrons, thus generating energy that excites the molecules to emit ultraviolet rays. The ultraviolet rays collide with illuminative phosphor that is coated on the inner wall of the glass tube, thereby emitting visible light.
The bottom cover 15 is made of a metallic material. As shown in FIG. 1, parasitic capacitance C1, C2, and C3 are generated between the lamps 13 and between the lamps 13 and the reflection film 14/bottom cover 15. Specifically, the parasitic capacitance C1 is formed between the lamp 13 and one side of the bottom cover 15, the parasitic capacitance C2 is formed between the lamps 13, and the parasitic capacitance C3 is formed between the lamps 13 and the lower bottom cover 15. As shown in FIG. 2, when a high level voltage is applied to drive the plurality lamps 13, an induction current is generated by the parasitic capacitances C1, C2, and C3. Since the induction current is induced by the parasitic capacitances C1, C2, and C3, it is noted that the phase difference between the induction current and the high level voltage is π/2(90°). The induction current does not go to driving of the plurality of lamps 13, thus decreasing illumination efficiency of the lamps 13.

Backlight unit for liquid crystal display device


There is provided a display element, including: a display region including pixels arranged in a two-dimensional form, each of the pixels including a plurality of sub pixels. In each pixel, a height of a light reflecting portion with respect to a light emitting portion is adjusted for each sub pixel.

In recent years, as a light emitting element which emits light by itself when a voltage is applied, a light emission type display element such as an organic EL display element using an organic light emitting diode (OLED) in which a phenomenon called organic electroluminescence (organic EL) is applied has been developed.
In the organic EL display element, if light extraction efficiency is poor, an actual light emission amount in the organic EL element is not used effectively, leading to a loss in terms of power consumption or the like, and thus there is a demand for a technique of extracting light efficiently.
As a technique for improving light extraction efficiency, for example, a technique disclosed in PTL 1 is known. A technique related to an anode reflector structure which reflects some of light propagated on a member surface using a difference in a refractive index between members is disclosed in PTL 1.

Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation


A medical apparatus (300, 400, 500, 600) comprising a magnetic resonance imaging system (302). The medical apparatus further comprises a heating system (320, 502, 601) operable for heating a target zone (321) and a processor (326). Execution of machine readable instructions causes the processor to receive (100, 200, 700, 800) a treatment plan (340). Execution of the instructions further cause the processor to repeatedly: control (102, 204, 704, 804, 900, 1002) the heating system, using the treatment plan, to heat the target zone during alternating heating periods and cooling periods; acquire (104, 208, 702, 706, 802, 806, 902, 906, 1000, 1004) magnetic resonance data using the magnetic resonance imaging system, and modify (110, 214, 712, 812, 1008) the treatment plan using the magnetic resonance data. The instructions cause the processor to acquire the magnetic resonance data during a cooling period selected from at least one of the cooling periods.

Magnetic resonance thermometry may be used to determine either the absolute temperature of a volume or a change in temperature, depending upon the technique used. For determining the absolute temperature several magnetic resonance peaks are typically measured. Methods which measure changes in temperature are typically faster and have been used to take temperature measurements for guiding thermal treatments. For example Proton resonance frequency shift based MR thermometry may be employed to provide temperature maps in water inside the tissue during the ablation procedure for real-time feedback control of the heating process.
In high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy, reliable real-time temperature monitoring using e.g. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is necessary to ensure a sufficient thermal necrosis to the target while avoiding excessive heating and damage of surrounding healthy tissues. To achieve sufficient temporal and spatial resolution, fast imaging is required preferably with a high spatial resolution while maintaining a sufficient SNR for reconstruction of reliable temperature measurements.

Modification of a treatment plan using magnetic resonance data acquired during a cooling period


Disclosed is an ink composition which comprises water, a colorant, a bisquaternary ammonium compound, and a material of the formula (F.sub.3 C(F.sub.2 C).sub.n CH.dbd.CHCH.sub.2 OCH(OH)CH.sub.2).sub.2 NCH.sub.2 COO.sup.- !X.sup.+ !, wherein X is a cation and n is an integer of from about 3 to about 20. Also disclosed are ink jet printing processes employing the aforementioned ink.

The present invention is directed to ink compositions and to processes for the preparation and use thereof. More specifically, the present invention is directed to compositions suitable for use in ink jet printing processes. One embodiment of the present invention is directed to an ink composition which comprises water, a colorant, a bisquaternary ammonium compound, and a material of the formula (F.sub.3 C(F.sub.2 C).sub.n CH.dbd.CHCH.sub.2 OCH(OH)CH.sub.2).sub.2 NCH.sub.2 COO.sup.- !X.sup.+ !, wherein X is a cation and n is an integer of from about 3 to about 20.
Ink jet printing systems generally are of two types: continuous stream and drop-on-demand. In continuous stream ink jet systems, ink is emitted in a continuous stream under pressure through at least one orifice or nozzle. The stream is perturbed, causing it to break up into droplets at a fixed distance from the orifice. At the break-up point, the droplets are charged in accordance with digital data signals and passed through an electrostatic field which adjusts the trajectory of each droplet in order to direct it to a gutter for recirculation or a specific location on a recording medium. In drop-on-demand systems, a droplet is expelled from an orifice directly to a position on a recording medium in accordance with digital data signals. A droplet is not formed or expelled unless it is to be placed on the recording medium.
Since drop-on-demand systems require no ink recovery, charging, or deflection, the system is much simpler than the continuous stream type. There are two types of drop-on-demand ink jet systems. One type of drop-on-demand system has as its major components an ink filled channel or passageway having a nozzle on one end and a piezoelectric transducer near the other end to produce pressure pulses. The relatively large size of the transducer prevents close spacing of the nozzles, and physical limitations of the transducer result in low ink drop velocity. Low drop velocity seriously diminishes tolerances for drop velocity variation and directionality, thus impacting the system's ability to produce high quality copies. Drop-on-demand systems which use piezoelectric devices to expel the droplets also suffer the disadvantage of a slow printing speed.
The other type of drop-on-demand system is known as thermal ink jet, or bubble jet, and produces high velocity droplets and allows very close spacing of nozzles. The major components of this type of drop-on-demand system are an ink filled channel having a nozzle on one end and a heat generating resistor near the nozzle. Printing signals representing digital information originate an electric current pulse in a resistive layer within each ink passageway near the orifice or nozzle, causing the ink in the immediate vicinity to evaporate almost instantaneously and create a bubble. The ink at the orifice is forced out as a propelled droplet as the bubble expands. When the hydrodynamic motion of the ink stops, the process is ready to start all over again. With the introduction of a droplet ejection system based upon thermally generated bubbles, commonly referred to as the "bubble jet" system, the drop-on-demand ink jet printers provide simpler, lower cost devices than their continuous stream counterparts, and yet have substantially the same high speed printing capability.
The operating sequence of the bubble jet system begins with a current pulse through the resistive layer in the ink filled channel, the resistive layer being in close proximity to the orifice or nozzle for that channel. Heat is transferred from the resistor to the ink. The ink becomes superheated far above its normal boiling point, and for water based ink finally reaches the critical temperature for bubble formation or nucleation of around 280.degree. C. Once nucleated, the bubble or water vapor thermally isolates the ink from the heater and no further heat can be applied to the ink. This bubble expands until all the heat stored in the ink in excess of the normal boiling point diffuses away or is used to convert liquid to vapor, which removes heat due to heat of vaporization. The expansion of the bubble forces a droplet of ink out of the nozzle, and once the excess heat is removed, the bubble collapses on the resistor. At this point, the resistor is no longer being heated because the current pulse has passed and, concurrently with the bubble collapse, the droplet is propelled at a high rate of speed in a direction towards a recording medium. The resistive layer encounters a severe cavitational force by the collapse of the bubble, which tends to erode it. Subsequently, the ink channel refills by capillary action. This entire bubble formation and collapse sequence occurs in about 10 microseconds. The channel can be refired after 100 to 500 microseconds minimum dwell time to enable the channel to be refilled and to enable the dynamic refilling factors to become somewhat dampened. Thermal ink jet processes are well known and are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,777, U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,824, U.S. Pat. No. 4,410,899, U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,224, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,530, the disclosures of each of which are totally incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,019,166 (Schwarz), the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses a thermal ink jet printing composition comprising a dye, a liquid medium, and a surfactant selected from the group consisting of polyoxyalkylated ethers, anionic bitail fluorothio alkyls, alkyl aryl sulfonates, alkyl amine quaternary salts, and mixtures thereof. Also disclosed is a process for generating images which comprises causing the ink compositions disclosed herein to be ejected from a thermal ink jet printer in imagewise fashion onto a substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,303 (Stoffel et al.), the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses a process wherein the halo effect seen at the interface between a first ink, exhibiting sharp edge acuity, and a second ink, having low surface energy, is addressed by adding certain fluorocarbon compounds to the first ink. Edge acuity of the first ink is maintained.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,765 (Gundlach et al.), the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses a thermal ink jet printing composition which contains a surfactant comprising an alkylsulfoxide having an alkyl group of 4 to 6 carbon atoms. Preferably, the composition contains a betaine zwitterionic base and dibutylsulfoxide.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,815 (Gundlach et al.), the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses a thermal ink jet printing composition contains a betaine zwitterionic base and a quasisurfactant penetrant.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,133 (Gundlach et al.), the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses a process for preparing an aqueous ink composition which comprises adjusting the pH of the ink with phosphorous acid or phosphite salts. Also disclosed are ink compositions prepared by this process. In certain preferred embodiments, the ink compositions can also contain betaine, sulfolane, dimethyl sulfoxide, or N,N'-bis(3-aminopropyl)-1,2-ethylenediamine, as well as mixtures thereof. In other preferred embodiments, the ink composition comprises an organic component selected from the group consisting of sulfolane, dimethyl sulfoxide, and mixtures thereof, and anions selected from the group consisting of phosphite, hypophosphite, phosphate, polyphosphate, sulfate, hexafluorophosphate, glycolate, acetate, ethylenediaminetetraacetate, formate, borate, sulfite, sulfamate, and mixtures thereof.
Copending application U.S. Ser. No. 08/961,335, filed concurrently herewith, entitled "Improved Ink Compositions for Thermal Ink Jet Printing," with the named inventors Kurt B. Gundlach, Richard L. Colt, and Edward J. Radigan, Jr., now U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,744, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses an ink composition which comprises water, a colorant, betaine, a tertiary amine, and a material of the formula (F.sub.2n+1 C.sub.n CH.sub.2 S).sub.2 (CH.sub.3)C--CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 COO.sup.- !B.sup.+ !, wherein n is an integer of from about 8 to about 20 and B is a cation. In one specific embodiment, n is 10 and B is (HO--CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2).sub.2 NH.sub.3.sup.+. In another specific embodiment, the tertiary amine is 1-methylimidazole. In yet another specific embodiment of the present invention, the colorant is an anionic dye with carboxylate groups, sulfonate groups, or both carboxylate and sulfonate groups. Also disclosed is a process for preparing the aforementioned ink composition wherein a liquid containing the material of the formula (F.sub.2n+1 C.sub.n CH.sub.2 S).sub.2 (CH.sub.3)C--CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 COO.sup.- !B.sup.+ ! is subjected to centrifugation. Also disclosed are ink jet printing processes employing the aforementioned ink.
Copending application U.S. Ser. No. 08/961,435, filed concurrently herewith, entitled "Improved Ink Compositions for Thermal Ink Jet Printing," with the named inventors Kurt B. Gundlach, Luis A. Sanchez, Cheryl A. Hanzlik, Kathy-Jo Brodsky, Richard L. Colt, Aileen M. Montes, and Edward J. Radigan, Jr., now U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,743, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses an ink composition which comprises (a) water, (b) a colorant (c) a fluorinated material selected from: (1) those of the formula (F.sub.2n+1 C.sub.n CH.sub.2 S).sub.2 (CH.sub.3)C--CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 COO.sup.- !B.sup.+ !, wherein n is an integer of from about 8 to about 20 and B is a cation, (2) those of the formula (F.sub.3 C(F.sub.2 C).sub.n CH.dbd.CHCH.sub.2 OCH(OH)CH.sub.2).sub.2 NCH.sub.2 COO.sup.- !X.sup.+ !, wherein X is a cation and n is an integer of from about 3 to about 20, and (3) mixtures thereof, and (d) a monomeric compound having at least two carboxylic acid functional groups. Also disclosed is a process for preparing said ink composition which comprises (i) admixing the ink ingredients, and (ii) subjecting the mixture thus formed to ultrasonification, thereby reducing the average particle diameter of liposomes of the fluorinated material in the ink. Further disclosed is a process which entails (i) incorporating into an ink jet printing apparatus the aforementioned ink composition, and (ii) causing droplets of the ink composition to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto a substrate. In a preferred embodiment, the printing apparatus employs a thermal ink jet process wherein the ink in the nozzles is selectively heated in an imagewise pattern, thereby causing droplets of the ink to be ejected in imagewise pattern.
Copending application U.S. Ser. No. 08/961,118, filed concurrently herewith, entitled "Improved Ink Compositions for Thermal Ink Jet Printing," with the named inventors Kurt B. Gundlach, Luis A. Sanchez, Cheryl A. Hanzlik, Kathy-Jo Brodsky, Richard L. Colt, Aileen M. Montes, Danielle Avolio, and Rachael L. McGrath, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses an ink composition which comprises (a) water, (b) a colorant, and (c) a material of the formula (F.sub.3 C(F.sub.2 C).sub.n CH.dbd.CHCH.sub.2 OCH(OH)CH.sub.2).sub.2 NCH.sub.2 COO.sup.- !X.sup.+ !, wherein X is a cation and n is an integer of from about 3 to about 20. Also disclosed are processes for preparing the ink composition and ink jet printing processes with the ink composition.
Copending application U.S. Ser. No. 08/961,461, filed concurrently herewith, entitled "Improved Ink Compositions for Thermal Ink Jet Printing," with the named inventors Kurt B. Gundlach and Walter F. Wafler, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses an ink composition which comprises water, a colorant, a nonionic surfactant, and a fluorinated material selected from the group consisting of (a) those of the formula (F.sub.2n+1 C.sub.n CH.sub.2 S).sub.2 (CH.sub.3)C--CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 COO.sup.- !B.sup.+ !, wherein n is an integer of from about 8 to about 20 and B is a cation, and (b) those of the formula (F.sub.3 C(F.sub.2 C).sub.n CH.dbd.CHCH.sub.2 OCH(OH)CH.sub.2).sub.2 NCH.sub.2 COO.sup.- !X.sup.+ !, wherein X is a cation. Also disclosed are ink jet printing processes employing the aforementioned ink.
Copending application U.S. Ser. No. 08/961,637, filed concurrently herewith, entitled "Improved Ink Compositions for Thermal Ink Jet Printing," with the named inventors Kurt B. Gundlach, Luis A. Sanchez, Cheryl A. Hanzlik, Kathy-Jo Brodsky, Richard L. Colt, and Aileen M. Montes, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,929, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses an ink composition which comprises water, an anionic dye having at least one anionic functional group and having a cationic counterion associated with each anionic functional group, and a material of the formula (F.sub.2n+1 C.sub.n CH.sub.2 S).sub.2 (CH.sub.3)C--CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 COO.sup.- !B.sup.+ !, wherein n is an integer of from about 8 to about 20 and B is a cation, said ink composition containing alkali metal cations in an amount of no more than about 1.times.10.sup.-3 moles per liter. Also disclosed are ink jet printing processes employing the aforementioned ink.
Copending application U.S. Ser. No. 08/961,393, filed concurrently herewith, entitled "Improved Ink Compositions for Thermal Ink Jet Printing," with the named inventors Kurt B. Gundlach, Richard L. Colt, Luis A. Sanchez, and Danielle Avolio, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,326, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses an ink composition which comprises water, a colorant, 1,4-diazabicyclo2.2.2!octane, and a fluorinated material selected from the group consisting of (a) those of the formula (F.sub.2n+1 C.sub.n CH.sub.2 S).sub.2 (CH.sub.3)C--CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 COO.sup.- !B.sup.+ !, wherein n is an integer of from about 8 to about 20 and B is a cation, and (b) those of the formula (F.sub.3 C(F.sub.2 C).sub.n CH.dbd.CHCH.sub.2 OCH(OH)CH.sub.2).sub.2 NCH.sub.2 COO.sup.- !X.sup.+ !, wherein X is a cation and n is an integer of from about 3 to about 20. Also disclosed are processes for preparing the aforementioned ink and ink jet printing processes employing the aforementioned ink.
Copending application U.S. Ser. No. 08/960,991, filed concurrently herewith, entitled "Improved Ink Compositions for Thermal Ink Jet Printing," with the named inventors Kurt B. Gundlach, Luis A. Sanchez, and Richard L. Colt, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,230, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses an ink composition which comprises water, a dye selected from the group consisting of Direct Blue 199, Direct Yellow 132, Acid Yellow 17, Reactive Red 180, Acid Red 52, and mixtures thereof, and a material of the formula (F.sub.3 C(F.sub.2 C).sub.n CH.dbd.CHCH.sub.2 OCH(OH)CH.sub.2).sub.2 NCH.sub.2 COO.sup.- !X.sup.+ !, wherein X is a cation and n is an integer of from about 3 to about 20, wherein the ink is substantially free of imidazole. Also disclosed are ink jet printing processes employing the aforementioned ink.
Copending application U.S. Ser. No. 08/960,792, filed concurrently herewith, entitled "Improved Ink Compositions for Thermal Ink Jet Printing," with the named inventors Kurt B. Gundlach, Luis A. Sanchez, Richard L. Colt, and Danielle Avolio, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses an ink composition which comprises (a) water, (b) a colorant selected from the group consisting of Acid Yellow 23, Acid Yellow 17, Reactive Red 180, Direct Blue 199, Acid Blue 9, and mixtures thereof, (c) imidazole, (d) an additive selected from the group consisting of betaine, polyethylene oxide, and mixtures thereof, and (e) a material of the formula (F.sub.3 C(F.sub.2 C).sub.n CH.dbd.CHCH.sub.2 OCH(OH)CH.sub.2).sub.2 NCH.sub.2 COO.sup.- !X.sup.+ !, wherein X is a cation and n is an integer of from about 3 to about 20. Also disclosed are ink jet printing processes employing the aforementioned ink.
Copending application U.S. Ser. No. 08/961,334, filed concurrently herewith, entitled "Improved Ink Compositions for Thermal Ink Jet Printing," with the named inventors Kurt B. Gundlach, Luis A. Sanchez, Danielle Avolio, Maura A. Sweeney, and Richard L. Colt, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,325, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses an ink composition which comprises (1) water, (2) a colorant, (3) a material of the formula (F.sub.3 C(F.sub.2 C).sub.n CH.dbd.CHCH.sub.2 OCH(OH)CH.sub.2).sub.2 NCH.sub.2 COO.sup.- !X.sup.+ !, wherein X is a cation and n is an integer of from about 3 to about 20, (4) a polymer selected from the group consisting of (a) tetrafunctional block copolymers derived from the addition of propylene oxide and ethylene oxide to ethylenediamine; (b) polyethylene oxide-polypropylene oxide-polyethylene oxide triblock copolymers; (c) polypropylene oxide-polyethylene oxide-polypropylene oxide triblock copolymers; (d) ethoxylated 2-naphthol polymers; and (e) mixtures thereof; and (5) an additive selected from the group consisting of (i) diethylene glycol; (ii) glycerol; (iii) trimethylol propane; (iv) urea; (v) n-methyl pyrrolidone; (vi) sulfolane; (vii) 1,4 diazabicyclo2.2.2!octane; (viii) cyclohexylpyrrolidone; and (ix) mixtures thereof. Also disclosed are ink jet printing processes employing the aforementioned ink.
While known compositions and processes are suitable for their intended purposes, a need remains for ink compositions with improved characteristics. In addition, a need remains for ink compositions which exhibit reduced or no intercolor bleed when printed adjacent to other inks of different colors. Further, a need remains for ink compositions having good latency characteristics. Additionally, there is a need for ink compositions with reduced viscosity. There is also a need for ink compositions which exhibit improved viscosity stability with respect to pH and temperature. In addition, there is a need for ink compositions with desirably low viscosities. Further, there is a need for ink compositions with good shelf stability. Additionally, there is a need for ink compositions which are compatible with sponge delivery in thermal ink jet printing hardware. A need further remains for ink compositions which do not interact or react adversely with the materials commonly used to fabricate thermal ink jet printheads. In addition, a need remains for ink compositions which enable the generation of prints on various papers with reduced or eliminated curling of the paper. Further, a need remains for ink compositions which enable uniform print quality over time. Additionally, a need remains for ink compositions which enable good overnight recoverability in thermal ink jet printing hardware. There is also a need for ink compositions which enable the generation of prints having vivid color. In addition, there is a need for ink compositions which exhibit improved waterfastness. Further, there is a need for ink compositions which exhibit improved lightfastness. Additionally, there is a need for ink compositions having dye colorants which exhibit reduced intercolor bleed with ink compositions having pigment colorants, whether or not the pigmented ink compositions contain a fluorinated material. A need also remains for ink compositions with improved color gamut. In addition, a need remains for ink compositions which exhibit reduced showthrough when printed on paper substrates. Further, a need remains for ink compositions suitable for printing onto a wide variety of substrates. Additionally, a need remains for ink compositions which are relatively benign with respect to any tendency to cause degradation of common thermal ink jet printhead materials.

Ink compositions for thermal ink jet printing


A dermatologic peel comprising alpha hydroxyl acid and metal hydroxide nanocomplexes as neutralizing agents to continually reduce the activity of the system when the acid and neutralizer components are mixed. For example, a 30% glycolic acid gel mixed with a fluidized magaldrate neutralizer can be applied to the skin and will self-neutralize to a skin-compatible pH within a few minutes, effectively exfoliating the skin without a separate neutralization step. The peel is advantageously applied from a two-component system that mixes the components.

This invention relates to dermatologic chemical peels prepared from alpha hydroxy acids ("AHAs"). Chemical peels have been used for centuries to improve personal appearance and rejuvenate the skin. Chemical peels exfoliate the skin to remove dead skin cells from the surface of the skin and to expose fresh skin cells, facilitating new growth and a more youthful look. One of the earlier such peels was created from sour milk, which contains the AHA lactic acid. Modern chemical peels typically use glycolic acid, or to a lesser extent, lactic acid, as the primary active AHA. The skin care industry documents significant improvement in characteristics associated with acne, age spots, wrinkles, photo-damage and other age-related skin changes, and numerous other skin conditions. AHAs support a world-wide multi-billion dollar anti-aging skin products industry.
Established industry practice has typically been to provide dermatologic peels in two broad categories, professional strength and consumer products. Professional strength peels include a higher concentration of acid than over-the-counter consumer retail products, are designed for occasional use, and normally are administered in controlled conditions by an individual trained to do so. For example, a professional strength face peel may be applied by a therapist at a resort health spa or in a salon setting or physician's office. A typical professional glycolic acid peel treatment is applied at an acid concentration of from about 20% to 35% by weight at a pH of approximately 3.0 for a period of about three to five minutes. The therapist then deactivates the peel with a buffer solution, typically sodium bicarbonate, which neutralizes the acid, or rinses the skin liberally with water to remove the acid and to bring the acid condition of the skin to a pH level similar to normal skin. The therapist usually monitors individual perceptions of redness, stinging, or pain and blistering and can end the treatment, if necessary, based on these perceptions.
On the other hand, consumer products intended for home use or other uncontrolled settings normally include a concentration of acid sufficiently low to reduce the possibility of negative effects, even if the consumer uses the peel frequently or does not rinse it off. Thus, consumer products may compromise efficacy for a degree of control inherent in application of a low acid formulation sufficient to preclude overexposure. A typical consumer grade glycolic acid peel contains acid at a concentration of about 10% or less and is applied at a pH of 3.5 or more. Although the pH is acid, the concentration of acid in solution is dilute to reduce the chance of redness, stinging or blistering, even if the consumer does not rinse.
It would be desirable to improve acid peels and to provide acid peels that can achieve better or at least equivalent results than those now available and with less intervention required, while at the same time avoiding the likelihood of redness, stinging, burning, or blistering caused by excessive exposure to the low pH of professional strength peel formulations.

Self-neutralizing acid peel for dermatologic use


A printhead structure and a method are used in direct electrostatic printing wherein streams of charged toner particles from a source of toner particles are directed onto an image carrier, such as a sheet of paper. A first set of print electrodes surround apertures through which the streams of toner particles flow. Voltages are selectively applied to the print electrodes to control the flow of toner particles through the respective apertures. A set of deflection electrodes are also associated with the apertures. Deflection voltages from at least one deflection voltage source are applied to the deflection electrodes to increase the convergence of the toner particles onto the information carrier and also to control the trajectories of the toner particles onto predetermined dot locations on the information carrier so that each aperture may provide toner particles to multiple lateral locations on the information carrier.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a direct electrostatic printing method, in which a stream of computer generated signals, defining image information, are converted to a pattern of electrostatic fields to selectively control the deposition of charged toner particles in an image configuration directly onto an information carrier.
2. Description of the Related Art
Of the various electrostatic printing techniques, the most familiar and widely utilized is xerography, wherein latent electrostatic images formed on a charge retentive surface, such as a roller, are developed by a toner material to render the images visible, the images being subsequently transferred to plain paper. This process is called an indirect process since the visible image is first formed on an intermediate photoreceptor and then transferred to a paper surface.
Another method of electrostatic printing is one that has come to be known as direct electrostatic printing, DEP. This method differs from the aforementioned xerographic method in that charged toner particles are deposited directly onto an information carrier to form a visible image. In general, this method includes the use of electrostatic fields controlled by addressable electrodes for allowing passage of toner particles through selected apertures in a printhead structure. A separate electrostatic field is provided to attract the toner particles to an image receiving substrate in an image configuration.
The novel feature of direct electrostatic printing is its simplicity of simultaneous field imaging and toner transport to produce a visible image on the substrate directly from computer generated signals, without the need for those signals to be intermediately converted to another form of energy such as light energy, as is required in electrophotographic printers, e.g., laser printers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,341 granted to Larson, discloses a direct printing method which begins with a stream of electronic signals defining the image information. A uniform electric field is created between a high potential on a back electrode and a low potential on a toner carrier. That uniform field is modified by potentials on selectable wires in a two dimensional wire mesh array placed in the print zone. The wire mesh array consists of parallel control wires, each of which is connected to an individual voltage source, across the width of the information carrier. A drawback of such a device is that, during operation of the wire mesh array, the individual wires can be sensitive to the potentials applied on adjacent wires, resulting in undesired printing due to interaction or cross-talk between neighboring wires.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,144, also granted to Larson, discloses a control electrode array formed of a thin sheet-like element comprising a plurality of addressable control electrodes and corresponding voltage sources connected thereto. The control electrode array may be constructed of a flexible, electrically insulating material and overlaid with a printed circuit such that apertures in the material are arranged in rows and columns and are surrounded by electrodes. An electrostatic field on the back of electrode attracts toner particles from the surface of the particle carrier to create a particle stream toward the back electrode. The particle stream is modulated by voltage sources which apply an electric potential to selected control electrodes to produce electrostatic fields which permit or restrict transport of toner particles from the particle carrier through the corresponding apertures. The modulated streams of charged particles allowed to pass through the selected apertures impinge upon an information carrier interposed in the particle stream to provide line-by-line scan printing to thereby form a visible image.
The control electrodes are aligned in several transverse rows extending perpendicularly to the motion of the information carrier. All control electrodes are initially at a white potential V.sub.w to prevent all particle transport from the particle carrier. As image locations on the information carrier pass beneath apertures, corresponding control electrodes are set to a black potential V.sub.b to produce an electrostatic field which draws the toner particles from the toner carrier. Charged toner particles allowed to pass through the apertures are subsequently deposited on the information carrier in the configuration of the desired image pattern. The toner particle image is then made permanent by using heat and pressure to fuse the toner particles on the surface of the information carrier.
Common to all electrostatic printing methods is that toner particles are transported along a substantially straight trajectory coinciding with a central axis of the aperture, and impinge upon the information carrier at a substantially right angle, resulting in that the addressable area of each aperture is limited to a single "dot," having a predetermined, nonvariable extension on the information carrier. The number of dots which can be printed per length unit in a longitudinal direction, i.e., parallel to the motion of the information carrier, can be increased by lowering the speed of the information carrier through the print zone, thereby allowing a larger number of print sequences per length unit to be performed.
A drawback of the aforementioned method is that the number of dots which can be printed per length unit in a transverse direction, i.e., perpendicular to the motion of the information carrier, is strictly limited by the number of apertures that can be arranged in the control array.
Hitherto, the transverse print addressability has generally been improved by increasing the number of apertures and related control electrodes across the control array, resulting in higher manufacturing cost and more complicated control function. However, increasing the number of apertures results in the apertures having to be spaced closer to each other, thereby causing the control electrodes to not only act on their associated aperture but also to substantially influence all adjacent apertures, due to the interaction between adjacent electrostatic fields. This results in a degradation of the print quality and readability.
Further, to increase transverse print resolution, i.e., the number of distinguishable dots that can be printed per length unit in a transverse direction across the information carrier, it is also essential to provide dots that are sufficiently small to be deposited adjacent to each other without overlapping by than half a dot width. For instance, to obtain a print resolution of 600 dots per inch (DPI), the overlap width of two adjacent dots might not exceed 1/600 inch, i.e., about 42 microns, and the size of a dot might be in the order of 60 to 80 microns to be discernible on the image configuration.
Hitherto, dot size has been decreased by reducing the amplitude or the pulse width of the electrostatic field controlling the corresponding aperture in order to reduce the amount of toner particles passing through the aperture. However, this may not only influence the size of the dots, but may even considerably affect their density and uniformity.
Therefore, regardless of the design of the control electrode array, the present applicant has perceived a need to improve the print resolution of direct printing methods by enhancing transverse print addressability while reducing the dot size, without increasing the number of apertures required.

Direct printing method utilizing dot deflection and a printhead structure for accomplishing the method


A circuit is provided that (in one implementation) includes a first transistor having a first drain terminal, first gate terminal, and a first source terminal. The first drain terminal is connected to the first gate terminal, the first source terminal is connected to a first voltage. The circuit further includes a second transistor having a second drain terminal, second gate terminal, and a second source terminal. The second gate terminal is connected to both the first gate terminal and the first drain terminal, and the second source terminal is connected to the first voltage. The circuit further includes a third transistor having a third drain terminal, a third gate terminal, and a third source terminal. The third drain terminal is connected to the first drain terminal, and the third source terminal is connected to both the third gate terminal and a second voltage that is lower than the first voltage.

Current mirrors are among the most commonly used circuit topologies in electrical circuits and, consequently, a large variety of current mirroring techniques exists to improve current mirroring quality. However, conventional techniques for current mirroring typically address only current mirror performance in the normal operating region of transistors (associated with a current mirror) and not in the subthreshold operating region. Subthreshold operation of circuits has attracted considerable attention recently due to a strong push for low power integrated circuits, as the complexity of such low power integrated circuits grows exponentially.

Method and apparatus for providing leakage current compensation in electrical circuits


Wood pulp sheets treated with triacetin and other compounds, or solutions or emulsions of same, having increased softness while maintaining absorbency, and methods for producing same. More particularly, the invention relates to the treatment of wood pulp useful for making a fluff pulp using a softening agent including alkyl ethers, aryl ethers and formic, ethanoic and propanoic esters of low molecular weight glycols, such as triacetin, propylene glycol diacetate and 2-phenoxyethanol.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to softened wood pulps with good absorption properties, and a process for making such pulps.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is desirable for many industrial applications to produce a cellulosic wood pulp which maximizes both softness and absorbency. The softness of a pulp product is greatly influenced by the degree to which the constituent wood pulp is debonded, i.e., the extent to which hydrogen bonds within the wood pulp are broken; softer pulps and pulp products typically having decreased hydrogen bonding. Wood pulp softness can be expressed in terms of properties such as Mullen strength (the strength of pulp or a pulp product, measured in kilopascals (kPa), defined in greater detail below), and Kamas energy (the energy required to convert a given amount of pulp or pulp product to a fluff material, measured in watt hours per kilogram (Wh/kg), defined in greater detail below). Lower values of Mullen strength and Kamas energy correlate to softer, increasingly debonded, pulp.
Many industrial pulp applications involve the conversion of pulp to fluff pulp by mechanical means. Fluff pulp has the inherent characteristics of bulk, softness, high absorbency, and resiliency. Resiliency often depends on the length, diameter, and stiffness of the pulp fibers. Long, stiff fibers will provide greater bulk and resiliency than short, flexible fibers due to their relatively larger interfiber distances to compaction. The inter-fiber voids formed in fluff or debonded pulp determine to a large extent the absorbency of the pulp. Large void areas lead to higher absorbency since it is these void areas that hold moisture.
The efficient mechanical fluffing of wood pulp requires a pulp that will debond to a desirable degree with minimum power input and little mechanical fiber damage. Such pulp must have the proper bulk and degree of inter-fiber bonding. A hard pulp sheet will increase the power needed to create fluff pulp and will therefore lead to increased fiber damage. An unduly soft pulp sheet will lead to pull-out of large pieces of pulp, causing poor fluffing.
It is known that the use of cationic surfactants in the manufacture of wood pulp products, for instance sanitary papers, yields a product which has a soft hand feel. This is accomplished through the lubricating nature of the substantive softening molecule; less extensive inter-fiber bonding leading to greater bulk and the plasticizing effect of these additives. Cationic surface-active agents are used in the manufacture of fluffed debonded pulp to increase bulk, reduce Mullen strength (and hence, reduce inter-fiber bonding), and impart softness to fibers. The lubricating effect of these agents prevents extensive inter-fiber bonding and increases the bulk of a machine formed pulp sheet. In fluffing, such agents improve the debonding characteristics of a pulp sheet. This results in lower power requirements and less fiber damage. Reduced fiber damage produces a fluffed pulp with better bulk and resiliency.
In the manufacture of fluff or debonded cellulosic pulp, cationic surfactants are used primarily to reduce the inter-fiber bonding of pulp sheets. Reduced inter-fiber bonding is normally associated with a significant reduction in Mullen strength. Since a significant amount of energy is required to convert pulp to final fluff product, the use of debonded pulp reduces overall energy costs of conversion.
It has long been accepted in the paper making industry that pulp softening and debonding cannot be accomplished utilizing cationic surfactants (or even nonionic debonders which enjoy limited use) without sacrificing absorbency properties of wood pulp. It is generally believed that debonding pulp with hydrophobic materials, such as cationic surfactants, results in the reduction of absorbent properties. Reductions in absorbent properties using standard cationic quaternary ammonium compounds for debonding can be quite substantial (e.g., 18% reductions for a partially debonded southern bleached kraft pulp and about 27% reductions for a fully debonded southern bleached kraft pulp).
There are four cationic chemical materials used to soften pulp to produce a fluff or debonded pulp. All of these materials are quaternary ammonium compounds typified by a nitrogen ion attached by covalent bonds to four organic groups. An anion, usually a halide (e.g., a chloride) or sulfate group, is associated with the positive ion of the quaternary nitrogen. Examples of such quaternary ammonium compounds include the following generic structures: ##STR1##
In the above drawings R is typically a C-12 to C-18 alkyl group or a C-9 aryl group, as appropriate. X is typically a halide or sulfate ion. Values for n range from 2-30.
The above-depicted cationic surface-active softening and debonding agents can be supplied as liquids, pastes, powders, solutions in water and alcohol, or solutions in water alone. However, quaternary ammonium debonding and softening agents are generally applied as dilute emulsions of water. Addition of a highly diluted emulsion is preferred since this assures uniform distribution of the debonder.
The range of surfactant treatment rates required for use as a debonding agent is usually between 3-10 pounds per ton of pulp. The range of treatment rates required for a softening agent is usually between 1-6 pounds per ton of pulp.
As one skilled in the art would recognize from reviewing the above-depicted chemical structures, there are many species of quaternary ammonium materials which can be used to improve softness and debond wood pulp. There are advantages and disadvantages to each type. However, the use of any type of quaternary ammonium compound to soften or debond cellulosic wood pulp uniformly has the disadvantage of adverse effects on absorbency.
Nonionic agents are also used to a limited extent to debond pulp in the paper industry (e.g. Berocell 587, Eka Nobel) but even they cause adverse affects on absorbency. It is believed that this effect is due to the presence of long hydrophobic side chains.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a method of treating pulp to form fluff pulp with improved bulk, softness and reduced inter-fiber bonding without sacrificing the absorbent properties of the pulp.

Method of softening pulp and pulp products produced by same


Disclosed is a method and a cross belt sorter for transporting and sorting piece goods, having a plurality of carriages either coupled on a continuous conveyor track to form a train or moved individually, where piece goods are transported in a resting position and loaded and/or unloaded at fixed loading and/or unloading locations, a cross belt which circulates continuously around a plurality of deflection rollers and is driven transversely with respect to the direction of transportation of the carriages, wherein the cross belt drives the carriages, where a deflection roller of the cross belt corresponding to a drive whose drive force is derived from the longitudinal movement of the cross belt sorter, and a shiftable transmission arranged between the drive of the cross belt and the deflection roller, where a drive shaft of the transmission is continuously engaged with the drive and the transmission connecting the deflection roller to the drive is engageable and disengageable.

What are referred to as cross belt sorters are known from piece goods conveyor technology, in particular sorting technology, and are composed of vehicles which can be moved on a conveyor system, usually a plurality of which vehicles are joined to form a train or a chain of carriages which circulates continuously. The individual vehicles are provided with carrier belts, which can be driven so that they circulate transversely with respect to the direction of transportation of the vehicles. On this carrier belt, also referred to as a cross belt, the piece goods are conveyed in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor with the cross belt in the stationary state, and for the purpose of sorting at the desired unloading location the piece goods are discharged laterally through controlled driving of the cross belt transversely with respect to the direction of transportation of the cross belt conveyor.
In order to activate the described discharging process, a drive for the cross belt, which can be activated at least at the unloading and/or loading location, has to be provided on each carriage of the moving chain of carriages of the cross belt sorter.
Various drives are known for this purpose. It is very widespread practice to implement the drive with electric motors which are carried along on each carriage and which tap their power via contact collector lines laid along the conveyor track or inductively (EP 0 990 604 A1).
It is also known to use the propulsion of the chain of carriages itself to activate the discharging of goods. In this context, for example a shiftable connector link is connected by means of a press fit to a friction wheel by means of which the discharging process is initiated at the unloading location as the chain of carriages passes by (DE 198 01 706 A1).
An electric motor for activating the drive for the cross belt must be capable of discharging piece goods up to a weight of 50 kg with an acceleration of up to 3 m/s2. The power required for this has to be transmitted to the moving chain of carriages via contact collector lines or in a contactless fashion; in addition, the information as to when the respective cross belt is to be moved must also be transmitted to the moving chain of carriages. A considerable degree of expenditure is therefore necessary and this makes the device significantly more expensive and susceptible to faults.
If the cross belt is activated mechanically, it has been found that the operative principle functions reliably only up to a speed of 1.6 m/s because the jolting acceleration of the cross belt which is induced by the friction wheel has an adverse effect on the discharging behavior, in particular in the case of lightweight consignments. For this reason, sorting speeds up to 2.5 m/s have previously been implemented with an electric drive.

Cross belt sorter and method for transporting and sorting piece goods


In a power-generator control apparatus, a control circuit intermittently controls the supply of a field current from a battery to a field winding of a power generator in normal mode so as to adjust power induced in an output winding of the power generator. The control circuit interrupts the supply of the field current from the battery to the field winding in transient mode when a transient voltage occurs. An energy absorbing circuit absorbs magnetic energy stored in the field winding independently of magnetic-energy consumption by a resistance of the field winding itself.

In an alternator of a battery charging system installed in a motor vehicle, especially, an alternator whose field winding is to be energized by a battery of the battery charging system, such a transient voltage may occur in the event of a battery disconnect due to engine vibration or the event of the high power loading of the battery is rapidly damped or removed from the battery charging system. In this case, a field winding becomes substantially opened to generate a transient voltage in stator windings during a period in which a field current drops by a comparatively long time constant of, for example, several hundreds milliseconds. This generation of such a rapid drop in the field winding will be referred to as "load damp", and the transient voltage induced in the stator windings in the event of the load damp will be referred to as "load-damp voltage or load-damp surge voltage", hereinafter.
In order to reduce an adverse influence on vehicle auxiliaries and/or components installed in the alternator, three patent publications have been proposed.
The first patent publication (U.S. Pat. No. 6,831,445B2 corresponding to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-174799) discloses means for applying a reverse bias voltage to the field winding after excitation thereof to thereby expedite attenuation in the field current.
The second patent publication (U.S. Pat. No. 7,119,519B2 corresponding to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-56881) discloses means for generating such a reverse bias voltage based on the battery installed in the motor vehicle.
The third patent publication (U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,066) discloses means for increasing such a bias reverse voltage by a series-connected batteries.
Referring to FIG. 12, there is illustrated a field-current control circuit disclosed in the third patent publication.
In FIG. 12, reference character 1030 represents high-side diodes (upper-arm diodes). The upper arm diodes 1030 works to supply a field current to the field winding 1014 from stator windings (not shown).
In the field-current control circuit, when a field-current adjusting transistor 1044 is turned off as need arises, a flywheel current (field current) flows through a field winding 1014 in a direction indicated by a solid arrow illustrated in FIG. 12; this flywheel current allows series-connected batteries 1025 and 1026 to be charged. The sum of the voltages of the batteries 1025 and 1026 is applied as a reverse bias voltage to a field winding 1014 so that the field winding is accelerated in attenuation. Specifically, a terminal A at which the field current is output from the field winding 1014 is reversely biased by the sum of the voltages of the series-connected batteries 1025 and 1026; this allows the field winding 1014 to be demagnetized.
The structure of the field-current control circuit illustrated in FIG. 12 may have the following problem. The problem will be described hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. 13 is a timing chart schematically illustrating the waveform of the field current of the field winding 1014 when the field-current control circuit operates in a normal mode in which no load-damp voltage is generated. FIG. 14 is a graph schematically illustrating a relationship between average field current and duty (duty cycle) of the field-current adjusting transistor 1044 when the field-current control circuit operates in the normal mode.
During an excitation accelerating period τ1 for which the field-current adjusting transistor 1044 has been in on state, the field current flows in a direction indicated by a dashed arrow illustrated in FIG. 12. In contrast, during an excitation damping period τ2 for which the field-current adjusting transistor 1044 has been in off state, the field current flows in the direction indicated by the solid arrow illustrated in FIG. 12 so as to flow through the series-connected batteries 1026 and 1025.
Specifically, when the field-current control circuit illustrated in FIG. 12 is used in such an alternator of a battery charging system, during the excitation accelerating period τ1, the terminal A substantially becomes a ground potential, and during the excitation damping period τ2, the terminal A substantially becomes the sum of the voltages of the series-connected batteries 1025 and 1026.
This unbalance causes an increasing waveform of the field current during the excitation accelerating period τ1 based on the field-current control circuit illustrated in FIG. 12 to be different from that of the field current during the excitation accelerating period τ1 based on a normal field-current control circuit. Similarly, the unbalance causes a damping waveform of the field current during the excitation damping period τ2 based on the field-current control circuit illustrated in FIG. 12 to be different from that of the field current during the excitation damping period τ2 based on a normal field-current control circuit.
This results that the field-current control circuit illustrated in FIG. 12 may cause the relationship between the duty cycle of the field-current adjusting transistor 1044 and the field current to become nonlinear (see FIG. 14).
The output of the alternator is designed to be controlled by controlling the duty cycle of the field-current adjusting transistor 1044 so as to adjust the field current. For this reason, the nonlinearity of the relationship between the duty cycle of the field-current adjusting transistor 1044 and the field current may make it difficult to stably adjust the output of the alternator.

Power-generator control apparatus for addressing occurrence of voltage transient


A display device (100) according to the present invention includes a pixel defined by a plurality of sub pixels. The plurality of sub pixels are a red sub pixel (R) to display red, a green sub pixel (G) to display green, a blue sub pixel (B) to display blue, and a yellow sub pixel (Ye) to display yellow. When an input signal corresponding to green of the sRGB color space is externally input, the display device (100) according to the present invention provides display by use of the green sub pixel (G) and also the yellow sub pixel (Ye). According to the present invention, a multiple primary color display device which suppresses decline of the display quality when an input signal corresponding to green of the sRGB color space is externally input is provided.

Today, various types of display devices are used for various applications. In a general display device, one pixel includes three sub pixels for displaying red, green and blue, which are three primary colors of light, and this realizes color display.
However, conventional display devices have a problem that the range of colors which can be reproduced (referred to as the "color reproduction range") is narrow. FIG. 25 shows a color reproduction range of a conventional display device which provides display by use of the three primary colors. FIG. 25 is an xy chromaticity diagram of an XYZ colorimetric system. The triangle, the apexes of which are three points corresponding to the three primary colors of red, green and blue, represents the color reproduction range. In the figure, colors of various objects existing in the natural world which have been clarified by Pointer (see Non-patent Document 1) are plotted with "x". As can be seen from FIG. 25, there are object colors which are not encompassed in the color reproduction range. The display device which provides display by use of the three primary colors cannot display a part of the object colors.
In order to enlarge the color reproduction range of display devices, techniques for increasing the number of primary colors used for display have been proposed.
For example, as shown in FIG. 26, Patent Document 1 discloses a liquid crystal display device 800 in which one pixel P includes six sub pixels R, G, B, Ye, C and M which respectively display red, green, blue, yellow, cyan and magenta. FIG. 27 shows the color reproduction range of the liquid crystal display device 800. As shown in FIG. 27, the color reproduction range represented by the hexagon, the apexes of which are six points corresponding to the six primary colors substantially encompasses the object colors. As can be seen, the color reproduction range can be enlarged by increasing the number of primary colors used for display.
Patent Document 1 also discloses a liquid crystal display device in which one picture element includes four pixels respectively for displaying red, green, blue and yellow, and a liquid crystal display device in which picture element includes five pixels respectively for displaying red, green, blue, yellow and cyan. By use of four or more primary colors, the reproduction range can be enlarged as compared with that of a conventional display device which provides display by use of the three primary colors. In this specification, a display device which provides display by use of four or more primary colors will be referred to as a "multiple primary color display device", and a liquid crystal display device which provides display by use of four or more primary colors will be referred to as a "multiple primary color liquid crystal display device".

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A cooling, carbonation and dispensing system for use with a liquid in a keg includes a cooling ring mounted on top of the keg. The cooling ring includes a toroidal-shaped shell into which dry ice is placed. The cooling ring and dry ice provide contact cooling of the keg, as well as carbon dioxide gas by sublimation of the dry ice to carbonate the liquid in the keg and pressure on the liquid so that it may be dispensed from the keg. A chilling unit having a hose bundle is mounted on top of the cooling ring. A liquid dispensing hose from the keg coupler on the keg connects to the hose bundle, so that liquid from the keg passes through the hose bundle. A lid having a tower is attached to the top of the chilling unit and latched to it to form a water-tight seal. Another hose connects to the hose bundle in the chilling unit and conducts the liquid to a dispensing hose attached to a dispenser in the tower. Wet ice is placed in the chilling unit and the tower to provide further chilling (flash chilling) of the liquid. The components of the assembled system may be wrapped in an insulating blanket to provide further cooling.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of cooling, carbonation and dispensing systems. More specifically, the invention relates to a system used for maintaining temperature and carbonation of a liquid, such as beer, and dispensing that liquid from a keg. Although much of the following discussion is directed towards beer as the liquid, those skilled in the art will understand that such a system as that described herein could be used in conjunction with any liquid that is stored inside a keg (pressurized liquid holding vessel).
2. General Background and State of the Art
Beer brewers and beer drinkers generally know that in order to have the best tasting beer as crafted by a brewmaster, they would drink the beer at the brewery directly from the fermenting or lagering (aging) tank. Because beer is extremely sensitive to heat and oxygen, most bottled or canned beer, in order to have a reasonable shelf life, is pasteurized (rapidly heated, then cooled). The pasteurization process inhibits the flavor dynamic and changes the composition of the beer.
Draught beer (keg beer) produced in North America is almost always unpasteurized and retains more fresh beer flavor than beer from bottles or cans. The taste of the beer from the keg, if the keg is handled and maintained properly, can approximate the taste of the beer that can be obtained at the brewery, fresh from the lagering tank.
U.S. domestic draught beer (keg beer) is almost always unpasteurized and retains more fresh beer flavor than beer from bottles or cans. The taste of the beer from the keg, if the keg is handled and maintained properly, can approximate the taste of the beer that can be obtained directly from the lagering tanks at the brewery. In beer markets outside of North America, lack of consistent and effective refrigeration throughout the brewer-to-consumer supply chains, necessitates that the brewer pasteurize draught beer in order to prevent spoilage (for unpasteurized draught beer, spoilage begins at temperatures greater than 45° F.).
Two of the primary factors that affect the composition and taste of draught beer are temperature and carbon dioxide (CO2) gas. The ideal values of these two factors vary between different types and brands of beer, and the balance between these two factors is vitally important in maintaining the best possible taste in draught beer. Temperature affects the taste of draught beer (both unpasteurized and pasteurized), the ability to dispense the draught beer, and the useful life of the beer in the keg. If draught beer is not pasteurized, it must always be kept cold (below 42 and 44° F.) or it will spoil. Ideally, draught beer should be maintained at a constant temperature of approximately 36-38 F as to provide flavorful beer for up to fifty days. Additionally, both unpasteurized and pasteurized draught beer will not dispense in a consumable manner, when passing through a draught beer dispensing system and out a beer faucet into a beer-clean glass, at temperatures greater than 45 F.
CO2 is created naturally during the fermenting process of beer. Further along in the brewing process, additional CO2 is infused into the beer by the brewer. Carbon dioxide is nonflammable, non-toxic, colorless, odorless, and exists in three different states: gas, liquid, or solid. As a gas, CO2 is 1.5 times heavier than air. CO2, in its solid form, is commonly called "dry ice." CO2, in liquid or gaseous form, is water soluble and dissolves easily in beer. The amount of the gas dissolved into a particular beer is measured in CO2 volumes. For example, if one liter of beer is carbonated to 2.5 volumes, there are 2.5 liters of CO2 dissolved into the beer. CO2 gas is odorless with no detectable flavor, but as it expands out of the beer (bubbles and foams), it does release aromas and flavor characteristics of the beer, affecting the flavor. When a brewer produces a beer, he takes diligent care to control the carbonation level (CO2 content) in a way to bring out the preferred flavors and aromas, as to affect the flavor in a controlled way.
Pressurized CO2 serves a number of functions for kegged beer. CO2 is pumped into the keg to maintain the proper level of balance of CO2 in the beer and it also serves to prevent air (which contains oxygen that promotes bacteria growth) from contacting the beer, which can spoil the composition and taste of the beer. CO2 is also utilized as a pressure source to force the beer out of the keg while maintaining the proper carbonation volume levels of the beer. Currently, outside of Europe and North America, the quality of CO2 gas used for dispensing beer is not always of Food or Beverage Grade. Quality of CO2 gas is region dependant.
Pressure, maintained in pounds per square inch gauge, is defined as the force at which the gaseous CO2 enters the head-space of a keg, pushing on the beer. As the pressure increases, the gas molecules hit the beer with more force and dissolve into the beer more easily. As the pressure decreases, the gas molecules do not dissolve in the beer as easily and CO2 gas can escape from the beer. Excess pressure increases the carbonation level, while inadequate pressure decreases the carbonation level. The right amount of pressure applied to beer inside a keg is needed to maintain the proper or optimal carbonation level of the beer as well as to push the beer through the dispensing system.
The temperature of the beer affects the amount of pressure needed in the keg to control the optimal carbonation level. As the temperature of the beer increases, CO2 expands and the gas bubbles will come out of the beer. As the temperature of the beer decreases, CO2 dissolves more easily into the beer. Generally, a two-degree Fahrenheit increase in beer temperature requires a one pound increase in pressure to maintain optimal carbonation equilibrium, while a two-degree Fahrenheit decrease in beer temperature requires a one pound decrease in pressure to maintain optimal carbonation equilibrium as per the brewer-designed carbonation levels.
It is vitally important to keep the carbonation level of draft beer at the proper (or optimal) brewer-designed carbonation levels. Too little carbonation (low pressure) leads to flat beer. Too high of a carbonation level (high pressure) leads to off-taste problems as well as foaming/dispensing issues.
Typically, a keg of beer served at a private party is stored in a large bucket filled with water and wet ice (as opposed to dry ice) and is dispensed by using pressurized air via a hand-operated pump. Since the beer, in this example, is generally consumed over a relatively short period of time (less than 24 hours), the intent at such an event is to keep the beer cold and to keep sufficient pressure applied to the beer keg so that it may be dispensed. Adding air to draught beer, however, causes the beer to go off-taste due to oxidation, limiting optimal flavor for the duration of the keg. For that reason, often times a high-pressure carbon dioxide supply (CO2 cylinder or CO2 bottle) provides the pressure, via a pressure regulator attached to the carbon dioxide supply, to force the beer out of the keg.
A number of problems are associated with dispensing beer or other kegged liquids in the manner just described. First, there is the presence of a gas trapped under high-pressure in a pressurized container. If the container somehow becomes damaged and the highly-pressurized carbon dioxide gas leaks, there is the potential for injury. Also, the beer or other liquid in the keg will likely spoil because of inadequate pressure. There exists the likelihood that the user may not install and maintain the carbon dioxide system properly, which can quickly make the beer lose its flavor and to make dispensing the beer difficult. Once the pressurized container of gas is empty, it must be immediately refilled from a highly-pressurized liquid CO2 source, or replaced by another pre-filled highly-pressurized vessel. There is also a quality issue in that refilling a small highly-pressurized vessel over time allows for the possibility of air, moisture, dirt, insects or other contaminants to collect on the fittings and/or in the vessel (CO2 cylinder) thereby introducing contaminants into the beer and causing the beer to go off-taste.
Some contaminants, in the form of microorganisms, are not easily cleansed and removed from hoses and from inside the vessel. These microorganisms may cause disease or illness to consumers. One major beverage distributor, Anheuser-Busch, requires U.S.-located users of its products to install a CO2 filter between the CO2 cylinder and the keg to filter out dirt and microorganisms before the CO2 stored in the CO2 cylinder reaches the keg.
In addition, there is the added cost associated with requiring the highly-pressurized container to meet Department of Transportation (DOT) standards. Therefore, DOT high-pressure vessel transportation regulations and restrictions apply to these pressurized vessels (CO2 cylinders) as well.
Another problem associated with dispensing beer in the example just described is that the wet ice bath in which the keg is placed may, depending on the surrounding conditions, melt quickly and reduce the ability to keep the beer cold. This can be especially problematic on hot days. The host or vendor must keep a large supply of wet ice on hand and be alert to replenish the supply of wet ice in the bath and deal with the accumulation of additional water from melting wet ice over time. In some situations, the host or vendor will be inconvenienced by having to make a trip to a store to purchase more wet ice. This difficult situation can be multiplied several times over when liquid from numerous kegs is being dispensed at once, which occurs during outdoor festivals or gatherings.
There thus exists a need for a system for maintaining optimal temperature and proper carbonation as well as dispensing of a liquid, such as beer, that is stored in a keg that does not require the presence of a separate highly-pressurized gas container (commonly called a CO2 cylinder or CO2 bottle) and reduces the need to constantly replenish the supply of wet ice. This system must keep the liquid or beer chilled, optimally carbonated, and under sufficient pressure to dispense the liquid with minimal dispensing issues while maintaining optimal flavor.

Cooling, carbonation and dispensing system for a liquid in a keg


A plastic clip for automobile visors and the like. The clip comprises a plastic material impregnated with an aroma-creating material which is continuously released from the plastic material into the air for a period of weeks when mounted on the visor. The plastic material of the visor itself can be used to provide the clip action.

Automobiles (including trucks, recreational vehicles, vans and the like) are subject to a large variety of environments and uses so that, as they age, the familiar and pleasing "new car" aroma disappears, often being replaced with something less desirable. In the prior art, spray can deodorants and the like are sold to remove unpleasant automobile odors, and/or to add a pleasing aroma to the environment within the auto. Aromas are even applied to old car interiors which remind the user of a new car.
However, such aromas are, of course, short lasting as the automobile is used. Likewise, where a continuous release air freshener is applied to a car, there is no really good place to put it.
By this invention, an aroma-providing device is readily attachable at an out-of-the-way place of the automobile, while providing a decorative component to the car interior. Also the device is cheap and long lasting, providing a desired aroma to the car interior.


An endoluminal prosthesis, comprising a tubular body, said tubular body developing along a longitudinal axis, said tubular body comprising a plurality of serpentines, which develop along a substantially circumferential direction, each of said serpentines comprising arm portions of a preset width transversal to their main longitudinal extension, and bend portions joining two subsequent arms, at least one bridge, having a main longitudinal extension, connecting two adjacent serpentines, wherein the bends facing an adjacent serpentine are circumferentially staggered relative to the opposite bends of the adjoining serpentine, both when the prosthesis is collapsed and when the prosthesis is expanded or partially expanded, wherein the at least one bridge connecting adjacent serpentines extends substantially straight, and wherein the at least one bridge has a width transversal to its main longitudinal direction of a greater value than the arm width.

Endoluminal prosthesis, i.e. stents, particularly of the self-expanding type, are known for example by U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,771, U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,905, U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,445 or EP-A-0928606.
These endoluminal prosthesis, though being acceptable in many respects, particularly for their great flexibility and resilience, which enable them to be easily positioned in narrow and tortuous passages in their collapsed state, in some cases they are not sufficiently suitable, when expanded, to support the vessel walls, in order to maintain a proper free lumen for blood to pass therethrough.
Furthermore, in some cases the complex geometry of such known stents may be harmful, since it can hang up to or pinch the vessel wall, thus favouring the re-forming of obstructions, such as plaques and stenosis.


The invention provide methods and compositions for localized delivery of a vector comprising a therapeutic agent to a specific region of the brain that is overstimulated in neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, the invention provides methods and compositions used to deliver an adeno-associated virus vector (AAV) comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) to cells in the subthalmic nucleus of the basal ganglia, mesaphilia and thalamus.

The invention is generally in the field of methods and compositions for treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, using viral and non-viral delivery systems that deliver therapeutic agents to specific regions of the brain. More specifically, using an adeno-associated viral vector to deliver a nucleotide sequence encoding glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) to specific regions of the brain that are overstimulated or disinhibited in neurodegenerative diseases.
The major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain is gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), (Roberts et al, GABA in Nervous System Function, Raven Press: New York, 1976; McGeer E G, et al, Glutamine, Glutamate, and GABA in the Central Nervous System; Hertz L, Kvamme E, McGeer E G, Schousbal A, eds., Liss: New York, 1983;3-17). Loss of GABA signaling, by a reduction in release, loss of neurons which synthesize GABA, or antagonism of GABA receptors leads to disinhibition, overexcitation and depending on the specific brain region involved, may result in epilepsy, movement disorders or other neurological deficits and symptoms.
Diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease), Epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease, have proved difficult to treat. Few, if any therapies, have proved effective in slowing or arresting the degenerative process associated with these diseases. In Parkinson's Disease (PD), the primary neurochemical disturbance is believed to be the loss of substantia nigra (SN) dopaminergic (DA) neurons. This loss of DA neurons leads to a profound deficit of DA in the projection areas of the caudate and putamen and results in a loss of signaling through dopamine receptors in the postsynaptic neurons. These neurons, via efferents referred to as the direct and indirect pathways, synapse on other cells in the basal ganglia circuitry. Of most relevance to PD, the loss of dopamine receptors in the basal ganglia circuitry leads to loss of drive in the GABAergic inhibitory input to the subthalamic nucleus.
The loss of inhibitory GABAergic drive to the subthalmic nucleus (STN) results in increased activity of the STN which sends excitatory (glutamatergic) afferents to the ventrial media (VM) thalamus, the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNPR) and a lesser projection to the pars compacta, as well as other cells within the basal ganglia including the globus pallidus. When the concentration of GABA diminishes below a threshold level in the brain, movement disorders and convulsions may result (See e.g., Karlsson et al, (1974) Biochem. Pharmacol 23:3053-3061). GABA synthesis is regulated by glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD). GAD is present in the brain as two isoforms, GAD-65 and GAD-67. When the GABA levels rise in the brain the convulsions terminate (See e.g., Hayashi (1959) Physiol. 145:570-578). In convulsive disorders, the reduction in brain GABA levels is often paralleled by a diminished level of GAD (McGeer, et al. GABA in Nervous System Function; Roberts E, Chase T N, Tower D B, eds., Raven Press: New York 1976:487-495; Butterworth et al. (1983) Neurochem. 41:440-447; Spokes et al. (1978) Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 123:461-473).
Levodopa (L-dopa) has historically been the medication of choice to treat Parkinson's disease. L-dopa is a precursor to dopamine and is able to cross the blood-brain barrier to target the brain. In order to reduce the global effects of L-dopa, it is often given with carbidopa, a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor which decreases the metabolism of L-dopa in the peripheral tissues. Unfortunately, the response with L-dopa is not sustainable. Most patients develop adverse effects after long-term usage of L-dopa, and often the benefits of treatment wane as the disease progresses. In addition, several common types of central nervous system dysfunction and peripheral side effects are associated with administration of L-dopa. Toxic side effects to the central nervous system include mental changes, such as confusion, agitation, hallucinations, delusions, depression, mania and excessive sleeping. In addition, L-dopa can exacerbate malignant melanomas or other skin lesions and can have untoward effects in patients with cardiovascular or pulmonary disease, asthma, or renal, hepatic or endocrine disease.
Other methods for treating Parkinson's disease include transplantation of cells used to repair regions of the brain damaged by neurodegeneration. These cells can be engineered to secrete neuroactive substances such as L-dopa. The procedure typically involves cell transplantation into the stratium. Repair of the damaged regions and secretion of L-dopa depends on the transplanted cells being able to re-establish synaptic connections with several structures situated at a considerable distance from the area of neurodegeneration. However, cell transplantation is a complicated procedure which requires donor tissue, and there have been reports of mortality associated with this procedure.
Alternative forms of treating Parkinson's disease involve implanting devices for deep-brain stimulation (DBS) in specific regions of the brain. For example, DBS of the STN. These devices are typically electrodes implanted into the STN. The electrode is then stimulated at a desired frequency to reduce the effect of Parkinson's disease. The significance of the STN overactivity is reflected in the success of ablative surgery of the STN in both animal models of Parkinson's disease, as well as in human Parkinson's disease itself. In addition to ablation, implantation of nedtronic stimulators are commonly employed. The mechanism of the stimulators is believed to be mediated by local inhibition (via GABA signaling), and is replicated by the local infusion of GABA agonists.
Each of these approaches, surgical ablation, electrical stimulation and infusion of pharmacological GABA agonists is effective in disease palliation, but each has significant adverse effects. For example, extensive invasive surgery, a high risk of infection and potential damage to the brain and in the case of drug infusion, very transient efficiency.
Thus, the treatments for neurodegenerative disorders are palliative at best, with limited and transient efficacy. Therefore, a need exists for a therapeutic approach which has advantages in targeting specificity, both short and long-term efficacy, as well as neuroprotection, without extensive surgery or side-effects.

Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) based delivery system


A method and system for identifying and addressing community issues that burden the emergency response system, the method including receiving an electronic report for an incident, matching a person or location identifier from the electronic report with patient-centric data from a database, and providing an alert to a specialized caregiver if the identity or incident matches a list of frequent or high priority emergency service users.

1. Field
The technical field relates generally to care giver services and methods and devices for efficiently and quickly allocating care giver services.
2. Description of the Related Art
Emergency first responders are usually tasked with responding to whatever emergency or threat presents itself, without the benefit of time to determine the gravity of the situation or the most efficient course of action. For example, a 9-1-1 call requesting paramedics will usually be answered repeatedly with 9-1-1 paramedics, even if the caller is a repeat caller whose needs are more appropriately met by psychiatric help or non-emergency primary medical care. In either case, important public funds and resources are wasted, all while the individual receives care that is inferior to his or her actual needs.

Emergency incident categorization and alerting