A keeping cage for laboratory animals, specifically rodents, is characterized in that it provides for a large floor surface on several levels, the transit of animals from one level to the higher or lower level being ensured by the presence of appropriate openings in the partitioning floors. The keeping cage allows for the provision of a space available to animals, which is sufficiently large in terms of floor surface and in terms of height between the floors to ensure a good level of wellbeing for the animals, which do not therefore suffer from behavioral disturbances. Cage for keeping laboratory animals, specifically adapted to keep laboratory animals, particularly rodents, including a base body to which an openable lid is connected, characterized in that the lid features a port for accessing the inside without removing the lid.

The present invention relates to a ventilated cage for keeping laboratory animals, typically rodents.
It is known that keeping animals, in this case, specifically rodents, in laboratories, is governed by standards which impose certain dimensional parameters of the keeping cages according to the animal's size, or rather to its body weight.
More in detail, the standards currently in force require that, for rats having a body weight higher than 600 grams, the keeping cages must include a surface of at least 600 cm2 for each animal.
Since two or more animals are normally located in each keeping cage, the floor surface which must be available to each rat according to the standards makes the cages quite cumbersome.
As known, the cages are arranged side-by-side in laboratories on appropriate shelves, and it is therefore intuitive that the volume of the cages is a main parameter which affects the number of cages, and thus of animals, which may be kept in a laboratory.
Therefore, keeping cages which meet the standards with regards to space available to animals are known, which however have the drawback of not rationalizing such a space, resulting in an excessive total volume of the cage.
It has further been noted that although standards impose a minimum number of square centimeters of floor surface available to each animal, even the height space available to the animal considerably affects its behaviour. The restrictive effect that a cage of unsuitable height exerts on the behavioral aspects of the animal, specifically of the rat, is indeed apparent, with regards to activities such as play, competition and exploration, which normally need the standing posture which is a negative effect which may even considerably alter the animal's natural behavior.
Furthermore, the cages must meet ergonomic and intervention ease parameters for the correct operating by experimenters.
A further problem connected with cages such as the above is that it is impossible to access their inside in order to carry out operations such as introducing food or substituting empty mangers or dirty components, without removing the lid, which may be complicated or even impossible, when the cage is placed on a shelf.
It is thus the main task of the present invention to provide a keeping cage for laboratory rodents which allows to adequately meet the requirements set forth above, thus eliminating the drawbacks left unsolved by the cages of known type.
In the scope of this task, it is the object of the present invention to provide a keeping cage which respects the standards imposed with regards to the minimum surface available to each animal.
It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a keeping cage which is compact, light and appropriately ventilated so as to ensure micro-environmental and external element barrier parameters.
This task, and these and other objects which will be explained in greater detail below are reached by a keeping cage for laboratory animals, specifically for laboratory rats, including a basic body of the cage to which an openable lid is connected, which is characterized in that it includes inside one or more essentially horizontal partitioning floors arranged at different heights so as to create several floor surfaces for the animals.
According to a second embodiment, the invention relates to a cage for keeping laboratory animals, specifically adapted to keep laboratory animals, particularly rodents, including a base body to which an openable lid is connected, characterized in that the lid features a port for accessing the inside without removing the lid.


First and second pin groups are each formed from a plurality of pins associated with specific nets. Pins in the first pin group are to be wired to pins in the second pin group according to their associated nets. A candidate selection unit selects a set of pair candidates each specifying a first pair of pins in the first pin group and a second pair of pins in the second pin group. The first and second pairs of pins are associated with the same pair of nets, and their respective distances are within a specified range. A pair determination unit determines which pins in the first and second pin groups are to be wired in pairs, based on the pair candidates selected by the candidate selection unit.

Ball grid array (BGA) is a type of surface-mount packages used for integrated circuits with a high pin density. Wiring patterns are routed between BGA devices to provide signal connections including buses. One proposed routing algorithm determines bus connection paths by seeking a route of each single net (logical connection) such that all the nets constituting a bus will escape out of the boundaries of the components (e.g., BGA devices). Another routing algorithm bundles two or more nets into a single virtual net that is as wide as the sum of individual wire widths. The proposed algorithm routes this virtual net as a single trace, and then splits it back to the original bundle of nets. See, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2002-217302. See also Lijuan Luo et al., "B-Escape: A Simultaneous Escape Routing Algorithm Based on Boundary Routing," Proceedings of the 10th International Symposium on Physical Design, San Francisco, Calif. USA, 2010, pp. 19-25.
When the pin density of devices is high, there would be a number of possible combinations of pins even in a small area. This means that a virtual net may be composed in various ways. It is, therefore, not easy to determine which pins (or which nets) to combine into one bus for routing.

Apparatus and method for aiding in designing electronic circuits


A photovoltaic module which prevents enlargement of the dimensions of a photovoltaic submodule by reducing ineffective parts which do not contribute to power generation. The photovoltaic module includes a photovoltaic submodule including a plurality of solar cells interposed between two light-transmitting substrates through the intermediary of an encapsulant, and a connecting lead extending from an edge between the two light-transmitting substrates for outputting generated electric current, a terminal box 30 attached near to the edge of the photovoltaic submodule housing a connecting part between the connecting lead and a cable for outputting generated electric current to the outside, and an outer frame set around the outer circumference of the photovoltaic submodule. An opening 28 through which the connecting lead and the terminal box are inserted is provided to the outer frame at a position which receives at least the terminal box.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photovoltaic module, and is particularly suitable for a photovoltaic module which receives light on both sides.
2. Description of the Related Art
Photovoltaic power generation which converts light energy into electric energy by utilizing the photoelectric conversion effect is widely used as a means to obtain clean energy, which contributes to the global environment. In line with the improvement of solar cells' photoelectric conversion efficiency, many photovoltaic power generation systems using photovoltaic modules are installed for residential use.
In a photovoltaic module provided with a solar cell which generates electricity utilizing sunlight, conductive materials to form a positive electrode and a negative electrode are disposed in the photovoltaic module in order to output electricity generated by the solar cell to the outside. Edges of the conductive materials are taken out of the photovoltaic module as connecting terminals to which a cable for outputting electric current to the outside is connected, thereby extracting electric current.
The connecting terminals are provided by protruding the conductive materials from an edge of the photovoltaic module, or by exposing the conductive materials by way of a through-hole formed on a cover material of the photovoltaic module.
Connecting parts between the connecting terminals and the cable are stored in a housing called a terminal box for the purpose of protecting the connecting parts or preventing leakage of electricity. Usually, the terminal box is attached in the final process because the terminal box is obstructive during the production process. The terminal box is fixed by an adhesive or is screwed to an outer frame at the opposite side of a light-receiving surface of the photovoltaic module in order to reduce the weight load on the conductive materials, connecting terminals or connecting parts, and to avoid looseness in them by vibration or metal fatigue.
FIG. 27 and FIG. 28 are a cross-sectional view and a plan view respectively of a relevant part of a conventional photovoltaic module. As illustrated in FIG. 27 and FIG. 28, the photovoltaic module 1000 comprises a board-shaped photovoltaic submodule (photovoltaic panel) 50 including a plurality of solar cells 51 and an outer frame 60 made of aluminum for example set around the outer circumference of the photovoltaic submodule 50 through the intermediary of a sealing material 56. The photovoltaic submodule 50 has a plurality of solar cells 51 interposed between a light-receiving (front surface) side light-transmitting insulative substrate 52 made of low iron tempered glass for example and a rear surface side weatherproof substrate 53. A sealing resin 54 such as ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) fills the inner gap.
The outer frame 60 is made by extruding aluminum. A fitting part 62 which is channel-shaped in a cross section and which pinches the photovoltaic submodule 50 is included in the upper part of a main body 61. The main body 61 is hollow inside to save the weight as well as relatively thick-walled and robust. A terminal box 70 is adhered and fixed to the rear surface side substrate 53, with one end of the terminal box 70 abutting on the inner side of the outer frame 60. If needed, the terminal box 70 is screwed to the outer frame 60.
Attachment of the terminal box 70 is not problematic to a photovoltaic module which receives light on one side, because the terminal box sits at the back of the solar cell, thereby not preventing receipt of light.
When the terminal box is used for a photovoltaic module which receives light on both sides, however, the terminal box reduces power generated by elements in parts of the solar cells 51 covered with the terminal box as illustrated in FIG. 27. This is because a large part of the terminal box is protruding to the power generation part. In order not to cover the solar cell with the terminal box 70, ineffective parts which do not contribute to power generation need to be increased by enlarging the substrates 52 and 53, which also enlarges the photovoltaic module.
Additionally, a connecting tub 55 connected to the terminal box 70 for extracting electricity is subject to damage because it is interposed between the substrate 53 and the outer frame 60. The connecting tub 55 has an insulating coating on its surface since it contacts the outer frame 60 made of metal. Damage to the insulating coating of the connecting tub 55 could lead to an insulation failure. The insulating coating thus needs to be thick to prevent an insulation failure in case of damage, which increases the manufacturing cost of the connecting tub 55.
A photovoltaic module which receives light on both sides is suggested in which the degree of freedom in formation of the photovoltaic module is high because at the time the terminal box is attached, the front and the back of the photovoltaic module are not identified (e.g. Japanese unexamined patent publication No. 2003-158285). The publication discloses a method for manufacturing a photovoltaic module in which a plurality of solar cells which receive light on both sides are disposed between a plurality of light-transmitting cover materials, an electrode terminal for outputting generated current is protruding from an edge between the plurality of the light-transmitting cover materials, and a terminal box housing a connecting part between the electrode terminal and a cable for outputting generated current to the outside is provided at the edge. The terminal box is attached so that its outward form is in parallel with the front and the rear surfaces of the photovoltaic module, and is nearly symmetric with respect to a center face located in the center. The attached terminal box is housed in a hollow of a frame to form the photovoltaic module.


A structural component having a stiffness which can be actively varied to control vibrations, for example in a helicopter rotor, an aircraft wing or tail, or in a robotic manipulator. The component has at least one recess or notch with opposed walls, which walls, in the absence of any intervening member, tend to move relative to each other when the component is stressed. A stiffness control element is situated in the recess or notch, this element comprising electrically or magnetically expandable material capable of being rapidly expanded from a first condition in which the element is out of contact with one of the walls, to an expanded condition in which the element extends across the recess or notch and transmits forces from one of the walls to the other, thus altering the stiffness of the component. The preferred expandable material is a stack of piezoelectric crystals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides a structural component which may be used to control vibrations in many different situations. For example, the component may be a structural member of an aircraft, a part of a helicopter rotor or rotor blade, or part of a robotic arm.
2. Prior Art
There are many situations where it is desirable to control the vibrations of a component, particularly aeroelastic deformations arising in aircraft due to phenomena such as flutter, gust response and buffeting. Also, it is often desirable to reduce the noise generated by vibrating components, such as that produced by helicopter rotors and gas turbine blades. Further, it may be required to reduce vibrations in order for parts to be positioned accurately, as in the case of robotic arms where vibrations can interfere with their precise positioning.
The invention has particular application to helicopter rotor blades. The main source of noise and vibration in helicopters is aerodynamic. Noise is generated when the tip of the blade reaches transonic speeds and shock is produced. At present, the most developed active control technique to attenuate noise and vibration in helicopter rotors is that known as "higher harmonic control" or HHC. Typically, this involve the introduction of an harmonic frequency into the helicopter blade cyclic pitch control with a phase lag such that a redistribution of the aerodynamic loads is created. Another example of HHC is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,308, which issued May 24, 1994 to, Reed, and in which each blade has a slotted cylinder which rotates at a speed which is a multiple of the rotor speed. The main problem with these systems is that the vibration frequency imposed on the blades is constant, whereas the blades of a helicopter experience airspeeds and vibrational effects which differ depending on their rotational position. Experiments with HHC have found that reduction of vibration by this technique may increase noise and vice versa.
Another approach to the helicopter blade problem has been so-called "individual blade control" or IBC. With this, each blade is controlled individually. This involves an active control that introduces an harmonic signal to achieve dynamic redistribution of forces. The signal can be introduced either by a pitch applied to the blade root, a flap located near to the blade tip, or local deformation of the airfoil. The actuators proposed in the past for IBC were heavy and unsatisfactory. Recently, however, there have been various proposals to use for this purpose so-called "smart materials", i.e materials having properties controllable by electric or magnetic fields. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,826, which issued Jul. 6,1993 to Hall et al., shows the use of a deflectable flap attached to a helicopter rotor blade which is moved by piezoelectric material, in order to control vibrations transmitted from the blade to the air frame.
There have also been suggestions for dynamically controlling the bending of a component such as a helicopter rotor blade by using a "smart material" embedded or incorporated in the blade. However, hitherto these smart materials have seemed to lack the energy required to work against the aerodynamic loads encountered. In order to generate significant changes in the aerodynamic spectrum, pitch deflections of at least two degrees are necessary. The maximum pitch deflection achieved so far is less than one half of this value.
The prior art also includes proposals for counteracting vibrations in other types of components by using smart materials. For example U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,391, which issued Aug. 25,1992 to Acton et al., refers to incorporating piezoelectric or magnetostrictive materials into gas turbine engine blades to provide dynamic damping. Here too it is found that the piezoelectric material usually does not develop sufficient energy to deal with the loads met in practice. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,134, it is proposed to use piezoelectric material to change the stiffness of a noise radiating element; however this only changes the natural frequency of the structure, and is not suited to IBC where rapid dynamic or cyclical control of vibration characteristics are required.
The problems which occur in applying smart materials to helicopter blades and gas turbine engines also occur in other fields, especially in aircraft where aeroelastic phenomena are concerned. In the aircraft field, these materials have hitherto not been successfully used to reduce the vibrations. This is because those smart materials, such as shaped memory alloys (SMA), that have the energy (here defined as the maximum stroke multiplied by the delivered force) to overcome the work done by typical aerodynamic loads encountered in flight, present poor dynamic response; conversely, those materials that have good dynamic response (such as the piezoelectric crystal PZT, the piezoelectric film PVDF, and the electrostrictive or magnetostrictive materials) lack sufficient energy. The latter types of smart materials have high stiffness and can deliver relatively large forces, but have only a very limited stroke, i.e. approximately 300.mu.-strain for PZT and electrostrictive materials, and 1,000.mu.-strain for magnetostrictive materials. Although the stroke may be amplified by mechanical means, a corresponding reduction in the force becomes an unavoidable trade-off.

Structural component having means for actively varying its stiffness to control vibrations


A speaker change detection device sets first and second analysis periods before and after each of time points in a voice signal, generates, for each of the time points, a first speaker model from a distribution of features in frames in the first analysis period, and a second speaker model from a distribution of features in frames in the second analysis period, calculates, for each of the time points, a matching score representing the likelihood of similarity of features between a group of speakers in the first analysis period and a group of speakers in the second analysis period by applying the features extracted from the second analysis period to the first speaker model and applying the features extracted from the first analysis period to the second speaker model, and detects a speaker change point on the basis of the matching scores at the plurality of time points.

Fraud and other malicious solicitations using telephones with an aim to defraud people of money have become a social problem in recent years. To address this, techniques have been proposed for estimating a speaker's state of mind by analyzing the speaker's voice during conversations such as voice in telephone conversations (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2011-242755, for example).
The techniques are based on analysis of a voice signal including the voice of one speaker whose state of mind is to be analyzed. However, a voice signal in a recorded conversation includes the voices of two or more speakers. In order to accurately estimate the state of mind of a particular speaker on the basis of a voice signal in a recorded conversation, an utterance period of the speaker whose state of mind is to be estimated needs to be identified from the voice signal. For this purpose, speaker indexing techniques have been proposed that can assign identification information identifying each speaker to a period in which the speaker has spoken in a monaural voice signal including voices of a plurality of speakers (for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2008-175955 and D. Liu and F. Kubala, "Online speaker clustering", In Proceedings of ICASSP 2004, vol. 1, pp. 333-337, 2004 (hereinafter referred to as Non-Patent Literature 1)).

Speaker change detection device and speaker change detection method


A shear brace assembly is provided which laterally braces wall lines within a structure, such as a house or other residential construction, while also providing vertical and out-of-plane load carrying capacity. The assembly consists of one or more wood-based panel(s) which are rigidly connected to concrete, masonry or wood support material directly below or above the shear brace assembly bearing surface. The term “wood-based” should be interpreted to mean that the panel may be constructed from a natural wood, or partially or wholly from an engineered wood, such as Timberstrand®, Parallam®, or the like. Ductile anchorage assemblies are used below, and in some applications, above the individual panels.

Typical building frame construction includes a roof assembly supported by an attached frame. The frame typically includes a plurality of vertically oriented studs attached between upper and lower plates. Inner and outer siding materials are attached to the frame. In a typical residential building, framing is accomplished by employing lumber and wood products.
Lateral forces applied to the wall, which may occur as a result of high winds or earthquakes, can cause the wall to laterally deform in the plane of the wall (in the direction of the load). Excess movement of the upper section of the wall relative to the anchored lower section of the wall can result in damage to the structure, which can be catastrophic.
A variety of designs have been developed for resisting lateral forces imposed on structures. One method for resisting lateral forces imposed on a building includes the installation of 4 foot by 8 foot sheets of material such as oriented strand board (OSB) or plywood to the frame exterior such that it spans over multiple studs and is attached to the upper and lower plates. A lateral force applied to the wall parallel to the wall line is therefore transferred through the sheet material to the bottom plate and the foundation of the structure. This reduces the tendency of the wall to deform in-plane of the wall line. Lateral and vertical forces are typically resisted by the wall-to-foundation interface with a plurality of anchor bolts, tie-downs and/or perpendicular framed shear walls.
However, a need still exists for lateral force resisting elements within a wall line which are narrower than the typical 4′×8′ sheets of OSB or plywood, but have similar performance characteristics. Desired characteristics of the lateral force resisting element include strength, stiffness, ductility and damping to resist lateral loads imposed on the wall line. Moreover, a need exists for lateral force resisting elements having the capacity to resist vertical and out-of-plane loads. The intent is for the lateral force resisting element not to fail in a brittle and catastrophic manner, but rather a gradual, ductile and life-safety promoting fashion when subjected to static or cyclic lateral loading conditions.


A catheter is disclosed which includes an over-the-wire type balloon catheter with a guide wire wherein the catheter includes a polyethylene inner tube and an outer tube having a relatively stiff proximal outer section, a midshaft section of lesser stiffness, and a tapering distal outer section of the least stiffness. An inflatable balloon is connected to the distal ends of the inner tube and the outer tube. The guide wire may be removed from and inserted into the guide wire lumen at either end of the catheter.

Intravascular diseases are commonly treated by relatively non-invasive techniques such as percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). These therapeutic techniques are well known in the art and typically involve the use of a balloon catheter with a guide wire, possibly in combination with other intravascular devices. A typical balloon catheter has an elongate shaft with a balloon attached proximate the distal end and a manifold attached to the proximal end.
In use, the balloon catheter is advanced over the guide wire such that the balloon is positioned adjacent a restriction in a diseased vessel. The balloon is then inflated and the restriction in the vessel is opened.
There are two basic types of balloon catheters used in combination with a guide wire, namely, over-the-wire (OTW) catheters and single-operator-exchange (SOE) catheters. The construction and use of both OTW catheters and SOE catheters are well-known in the art. An example of an OTW catheter may be found in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,045 to Arney et al. An example of an SOE balloon catheter is disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,594 to Keith.
PTA and PTCA catheters are preferably designed to optimize pushability, trackability and crossability. Pushability is defined as the ability to transmit force from the proximal end of the catheter to the distal end of the catheter. Trackability is defined as the ability to navigate tortuous vasculature. Crossability is defined as the ability to navigate the balloon catheter across narrow restrictions in the vasculature.
OTW balloon catheters may be classified into two groups. The first group comprising multi-lumen OTW balloon catheters, and the second group comprising coaxial OTW balloon catheters. Multi-lumen OTW catheters typically include a single extrusion shaft having two side-by-side longitudinally extending lumens, namely an inflation lumen and a guide wire lumen. By contrast, a coaxial OTW catheter typically includes two separate tubes, namely an inner tube and a coaxially disposed outer tube. The inner tube defines a guide wire lumen and an annular inflation lumen is defined between the inner tube and the coaxially disposed outer tube.
Prior art coaxial OTW-type balloon catheters have attempted to maximize pushability by incorporating a stainless steel outer tube on the proximal shaft portion (also referred to as a hypotube) and a polymeric distal shaft portion. Hypotubing is, however, prone to kinking. Coaxial OTW-type balloon catheters can also incorporate a polymer shaft or a reinforced polymer shaft as a proximal shaft portion (e.g. composite) as a compromise between maximizing pushability and minimizing the probability of kinking in the proximal shaft portion.
The trackability of a particular catheter design is analyzed in terms of the trackability of the distal portion of the catheter, as this portion must track the guidewire through small tortious vessels to reach the stenosed area to be treated. A more flexible distal portion has been found to improve trackability. Further, in transitioning from a stiff proximal segment or portion of the catheter shaft to a more flexible distal portion of the catheter shaft, it has been found that kinking readily occurs at the joint between the two shaft segments of differing flexibility. The increased flexibility of the distal section also makes this portion of the catheter less able to be pushed from the proximal end of the catheter.
Pushability without kinking, trackability and crossability are all features desirable in a catheter design. However, factors which improve one feature, such as pushability, can have a detrimental impact on trackability and vice versa. There is an unmet need for a coaxial over-the-wire type balloon catheter which incorporates features that provide improved pushability without kinking and an improved trackability in order to cross tight lesions in tortious anatomy.

Over-the-wire catheter with improved trackability


A novel and useful method and apparatus for suppressing aliasing interferers in decimating and sub-sampling discrete time systems. The present invention is operative to reduce the requirements for or completely eliminate the need for the anti-aliasing filter by dynamically modifying the sub-sampling rate (or decimation ratio). Rather than maintain a constant sampling rate (or decimation ratio), the sampling rate (or decimation ratio) is randomized such that its average remains at the nominal value and the effective jitter is low enough for the low rate (or low decimation ratio) system to tolerate. This smears or spreads interfering signals across the spectrum resulting in a noise floor at a significantly reduced level much lower than that of the original interferer signal. The interfering signals are reduced to background noise wherein the level of the resulting noise floor is not nearly as strong as the original interfering signal. Aliasing interferers are effectively suppressed by spreading the energy of the interfering signals out over a wider spectrum.

In sub-sampling and sample rate decimating discrete time systems it is necessary to suppress interferers whose frequencies fall within the aliasing bandwidths of the particular system. For this reason, anti-aliasing filters are used to suppress these interferers. The requirements of these anti-aliasing filters, however, are typically very demanding due to the level of interference encountered, bandwidths of the desired and interfering signals, desired suppression, etc. The demanding requirements of the anti-aliasing filter typically results in having to design in costly analog filters or high gate count digital filters. In some cases, it is too cost prohibitive to include an anti-aliasing filter in the system and performance is therefore compromised, for example, in very low cost consumer applications.
A block diagram illustrating an example prior art decimation circuit where an interfering signal is combined with a desired signal to generate an alias bandwidth at the output is shown in FIG. 1. The circuit, generally referenced 100, is a test circuit constructed to demonstrate the problems associated with the prior art. The circuit 100 comprises a desired signal generator input 102, interfering signal generator 104, amplifier 106, summer 108, optional low pass filter (LPF) 110, decimation by 32 112, integrator 114 and display 116.
In this example test circuit, the desired signal having a frequency of 0.4 Hz and an interfering signal at 74.4 Hz are both sampled at 2.4 kHz and summed together at summer 108. A diagram illustrating the frequency spectrum of the input to the prior art decimation circuit of FIG. 1 including the desired and interfering signals is shown in FIG. 2. The frequency spectrum shown represents the signal at the output of the summer 108. The desired signal 200 is centered around 0.4 Hz and the interferer signal 202 is at 74.4 Hz. Note that if 30 dB suppression is desired a 30 dB low pass filter (110 in FIG. 1) is required to sufficiently suppress the interferer signal.
Consider the circuit 100 without optional filter 110. Since there is no filter, the input signal must be sampled at twice the maximum frequency, i.e. the Nyquist rate. As the sampling rate is decreased, the more signals fold into the bandwidth of interest and interfere with the desired signal. Therefore, an anti-aliasing filter is required before the decimation block 112.
The summed signal is then injected into the downsample by 32 block 112 thus yielding an effective sampling rate of 75 Hz, i.e. 2400 Hz/32. The output of the decimation block is analyzed and presented on the display. A diagram illustrating the frequency spectrum of the output from the prior art decimation circuit of FIG. 1 including the desired and interfering signals is shown in FIG. 3. The peak 300 represents the original desired 0.4 Hz signal and the peak 302 represents the aliased 74.4 Hz signal. Due to the decimation and resulting effective sampling rate of 75 Hz, the interfering signal has folded very close to the desired signal lying only 0.2 Hz away. It is important to note that if the interferer signal had a frequency of 74.6 Hz, it would have folded directly on top of the desired signal. Clearly, this situation is not desirable and in most systems, an anti-aliasing filter would have to be introduced before the decimation. A disadvantage, however, is that good (i.e. high suppression) filters are costly in terms of complexity, size and current consumption.
Bluetooth is a worldwide specification for a small low-cost radio. Bluetooth networks are intended to link mobile computers, mobile phones, other portable handheld devices and provide Internet connectivity. Bluetooth uses a packet switching protocol employing frequency hopping at 1600 hops/s with a maximum data rate of 1 Mb/s. Bluetooth radios operate in the unlicensed ISM band at 2.4 GHz. A frequency hop transceiver is used to combat interference and fading and a shaped, binary FM modulation is applied to minimize transceiver complexity. The symbol rate is 1 Ms/s. For full duplex transmission, a Time-Division Duplex (TDD) scheme is used. On the channel, information is exchanged through packets. Each packet is transmitted on a different hop frequency. A packet nominally covers a single slot, but can be extended to cover up to five slots.
The slotted channel is divided into time slots, each having a nominal slot length of 625 μs. The time slots are numbered according to the Bluetooth clock of the piconet master. The slot numbering ranges from 0 to 227−1 and is cyclic with a cycle length of 227. In the time slots, master and slave can transmit packets. A time-division duplex (TDD) scheme is used where master and slave alternatively transmit. The master starts its transmission in even-numbered time slots only, and the slave starts its transmission in odd-numbered time slots only. The packet start is aligned with the slot start.
Consider a Bluetooth receiver implemented as a sub-sampling system. According to the Nyquist theorem proper sampling requires the input be sampled at least at twice the highest frequency, i.e. the Nyquist sampling rate, otherwise aliasing problems will be introduced. Often times and in the case of Bluetooth, sampling at twice the highest frequency is very difficult to do since the input has a very wide bandwidth requiring sampling at very high speeds. To get around this, the input is instead sampled at lower speeds and a filter is placed at the front to reduce the bandwidth of interest. The filter removes potentially interfering signals that would otherwise be problematic after sampling. The problem, however, is that often very narrow band filters are required which are very expensive in terms of complexity, size and cost.
There is thus a need for a mechanism to either eliminate or reduce the requirements of the anti-aliasing filter that is required to remove interfering signals from the output signal in decimating and sub-sampling discrete time systems.

System for suppressing aliasing interferers in decimating and sub-sampling systems


In a method of operating an internal combustion engine particularly a motor vehicle internal combustion engine, wherein the engine is driven, during an engine start-up procedure, to a predetermined engine activation speed and fuel injection is activated, after the engine has reached the engine activation speed, only after a delay period at least one second after activation of the ignition system.

The invention relates to a method of operating an internal combustion engine plant. The invention is particularly suitable for optimizing engine operation during the start-up period so as to achieve the lowest possible noxious emissions. The invention is also especially suitable for internal combustion engine plants which are part of a hybrid drive as it may be used for example in motor vehicles.
In conventional starting procedures, the internal combustion engine is driven to a predetermined low speed far under engine idling speed whereupon ignition and fuel injection are activated at the same time. The engine is driven for example by an electric starter motor utilizing the energy of an on-board battery of the vehicle or, in the case of a hybrid drive, by the energy stored in an energy storage device, such as a flywheel or a traction battery, during a previous operating cycle of the engine.
In order to reduce noxious emissions specifically during engine startups, the use of exhaust gas catalytic converters is known which are heated electrically or by additional fuel combustion in the exhaust gas system of the internal combustion engine, see for example patent publication DE 43 39 686 C1 and the magazine publication "Heated Catalytic Converter" in Automotive Engineering, September 1994, page 31. By being actively heated such exhaust gas catalytic converters reach the operating temperature required for the conversion of pollutants sooner, particularly for the oxidation of carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbons. As a result, noxious emissions are reduced early during warm-up of the engine.
DE 195 32 325 C1 discloses an internal combustion engine of a series hybrid drive which is driven for start-up to a speed higher than its normal start-up speed. Preferably, at the same time, fuel is admitted to the engine already before the start up speed is reached and is ignited so that the engine speed is rapidly increased under full load conditions.
DOS 196 00 975 A1 discloses a control arrangement for a four cycle internal combustion engine wherein, during engine start-up, the fuel injection is not activated before the ignition is activated, but is activated immediately afterwards or preferably delayed by a fraction of the engine operating cycle or by a predetermined number of ignition cycles. In this way, back firing into the intake passages during start up of the engine is to be avoided.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method of operating an internal combustion engine plant in such a way that a low noxious emission level can be achieved already during the engine start-up phase.

Method of operating an internal combustion engine plant


A search system on the Internet provides a search result in response to search criteria provided by a user. The search system comprises a robot agent for extracting web document information and layout images of web documents on the Internet; a first database for storing the web document information extracted by the robot agent; a second database for storing the layout images extracted by the robot agent; and a search unit for retrieving web document information and layout images, a, from the first database and the second database, respectively, in response to the search criteria.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an Internet search system. In particular, the invention relates to a search system and method for facilitating an Internet search for web sites having desired information, by providing the image of a web document to a user before the user actually accesses the web document from a corresponding server.
2. Description of the Related Art
Web documents (also known as web pages) are electronic files that contain many forms of information, including text, graphics, video, audio, and links to other Web documents. Presently, Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML) is the standard format for documents on the World Wide Web. An HTML formatted document has HTML codes, i.e., commands, embedded in the document. A software application known as a Web browser is used to access documents on the Web. By understanding HTML, Web browser software can properly display a Web document on a user's output display device. More importantly, Web browser software interprets the HTML commands in an HTML formatted Web document to navigate a link in that Web document to another Web document. The Web browser thereby provides automatic access to other Web documents on the Web.
A web site is where a collection of web documents on a particular topic are stored on a server and identified by a URL. The first document transmitted to users who access the web site is called a home page. From the home page, users can get to all the lined documents on the web site by "clicking" links the documents. Users can locate web sites of interest by using a search engine offered by Internet companies at their web sites.
Typically, a search system run by those "portal" internet sites comprises a search engine and a classified directory table. Well known are Yahoo!, Lycos, Infoseek, etc. Typical search engines include a robot agent, an index program and a search program. The robot agent, also know as software-implemented web crawlers, automatically visits web sites, and trace hypertext links therein, in seriatim and extracts, abstracts and index each document encountered therein, through so-called key words, into a large database for subsequent access. The index program extracts and registers indexes for the collected web documents. The search program provides a list of web sites that it determines relate to a search query sent from the user, based on predetermined criteria. The directory table classifies the collected web sites by subject in many depth levels. One can narrow down from a broad subject/category to its successive sub-categories. The indexes for the classified directory are predetermined and registered in the search system.
However, conventional search systems record only limited information on the web sites they visit, e.g., web addresses, i.e., URLs through which the corresponding document can be accessed by a web browser, content words, titles and short summaries of the contents, and possibly the description of the document as provided in its HTML description field. The brief description of a web site is commonly written by the operator of the web site as introduction to the web site. In most cases, however, it is very difficult for a user to know whether a web site includes information he or she wants or not simply by reading its brief description.
Hence, in the conventional search system, the user has to access a searched web site to see the contents of the web documents of the site. If the contents do not have sought for information, the user would return the search site to view the search result to select another search web site. This search process is repeated until the user lands on a useful web site or decides to quit. As a result, the user is likely to spend much time and effort in navigating a number of web sites before he or she locates a desired web site. And, even when the user reaches the proper web site, the user would not recognize that if the web site were currently out of service.
Therefore, what is needed is a way to find out what the actual contents of web documents would be before visiting each of a list of web sites provided by a search engine.

System and method for facilitating internet search by providing web document layout image


A single projector is used to project a grating pattern on the surface of the object being measured, and the grating pattern is recorded simultaneously by two cameras from two different directions relative to the direction of projection. Both cameras record images of the same object areas. The fringe phases of the image patterns recorded by each of the two cameras are computed separately; and the object coordinates, which are computed from the combination of the computed fringe phases of both cameras, are unambiguous within a large measured range.

An example of a measuring method and a related measuring device of this general type is disclosed in an article in Optical EngineeringVol. 24 (1985), page 966. In that disclosure, a pattern of narrow light stripes and large dark, intermediate spaces is projected on the object to be measured. The grating pattern, which is deformed on the object surface, is recorded with two cameras; and the deformation of the brightness pattern evaluated. A second camera assures that reference coordinates and the object are measured in chronological order. To prevent synchronization problems during camera readout, both cameras project an image of the object on the same camera target. The disadvantage of this prior art arrangement is that the object surface is measured only along the light stripes between which are relatively wide intermediate spaces where no measurement takes place. Therefore, in order to capture the topography of the object surface completely, eight measurements must be performed successively with shifted patterns. Furthermore, the relative measuring resolution is relatively low, namely, being 50/1 (measuring range/measuring resolution) perpendicular to the sample surface.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,641,972 and 4,488,172 disclose so-called grating projection systems. In these disclosures, sinusoidal brightness patterns are projected on the object surface and the patterns are recorded with a single camera. Three or four images are recorded in chronological order, whereby the pattern is shifted by one-third or one-fourth of a grating period between the recording of images. The grating patterns are evaluated by means of algorithms known from phase shift interferometry, whereby the grating phase can be determined to approximately 2* .pi./100. The disadvantage of these prior art systems is that the phase evaluation produces unambiguous measured results only within one grating order. To solve this problem, U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,972 uses so-called phase unwrapping which has also been known from interferometry. Phase unwrapping requires that the surface be continuous and a starting point be known. When the measured values are noisy, this method may compute an erroneous measured value and then continue in an erroneous manner so that large-area errors occur in the measured result. This method fails entirely when the measured object is discontinuous.
To increase the range over which the measurement is unambiguous, U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,172 has disclosed the projection of two grating patterns whereby one grating pattern has eight times the period width of the other grating pattern. When the patterns are phase-shifted, however, they move at different speeds or by different distances perpendicular to the direction of the projected stripe. As a result of this, the relative order of the grating pattern with respect to the coordinate system of the equipment may easily be lost.
EP-OS 0,076,866 discloses the simultaneous projection of three color-coded patterns on the object, whereby the patterns are phase-shifted by 120 degrees relative to each other. The grating patterns deformed by the object surface are recorded corresponding to their color coding by three associated color-selective cameras. As a result of this, the pattern is recorded simultaneously in three different phase relations so that an evaluation based on the phase shift algorithm may be performed without requiring a mechanical shifting. However, the use of three cameras does not accomplish an expansion of the unambiguous range.
UK Patent Application No. 2,204,397A discloses a measuring system where three projector/camera systems are positioned at an angle of 120 degrees relative to each other around the center of the measured volume. Each camera records an image of the pattern which is generated by the projector. The use of three projector/camera systems permits the measurement of all sample surfaces of an object positioned in a measured volume. This system also does not result in an expansion of the unambiguous range in the direction of the optical axes of the projectors.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,445 discloses apparatus with which grating patterns are projected on the surface of the object and then recorded with two CCD cameras. Both CCD cameras are positioned at the same distance from the center of projection of the grating projector and record images of different grating patterns projected on the object. Two linear image sensors are used only to divide in half the number of lines projected on each image sensor. The evaluation by the image sensors is analogous to the above-cited Optical Engineering reference, in that the lateral position of the projected stripes is measured. In this case, grating phases are not computed.
Further, PCT International Application Publication WO 91/09273 discloses a photogrammetric measuring device whereby three cameras record images of the measured object and at the same time a reference pattern is superimposed on the images of the measured object. However, this recent prior art system does not project a grating pattern on the object, nor does it compute fringe phases based on the video images.
The present invention is a measuring system of the type identified above, and its objects are to accomplish the desired three-dimensional measurement of object surfaces with (a) less complex apparatus, (b) a high depth resolution, and (c) an expanded range of unambiguous measurement. The methods and apparatus of the invention are also intended to permit the measurement of discontinuous object surfaces.

Method and apparatus for three-dimensional optical measurement of object surfaces


An internal imaging probe including an expandable scanhead for improving the positioning of an imaging element mounted on the scanhead. The imaging probe is introduced into the esophagus of a patient via the patient""s mouth. Once, the imaging probe is introduced, the imaging probe is positioned to a point where an internal structure of the patient is within the direction of view of an imaging element, such as a transducer, located on the scanhead. Once positioned, the scanhead is expanded either by inflation, or via a moving extensor located within the scanhead. The scanhead is then expanded until the imaging element, such as a transducer, achieves close and uniform contact with the esophageal wall of the patient thereby providing accurate imaging of the internal structure. Further, expanding the scanhead while the scanhead is within the esophagus of the patient minimizes the risks of damage to the esophageal wall that are associated with prior art probes. Once the imaging process is complete, the imaging probe is returned to its unexpanded size and removed from the esophagus of the patient. The imaging probe may be included within a medical imaging system that includes the probe, a processing unit, and a monitor for viewing images of the internal structure.

The present invention generally relates to improvements in a transesophageal ultrasound probe, and more particularly to a transesophageal ultrasound probe including an expandable scanhead.
Various medical conditions affect internal organs and structures. Efficient diagnosis and treatment of these conditions typically require a physician to directly observe a patient""s internal organs and structures. For example, diagnosis of various heart ailments often requires a cardiologist to directly observe affected areas of a patient""s heart. Instead of more intrusive surgical techniques, ultrasound imaging is often utilized to directly observe images of a patient""s internal organs and structures.
Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) is one approach to observing a patient""s heart through the use of an ultrasound transducer. TEE typically includes a probe, a processing unit, and a monitor. The probe is connected to the processing unit which in turn is connected to the monitor. In operation, the processing unit sends a triggering signal to the probe. The probe then emits ultrasonic signals into the patient""s heart. The probe then detects echoes of the previously emitted ultrasonic signals. Then, The probe sends the detected signals to the processing unit which converts the signals into images. The images are then displayed on the monitor. The probe typically includes a semi-flexible endoscope that includes a transducer located near the end of the endoscope.
Typically, during TEE, the endoscope is introduced into the mouth of a patient and positioned in the patient""s esophagus. The endoscope is then positioned so that the transducer is in a position to facilitate heart imaging. That is, the endoscope is positioned so that the heart or other internal structure to be imaged is in the direction of view of the transducer. Typically, the transducer sends ultrasonic signals through the esophageal wall that come into contact with the heart or other internal structures.
The transducer then receives the ultrasonic signals as they bounce back from various points within the internal structures of the patient. The transducer then sends the received signals back through the endoscope typically via wiring. After the signals travel through the endoscope, the signals enter the processing unit typically via wires connecting the endoscope to the processing unit.
In order to obtain accurate images of internal organs and structures, such as the heart, it is preferable that the transducer maintain uniform and close contact with the esophageal wall. The close and uniform contact with the esophageal wall typically assists the transducer to receive signals that are minimally distorted.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional transesophageal probe 100 according to one embodiment of the prior art. The conventional probe 100 includes an endoscope 110 and a control handle (not shown). The enodscope 110 includes a scanhead 120 that includes a transducer 130 mounted on the scanhead 120. The transducer 130 includes a direction of view 135. The transducer 130 comes into contact with an esophageal wall 105 of a patient. The control handle and the scanhead 120 are located at opposite ends of the endoscope 110. The transducer 130 is connected to the processing unit via wiring (not shown) that extends through the scanhead 120 and throughout the length of the body of the endoscope 110. The wiring in the conventional probe 100 is then connected via a cable (not shown) to a processing unit (not shown). The processing unit is then connected via wiring to a monitor (not shown) for display of the ultrasound image.
In operation, the scanhead 120 of the probe 100 is introduced into the esophagus of a patient. The probe 100 is then positioned via the control handle so that the internal structure to be imaged is within the direction of view 135 of the transducer 130. The endoscope 110 of the probe 100 is bent in order to gain leverage so that the transducer 130 located on the scanhead 120 may achieve close and uniform contact with the esophageal wall 110. That is, the endoscope 110 is wedged into the esophageal wall 105. Wedging the endoscope 110 into the esophageal wall of the patient may cause discomfort to the patient and/or injure the patient""s esophageal wall. In order to maintain close and uniform contact between the transducer 130 and the esophageal wall 105, the side of the endoscope 110 opposite of the transducer 130 is wedged against one side of the esophageal wall 105 thus pressing the transducer 130 side of the endoscope 110 firmly against the side of the esophageal wall 105 closest to the internal structure being imaged. The transducer 130 then sends ultrasonic signals into the internal structures of the patient and receives the ultrasonic signals that bounce back from the internal structures of the patient. The transducer 130 then sends the ultrasonic signals via wiring through the endoscope 110 to the processing unit. The processing unit then processes and converts the signals into viewable images which are then displayed on the monitor. Once imaging is complete, the endoscope 110 is removed from the patient""s esophagus.
Typically, bending the endoscope 110 and wedging the endoscope 110 into the esophageal wall 105 may not be preferable for several reasons. The bending of the endoscope 110 forces the scanhead 120 to engage the esophageal wall at an angle which may negatively impact the transducer""s 130 ability to image the internal structure. That is, the operative surface of the transducer 130 on the scanhead 120 is not parallel with the esophageal wall. Instead, the transducer 130 is angled into the esophageal wall. Therefore, the transducer 130 typically is not positioned parallel to the surface of the esophageal wall. Typically, the endoscope 110 is positioned so that the direction of view 135 of the transducer 130 is angled below the structure, or at an acute angle. That is, the direction of view 135 is not at a 90xc2x0 angle with respect to the structure being imaged. When the direction of view 135 of the transducer 130 is not at a 90xc2x0 angle with respect to the internal structure being imaged, the image may be distorted due to misleading transducer recordings. That is, the transducer 130 receives signals that bounce back off internal structures that may be at different distances from the transducer 130 if the direction of view 135 was at a 90xc2x0 with respect to the internal structure. Thus, because the transducer 130 is not parallel and in contact with the esophageal wall 105, the transducer 130 may receive a distorted image.
That is, because the scanhead 120 is angled into the esophageal wall 105, the transducer 130 is typically in partial contact with the esophageal wall. Thus, only the portion of transducer 130 contacting the esophageal wall 105 sends signals to, and receives signals from the internal structure being imaged. The partial contact between the transducer 130 and the esophageal wall 105 typically results in the transducer 130 sending and receiving signals with a low amplification. Consequently, the images generated from the received signals are typically incomplete, attenuated, and/or distorted. Typically, incomplete, attenuated, and/or distorted signals are undesirable for accurate medical diagnosis because the image itself is not an accurate portrayal of the internal structure being imaged.
Further, the direction of view 135 of the transducer 130 may cause the endoscope 110 to be mistakenly positioned due to counter-intuitive images displayed on the monitor. That is, the endoscope 110 is positioned via a control handle located on the probe. The control handle is located at the opposite end of the endoscope 110 as the transducer 130. The endoscope 110 is deflected and bent via the control handle of the probe so that the transducer 130 is tilted upward. Because the transducer 130 is located at the distal end of the endoscope 110, the transducer 130 is titled upward as the endoscope 110 wedges against the esophageal wall 105. Because the transducer 130 images the internal structure from below, the corresponding image sent to the monitor is typically counter-intuitive and can potentially cause confusion to an operator observing the image.
Bending the end of the endoscope 110 so that the transducer 130 is pressed against the esophageal wall 105 of a patient may present various physiological problems as well. For example, moving the bent endoscope 110 further down the esophagus may damage the esophageal wall. That is, because the endoscope 110 is wedged into the esophageal wall 105, the distal end of the endoscope 110 is also wedged into the esophageal wall 105. The distal end of the endoscope 110 may snag the esophageal wall 105 and dig into it thereby damaging the esophageal wall 135.
Further, the force to maintain close and uniform contact between the transducer 130 and the esophageal wall 105 may cause wounds to the esophageal wall 105. That is, because the endoscope 110 is deflected and the transducer 130 is pressed against the esophageal wall 105, the force required to maintain close contact with the esophageal wall 105 may be enough force to lacerate, bruise, or otherwise injure the esophageal wall 105.
Therefore, a need has existed for a transesophageal probe that safely, efficiently and accurately images internal organs and structures. Further, a need has existed for an a transesophageal probe that minimizes the susceptibility of injury to the esophageal wall during procedures such as TEE. A need has also existed for a transesophageal probe that requires less force to. maintain a close and uniform contact between the transducer and the esophageal wall.
An internal imaging probe including an expandable scanhead for improving the positioning of an imaging element mounted on the scanhead. The imaging probe is introduced into the esophagus of a patient via the patient""s mouth. Once, the imaging probe is introduced, the imaging probe is positioned to a point where an internal structure of the patient is within the direction of view of an imaging element, such as a transducer, located on the scanhead. Once positioned, the scanhead is expanded. The scanhead may be expanded via inflation, or through the use of a movable extensor located within the scanhead. The inflatable scanhead includes a flexible pouch that receives fluid, such as air or water, from an inflation duct. The scanhead is expanded via engaging a control handle at the proximal end of the imaging probe. Alternatively, the scanhead may be expanded via a moving extensor located within the scanhead. The extensor may be a rotating extensor or a piston-driven extensor.
The scanhead is expanded until the imaging element, such as a transducer, achieves close and uniform contact with the esophageal wall of the patient. Close and uniform contact between the imaging element and the esophageal wall increases the accuracy of the signals received by the imaging element. Further, expanding the scanhead while the scanhead is within the esophagus of the patient minimizes the risks of damage to the esophageal wall that are associated with prior art probes. Once the imaging process is complete, the imaging probe is returned to its unexpanded size and removed from the esophagus of the patient. The imaging probe may be included within a medical imaging system that includes the probe, a processing unit, and a monitor for displaying images of the internal structure.

Transesophageal ultrasound probe with expandable scanhead

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC


A method of making a foil-type electrical resistance strain gage having a gage factor of at least 4. A PtW foil is adhesively bonded to a polyimide substrate with an FEP adhesive cured under heat and pressure. The foil is spin-coated with a positive photoresist, masked, and exposed to ultraviolet light. The exposed photoresist is then developed, permitting wet etching of the foil to form a gage pattern on the substrate, which is then preferably cured.

The present invention relates to electrical resistance strain gages of the type employed for measuring strains where it is desired to have a high output or gage factor. Gage factor is the dimensionless ratio of the ratio of the gage resistance in response to the strain divided by the strain ratio.
Typically, metal foil-type resistance strain gages have a gage factor of 2. However, where a high gage factor on the order of 4 is desired to provide appropriate gage sensitivity for driving a signal-generating circuit, it has been found that metal foil formed of exotic materials such as an alloy of Platinum and Tungsten provides the desired high gage factor.
Heretofore, Platinum-Tungsten (PtW) foil gages have been manufactured by ion beam milling, which required substantial investment for the ion beam milling machine. Furthermore, difficulties have been experienced in establishing process controls to provide the desired gage configuration with this process.
Thus it has been desired to find a way or means of fabricating high gage factor electrical resistance strain gages in a simple low-cost manner which produces reliable and accurate strain indication.

Method of making high output strain gage


The invention features methods for increasing cell death. The invention also features compounds used to increase cell death. The invention further features methods for identifying compounds that increase cell death.

In general, the invention features methods and compounds for increasing cell death.
Cell growth is a tightly regulated process. When the body has no need for new cells, but cells nonetheless divide in an unregulated manner, the result is cancer. Cancer therapies are directed at controlling the rapid proliferation of cells and/or controlling the differentiation rate of cells, as an undifferentiated cell is highly proliferative. One way in which the proliferation of cancer cells may be controlled is by killing such unregulated dividing cells.
The family of Bcl-2 proteins plays a central role in the regulation of cell life and death, acting by modulating apoptosis, a specific type of cell death. Some members of this family, for example, Bax, Bad, and Bak promote apoptosis, while other members of the family, for example, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Bcl-w, and Mcl-1 inhibit apoptosis. The precise mechanism by which the various Bcl-2 family members promote either cell viability or cell death has not yet been resolved.
One method for treating cancer involves controlling the expression and/or activity of Bcl-2 family member proteins. In particular, methods that decrease the expression or activity of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members or increase the expression or activity of pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members would be useful for treating cancer.

Small molecules used to increase cell death

President and Fellows of Harvard College


An exemplary vehicle assembly vehicle assembly includes, among other things, a heat exchange module that manages thermal energy levels of a traction battery. An inlet conduit is configured to draw air to the heat exchange module from an area underneath a vehicle. An outlet conduit is configured to dispense air from the heat exchange module to the area underneath the vehicle. An exemplary thermal management method includes, among other things, to manage thermal energy within a traction battery of a vehicle, exchanging thermal energy between a fluid and air at a heat exchange module. The air is drawn to the heat exchange module from an area underneath the vehicle. The air is dispensed from the heat exchange module to the area underneath the vehicle.

Electrified vehicles differ from conventional motor vehicles because electrified vehicles are selectively driven using one or more electric machines powered by a traction battery. The electric machines can drive the electrified vehicles instead of, or in addition to, an internal combustion engine. Example electrified vehicles include hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), and battery electric vehicles (BEVs).
The traction battery is a relatively high-voltage battery that selectively powers the electric machines and other electrical loads of the electrified vehicle. The traction battery can include battery arrays each including a plurality of interconnected battery cells that store energy. Traction batteries of electrified vehicles typically include a plurality of arrays each having individual battery cells that are periodically recharged to replenish the energy necessary to power the electric machines. Battery cells can heat up during charging and discharging, and during other stages of operation. Operating the battery cells at certain temperatures can improve the capacity and the life of the battery cells. Managing thermal energy levels of the traction battery can facilitate efficient operation.

Battery thermal management assembly and method


A duct system generally comprises a flexible duct; a fitting having an end including either an in-turned circumferential lip or a plurality of circumferentially arranged tabs; a collar having a first end and a second end, the first end being adapted to be secured to the flexible duct, and the second end being adapted to be secured to the end of the fitting, such that, if the second end of the fitting includes an in-turned circumferential lip, the second end of the collar includes a plurality of circumferentially arranged tabs adapted to engage the in-turned circumferential lip, and if the end of the fitting includes a plurality of circumferentially arranged tabs, the second end of the collar includes an in-turned circumferential lip adapted to engage the plurality of circumferentially arranged tabs; and at least one gasket for forming a seal between the fitting and the collar.

In the HVAC industry, flexible ducts are often used to connect a rigid sheet metal trunk (supply or return) duct to a terminal fitting, such as a boot (i.e., a transitional fitting with a round aperture at one end for connection to the flexible duct and a rectangular opening at the other end into which a register or grill may be fitted). Such a flexible duct generally comprises an inner sleeve of a Mylar® or similar polyester film containing a coil of wire to give it shape. (Mylar® is a registered trademark of the E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company of Wilmington, Del.) This inner sleeve is then wrapped in fiberglass insulation, with an outer sleeve made of plastic or aluminum serving as an outermost layer for containing the insulation.
Currently, installation of such flexible ductwork first requires cutting a hole into the trunk duct, and then securing a fitting to the trunk duct using tabs and, optionally, a sealing adhesive gasket. The flexible duct is connected to the fitting by pulling the inner sleeve over the fitting, and then wrapping tape over the inner sleeve and fitting to secure and seal the flexible duct to the fitting. The insulation and outer sleeve are then pulled against the fitting with a zip tie. Of course, this is repeated at the terminal fitting. Such installation in the field is awkward and time consuming because the locations for connections are often cramped and difficult to reach, and the method requires wrapping the tape around the fittings while affixed in their permanent positions. Furthermore, the resultant connection is of variable quality and strength, and often leaks air. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an HVAC duct system that is easy to install and minimizes the likelihood of air leakage.


A function providing system for providing a function to an image forming apparatus includes a server and a function relaying circuit. The server provides a function for the image forming apparatus. The function relaying circuit is located outside the image forming apparatus, the function relaying circuit providing the function to the image forming apparatus. The function relaying circuit uses the function corresponding to an instruction from the image forming apparatus, and the function relaying circuit transmits a use result of the function to the image forming apparatus.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the description in this section is not prior art to the claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
There has been known a function providing system that causes an image forming apparatus to use functions provided by a server.

Function providing system and recording medium for using functions provided by server


A spraying mechanism configured to form uniform and thin coatings on foodstuffs and food packaging materials. The spraying mechanism includes a nozzle and a surface positioned adjacent to the nozzle, wherein the surface is configured to support at least one of a foodstuff and a food packaging material. The nozzle includes an atomizing section including a ceramic material and an intermediate section configured to promote ultrasonic-frequency mechanical motion in the atomizing section.

Currently, foodstuffs and food packaging materials are routinely coated with various liquid-state chemicals or ingredients. Depending on the particular application, these chemicals may either remain in the liquid state, evaporate, or polymerize/solidify to form a solid coating. For example, while being manufactured (i.e., prior to being wrapped in a waxy paper sleeve and prior to being inserted into a cardboard package that is then placed on the shelves of a grocery store), some crackers are coated with a thin layer of oil. Similarly, commercially manufactured tortilla chips are typically sprayed with one or more chemical preservatives to extend their shelf life.
Two types of technologies are currently available to apply such liquid-state coatings: pressure spraying and spinning disc spraying. Pressure spraying technology is analogous to the technology used while spraying one's lawn with a garden hose. In other words, foodstuffs or food packaging materials are coated by a liquid emitted from one or more pressurized nozzles. Typically, such nozzles are located at least above and below the foodstuffs or food packaging materials being coated.
Spinning disc spraying involves a battery (i.e., a series) of spinning discs located in a chamber. These discs are angled and positioned in an application-specific configuration relative to the foodstuffs or food packaging materials to be coated. A stream of liquid is then released onto the discs as the discs are spinning. As the liquid is expelled from the surface of the discs by centrifugal force, a rainforest-type of liquid mist is generated all over the chamber in which the discs are located. The foodstuffs or food packaging materials that pass through the chamber are then coated on all sides by the liquid.
Regardless of which of these methods is used, however, the coatings formed are relatively thick. Also, particularly in the spinning disc method, a significant amount of liquid is wasted as the liquid coats the walls of the chamber instead of the foodstuffs or food packaging materials.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Ultrasonic atomizing nozzle methods for the food industry


An electrical cover plate box for mounting to a surface having a decor and replacing a conventional electrical cover plate covering at least one electrical device in the surface, while maintaining contents of the electrical cover plate box secure. The electrical cover plate box includes a box having a main portion for mounting to the surface, a lid portion hingedly attached to the main portion of the box, and maintaining apparatus for maintaining the box closed and maintaining its contents secure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a box. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electrical cover plate box.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for electrical cover plates have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.
FOR EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,518,356 to Friedman teaches a switch plate cover attached to the two screws provided on standard American wall switch plates on opposite sides of the switch actuating member, approximately 21/2 apart. The cover has two fixed brackets on its inner face for receiving the screw heads, and the screw shanks project through U-shaped notches in the brackets which are open in a common direction. The switch actuating member projects through a slot centered in the otherwise imperforate cover between the brackets. A raised edge of the cover is contiguously adjacent the wall.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,873,396 to Guity-Mehr teaches a cover plate having a back surface defining a covered M groove. The cover plate M groove is hooked over one screw of an electrical wiring device. The second screw then screws into the cover plate and sits deep in the cover plate screw groove. A decorative cover or plug then covers the second screw, so that no screw shows on the front surface farthest from the wall after installation and the cover plate is securely coupled to the wall by the installation of only one mounting screws, rather than two as required by prior art cover plates.
STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,733 to Zachrei et al. teaches a switch box for wall attachment with a box-like cabinet body having a rear wall and four side walls, the open side of which body can be closed by a cabinet cover or a cabinet door. Using thin starting materials for the cabinet body, an increase of stability, in addition to the possibility of further attachment locations, can be attained by attaching a mounting angle in each of four corner areas on the internal side of the rear wall. The legs of the mounting angle, provided with threaded mounts, are positioned in a plane parallel to the rear wall and spaced at a distance therefrom. At least one external longitudinal side of a leg is provided with a recess for fixing a support strip which is firmly screwed in the area of the open side of the cabinet body. At least one threaded mount of every mounting angle is accessibly by a boring in the rear wall of the cabinet body.
YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,427 to Kinoshita teaches a cabinet assembly comprising a cabinet, a main wiring board provided with a control circuit and disposed within the cabinet, switches for controlling the control circuit, and keys for operating the switches, capable of being pushed from outside the cabinet. To eliminate restrictions placed by the keys and a light emitting diode for indicating actions of the control circuit on the design of the cabinet, to simplify the construction of the cabinet assembly and to facilitate cabinet assembly assembling work, the switches and the light emitting element are mounted on the main wiring board, the keys are formed and disposed so that the key top of each key form a portion of the external shape of the cabinet, each key is provided integrally with an actuating rod for operating the corresponding switch, and the light emitted by the light emitting element is transmitted by a light transmitting member to a portion of the wall of the cabinet or to the key top of the pushed key.
FINALLY, STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,209 to Mohsen teaches a switch lockout for preventing movement of a switch arm which projects through an opening in a switch face plate and pivots about a transverse ON-OFF axis, of either a conventional wall-type electrical rocker or a convention wall-type toggle switch, comprises a mounting frame parallel to the switch face plate that includes a side wall of octagonal shape integrally attached to a planar end wall located--in operations--in a position parallel to the switch face plate. The end wall has a continuous edge integrally attached to the side wall to form a box-like interior cavity and a central aperture extending orthogonally therethrough, and a cover frame pivotally attached to the mounting frame along a transverse pivot axis parallel to the transverse ON-OFF axis of the switch arm. The cover frame includes a side wall of octagonal shape integrally attached to an end wall that is bulbously shaped in its mid-region to define separate up-ramp and down-ramp segments that attach between co-planar first and second end segments. In operations, either the counterbore segment of the mounting frame or the up-ramp segment of the cover frame are used to create "stops" when the cover frame is placed in a closed state relative to the mounting frame, such "stops" limiting movement of the switch arm irrespective of type of switch assembly used, and irrespective of the ON-OFF operative state of the switch arm.
It is apparent that numerous innovations for electrical cover plates have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.


Various embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus for rearranging protocols in an electronic device, and an operating method therefor. The electronic device comprises: a transceiver unit; and at least one processor functionally coupled to the transceiver unit, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: control an operation of receiving information on a first protocol list including a plurality of protocols from a server; identify, for each of the plurality of protocols, position information of a radiography apparatus which captures an image, and the type of detection unit which detects a beam generated from the radiophotography apparatus; rearrange the order of the plurality of protocols on the basis of at least one of the position information of the radiography apparatus and the type of detection unit, so as to generate a second protocol list; and control an operation of transmitting information on the second protocol list to the radiography apparatus.

A radiography system refers to a system that obtains an image regarding an internal structure of an examinee by using a radiography device, and collects and manages various data regarding the obtained image by using an electronic device such as a work station. A doctor may output images obtained by the radiography system, and may diagnose a health condition and a disease of the examinee by analyzing the images. For example, an X-RAY device which is a kind of radiography system may grasp an internal structure (for example, a bone or etc.) of an object (for example, a patient or an examinee) by allowing an X-ray having a short wavelength to pass through the body.
A radiological technologist captures an image regarding the inside of the body of the examinee by using the radiography device, in consideration of an order of protocols transmitted from the doctor. In the disclosure, the protocol refers to an image capturing technique that the radiological technologist intends to use to capture an image by using the radiography device. In general, the list of protocols transmitted from the doctor does not consider a moving line of the radiography device or a moving line of the examinee. Therefore, the radiological technologist should rearrange the list of protocols to perform radiography efficiently. In addition, it may be difficult to identify a protocol for which image capturing has been already completed when radiography is performed based on the list of protocols transmitted from the doctor. Therefore, the radiological technologist is required to identify protocols that remain to perform image capturing.

Apparatus and method for rearranging protocols in radiography system


An integrated circuit (IC) package socket is provided with an array of single-piece socket contact pins arranged to connect an IC package to a circuit board. The single-piece contact pin is supported at a middle portion of the contact pin and includes two acutely angled bends that allow the two ends of the contact pin to independently resiliently engage the package lands of the IC package and the contact pads of the circuit board. The contact pins are further shaped and arranged to laterally swipe the package lands and contact pads during engagement to scrape away or penetrate through any oxide or other contaminant buildup.

Connecting semiconductor packages to printed circuit boards (PCBs) has changed as the packages have become more highly integrated. Current types of package connector configurations include Ball Grid Array (BGA) and Land Grid Array (LGA) which spread the electrical connectors across the bottom surface of the package.
One solution for connecting the BGA and LGA packages to a PCB utilizes a socket arranged to receive and connect a package to a PCB contact pad. The package is inserted into the socket and contacts within the socket electrically connect the connectors on the bottom surface of the package to the contact pad of the PCB.
Sockets are generally appropriate for situations where packages are repeatedly inserted and replaced to and from a circuit board. An example of such use is a reference board used to showcase functional aspects of a chipset or processor in which different IC packages need to be quickly and effectively swapped out. Another example of socket use is in burn-in, testing and programming of IC packages during manufacturing. There, multiple sockets are mounted on a test board and IC packages are repeatedly inserted and tested as part of the IC package manufacturing process. And another example is the use of sockets on a motherboard allowing consumers to easily insert or replace IC packages.
Currently IC package sockets employ soldered contact pins or multi-piece contact pins. Both the soldered and multi-piece contact pins undesirably increase inductance and contact resistance between the package and the PCB. Further, installation and maintenance of soldered contact pins can add heat stress to the socket and to the PCB.
Some multi-piece contact pins use pressure and surface penetration methods with springs to establish a connection between the end of the contact and the package land or contact pad. Installation and maintenance of the multi-piece contact pins, however, requires the extra cost and time of multiple piece assembly.
Embodiments of the invention address these and other disadvantages in the prior art.

Integrated circuit package socket and socket contact


An image processing apparatus has an adjusting mode which enables determination of a magnification correction value. A predetermined image on a test chart placed on an original table or an image of a chart fixed outside the valid image area are read, and the proper correction value for compensating for any variation in the image magnitude within a scanning system is computed based on the results of reading the test chart image. Subsequently, a printing system is operated to print test chart data read from a memory and the image printed in accordance with the test chart data is read by the scanner system which has been corrected, the result of the reading being used in computing the magnification correction value for compensating for any magnification variation occurring in the printer system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, as well as to an image processing method, which performs correction of image magnification in an image handling apparatus such as an image reader which reads an image of an original document, a printer which records an image, a copying machine which copies an image of an original document, and so forth.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 9 shows the construction of a known copying machine, in particular constructions of a reader section 920 and a printer section 921 of the copying machine. Original document sheets stacked on an original document feeder 901 are fed one by one onto a glass plate 902 of an original table, in response to a reading demand generated in the reader section 920 for reading the images on original document sheets. When a sheet of the original document is placed at the right position on the glass plate 902, a lamp 903 of a scanner unit 904 is lit, and the scanner unit 902 starts to move in synchronization with supply of a reading signal to a CCD image sensor 909, thereby illuminating the image on the original document sheet.
The light reflected by the original image impinges upon the CCD image sensor 909 via mirrors 905, 906 and 907 and a lens 908. The CCD image sensor 909 has arrayed thousands of photoelectric conversion cells which constitute pixels, and the light signals thus received by the CCD image sensor are converted into electrical signals on a pixel basis (i.e., each pixel produces its own signal). The electrical image signals thus obtained are subjected to an image processing operation and signals obtained through the image processing operation are sent to the printer section 921.
The image signals delivered to the printer section 921 are converted by an exposure control unit 910 into modulated light signals (a laser beam of modulated intensity in FIG. 9) which irradiate a photosensitive member 911 which has been electrostatically charged, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member 911. Then, the latent image is developed as the surface of the photosensitive member 911 moves through a developing unit 912. A transfer sheet is fed from a transfer sheet stacker 913 or 914 in timing with the movement of the leading end of the developed image, and when both the developed image and the transfer sheet pass a transfer unit 915, the developed image is transferred to the transfer sheet.
The transferred image is then fixed to the transfer sheet as the latter moves through a fixing unit 916, and the sheet carrying the image fixed thereon is ejected from the machine by means of a sheet ejecting unit 917. The transfer sheets thus ejected successively are distributed to different bins of a sorter (when a sorting function is used). If such a function is not available or not used, the transfer sheets having the fixed images are stacked on a tray or on an uppermost or a selected bin of the sorter.
A copying machine of the kind described has an enlarging/reducing function, i.e., a function for varying the size of the copy image with respect to the size of the original image. A change of magnification in the direction of main scanning is achieved through an electrical image processing effected on the signals input through the CCD image sensor 909, while a change of magnification in the direction of sub-scanning is achieved by varying the ratio between the peripheral velocity of the surface of the photosensitive member in the form of a drum and the velocity of movement of the scanner unit 904, typically by varying the moving velocity of the scanner unit 904, whereby a copy image of a desired magnification is obtained.
The described arrangement suffers from a problem in that the image reading position is progressively changed in accordance with the movement of the scanner unit 904, so as to undesirably change the image reading magnification, when any deviation of the optical axis occurs in the optical unit including the scanner unit 904 and the CCD image sensor 909 and the optical elements disposed therebetween.
FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate the manner in which a shift of the optical axis occurs due to movement of the optical system during scanning of the original document image.
In these Figures, a unit 1 is a scanner unit which actually scans the original document image, while a unit 2 is a unit which functions to maintain a constant length of optical path between the point on the original document which is being scanned and the CCD image sensor 909. Any deviation of the mounting angle of a mirror B attached to the unit 2 from the correct angle causes the distance between the unit 1 and the unit 2 to increase in accordance with the movement of the unit 1 in the direction of the arrow away from the scanning start position, resulting in a shift of the optical axis.
The shift of the optical axis causes the inputted image to be contracted when the direction of the shift is the same as the direction of the scanning movement of the scanner unit, whereas, when the shift of the optical axis occurs in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the scanner unit, the result is that the inputted image is enlarged. A further increase in the deviation of the optical axis causes the path of light leading back from the CCD image sensor 909 to fall out of the area of the optical mirror A, so that the original image cannot be received by the CCD image sensor 909. Consequently, no effective image signal is delivered by the CCD image sensor 909 which serves as the image reading sensor.
Hitherto, it has been necessary to adjust, with high degrees of precision, the positions of the mirrors 905, 906 and 907, as well as the position of the lens 908, in order to minimize the undesirable change in magnitude attributable to a shift of the optical axis.
Replacement of one or more of these optical elements due to, for example, damage of such elements inevitably necessitates not only fine adjustment of the replaced elements but also fine readjustment of other elements. Service engineers are therefore obliged always to carry tools and jigs which are necessary for such fine adjustment. Alternatively, the whole copy machine has to be sent to a service station where skilled engineers and tools/jigs are available, and is sent back to and reinstalled in the user's office after completion of adjustment at such a service station. This heavily burdens personnel involved in service and maintenance, and causes inconvenience to the users.
In order to overcome these problems, a method employing a non-volatile memory means such as a battery-backed-up memory has been proposed as an alternative to the conventional method employing fine readjustment of positions of optical elements such as mirrors and lens. More specifically, according to the alternative method, magnification correction values which have been obtained beforehand are stored in the non-volatile memory means and, when an original document image is scanned by a scanner at a designated magnification, the velocity of the scanner is controlled taking into account the correction value read from the memory means, whereby a correction of magnification of the read image is performed. This correction is carried out to compensate not only for error or change in the magnification taking place in the scanner system but also for error or change in magnification occurring in the printer system. In other words, correction for the scanner system and correction for the printer system are performed in a consolidated manner.
Current development in digital technology has brought about copying machines of the type in which a scanner section and a printer section are operable independently of each other. In order to effect the above-described correction in this type of copying machines, it is necessary to determine the magnification correction values for the scanner section and the printer section, respectively, and to store them in non-volatile memory means. Consequently, it is necessary to prepare and use tools and jigs for determining the magnification correction values for the scanner section and for the printer section, separately, which makes the work further complicated.

Method and apparatus for image magnification correction


This application relates to quinazoline derivatives of formula (I), pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds of formula (I), and the use of the compounds of formula (I) in the treatment or prevention of a viral infection, of a virus-induced disease, of cancer or of an allergy. In formula (I), R1 is a C3-8alkyl, optionally substituted by one or more substituents independently selected from fluorine, hydroxyl, amino, nitrile, ester, amide, C1-3 alkyl, or C1-3 alkoxy, the carbon of R1 bonded to the amine in the 4-position of the quinazoline is in (R)-configuration, R2 is hydrogen, deuterium, fluorine, chlorine, methyl, methoxy, cyclopropyl, trifluoromethyl, or carboxylic amide, wherein each of methyl, methoxy and cyclopropyl is optionally substituted by one or more substituents independently selected from fluorine and nitrile, R3 is hydrogen or deuterium, R4 is hydrogen, deuterium, fluorine, methyl, carboxylic ester, carboxylic amide, nitrile, cyclopropyl, C4-7 heterocycle, or 5-membered heteroaryl group, wherein each of methyl, cyclopropyl, C4-7 heterocycle and 5-membered heteroaryl group is optionally substituted by one or more substituents independently selected from fluorine, hydroxyl, or methyl, R5 is hydrogen, deuterium, fluorine, chlorine, methyl, or methoxy, provided that at least one of R2, R3, R4 and R5 is not hydrogen.

Toll-Like Receptors are primary transmembrane proteins characterized by an extracellular leucine rich domain and a cytoplasmic extension that contains a conserved region. The innate immune system can recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns via these TLRs expressed on the cell surface of certain types of immune cells. Recognition of foreign pathogens activates the production of cytokines and upregulation of co-stimulatory molecules on phagocytes. This leads to the modulation of T cell behavior.
It has been estimated that most mammalian species have between ten and fifteen types of Toll-like receptors. Thirteen TLRs (named simply TLR1 to TLR13) have been identified in humans and mice together, and equivalent forms of many of these have been found in other mammalian species. However, equivalents of certain TLR found in humans are not present in all mammals. For example, a gene coding for a protein analogous to TLR10 in humans is present in mice, but appears to have been damaged at some point in the past by a retrovirus. On the other hand, mice express TLRs 11, 12, and 13, none of which are represented in humans. Other mammals may express TLRs which are not found in humans. Other non-mammalian species may have TLRs distinct from mammals, as demonstrated by TLR14, which is found in the Takifugu pufferfish. This may complicate the process of using experimental animals as models of human innate immunity.
In the treatment of certain ailments, it may be advantageous to induce IL-12, or IFNγ, among other cytokines by agonizing the TLR 7/8 receptors (Schurich et. al PLoS Pathology 2013, 9, e1003208 and Jo, J et. al PLoS Pathology 2014, 10, e1004210).
For reviews on toll-like receptors see the following journal articles. Hoffmann, J. A., Nature, 426, p33-38, 2003; Akira, S., Takeda, K., and Kaisho, T., Annual Rev. Immunology, 21, p335-376, 2003; Ulevitch, R. J., Nature Reviews: Immunology, 4, p512-520, 2004. O'Neil et. al Nature Reviews Immunology 13, 453-460, 2013. Compounds indicating activity on Toll-Like receptors have been previously described such as WO2006117670, WO98/01448, WO9928321, WO 2009067081, WO2012136834, WO2012156498, WO2014076221 and WO2016141092. There exists a strong need for novel Toll-Like receptor modulators having preferred selectivity, and an improved safety profile compared to the compounds of the prior art.

2,4-diaminoquinazoline derivatives and medical uses thereof

JANSSEN SCIENCES IRELAND UNLIMITED COMPANY