Disclosed are combinations of soy protein, chromium and free leucine in amounts effective to inhibit the loss of lean body mass of a subject under conditions of caloric restriction. The soy protein, chromium and free leucine can be administered in several products, including a powder that is mixable into a liquid beverage (such as a shake), a snack bar, and a nutritional supplement (such as one or more tablets). Some embodiments also include corosolic acid and/or a tea drink that provides an effective dose of taurine. The products may be contained in kits containing the disclosed combinations as well as methods of using the products for weight loss and the inhibition of the loss of lean body mass in a subject during weight loss. The products and methods are also useful in the improvement of lipid profiles (for example reducing total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels).

Obesity has been recognized as a public health problem in the United States and throughout the world. Overweight or obese individuals are at a higher risk for developing diseases such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, type-2 diabetes (non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus or NIDDM), coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder diseases, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, and respiratory problems. Obesity is also associated with a higher prevalence of endometrial, breast, prostate and colon cancers. It is therefore not surprising that obesity is also associated with increased mortality and premature death.
The pharmaceutical industry has developed drugs to help people lose weight. However, no drug has been discovered that allows individuals to eat all they desire and retain a sedentary lifestyle while simultaneously losing weight. Furthermore, the drug products available to the general public, whether by prescription or as over-the-counter preparations, are not free of risk. Known risks include valvular heart disease arising out of the use of the combination of fenfluramine and phentermine (Fen-Phen), and irregular heart beat (arrhythmia) that is associated with the use of phenylpropanolamine (PPA). These risks have resulted in bans on the use of these drugs in weight loss products and programs in some countries.
Health risks of anti-obesity preparations are not limited to prescription and/or over-the-counter medications. The use of ephedra in nutritional products employed for weight loss has been associated with arrhythmia and even sudden death in susceptible individuals.
Weight gain is caused by consuming more calories than the body requires for its basal metabolic functions and additional activities in which an individual is involved. The human body stores these excess calories as fatty deposits (lipids in adipose tissue) throughout the body, but is not able to readily access these fatty deposits to satisfy energy needs. To use these stored lipids as an energy source, the number of calories ingested must be less than the total energy expenditure of the body (basal metabolic rate plus activity level). Under hypocaloric conditions the body consumes fat as a source of fuel, but the switch to energy utilization of stored fat is not instantaneous. The body has feedback mechanisms that attempt to preserve existing lipid stores. Therefore, in the interim between the initial reduction in caloric intake and the conversion of lipids to energy, the body consumes lean body mass as a source of energy. Hepatic gluconeogenesis utilizes amino acids from muscle to generate glucose which the body uses as its preferred energy source. Hence, the body will consume some muscle tissue as its energy source during this period of conversion.
The use of lean body mass as an energy source is vitally important to normal physiology and maintenance of energy homeostasis. Under conditions of caloric restriction muscle tissue represents the primary energy source used to maintain the body's basal metabolic rate. However the reduction in lean body mass retards the loss of fat during periods of intentional caloric restriction intended to induce weight loss. Any weight lost as lean body mass represents weight that would otherwise have been lost as fat. The loss of lean body mass can also reduce muscle mass, which is often considered aesthetically and functionally undesirable.
Reduced caloric intake usually induces cravings for food that reduce adherence to weight loss regimens. These cravings are caused by both psychological and physiological mechanisms. For example, ingested carbohydrates are absorbed from the digestive tract into the bloodstream to increase blood glucose levels. In response to the increase in blood glucose, the pancreas releases insulin to aid in the transport of glucose into the cells of the body where glucose is employed as an energy source. However, if the amount of insulin released is greater than the amount of glucose present (which is often the case in overweight individuals), then the body reacts by signaling the brain to ingest more carbohydrates in order to balance the amount of insulin in the bloodstream. This insulin-induced craving for carbohydrates is very common during periods of caloric restriction.
Food cravings can also be attributed to a lack of specific food types. For instance, individuals who attempt to lose weight by eating a high protein, low fat diet often find themselves craving foods that contain fats. Although there are many "fat-free" foods available in commercially available products, they often lack the palatability provided by the presence of fat.
The use of soy protein in combination with soybean fibers, and optionally also in combination with other vitamins and minerals (such as iron, zinc, iodine, manganese, chromium, and selenium), has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,268,011.
The use of a chromium salt in nutritional products has been the subject of many patents, for instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,954,492; 5,087,623; 5,175,156; 5,194,615; 6,251,888; 6,251,889; 6,323,192; 6,432,942; and 6,471,998. Some of these patents describe the use of a chromium salt, either alone or in combination with other ingredients, in lowering blood levels of lipids and/or controlling blood glucose levels. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,087,624; 6,251,889; 6,323,192; 6,432,942; and 6,471,998 describe the use of chromium salts either alone or in combination with other materials for increasing lean body mass. In this latter context, the chromium salt is employed as an anabolic agent to increase muscle mass when taken while following a strength building exercise program. The use of chromium salts in dietary preparations is also described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,277,842; 6,399,089; and 6,413,545.
Layman et al. have recently noted that a higher protein diet improves utilization of body fat as an energy source, while reducing (but not eliminating) the loss of lean body mass. J. Nutr. 133:411-417, 2003. Layman has also noted that branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) such as leucine are linked to glucose homeostasis by enhancing recycling of glucose via the glucose-alanine cycle. The BCCAs also enhance translational regulation of muscle protein synthesis through the insulin signaling cascade. Increased leucine concentration is sensed by an element of the insulin-signaling pathway that triggers a phosphorylation cascade that stimulates the translational initiation factors eIF4 and p70s6K. J. Nutr. 133:261S-267S, 2003. Although Layman found that reduced-calorie diets that included protein sources with high endogenous BCAA and leucine content (such as red meat, milk and cheese) did reduce loss of lean body mass, about 12-18% of total weight lost was lean body mass loss.
In spite of extensive prior research, there is still a need for a weight-loss product that helps promote a sensation of satiety to assist with a reduction in caloric intake, while substantially preserving lean body mass as weight loss occurs. Although many researchers have contributed to the complex body of knowledge about physiologic energy utilization under conditions of caloric restriction, existing nutritional supplements and regimens still result in an undesired loss of lean body mass.

Compositions, methods and kits for enhancing weight loss while inhibiting loss of lean body mass


The present invention is a circuit for converting the logic voltage levels from those of a first device to those of a second device. This conversion is accomplished while substantially isolating the second device from the effects of the first device that could influence the outputs of the second device that represent the converted logic level voltages.

Modern electronic systems often operate using digital logic. Digital logic is usually characterized by two distinct states which represent a Boolean one and a Boolean zero. However, since there are many different families of electronic devices, each family, or group of families, may define the two logic states at different voltage levels.
For example, a device from a first family may operate with a logic "1" value represented by a 3.2 volt level and a logic "0" value represented by a 0 volt level. The voltage difference between the two signals is the voltage swing, which in this case is 3.2 volts. A device from a second family, on the other hand, may operate with a logic "1" value represented by a 2.4 volt level and a logic "0" value represented by a 1.6 volt level. The voltage swing in this case is 0.8 volts.
There are many situations in which the first device with logic levels of 3.2 volts and 0 volts must communicate with the second device with logic levels of 2.4 volts and 1.6 volts. To do this, the logic levels for one device must be converted to the logic levels of the other device.
If a first device of a first family is considered device A and a second device of a second family is device B, and device A is to communicate with device B, it is necessary to convert the logic levels for device A to those for device B. Therefore, for device A to have its logic signals accepted by device B, its logic "1" value with a 3.2 volt level must be converted down to a 2.4 volt level, and the logic "0" value with a 0 volt level must be converted up to a 1.6 volt level. These conversions will provide the proper logic levels and voltage swing. As such, the voltage swing must be attenuated by 4 from 3.2 volts to 0.8 volts, and the level shifted up by 1.6 v.
Device A's logic "1" value and logic "0" value voltage levels are converted according to the expression: ##EQU1## where,
a=Device A's logic "1" value level of 3.2 volts or logic "0" level of 0 volts.
According to expression (1), the 3.2 volts will convert to 2.4 volts, and the 0 volts will convert to 1.6 volts. A circuit with a network of resistors is used to do this. Such a circuit attenuates the voltage swing, and performs level shifting through the use of a power supply. Accordingly, the converted logic levels are a function of the power supplies driving devices A and B, as well as the signal level generated by device B.
Referring to FIG. 1, a prior art voltage level shifting circuit is shown generally at 1. Device A 2 has a logic "1" value with a 3.2 volt level and a logic "0" value with a 0 volt level. Device B 30 has a logic "1" value with a 2.4 volt level and a logic "0" value with a 1.6 volt level. The portion of the circuit of the present invention in device A 2 has an open source output stage 3. Open source output stage 3 may be a P-channel field effect transistor ("FET"), such as FET 16. Assuming that it is desirable for device A to communicate with device B, the circuit of FIG. 1 will convert the logic levels and permit this communication. To perform the conversion, the voltage level to be converted is input at input 4. Assuming that the first input at input 4 is logic high, 3.2 volts, FET 6, which has a negative/true gate input, will not conduct. However, when the 3.2 volts is applied to the gate input of FET 8, it will conduct.
When FET 8 conducts, line 14 which connects to the gate input of FET 16 (at open source output stage 3) connects to ground 12. Since line 14 now connects to ground 12, the gate input of FET 16 is pulled to 0 volts. The gate input of FET 16 is negative/true, so FET 16 will conduct. When FET 16 conducts, the supply voltage at 10, 3.2 volts, is supplied to R1 resistor 20 which is disposed between the device A 2 and device B 30.
At device B 30, the supply voltage at 32, 1.6 volts, is input to R2 resistor 44. As stated, FET 16 is conducting, so the supply voltage at 10, 3.2 volts, is applied to R1 resistor 20. Now, the voltage contribution from device A must be determined to see if the proper conversion is taking place when FET 16 is conducting.
When FET 16 is conducting, current I.sub.a flows through R1 resistor 20 and R2 resistor 44. Therefore, current I.sub.a is determined by the expression: ##EQU2## The 16 ma of current flowing through R2 resistor 44 will produce a voltage drop according to the expression: EQU V=IR=(16 ma) (50 .OMEGA.)=0.8 volts (3)
Therefore, at V.sub.b 46, the voltage is 1.6 volts+0.8 volts =2.4 volts. Accordingly, the conversion from the 3.2 volt logic high of device A to 2.4 volts logic high of device B is confirmed.
In the situation when a logic low of 0 volts is applied at input 4 at device A 2, FET 6 will conduct and FET 8 will not conduct. When FET 6 conducts, the supply voltage at 10, 3.2 volts, is supplied to line 14. This applies a logic high to the negative/true gate input to FET 16. Since the gate input is a negative/true, a logic low will be applied to FET 16 and FET 16 will not conduct. If FET 16 does not conduct, device A 2 will not make any voltage contribution at V.sub.b 46 and the voltage at this point is only the 1.6 volts provided by supply 32. Hence, when input at input 4 of device A 2 is a logic low of 0 volts, the valid output at 50 is 1.6 volts which is the logic low for device B 30.
The disadvantages of using the prior art circuit shown in FIG. 1 for carrying out the conversion function is its dependence of the output voltage levels of both power supplies 10 and 32, and the fact that as the ambient temperature and power supply of device B change, the signal levels and voltage thresholds of device B do not generally track these changes in the power supply voltages.
The present invention provides a circuit that overcomes these and other problems as will be set forth in the remainder of the specification referring to the drawings.

Self-compensating voltage level shifting circuit


There is provided a collapsible portable container for mounting and storing sports gear in which the device includes a first fixed base, an opposed second base, a support for mounting said first and second bases in an opposed relationship, with the support being adapted to extend between a collapsed position and an extended position, and a plurality of spaced apart garment/gear hanging component extending downwardly from the second base.

Certain types of devices for storing sports equipment have been disclosed, one example being that taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,849. The arrangement disclosed includes a fixed rack of hollow tubular supports which can optionally be enclosed within an outer covering and a tubular rectangularly shaped handle provided for carrying the rack. Other arrangements include yarn package racks or trucks such as is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,149 in which textile material is suspended over supporting frames or racks and is transported between different stations.
The concept of storing sports gear on a rack, although known, has only evolved to the point where storage is feasible but, there are significant disadvantages with arrangements such as those disclosed in the above references. As most sports players will recognize, sports gear after use--e.g. equipment used by a player in a hockey game, has to dry between usages in order to be usable at a future date. The arrangement of the types outlined above are substantially not capable of drying worn gear; furthermore, such arrangements are relatively bulky for storage purposes when not in use.
It would be highly desirable if a sports gear storage container could be collapsed when not in use and which, at the same time, when in use, can provide aeration to permit sports articles, which may be of different sizes, to be dried.


An electronic device such as a cell phone, PDA, or handheld gaming device is provided with a mutable function such as an alarm function, a mute function, and a mute-until function. The mute function mutes the mutable function until deactivated. The mute-until function automatically deactivates the mute function after a condition has been satisfied.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of consumer electronics and more particularly to electronic devices that include mutable alarms.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many electronic devices include alarm functions that can be muted. Examples include cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and gaming devices. In the case of cell phones, for instance, one type of alarm function is an incoming call signal. An alarm of the incoming call signal can be either an audible ringer or a vibrational ringer. Many cell phones allow the user to switch between the audible ringer and the vibrational ringer. Another alarm function that is common amongst electronic devices is a calendared event reminder that activates the alarm upon the calendared event. Another common alarm function is a count-down timer that triggers the alarm after a predetermined time has elapsed.
Typically, electronic devices allow the audible alarms to be muted because such alarms are unwelcome in various environments. Thus, users commonly mute their electronic devices upon entering meetings, theaters, courtrooms, and so forth. A common experience for users of electronic devices, unfortunately, is a missed call or meeting because the user forgot to remove the mute from the alarm function once it was no longer necessary. Therefore, what is needed is a way to automatically remove the mute function from alarm functions.

Mute-until feature for electronic devices


A rotary sprinkler is provided herein capable of providing automatic matched precipitation to arc adjustments. Sprinklers herein includes an arc setting assembly or mechanism that enables reversing, part-circle operation or, in some cases, full-circle operation with automatic matched precipitation coupled to the arc setting mechanism operable to effect automatic matched precipitation based on adjustments to the arc of rotation of the nozzle turret.

Pop-up irrigation sprinklers, in some cases, are buried in the ground and include a stationary housing and a riser assembly mounted within the housing that cycles up during an irrigation cycle and, then, back down into the housing after irrigation is complete. During irrigation, pressurized water typically causes the riser assembly to elevate through an open upper end of the housing and rise above the ground level to distribute water to surrounding terrain. The pressurized water causes the riser assembly to travel upwards against the bias of a spring to the elevated spraying position to distribute water to surrounding terrain through one or more spray nozzles. When the irrigation cycle is completed, the pressurized water supply is shut off and the riser is spring-retracted back into the stationary housing.
A rotary irrigation sprinkler commonly includes a rotatable nozzle turret mounted at the upper end of the riser assembly. The turret includes one or more spray nozzles for distributing water and is rotated through an adjustable arcuate water distribution pattern. Rotary sprinklers commonly include a water-driven motor or other mechanism to transfer energy of the incoming water into a source of power to rotate the turret. One common mechanism uses a water-driven turbine and a gear reduction system to convert the high speed rotation of the turbine into relatively low speed turret rotation. During normal operation, the turret rotates to distribute water outwardly over surrounding terrain in an arcuate pattern.
Rotary sprinklers may also employ arc adjustment systems to change the relative arcuate distance between two stops that define the arcuate limits of rotation for the turret. One stop is commonly fixed with respect to the turret while the second stop can be selectively moved arcuately relative to the turret to increase or decrease the desired arc of coverage. The drive motor may employ a tripping tab that engages the stops and shifts the direction of rotation of the motor output to oscillate the turret in opposite rotary directions in order to distribute water of the designated arc defined by the stops.
There is generally a relationship between the amount of water discharged from a sprinkler nozzle relative to its arc of oscillation at a given speed of rotation. This is commonly referred to as the precipitation rate for the sprinkler, and it relates to how much irrigation water is projected onto a ground surface area defined within the arc of rotation. As the arc of rotation is increased or decreased, the flow of water through the nozzle should be adjusted accordingly so that the same precipitation rate is deposited on the ground independent of the sprinkler's arc of rotation. This concept is often referred to as a matched precipitation rate. Previously, a matched precipitation rate was achieved by switching nozzle configurations when the arc is changed by manually removing and inserting different nozzle inserts for each arc setting. As can be appreciated, this is a cumbersome task and requires multiple nozzle inserts configured for specific arcs of rotation. For example, a sprinkler may have one nozzle insert for a 45° arc of rotation and a different nozzle insert for a 90° arc of rotation. For non-standard arc settings (such as a 67° arc of rotation for example), there may not an appropriate standard-size nozzle insert to achieve matched precipitation. Thus, in many instances, the non-standard arc settings often rely on a less then desired nozzle insert that may be mismatched to the selected arc of rotation. That is, a 67° arc of rotation may need to rely on a 45° or a 75° nozzle insert, but such nozzle insert may not be tailored to provide a desired precipitation rate for a 67° arc of watering.

Arc adjustable rotary sprinkler with automatic matched precipitation


A stator of a steering angle sensor is fixed to a steering column through a combination switch case and a stationary bracket, and a rotor of the sensor is rotatably fitted over a steering shaft. A locking collar is slidably but nonrotatably connected to the rotor. The locking collar and the stator are respectively provided with a locking groove and a locking tooth which engage each other to lock the rotor in a predetermined rotational alignment. When the steering angle sensor is not mounted to a vehicle, the locking groove and the locking tooth are brought into engagement with each other by a locking spring to lock the rotor. When a steering wheel is mounted to the steering shaft in a predetermined rotational neutral position of the steering shaft, a clamping pressure caused by the mounting causes the locking collar to be moved to a lockreleasing position or disengage position and the rotor is connected to the steering shaft. In this manner, the rotational neutral position of the rotor in the steering angle sensor can be easily and accurately aligned with the rotational neutral position of the steering shaft so that a signal corresponding to a rotational angle of the steering shaft from the rotational neutral position, i.e., corresponding to a steering angle, can be detected by a pickup of the stator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to steering angle sensors for automobiles for detecting the rotational angle of a steering shaft from a rotational neutral position, more particularly, the improvements comprise a stator supported on a steering column fixed to a vehicle body and a rotor mounted to a steering shaft rotatably carried in the steering column, the stator having a pickup means provided thereon for detecting the rotational angle of the rotor from a predetermined rotational neutral position thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A known steering angle sensor is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 18707/85. When a steering angle sensor is mounted on an automobile, an error may be produced between the rotational angle of the steering shaft from the neutral position, i.e., the steering angle and the rotational angle of the rotor detected by the pickup of the stator, unless the neutral position of the rotor of the sensor is aligned with the neutral position of the steering wheel. However, it is extremely difficult to provide an exact alignment of the neutral positions of the rotor and steering wheel during vehicle assembly.


A multiple input AD conversion apparatus includes a first unit AD converter including a plurality of first conversion stages connected in cascade to convert a first analog input signal to a first digital output signal, a second unit AD converter including a plurality of second conversion stages connected in cascade to convert a second analog input signal to a second digital output signal, and an operational amplifier shared between the first conversion stage and the second conversion stage in a time sharing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multiple input analog-to-digital conversion apparatus that converts multiple input analog signals such as two or more input analog signals to a digital signal, and a radio receiver using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A pipeline AD (analog-to-digital) converter is known as an AD converter realizing an analog-to-digital conversion at the high speed such as several hundred mega samples per second and a high accuracy more than 10 bits. The pipeline AD converter has a sub ADC (sub AD Converter) and MDAC (Multiplying DA Converter) in a plurality of conversion stages arranged in cascade, outputs MSB (Most Significant Bit) of a digital output signal from a first conversion stage and sequentially outputs lower order bits than the digital output signal on and after a second stage. Since the error of the sub ADC is corrected by a digital correction circuit, the precision of the MDAC having an operational amplifier, a capacitor and a MOS transistor switch is determined by precision of the pipe line AD converter.
The operational amplifier used for the pipeline AD converter needs a high-speed and a high accuracy for the AD converter to operate at high speed. Accordingly, the operational amplifier has a large power consumption in the pipeline AD converter which occupies a considerable ratio to the power consumption of the whole AD converter.
Because the pipe line AD converter outputs a higher order bit in the previous conversion stage, the precision required for each conversion stage is alleviated according to the order of decreasing stage. A method of decreasing an area and power consumption of the operational amplifier according to the order of decreasing stage by alleviating the precision required for each conversion stage is proposed by the non-patent literature 1 (D. W. Cline et al, IEEE J. Solid State Circuits, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 294-303, Mar. 1996). This is a typical design technique of a lower consumption pipeline AD converter.
The non-patent literature 2 (B. M. Min et al, IEEE International Solid-State Circuit Conference Digest of Technical Papers pp. 324-325, 2003) provides a technique of reducing the number of necessary operational amplifiers to one-half by sharing an operational amplifier between adjacent conversion stages in a time sharing every half clock to realize further decreased power consumption of the pipeline AD converter. Such technique of sharing the operational amplifier in a time sharing utilizes that each of the adjacent conversion stages of the pipe line AD converter is in an active state every half clock.
The technique of sharing an operational amplifier between adjacent conversion stages in a time sharing cannot use an optimum operational amplifier on each conversion stage. In the case that an operational amplifier is shared between an N-th conversion stage and a (N+1)-th conversion stage in a time sharing, if the operational amplifier is optimized for the N-th conversion stage, the (N+1)-th conversion stage increases in power consumption and area more than necessary. Accordingly, according to the technique of the non-patent literature 1, the number of operational amplifiers decreases to one-half, but the power consumption is reduced only as much as 20-30%.
A plurality of AD converters are often used for subjecting to analog-to-digital conversion orthogonal modulation/demodulation signals or received signals from a plurality of receiving antennas in communications use such as a radio receiver. Accordingly, low power consumption of the AD converter is strongly required, and a solution is expected.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a multiple input analog-to-digital conversion apparatus which can realize lower power consumption than a conventional pipeline AD converter with respect to input analog signals of a plurality of channels.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a radio receiver of low power consumption by means of a multiple input analog-to-digital conversion apparatus.

Multiple input analog-to-digital conversion apparatus and radio receiver using the same


A frequency comparator outputs an input reference signal and a comparison target signal as pulse-form signals, and is charged or discharged with a voltage corresponding to the reference signal to output a reference voltage having a variable first frequency range, and charged or discharged with a voltage corresponding to the comparison target signal to output a comparison target voltage having a variable second frequency range. The frequency comparator compares the reference voltage having the first frequency range and the comparison output voltage having the second frequency range.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fast wideband frequency comparator.
(b) Description of the Related Art
As next generation mobile communication systems continue to progress, systems that operate faster and in a broadband range are being actively developed. Thus, much research is being conducted on technologies for quickly generating a clock signal and quickly finding a desired band. One of the essential parts of this research is a frequency comparator.
A conventional frequency comparator will be discussed below.
The conventional frequency comparator compares the frequency of a target signal with the frequency of a reference signal to determine whether the frequency of the target signal is fast or slow. To this end, two counters are used to compare the frequencies of two signals. The first counter operates using a target signal as a clock signal, and the second counter operates using a reference signal as a clock signal. When one of the two counters reaches a preset value, a comparison process using the comparator is performed to output a corresponding comparison signal.
In the case of frequency comparison using these counters, however, it takes several tens of microseconds to obtain a comparison result of the frequencies of two signals, which is quite long. Moreover, it is necessary to increase the number of counter bits for higher comparison accuracy. Therefore, the conventional frequency counter is not appropriate for a wireless communication system requiring fast operations.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE


A cyanide-free method and reagent for determining the concentration of total hemoglobin in a whole blood sample accurately in less than 10 seconds including a ligand selected from the group consisting of imidiazole, imidazole derivatives, N-hydroxyacetamide, N-hydroxyl amine, pyridine, oxazole, thiazole, pyrazole, pyrimidine, purine, quinoline, and isoquinoline, and a surfactant with strong erythrolytic capability selected from the group consisting of lauryl dimethylamine oxide and octylphenoxy polyethoxyethanol. The reagent pH is adjusted to about 11 to about 14. Rapid mixing of the reagent with a blood sample leads to the formation of a stable chromogen whose absorbance can be measured between 540 and 550 nm. The cyanide-free reagent is ideal for use on an automated high through-put clinical hematology analyzer.

The science of hematology has long recognized the importance of measuring the amount of hemoglobin in a blood sample since it is the hemoglobin molecule which transports oxygen from the lungs to the various tissues and organs of the body. The accurate measurement of hemoglobin concentration in a patient's blood is arguably the most important parameter determined in a hematology analysis. The hemoglobin concentration is used to screen for anemia which in turn is a sign of underlying disease.
In countries with a "Western Diet", a hemoglobin concentration below 14 grams per deciliter (g/dL) in men and 12 g/dL in women is indicative of anemia. The causes of anemia are many and a low hemoglobin concentration is a strong signal for a thorough workup by the patient's physician. Therefore an accurate and reliable method for measuring hemoglobin concentration is a vital part of any hematology system. The two most common reasons for a patient to be anemic are blood loss and dietary deficiencies in iron, vitamin B12, or Folic Acid. In the former case it is mandatory for the physician to determine the cause of the blood loss and treat it. And again in the latter case, a proper diagnosis is needed to define the appropriate nutritional supplemental treatment.
In addition to its importance as the primary indicator of anemia, the hemoglobin concentration is used in combination with other blood cell parameters to calculate several indices. The Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH) is the mass of hemoglobin per red cell and is calculated by dividing the hemoglobin concentration by the number of Red Blood Cells in the comparable volume. The Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) is the weight percent of hemoglobin in a Red Blood Cell and is calculated by dividing the hemoglobin concentration by the hematocrit and converting to percent. Both MCH and MCHC are useful parameters in the diagnosis of an anemia. Their importance further emphasizes the necessity of making an accurate and reliable measurement of the hemoglobin concentration in a blood sample.
Modern methods of measuring the hemoglobin content utilize spectrophotometry to quantitate the amount of the oxygen-carrying protein in the sample. The requirements of any spectrophotometric method to measure hemoglobin in a blood sample are two-fold:
1. The method must release all the hemoglobin from the red blood cell in which it is sequestered; and
2. The method must convert all the hemoglobin in the sample into a single chromogenic species, regardless of what form the hemoglobin is in when the reaction is begun.
The first requirement can be achieved by many means; the simplest being to dilute the blood sample in distilled water to effect a hypotonic lysis. However, modern automated hematology instruments require a more rapid lysis than can be achieved with hypotonic lysis. Frequently, surfactants are added to the lysing reagent to hasten the release of hemoglobin and to clear any turbidity which may be in the sample due to elevated lipid content. Various kinds of surfactants are suitable for this task, including anionic, non-ionic, zwitterionic, and cationic. The amount of surfactant required can range from about 100 mg/L to about 50 g/L, depending on the "potency" of the surfactant and the ionic strength of the reagent.
The second requirement necessitates an understanding of the chemistry of the heme iron which carries oxygen when complexed in a globin protein molecule. The heme iron is maintained in the +2 (Fe.sup.II) oxidation state in a normal blood sample. Since the blood sample is usually taken from a vein, the hemoglobin is mostly in the de-oxy state; that is, no oxygen is bound to the heme iron. However, as soon as the sample comes into contact with the atmosphere or is diluted into an oxygen containing buffer or lysing reagent, it is rapidly converted into oxy-hemoglobin; the heme iron binds oxygen but stays in the Fe.sup.II (reduced) state. In many cases, the amount of hemoglobin in the sample could be determined from the oxy-hemoglobin chromogen which is formed naturally upon exposure to air. However, there are some conditions which make this simple solution unacceptable. In some diseases, genetic conditions, or poisonings, a patient may have a significant amount of met hemoglobin in circulation. In met hemoglobin, the heme iron is in the +3, (Fe.sup.III) oxidized state. It cannot bind oxygen, nor can it readily be reduced to Fe.sup.II so that it can bind oxygen to be measured as oxy hemoglobin. Also, heavy cigarette smokers and workers exposed to high concentrations of automobile exhaust frequently accumulate a high concentration of carbon monoxide bound to their heme iron. Carbon monoxide is tightly bound and blocks the binding of oxygen, thereby causing an error in the concentration of hemoglobin if determined by the oxy hemoglobin method. The most commonly used approach to the measurement of hemoglobin is to oxidize all the heme iron to the +3 state and to introduce a ligand which will quantitatively bind to all the heme iron to produce a single chromogenic species for quantitation by spectrophotometry.
The classical method is that of Drabkin. Briefly, the hemoglobin is released by hypotonic lysis (modern adaptations have added surfactants to speed the lysis), the heme iron is oxidized to Fe.sup.III by means of potassium ferricyanide, and the iron reacted with the cyanide anion of potassium cyanide. Cyanide binds very tightly to Fe.sup.III and gives a distinctive chromogen with a peak at about 540 nm. Recent adaptations have involved the deletion of the ferricyanide oxidizing agent and have depended on the oxidation of the heme iron by atmospheric oxygen (or oxygen equilibrated reagents) at elevated pH in the presence of surfactants; cyanide is still used as the heme iron ligand in most procedures in spite of its well-known toxicity.
Many automated hematology analyzers utilize a modification of Drabkin's method. In these methods, red cells are lysed by a cationic surfactant at pH above 10 in the presence of cyanide. Under these conditions, white cell nuclei remain intact and can be counted by common impedance methods. Hemoglobin is measured by taking the optical density of the same solution at 540 nm, as is customarily done with Drabkin's method. The method can yield erroneous measurements in samples which have a high white cell count because of turbidity due to scattering of light by the nuclei. Lipemic and icteric samples also can interfere due to turbidity or increased absorbance of the sample. The present invention avoids these problems by providing a reagent which measures hemoglobin free from interference due to other blood components.
Stroupe, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,435) disclose the use of imidazole as a ligand for the determination of glycosylated hemoglobin in the presence of an allosteric effector. They also disclose the use of a surfactant lysing agent, an oxidizing agent, and a heme-binding ligand to determine the amount of hemoglobin in a sample. Stroupe, et at. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,385) also disclose reagent kits containing the above reagents. The present invention differs from that disclosed by the Stroupe, et al. patents in that it requires no added oxidizing agent and in that the reaction is completed within 10 seconds as opposed to approximately 10 minutes in the prior art invention.
Benezra, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,853,338) disclose a cyanide-free hemoglobin reagent which comprises a very high surfactant concentration (20 to 50 g/L) and a pH between 11.3 and 13.7. From the elevated pH, and the large amount of N.sub.a OH required to achieve the desired pH, it can be inferred that the heme-binding ligand of this invention is the hydroxide anion. If the hydroxide ion content of the reagent is not high enough, the heme will not be converted stoichiometrically to a single chromogen since water which is present at high (55M) concentration will compete for iron binding sites and may give an erroneous result. The present invention avoids this problem.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cyanide-free method and reagent for the determination of total hemoglobin present in a whole blood sample. It is a further object of this invention to provide a rapid method for total hemoglobin determination which can be used on automated instruments. It is another object of this invention to provide a cost effective reagent. It is another object of this invention to provide a method for total hemoglobin determination in whole blood without the interference of other blood components.
These and further objects of the invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the following description and figures.

Cyanide-free reagent and method for the determination of hemoglobin


A method of identifying an abnormal T-cell profile of an immunocompromised subject is disclosed. The method involves detecting the immunoreactivity of T-cells with at least two antibodies selectively reactive with naive T-cell surface proteins and comparing data from cells isolated from an immunocompromised subject with data from cells isolated form a non-immunocompromised subject. Also disclosed are methods of screening drugs or compounds for efficacy to stimulate the production of naive T cells in a subject.

Clinical evaluation of a patient infected with HIV virus (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; AIDS) currently relies on physician evaluation of patient status in conjunction with quantitation of T-cell lymphocytes present in the patient's blood. Such cell counts, though reflecting the gross progression of the disease, do not provide specific information concerning either the functional status of the patient's immune system nor the efficacy of particular therapeutic agents in treating the infection, since T-cells comprise a heterogeneous mixture of cell types. There are at least two major subsets of T-cells, termed CD4 and CD8.
Recently, investigators have developed assays which employ fluorescently tagged monoclonal antibodies to specific cell antigens and Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) to determine the relative proportions of the various lymphocyte classes in a patient's blood. Such assays have shown that HIV viral infection differentially affects the various blood cell types. Persons infected with the HIV virus, and particularly those persons characterized as having Acquired Immune Deficiency (AIDS) or Aids Related Complex (ARC) have been shown to have reduced numbers of CD4 cells and, in many cases, elevated proportions of CD8 cells.
In evaluating treatments and/or therapies for AIDS, as well as in determining which existing therapies are most appropriate for a particular AIDS patient, it is important to have an accurate measure of the extent of the disease (i.e., the stage to which the disease has progressed) in the subjects under evaluation, so that results of such studies can be interpreted in a meaningful manner. Such "staging" information has historically been inferred from the total CD4+ T lymphocyte (T cell) counts, which are known to fall progressively as the disease advances.
As is disclosed below, however, the use of total CD4+ T cell counts as a measure of the advancement of AIDS fails to detect aspects and consequences of the disease that are important in the choice of therapies at particular stages, and the evaluation of the effectiveness of experimental therapies.
The present invention provides methods of staging the advancement or progress of AIDS, as well as other diseases and/or conditions affecting the function of the immune system, that are more useful and accurate than total CD4 T cell counts.

Methods for determining T-cell profiles of immunocompromised subjects

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University


A cutting tool including a toolholder for releasably receiving a plurality of quadrilateral cutting inserts in which adjacent cutting inserts are partially nested for their greater compaction and whereby their operative cutting edges overlap so as to present an effectively continuous cutting edge. The cutting inserts each having upper and lower surfaces, a side surface associated with a cutting edge and a pair of opposite side surfaces directed transversely thereto, the insert having an upper and base insert edges defined by the respective intersections of the upper and lower surfaces and a first of the opposite side surfaces, at least one of the surfaces associated with the insert base edge having a recessed portion of varying depth relative to the upper insert edge along imaginary lines parallel to the major cutting edge in a bottom view of the cutting insert, the depth being maximal remote from the major cutting edge.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,887 to Dotany, there is illustrated and described an end mill with one or more helical arrays of radially mounted quadrilateral cutting inserts. Along each helical array, the cutting inserts are so disposed that a radially directed upper edge of a cutting insert overlaps a radially directed upper edge of an adjacent cutting insert whilst their operative cutting edges axially overlap to constitute a fully effective cutting edge during a cutting operation.
End mills of this type require that a cutting insert's lower surface is clear of an inner upper insert corner remote from its adjacent cutting insert's operative cutting edge. Thus, in an exemplary right hand end mill having cutting inserts stepping up along a left hand helix shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 corresponding to FIGS. 1 and 3 of US '887, a cutting insert's lower surface clears the inner upper insert corner remote from the trailing end of its adjacent cutting insert's operative cutting edge.
This limiting feature in an end mill having a relatively small diameter or adapted for use with cutting inserts whose dimensions are relatively large relative to its diameter results in a large insert to insert angular pitch denoted A in FIG. 2 causing inter alia noisy and interrupted cutting.

Cutting insert and cutting tool using the same


Structure of a bifurcation site and crossover site of a guideway in a guided vehicle transportation system; in which the guideway consists of left and right roadbeds, a depression between the roadbeds, and a guard rail having a U-shaped groove laid down on the depression; and a fail-safe mechanism is constituted by the guard rail and guard wheels attached to the vehicle; is proposed. The vehicle is equipped with automatic steering mechanisms for steering front and rear wheels and guard wheels supported laterally rotatably by front and rear supporting arms which are supported laterally rotatably underside the vehicle. The guard wheels are received in the groove of the guard rail. A movable guard plate and driving means thereof are provided to switch connection of the groove of the guard rail at a bifurcation thereof, and a movable plate and driving means thereof are provided to be able to plug or cover each of openings of grooves of guard rails in a region where the guard rail crosses a roadbed so that the movable plate is moved to plug or cover the groove thereby preparing a flat surface level with the roadbed.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to structure of bifurcation and crossover sites of a guideway in a guided vehicle transportation system in which a vehicle supported by traveling wheels such as rubber-tired wheels for example travels on a guideway, the vehicle being equipped with an automatic steering mechanism and a fail-safe mechanism for coping with a case malfunction has occurred in the automatic steering mechanism or strong external lateral force due to a gust of cross wind, etc. exerts on the vehicle.
2. Technical Background
In a new transit system, a vehicle which travels by rotating rubber-tired wheels is generally provided with guide wheels which are guided along a guide rail laid down on a guideway along the guideway so that the vehicle is steered to travels along the guideway, and the vehicle is usually steered mechanically.
The mechanical guide mechanism is superior in point of view of safety and reliability, however, structure of bogies to which the wheels and driving mechanism thereof are mounted becomes complicated inevitably, is increased in weight, and results in increased running costs. Further, it is necessary to lay down the guard rail having enough strength to support the guide wheels all along the guideway with high accuracy, which results in increased construction costs of the guideway.
In order to eliminate the problems mentioned above, a steering system not requiring a guide rail is proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2002-351544(patent literature 1).
The steering system of a guided vehicle disclosed in the patent literature 1 is composed such that a plurality of on-ground devices which memorize and send out information necessary for the operation of the vehicle are laid down along the whole length of the track on which the vehicle travels, the control device installed on the vehicle emits signals based on the information sent out from the on-ground devices when the vehicle travels along the track, and the vehicle is steered by the steering device installed on the vehicle in accordance with the signals. With the steering system, a guide rail for steering the vehicle is not required, construction and maintenance costs can be reduced, and also vibration and noise are reduced.
The steering system of the patent literature 1 will be explained referring to FIGS. 28a, 28b, and FIG. 29. FIG. 28a is a schematic side elevation of a vehicle provided with the conventional steering system, FIG. 28b is a schematic front elevation of FIG. 28a, and FIG. 29 is a schematic plan view of the conventional steering system. Referring to FIGS. 28a, 28b, and FIG. 29, reference numeral 03 is a vehicle used in the new tramway transit system, the vehicle 03 is a vehicle used in a new transit system and travels along a track 01. The vehicle 03 is supported on front and rear bogies 04 which supported by rubber-tired wheels 05 attached thereto. The wheels are driven by drive motors 06 and steered by actuators 07.
The steering system includes on-ground devices 02, a transmitter 09, a receiver 09, a control device 010, and a steering device 020. The vehicle is steered by turning the wheels 05. A plurality of non-exited on-ground devices 02 are laid down on the track 01 along whole length thereof at a predetermined spacing. Specific information is memorized in each of the on-ground devices. The specific information includes the discrimination number, position information, track information, and control information of the concerned on-ground device.
Position information(geographic site information) is information concerning the position of each on-ground device 02 such as the absolute coordinate point and distance from a reference point. Further, track information expressing conditions of the track at the site of each on-ground device such as the gradient, curvature, cant, ramification of the track are memorized in each of the on-ground device as necessary(the information is collectively referred to as operation information hereafter).
Although each of the on-ground devices 02 is not exited, i.e. has not been provided with power sources, it emits signals of the information memorized upon receiving electric power. The on-ground device 02 has for example an electronic circuit including ROM for memorizing operation information.
The transmitter 08 is a device for feeding electric power by means of a radio wave. The receiver 09 is a device for receiving the operation information emitted from the on-ground device 02 when the device 02 has received the radio wave. The control device 010 is a device for performing prescribed processing based on the operation information the receiver 09 received and transmitting directive signal of speed and steering of the vehicle to the drive motor 06 and actuator 07.
The steering device 020 is a device for turning the wheel 05 under the steering directive and comprises an electric or hydraulic or pneumatic actuator 07 connected to an end of an arm 011 of which the other end is supported for rotation by a pin 012 fixed to the bogie 04, a connecting rod 059, levers 056a and 056b for left and right wheel 05 respectively, and a tie rod 057 for connecting the levers.
When the actuator 07 is actuated by the steering directive from the control device 010, the arm 011 is rotated about the pin 012 and the levers 056a, 056b are turned via the connecting rod 059 and the tie rod 057 to turn the wheels 05 to the right or left.
According to the automatic steering system, the vehicle 03 is steered based on the operation information memorized in the on-ground devices 02 without using a guide rail, etc. Therefore, construction cost of the track 01 is decreased to a large extent because the guide rail, etc. is not needed. Further, as wear-out parts such as guide wheels are not used, maintenance cost is decreased, and also occurrence of vibration and noise which will occur when the guide rail and guide wheels are provided due to the contact between them can be reduced.
However, according to the automatic steering system disclosed in the patent literature 1, mechanical steering by means of the guide rail and guide wheels is not performed, and a problem of securing safety of vehicle traveling against runaway and running out of track when malfunction occurs in the steering system and under abnormal circumstances caused by strong wind, rainfall, snowfall, etc. has not been solved.
The applicant of this patent application proposed such a fail-safe mechanism in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2006-175962 (patent literature 2) that can secure safety when malfunction occurs in the steering system with simple and light-in-weight construction.
The fail-safe mechanism is composed such that a guard groove is formed along the guideway of a guard rail havin a groove is laid down on a guideway along the guideway, and the vehicle is provided with guard wheels under the front and rear bogies supporting the vehicle body so that the vehicle travels with the guard wheels received in the groove of the guard rail. An ample clearance is secured between the periphery of the guard wheel and both side walls of the groove of the guard rail, the clearance being smaller than permissible limit clearance so that running out of the guide wheels from the groove does not occur.
When the automatic steering system functions normally, the vehicle travels with the guard wheels not contacting the side walls of the groove, however, when malfunction occurs in the automatic steering system or external force exerts on the vehicle due to a gust of cross wind for example, the guard wheels contact the side wall of the groove and running out of the guide wheels from the groove is prevented.
However, in the guided vehicle transportation system provided with the fail-safe mechanism as mentioned above, there are inevitably bifurcation site or crossover site such as Y-shaped fork roads or X-shaped fork roads, where guard rail diverges into two or more guard rails.
As the width of the groove of the guard rail is larger than the diameter of the guard wheel so that a permissible clearance is secured between the periphery of the guard wheel and side walls of the groove, for example, when the diameter of the guard wheel is 150 mm, the width of the groove of the guard rail is determined to be about 250˜300 mm. At apart where the guard rail crosses a roadbed on which the traveling wheels of the vehicle travel, the traveling wheels must cross over the opening of the groove of the guard rail. When the width of the opening of the groove of the guard rail is wide as mentioned above, tires of the traveling wheels may fall into the groove or be bitten into the opening of the groove when passing over the guide rail, suffer injury, and vibration occurs which deteriorate ride quality. Further, there is a possibility that the guard rail is damaged.

Structure of bifurvation and crossover site of guideway in guided vehicle transportation system


A computer-readable storage medium stores a program for causing a processor to perform a process including: acquiring a first address that specifies a start address of a first area on the main memory where a target data to be cached is stored and range information that specifies a size of the first area on the main memory; converting the first address into a second address that specifies a start address of a second area on the local memory, the second area having a one-to-n correspondence (n=positive integer) to a part of a bit string of the first address; copying the target data stored in the first area specified by the first address and the range information onto the second area specified by the second address and the range information; and storing the second address to allow accessing the target data copied onto the local memory.

In a recent computer system, there is widely used a temporary storage device, such as a cache memory or a local memory, which has a smaller capacity and a higher data transfer rate than those of a main memory, in order to compensate for a difference between a data processing speed of a processor and the data transfer rate of the main memory. The temporary storage device increases substantive data transfer rate in performing access the main memory and improve efficiency in data processing by the processor.
However, the temporary storage device is not capable of storing all of the data on the main memory. For this reason, it is necessary to replace the data stored in the temporary storage device with necessary data in accordance with a data access by the processor. However, in some cases, when data to be accessed in the near future by the processor are stored in the temporary storage device, the data may be replaced with other data in accordance with the data access by the processor. When this replacement occurs, the replaced data need to be re-read from the main memory when the processor needs to access the replaced data.
Therefore, there is proposed a technique for prohibiting the replacement of the data stored in a specific area of the temporary storage device. An example of such technique is disclosed in JP-A-2001-290705 (also published as U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,859,862 B1, 6,681,296 B2, and US 2002/0062424 A1).
In the technique disclosed in the document JP-A-2001-290705, it is necessary to determine whether or not the data to be accessed is stored on the temporary storage device every time the processor requests to access the temporary storage device.

Information processing apparatus and computer-readable storage medium


The instant disclosure relates to an apparatus, system and methods for determining the impact attenuation or hardness of a surface for a playground or sports field in order to mitigate or reduce sports and playground related injuries.

a. Field of the Invention
The instant disclosure relates to an apparatus, system and methods for determining the hardness of a surface, and in particular, the instant disclosure relates to a device, system and methods for determining the impact attenuation or hardness of a surface for a playground or sports field in order to mitigate or reduce sports and playground related injuries.
b. Background Art
In the United States alone, over 100,000 children go to the emergency room every year because of a fall onto a playground safety surface, which represents over 50% of all playground injuries. Between 1999 and 2000, 31 children died as a result of a fall onto the safety surface. Equally concerning is that brain injuries for this group continues to be on the rise since 2004 with over 110,000 children age 14 and under suffering a sports related traumatic brain injury. In 2012 nearly 4,600 children in the United States under the age of five suffered from a traumatic brain injury on the playground. While United States statistics are reported herein, this is a worldwide issue.
In an attempt to prevent these injuries, some playground owners install and maintain an impact attenuating safety surface in the use zone of the playground area. However, playground owners need data to assess which playground safety surface to use prior to purchase as well as, more importantly, data on how their safety surfacing is performing in use.
In the United States, it is estimated that there about 200,000 playgrounds at schools and local parks. These playgrounds are owned and operated by approximately 17,600 school districts and 9,900 city, county, state and federal park districts. Commonly there is overlap between these two segments for playground ownership and maintenance whereas the local park district will maintain and/or own the schools' playground.
According to Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) training, ASTM standards and Consumer Product Safety Commission guidelines, playground owners are to install and maintain impact attenuating surfaces in the use zones around playground equipment. As an example, ASTM F1292, titled Standard Specification for Impact Attenuation of Surfacing Materials Within the Use Zone of Playground Equipment, establishes minimum performance requirements for the impact attenuation of playground surfacing materials installed within the use zone of playground equipment. ASTM F1292 is incorporated herein by reference.
Additionally, CPSI training recommends playground owners inspect and maintain the playground surface and keep maintenance logs proving the surface was inspected and maintained to provide critical fall height protection. However, playground owners lack a quick, cost effective and convenient way to assess the impact attenuation provided by the safety surface as part of the routine playground maintenance schedule. Therefore, most playground owners and CPSIs can only report that the surface was visually inspected and maintained to a certain depth but they cannot routinely test and verify in the field that it is providing sufficient impact attenuation to prevent injuries.
Today, the safety of a playground surface is determined by assessing its risk to generate a Critical Brain Injury at a given fall height. This is done by conducting a test set out in ASTM Standard F1292, and in particular ASTMF1292-13, all of which are incorporated by reference herein. This test primarily utilizes a Triax2010 manufactured by Alpha Automation to determine the critical fall height of a playground safety surface. Similarly, in Europe, the test standard is the EN1177, incorporated by reference herein.
However, the current test equipment is prohibitively expensive for mass market use and the level of acceptable injury risk allowed from a fall onto a playground safety surface is outdated. Today, in large part, playground owners unknowingly subject children to high risk levels of a fatality or Critical Brain Injury should they fall, and they lack a quick, convenient method to assess that risk.
Because the current test equipment is too expensive for a playground owner to purchase and maintain and too cumbersome and fragile for frequent use, most playground safety surfaces are evaluated in a lab prior to purchase and installation, instead of in the playground once it is installed and in use.
The level of acceptable risk allowed during a fall onto a playground safety surface is severely outdated and other industries have taken great steps to limit risks. A playground safety surface is deemed safe and acceptable if it generates a Head Injury Criterion (HIC) value of 1,000 or less. A 1,000 HIC translates into a 2% risk of a fatality and an 8% risk of a non-recoverable brain injury as a result of a fall onto the surface.
The automobile industry provides a much safer environment for its occupants. For example, for a car to earn a "Good" rating in a NHTSA 40 MPH front offset crash, the HIC cannot exceed 560. For a car to earn a "Poor" rating the HIC cannot exceed 840, as compared to a 1,000 HIC allowed on a playground. For comparison, a 500 HIC translates into a 0% risk of a fatality and a 2% risk of a non-recoverable brain injury.
As such, there is a need for a cost effective and convenient solution for playground owners to assess the impact attenuation of the surfacing materials and keep a maintenance log of those assessments. The instant disclosure provides such advantages and solutions.

Apparatus, system and methods for determining the impact attenuation of a surface


A bipolar power supply capable of selectably supplying either a positive or a negative voltage at an output terminal. The power supply comprises a first operational amplifier, a second operational amplifier, a first transistor electrically connected to a positive voltage source and a second transistor electrically connected to a negative voltage source. The first transistor is electrically connected to the first operational amplifier and the second transistor is electrically connected to the second operational amplifier so that the first and second amplifiers control the operation of the first and second transistors respectively. The inputs of the first and second operational amplifiers are electrically connected in a manner that prevents them from simultaneously providing large positive voltages at their outputs.

The present invention relates to power supplies and, in particular, to a bipolar power supply capable of selectably supplying either a positive or a negative voltage at an output terminal.
In many electronic systems, it is desirable to be able to selectably provide a load with either a positive or a negative voltage. Such bipolar power supplies currently are fabricated in a variety of fashions. However, most have complicated designs and require the use of a large number of transistors, which occupy a large amount of space on the circuit board and are expensive to manufacture.
There is therefore the need for a bipolar power supply having a simple, inexpensive design that can effectively provide either a positive or a negative voltage at an output.


A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a function block arranged on a substrate, a first buffering cell arranged adjacent to a first side of the function block, a second buffering cell arranged adjacent to a second side adjacent to the first side of the function block, and signal wiring passing over the function block obliquely relative to the first side and the second side, connecting the first buffering cell and the second buffering cell.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit and the fabrication method, particularly to the semiconductor integrated circuit that comprises a function block and a global signal wiring, and the fabrication method.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following design techniques are generalized for high-speed, large scale integrated circuit (LSI) design. To begin with, a circuit employed in a semiconductor integrated circuit is converted into hard macro blocks (function blocks) each corresponding to a function. The function blocks are then automatically arranged upon the semiconductor integrated circuit substrate, and the terminals of each function block are electrically connected to other circuits through wiring. This type of design is executed using a computer aided design (CAD) system.
Here, the semiconductor integrated circuit includes at least an integrated circuit that employs standard cell method and an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or the like. A wire herein means a signal wiring having a relatively long length passing across the entire substrate, such as a data bus through which transmission/reception of a data signal is performed between function blocks or with another circuit, or an address bus through which transmission/reception of an address signal is performed. Such a signal wiring is typically called a global signal wiring. Furthermore, the substrate during the design phase means a virtual substrate constructed in a memory space of the CAD system, and corresponds to a real semiconductor substrate or a real semiconductor chip of an actual product (a semiconductor integrated circuit).
Since the number of wiring layers is limited in semiconductor integrated circuit design, when the areas above the function blocks are set as prohibition areas for the global signal wirings, the global signal wirings must bypass the function block perimeter. When the size of the function blocks is extremely large relative to the substrate size, the necessary length of the global signal wirings for bypassing is extremely long. The increased global signal wiring length may cause an operation timing error (a timing violation), requiring redesigning.
In order to avoid an increase in wiring lengths, a design method of limiting the wiring layers utilized for connecting within the function block to only a few layers from the bottom layer upward, and allocating global signal wirings to the upper wiring layers could be employed. According to this design method, the global signal wirings may pass over the function block.
However, the following problems are not taken into account in such a semiconductor integrated circuit design method.
The global signal wirings may pass over the function block with the above design method; however additional buffering cells may not be arranged inside the function block in accordance with the global signal wiring passing route. In this case, the buffering cell is a circuit (intermediate cell) that amplifies a signal (increases driving capability) to be propagated through a global signal wiring.
Furthermore, since arrangement of buffering cells within the function block is impossible, arrangement of a buffering cell outside of the function block in the vicinity of each facing side of the function block, and connecting these buffering cells by means of the global signal wiring that passes over the function block is needed. Nevertheless, in the case of a function block of a huge size, the length of the global signal wiring that passes over the function block is extremely long, and the wiring capacitance thereof increases. Even if a buffering cell of high drive ability is arranged, the signal rising/falling time falls outside of design rule limitations, and timing error occurs. That is to say, the wiring length that a buffering cell can drive has a limit. So, in the case of a function block of a huge size, since a global signal wiring that passes over the function block cannot be arranged, a global signal wiring that bypasses the function block must be arranged.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, basic structure of a semiconductor integrated circuit according to a related art includes a function block 2 upon a substrate 1, a first buffering cell 3a, which is arranged in the vicinity of a first side 2a of the function block 2, a second buffering cell 3b1 and a third buffering cell 3b2, which is arranged in the vicinity of a second side 2b adjacent to the first side 2a, and a fourth buffering cell 3c, which is arranged in the vicinity of a third side 2c adjacent to the second side 2b. The first buffering cell 3a and the second buffering cell 3b1 are connected by signal wiring 4a that bypasses the function block 2. The second buffering cell 3b1 and the third buffering cell 3b2 are connected by signal wiring 4b. The third buffering cell 3b2 and the fourth buffering cell 3c are connected by signal wiring 4c that bypasses the function block 2. When global signal wiring to bypass the function block 2 is long, by reason of a limit to the wiring length that buffering cell 3a to 3c can drive, it is necessary to arrange a plurality of buffering cells between the first buffering cell 3 a and the fourth buffering cell 3c.
It should be noted that this type of semiconductor integrated circuit design method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,436,804 B2.

Semiconductor integrated circuit having an oblique global signal wiring and semiconductor integrated circuit wiring method


A peak detection circuit with double peak detection stages includes an analog peak detector, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a digital peak detector. The analog peak detector receives an analog input signal, detects a peak value of the analog input signal with a first period, and outputs an analog peak signal. The ADC receives the analog peak signal and converts it into a digital signal. The digital peak detector receives the digital signal, detects the peak value of the digital signal with a second period longer than the first period, and outputs a digital peak signal. Therefore, the analog peak signal will not decay seriously due to the leakage and the digital peak signal can hold the digital peak value for a long time.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a peak detection circuit, and more particularly to a peak detection circuit, which has an analog and a digital peak detectors, to hold the peak value for a long time.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to detect the frequency of the wobbling tracks of a typical DVD-R (Digital versatile disk Recordable) correctly, the pre-pits for recording the address information are additionally formed between adjacent tracks. Because the pre-pits are uniformly formed over the entire surface of the DVD-R, the reference addresses of the DVD-R may be reproduced from the pre-pits.
FIG. 1 shows an architecture diagram of a slicing device for slicing the pre-pit signal in a typical DVD-R recorder. As shown in FIG. 1, the slicing device 10 utilizes a low-pass filter (LPF) 11 to filter out the high-frequency components of the input signal RF and then generate an average signal. Next, the slicing device utilizes an adder 12 to add a constant voltage 13 to the average signal and then generate a reference signal. Finally, the slicing device 10 utilizes a comparator 14 to compare the input signal RF with the reference signal and thus to generate the pre-pit signal.
In general, the amplitude of the pre-pit signal is influenced by many factors, including the quality and reflectance of the DVD-R and the property and position of the pick-up head in the optical driver. Therefore, if the reference signal is generated by adding a constant voltage as shown in FIG. 1, slicing errors may be caused owing to the amplitude variation of the pre-pit signal.
FIG. 2 shows an architecture diagram of another slicing device for slicing a pre-pit signal in a DVD-R recorder. Referring to FIG. 2, the slicing device 20 includes a low-pass filter (LPF) 11, a peak detector 22, a voltage computing unit 23, and a comparator 14. The device 20 utilizes the peak detector 22 to detect the peak voltage of the RF signal, and simultaneously utilizes the low-pass filter 11 to filter out the high-frequency components of the RF signal, and then to generate an average signal. Next, the voltage computing unit 23 is utilized to add the peak voltage to the average signal, and then the reference signal is generated by multiplying the sum by a gain such as 0.5 by a voltage regulator 232. Finally, the slicing device 20 utilizes a comparator 14 to compare the RF signal with the reference signal and then to generate the pre-pit signal.
However, if the holding time for the typical peak detector becomes longer, the latched voltage is not the true peak voltage owing to the current leakage. If the capacitor is enlarged in order to reduce the effect of current leakage, the response time of the peak detector will be lengthened and it is difficult to detect each peak signal.

Peak detection circuit with double peak detection stages


A plug and/or a plug and cord connector set that includes integrated circuitry for use with decorative lighting products such as Christmas lights and rope lights. The integrated circuitry included in the plug and/or plug and cord connector combination can serve to reduce or limit current, provide full-wave AC to DC rectification, provide overload protection, reduce voltage, protect against voltage spikes, add blinking or flashing functions, or any combination thereof. An optional intermediate circuit is included for the manufacture of light strings employing multiple series connections.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an improved plug, and/or plug and cord connector combination commonly used in the manufacture of decorative lighting products such as Christmas lights and rope lights. Although useful in the manufacture of incandescent based decorative lighting, the present invention is designed primarily for use with holiday and decorative lighting using LEDs (light emitting diodes) as an illumination source. An optional intermediate or junction circuit is included for the manufacture of light string employing multiple series connections.
2. Description of Related Art
Plugs and cord connectors that are known in the art for use in the manufacture of decorative lighting products such as Christmas lights and rope lights provide an inexpensive and reliable manner in which to house and insulate conductor terminals compatible with a standard AC outlets, optional overload protection (fuses) and conductor wire contacts. They are not designed to accommodate control circuits such as rectification, current reduction, current limiting, voltage reduction, blinking or flashing circuitry. These circuits are added afterwards and are typically housed somewhere between the plug and cord connector, adding cost, reducing reliability, complicating the manufacturing process, and detracting from the appearance of the light string.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,972,528 describes a rectification scheme wherein a portion of the rectification circuitry may be combined with the front plug or the rear plug however, the structure of the plug or cord connector is not disclosed and appears to have been added as an afterthought. Moreover, the circuitry described in the prior art decreases LED life expectancy, maximizes electrical power consumption and increases the number of wires required in the manufacture of the decorative light string as series connections are added.

Plug and cord connector set with integrated circuitry


A sleep mask is created comprising a sleep mask cover that can accommodate a weighted mask component and a thermal mask component. The sleep mask cover may include a fastening mechanism at the opening which may be removably engaged or disengaged to disable or enable, respectively, access to the opening for insertion of the weighted mask component and the thermal mask component. The weighted mask component may include a set of eye panels that are devoid of weight material to prevent unwanted pressure on a human user's eyes when the sleep mask is worn around the head of a human user. Further, the weighted mask component may include a pocket for insertion of the thermal mask component.

In many environments, various people can encounter difficulty in achieving restful sleep due to unwanted light levels within these environments. For example, in an aircraft, cabin lights may make it difficult for a person to achieve restful sleep. As a result, people that encounter such difficulty in achieving restful sleep due to these unwanted light levels may resort to using various devices, including sleep masks, to block out these unwanted light levels and make it easier to achieve restful sleep. However, these devices may be cumbersome and become undone as a result of movement during sleep. This may interrupt a person's ability to achieve restful sleep over a significant period, leaving the person tired and with less energy.


A method and apparatus for dispensing electrically charged particles of a coating material. A source provides the coating material to a coating material dispenser. An electrical supply supplies electrical charge. A first electrode provides charge to the coating material as it is dispensed. At least one second electrode is provided at a location removed from the first electrode. Both the first electrode and the at least one second electrode are coupled to the supply of electrical charge.

Systems for dispensing coating materials are known. There are, for example, the systems illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 3,536,514; 3,575,344; 3,698,636; 3,843,054; 3,913,523; 3,964,683; 4,037,561; 4,039,145; 4,114,564; 4,135,667; 4,169,560; 4,216,915; 4,360,155; 4,381,079; 4,447,008; 4,450,785; Re. 31,867; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,520,754; 4,580,727; 4,598,870; 4,685,620; 4,788,933; 4,798,340; 4,802,625; 4,825,807; 4,921,172; 5,353,995; 5,358,182; 5,433,387; 5,720,436; 5,853,126; and, 6,328,224. There are also the devices illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,759,763; 2,955,565; 3,102,062; 3,233,655; 3,578,997; 3,589,607; 3,610,528; 3,684,174; 4,066,041; 4,171,100; 4,214,708; 4,215,818; 4,323,197; 4,350,304; 4,402,991; 4,422,577; Re. 31,590; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,505,430; 4,518,119; 4,726,521; 4,779,805; 4,785,995; 4,879,137; 4,890,190; and, 4,896,384; British Patent Specification 1,209,653; Japanese published patent applications: 62-140,660; 1-315,361; 3-169,361; 3-221,166; 60-151,554; 60-94,166; 63-116,776; 58-124,560; and 331,823 of 1972; and, French patent 1,274,814. There are also the devices illustrated and described in "Aerobell™ Powder Applicator ITW Automatic Division," and, "Aerobell™ & Aerobell Plus™ Rotary Atomizer, DeVilbiss Ransburg Industrial Liquid Systems." The disclosures of these references are hereby incorporated herein by reference. This listing is not intended to be a representation that a complete search of all relevant art has been made, or that no more pertinent art than that listed exists, or that the listed art is material to patentability. Nor should any such representation be inferred.

Powder bell with secondary charging electrode


A spark plug includes a center electrode, an insulator provided outside the center electrode, a metallic shell provided outside the insulator, a ground electrode disposed opposingly to the center electrode, and a spark discharge portion fixed on at least one of the center electrode and the ground electrode for defining a spark discharge gap. The spark discharge portion is formed from an alloy containing Ir as a main component, Rh in an amount of 0.1 wt. % to 35 wt. %, and at least one of Ru and Re in an amount of 0.1 wt. % to 17 wt. %.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spark plug used in an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a spark plug for an internal combustion engine such as an automobile engine employs a Pt (platinum) alloy chip welded to an end of an electrode for use as a spark discharge portion with improved spark consumption resistance. However, due to expensiveness and a relatively low melting point of 1769.degree. C., platinum is not satisfactory as a spark consumption resistant material for spark plug use. Thus, use of Ir (iridium), which is inexpensive and has a higher melting point of 2454.degree. C., as a material for a chip has been proposed. However, since Ir tends to produce a volatile oxide and be consumed at a high temperature zone ranging from 900.degree. C. to 1000.degree. C., a spark discharge portion formed from Ir involves a problem of consumption stemming from oxidation/volatilization rather than spark consumption. Accordingly, an Ir chip shows good endurance under low temperature conditions as in traveling in an urban area, but has a problem of a significant reduction in endurance in continuous high-speed traveling.
Thus, an attempt has been made to suppress consumption of a chip stemming from oxidation/volatilization of Ir by adding an appropriate element to an alloy used as a material for a chip. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 9-7733 discloses a spark plug whose chip is improved in high-temperature heat resistance and consumption resistance by suppressing oxidation/volatilization of Ir through addition of Rh (rhodium).
However, an Ir--Rh alloy used as a chip material in the above-disclosed spark plug must contain a considerably large amount of Rh against consumption stemming from oxidation/volatilization in a continuous high-speed, high-load operation of an internal combustion engine. Since Rh is several times more expensive than Ir and has a relatively low melting point of 1970.degree. C. as compared with that of Ir, an excessively large Rh content not only pushes up material cost of a chip but also involves insufficient resistance to spark consumption. That is, in recent years, operating conditions of spark plugs tend to become severer in association with an improvement in performance of internal combustion engines. Therefore, when such a chip is made from an Ir--Rh alloy and the Rh content of the alloy is increased considerably, sufficient resistance to spark consumption cannot be attained under certain operating conditions.
The aforementioned publication discloses endurance test results of a spark plug whose chip is formed from an alloy containing an Ir--Rh binary alloy as a base material and a third metal component, such as Pt or Ni, which is added to the base material in a manner of substituting for Ir. However, according to the endurance test results, the amount of consumption of a chip as observed after the endurance test is rather larger than that of a chip formed from an alloy into which neither Pt nor Ni is added, indicating that no improvement is achieved in the consumption resistance of such an Ir--Rh binary alloy.

Spark plug with iridium-rhodium alloy discharge portion


A processing system includes process modules, load lock modules, an equipment controller, and a machine controller. The equipment controller controls transfer and processing of wafers in the processing system. A transfer destination determining portion determines the transfer destination of each wafer such that each wafer is sequentially transferred to a normally operating process module. When an abnormality occurs in a process module, an evacuation portion temporarily evacuates to a cassette stage the wafer determined is to be transferred to the abnormal process module and that has not yet been transferred to the abnormal process module. When a new transfer destination of the evacuated wafer is determined, if a process that is performed immediately before processing the evacuated wafer in the processing module as the new transfer destination satisfies a predetermined condition, a transfer inhibition portion inhibits the transfer of the evacuated wafer to the new transfer destination.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control device for a processing system that performs a predetermined process on an object to be processed, a control method for the processing system, and a storage medium that stores a processing program. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for controlling transfer of an object to be processed.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, most processing systems provided in semiconductor plants include a transfer mechanism that transfers objects to be processed, and two or more processing chambers in which a predetermined process is performed on each object to be processed. In this case, the method of transferring each object to be processed to a plurality of process containers is important to increase the throughput of the processing system and to improve productivity. Given this, in order to effectively process objects to be processed, there is a method in which the transfer destination of each object to be processed is determined such that each object to be processed is sequentially transferred to a plurality of processing chambers (hereinafter, also referred to as an OR transfer).
If an abnormality occurs in a given processing chamber during the OR transfer due to a malfunction or the like, it is favorable that the object to be processed that is scheduled to be transferred to the processing chamber in which the abnormality has occurred is evacuated once to a carrier, and then transferred to a normally operating processing chamber. By doing this, reduction in the overall throughput of the system is avoided to the extent possible. Accordingly, a technology has been proposed that optimizes the transfer route depending on an operating state of each of the processing chambers. If one of the processing chambers cannot be used due to a malfunction or the like, this technology enables effective processing of the object to be processed by using another processing chamber.

Device for controlling processing system, method for controlling processing system and computer-readable storage medium stored processing program


A load cell assembly for sensing force and/or moment components on a rotating body supported by a frame includes an axle having opposite ends joined to the frame. A hub is supported by the axle and rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof. A load cell body joined to the hub and the rotating body is used to sense force and/or moment components between the hub and the rotating body.

Wheel force transducer or load cells for measuring forces along or moments about three orthogonal axes are known. The wheel force transducer typically is mounted between and to a vehicle spindle and a portion of a vehicle rim. The transducer measures forces and moments reacted through a wheel assembly at the spindle as the vehicle is operated.
One form of a wheel force transducer that has enjoyed substantial success and critical acclaim has been the SWIFT transducer sold by MTS Systems Corporation of Eden Prairie, Minn. and is described in detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,969,268 and 6,038,933. Generally, this transducer includes a load cell body having a rigid central member, a rigid annular ring and a plurality of tubular members extending radially and joining the central member to the annular ring. A plurality of sensing circuits are mounted to the plurality of tubular members. The rigid central member is mounted to the vehicle spindle, while the annular ring is attached to the vehicle rim. An encoder measures the angular position of the load cell body allowing the forces transmitted through the radial tubular members to be resolved with respect to an orthogonal stationary coordinate system. An external slip ring assembly provides power to and receives signals from the sensors on the load cell body.