A multicore fiber includes: a first core configured to propagate an LP01 mode, an LP11 mode, and an LP21 mode light beam; and a second core configured to propagate an LP01 mode light beam, wherein a different mode interaction section is provided in which a propagation constant of the LP21 mode light beam propagated through the first core is matched with a propagation constant of the LP01 mode light beam propagated through the second core, a different mode non-interaction section is provided in which propagation constants of the LP mode light beams propagated through the first core are not matched with propagation constants of the LP mode light beams propagated through the second core, and the first core includes an inner core and an outer core surrounding the inner core with no gap and having a refractive index higher than a refractive index of the inner core.

The present invention relates to a multicore fiber that is preferable to the case of multiplexing and demultiplexing light beams in different modes.
In optical communications using optical fibers, multimode communications are known, in which information is superposed on a light beam in the LP01 mode (the fundamental mode) as well as information is superposed on LP mode light beams higher than the fundamental mode, such as the LP11 mode for information communications. In multimode communications, a plurality of LP mode light beams propagated through one core is demultiplexed to a plurality of optical fibers, or LP mode light beams different from each other, which are propagate through a plurality of optical fibers, are multiplexed on one optical fiber.
Non-Patent Literature 1 below describes that in the case in which the same LP mode light beams are propagated through a set of optical fibers, the modes of the light beams propagated through the optical fibers are converted into LP modes different from each other, and then the light beams are multiplexed with each other.
A mode multiplexer/demultiplexer described in Patent Literature 1 below has two waveguides. In these waveguides, a first waveguide propagates specific LP mode light beams, and a second waveguide propagates one of the specific LP mode light beams and an LP mode light beam different from that one of the specific LP mode light beam. In the case in which these waveguides propagate the same specific LP mode light beams, the propagation constant of that one of the specific LP mode light beams in the first waveguide is matched with the propagation constant of the LP mode light beam different from that one in the second waveguide. With this configuration, the specific LP mode light beam in the first waveguide is multiplexed as the different LP mode light beam in the second waveguide. The second waveguide originally propagates the specific LP mode light beam. Consequently, the second waveguide propagates the original specific LP mode light beam and the specific LP mode light beam having been propagated through the first waveguide. Thus, with no use of any mode converter, in the case in which the same LP mode light beams are propagated through a plurality of optical waveguides, these light beams can be propagated through one waveguide as in light beams in different modes.    [Non-Patent Literature 1] An Li et al., "Low-Loss Fused Mode Coupler for Few-Mode Transmission", OFC, OTu3G4 (2013)    [Patent Literature 1] JP-A-2013-37017

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY


A semiconductor laser with lateral optical cavity based on III-V or II-VI semiconductor compounds and their alloys is suggested. The essence of the disclosure is in the use of polygonal surface optical grating resonator (PGR) for lateral confinement of the light and selective excitation of the chosen optical mode. PGR allows fabricating of single mode semiconductor lasers needed for various applications such as CD and DVD pick up heads, high quality laser printers and others. Also, PGR allows controlled multiple wavelength operation of semiconductor lasers needed for telecommunication purposes. The technological advantage of PGR over traditional mesa-structure or ridge optical cavity resonators is in simplicity of integration of surface optical grating fabrication process into planar semiconductor technology.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor laser. More particularly, the invention relates to a semiconductor laser with a lateral optical cavity based on III-V and II-VI semiconductor compounds and their alloys.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Semiconductor laser diodes with various shapes of lateral laser cavities such as micro-disk, equilateral triangle, micro-arc-ring, triangular ridge, L-shape ridge, U-shape ridge and bow-tie lasers are known, e.g. CN1267106.
In all these lasers surface mesa structures of various shapes are used for lateral light confinement.
However, the light reflections at the sides of mesa structures are not wavelength sensitive. These makes the surface mesa-structure-based optical resonators non-selective with respect to the different lateral optical modes and prevents fabrication of semiconductor lasers operating in a single mode or controlled multiple mode regimes.
Meanwhile, many applications require single mode or controllable multiple mode operation of semiconductor laser.
The present invention states semiconductor lasers with polygonal surface optical grating resonator (PGR) for lateral confinement of the light which allows selective excitation of the chosen optical mode or modes needed for various applications such as CD and DVD pick up heads, high quality laser printers and others.
Also, PGR allows controlled multiple wavelength operation of semiconductor lasers needed for telecommunication purposes.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor laser which can operate in single mode or controllable multiple mode regimes.

Semiconductor laser with lateral light confinement by polygonal surface optical grating resonator


A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a semiconductor circuit chip housed in a package. The package provides for electrical interface of the integrated circuit chip with external circuitry, and also provides environmental protection for the circuit chip. The circuit chip includes a circuit portion which liberates heat into the semiconductor substrate of the chip during operation of the integrated circuit. The integrated circuit chip also includes a layer of insulative material which overlies the semiconductor substrate. A thermally conductive plug member penetrates through the layer of insulative material and extends into a hole formed in the semiconductor substrate. This plug member is in conductive heat transfer relation with the material of the semiconductor substrate, and connects thermally with high-conductivity heat transfer structure conducting heat from the substrate to the package for liberation to the ambient.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of integrated circuits. More particularly, the present invention relates to high density CMOS technology integrated circuits of the very large scale integrated circuit (VLSI) type, and of the ultra large scale integrated circuit (ULSI) type, which includes structure of highly thermally conductive material so positioned and arranged as to cooperate with the remainder of the integrated circuit structure, and also with a package of the integrated circuit, so as to conduct heat rapidly out of high heat generation areas of the integrated circuit, and directly to the package for dissipation into the ambient.
2. Related Technology
Historically, semiconductor processing and fabrication has changed from the NMOS technology used in the 1970's and 1980's, to CMOS technology used today. The driver for this technology change was power consumption (and the related heat dissipation) within the integrated circuit chips. Integrated circuits using CMOS technology have the advantage of similar electrical performance to the NMOS circuits, but at a lower power consumption and lower heat dissipation. Because of the lower heat dissipation, a less expensive package could be used with CMOS integrated circuits, which partially offset the initially higher processing costs for the fabrication of integrated circuits using the CMOS technology. The CMOS technology integrated circuits also have an advantage in improved reliability resulting from a lower operating temperature for the chips and their packages.
However, with the development of VLSI integrated circuits, it became apparent that the problem of marginal or inadequate heat dissipation and excessive operating temperatures had only been delayed, and not avoided entirely, by the change to CMOS technology. That is, the recent developments in VLSI CMOS integrated circuits of the high-density type have again brought forth serious problems with excessive operating temperatures and inadequate cooling. These problems go beyond the scope of cooling which can be provided by the use of mere conventional passive heat sinks attached to the integrated circuit package. Even in the usual use environment for such packaged integrated circuits in which a chassis cooling fan is used, the heat dissipation from some integrated circuits is inadequate, and excessively high and life-shortening temperatures are experienced.
One recent solution of a stop-gap nature has even involved mounting a small dedicated cooling fan directly to an integrated circuit chip mounting package. Another solution also of a stop-gap nature is to reduce the operating voltage of the integrated circuit chip from the traditional 5 volts to 3.3 volts, or even to 2.5 volts. However, the use of a dedicated chip-cooling fan places the life of an expensive integrated circuit at risk should the dedicated fan fail. The voltage-reduction expedients compromise the ability to easily interface the integrated circuit chip with other circuits designed to operate at the higher and traditional 5 volt level. At the ULSI levels of chip size and circuit density, cooling of integrated circuit chips has been recognized as a serious problem for which no adequate solution heretofore existed. The conventional cooling expedients of using special liquid-tight heat conductive packages, some of which provided spring loaded cooling fingers extending into contact with the integrated circuit chips themselves; and of providing for liquid cooling of the integrated circuits, such as is used in some large main-frame and super computers is not considered to be economically feasible for the lower cost and smaller systems in which many ULSI chips will be used.
In CMOS integrated circuits a significant portion of the dissipated heat is generated as the output drivers. Thus, these output driver circuits represent a particularly large part of the total heat generation within the integrated circuit chip. This heat generally spreads thorough and affects the entire chip. Moreover, the heat generated within a chip must be removed efficiently because virtually all failure mechanisms are enhanced by increased operating temperatures. Electromigration and oxide breakdown effects all worsen with increased temperature. Further, leakage currents increase in reverse-biased junctions and in turned-off MOS transistors with increased temperatures. At higher temperatures, corrosion mechanisms accelerate, and greater differential thermal expansion stresses are generated at material interfaces, such as at solder and wire-bond joints, as well as interfaces between semiconductor materials and metallic structures such as conductors of the integrated circuit.
With an integrated circuit chip in its package, radiation offers too small a contribution to the heat dissipation required to be considered a significant factor in cooling the integrated circuit. Conduction of heat within the chip from the areas of heat generation, and from the chip to the package for liberation into the ambient is the only effective mechanism for cooling the packaged integrated circuit chip. As mentioned above, cooling expedients, such as chassis fans and package-mounted fans may be used to liberate heat from the package to the ambient. The necessity for increased power (heat) dissipation from an integrated circuit chip increases with increased integration density, die size, and circuit speed. The ambient temperature is usually room temperature. Consequently, as the power dissipation from a chip increases, conductive heat transfer rates within the chip, from the chip to the package, within the package, and from the package to the ambient, must be addressed in order to maintain the temperatures within the chip at acceptable levels.
The following table provides an indication of the heat transfer conductivities of various materials used in the construction of integrated circuits and their packages.
______________________________________ Material Thermal conductivity (W/cm-.degree.K.) ______________________________________ Silver 4.3 Copper 4.0 Aluminum 2.3 Tungsten 1.7 Molybdenum 1.4 Silicon 1.5 Germanium 0.7 Gallium arsenide 0.5 Silicone carbide 2.2 Alumina 0.3 Silicon dioxide 0.01 ______________________________________
As can be seen from the above table, there is a considerable difference in the heat transfer coefficients of these various materials. These differing conductive heat transfer rates should be kept in mind as the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention is described. A similar difference among the materials applies with respect to the thermal coefficient of expansion of these various materials.

High density CMOS integrated circuit with heat transfer structure for improved cooling


Systems and methods for configurable trading interfaces that allow a trader to quickly and easily submit trading commands to a trading system are provided. Using these systems and methods, a trader can using various trading interfaces to initiate trading commands, configure various display features and default command settings, and control a level of command entry verification that is provided to protect against inadvertent entry of incorrect trading commands.

This invention relates to systems and methods for providing a trading interface. More particularly, this invention provides a trading interface that allows a trader to use a pointing device such as a mouse to execute a trade quickly and accurately.
As electronic trading becomes more popular, an increasing number of traders are in need of new systems and methods to enter trade commands in a quick, efficient, and accurate manner. In one method of electronic trading, bids and offers are submitted by traders to a trading system, those bids and offers are then displayed by the trading system to other traders, and the other traders may then respond to the bids and offers by submitting sell (or hit) or buy (or lift or take) commands to the system.
Many implementations of this method of electronic trading, while generally accurate, lack in desired speed mainly because traders are forced to use both a standard PC keyboard and a mouse to execute a trade. This dual process causes much delay for traders because the traders must follow several steps prior to accomplishing a trade. For example, many traders using typical trading systems are required to (1) click on an issue of choice, (2) click on a buy or sell button, and (3) use the keyboard to enter a price and size for the trade.
The benefit of using a keyboard to execute a trade is that a trader may execute a trade with a great deal more speed than with a mouse. Specifically, with a keyboard, the trader may use all ten fingers, while with a mouse the trader may use two fingers at most.
Despite the drawbacks associated with using a mouse, many traders continue to use a mouse because it is considered easy to use, and thus traders feel that they are less likely to make unwarranted trading mistakes with a mouse. Because trading professionals frequently have large amounts of money at stake when trading, many professionals prefer to forgo speed and efficiency for peace of mind.
While mouse-based interfaces have existed for years, these interfaces have put traders using them at a disadvantage when competing with full-time keyboard traders. One reason the existing mouse-based interfaces place those traders at a disadvantage is that those traders are forced to physically move a mouse pointer from an indicator for a desired instrument, that is at some given point on a trading screen, to some other point on the screen where bidding/offering and buying/selling commands can be entered. This approach is very time consuming.
Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide systems and methods that enable a trader to execute trades quickly, efficiently, and accurately using a pointing device interface.

Systems and methods for providing a trading interface


An apparatus and a method for processing data are provided. The method for processing data by a terminal. The method includes identifying a plurality of inspection types for a packet; determining at least one inspection type from the plurality of inspection types for the packet based on a predetermined criterion; and processing the determined at least one inspection type for the packet.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to a method and an apparatus for adaptive cache management.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, various mobile devices (which may be referred to by various terms, such as mobile apparatuses, end devices, and terminals), such as smart phones, tablets, and wearable devices, have appeared, and network devices (which may be referred to as various terms, such as network communication devices and communication devices) for performing network communication between the various mobile devices have become necessary. Further, with the development of the Internet of things (IoT), communication between surrounding things (i.e., surrounding devices) has also become necessary. Accordingly, the various mobile devices have supported not only Wi-Fi, which can also be referred to as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard technology, and 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) long term evolution (LTE) but also various network devices, such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, and near field communication (NFC), and would support much more network devices in future. Further, the number of users who use such network environments has gradually increased. Further, mobile devices include various Input/Output (I/O) units, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) and a Universal Flash Storage (UFS). In a broad sense, an I/O unit may include the above-described network device.
In order to use various pieces of content in mobile devices, users desire fast processing speed. Wi-Fi currently supports data transmission speed in the range of Mbps, but is expected to be improved so as to support data transmission speed in the range of Gbps in future. Further, the data transmission speed of the I/O unit has gradually increased in such a manner that the data transmission speed that is supported by cellular communication such as LTE has also been heightened.
In current mobile devices, however, data that is generated by a network device, such as a Wi-Fi or LTE device, and an I/O unit, and is transmitted or received at a high speed (hereinafter referred to as "high-speed data") is processed by a main central processing unit (CPU), which may be also be referred to as a "processor" herein. Since such a processing method causes a large amount of load to occur in the main CPU in a high-speed network environment, network performance may deteriorate, and heat generation and power consumption may be increased due to the excessive load of the main CPU. Presently, in order to address such problems, research for developing a network processing method for processing high-speed data has been actively performed.

Method and apparatus for adaptive cache management


A process for the gas and liquid-permeable encrusting, pilling and granulating of seed material with the utilization of a three-layer mineral as a laminar coating material which is expandable under the effect of a liquid; the three-layer mineral being constituted of vermiculite or hydrous mica to form the basic material and providing a fine-grained reversibly expandable coating material when applied onto the seed, and which rapidly absorbs and gives off polar liquids such as water. The basic material consists of particles in the form of extremely thin, uniformly even platelets which comprise over 50% of the basic material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for the encrusting, pilling and granulating of seed material.
It is known in agriculture, forestry, horticulture, as well as in ornamental planting that there can be employed seed material which is encrusted, pilled or granulated.
The definition of the terminology relating to the encrusting, pilling and granulating of seed material as is presently understood in the art is described in German Pat. No. 21 35 410. For this purpose there are utilized inorganic fillers, such as kaolin, bentonite, powdered stone, organic fillers such as peat, wood flour, straw flour, and water, or aqueous salt solutions containing water-soluble plant nutrients.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
German Laid-Open Patent Specification No. 19 15 942 relates to an encapsulated seed grain, whose seedling grains are coated with predetermined additives. Proposed therein are unexpandable, brittle materials as the "outer shell composition". This more recent proposal has also taken another path. In essence, it utilizes no materials in the outer shell compound having any extensive plasticity and permeability to gases and liquids. Contrastingly, the permeability is adapted to be attained by means of rupturing of the brittle shell after internal expansion.
This process has not rendered obvious the novel utilization of a reversibly expandable three-layer mineral having a large crystalline surface with mutually detached crystal layers.
The Laid-Open German Patent Specification No. 22 10 330 proposes the formation of "enveloping-seedling cells" through the compression of a compound into tablets. The "cell" should be constituted of two outer layers of a particulate material of large particle size, and a central pillowing layer, referred to as the impact layer, and having a smaller particle size. The material forming the outer layers, preferably, should be constituted of vermiculite, which evidences a laminar particle configuration and which is admixed with significant quantities of non-laminar particulate organic materials so as to prevent a layering of the vermiculite during pressing. These "outer layers" should be constituted of an admixture of peat moss, wood cellulose, vermiculite, inorganic nutrients, an adhesive and a lubricant. The vermiculite should rapidly expand within the tablet "when the tablet is immersed in water, so as to achieve capillary passages through which the water will flow to the seedling from the ground, and which will rapidly soften in order to be easily penetrated by the seedling when the latter germinates". These disclosures verify that this known process employs vermiculite as an expansion agent.
The process pursuant to the present invention has improved upon this state of the art. Thus, the process utilizes vermiculite as the basic material to produce a fine-grained, reversibly expandable coating material possessing special properties which, alone or in conjunction with other materials, is used in the treatment of the seedling grains.

Process for the encrusting, pilling or granulating of seed material


In a method of adjusting the balance of the rotor of an AC generator which comprises a pair of magnetic pole cores with magnetic pole claws which are intertwined with each other, the amount and direction of unbalance of the rotor are detected, the amount of unbalance thus detected is divided into two components along the center lines of adjacent magnetic pole claws, a hole is drilled in the outer peripheral surface of the magnetic pole claw on which the larger of the components lies in such a manner that the hole is in alignment with the center line of the magnetic pole claw; and those operations are carried out repeatedly until the balance thus adjusted falls in a predetermined range of allowance, whereby the balance of the rotor is readily adjusted with high accuracy.

This invention relates to a method of adjusting the balance of the rotor of a vehicle AC generator.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a vehicle AC generator which is driven, for instance, by the engine of an automobile. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 designates a stator; 4, a rotor. The stator comprises: a stator core 2, and a stator coil assembly 3. The rotor 4 comprises: magnetic pole cores 5 and 6 opposite in polarity, which have magnetic pole claws 5a and 6a, respectively, which, being arranged at equal angular intervals, are intertwined; an exciting coil assembly 7 held between the magnetic pole cores 5 and 6; a rotary shaft 8 on which the magnetic pole cores 5 and 6 are fixedly mounted; a pair of slip rings 9 mounted through insulating sleeves on the rotary shaft 8; and fans 10 and 11 secured to the magnetic poles 5 and 6, respectively.
Further in FIG. 2, reference numerals 12 and 13 designate a front bracket and a rear bracket, respectively, which are combined with the stator core 2 with tightening bolts 14. The front bracket 12 has a plurality of air inlet holes 12a and a plurality of air outlet holes 12b for ventilation. Similarly, the rear bracket 13 has a plurality of air inlet holes 13a and a plurality of air outlet holes 13b for ventilation. The rotary shaft 8 is supported through bearings 15 and 16 on the front bracket 12 and the rear bracket 13. A pulley 17 is fixedly mounted on the rotary shaft 8, so that rotation of the engine is transmitted through an endless belt to the pulley 17 to rotate the rotary shaft 8.
Further in FIG. 2, reference numeral 18 designates a commutator for converting AC current due to AC voltage inducted in the stator coil assembly 3 into DC current; 19, a voltage regulator for detecting a generator voltage, to control exciting current, thereby to regulate a terminal voltage to a predetermined value; and 20, brush holders for holding brushes 21 and pushing the latter against the slip rings 9.
When, in the AC generator thus constructed, the rotor 4 is rotated, AC voltage is inducted in the stator coil assembly 3; that is, the AC generator supplies electric power and produces heat. In this case, the fans 10 and 11 are also rotated to ventilate the generator, thus cooling the stator 1 and the rotor 4.
If, in the AC generator, the amount of unbalance of the rotor 4 is large, then the rotor 4 is greatly vibrated when rotated at high speed, so that it may contact the stator core 2 or at worst damage it. Hence, it is essential to adjust the balance of the rotor 4 to minimize the amount of unbalance of the latter.
A conventional method of adjusting the balance of a rotor will now be described with reference to FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, reference numerals 31 and 32 designate a pair of drills which are arranged in such a manner that they forms an interpole angle A. The drills 31 and 32 are connected to drill driving means in an automatic balance adjusting device (not shown). The aforementioned interpole angle A is the angle which adjacent magnetic pole claws 5a of the stator core 5 form with respect to the center of the latter 5. The rotor 4 is turned with the automatic balance adjusting device, so that an amount of unbalance W thereof and its direction are detected. With the amount of unbalance W as a central composite force, components U and V on the lines defining the interpole angle A, positions on the outer cylindrical surfaces of the magnetic pole claws 5a where holes are to be drilled, and the depth of the holes at the positions are calculated, to provide instruction signals. In response to the instruction signals, holes are automatically formed, as indicated at 28, with the drills 31 and 32, to correct the unbalance of the rotor.
When the above-described conventional rotor balance adjusting method is employed to form holes in the outer cylindrical surfaces of the magnetic core 5 as was described above, the holes may be positioned at any points in the range of an angle B corresponding to the circumferential width of each magnetic pole claw 5a. Hence, the holes are not uniform in depth, depending on the positions thereof (the depth of the hole is decreased as its position is shifted to an end of the circumferential width of the magnetic pole claw 5a). Thus, adjustment of the balance is relatively low in accuracy, and is sometimes difficult.
On the other hand, it is necessary to remove burrs formed by drilling. However, if, in this case, the drilled hole 18 is located near the end of the circumferential width of the outer peripheral surface of the magnetic pole claw 5a, then it is rather difficult to remove the burrs. In addition, the position of the hole is arbitrary as was described above. Hence, in the case where the balance adjusting operation is carried out repeatedly to improve the accuracy of the balance, the drilled holes overlap one another irregularly in the outer peripheral surfaces of the magnetic pole claws 5a in a circumferential direction. In order to overcome this difficulty, the correcting surfaces must be shifted axially.
Furthermore, since the drills 31 and 32 are so held as to form the interpole angle A, the conventional method cannot be applied to other rotors different in the number of poles.

Method of adjusting the balance of the rotor of a vehicle AC generator


The invention contemplates an improved body-applicator unit forming a component of an ultrasonic bone-therapy system exemplified by the disclosure of copending patent application Ser. No. 247,105, filed Sep. 14, 1988 now. U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,965. The improvement features transducer suspension from the rest of the applicator unit via a molded sylphon-bellows element of softly compliant elastomeric material, wherein the transducer is a flat disc, retained as the outer closure wall of the elastomeric bellows, in such manner as to be surrounded by a flexible gel-retaining circumferential lip formation of the bellows.

The invention relates to use of ultrasonic radiation at relatively low levels into living tissue, as for the non-invasive healing treatment of bone fractures, pseudarthroses and the like.
Duarte U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,360 describes a technique of treating bone defects of the character indicated using a pulsed radio-frequency ultrasonic signal applied via a transducer to the skin of a patient and directed to the site of the defect. The radio-frequency signal is in the range of 1.3 to 2 MHz, and it consists of pulses at a repetition rate of 100 to 1,000 Hz, with each pulse having a duration in the range 10 to 2,000 microseconds. The Duarte apparatus comprises a radio-frequency oscillator connected to a driver, and a pulse generator is arranged to control driver output in accordance with a preselected duration and repetition rate of bursts of radio-frequency oscillations in the driver output. A flexible radio-frequency cable connects driver output to a body applicator, in the form of a hand-held plastic tube, one end of which is closed to mount a piezoelectric transducer, in the form of a thin flat disc, excited for thickness resonance.
Necessarily, therefore, in the Duarte apparatus, the source of electrical energy is remote, as on a table top, and the flexible connection to the body applicator must, in use, always be electrically "live" and, therefore potentially hazardous. Also, for the power levels involved, and considering the fact that two or more transducers seldom can be found to resonate at precisely the same frequency, the radio-frequency must be pretuned to serve one and only one transducer. In other words, apparatus of the Duarte patent necessarily dedicates the remote signal-generating part of the system to the particular applicator. And any attempt to replace a damaged applicator must involve a retuning of the signal-generator to the newly substituted applicator.

Ultrasonic transducer device for treatment of living tissue and/or cells


A magnetostatic wave device having a microstrip transmission line in conjunction with a YIG thin film biased for magnetostatic wave operation at a level where relatively lower power input microwave signals are highly attenuated up to a critical point past which the relative attenuation is greatly reduced. Such devices may be utilized as signal-to-noise enhancers in microwave circuits such as frequency memory loops.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention in general relates to microwave signal processing, and particularly to a two port magnetostatic wave device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the microwave signal processing field, circuits or devices which increase the signal to noise ratio are key components in such circuitry as frequency memory loops which are important in electronic countermeasure systems.
A memory loop generally consists of an amplifier having feedback through a delay line with conditions being such that the loop will oscillate and produce a CW output signal in response to an input pulse signal. If the input frequency signal includes noise, the amplifier not only amplifies the signal but also amplifies this noise which results in a reduction in the maximum storage time of the loop and in a degraded, and sometimes unusable output signal. To avoid this, signal-to-noise enhancers are utilized and may include ferrite reflectors in conjunction with circulators and matching circuitry. Many such enhancers have limited bandwidth capabilities.
The present invention provides for a signal to noise enhancer which is of extremely simple construction and achieves broad bandwidth operation utilizing gyromagnetic materials such as a ferrite. By way of example such devices find use in the microwave signal processing art as two port non-reciprocal attenuators or two port attenuators, the attenuation of which is variable in accordance with a variable applied magnetic bias field. Such attenuators, however, would not function to increase the signal to noise ratio if utilized, for example in a frequency memory loop.


A touch control panel for use with a coffeemaker is disclosed. In the touch control panel, a PC board unit provided with backlight plates and a printed panel are secured to an inner side of a front decorative cover, made of a transparent material, with threaded fasteners. Protrusions formed on the front decorative cover and on an upper front decorative cover are engaged with corresponding cavities on a back panel. A back panel cover is engaged in the back panel at a location adjacent to a rear side of the PC board unit. An upper decorative strip and a lower decorative strip are affixed to an outer side of the front decorative cover. The touch control panel is secured to a front side of an upper body and of a lower body of the coffeemaker to serve both decorative and functional purposes.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a touch control panel, and more particularly, to a touch control panel comprising a front decorative cover made of a transparent material for covering touch control switches and thereby keeping the touch control switches clean.
2. Description of Related Art
In order to offer fashionable coffeemakers, relevant manufactures keep developing different models with various combinations of forms and colors to suit diversified consumer needs. However, existing coffeemakers are mostly formed with panels provided with conventional pushbutton switches, which rise above the panel surface.
In recent years, there has been a global trend for domestic appliances to use the latest technology and adopt a cool or stylish exterior design. This trend has also affected the market of panels for use with electric appliances. Consequently, the membrane switch, which integrates keys having switch functions with characters, labels, trademarks and a transparent display window, has emerged and been widely employed in all kinds of industrial and domestic electric products, such as medical instruments, photocopiers, microwave stoves, electric fans, washing machines and coffeemakers.
However, both the pushbutton switches and membrane switches mentioned above have their drawbacks. For example, a pushbutton switch is surrounded by a gap, easily covered by dust, and hard to wipe clean. On the other hand, a membrane switch is subject to wear and tear after long-term use, so that the membrane on the switch surface may be broken where it is most frequently pressed, or even fall off as a result, thereby exposing the hidden switch heads.


A capacitance measurement device includes a bridging capacitor connected in series to another one of the opposite end sides of a measurement-objective capacitance, and a charging/discharging switching element connected in series to the other one of the opposite end sides of the measurement-objective capacitance, and connected in parallel to the bridging capacitor. The measurement-objective capacitance is discharged when the charging/discharging switching element is turned to the closed state, and is charged when the charging/discharging switching element is turned to the opened state. A gauge gains an equivalent value for the measurement-objective capacitance, based on a potential at the other one of the opposite end sides of the measurement-objective capacitance, at the time of the charging step.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a capacitance measurement device, and to a capacitance-type planar sensor apparatus and capacitance-type liquid-level detector apparatus that use the measurement device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A device, which judges whether or not a change in capacity to be measured arises from an event making an object to be detected, is set forth in International Publication No. 2011/004727 (or Patent Literature No. 1) The device is equipped with: a first switch, which serially connects a reference capacity "Cs" with respect to a capacity "Cx1" to be measured to a first potential source "V1" side and one of whose opposite ends is put in place between the opposite ends of the reference capacity connected to the first potential source "V1"; a second switch, one of whose opposite ends is put in place between another one of the opposite ends of the to-be-measured capacity connected to a second potential source or a free space and another one of the opposite ends of said reference capacity; and a third switch, which is put in place between the opposite ends of said to-be-measured capacity.
And, a number of repetitive operations until the potential between the terminals of the reference capacity "Cs" changes to a set-up potential "Vref" is counted when an operation to turn the second switch to the closed state and another operation to turn the third switch to the closed state are repeated alternately after a first-switch operation that turns the first switch to the closed state and then turns it to the opened state. And, whether or not a change in the to-be-measured capacity arises from an event making an object to be measured is judged based on the respective number of repetitive operations ("N1," "N2") when varying a time for carrying out the second-switch operation.
Moreover, opposing multiply-lined electrodes to multiply-columned electrodes to measure the respective capacitances at the matrix-shaped measurement-objective positions is set forth in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) Gazette No. 2005-30901 (or Patent Literature No. 2). The device measures the capacitances by measuring a current, which flows to one of the capacitances at the measurement-objective positions, when outputting a pulsating signal to another one of the capacitances thereat.
Moreover, measurement devices for capacitance are set forth in Japanese Patent Gazette No. 3379388 (or Patent Literature No. 3), Japanese Patent Gazette No. 2561040 (or Patent Literature No. 4), International Publication No. 2011/125725 (or Patent Literature No. 5), and so on. Moreover, devices using capacitances to detect liquid levels are set forth in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) Gazette No. 11-311562 (or Patent Literature No. 6), and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) Gazette No. 2006-337173 (or Patent Literature No. 7).

Capacitance measurement device, capacitance-type sheet-shaped sensor apparatus, and capacitance-type liquid-level detector apparatus


A metabolically active biological component having mixed function oxidation activity. e.g., microsomal P-450 oxidase enzyme complex, is effective in the presence of NADPH and moisture when dispersed in a thin film of a generally neutral hydrophilic film-forming binder. e.g., gelatin, to convert a broad spectrum of carcinogenic substances, into metabolic intermediates, which can be detected, preferably by a colorimetric indicator present in the binder film or an adjacent binder film and undergoing a visible color change. The film or films can be carried, e.g., as spots by a suitable support. e.g., glass or plastic sheet forming a direct-acting self-contained badge-type indicator. The colorimetric indicator is preferably a chemically reduced dye precursor of a polyarylmethane dye or analog thereof, e.g., pararosaniline or malachite green. Such reduced dye precursors are effective colorimetric indicators for organic compounds containing an epoxide structure generally as well as epoxy-containing metabolic intermediates.

There is a continuing and even more urgent need for a simple method and means for directly detecting the real or potential activity of chemical substances as carcinogens, including teratogens which are responsible for birth defects. Every year, thousands of new chemicals are developed which require screening for possible carcinogenic or mutagenic activity before approval for their intended purpose. Moreover, more sophisticated scrutiny of presently known and used chemicals initially considered to be benign, gives rise to increasing suspicion as to the hazards presented by their continued utilization calling for fresh evaluation of their acceptability. Further, as the protection of the work force is given increasing national priority, more efficient and more practical ways for determining the existence in the work environment of hazardous chemicals becomes a virtual necessity.
Considerable attention has already been devoted to this need, and a plethora of patents has been issued directed to various of its aspects. In one general category fall badge or strip type monitoring elements, often referred to as dosimeters. The following are a few U.S. patents that are representative of this group:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,327--Carbon monoxide is absorbed by a filter comprising hemoglobin which upon saturation undergoes a characteristic change in red coloration;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,043--Toxic gases, e.g., in a fire atmosphere, are detected by discs of absorbent material carried on a plastic substrate and covered by a peelable protective film, the discs containing a color-sensitive indicator for reacting with the toxic gas to distinctive color change;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,000--A microporous transparent polymeric matrix has its pores filled with a mixture of a solvent for the toxic agent to be detected and a color indicating reactant for reaction with the thus absorbed toxic agent;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,642--A partially hydrogenated sequenced styrene-butadiene copolymer undergoes rapid deterioration upon contact with certain organic pollutants, particularly hydrocarbons including halogenated hydrocarbons and oxygenated solvents, the deterioration triggering an indicating signal;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,719--A colorimetric indicator sensitive to the presence of a hazardous substance is adhered to a film backing with a high surface area carrier, e.g., alumina or silica, and a self-adhering bentonite clay mineral binder, the selection of the indicator depending on the particular hazardous substance to be detected, such as a permanganate salt for reactive detection of carbon monoxide.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,942--Ethylene oxide is detected as a suspect carcinogen by means of a cholesteric liquid crystal composition held in a binder to a substrate, such composition undergoing a characteristic color change when exposed to ethylene oxide; and
U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,165--A porous web is impregnated with an agent such as a heavy metal compound, for promoting the absorption and enhancing the phosphorescence of the vapors or aerosols of certain organic chemicals, especially polynuclear aromatic compounds, the absorbed material after a given period being examined for room temperature phosphorescence indicative of the amount absorbed.
Detection elements within this category have the important virtues of light-weight, portability and a generally direct acting response, but their sensitivity is limited to noxious substances for which there is a known companion colorimetric indicator. However, such colorimetric indicators tend to be specific to certain substances to be detected or at least to limited classes of such substances, and the concurrent detection of a broad spectrum of noxious substances in this fashion becomes complicated if not practically impossible.
In an effort to overcome this serious deficiency, researchers in the field have resorted to biological mechanisms to develop what are generally known as "bioassays," one of the most widely used and successful of such assays being commonly referred to as the "Ames test."
The literature is replete with papers relating to the Ames test; a review by Ames appears together with an extensive bibliography as of 1983 in Cancer, Volume 53, pages 2034-2040, May 25, 1984. to which reference may be had for more complete information. The Ames test is based on the principle that the mutational tendency of certain strains of bacteria will be altered by exposure to a carcinogenic or mutagenic substance. Specifically, the test employs a mutated strain of Salmonella typhimurium which lacks the ability to produce the essential amino acid histidine and consequently is incapable of multiplying when cultured in a nutrient medium lacking this essential nutrient. However, this mutated strain tends to revert to its wild or natural state in which it is able to produce histidine and thus grow when cultured, and this reversionary tendency is significantly increased by contact with a carcinogenic or mutagenic substance. Thus, when the mutated bacterial strain is cultured in contact with the substance to be tested, the reversionary mutagenic effect on the substance can be determined by counting the growth of the test plates and comparing the results against control plates indicative of the spontaneous reversionary tendencies of these bacteria in the absence of the test substance.
The human system, and indeed that of mammals generally, is endowed with many pathways for carrying out the metabolic oxidation of chemical substances into metabolic intermediates which may or may not then be disposed of or possibly subjected to additional pathways of oxidation. These pathways are referred to collectively as "mixed function oxidation" activity and are performed primarily by cells present in the liver and in other organs. According to P. J. O'Brien (Jun. 30, 1988) "Free-Radical-Mediated Chemical Carcinogenesis," Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, volume 534, pp. 552-564, the metabolic intermediates so generated include various combinations of free radicals. They also include epoxides, aldehydes, sulfoxides, hydroxylammonium derivatives, organic aminohydrins and halohydrins, and the like, depending on the parent compound being oxidized. According to D. W. Nebert and F. J. Gonzalez (1987) "P450 Genes, Structure, Function, Evolution and Regulation," Annual Review of Biochemistry, Volume 56, pp. 945-993, these oxidations are carried out by at least eight families of membrane-bound enzymes containing cytochromes P-450. Recognizing that it is these ultimate metabolic intermediates that are actually systemically effective rather than the original or starting substance, the Ames test incorporates a metabolically active biological component exhibiting mixed function oxidation activity so as to approximate the multiple natural oxidative pathways occurring within the body so that the response of the bacterial strain is due to the metabolic intermediates generated by this component rather than to the original substance.
The Ames test incorporating the metabolically active biological component having mixed function oxidative activity has been carefully scrutinized and has been found to provide a remarkably good indication of the carcinogenic or mutagenic activity of a broad spectrum of chemical substances and, as of 1983, was said to be in use in thousands of laboratories for this purpose. Its sensitivity is by no means perfect, inasmuch as it is nonresponsive to some substances of high recognized toxicity, notably heavy metal compounds, but it certainly represents an important stride forward in the biochemical testing field in expanding the scope of application to a highly useful wide range of different test substances as contrasted with the specificity of dosimeter type test techniques.
Variations and improvements have been made on the Ames test in order to increase its usefulness. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,256,832, instead of visually counting the incubation results of the test plates, the incubation is rather carried out in a controlled oxygen-containing atmosphere from which the consumption of oxygen by the bacteria is detected and taken as a measure of the relative growth of the mutated strains.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,915, the backward acting approach of the Ames test, dependent on the reversionary tendency of a mutated bacterial strain, is replaced by a forward acting assay which determines the effect upon the mutational capability of a different bacterial strain by the presence of the test substance. Here, a strain of S. typhimurium naturally possess the ability to enzymatically convert a purine analog, such as 8-azaguanine, into a toxic metabolite which thus inhibits the growth of the bacteria; whereas a mutant of the bacteria lacks the enzymes active on the purine analog, allowing the mutant cells to grow uninhibited when plated, and the mutational change is greater in the presence of a carcinogen or mutagen. Here again, use is made of a metabolically active component similar to that of the Ames test in order to convert the test substance to its ultimate metabolic state.
A somewhat different approach is taken in U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,572 which is based on the capacity of carcinogens or mutagens to decrease the fidelity of in vitro DNA synthesis by DNA polymerases from synthetic polynucleotides incorporating separately labelled correct, complementary nucleotide and incorrect, non-complementary nucleotide. The frequency with which the incorrect nucleotide is incorporated compared to that for the correct nucleotide, represents an "error frequency" indicative of the carcinogenic or mutagenic activity of the test substance present. Again, this procedure envisions the provision of metabolically active biological component having mixed function oxidase activity as in the Ames test for the same reason.
A less related bioassay is covered in U.S. Pat. No. 4,264,729 which presumes that a carcinogenic substance will preferentially promote the growth of cells that are already in a cancerous state compared to healthy tissue. Because the so-called carcinogenic activity of a given test substance tends to be specific for certain types of cancer, the procedure must employ pairs of diseased and healthy tissue from several different sites or organs of the body which are prone to develop cancer, e.g., the lung, breast, ovary, and kidney. This assay is capable of differentiating not only carcinogenic and toxic substances from neutral substances, but also of identifying substances which are specifically anti-cancerous or inhibitive of carcinogenic activity.
It is also known to base bioassays on immunogenic phenomena, one example being U.S. Pat. No. 3,903,898 wherein antibodies against carcinogenic antigenic agents from tobacco smoke are induced in test animals and the resultant antibodies are collected and employed as a filter for absorbing the antigenic agents in tobacco smoke by means of an immunological complexing reaction therewith.
Finally, it is known in U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,752 to utilize a dye in chemically reduced or leuco form, such as the leuco form of methylene blue or triphenylmethane dyes, as a colorimetric indicator for the adventitious entry of oxygen into a sealed oxygen-free package or the like.
Obviously, the Ames test and other bioassays described above must be carried out by skilled personnel and, at best, require a considerable period of time to develop useful results. Consequently, these tests are of limited applicability, notwithstanding the range of substances within their scope.

Method and sensor for detecting toxic chemical exposure effects and metabolic activation of carcinogenic chemical agents


A method for making an ornamental replica of a hand, including the steps of placing the hand to be reproduced onto a smooth surface, applying an elastic, impression-forming material over the hand and providing a support means for the impression-forming material to prevent any distortion thereof, allowing the impression-forming material time in which to form a mold over the hand and thereby create a negative impression of the hand therein, removing the hand from the impression-forming material and filling the negative impression therein with a fluid material capable of hardening to form a positive impression, and withdrawing the hardened positive impression of the hand from the elastic impression-forming material and applying an ornamental finish to the positive impression of the hand. The method provides a decorative replica of a hand, the replica having a planar bottom surface which particularly lends it to use as a paperweight, bookend or the like.

The present invention relates to a method for making an ornamental replica of a hand, typically a child's hand, of the type that may be used for memorabilia or ornamental purposes such as a paperweight, bookened or the like. Although the making of replicas through the use of various mold processes has long been known, it is believed that the particular processes disclosed herein for making an ornamental replica of a child's hand are new.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,479,691 to Durland and U.S. Pat. No. 2,599,573 to Milton, Jr. are representative of previous patents granted for replica-making processes which utilize an elastic impression-forming material such as alginate. However, a method is not believed to be previously known in which an ornamental replica of a child's hand of the type disclosed herein can be quickly and inexpensively reproduced. Due to the simplicity and ease with which the present process will allow an ornamental replica of a child's hand to be manufactured, the present inventive method will lend itself to a mobile use, perhaps in chain store operations and the like. The inventive process is particularly adapted for this type of commercial embodiment in that it allows an accurate positive impression of the child's hand to be quickly and easily made at a mobile location with a minimum of material and then to be transported to a finishing location where the positive impression is provided with an ornamental and attractive finish by electroplating, soap finishing, painting or related coating techniques. The decorative replica may be used as a paperweight, bookend or the like. In so using the decorative replica the user will be continually reminded of the individual whose hand was utilized to manufacture the ornamental replica.

Method of making an ornamental replica of a hand


Semiconductor devices include a patterned dielectric layer overlaying a semiconductor substrate; a metal layer comprising copper disposed in the patterned dielectric layer; and a barrier layer formed at an interface between the dielectric layer and the metal layer, wherein the barrier layer is AlOxNy. The patterned dielectric may define a trench and via interconnect structure or first and second trenches for a capacitor structure. Also disclosed are processes for forming the semiconductor device, which includes subjecting the dielectric surfaces to a nitridization process to form a nitrogen enriched surface. Aluminum metal is then conformally deposited onto the nitrogen enriched surfaces to form AlOxNy at the aluminum metal/dielectric interface. The patterned substrate is then metalized with copper and annealed. Upon annealing, a copper aluminum alloy is formed at the copper metal/aluminum interface.

The present invention generally relates to semiconductor integrated circuits, and more particularly, to the structure and formation of diffusion barrier structures that create insulation and prevent interdiffusion of copper.
An integrated circuit (IC) generally includes a semiconductor substrate in which a number of device regions are formed by diffusion or ion implantation of suitable dopants. This substrate usually involves a passivating and an insulating layer required to form different device regions. The total thickness of these layers is usually less than one micron. Openings through these layers (called vias or contact holes) allow electrical contact to be made selectively to the underlying device regions. A conducting material such as copper is used to fill these holes, which then make contact to the appropriate region of the semiconductor device.
The presence of a diffusion barrier, i.e., liner layer, on the sidewalls defining the openings is desirable because structural delamination and/or conductor metal diffusion can occur unless there is a layer of protection between the conductive layer and the etched insulating layer. For structural integrity, the liner layer should line the entire sidewall and generally cover the bottom surface of any vias as well.
By way of example, the resistance of copper used in interconnects increases exponentially as CMOS devices continue to be scaled down. This effect imposes substantial propagation delay on the microelectronic circuit. In the dielectric/liner/Cu scheme, several factors contribute to the high interconnect resistance for the 10 nm node and below: the high resistivity of the Cu liner and the increase of Cu resistivity due to surface and grain boundary electron scattering. Among these factors, liner resistance accounts for the major portion of interconnect resistance. For example, TaN is a common Cu barrier material and has a resistivity (˜300 μohm-cm) that is about 150 times higher than Cu resistivity. For 10 nm node and below, the presence of the liner layer reduces copper volume within the openings by approximately 30-50%. Therefore, further reducing liner resistivity is extremely important to reducing interconnect resistance, meeting interconnect resistance requirements, and improving device performance.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


The present invention relates to compositions and methods for treating rectal disorders.

In general, anal disorders, including anal fissure, anal ulcer, and acute hemorrhoidal disease are common, benign conditions of the anal canal, which affect subjects of all ages, races and sexes. However, these conditions can be problematical to treat and inconvenient if not painful to endure. A subject with an anal fissure or ulcer frequently experiences anal pain and bleeding, the pain being more pronounced during and after bowel movements.
Hemorrhoids are specialized vascular areas lying subjacent the anal mucosa. Symptomatic hemorrhoidal disease is manifest by bleeding, thrombosis and/or prolapse of the hemorrhoidal tissues. Commonly, internal hemorrhoidal tissue bulges into the anal canal during defecation causing bleeding and pain. As the tissue enlarges, further bleeding and pain, prolapse and thrombosis can ensue. The thrombosis of hemorrhoids is another cause of bleeding and pain.
The underlying causes of these anal disorders are poorly understood, but these conditions may be associated with infectious agents and infections of the surrounding tissue, wherein the tissue has become contaminated. The case of anal fissure/ulcer, an abnormality contributing to the disease appears to be an as-yet-unidentified problem of the internal anal sphincter muscle. The internal sphincter is a specialized, involuntary muscle arising from the inner circular muscular layer of the rectum. Intra-anal pressure measurements obtained from people suffering from typical anal fissure/ulcer disease show an exaggerated pressure response to a variety of stimuli. The abnormally high intra-anal pressure is generated by the internal sphincter muscle and is responsible for non-healing of the fissure or ulcer and the associated pain.
Various therapies have been devised to treat these anal disorders. Typical, non-surgical therapy includes bulk laxatives and sitz baths. Sitz baths are helpful because they induce relaxation of the anal sphincter mechanism. See e.g., Shafik, "Role of warm-water bath in anorectal conditions: The thermosphincteric reflex, "J. Clin. Gastroenterol., 16:304-308, 1993.
Topical anal therapy is also used in an effort to promote healing, relieve pain, and reduce swelling and inflammation. Many preparations have been tried including those containing local anesthetics, corticosteroids, astringents, and other agents. However, none of these preparations has been shown conclusively to reduce the healing time or to reliably ameliorate associated pain and some of the treatments, such as Neosporin ointment, are very sensitizing. In addition, antibiotics have not been found useful in treating the diseases. There is a need in the art to provide compositions useful to reduce healing times, alleviate pain and promote healing of the affected rectal and anal tissues.

Rifaximin anti-rectal dysfunction preparation


An inspection apparatus includes a tester unit that applies a stimulus signal to a semiconductor apparatus, an MO crystal arranged to face a semiconductor apparatus, a light source that outputs light, an optical scanner that irradiates the MO crystal with light output from light source, a light detector that detects light reflected from the MO crystal arranged to face the semiconductor apparatus D and outputs a detection signal, and a computer that generate phase image data based on a phase difference between a reference signal generated based on a stimulus signal and the detection signal, the phase image data including a phase component indicating the phase difference, and generates an image indicating a path of a current from the phase image data.

A technology for inspecting a measurement target includes an optical probing technology for irradiating a measurement target with light emitted from a light source and detecting measurement light (reflected light) from the measurement target using a light sensor to acquire a detection signal. In such an optical probing technology, a method of arranging a magneto-optical (MO) crystal to face a light irradiation surface of the measurement target and detecting reflected light according to a magneto-optical effect of the MO crystal to acquire the detection signal is known (for example, Patent Literature 1).

Inspection method and inspection apparatus


A synchronous optical transmission system for interfacing SONET formatted channels to lower speed channels in either a SONET format or otherwise. The transmission system incorporates a fiber transmission system, terminal multiplexers and add/drop multiplexers that in turn incorporate a plurality of features, such as parallel scrambling circuitry, frame synchronization circuitry and the like.

A standard has been developed and adopted, directed to a high speed data channel, its associated digital hierarchy, as well as associated optical interface rates and formats for use therein known as the American National Standards Institute, Inc's. "Digital Hierarchy Optical Interface Rates and Format Specification", document T1.105-1988. This document is hereby incorporated by reference. This standard describes the base rate and format along with a multiplexing scheme which defines a modular family of rates and formats available for use in optical interfaces. This standard defines what is called a syychronous transport signal (STS) operating at level one which is the basic logical building block signal that defines all other STS levels greater than one. Within the STS basic signal, is a byte interleave multiplexing scheme with the basic signal divided into a transport overhead section and a portion which contains a payload, which typically contains lower speed telephonic communication channels and their associated path overhead.
Although the synchronous optical network standard has been defined, devices which interface with it in an overall transmission system have, to date, not been implemented. The present invention is directed to such a transmission system, and in particular defines three basic devices; a fiber transmission system, a terminal multiplexer and an add/drop multiplexer. Each device is able to interface with a high speed signal conforming to the SONET standard and is particularly suited for interfacing such high speed signals to typically lower speed signals of either a different standard, such as the digital signal standards (DS-0, DS-1, DS-2, DS-3, etc.) or lower speed SONET signals such as an STS-1 signal.


A multi-functional wet wipe supply device relates to the technical field of daily necessities and solves the technical problem that the prior art is inconvenient in use and prone to cause pollution. The device comprises a base, a wet wipe compartment, a liquid storage compartment and a controller. A turnplate, and a wipe pushing rod are positioned on the base. A plurality of vertical cylindrical wipe positioning holes are positioned in axial symmetry in the turnplate. The wet wipe compartment is fixed on the base and located on the periphery of the turnplate. The liquid outlet of the liquid storage compartment is in communication with the inner cavity of the wet wipe compartment through a wet wipe liquid inlet valve, a wet wipe liquid supply pump and a wet wipe liquid outlet valve in sequence. The device provided by the present invention is particularly suitable for use in public places.

Compared with other wet wipes, facial tissues and towels, compressed wet wipe has four characteristics: 1) the material of wet wipe is pure natural plant fiber, which is more healthy to human body and more environment-friendly to the earth; 2) because of being made by compression, the compressed wet wipe has smaller volume than other wet wipes and towels and is more convenient to carry; 3) there will be a small amount of liquid when the wet wipe is used, and the liquid can be water, antiseptic solution or other dedicated liquid, so it is convenient to wipe off dirt and clean and sterilize the article being wiped; if dedicated liquid is used, some specific functions can be achieved further; 4) because of being made of nonbreakable plant fiber, the wet wipe will not be mashed when wiping an article with liquid on the surface, and can wipe the article clean more easily than facial tissues.
However, when used, the compressed wet wipe needs to be taken out and put into a container first, and then wet wipe liquid is added into the container, so the operation is pure manual and relative troublesome. For the convenient use of the compressed wet wipe, a plurality of wet wipe preparing devices appear in the market. Each of these wet wipe preparing devices is mainly composed of a hand air pump, a wet wipe compartment, a dry wipe compartment and a liquid storage compartment, wherein the dry wipe compartment is used for storing dry wipes, and the liquid storage compartment is used for storing wet wipe liquid. When a wet wipe is to be prepared, a user can take out a dry wipe from the dry wipe compartment, put it into the wet wipe compartment, and then pump an appropriate amount of wet wipe liquid from the liquid storage compartment into the wet wipe compartment by the hand air pump to moisten the dry wipe in the wet wipe compartment. The defects of the existing wet wipe preparing devices lie in that: the user may cause secondary pollution to the residual dry wipes in the dry wipe compartment when taking out a dry wipe from the dry wipe compartment, so the devices are not suitable for use in public places; in addition, a relatively large operating force is needed when pumping the wet wipe liquid by the hand air pump, so the devices are inconvenient to use.


A master-slave current distribution circuit for parallel power supplies is disclosed. The master-slave current distribution circuit for parallel power supplies comprising at least a first power supply and a second power supply includes a voltage amplifier, a power converting unit, a current detecting unit, an equivalent diode, an adjustable amplifier, an adding unit, and an energy gap voltage modulating unit, wherein an energy gap voltage formed between the output of the current detecting unit and the non-inverting input of the adjustable amplifier is modulated by the energy gap voltage modulating unit so that an unstability formed from the first power supply and the second power supply under a light load is eliminated.

Please refer to FIG. 1(a), which is a diagram illustrating a conventional master-slave current distribution circuit applying in the parallel power supply, wherein the master-slave current distribution circuit 1 includes a voltage amplifier 11, an impedor 12, a power converting unit 13, a current detecting unit 14, an equivalent diode 15, an adjustable amplifier 16 and an adding unit 17. When the master-slave current distribution circuit 1 is electrically connected to the parallel power supply including the power supplies PS1 and PS2, the object of the stable distribution of the output voltages and output currents thereof is achieved by the master-slave current distribution circuit 1.
An energy gap voltage is needed to be applied to the master-slave current distribution circuit 1 for preventing a parallel error which would result in an unstable output voltages therefrom. The parallel error in the master-slave current distribution circuit 1 is generated between the power supplies PS1 and PS2. For example, the equivalent diode 15, which is a discrete component in the master-slave current distribution circuit 1, will generate an non-linear voltage in the linear operation range (around 0˜0.4V). The non-linear voltage generated by the equivalent diode 15 induces a parallel error in the master-slave current distribution circuit 1. Therefore, the parallel error problems would be solved when the energy gap voltage is applied to the master-slave current distribution circuit 1. But if the energy gap voltage is high, the unstable phenomenon in the output voltage of the power supplies PS1 and PS2 would be induced. In other words, the parallel error in the master-slave current distribution circuit 1 is induced by the high energy gap voltage.
For overcoming the mentioned drawbacks, the Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) is applied in a conventional master-slave current distribution circuit to decrease the operation voltage of the discrete component therein. The adopted energy gap voltage is hence to be kept in a low voltage range. However, the requirement of the energy gap voltages for different parallel power supplies are different, so as in the requirement of the energy gap voltages for different integrated circuits. Therefore, the result in using ASIC to decrease the energy gap voltage is limited as shown in FIG. 1(b). Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved master-slave current distribution circuit to overcome the drawbacks in the prior art.


Methods and apparatus for obtaining web content are disclosed. The method may include storing a history of webpages requested via a browser of the communication device and generating a bookmark for a webpage in response to the at least one webpage being requested more than a threshold number of times at a particular time. The bookmark is then stored in association with the particular time, and when the particular time occurs, the webpage is requested and rendered on the communication device so the webpage is rendered in advance of a user launching the browser.

Advances in technology have resulted in smaller and more powerful personal communication devices. For example, there currently exist a variety of portable personal communication devices, including wireless communication devices, such as portable wireless telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and paging devices that are each small, lightweight, and can be easily carried by users. More specifically, the portable wireless telephones, for example, further include cellular telephones that communicate voice and data packets over wireless networks. Further, many such cellular telephones are being manufactured with relatively large increases in computing capabilities, and as such, are becoming tantamount to small personal computers and hand-held PDAs.
Users of such devices are interested in using the devices to access more web based content. Currently, a user may manually create bookmarks for corresponding web pages so that the user may select a webpage from the bookmark list for viewing. But even in the context of wireline-connected computers, the delay associated with finding, selecting a bookmarked web page, and waiting for the page to load may be frustrating for a user. In contrast to a wired communications network, communications through a wireless network may experience yet additional unfavorable delays through sequential transmission and acknowledgement protocols, which increases the time it takes to access web content. As a consequence, improved apparatus and methods for obtaining content with reduced access times are desired.


An image forming apparatus which includes a color detection unit that emits a light to a color material and a reference plate on a printing material and detects the reflected light and corrects an amount of the color material upon image forming based on a detection result, comprises: a storage unit that stores, in advance, the detection result of each of the color material and the reference plate detected; and a blot detection unit that estimates the detection result for the reference plate based on a relationship between a stored reference value of each of the color material and the reference plate and the detection result of the color material, and if a difference between the estimated detection result and the detection result of the reference plate is larger than a predetermined value, detects presence of a blot.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that detects the density or color value of an image formed on a printing material and forms an image corresponding to the detection result, and a control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a color image forming apparatus, such as a color printer or a color copying machine, is required to improve the quality of an output image. In particular, the tone of the density of an output image and its stability are important factors to decide the image quality.
However, the color image forming apparatus changes the density or tint of an output image due to environmental variations or variation factors of various units of the apparatus caused by long-term use. In particular, an electrophotographic color image forming apparatus may change the density or tint of an output image due to slight environmental variations and disturb the image forming characteristics, and therefore needs to include a method for always maintaining a predetermined density. One such method uses a sensor (to be referred to as a "color sensor" hereinafter) for detecting a color value. More specifically, the color value of each color toner image (to be referred to as a "patch" hereinafter) formed and fixed on a printing material for color value detection is detected by a color sensor, and the amount of a toner to be transferred to the printing material is adjusted/corrected based on the detection result.
When detecting the color value of a patch using the color sensor, it is necessary to detect the color value (white reference) of white serving as a reference using a white reference plate, and to calibrate the color sensor output based on the detection result. This is because, for example, the time degradation of the light-emitting unit or the light-receiving unit of the color sensor, a change in the ambient temperature, and dust or toners adhering to the sensor surface at the time of passage of the printing material near the sensor causes the sensor output to vary even for the same patch. When detecting the color value of a patch, the white reference is acquired using the white reference plate, and the patch detection result is corrected using the acquired white reference, thereby acquiring the color value of the patch independently of the change in the sensor output value.
However, like the sensor, the white reference plate cannot be used as a reference plate for sensor output calibration if dust or toners are adhering to it. To solve this problem, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-278215 describes a method of detecting a blot on the white reference plate by causing the color sensor to detect the color value of specific reference paper that has a known color value. In this method, the color value of the reference paper detected by the sensor calibrated using the white reference plate is compared with the known color value of the reference paper, thereby detecting a blot on the white reference plate.
However, the conventional method needs to always use the reference paper which has a known color value. If paper whose color value is different from the known color value of the reference paper—such as paper other than the reference paper or blotted reference paper—is used, the blot on the white reference plate cannot properly be detected, and color correction cannot properly be performed.


A method for determining muscle mass in a human subject useful for monitoring athletic conditioning, weight loss programs, nutritional deficiencies, and disease states which cause muscle wasting is provided comprising administration of a bolus dose of a metabolic marker for 3-methylhistidine, the use of a three-compartment model to describe data from blood samples collected periodically thereafter, and calculation of muscle mass as a function of specific values generated by the model.

Techniques to measure body composition are numerous and include measurements based on: total body water, total body potassium, urinary creatinine excretion, underwater weighing (Goldman, R. F. and Buskirk, E. R., "Body volume measurement by underwater weighing: description of a method", In: Techniques for Measuring Body Composition, J. Brozek (ed.), Washington, D.C.: Nat'l Academy of Sciences (1961), 78-79; Lohman, T. G. et al., "Bone and mineral measurements and their relation to body density in children, youth and adults," Hum. Biol. (1984) 56:667-679), and neutron activation analysis conductivity and bioelectrical impedance (Wolfe, R., "Radioactive and stable isotopes tracers in biomedicine: Principles and practice of kinetic analysis," New York: Wiley-Liss (1992) p. 145-165). 0f the current methods available to measure body composition, estimates are made of fat and fat free mass (FFM). None of the current body composition methods estimate muscle mass directly. All the methods relate back to underwater weighing which is in turn related to previous limited dissection of muscle in human cadavers. Also, such tests only estimate lean tissue, which includes bone, liver and skin.
There is great interest in the athletic population in accurately knowing muscle mass. There is also a need for an accurate method for measurement of muscle mass in order to monitor medical conditions such as nutritional deficiencies and wasting diseases.
There have been many models proposed to measure in vivo amino acid/protein kinetics. Associated with each model are both theoretical and practical problems that must be addressed. Noncompartmental models are widely used but are limited greatly by the necessary assumption that production does not occur in the sampling compartment into which the tracer is administered (Cobelli, C. and G. Toffolo. Compartmental versus noncompartmental modeling for two accessible pools. Am. J. Physiol. (Endocrinol. Metab.) 247: R488-R496, 1984). In contrast, compartmental modeling requires certain physiological assumptions, generally assigning compartments to model various components of a metabolic system. The model is constructed from an understanding of the metabolic system under study and is developed based on relationships between mathematical functions describing the isotopic decay curve and the metabolic system (Wolfe, R., "Radioactive and stable isotopes tracers in biomedicine: Principles and practice of kinetic analysis," New York:Wiley-Liss (1992) 145-165).
3-Methylhistidine has been used as a noninvasive marker of muscle proteolysis in vivo (Young, V. R. and H. N. Munro, "Nt-Methylhistidine (3-methylhistidine) and muscle protein turnover: an overview," Fed. Proc. (1978) 37:2291-2300). The primary sequence of actin and myosin white fibers in skeletal muscle contain the unique amino acid 3-methylhistidine (Johnson, P. et al., "3-Methylhistidine in actin and other muscle proteins," Biochem. J. (1967) 105:361-370). Following degradation of muscle proteins, free 3-methylhistidine is released. Yet, 3-methylhistidine is not reutilized for protein synthesis because it does not have a specific tRNA (Young, V. R. et al, "Metabolism of administered 3-methylhistidine: Lack of muscle transfer ribonucleic acid charging and quantitative excretion as 3-methylhistidine and its N-acetyl derivative," J. Biol. Chem. (1972) 217:3592-3600). 3-Methylhistidine is quantitatively excreted in the urine of man, rat, cattle and rabbit (Long, C. L. et al., "Metabolism of 3-methylhistidine in man," Metabolism (1975) 24:929-935; Young, V. R. et al., "Metabolism of administered 3-methylhistidine: Lack of muscle transfer ribonucleic acid charging and quantitative excretion as 3-methylhistidine and its N-acetyl derivative," J. Biol. Chem. (1972) 217:3592-3600; Harris, C. I. and Milne, G., "The urinary excretion of N-tau-methyl histidine by cattle: validation as an index of muscle protein breakdown," Br. J. Nutr. (1981) 45:411-422; Harris, C. I. et al., "3-Methylhistidine as a measure of skeletal-muscle protein catabolism in the adult New Zealand white rabbit," Biochem. Soc. Trans. (1977) 5:706-708). Therefore, it is thought to be a marker of skeletal muscle protein breakdown.
Urine 3-methylhistidine estimation of muscle proteolysis depends on quantitative collection and accurate measurement of urinary 3-methylhistidine. It is assumed that no metabolism of 3-methylhistidine occurs in vivo, which is true in most species (Harris, C. I. and Milne, G., "The identification of the N-methyl histidine-containing dipeptide, balenine, in muscle extracts from various mammals and the chicken," Comp. Biochem. Physiol. (1987) 86B(2):273-279). However, in the rat 3-methylhistidine is transported to liver and is acetylated. The N-acetyl-3-methylhistidine is the major form excreted in the rat (Young, V. R. et al., "Metabolism of administered 3-methylhistidine: Lack of muscle transfer ribonucleic acid charging and quantitative excretion as 3-methylhistidine and its N-acetyl derivative," J. Biol. Chem. (1972) 217:3592-3600), whereas in the adult human, N-acetyl-3-methyl-histidine accounts for less than 5% of the daily 3-methylhistidine excreted (Long, C. L. et al., "Metabolism of 3-methylhistidine in man," Metabolism (1975) 24:929-935). In sheep (Harris, C. I. and G. Milne, "The urinary excretion of Nt-methyl histidine in sheep: an invalid index of muscle protein breakdown," Br.J.Nutr. (1980) 44: 129-140) and pigs (Harris, C. I. and G. Milne, "The inadequacy of urinary (N-tau)-methyl histidine excretion in the pig as a measure of muscle protein breakdown," Br.J.Nutr. (1981) 45:423-429) 3-methylhistidine is not quantitatively excreted in urine but is retained in muscle as a dipeptide balenine (Harris, C. I. and G. Milne, "The identification of the N-methyl histidine-containing dipeptide, balenine, in muscle extracts from various mammals and the chicken," Comp. Biochem. Physiol. (1987) 86B(2):273-279). Hence, urinary 3-methylhistidine excretion cannot be used to estimate muscle protein breakdown in these species.
A compartmental model for swine or sheep must include a compartment for 3-methylhistidine metabolism other than excretion into a urine compartment. Swine excrete less than 2% of 3-methylhistidine from muscle metabolism into the urine with the majority being retained in muscle as the dipeptide balenine. Therefore, swine not only have a large pool of free 3-methylhistidine in muscle but also a large metabolic "sink" of 3-methylhistidine in the form of balenine. Likewise, sheep excrete approximately 15% of 3-methylhistidine in the urine with the remainder being retained in muscle as the dipeptide balenine. Hence a compartmental model describing the metabolism of 3-methylhistidine in these two species must incorporate these metabolic differences as compared to humans, cattle, rats and rabbits. Although there is a substantial body of literature on the metabolism of 3-methylhistidine, few reports have actually measured daily variability of endogenous 3-methylhistidine excretion. Lukaski et al. (Lukaski, H. C. et al., "Relationship between endogenous 3-methylhistidine excretion and body composition," Am. J. Physiol. (Endocrinol. Metab.)(1981) 240(3):E302-E307) reported an intra-individual coefficient of variation of 4.5% (range 2.2 to 7.0%). Similar intra-individual variation (5%) was reported by Sjolin et al. (Sjolin, J. et al., "Urinary excretion of 1-methylhistidine: A qualitative indicator of exogenous 3-methylhistidine and intake of meats from various sources," Metabolism (1987) 36:1175-1184), whereas interindividual variation (20%) is usually of a much higher magnitude even with large and homogeneous subject populations (Sjolin, J. et al., "Urinary excretion of 1-methylhistidine: A qualitative indicator of exogenous 3-methylhistidine and intake of meats from various sources," Metabolism (1987) 36:1175-1184).
A relationship between fat free mass and urinary 3-methylhistidine has been demonstrated in humans (Lukaski, H. C. and Mendez, J., "Relationship between fat-free weight and urinary 3-methylhistidine excretion in man," Metabolism (1980) 29:758-761; Lukaski, H. C. et al., "Relationship between endogenous 3-methylhistidine excretion and body composition," Am. J. Physiol. (Endocrinol. Metab.) (1981) 240(3):E302-E307; Mendez, J. et al., "Fat-free mass as a function of maximal oxygen consumption and 24-hour urinary creatinine, and 3-methylhistidine excretion," Am. J. Clin. Nutr. (1984) 39:710-714). Urinary creatinine has been suggested as an index of muscle mass and strong correlations have been demonstrated between urinary creatinine and 3-methylhistidine excretion (r=0.87, P<0.001) and between urinary creatinine and muscle mass (Lukaski, H.C. et al., "Relationship between endogenous 3-methylhistidine excretion and body composition," Am. J. Physiol. (Endocrinol. Metab.) (1981) 240(3):E302-E307). Previous studies have attempted to validate the quantitative urinary excretion of 3-methylhistidine. .sup.14 C-labeled 3-methylhistidine was injected, but its isotopic dilution was not described (Long, C. L. et al., "Metabolism of 3-methylhistidine in man," Metabolism (1975) 24:929-935).
There is a controversy as to whether urinary 3-methylhistidine is primarily a product of skeletal muscle protein turnover or whether other tissues might contribute a significant amount to the daily production. Haverberg et al. (Haverberg, L. N. et al., "Nt-Methylhistidine content of mixed proteins in various rat tissues," Biochem. Biophys. Acta (1975) 405:67-71) showed that the mixed proteins in all of the organs sampled contained detectable levels of bound 3-methylhistidine. However, when examining each organ as a whole, it was found that skeletal muscle contained the majority (98%) of the total amount. This study did not include an assessment of the amount of 3-methylhistidine in skin and intestine. Intestinal tissue is also a source of 3-methylhistidine production in humans as measured in urine. Brenner, U. et al. (1987), "Der Einfluss des Dunndarms auf den 3-Methylhistidin-staffwechsel des Menschen (The effect of the small intestine on 3-methylhistidine metabolism in the human)", Infusionther. Klin. Ernahr. 14:248-251. Nishizawa et al. (Nishizawa, M. et al., "Fractional catabolic rates of myosin and actin estimated by urinary excretion of N-methyl histidine: the effect of dietary protein level on catabolic rates under conditions of restricted food intake," Br. J. Nutr. (1977) 37:345-353) concluded that the skin and intestine contributed up to 10% of the total body pool of 3-methylhistidine. Comparative turnover studies of 3-methylhistidine-containing proteins in intestine, skin and skeletal muscle suggest that the skin and the intestine contributed 17% of the 3-methylhistidine excreted per day in the urine (Millward, D. J. and P. C. Bates, "3-Methylhistidine turnover in the whole body, and the contribution of skeletal muscle and intestine to urinary 3-methylhistidine excretion in the adult rat," Biochem. J. (1983) 214:607-615). These calculated values are based on the fitting of exponential regression lines to the specific activity of 3-methylhistidine from the various tissues after giving a dose [methyl-.sub.3 H]methionine. The accuracy of this estimate is uncertain because the labeling technique used may be confounded by the reutilization of labeled methionine (Young, V. R. and H. N. Munro, "Nt-Methylhistidine (3-methylhistidine) and muscle protein turnover: an overview," Fed. Proc. (1978) 37:2291-2300). Millward et al. (Millward, D. J. et al., "Quantitative importance of non-skeletal-muscle sources of N-tau-methyl-histidine in urine," Biochem. J. (1980) 190:225-228) have also concluded that skeletal muscle, skin, and gastrointestinal tract contribute only 25, 7 and 10%, respectively, of the 3-methylhistidine excreted in the adult rat, with the remainder being excreted by some unknown organ. These values were based on a measurement of a decay curve of labeled 3-methylhistidine, after an injection of labeled methionine.
In contrast, following a duodenoileostomy in rats which left only 8% to 10% of small gut intact, it was concluded that the small intestine did not make a significant contribution to a 24-hour urinary excretion of 3-methylhistidine (Brenner, U. et al., "The contribution of small gut to the 3-methylhistidine metabolism in the adult rat," Metabolism (1987) 36:416-418). A similar study with short-bowel humans indicated that skeletal muscle was the major source of urinary 3-methylhistidine. In human patients with varying degrees of infection (Sjolin, J. et al., "Exchange of 3-methylhistidine in the splanchnic region in human infection," Am. J. Clin. Nutr. (1989) 50:1407-1414) it was concluded that urinary 3-methylhistidine was a valid marker of myofibrillar protein breakdown because it was correlated with the release of 3-methylhistidine from the leg. Furthermore, it was later shown with additional patients (Sjolin, J. et al., "Total and net muscle protein breakdown in infection determined by amino acid effluxes," Am. J. Physiol. (Endocrinol. Metab.) (1990) 258:E856-E863) that there was a significant linear relationship between the effluxes of tyrosine and phenylalanine and the efflux and urinary excretion of 3-methylhistidine.
A method to describe 3-methylhistidine metabolism in cattle has been described by using a compartmental model (Rathmacher, J. A. et al., "Technical Note: The use of a compartmental model to estimate the de novo production rate of Nt-methylhistidine in cattle," J. Anim. Sci. (1992) 70:2104-2108). The model showed similar results from plasma and urine. The model estimated 3-methylhistidine production. Fractional muscle breakdown was calculated from the production rate by assuming that muscle mass accounted for 33% of total mass of the steers. (Rathmacher, J. A. et al., "Technical Note: The use of a compartmental model to estimate the de novo production rate of Nt-methylhistidine in cattle," J. Anim. Sci. (1992) 70:2104-2108). Cattle quantitatively excrete 3-methylhistidine into the urine, as do humans (Harris, C. I. and Milne, G., "The urinary excretion of N-tau-methyl histidine by cattle: validation as an index of muscle protein breakdown," Br. J. Nutr. (1981) 45:411-422). 3-methylhistidine production can be described by the model.
A three-compartment mathematical model for analysis of plasma measurements of isotopic and natural 3-methylhistidine in lambs has been tested, resulting in the suggestion that pool (compartment) 3 may be a valid indicator of muscle mass in sheep. (Link, G. A. (1991), "A comprehensive approach to describing protein turnover in lambs," Ph.D. thesis, Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University.) However, sheep metabolize 3-methylhistidine differently than humans, i.e., not all of it is excreted in the urine but, as discussed above, part is converted to balenine and stored in the muscles.
A similar kinetic approach can be utilized in sheep and swine (Rathmacher, J. A. et al., "Measurement of 3-methylhistidine production in lambs by using compartmental-kinetic analysis," Br. J. Nutr. (1992) 69:743-755; Rathmacher, J.A. et al., "Estimation of 3-methylhistidine production in swine by compartmental analysis," J. Anim. Sci. (1992) Abstract, 70:194) which, unlike humans, retain 3-methylhistidine in muscle as the dipeptide balenine (Harris, C. I. and Milne, G., "The urinary excretion of Nt-methyl histidine in sheep: an invalid index of muscle protein breakdown," Br. J. Nutr. (1980) 44:129-140; Harris, C. I. and Milne, G., "The inadequacy of urinary (N-tau)-methyl histidine excretion in the pig as a measure of muscle protein breakdown," Br. J. Nutr. (1981) 45:423-429).
Muscle is degraded in response to many metabolic situations including: starvation, infection, surgery, diabetes, nutrition level, hormonal and stress conditions. Scientific advances in these clinical areas are limited due to limitations in methodology available to quantitate myofibrillar proteolysis versus proteolysis of muscle as a whole. The protein reserve of skeletal muscle is composed of two distinct fractions; myofibrillar protein, the structural component, and non-myofibrillar, non-structural component. The myofibrillar protein makes up 60% of the skeletal muscle protein and turnover slower than non-myofibrillar protein (Bates, P. C. et al., "Myofibrillar protein turnover: synthesis of protein-bound 3-methylhistidine, actin, myosin heavy chain and aldolase in rat skeletal muscle in the fed and starved states," Biochem. J. (1983) 214:593-605). There is also evidence to show that myofibrillar and non-myofibrillar are not under the same metabolic control nor degraded by the same mechanism (Lowell, B. B. et al., "Regulation of myofibrillar protein degradation in rat skeletal muscle during brief and prolonged starvation," Metabolism (1986) 35:1121-1127; Lowell, B. B. et al., "Evidence that lysosomes are not involved in the degradation of myofibrillar proteins in rat skeletal muscle," Biochem. J. (1986) 234:237-240; Goodman, M. N., "Differential effects of acute changes in cell Ca2+ concentration on myofibrillar and non-myofibrillar protein breakdown in the rat extensor digitorum longus muscle in vitro: Assessment by production of tyrosine and N-tau-methylhistidine," Biochem. J. (1987) 241:121-127).
An insignificant increase in 3-methylhistidine excretion in humans during exercise and a significant increase during recovery from exercise has been reported, suggesting that exercise does not result in significant depletion of muscle mass. Carraro, F. (1990), "Effect of exercise and recovery on muscle protein synthesis in human subjects," Am. J. Physiol. 259E470-476.
As an alternative to measuring urinary 3-methylhistidine, the difference between plasma 3-methylhistidine measurements of venous and arterial flows in humans has been used to determine 3-methylhistidine afflux in patients with myotonic dystrophy; this difference was found not to correlate with the presence of myotonic dystrophy, suggesting that myofibrillar protein degradation is not increased in myotonic dystrophy.
All publications referred to herein are incorporated in their entirety by reference.
There is thus a need in the art for the measurement of muscle mass in humans which has greater accuracy and is subject to less interference by extraneous factors than prior art tests.

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