A guide nozzle for feeding multiple fusible filler metal wires into reduced-width, high-aspect-ratio (ratio of depth to width) metallic joints with control and stability of the filler metal position as it enters the molten pool area. The multiple filler wires are fed concurrently at the same or different feed rates. The guide nozzle is fabricated by flattening a circular tube into an oval or elliptical shape. In the case when the filler wires have the same diameter, the resulting oval or elliptical hole in the guide nozzle has a height greater than two times the diameter of the filler wires and a width greater than one diameter but less than two times the diameter of the filler wire. Alternatively, the guide nozzle is formed by forming a flat side on each of two circular tubes and then joining the flat sides together. Each tube has a circular hole of diameter greater than the diameter of the filler wire to be guided therein.

Conventional mechanized and automatic welding (and to a lesser extent brazing) practice has focused on methods for improvement in the joint microstructural condition and residual stress level, especially for materials susceptible to stress-induced cracking such as stress corrosion cracking (SCC). In addition, emphasis has been placed on improving the joining productivity while maintaining or increasing the joint quality, especially for thicker section materials. One of these modifications, relative to conventional V-groove joints, has been to decrease the volume of the filler deposited by reducing the width of the weld joint. This technique is known in the art: as "narrow groove" (or narrow gap) welding. As the joints are made thinner with steeper side wall angles, there are width and aspect ratio limitations on the joint design which can be reliably completed, even when using only a single filler material. As the technical and practical needs increase to make joints even thinner, the difficulty of locating and precisely controlling the feeding of multiple, nonparallel filler materials into these narrow and relatively deep joints using conventional equipment and procedures becomes even greater, or is impractical for many applications.
An additional problem for thin, high-aspect-ratio joints is the limitation in the filler deposition rate and corresponding joint completion rate, which are strongly controlled by the maximum practical filler melt-off rate that does not result in risk of lack of fusion or other defects. The practice of feeding only a single filler into the molten pool at any point in time during the deposition of a filler pass is inherently limited in its thermal efficiency for utilizing the most power of the heat source. The feeding of two fillers simultaneously, one of which is fed into the molten pool but intentionally not located in the hottest or most effective melting portion of the heat source, is also inherently limited in thermal efficiency. These practices result in undesirable limitations on the filler melt-off rate and productivity.
Commercial systems are available for feeding multiple filler wires. The general approach used in the welding industry for multiple filler material addition is to feed using two nozzles, each feeding at different times. The nozzles are aimed from different directions, typically from the leading and trailing sides of the torch (or other heat source), with respect to the direction of torch travel. One scheme is to feed from the two opposing, non-parallel nozzles alternately as the direction of torch travel is periodically changed from a forward to a reverse direction, such as to continue an orbital joining application while rewinding cables which have become wrapped around a component while traveling in the forward direction during the deposition of multiple fill passes. This commercially available system configuration is commonly called "dual wire feed" and allows a productivity improvement for some multi-pass, bidirectional travel applications.
Another known scheme is to feed from two opposing, non-parallel nozzles simultaneously while welding in either the forward, reverse or both directions, typically in an attempt to improve the filler deposition rate. One variation of this scheme is to try to align both filler nozzles, and therefore the aim points of both wires, to the desired part of the molten pool (under the heat source).
Another variation used with lateral torch and filler material oscillation is to synchronize the aim of one filler nozzle to the current position of the heat source, and to synchronize the other nozzle to be aimed into the portion of the molten pool from which the heat source has just moved in an effort to utilize some of the excess/residual heat remaining in the pool. In this latter configuration, the "chill" filler material feed rate typically is only a small fraction of the primary feed rate. This system is claimed to improve productivity by the use of the additional out-of phase trailing-side chill wire feed.
A number of welding systems are commercially available which allow pulsing of a single filler material between two feed rates synchronized with pulsing of the arc between two power levels. At higher pulse frequencies, however, the combination of mechanical slack in the drive mechanism (motor gearheads, etc.) and the clearance between the inside dimension of the filler conduit and the outside dimension of the filler material cause the individual feed rates to be smeared into an average value as the filler leaves the outlet end of the feed nozzle. Effectively, this averaging condition is aggravated by the mechanical inertia of the drive mechanisms, and results in inefficient use of the significantly greater filler material heating and melting capability of the higher power level. The heating and melting capability of an electric welding arc, for example, is proportional to the square of the current, so that high current levels are significantly more effective in melting filler material than lower current levels.
Conventional filler nozzles are stiff and, due to their large width, cannot be inserted into a very thin joint. The standard approach of increasing the filler stickout beyond the end of the nozzle in order to reach into a thin joint is limited by the lack of filler position control near the bottom of such joints if they are deep, as is the case in thicker materials. This lack of position control not only leads to filler melting inefficiencies as the aim to the hottest part of the arc is degraded, but also leads to electrode contamination, fusion defects, and process terminations when the filler material inadvertently contacts the (nonconsumable) electrode and disturbs the arc geometry and thermal properties.
Multiple filler material equipment designs utilizing individual nozzles for multiple feed applications use straight guide tubes which do not automatically compensate for the fact that the unsupported filler shape is not straight, and that the end does not follow a straight path after leaving the nozzle. This design has the disadvantage of providing no aiming control of the wire position after it leaves the outlet end of the nozzle, to compensate for the fact that the wire has a "cast" or helical configuration remaining from the permanent bending that occurs as it is wound on circular spools. The previously bent wire springs back into the curved configuration, reflecting a portion of the bending strain it had when on the spool. This curvature is typically accounted for as the filler is initially positioned relative to the heat source (such as the tip of a non-consumable electrode), and in some cases can be manually overridden during the course of the joining with the use of multi-axis motorized filler nozzle positioners. This method relies on an operator for periodic aiming adjustments, and would be very tedious when more than one filler is fed at the same time, especially with high-speed joining practices.

Method and apparatus for guiding multiple filler wires in welding groove


A front pillar upper structure of a vehicle includes an outer member and an inner member. The inner member forms an inner wall of the front pillar upper structure in a vehicle-width direction, and is joined to the outer member forming an outer wall in the vehicle-width direction to form a closed cross-section structure. The inner member includes a flange part, a first wall part, and a second wall part. The second wall part is disposed between the flange part located on the lower side of the inner member and joined to the outer member and the first wall part located above the flange part. The second wall part has an angle of inclination in a range from 41° to 68° to a principal axis of inertia extending in the vehicle-width direction in a cross section substantially vertical to a longitudinal direction of the front pillar upper structure.

The present disclosure relates to a front pillar upper structure.
For collision safety of automobiles, there is a known technique for limiting deformation of frames and the like that form a skeleton of a vehicle body toward the inside of a vehicle when a load acts from the outside of the vehicle.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-121368 discloses a technique for limiting deformation of a roof side skeleton frame toward the inside of the vehicle by placing a center-of-gravity position of a cross section of a front pillar outside the vehicle against a load applied from above the vehicle to the roof side skeleton frame when the vehicle rolls over.


A laser device includes a wavelength-tunable laser including plural wavelength selectors in an optical resonator; a semiconductor optical amplifier that amplifies the laser light input thereto; a light intensity variation detector that detects variation in intensity of the laser light output from the wavelength-tunable laser before the laser light is input to the semiconductor optical amplifier; a wavelength dithering generation unit that generates a resonator mode wavelength dithering to modulate a resonator mode of the resonator; a wavelength dithering feedback controller that performs, on the resonator mode wavelength dithering, feedback control based on the variation in intensity detected by the light intensity variation detector; a light intensity detector that detects an intensity of the laser light output from the semiconductor optical amplifier; and a semiconductor optical amplifier feedback controller that performs feedback control on the semiconductor optical amplifier based on the intensity detected by the light intensity detector.

The present disclosure relates to a wavelength-tunable laser device.
A widespread use of coherent communication leads to an increasing demand for narrow-linewidth wavelength-tunable lasers. In general, in order to narrow the line width of a semiconductor laser, it is necessary to increase the length of the optical resonator (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,665,321, International Publication No. WO 2016/152274, and N. Kobayashi et al., "Silicon Photonic Hybrid Ring-Filter External Cavity Wavelength Tunable Lasers", J. Lightwave Technol., vol. 33, pp.1241-1246, 2015). A wavelength-tunable laser configured to amplify laser light output from a semiconductor laser with a semiconductor optical amplifier and output the amplified laser light is also disclosed (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 5567226).
In a semiconductor laser including a long optical resonator, the channel spacing (optical frequency spacing) of a resonator mode (longitudinal mode) is narrow and thus it may be difficult to realize stable single-mode emission. In a wavelength-tunable laser configured to amplify laser light output from a semiconductor laser with a semiconductor optical amplifier and output the amplified laser light, it may be difficult to accurately control the wavelength of laser light.


A power-up and power-down circuit for an integrated circuit includes a voltage regulator set for a first voltage. A first I/O pad is coupled internally to an input to the voltage regulator and to first internal circuits. The second voltage is externally coupled to the first I/O pad. A second I/O pad is coupled internally to an output of the voltage regulator configured to drive the base of an external transistor. A third I/O pad of the integrated circuit is coupled internally to a reference-voltage input of the voltage regulator. A fourth I/O pad is coupled to a feedback input of the voltage regulator. A fifth I/O pad of the integrated circuit is coupled internally to logic circuitry that controls power-up and power down of the integrated circuit from internal signals including internal signals from a real-time clock circuit disposed on the integrated circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to integrated circuits. More particularly, the present invention relates to integrated circuits having multiple voltage power supply requirements and to a power-up and power-down circuit for use on such an integrated circuit.
2. The Prior Art
As integrated circuit functions become more complex, the power-supply requirements for the integrated circuits also increase in complexity. For example, an emerging trend is to provide both analog and digital functions on the same integrated circuit die. The power supply requirements for an integrated circuit including both analog and digital functions include provision for more than one voltage to be supplied to the integrated circuit. Typical requirements for such an integrated circuit fabricated according to presently-practiced technology may include the requirement to supply both 1.5 volts and 3.3 volts for circuitry internal to the integrated circuit.

Power-up and power-down circuit for system-on-a-chip integrated circuit


The claimed inventions are intended to be used in glazing of buildings and vehicles. The effect consists in power input savings and in creating ability of a self-contained power supply source. The method for regulation of translucence of glazing or transparent or translucent oilcloth, envisaging power supply of including as their component at least one current conductor film with adjoining to it liquid crystalline layer and regulation of voltage is characterized by regulation of voltage of constant current within the limits of 12 volts or of frequency of alternating current. The device may contain an autonomous constant power supply source provided with a heliopower battery and mounted or built in the glazing or oilcloth and/or with a microprocessor regulator of frequency or voltage.

The glasses called "chameleons" or "photochromic," having the property of changing their transparence/translucence smoothly under the influence of the solar radiation, are well known. Their drawback is their sluggishness (i.e. the slow course of the process) and their uncontrollability on the part of the user.
"The Transmitted Light Intensity Controllable Window" (Application EP0709712, published 1 May 1996, in Bulletin 1996/18) and the method of transparence (or translucence) control used therein is known in the art. Therein the property of originally transparent liquid crystalline polymer to reorientate and instantly (or quickly enough) become opaque under the application of electric potential is used. However, the said device and the method used therein provide only for switching the item from transparent to opaque without permitting translucence regulation over a range.
"The Electrically Controllable Optical Element" (United Kingdom Patent GB845053, published 17 Aug. 1960) and the method of transparence (or translucence) regulation and control used therein is known in the art. The said element contains several layers with controllable switching from transparent to opaque, positioned against each other and each consisting of a glass, a current conductor film and an optical filter.
Transparence/translucence can be regulated by means of application of electrical potential to the layers by turns and their switching. However this regulation is not smooth. The said method and device provide only for several gradations of transparence/translucence.
From the viewpoint of technical essence and achieved result, the most similar to the present inventions is the "Protection Device from Solar Radiation" (Author's Certificate of the USSR No. 666267, published 5 Jun. 1979, in Bulletin No 21) and the transparence/translucence regulation method embodied therein, chosen as a prototype.
The prototype contains glazing made of two rows of glasses, transparent current conductor coatings (films), a layer of liquid crystal, adjoining to the current conductor films and filling in the gap between the glasses and a power supply source. To achieve at least several gradations of translucence, i.e. several values of the quantity of light passing through all glazing, the method of dimming-out of some sections out of the whole glazing area is used in the said device. With this aim, the glazing is divided into several sections wherein electrical potential is applied separately and can be switched optionally, or several sections can be switched on together. Thereby, regulation of light having passed through all glazing is achieved, while by means of a toggle switch, for example, an upper or lower side screen of a window can be dimmed out instantly (in a second), or several dimmed out and light sections can be combined, or the glazing can be dimmed out completely by dimming out all sections. Herein each section has only two positions of translucence—transparent and opaque. Glazing translucence and quantity of incoming light is controlled by a user by switching and combining of the position of the toggle switch of the power supply source connected to the glazing and the power supply source.
The drawbacks of the prototype are low operating characteristics, caused by impossibility of smooth or almost smooth, i.e. fine stepped (for example, meander, imperceptible for visual apprehension) regulation of glazing translucence and incoming light, while transparence of glazing, precisely of its separate sections, is not regulated at all. It is also a drawback that, for example, if a user wants to make what is happening indoors or in a car body invisible from the outside so that to have enough daylight, he will have either to dim out all glazing sections thus darkening completely and blocking incoming light, or not to dim out some glazing sections, then therefrom an interior or a car body will be seen all the same. Inconvenience and complexity of translucence control and impossibility of transparence control over the property range of an applied liquid crystalline material from maximum transparent to maximum opaque is also a drawback. This inconvenience is especially undesirable if such glazing is applied to cars, because the necessity to make complex procedures to achieve desirable transparence and car body illumination will prevent a driver from running a car. It is also a drawback that the method and the construction don't envisage possibility of remote regulation and control and autonomous power supply. This drawback is especially a problem when such glazing or oilcloth is applied to buildings, particularly to large ones.

Method and device for regulation and control of transparence and translucence of glazing or oilcloth


This invention pertains to the in vitro detection of proteases using a single peptide-conjugate nanocrescent surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) probes with at least nanomolar sensitivity. The probe enables detection of proteolytic activity in extremely small volume and at low concentration. In certain embodiments the probes comprise an indicator for the detection of an active protease, where the indicator comprises a nanocrescent attached to a peptide, where said peptide comprises a recognition site for the protease and a Raman tag attached to the peptide.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in Europe and North America (Crawford (2003) Urology 62: 3-12; Gronberg et al. 92003) Lancet 361: 859-864; Pienta et al. (2006) Urology 48: 676-683). One of the clinical diagnosis tools for prostate cancer is the measurement of plasma protein concentration of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA or hK3), which is a member of the large kallikrein (hK) protease family (for reviews, see, e.g., Yousef and Diamandis (2001) Endocr. Rev., 22: 184-204; Denmeade and Isaacs (2002) Nat. Rev. Cancer 2: 389-396; Denmeade and Isaacs (2004) BJU Int 93 Suppl 1: 10-15) normally secreted from prostate luminal epithelial cells. Unlike other kallikrein family members, PSA is a chymotrypsin-like serine protease (Robert et al. (1997) Biochemistry 36: 3811-3819). In prostate cancer, PSA, aided by the proteolytic activity, is involved in tissue remodeling against the extracellular matrix, contributing critical control mechanisms to tumor invasion or progression. Other proteases play similar roles in cancers as well.
The introduction of plasma PSA screening since the 1980s has greatly improved the diagnosis, staging, and management of prostate cancer (Denmeade and Isaacs (2002) Nat. Rev. Cancer 2: 389-396); however, measurement of plasma PSA concentration does not differentiate the prostate cancer patients from those with benign prostatic hyperplasia, leading to a high false positive rate, requirement for more expensive biopsies, and even unnecessary surgical procedures (Denmeade and Isaacs (2004) BJU Int 93 Suppl 1: 10-15; Robert et al. (1997) Biochemistry 36: 3811-3819). Efforts to enhance the clinical value of the PSA for early detection of prostate cancer have included the characterization of various molecular isoforms of PSA (Mikolajczyk et al. (2004) Clin. Chem., 50: 1017-1025; Mikolajczyk and Rittenhouse (2003) Keio J. Med. 52: 86-91; Mikolajczyk et al. (2004) Clin. Biochem. 37: 519-528). Among those various isoforms, the proteolytically active subpopulation of PSA is accepted as a more useful tumor marker and malignancy predictor than the serum PSA concentration (Wu et al. (2004) Prostate 58: 345-353; Wu et al. (2004) Clin. Chem., 50: 125-129). Simple detection of the presence of PSA by a traditional immunostaining method can not reveal the proteolytic activity of PSA; therefore, it is of great importance to develop new methods to discriminate the proteolytically active isoform. Seminal fluid has been demonstrated to carry an abundance of proteolytically active PSA and is a biological source of PSA for protease activity assays (Brillard-Bourdet et al. (2002) Eur. J. Biochem., 269: 390-395; Rehault et al. (2002) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1596: 55-62). The concentration of proteolytically active PSA in seminal fluid is at 10-150 μM (Rehault et al. (2002) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1596: 55-62), while its concentration in the plasma is much lower, from less than 0.1 nM in healthy individuals to higher than 1 nM in patients with prostate disease (Rittenhouse et al. (1998) Crit. Rev. Clin. Lab. Sci., 35: 275-368). However, an assay that measures the proteolytic activity of PSA in seminal fluid or biopsy samples from fine needle aspiration is still not widely accepted, due to the quick decay of the proteolytic activity, and the limited amount of seminal fluid available from old patients or biopsy samples.
The sensitivity of current detection methods reach subnanomolar concentrations for PSA protein (Acevedo et al. (2002) Clin. Chim. Acta 317: 55-63; Charrier et al. (1999) Electrophoresis 20: 1075-1081; Bjartell et al. Prostate Cancer P D 2: 140-147) (mostly determined by the binding affinity of the antibody to PSA), and relatively large sample volume (milliliter) is required. However, the enzymatic assays have not enjoyed the same sensitivity enhancement.

Detection of protease and protease activity using a single nanocrescent SERS probe

The Regents of the University of California


The invention relates to automatic eye tracking, wherein at least one imaging device (150) registers sequential image data (DEYE) representing at least one eye (181; 182) of a subject (180). A processing unit (170) receives the image data (DEYE), and based thereon, produces a position estimate of the at least one eye (181; 182). The processing unit (170) also produces a control signal (DILL)>which is received by at least one light source (140). The at least one light source (140), in turn, emits at least one light beam (L) being variable, such that a spatial location of an illumination area (AILL) towards which at least one light beam (L) is directed depends on the characteristics of the control signal (CILL). Specifically, the processing unit (170) produces the control signal (CILL) so that the illumination area (AILL) includes a position estimate of the at least one eye (181; 182).

The concept of eye tracking is well known in the art and a number of different techniques have been developed for accomplishing automatic eye and gaze tracking. In the area of remote, non-obtrusive eye tracking, the most commonly used designs are based on pupil center corneal reflection (PCCR) methods. The basic idea behind this approach is to use at least one light source (e.g. infrared), and by means of a camera, capture a series of images of the eye. In each image the light source's refection (the glint) in the cornea and the pupil are identified. A vector defined from the glint to the center of the pupil is then used to estimate the eye's gaze direction.
However, to ensure adequate illumination of the subject's eyes a relatively high light power is required. This, in turn, results in comparatively high energy consumption. Moreover, it becomes necessary to provide the light source, or the unit into which the light source is integrated with resourceful cooling. The energy consumption and the heat dissipation is two-fold problematic.
Namely, due to the high power requirements, standard computer output interfaces (e.g. of USB format (USB—Universal Serial Bus)) cannot normally be used to supply power to the eye tracker. Furthermore, the high temperatures caused by the light source generally shorten the expected life of the electronic components included in the eye tracker. These problems can be alleviated somewhat by allocating a small view angle to the camera, so that the light source only needs to illuminate a relatively small spatial sector. Nevertheless, this causes new problems, since then the subject's eyes are restricted to a fairly small space to enable automatic eye tracking.


A method for performing a performance measurement on a packet flow is based on division of the packet flow to be measured in alternating blocks. A couple of connections are provided, originated by respective originating network points (physical or logical interface or port) and terminated by respective terminating network points (physical or logical interface or port). Division of the packet flow to be measured is implemented by periodically switching transmission of the packets between the two originating network points. At each network point originating or terminating a connection, a measurement point is implemented which provides performance parameters (counter and/or timestamp) relating to the packets to be transmitted by or which have been received from the related connection. The performance measurement on the packet flow is then performed based on the performance parameters provided by the measurement points.

In a packet-switched communication network, packet flows are transmitted from source nodes to destination nodes through possible intermediate nodes. Exemplary packet-switched networks are IP (Internet Protocol) networks, Ethernet networks and MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) networks.
Packets not always reach their destination nodes, i.e. they may be lost during transmission through the network. Packet loss is due to different reasons. For instance, a node or link may fail, or packets may be discarded by a node due to a congestion of its ports. Besides, packets may be discarded by a node since they contain bit errors.
Moreover, each packet is transmitted at a transmission time by the source node and is received at a reception time by the destination node (if it is not lost). The time elapsing between transmission time and reception time is typically called "one-way delay". The one-way delay of a packet mainly depends on the number of possible intermediate nodes crossed by the packet from source to destination, the permanence time of the packet at each node and the propagation time along the links.
Furthermore, packets may have different one-way delays. The difference between the one-way delays of two packets of a same packet flow is termed "interarrival jitter" (or, briefly, "jitter").
When a communication service (in particular, a real-time voice or data service such as call, conference call, video conference, etc.) is provided by means of a packet-switched network, a performance measurement in terms of packet loss, one-way delay and jitter on packet flows carrying the service provides an indication of the quality of service (QoS) perceived by the end users of the service. In addition, packet loss and high delay/jitter may require retransmission and then reduce the efficiency of the communication network. Therefore, measuring packet loss, one-way delay and/or jitter of packet flows in a communication network is of particular interest for network operators.
WO 2010/072251 (in the name of the same Applicant) discloses a method for measuring packet loss of a packet flow transmitted from a transmitting node to a receiving node. The transmitting node divides the packet flow to be measured in alternating blocks of packets, by using a so called "marking bit" in the packets' header. In particular, the transmitting node periodically switches the value of the marking bit between a first marking value (e.g. "1") and a second marking value (e.g. "0"), thereby providing blocks of packets marked by "1" which alternate in time with blocks of packets marked by "0". Instead of using a marking bit in the packet's header, the alternate marking may be implemented by providing a couple of connections (e.g. a couple of MPLS tunnels) on a span of the path followed by the packet flow to be measured and periodically switching the connection to be used for carrying the packets. Basically, the identifier of the connection carrying each packet (e.g. the MPLS label, in case of MPLS tunnels) is the marking value of that packet.

Performance measurement in a communication network


A method of forming an integrated circuit having a capacitor is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes forming a capacitor element with a first electrode, a dielectric layer and a second electrode. The capacitor element is formed using a support layer.

The present invention provides a method for producing an integrated circuit including forming a capacitor element using a supporting layer.
Conventional semiconductor memories have memory cells that are arranged on a substrate, the memory cells having capacitor elements. The capacitor element may include a bottom plate covered by a dielectric layer. The dielectric layer is covered with a top plate. The capacitor may have the structure of a cylinder capacitor, the structure of a cup capacitor or the structure of a block capacitor. The need for higher integration of memory cells results in capacitor elements covering a smaller area of the substrate. As a result, the capacitor elements are formed by structures that extend from the substrate in a vertical direction up to a maximum height that can be attained by fabricating the capacitor elements. The horizontal area of the substrate is limited and therefore the capacitor elements are fabricated with a high aspect ratio. Furthermore, dielectric material is used having a high k coefficient in order to provide a large amount of electrical charge which can be stored in a small capacitor element. Because of the small sizes of the capacitors, there is a need to improve the method of forming the capacitor element.

Method of producing an integrated circuit having a capacitor with a supporting layer


An electron microscope capable of performing accurate X-ray analysis. A specimen stage on which a specimen to be investigated is placed, is disposed between the upper and lower magnetic pole pieces of the objective lens. The specimen is irradiated with the electron beam to detect X-rays emitted from the specimen. The specimen stage consists of a light element, such as beryllium, that produces a very small amount of X-rays when irradiated with the electron beam. A metal film of a heavy element, such as gold, is deposited on the upper surface of the specimen stage. This metal film produces a large amount of X-rays when irradiated with the electron beam. The X-rays emitted from the lower magnetic pole piece are absorbed by the metal film. Consequently, the X-ray detector of the microscope detects only the X-rays produced from the specimen.

FIG. 8(A) schematically shows a specimen insertion device which is used with an electron microscope having X-ray analysis capability and inserts a specimen from a direction perpendicular to the optical axis Z. A specimen stage 1 has an opening 2 as shown in FIG. 8(B). The specimen, indicated by 3, is placed on the specimen-holding portion 7 of the specimen stage 1. An upper magnetic pole piece 4 and a lower magnetic pole piece 5 together form an objective lens. An X-ray detector 6 detects X-rays emitted from the specimen 3 when it is irradiated with the electron beam.
In the electron microscope of this construction, the specimen stage 1 is inserted from the direction perpendicular to the optical axis Z to observe the specimen 3. Then, the electron beam emitted by the electron gun (not shown) is directed toward the specimen 3. Electrons transmitted through the specimen 3 are magnified by lenses (not shown) located below the specimen 3. The magnified electron image is focused onto the fluorescent screen (not shown).
To make X-ray analysis of the specimen 3, the X-rays produced from the specimen 3 illuminated by the electron beam are detected by the aforementioned X-ray detector 6. The output signal from the detector 6 is sent to an X-ray analysis system (not shown), for performing the X-ray analysis.
The specimen stage 1 is generally made of a light element producing a very small amount of X-rays such as beryllium to reduce the X-ray emission from the specimen stage 1 in response to the illumination of the electron beam when the beam produced by the electron gun (not shown) leaks around the specimen-holding portion 7 of the stage 1. Therefore, most of the X-rays detected by the x-ray detector 6 are released from the specimen. Hence, the x-ray analysis can be performed accurately.
To improve the resolution of the electron microscope, the gap between the pole pieces 4 and 5 is made very small. Consequently, the specimen stage 1 is made very thin. An electron microscope having such thin specimen stage is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,934. While the primary electrons are penetrating the specimen 3, the electrons are scattered. Some of the scattered electrons collide against the lower magnetic pole piece 5, so that X-rays are produced from this pole piece.
Since the specimen stage is made of a light element and thin as described above, the X-rays emanating from the lower pole piece penetrate the specimen stage 1. The X-rays transmitted through the stage 1 are detected by the X-ray detector 6 in the same way as the X-rays emitted form the specimen. In consequence, it is impossible to make accurate X-ray analysis of the specimen.


Improved electrotransport of therapeutic agents which include agent cations and polybasic anionic counterions. Improved electrotransport is obtained by treating the therapeutic agent with a multivalent metal compound of the formula MX where M is a metallic cation having a valency of at least +2 and is reactive with the polybasic anionic counter ion and X is a pH-increasing anion. Reduction in species which compete with the therapeutic agent for electrotranport is obtained.

Transdermal delivery of drugs or therapeutic agents is an important medicament administration route. Transdermal drug delivery bypasses gastrointestinal degradation and hepatic metabolism, while at the same time providing slow, but controlled, systemic delivery of a drug or an agent to a patient's blood stream. It is an especially attractive administration route for drugs or agents with a narrow therapeutic index, short half-life and potent activity.
Transdermal permeation of most compounds is a passive diffusion process. The maximum flux of agent through a patient's skin, i.e., the quantity of agent delivered through a given area of skin, is primarily determined by the drug's partition coefficient and solubility characteristics. Transdermal permeation, however, can be enhanced by iontophoresis.
Iontophoresis is a process by which the transdermal transport of therapeutic agents or drug is increased or controlled using electro-repulsion as the driving force. By the application of an external electrical field to, e.g., an agent-containing reservoir of an electrotransport device, drugs or agents of like charge are driven by repulsive forces through the skin. As such, the transdermal delivery becomes a more controllable, rather than a passive, process, and agent or drug transport flux is thereby increased.
Iontophoretic devices have been known since the early 1900's. A 1934 British Patent Specification No. 410,009 describes a portable iontophoretic device which overcame one of the disadvantages of earlier devices, namely that the patient needed to be immobilized near the current source. More recently, a number of United States patents have issued in the iontophoresis field, indicating a renewed interest in this mode of drug delivery. For example, Vernon et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,755; Jacobsen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,359; Wilson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,545; and Jacobsen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,250,878, disclose examples of iontophoretic devices and some applications thereof.
In presently known iontophoresis devices, at least two electrodes are used. Both of these electrodes are disposed so as to be in intimate electrical contact with some portion of the skin of the body. One electrode, called the "active" or donor electrode, is the electrode from which the ionic (or ionizable) agent, drug precursor or drug is delivered into the body via the skin by iontophoresis. The other electrode, called the counter or return electrode, serves to close the electrical circuit through the body. In conjunction with the patient's skin contacted by the electrodes, the circuit is completed by connection of the electrodes to a source of electrical energy, e.g., a battery.
Depending upon the electrical charge of the species to be delivered transdermally, either the anode or cathode may be the "active" or donor electrode. If, for example, the ionic substance to be driven into the body is positively charged, then the anode will be the active electrode and the cathode will serve to complete the circuit. On the other hand, if the ionic substance to be delivered is relatively negatively charged, then the cathodic electrode will be the active electrode and the anodic electrode will be the counter electrode.
Alternatively, both the anode and the cathode may be used to deliver drugs of appropriate charge into the body. In such a case, both electrodes are considered to be active or donor electrodes. For example, the anodic electrode can drive positively charged substances into the body while the cathodic electrode can drive negatively charged substances into the body.
Existing iontophoresis devices generally require a reservoir or source of the ionized or ionizable species (or a precursor of such species) which is to be iontophoretically delivered or introduced into the body. Examples of such reservoirs or sources of ionized or ionizable species include a pouch as described in the previously mentioned Jacobsen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,250,878, a pre-formed gel body as disclosed in Webster, U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,529, and a generally conical or domed molding of Sanderson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,726. Such drug reservoirs are electrically connected to the anode or to the cathode of an iontophoresis device to provide a fixed or renewable source of one or more desired species or agents.
More recently, iontophoretic delivery devices have been developed in which the donor and counter electrode assemblies have a "multi-laminate" construction. In these devices, the donor and counter electrode assemblies are each formed by multiple layers of (usually) polymeric matrices. For example, Parsi, U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,049, discloses a donor electrode assembly having hydrophilic polymer based electrolyte reservoir and drug reservoir layers, a skin-contacting hydrogel layer, and optionally one or more semipermeable membrane layers. In addition, Ariura et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,570, discloses a device wherein the electrode assemblies include a conductive resin film electrode layer, a hydrophilic gel reservoir layer, and aluminum foil conductor layer and an insulating backing layer.
Hydrogels have been particularly favored for use as the drug reservoir matrix and electrolyte reservoir matrix in iontophoretic delivery devices, in part, due to their high equilibrium water content and their ability to quickly absorb water. In addition, hydrogels tend to have good biocompatibility with the skin and with mucosal membranes.
Iontophoresis has been used for both the local and systemic delivery of drugs. The iontophoresis process has been useful in the transdermal administration of any number of medicaments or drugs. The control of electrical factors, such as intensity, profile and duration of electrical current application, as well as physicochemical factors, such as the pH or ionic strength, allows one to modulate the rate and the duration of permeation. As intended herein, the particular therapeutic agent to be delivered may be completely charged (i.e., 100% ionized), completely uncharged, or partly charged and partly uncharged. The therapeutic agent or species may be delivered by electromigration, electroosmosis or a combination of the two. Electroosmosis, in general, results from the migration of solvent, in which the species is contained, as a result of the application of electromotive force to the therapeutic species reservoir.
Of particular interest is the transdermal delivery of analgesic drugs for the systemic management of moderate to severe pain. Control of the rate and duration of drug delivery is particularly important for systemic transdermal delivery of analgesic drugs to avoid the potential risk of overdose and the discomfort of an insufficient dosage.
One class of analgesics that has found application in a transdermal delivery route is the synthetic opiates, a group of 4-aniline piperidines. The synthetic opiates, e.g., fentanyl and certain of its derivatives such as sufentanil and alfentanyl, are particularly well-suited for transdermal administration. These synthetic opiates are characterized by their rapid onset of analgesia, high potency, and short duration of action. They are estimated to be 80 and 800 times, respectively, more potent than morphine. These drugs, in the form utilized, are weak bases, i.e., amines, whose major fraction is cationic in acidic solution. Further, these drugs or agents have polybasic anionic counter ions e.g, citrate, tartrate, and maleate.
The amine drugs preferably used in this invention are available pharmaceutically as citrates, e.g., fentanyl citrate, sufentanil citrate. In vitro and in vivo studies of iontophoretic delivery of these analgesic citrates have been reported. See, e.g., Thysman and Preat, Anesth. Analg., vol. 77 (1993) 61-66. In an in vivo study to determine plasma concentration, Thysman and Preat compared simple diffusion of fentanyl and sufentanil to iontophoretic delivery in citrate buffer at pH 5. Simple diffusion did not produce any detectable plasma concentration. The plasma levels attainable depended on the maximum flux of the drug that can cross the skin and the drug's pharmacokinetic clearance variables. Iontophoretic delivery was reported to have a significantly reduced lag time (i.e., time required to achieve peak plasma levels) as compared to passive transdermal patches (1.5 h versus 14 h). Thus, active electrotranstophoretic delivery of drugs over passive delivery of these drugs, many issues remain. For example, fentanyl, in acidic solution exists as the cation FH.sup.+ where F represents fentanyl. Fentanyl citrate, a pharmaceutically available form of fentanyl having a polybasic citrate anion, appears to involve only one of the three carboxylic acid groups of citric acid in salt formation with the fentanyl. At the pH for optimized permselectivity of skin, namely, pH.congruent.6.0, the remaining two carboxylic acid groups are ionized and the protons (H.sup.+) generated in ionization compete with FH.sup.+ for delivery in the electrotransport process. This competition reduces the overall efficiency of delivery of FH.sup.+ agent.
Previous work has involved the neutralization of fentanyl citrate with bases such as sodium or potassium hydroxide. It has been found that such neutralizations of fentanyl citrate with sodium or potassium hydroxide, achieve little more than introducing another small monovalent cation which, similar to protons, competes with fentanyl cation for delivery during an electrotransport process.
To date, the art has not adequately responded with a solution to this problem of reducing competitive ions in the electrotransport process.

Enhanced electrotransport of therapeutic agents having polybasic anionic counter ions


An apparatus includes a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to (a) buffer write signals presented on a data bus connected between a memory channel and a memory controller, (b) buffer read signals presented on the data bus and (c) condition the write signals. The conditioning may be implemented by (i) converting the write signals to a first differential write signal on a first differential write line and a second differential write signal on a second differential write line and (ii) connecting (a) a negative impedance and (b) a combined resistive and capacitive load between the first and second differential write lines. The second circuit may be configured to (a) convert the first and the second differential write signals to a single-ended write signal and (b) present the single-ended write signal to the data bus.

Random access memory (RAM) provides fast, cost-effective, volatile storage for computing devices. The Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC) provides memory standards for storage devices. DDR4 SDRAM (double data rate fourth generation synchronous dynamic random-access memory) provides higher module density, lower voltage specifications and higher data rate transfer speeds. DDR4 LRDIMM (load reduced dual in-line memory module) technology uses a distributed buffer approach to implement memory bandwidth efficiencies when scaling to higher capacities and data rate transfer speeds.
Increasing data rate transfer speeds introduces new engineering challenges. To meet the JEDEC standards for data transfer, one of the challenges is to overcome loss in signal strength, and increased cross talk and reflections introduced by various components of the transmission channel (i.e., noise). Continuous time linear equalization (CTLE) is a technique used to boost high frequency signals in a specific range of interest. In traditional implementations, a differential input circuit with resistive and capacitive (RC) degeneration is used. In DDR4 applications, the amount of boosting a circuit gets is limited due to the amount of crosstalk. For most circuit designs, area is an important parameter. The amount of area used for a design impacts competitiveness parameters (i.e., cost effectiveness, power consumption, etc.). Conventional implementations of CTLE circuitry use more area and do not fit within aggressive target area parameters.
It would be desirable to implement a receiver CTLE circuit that minimizes cross talk and/or is implemented using a minimal amount of chip area.

Receiver equalization circuit with cross coupled transistors and/or RC impedance


Disclosed is a method and system for ranking answers supplied by user authors in an online database. A first author enters a first answer under a question. The answer is ranked #1 for output under that question. Then a second author enters a second answer under the same question. The second author also enters a bet claiming that her answer is better than the first answer. If the first author declines the bet, the second answer becomes ranked #1 for output under the question. If the first author accepts the bet, the bet is decided by a judge. The judge enters her decision into the answer database system.

The invention relates to online database methods and systems for providing, evaluating and retrieving answers.
Online answer databases have arisen in which ordinary users contribute answers for free. Wikipedia is an example. Online answer databases have also arisen in which ordinary users contribute answers for pay. Google Answers (now defunct) is an example. U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,085 describes a pay-for-answers database method and system. In both types of systems, various problems impede users from improving answers. One basic problem is the labor cost of judging the quality of answers. A second basic problem is that there is no good method for measuring the quality of an answer; so therefore, disputes arise as to whether and how much one answer improves on another.
Current methods for improving answers in databases include:                Having a special class of users who have special rights to improve answers        Having a special class of users who judge the quality of answers        Incorporating user feedback regarding answers        Using mechanistic rules for evaluating and ranking answers.
This application discloses a novel method that reduces the costs of disputes about whether one answer is an improvement over another. In this method, an author of an answer bets that her answer is better than a higher ranked answer by another author. The potential financial penalty of the bet encourages honesty by both authors as to who has supplied the better answer. The challenger author's answer replaces the higher ranked answer if the author of the higher ranked answer declines to bet. This method can be adapted to allow consumers of answers to also bet and thereby affect the ranking of answers.
The inventor does not know of this method being proposed for any answer system. U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,085 stated that betting methods could be used for quality control of answers, but the patent did not supply details.

Method and system for providing improved answers

Abstract: If the judge finds that the first author's answer is better than the second author's, then the first author's answer remains ranked first under the question; if the judge finds that the second author's answer is better, then second author's answer replaces the first author's answer as the #1 ranked answer under the question.


Provided is a remote control system and a method enabling packets, related to a control signal and simultaneously transmitted from a controller to a plurality of controlled devices, to be received by the controlled devices without a difference in delay. Edge nodes that are packet transfer devices are provided on communication paths between a controller provided on a network and a plurality of controlled devices provided in a location. The edge nodes each include a transfer processing unit that transfers the packets from the controller to the controlled devices, and a timing control unit that controls transmission timing of the packets in the transfer processing unit to reduce a difference in arrival time of a plurality of packets simultaneously transmitted from the controller to the plurality of controlled devices, at the plurality of controlled devices.

In the related-art, in an Operational Technology (OT) environment such as a factory, a controller (Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)) and the like that control controlled devices (such as a robot arm, mixer, and thermometer) is provided on the identical network and performs communications with low latency and abundant bandwidth (see Non Patent Literature 1). The communications on the network are performed using a protocol examples of which include PROFIBUS for RS-485 serial communications, Ethernet/IP as an industrial Ethernet (registered trademark) protocol operating on Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP)/Internet Protocol (IP), and Modbus/TCP as industrial Ethernet (registered trademark) protocol operating on TCP/IP (see Non Patent Literature 1).
PLC has been implemented by software in cities. This enables the PLC to be provided on a so called cloud. In the cities, demonstration experiments (such as air conditioning control) of this mode are conducted.

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation


A plurality of program components, which do not have matching interfaces, are combined together automatically to generate a larger new program. An interface specifications' database registers the interface specifications corresponding to each of the program components. A program transformation rule memory stores transformation rules for controlling the reconciliation of the non-matching interface specifications of the program components. A data type memory stores data type transformation rules for reconciling non matching data specifications. A mediating program generator detects a mismatch of the interface specifications between at least two program components which are being combined and generates a mediating program in accordance with the program transformation rule and the data type transformation rule which mediating program enables the two programs and their data to communicate. A components composer generates the larger new program from the program components in the program components' database and the generated mediating program.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a program composing or synthesizing, method and apparatus for composing a program by connecting a plurality of program components, and more particularly to a program composing method and apparatus for composing a program from a plurality of program components having different interfaces.
(2) Description of the Related Art
An apparatus for composing a program by connecting a plurality of program components is known. As shown in FIG. 2, this apparatus is provided with a program components' database 1 for storing program components and an interface specifications' database 2 for storing component specification information (hereinafter called interface specification information) corresponding to rules of how program components are used. A plurality of program components are selected from the program components' database, and corresponding interface specifications are selected from the interface specifications' database in accordance with the rules stored in the header fields of the selected program components, to thereby compose a new program 8.
Such a program components composing apparatus is described, for example, in JP-A-1-94431.

Program synthesizing method and apparatus


Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for normalizing an image of a driver's face in a predetermined size on the center of a monitor by automatically controlling a lens when the image of the driver's face is detected. The apparatus includes a lens for photographing a driver's face, a first motor for moving the lens in a forward or rearward direction in order to adjust a zoom parameter, a second motor for moving the lens in a horizontal or vertical direction in order to adjust a pan parameter or a tilt parameter, and a controller for extracting an initial face area from a photographed image and controlling operations of the first motor and the second motor according to the extracted initial face area.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for extracting a face image required for detecting drowsy driving, and more particularly to an apparatus and a method for controlling a lens so that an image of a driver's face can be normalized to a predetermined size in the center of a monitor.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to detect drowsy driving, a procedure of extracting images of drivers' faces must be first performed. How this procedure is performed can substantially affect the overall performance of a conventional apparatus for detecting drowsy driving. However, since the drivers may assume various driving positions and postures (e.g., the drivers may sit upright, reclined, set-back, set-forward, slouched, etc.), it is difficult to accurately detect the images of the drivers' faces. In addition, since the drivers' faces have different sizes, detecting the images of the driver's face becomes more difficult.
Images of a driver's feature photographed by the conventional apparatus for detecting drowsy driving having a fixed camera are shown in FIGS. 1(a)-1(d).
FIG. 1(a) illustrates a normal image, and FIGS. 1(b) to 1(d) illustrates abnormal images; FIG. 1(b) illustrates a case where an image is abnormal because the driver's face is photographed as a very small image; FIG. 1(c) illustrates a case where an image is abnormal because the driver's face is photographed as a very large image; and FIG. 1(d) illustrates a case where the image is abnormal because the driver's face is photographed as an image excessively-offset to the left.
When the apparatus for detecting drowsy driving is initially installed, the position for mounting the camera must be determined according to individual drivers (and their driving habits) in such a manner that the abnormal images describe above are not obtained. Although the camera is suitably mounted, driving habits may change somewhat, and/or other drivers may drive the vehicle. However, it is difficult to control the position of the camera or perform re-calibration whenever a driver's driving habit changes somewhat, and/or other drivers drive the vehicle.
The problems are caused because the conventional apparatus for detecting drowsy driving extracts the image of the driver's face by employing a fixed camera.
In addition, the apparatus for detecting drowsy driving employing a fixed camera recognizes the distance between the camera and the driver as an average distance, and an operation of extracting an area corresponding to the image of the driver's face based on the photographed image is performed through software, which increases the time required to extract an image and reduces the system's efficiency.
In addition, if the image of the driver's face is intended to be extracted from an image using the fixed camera, a normalization procedure must be performed. Although the normalization procedure is performed, information about the resolution of an input face image is always changing. Herein, the normalization procedure is required because the face area in the photographed image may have a different position or a different size due to a difference in a face's position with respect to a camera lens according to the driver's driving position.

Apparatus and method for normalizing face image used for detecting drowsy driving


A process for preparing a filler-containing PTFE granular powder, which comprises mixing uniformly a PTFE powder having an average particle size of not more than 100 .mu.m and a (semi-)hydrophilic filler which is surface-treated with an organosilane of the formula: ##STR1## in a two-phase liquid medium comprising water and a water-insoluble organic liquid having a surface tension of not more than 35 dynes/cm at 25.degree. C. Accordingly to the process, the separation of filler can be avoided, and a colorless molded article can be provided.

The present invention relates to a process for preparing polytetrafluoroethylene (hereinafter referred to as "PTFE") granular powder containing a filler and PTFE granular powder prepared by the process.
The molding powder of PTFE is a PTFE powder prepared by finely dividing coarse particles obtained by suspension polymerization, and it has been used for molding by means of compression molding or ram extrusion molding. The particle size of the finely divided PTFE particles (primary particle size) is 5 .mu.m at the smallest and up to about 1,000 .mu.m, usually has an average particle size of not more than 100 .mu.m. The PTFE molding powder into which a hydrophilic or semi-hydrophilic filler is uniformly incorporated also has been used as a filler-containing PTFE molding powder having an improved properties such as abrasion resistance and hardness in comparison with those of the PTFE powder.
It is possible to uniformly incorporate the filler to the PTFE molding powder by means of a special mixing machine. Recently in advance with molding automation, an agglomerated granular powder tends to be used as a filler-containing molding powder having an improved handling property, especially powder flowability, and a high bulk density.
The method for agglomerating and granulating is roughly classified into a dry mixing method or a wet mixing method. The former is a method using no water, and the latter is a method using water. As the typical example of the latter there is known a method in which a mixture of the PTFE powder, a filler and a water-insoluble organic liquid is agitated in water.
The wet mixing method is superior to the dry mixing method because an automation of granulation process can be relatively easy, though a separation step and a drying step after the aqueous treatment are required.
A difficulty has been encountered in the uniform mixing of the PTFE powder with a hydrophilic or semi-hydrophilic filler like a glass powder, because the hydrophilic or semi-hydrophilic filler tends to transfer easily into an aqueous phase. As a result, an agglomerated PTFE granular powder containing all of the hydrophilic or semi-hydrophilic filler used cannot be obtained, and a portion of the filler remains in the treating water. The phenomenon is called as "separation of filler". Also the filler in the granular powder is apt to come off from the obtained granular powder during handling.
In order to solve these problems, there is employed a process in which, prior to the mixing in water, the hydrophilic or semi-hydrophilic filler is previously subjected to hydrophobic surface treatment, whereby lowering the surface activity near the surface activity of the PTFE powder, or a process in which the mixing is carried out in the water-organic liquid medium to which a certain compound having the above activity-lowering effect is added at the mixing.
Among the processes, as processes in which a silicon-containing compound is used, there have hitherto been known processes as mentioned below.
(a) A process in which an amino functional organosilane and/or a water-soluble silicone resin is added into a water-organic liquid medium (Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 47269/1978, No. 40099/1979). PA1 (b) A process in which a silicone resin and melt processible TFE copolymer particles are present in the system (Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 7164/1982). PA1 (c) A process in which a filler surface-treated with an aminosilane compound is mixed in the presence of a nonionic surface active agent (Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 21694/1985). PA1 (d) A process in which a filler surface treated with a perfluoroalkylsilane is used (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 139628/1989).
It is extremely insufficient to prevent the separation of filler according to the method (a). In the method (b), there is a disadvantage that a heat resistance of a PTFE powder is lowered. The methods of (c) and (d) in which a filler is previously surface-treated do not have the above-mentioned disadvantages of (a) or (b). In the method (c) using an aminosilane, however, the obtained molded article is colored in a central part after sintering. Also in the method (d), though the obtained molded article is endowed with excellent electric characteristics, there is a disadvantage of coloration similarly to the method (c).
According to the present invention, there can be provided a process for decreasing the separation of filler and preparing a PTFE granular powder in which a filler is uniformly dispersed. The obtained granular powder can give a colorless molded article.

Process for preparing polytetrafluoroethylene granular powder containing filler and polytetrafluoroethylene granular prepared by the same


A wrapping paper inspection apparatus includes a nozzle arranged in a wrapping-paper discharge path, in which wrapping paper is wound and continuously discharged, for wetting one side of the wrapping paper with a liquid; an image pickup section for irradiating light to the wrapping paper wetted with the liquid by the nozzle, detecting light transmitted through or reflected from the wrapping paper, and generating an image signal; and a wrapping paper inspection section for determining defects in wrapping paper portions applied or affixed with a low flame spread material, from the image signal generated by the image pickup section, to thereby inspect such defects easily and reliably. This inspection apparatus can be mounted to a tobacco wrapping machine.

Cigarettes are generally manufactured by wrapping tobacco shreds with wrapping paper to form a tobacco rod and cutting the tobacco rod to a predetermined length. The wrapping paper is an elongated one—about 27 mm in width, and is provided in the rolled-up form, i.e., in the form of a roll.
Incidentally, a smoker sometimes drops a cigarette on a floor, a carpet or the like while smoking. In such cases, the cigarette should preferably stop burning naturally. To this end, attempts have been made to form wrapping paper with low flame spread portions. For instance, wrapping paper is increased in thickness by, for example, affixing pieces of paper containing a low flame spread material to one side of wrapping paper in approximately equally spaced stripes, or a diluted solution of a low flame spread material is coated on (applied to) wrapping paper in approximately equally spaced stripes, or other processing is done. Another attempt to inspect the quality of low flame spread portions of wrapping paper has also been made.
For example, a wrapping paper inspection apparatus described in Japanese national patent publication (Tokuhyo) no. 2001-509366 is designed to inspect wrapping paper consisting of base cigarette paper to which pulp layers of cellulose (microcrystalline cellulose, amylopectin or the like), which is a low flame spread material, are affixed in approximately equally spaced stripes. Specifically, this inspection apparatus is designed to irradiate light from a light source such as an infrared emitting diode to the wrapping paper while unwinding it from a roll, detect variation in the amount of light reflected from the wrapping paper by an optical sensor, and optically determine the quality of affixation of the pulp layers of low flame spread material to the wrapping paper.
In other words, this wrapping paper inspection apparatus uses a difference in light reflectance between the base cigarette paper of the wrapping paper and the low flame spread material affixed thereto, and is designed that spot light is irradiated onto one side of the wrapping paper to which the low flame spread material is affixed, and light that is reflected therefrom and transmitted through a detector lens, a filter, and a polarizer, is detected by a detector.
As mentioned above, there is wrapping paper having a low flame spread property imparted by increasing the thickness by affixing a material to base cigarette paper, the material having the same property as the base cigarette paper. In this type of wrapping paper where the base cigarette paper and the low flame spread portion are the same in material and there is no difference in light reflectance therebetween, it is impossible to detect defects in the low flame spread portion by using a difference in light reflectance between the base cigarette paper and the low flame spread material.
Wrapping paper applied with sodium alginate, which is a low flame spread material, also has a problem that it is difficult to reliably detect defects in the coating of the low flame spread material, since there is no noticeable difference in light reflectance between base cigarette paper and regions coated with sodium alginate.

Wrapping paper inspection apparatus and tobacco wrapping machine


This invention is an interlocking device for a push-button switch in compact size and with a mechanically simple construction, capable of realizing interlocking of a push-button switch having a pair of push buttons facing each other and being downwardly movable in multiple stages by being pressed, while sufficiently securing stroke in each stage of the push buttons. A switch body having a fixed contact is provided with two push buttons, having mobile contacts, facing each other and being downwardly movable in multiple stages. An interlocking member for mobile contact is swingably disposed, for preventing closing of the mobile contact of at least one push button due to touching of the mobile contact the two push buttons are pressed, on the switch body at a position lower than the push buttons, with approximately the mid-point of two push buttons.

The present invention relates to an interlocking device for a push-button switch used for the operation of cranes and hoists, for example. More specifically, it relates to an interlocking device of a push-button switch including a switch body having fixed contacts provided with two push buttons, having mobile contacts, facing each other and being downwardly movable in multiple stages by being pressed.
On a conventional push-button switch used for the operation of cranes and hoists, an interlocking member for the push button is swingably provided with approximately the mid-point of two push buttons, provided face to face with each other. The interlocking member acts as a fulcrum to prevent simultaneous pressing down of the two push buttons, so that the operator may not press down the two push buttons simultaneously by mistake, causing reckless run or other trouble of the equipment (U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,647).
Also, when the conventional interlocking device for a push-button switch is applied a push-button switch having a pair of push buttons facing each other and being downwardly movable in multiple stages, or in three stages for example, a problem was that, to enable pressing down in three stages of either push button while preventing simultaneous pressing down of the two push buttons, it was impossible to maintain a large degree of freedom of a relative operating range between the two push buttons and the interlocking member due to the structure of this interlocking device, thus making it difficult to maintain a sufficient stroke in each stage of the push buttons and thereby causing a drop of operability of the push buttons.

Multiple push-button switch assembly with interlocking mechanism


An electrical floor box for providing multiple services such as electrical service and communication service has a housing formed from a top section, a bottom section, and a middle section connecting the top and bottom section. The housing is covered by a cover that rests in a cover flange. The cover flange has a gutter for collecting any liquids that seep into the housing. A removable power panel rests in the interior of the housing and provides electrical receptacles. An accessory box for providing additional services such as compressed air and water can be attached to electrical floor box.

Electrical boxes are installed in concrete floors to provide outlets for various services, such as electrical power service or lower voltage service for telephone and data communications. Typical floor boxes have a housing with a removable cover to allow access to the interior of the housing. Among other things, a recurring problem with floor mounted electrical boxes is seepage of liquids past the cover and into the housing. This occurs because concrete floors in places such as convention centers are often hosed off to clean the floors.
Thus, there is a continuing need to provide electrical boxes which prevent seepage of liquid into the interior compartment of the housing. Additionally, there is a continuing need to provide electrical boxes that are easily assembled and permit easy access to the wires and other elements contained therein. This invention addresses these needs in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art once given this disclosure.

Large capacity multiple service floor box


A voice cell transmission method by which a VTOA architecture is employed and the transmission delay time can be minimized when transmitting the voice cell, and a system using the method are provided. Voice transmission method, in an ATM transmission system for transmitting a voice traffic, which is compressed, and is provided on a payload of a standard cell in a short cell format, comprising the steps of forming voice frames in every predetermined period of a talk-spurt of one voice channel, and providing the formed voice frames continuously on the payload of the standard cell. In a detailed example, a number of the voice frames of the one voice channel provided on the standard cell are dynamically varied according to a status of the network.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a voice cell transmission method and a system using the method. More particularly, it relates to a voice cell transmission method by which voice cells can be effectively transmitted when transmitting compressed voice traffics through an ATM (Asynchronous transfer mode) network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent business networks have the feature such that an ATM technique is used, even in private networks employing the speed of around 1.5 Mbps, and inter-LANs communication and voice traffics are available by a so called low-speed ATM network. In this way, it has been greatly expected to construct an ATM integrated network system where all traffics are carried in even one network.
Especially, there have been various expectations relating to voice traffics. For example, it is expected to obtain high quality equivalent to that of the conventional communication system in an aspect, but to compress voice communication bands by employing a high compression technique, i.e., to reduce communication costs rather than the voice quality in another aspect.
As is typically shown in FIG. 20, a system accomplishing the former expectation may cause influences on the voice quality due to the reduction of the band width used when replacing a conventional TDM net work with a new network. The system accomplishing the latter expectation would influence to increase the transmission delay when pursuing convenience than the tone quality as a result of increasing users of cellar phones in recent years.
Therefore, there was a demand to provide a network, by which these expectations can be flexibly accomplished.
To cope with the above-described expectations, there are two kinds of conventional techniques: the first one is a circuit emulation service (CES); and the second one is a voice and telephony over ATM technique (VTOA). FIG. 21 shows an explanation diagram of the circuit emulation service. In this technique, a constant bit rate (CBR) transmission is possible by assembling a PCM digital voice signal of 64 Kbps into a cell signal, as it is.
A feature of this technique is to provide a communication quality almost equivalent to a time division multiplexing (TDM) transmission method, because of the low speed transmission delay. However, it is technically difficult to introduce a voice compression technique, especially, a soundless compression technique. Therefore, it causes a problem from a view point of efficiently using communication bands.
On the other hand, in the second technique, i.e., the VTOA technique, a short cell format is prescribed for each of plural communication channels, as shown in FIG. 22. In FIG. 22, the short cell format consists of a channel number CN to which the short cell is belonging, and voice signal data VSD, for example.
Further, the short cells generated from the plural communication channels are multiplexed, the multiplexed short cells are provided on a payload of 48 octets, and a header H and a control section C, which indicates how many short cells are included are added. Accordingly, a standard ATM cell can be constructed, having a format recommended by ITU-T or ATM forum.
In here, it is assumed to concentrate plural voice channels in a payload of one standard cell. However, in a network for such a general private company as having a voice data source of several channels, a probability of concentrating traffics to one route is low. Therefore, it is difficult to expect an efficiency of multiplexing in a payload of the standard cell.
As described above, when considering a voice and data integrated ATM network for general people, the number of voice channels is small, especially, in a small-scaled location. Therefore, it is not effective to use an architecture, in which plural channels are provided in one standard ATM cell, such as VTOA. On the other hand, when making only one channel into a cell, a time required to assemble the channel into a cell is increased, and therefore, it becomes difficult to cope with the limitation of delay time in a network.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a voice cell transmission method employing the VTOA architecture to minimize the transmission delay time when transmitting the voice cells.
To achieve the above-described object of the present invention, it can be realized by a voice transmission method, in an ATM transmission system for transmitting a voice traffic, which is compressed, and is provided on a payload of a standard cell in a short cell format, comprising the steps of forming voice frames in every predetermined period of a talk-spurt of one voice channel, and providing the formed voice frames continuously on the payload of the standard cell.
In one preferred mode of the present invention, a number of the voice frames of the one voice channel provided on the standard cell are dynamically varied according to a status of the network.
Alternatively, in other preferred mode of the present invention, when communications for plural voice channels are performed, a number of the voice frames provided on the payload of the standard cell including a header frame of the talk-spurt is differed in each of the plural voice channels.
Further, in one mode of the present invention, a number of the voice frames provided on the payload of the standard cell is fixed in each of the plural voice channels.
Furthermore, in other mode of the present invention, a number of the voice frames provided on the payload of the standard cell in each of the plural voice channels is differed in every talk-spurt.
Additionally, in other mode of the present invention, when the voice frames include an end voice frame, and there are extra spaces for providing voice frames on the payload of the standard cell, standard cells of other voice channels are not taken preference.
In one mode of the present invention, a number of the voice frames corresponding to one voice channel provided on one standard cell is dynamically varied according to priority of a specific call.
In addition to the above-described explanation, other objects of the present invention become clear by the description for explaining embodiments according to the attached drawings, in addition to the above-described explanations.

Method and system for transmitting voice cell


An optical waveguide circuit component according to the present invention is characterized by that a clad layer composed of quartz is provided on the surfaces of a substrate and core formed by quartz doped selectively on a quartz plate structure, and a lid or a cover member is fixed onto the clad layer by heat pressing. With this structure, it is possible to reduce the magnitude of a polarization-dependent loss (PDL) generated when the lid and clad layer are combined.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical waveguide circuit component incorporating an optical waveguide circuit and a method of manufacturing the same, and, more particularly, to a planar light wave circuit component with a small polarization-dependent loss and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A planer light wave circuit (PLC) component is well known as an optical waveguide circuit component. As an example of a PLC component, an optical waveguide device is disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2003-43272.
In this device, the pattern of an optical waveguide circuit is formed on a silicon wafer, and a cover layer called a lid (an auxiliary plate in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2003-43272) is fixed onto the silicon wafer formed with an optical waveguide circuit.
An optical waveguide circuit is formed on a substrate processed by etching or the like. In general, a core is provided as a lower clad layer on a quartz glass plate, for example, and the core is covered by an upper clad layer.
A lid provided on a substrate protects the substrate, and provides a connection surface for an input/output connector that is optically connected to a PLC component, facilitating the connection.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2001-74972 discloses a structure to fix an optical waveguide circuit board to a holder by using an elastic adhesive.
As described in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication Nos. 2003-43272 and 2001-74972, in the optical circuit board provided with an optical waveguide circuit, an auxiliary member such as a lid is fixed by using an adhesive. An adhesive is softened and applied to the bonding surface of a substrate or lid. When the adhesive is hardened, the lid is fixed to the substrate. An adhesive itself shrinks when hardened, and generates stress internally. This internal stress is transmitted not only to the lid, but also the optical circuit board, generating a similar internal stress in the optical circuit board. As a result, one of the longitudinal mode (TE mode) and transverse mode (TM mode) of an optical beam transmitted in the light waveguide circuit is greatly attenuated, and the ratio is changed. Namely, a polarization-dependent loss is increased.
Particularly, in an optical distributor, for example, an optical directional coupler having one input and two outputs, a polarization-dependent loss of an input beam generated during transmission in the distributor is increased.
If an atmospheric temperature of an optical waveguide circuit component is changed, internal stress is generated in a substrate according to the coefficient of thermal expansion, and a polarization-dependent loss is generated in an optical beam transmitted in the optical waveguide circuit as described above, because the coefficients of thermal expansion of the substrate and adhesive are different.
The above-mentioned problem is concerned with an optical distributor, but not limited to an optical distributor. Similar problems arise in other optical components having an optical waveguide circuit, for example, an optical branch circuit.

Optical waveguide circuit component and method of manufacturing the same


A lighting device may be provided that includes: a heat sink; a member which has a polygonal pillar shape having at least three sides and is disposed on the heat sink, wherein the sides are inclined at a predetermined angle toward the center of the heat sink; and a light source which is disposed on at least one among the sides of the member, wherein the light source includes: a substrate; at least two light emitting devices which are symmetrically disposed on the substrate with respect to the center of the substrate; and at least two lens units which are disposed on the light emitting devices respectively, and consequently, it is possible to meet U.S. Energy Star and ANSI specifications, to remarkably improve rear light distribution characteristics and to remove a dark portion.

1. Field of the Invention
This embodiment relates to a lighting device capable of implementing rear light distribution.
2. Description of the Related Art
Here, related arts to the present invention will be provided and has not necessarily been to publicly known.
Nowadays, with the improvement of residential environment, indoor lighting is now being advanced from white lighting such as an existing fluorescent lamp, a halogen lamp or the like to luxurious interior lighting by representing indoor lighting colors, i.e., color temperatures in various ways. In particular, efforts are now being constantly made to representatively apply a light emitting diode (LED) light source device to the advanced interior lighting.
The LED has a small size and good efficiency and is capable of emitting light having an apparent color. Since the LED is a kind of a semiconductor device, the LED is less expected to be damaged, has excellent initial drive characteristic and impact-resistance, and is resistant to repetition like on/off lighting. For these reasons, the LED is now being widely used in various indicators and a variety of light sources. Moreover, R, G and B LEDs having ultra high luminance and high efficiency are now being developed respectively, and thus, a large-screen LED display using the LEDs is commercialized and widely used.
An angle at which light is emitted from a conventional LED lighting device is generally maintained from approximately 90° to 140°. Therefore, an interval at which a plurality of LEDs are disposed and mounted on a printed circuit board is set by the light emission angle. That is, the interval must be set such that the LEDs are densely disposed in order to prevent a dark zone from occurring due to the blocking of the light which is emitted from the LED and is incident on a light transmissive cover. Therefore, a fairly large number of the LEDs are required. Moreover, in order that the dark zone is removed by overlapping the light emitted from an LED with light emitted from another LED adjacent to the LED in a certain section, the light transmissive cover and the LED must be disposed at a large interval.
Accordingly, the conventional lighting device requires a large number of the LEDs and high manufacturing cost. The large interval between the light transmissive cover and the LED increases the thickness of the conventional lighting device, which makes the conventional lighting device become larger.


The present invention provides a voltage shifter circuit, in which a control circuit is used to control the pull-up circuit, so that the pull-up circuit is kept as off when the signal from the input signal source changes from a low voltage to a high voltage. Hence, the competition between the pull-up circuit and the pull-down circuit is avoided. The speed of the voltage shifter circuit is improved and the voltage shifter circuit can operate within a wider voltage range. The delay time of the pull-up circuit and the pull-down circuit is small and the duty cycle is small. In addition, since no direct current path is established, no current is wasted. Additionally, the voltage shifter circuit uses the second delayer to compensate the delay time between the pull-up circuit and the pull-down circuit and optimizes the duty cycle.

In modern Integrated Circuit (IC) system, the core logic unit is designed to operate with 1.0V (with the 65 nm technology) to obtain a high speed, while the Input/Output (I/O) unit is designed to operate with 3.3V, 2.5V or 1.8V to realize the stabilization. Due to the different operation voltages, a converting circuit is configured between the core logic unit and the I/O unit, so that the voltage of 1.0V can be converted into the voltage of 3.3V. The above converting circuit is also referred as a voltage shifter circuit.
FIG. 1 shows a voltage shifter circuit 10 in the prior art, including: PMOS transistors PG1 and PG2; NMOS transistors NG1 and NG2; and an inverter INV. The PMOS transistors PG1 and PG2 are referred as the pull-up transistors and the NMOS transistors NG1 and NG2 are referred as the pull-down transistors. A high voltage signal is input from an input signal source In as the operation voltage for the core circuit. Particularly, a modulated pulse signal of rectangle wave, ranging from 1.0V to 1.2V, is input from the signal source In. An operation voltage ranging from 2.5V to 3.3V is input from the first voltage source VD for the I/O circuit region.
For example, the signal from the signal source In is at the high voltage of 1.2V and the voltage from the first voltage source VD is at 3.3V When the input signal is at the low voltage of 0V, the NMOS transistors NG1 is turned on and the voltage at ND1 is pulled down to low voltage, and the PMOS transistors PG2 is turned on and the voltage at ND2 is pulled up to high voltage of 3.3V When the input signal changes from the low voltage of 0V to the high voltage of 1.2V, the NMOS transistors NG2 is turned on and the voltage at ND2 is pulled down to low voltage of 0V, and the PMOS transistor PG1 is turned on also. Hence, a competition is generated between the NMOS transistor NG1 and the PMOS transistor PG1. Since the voltage from the first voltage source is 3.3V and the voltage for the NMOS transistors NG1 is 1.2V, with the same area, the current-driven capacity of the NMOS transistors NG1 is less than that of the PMOS transistors PG1. Hence, in order to improve the current-driven capacity of the NMOS transistors NG1 and the capacity for pulling down the voltage of ND1, the size of the NMOS transistors NG1 is increased. However, the parasitic capacitance is increased and the voltage shifting speed is lowed. Since the voltage for the core circuit is 1.0V and the voltage for the I/O circuit is 3.3V in the 90 nm technology, a lager area is required due to the larger voltage difference and hence the voltage shifting speed is further affected. In addition, the duty cycle of the output voltage is difficult to be optimized due the competition between the pull-up circuit and the pull-down circuit.
To solve the above problems, a voltage shifter circuit is disclosed in the prior art, as show in FIG. 2. The voltage shifter circuit includes: a pull-up circuit 100, adapted to pull up the voltage at node A or B to a first voltage V2; a pull-down circuit 200, adapted to pull down the voltage at node A or B to the ground voltage i.e. zero voltage; and at least one assistant pull-up device or switching device, adapted to pull up or pull down the voltage at node A or B. The voltage shifter circuit further includes: an inverter 110, adapted to invert the input signal; and an inverter 120, adapted to invert the input signal at node C and output an inverted signal to node D; and an inverter 130, adapted to invert the signal at node B and output an inverted signal to the output terminal of the voltage shifter circuit.
The pull-up circuit 100 includes PMOS transistors P1 and P2, adapted to pull up the voltages at node A and B respectively. The pull-down circuit 200 includes NMOS transistors N1 and N2, adapted to pull down the voltage at node B. The assistant pull-up device or switching device includes: an NOMS transistor N3 coupled between the source and drain of the PMOS transistor P2. The assistant pull-up device or switching device is added for pulling up the voltage at node A or B to the first voltage V2 quickly. The above voltage shifter circuit may improve the speed for shifting the voltage and may alleviate the problem that the NMOS transistors N1 and N2 are large. However, the problems can not be solved completely. For example, the input signal Input is a rectangle wave and ranges from 0 to 1.0V, and the output signal Output at the output terminal is a rectangle wave and ranges from 0 to 3.3V Because the NMOS transistor N3 and N4 are required to be fabricated as the thick oxide transistor (the drain is connected with 3.3V), the threshold voltage is large (about 0.65V) and the effective voltage (=Vgs−Vth=1.0V−0.65V=0.35V) is small when a voltage ranging from 0 to 1.0V is used to control the NMOS transistors N3 and N4. However, when the size of the NMOS transistor N3 and N4 are increased, the parasitic capacitance is also increased. Especially when the difference between the voltage for the core circuit region and the voltage for the I/O circuit region is large, the speed is further affected. In addition, since the competition between the pull-up circuit 100 and the pull-down circuit 200 still exists, the device is sensitive to the process and the duty cycle is difficult to be controlled. Moreover, a direct current path exists from the first voltage source V2 (about 3.3V) to the ground terminal during the voltage shifting, and the power efficiency is lowed.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,145,363 discloses the information related to the above solution.

Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation


A device for deep well sampling when drilling for, or production of, oil and gas, includes a chamber for receiving samples and a valve for opening and closing such chamber. The device includes a hydraulic system for operating the valve. The hydraulic system, a control panel and control of the sampling device are operated by an electric system located in the panel from which signals are sent via a combined lifting and electric conducting cable.

The present invention relates to deep well sampling when drilling offshore for oil or gas and also for extracting production thereof. The invention includes a sampling device immersed into a drilled hole and which, at certain depths, takes samples of liquid and gas. When drilling for and production of hydrocarbons, it is important to take samples in the drill hole in order to detect the presence of gas and liquid traces. This is done by immersing a deep well sampler device into the drill hole. A container, in the sampling device, collects samples of what may be gas or liquid and is hoisted to a surface vessel. Such samples then are emptied into a transport container for laboratory analysis where the different characterizations of the substances in the samples are determined.
There exist known sampling devices described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,595 where a collecting sampler container for gas and liquid in a drill hole includes a piston device in order to separate physically the sample from substances which will blur the laboratory results. Such a substance may be a counter pressure substance used to regulate the collecting container level. During sampling the counter pressure substance is pressed out of the collecting container. The gas/liquid sample will, at the same time as the counter pressure substance is pressed out of the container, enter the container on the other side of the piston. An alternative to such container and piston is to furnish the sampling device with a compressible lead pipe as described in Norwegian patent application No 895,139. However, this sampler device comprises a pipe formed as a cylinder with two chambers separated by a compressible lead pipe. In addition, such device has a cylinder formed outer pipe which has therein a unit which forms a gastight collecting chamber for the gas/liquid sample and a chamber for the counter pressure substance. The chamber for the counter pressure substance is formed when the lead pipe is compressed and is pressing against the inner side of the U-shaped member. When filling the chamber the gas/liquid sample will move to the other side of the lead pipe and press this outwards. The volume of the chamber for the counter pressure substance will thus be reduced by the same amount as the increase in the sample chamber.

Electro hydraulic deep well sampling assembly


Provided herein are methods and devices for the detection of conditions or disorders by detecting altered levels of stress response pathway biomarkers. Also provided are methods and reagents for identifying panels of biomarkers associated with a condition or disorder.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a device for detecting a stress response in a sample, and more specifically to methods of detecting a stress biomarker in a sample.
2. Background Information
Wellness products and services are increasingly popular, particularly in developed countries. Many are rooted in the traditional medicine, e.g., body care products, natural medicines, massage, acupuncture, sauna, spa treatments. New products and services include handheld devices for vital sign measurements, tests for 'good' or 'bad' metabolites such as antioxidants or cholesterol, and treatments such as cold laser or hyperbaric oxygen. Wellness products and services are sold at retail stores, walk-in clinics, integrative medicine facilities, health spas and gyms and through electronic healthcare companies that also provide integrated wellness services. Wellness products and services are typically selected using generalized recommendations (e.g., age and gender based), subjective tests such as health questionnaires and the pain scale, vital signs (blood pressure), weight and metabolite tests (e.g., cholesterol or glucose). New test are needed for personalized assessment of health, identification of the need for wellness products and selecting the best match for the personal need. Optimally, new tests will provide an early warning of a health problem and indicate the nature of the problem. In addition, new tests showing specific health benefits of wellness products and services are needed, in addition to the available anti-oxidant tests for nutritional supplements.
There is an urgent need for a new health test suitable for point-of-care (POC) settings. The test should be noninvasive and capable of detecting early signs of deteriorating health status. To be POC-expedient, the test should be rapid, technically simple and inexpensive.

Health test for a broad spectrum of health problems