A circuit includes a band-gap reference circuit and a start-up circuit coupled between an output and an input of the band-gap reference circuit. When the output of the band-gap reference circuit is below a start-up voltage threshold, the start-up circuit provides a first voltage at the input of the band-gap reference circuit which, in turn, causes the band-gap reference circuit to produce a desired voltage at the output. When the desired voltage has been reached, i.e., a voltage corresponding to the start-up voltage threshold, the start-up circuit turns off and does not interfere with the normal operation of the band-gap reference circuit. The start-up circuit may include first circuitry configured to produce a first voltage if a voltage signal at the output of the band-gap reference circuit is below the start-up voltage threshold. The start-up circuit may further include second circuitry coupled to the first circuitry and configured to produce a second voltage at the input of the band-gap reference circuit in response to the first voltage. The start-up voltage threshold may be a desirable output voltage, for example approximately 1.25 volts.

Band-gap reference bias circuits have long been used to produce reference voltages. Practical implementations of band-gap reference circuits take many forms and some embodiments thereof are described in detail in Paul R. Gray and Robert G. Meyer, Analysis and Design of Analog Integrated Circuits, ch. 4, pp. 289-300 (2 ed., 1984). One such band-gap reference circuit 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1. Band-gap reference circuit 10 uses a feedback loop 12 to establish an operating point for the circuit such that the output voltage V out is equal to a base-emitter voltage plus a voltage proportional to the difference between two base-emitter voltages for transistors Q1 and Q2. Band-gap reference circuit 10 is bi-stable as a result of the positive feedback path from the output of operational amplifier A through resistor R1, to the positive input of op-amp A. One stable state is the desired one, with an output V out approximately equal to 1.25 V. In this state, the feedback signal to the negative input of op-amp A dominates. The positive feedback in this state is minimal because of the low impedance of Q1. With zero output voltage (the other stable state), however, Q1 is now in a high impedance state and the positive feedback path will keep V out at 0 V. Accordingly, appropriate start-up circuitry must be included with the band-gap reference circuit 10 to ensure operation in the desired state.
Such a start-up circuit 20 is illustrated in FIG. 2. Start-up circuit 20 is coupled to an input of band-gap reference circuit 10 at node 22. It will be appreciated that if the output voltage V out is zero volts, as may occur at start-up, start-up circuit 20, and in particular, transistor T1, will pull-up the voltage at node 22, causing the output voltage to rise to a desired V out. Feedback loop 12 will then operate to hold the voltage at this desired level.
Unfortunately, start-up circuit 20 is sensitive to process, temperature and power supply variations. If not carefully designed, transistor T1 may still conduct after start-up, i.e., after a desired output voltage V out has been reached. This may interfere with the normal operation of band-gap reference circuit 10, and, as a result, the output voltage V out may fluctuate.

Startup circuit for band-gap reference circuit


An electronic apparatus having a memory arrangement, which is configured to store a plurality of sets of private-key material, and a data processor, which is configured to sign a message in accordance with two or more sets of private-key material from the plurality of sets of private-key material.

Exemplary embodiments relate in general to electronic apparatuses and methods for signing a message.
Cryptocurrencies are the best known application for blockchain technology. Access to a user's credit in the form of cryptocurrency such as for example Bitcoin is typically regulated by means of a private key. In order to be able to have credit at his disposal, i.e. to be able to perform a transaction in cryptocurrency from his credit, a user needs to sign the transaction using his private key. If the private key is lost, the user therefore also loses access to his credit. There is therefore a trade-off between keeping a key so that it is not lost (e.g. on a piece of paper, which at least cannot become inoperable like an electronic memory) and keeping the key so that no-one else has access thereto (e.g. in a manner encrypted in a security chip). Effective approaches are therefore desirable that allow private-key material, in particular for signing blockchain-based transaction messages, to be securely stored, securely being understood in this context to mean both securely against attacks and securely against loss.

Electronic apparatus and method for signing a message


A method of optimizing acoustic transducer performance, and corresponding system, can include mechanically coupling a transducer to a fluid barrier, calibrating the acoustic transducer by measuring response as a function of drive frequency to determine one or more optimum drive frequencies, optimized for the transducer actually coupled to the fluid barrier, and storing the one or more optimum drive frequencies for use in operating the acoustic transducer. Shims may also be used between the transducer and fluid barrier, such as a boat hull, to optimize transducer performance. Embodiments can enable improved in-hull transducer depth sounding, as well as improved fluid level measurements in tanks.

Acoustic transducers are often mounted to the exterior of a boat hull for optimum coupling of acoustic energy into the water, and for optimum detection of corresponding reflections from objects to be detected, including fish, sea floor, etc. However, sometimes it is desirable to mount a transducer to the interior of a marine vessel. In some cases, a transducer may be inserted through a hole in a boat hull (through-hull mounting) or affixed to the transom for optimum coupling to the water. As an alternative, in-hull acoustic transducers may be used. In-hull transducers may be mounted onto the interior of a boat hull, without creating holes in the hull, and the transducer then transmits acoustic energy through the boat hull and receives reflected acoustic energy through the boat hull. Such in-hull transducers can avoid damage that could be caused to exterior-mounted transducers during general marine use and avoid potential leakage from creating holes in a boat hull for insertion of transducer or for insertion of mounting hardware in through-hull transducers.

Methods and systems for optimizing acoustic transducer performance


Metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor, an integrated semiconductor device having a MIM capacitor and methods of making. The MIM capacitor includes a first metal layer, a second metal layer and a dielectric layer located between the second metal layer and the first metal layer. The first metal layer, the second metal layer and the dielectric layer may be formed in a comb structure, wherein the comb structure include a first tine structure and at least a second tine structure.

In general, a capacitor includes two conductive electrodes on opposing sides of a dielectric or other dielectric layer, and may be categorized based on the materials employed to form the capacitor. For example, in a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor, as its name suggests the electrodes substantially comprise metallic materials and an insulator may comprise the dielectric layer. MIM capacitors are advantageous in that they possess a relatively constant value of capacitance over a relatively wide range of voltages applied thereto. MIM capacitors also exhibit a relatively small parasitic resistance.
In integrated circuit designs, on-chip capacitors are used in various applications including dynamic random access memories (DRAM), voltage controlled oscillators (VCO), phase-lock loops, operational amplifiers and other circuit designs. On-chip capacitors are also used to decouple circuits from noise in a separate portion of an electrical system.
Further, in a method of making three dimensional circuits, two dies, each including respective integrated circuits, may be disposed to opposing surfaces of an interposer. An interposer includes a substrate through which a through-substrate-via (TSV) structure may be formed. A dielectric layer may formed over the TSV structure. A copper bulk which may be wider than the TSV structure may then be formed in the dielectric layer and in contact with the TSV structure. Then, an etch stop layer may be formed on the dielectric layer. To provide a charge storage, a MIM capacitor may be formed on the etch stop layer.

Three dimensional MIM capacitor having a comb structure and methods of making the same

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited


Disclosed embodiments concern quantifying a biomolecule conjugated to a nanoparticle. Quantifying typically comprises determining the number of biomolecules per nanoparticle. Any suitable biomolecule can be used, including but not limited to, amino acids, peptides, proteins, haptens, nucleic acids, oligonucleotides, DNA, RNA, and combinations thereof. A single type of biomolecule may be conjugated to the nanoparticle, more than one biomolecule of a particular class may be conjugated to the nanoparticle, or two or more classes of biomolecules may be conjugated to the nanoparticle. Certain disclosed embodiments comprise enzymatically or chemically digesting a biomolecule conjugated to the nanoparticle, or displacing a biomolecule using ligand-exchange chemistry. Where biomolecule concentrations are determined, any technique suitable for determining biomolecule concentration can be used, such as spectrophotometric techniques, including measuring tryptophan fluorescence and using a standard fluorescence intensity versus biomolecule concentration curve.

Nanoparticle-biomolecule conjugates are used for various purposes, including producing detectable signals in chemical and biological assays, such as immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization (ISH) assays. The efficiency of bioconjugates for such processes is determined, at least in part, by the number of biomolecules that are conjugated to each nanoparticle and available for whatever a particular purpose requires. For example, and with reference to using protein nanoparticle conjugates for in vitro diagnostics, one factor that determines bioconjugate efficiency is how many protein molecules are conjugated to a nanoparticle and available for binding target molecules.
As a first step in assessing bioconjugate efficiency, determination of the average number of biomolecules conjugated to nanoparticle can provide information that is needed to optimize a particular application of a bioconjugate. For example, antibody quantification, combined with tissue staining results, could provide information about the number of antibody molecules conjugated to a nanoparticle that provides the most specific and strongest staining in an IHC assay. An accurate method for determining biomolecule/nanoparticle ratios is highly desirable since it is not always the case that the more biomolecules conjugated to a nanoparticle the better.

Method for quantifying biomolecules conjugated to a nanoparticle


A folded R-2R ladder current-steering digital-to-analog converter is disclosed. In the folded R-2R ladder current-steering digital-to-analog converter, each node in the R-2R ladder is electrically coupled with a plurality of current sources with different weights. Therefore, the numbers of the resisters and current sources can be reduced, and efficient power saving and the high-speed operation can be achieved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to current-steering digital-to-analog converters and, more particularly, to a folded R-2R ladder current-steering digital-to-analog converter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
High speed current-steering digital-to-analog converters are based on a current-steering structure, which enables direct load driving without the need for a high speed amplifier. Current-steering digital-to-analog converters can be generally classified according to four types of main structures: (1) binary-weighted array; (2) segmented array; (3) R-2R ladder; and (4) partially segmented. Among those, the R-2R ladder type is the simplest and most power efficient.
A conventional current-steering digital-to-analog converter is shown in FIG. 1, which is commonly used as a sub-circuit in a partially segmented current-steering digital-to-analog converter; the reason for such popularity being its structural simplicity. In FIG. 1, the converter includes an end current-steering circuit 10 and N-1 R-2R current-steering circuits 20, forming an N-bit R-2R ladder current-steering digital-to-analog converter. It requires N current steering circuits and N current sources, and each node in the R-2R ladder is electrically connected to only one corresponding current source. Although such converters are frequently used as sub-circuits, they are limited to the application aspect. Few researches have been done that is directed to reducing power consumption and the number of passive components in the R-2R ladder current-steering digital-to-analog converter. Therefore, there is a need for a R-2R ladder current-steering digital-to-analog converter with reduced footprint and power consumption.

Folded R-2R ladder current-steering digital to analog converter


A method of and operation for controlling the motions of a radiation source (24) and a radiation detector, for example a film cassette (25), in relation to an adjusted slice position, for example a slice level (19), in a linear tomography apparatus without coupling rod, which tomography apparatus includes a table (10) for accommodating an object (18) to be imaged by tomography includes adjustment of a light indicator (17), adjustably mounted on the table (10), to the position of the slice in the object (18), measurement of data indicating the adjusted slice position, application of the measured slice position data to a system control unit (22), and adjustment of the source (24) and the radiation detector (25) in relation to the measured slice position (19) in conformity with the data applied.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of controlling the motions radiation source and a radiation detector, for example a film cassette, in relation to an adjusted slice position, for example a slice level, in a tomography apparatus without coupling rod, which tomography apparatus includes a table for accommodating an object, such as organ to be imaged by tomography. The invention also relates to a device for carrying out the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Linear X-ray tomography of a slice or layer in a object has been performed for decades using a mechanically coupled source and film. Because of the recent introduction of (electronic) tomography without coupling rod, the mechanical pivot used thus far for mounting a light indicator for marking the adjusted slice position in the patient is no longer present. Since this location for mounting a light indicator no longer exists in electronic tomography, it is problematic for the X-ray technician to achieve exact adjustment of the position of the slice the patient.
EP 0 054 798 B1 discloses an adjusting unit for a radiation tomography apparatus. This construction includes a light beam detection device which is situated in line with a light beam generator, the horizontal line extending through the center of a region to be irradiated. The object to be irradiated is arranged on a height-adjustable table which is provided with a drive unit for raising and lowering. The data produced during the height adjustment of the table are electronically acquired and a control unit calculates a compare signal from the data acquired so as to store this signal for alignment of the horizontal line of the imaging region relative to the center of the part of the object to be imaged.

Method of controlling a tomography apparatus without coupling rod


A pair of templates form a mold for substantially flat biological membranes to shape the membrane into a configuration that, after trimming of excess tissue, is adapted for forming a replacement aortic, pulmonary, tricuspid or mitral heart valve. Each template has three members joined to another laterally, with each member configured to form, together with its mating member, the mold for one leaflet or cusp of the replacement heart valve. The negative template has concave surfaces for each member and the positive template has convex surfaces which mate with the concave surfaces of the first template. Each of the templates is made of thin, shell like material and has beveled edges. The biological membrane is placed between the mating convex and concave surfaces of the two templates assembled to one another to form the membrane into the configuration of the three leaflets of the replacement heart valve.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of equipment and devices related to manufacturing heart valves to be used in cardiac surgery. More specifically, the present invention is directed to molds in which biological membranes are shaped into the configuration of replacement heart valves to be used in cardiac surgery. The present invention is also directed to a sizer for measuring the valve annulus of a patient so as to determine the appropriate size of mold to be used in that patient.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Heart valve reconstruction using patient""s own tissue (autologous tissue) or cadaver (homologous) or animal (heterologous) tissue is not new. As is known, heart valves (aortic, pulmonary, tricuspid or mitral) function essentially as check valves which operate hemodynamically in synchronization with the pumping action of the heart, allowing blood flow in a downstream direction and blocking flow in the opposite or upstream direction. One of the important requirements in valve reconstruction using autologous, homologous or heterologous tissue is the ability to produce a valve form which is as close to the natural valve as possible in order to serve its function effectively as a replacement valve. In addition it is important to fabricate the replacement valve accurately to fit any specific patient, quickly and effectively within the shortest possible time frame.
Among the tissues used in these molds for fabricating replacement heart valves, autologous tissue has been given special consideration because of its low cost, availability from the patient who is undergoing the open heart surgery operation, and relative ease of handling. For the ultimate replacement valve design, however, the nature of the mold in which the valve is formed is also of great importance, and over the years, a number of molds or templates were introduced to fabricate replacement heart valves from autologous, homologous or heterologous tissue. As noted above, the replacement valve should mimic the natural heart valve as close as possible. As a summary of prior art valve design, the following developments are noted.
Duran et al. Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 1995, August have developed a valve mold comprising 3 bulges or lobes in a rectangular plastic container. The bulges serve to reproduce the 3 leaflets of the aortic valve. A strip of autologous pericardium is laid over the bulges and an opposite mold to the 3 bulges is held over the pericardial strip whilst immersed in a solution containing a tanning agent that fixes the pericardium strip in the shape dictated by the mold. After fixation, the pericardial strip is removed and is held in the surgeon""s hand for trimming along the impression left by the mold. Trimming of the unsupported autologous tissue, which is flimsy and thus difficult to handle results in certain inaccuracy in tracing the path marked by the mold.
Love et al. Journal of Heart Valve Disease 1998, Volume 7, No. 1. have designed a valve mold with a concept similar to the above-described, involving a positive and a negative template and having an added feature of a xe2x80x9ccutterxe2x80x9d to trim the excess autologous tissue while the tissue is held in the mold. The Love et al. Journal of Heart Valve Disease 1998, Volume 7, No. 1. valve mold is constructed primarily of metal which makes the overall device heavy and relatively bulky.
Generally speaking, the two main problems which can be identified in current state-of-the-art valve mold design are:
(i) Difficulty in trimming the excess pericardium effectively, accurately within shortest possible time, and
(ii) the overall design of the valve mold is heavy and or bulky.
In light of the foregoing, there is a need in the state-of-the-art for a mold design for valves that offers greater precision and reproducibility to overcome the above-stated problems, and is cost effective in manufacturing.
Written descriptions of examples of prior art valve mold design and of the procedures employed by the surgeon in the operating room are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,344,442; 5,425,741; 5,489,298; 5,500,015; 5,509,930; 5,522,885; 5,531,784; 5,531,785; 5,571,174; 5,584,878; 5,588,967; 5,609,600; 5,612,885; 5,653,749; 5,662,705; 5,697,382, and 5,716,399. Many of the valve constructions described in these patents include valve stents that are needed to support the molded tissue to form the replacement valve.
The following scientific publications also describe or relate to the use of human or animal membranes for heart valve replacement.
1. Senning A. Fascia Lata Replacement of Aortic Valves (unstented, unshaped) Journal of Thoracic Cardiovascular Surgery 1967, 54:465-470;
2. Edwards et al. Mitral and Aortic Valve Replacement with Fascia Lata on a Frame (stented, unshaped) Journal of Thoracic Cardiovascular Surgery 1969, 58:854-858;
3. Yacoub et al Aortic Valve Replacement Using Unstented Dura or Calf Pericardium: Early and Medium Term Results in Biologic Bioprosthetic Valves (unstented,unshaped) Proceedings of the third international symposium. In: Bodnar E, Yacoub m (ed) Yorke Medical books, New York 1986:684-690;
4. Batista et al. Clinical Experience with Stentless Pericardium Aortic Monopatch for Aortic Valve Replacement (unstented, unshaped) Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascualr Surgery 1987:93:19-26;
5. Duran et al. From Aortic Cusp Extension to Valve Replacement with Stentless Pericardium (unstented, shaped) Annal Thoracic Surgery, 1995, 60:S428-32;
6. Duran et al. Aortic Valve Replacement with Freehand Autologous Pericardium (unstented, shaped) Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 1995 August;
7. Duran et al. Aortic Valve Replacement with Autologous Pericardium (unstented, shaped) Surgical Technique Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery 1995, 10:1-19;
8. Love Autologous Pericardial Reconstruction of Semilunar Valves Journal of Heart Valve Disease 1998, Vol 7 No. 1;
It is an object of the present invention to provide a mold that is suitable for rapidly forming a substantially flat biological membrane into a configuration that can be quickly and accurately trimmed to provide a replacement heart valve.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a mold that satisfies the foregoing objective and allows formation of the replacement heart valve with high accuracy and repeatability.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a mold that satisfies the foregoing objectives and is relatively easy and economical to manufacture and handle.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a set of sizers to measure accurately the diameter of the aortic valve annulus of the patient in order to determine and select the appropriate size of mold to be used in that particular patient.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages are attained by a pair of templates provided to form a mold for substantially flat biological membranes such as a pericardium, peritonium or pleura, to shape the membrane into a configuration that, after trimming of excess tissue, is adapted for forming a replacement aortic, pulmonary, tricuspid or mitral heart valve. Each template of the pair has three members joined to another laterally, with each member configured to form, together with its mating member, the mold for one leaflet or cusp of the replacement heart valve. The first or negative template has concave surfaces for each member and the second or positive template has convex surfaces which mate with the concave surfaces of the first template. Each of the templates is made of thin, shell like material and has thin edges that makes it easy to cut with a surgical knife close to the mold. The biological membrane is placed between the mating convex and concave surfaces of the two templates assembled to one another to form the membrane into the configuration of the three leaflets of the replacement heart valve. The templates of the mold are provided with apertures to allow a liquid composition to percolate to the membrane and affix the membrane in the configuration defined by the mold.

Mold to form stent-less replacement heart valves from biological membranes

The International Heart Institute of Montana Foundation


A secondary restraint assembly is provided as a means on maintaining control of a leash in the event of a sudden pull or movement to said leash. The secondary restraint assembly accomplishes this by being attached to a user's forearm and unobtrusively engaging the leash. The secondary restraint assembly utilizes a harness assembly to attach to the user's forearm. The harness assembly utilizes adjustable straps to secure itself to the forearm and serves as a mounting point for a harness plate. The harness plate contains an insert coupler that joins an insert plate to the harness assembly. The user couples an extended strap to the insert plate and joins the other end to the leash. With the leash secured to the extended strap, and the extended strap secured to the harness assembly through the insert plate, the secondary restraint assembly enables a user to maintain control of said leash.

Throughout history, humans have domesticated animals to serve many different purposes ranging from work animals to pets. Pet animals serve as companions to their human owners, providing important emotional exchange for their owners. The emotional support offered by pet animals helps to prevent their owners from becoming lonely or depressed, even if that owner is lacking in social interaction with other humans. There is a wide range of different animals which have been domesticated for service as pets. The two most common pets in the United States are cats and dogs. Cats are very solitary creatures for the most part. They enjoy attention and being petted and rubbed, however cats spend much of the day relaxing in a secluded area of the owner's house, often near a heat source. Dogs on the other hand are very active pets. They enjoy being near their owners as much as possible and they are very excitable. Most dogs thoroughly enjoy any kind of physical activity and need regular exercise in order for them to stay as healthy as possible. Dogs also enjoy being outdoors where their noses can capture and analyze a myriad of different smells. Because of these facts, most owners walk their dogs on a fairly regular basis.
The act of walking a dog usually involves the owner attaching a leash to the dog's collar and then walking along sidewalks or in a park. Most outdoor areas require the dog to be on a leash, ensuring that the dog is under the control of the owner. If the dog were to escape the owner, the dog may be in danger of becoming injured or may be a danger to people or other animals if the dog is aggressive. There are many different kinds of leashes which enable the owner to comfortably control the dog. However, even when the dog is on a leash, they can still escape sometimes. If the dog is very large it may be able to jerk the leash out of the owner's hand. Furthermore, if the owner holding the leash is distracted, perhaps in conversation with another dog owner, and the dog jerks suddenly, the leash may slip out of the owner's hand. In such a situation, the owner has lost control of the animal, and the animal is at a much higher risk of becoming injured, lost, or injuring others. All current leashes available on the market suffer from this issue, as it is more of an operator issue that a design issue. However, it is possible to solve the issue by introducing a secondary failsafe which would physically secure the leash to the owner.
It is an object of the present invention to introduce an apparatus which physically attaches the leash to the owner such that even if the owner drops the leash or the leash slips out of the owner's hand, the owner will not lose control of the animal. It is a further object of the present invention to ensure that the connection between the leash and the owner may be severed at a moment's notice should an emergency situation arise in which the owner may be injured if they remain attached to the leash. The present invention is designed to be attached to a human forearm, which allows the owner to bear the force of the dog pulling on the leash using their muscles as opposed to having that force exerted directly on the owner's joints. The present invention is usable not only with dogs but with any other animal that is walked on a leash such as trained cat. Although a cat may not be able to exert as much force to potentially jerk a leash out of the owner's hand, a cat would be much harder to recapture than a dog as most cats do not respond to vocal commands form their owners. Considering this fact, the present invention may be equally as useful for walking a cat or other small animals, ensuring that the owner does not accidentally lose the animal.


One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates automated software installation on a remote computer over the Internet. The system operates by first initializing the remote computer with a custom operating system, which allows access to the remote computer over the Internet. Next, the system provides an archive locator to the remote computer, wherein the archive locator is a uniform resource locator (URL) or a proprietary resource locator. The system then requests an archive from the site specified by the archive locator. This archive includes an operating system and desired software packages pre-configured for the remote computer. The system downloads this archive to the remote computer and re-initializes the remote computer with the operating system and software packages in the archive.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to configuring computer systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus to facilitate automated software installation on remote computers over a network.
2. Related Art
Many modem businesses maintain an electronic presence on the Internet to facilitate interacting with customers and prospects. In many cases, this presence is established using a computer or multiple computers at a site remote from the business. Although these computers can be accessed by the business over the Internet, they are often unavailable for direct physical access. This unavailability may be because the remote site is far removed from the location of the business, or possibly because the computers are leased from another business, which owns and maintains the computers at the remote site and limits access by the lessee.
Typically, an administrator configures and controls these remote computers using a private network 106, separate from the Internet. FIG. 1 illustrates access by administrator 102 to configure remote computers in accordance with the prior art. Administrator 102 uses computer 104 to configure remote computers 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and 122, located at remote site 110, across private network 106. Note that there may be more or less remote computers than the number shown. In some installations, the number of these remote computers is in the hundreds.
Customers 124 typically access remote computers 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and 122 across public network 108. Administrator 102 can also access remote computers 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and 122 across public network 108.
Computer 104 and remote computers 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and 122 can generally include any type of computer system, including, but not limited to, a computer system based on a microprocessor, a mainframe computer, a digital signal processor, a portable computing device, a personal organizer, a device controller, and a computational engine within an appliance. Typically, computer 104 includes a web browser (not shown) to facilitate access to remote computers 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and 122 by administrator 102.
Private network 106 and public network 108 can generally include any type of wire or wireless communication channel capable of coupling together computing nodes. This includes, but is not limited to, a local area network, a wide area network, or a combination of networks. In one embodiment of the present invention, public network 108 includes the Internet.
During configuration of a remote computer, say remote computer 118, administrator 102 accesses remote computer 118 across private network 106. Typically, administrator 102 mounts a network file system (NFS) (not shown) on private network 106 to provide the necessary files to configure remote computer 118. Administrator 102 then loads and configures the individual programs, one at a time, from the NFS. This process of mounting the NFS and configuring the individual programs is then repeated for each remote computer to complete the installation. Once remote computers 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and 122 have been configured, customers 124 can access the remote computers to conduct business.
This is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process because each remote computer—out of possibly hundreds of remote computers—is configured individually, even though the configuration remains the same from remote computer to remote computer. This process also requires the additional expense of maintaining private network 106 between computer 104 and the remote computers at remote site 110.
What is needed is a method and an apparatus, which allows configuration of multiple remote computers without the disadvantages stated above.

Method and apparatus to facilitate automated software installation on remote computers over a network


Mutants of P. haemolytica provide excellent safety and efficacy when used as vaccines in ruminants, for example cattle, sheep, and goats, subject to pneumonic pasteurellosis. They can be administered by a variety of routes. Especially preferred is the use in animal feeds. The mutants are not reverting and contain no foreign DNA and no introduced antibiotic resistance genes.

This invention is related to the field of bacterial genetics and more particularly to the field of respiratory pathogens of farm animals.
P. haemolytica as a pathogen causes serious economic damage to the animal farming industry. Vaccines which have been developed in an effort to control the disease have met with variable but limited success. Because the disease is caused in significant part by the animals"" own reaction to P. haemolytica infection, inappropriately designed vaccines may actually worsen the clinical condition of infected vaccinates. Thus, there is a continuing need in the art for safe and effective vaccines which can reduce the morbidity and/or mortality of ruminants due to P. haemolytica.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a P. haemolytica bacterium useful as a vaccine strain.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of inducing immunity to pneumonic pasteurellosis in ruminants.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a vaccine strain against pneumonic pasteurellosis.
Another object of the invention is to provide a ruminant feed.
Another object of the invention is to provide a temperature sensitive plasmid for manipulation of P. haemolytica.
These and other objects of the invention are achieved by one or more of the embodiments described below. One embodiment of the invention provides a P. haemolytica bacterium which expresses no biologically active leukotoxin, expresses a form of leukotoxin molecule which induces antibodies which specifically bind to leukotoxin, and contains no foreign DNA.
Another embodiment of the invention provides a method of inducing immunity to pneumonic pasteurellosis in ruminants. A bacterium is administered to a ruminant. Immunity to the bacterium is thereby induced. The bacterium expresses no biologically active leukotoxin, expresses a form of leukotoxin molecule which induces antibodies which specifically bind to leukotoxin, and contains no foreign DNA.
Yet another embodiment of the invention provides a feed for ruminants. The feed comprises a bacterium which expresses no biologically active leukotoxin, expresses a form of leukotoxin molecule which induces antibodies which specifically bind to leukotoxin, and contains no foreign DNA.
Even another embodiment of the invention provides a vaccine for reducing morbidity in ruminants. The vaccine comprises a P. haemolytica bacterium which expresses no biologically active leukotoxin, expresses a form of leukotoxin molecule which induces antibodies which specifically bind to leukotoxin, and contains no foreign DNA.
Still another embodiment of the invention provides a temperature sensitive plasmid. The plasmid replicates at 30xc2x0 C. but not at 40xc2x0 C. in P. haemolytica. Moreover, it is of the same incompatibility group as the plasmid which has been deposited at the ATCC with Accession No. 98895.
The present invention thus provides the art with tools for genetically manipulating an agriculturally important pathogen. It also provides useful mutant strains which can be used effectively to reduce morbidity among ruminants, such as cattle, sheep, and goats, due to Pasteurella haemolytica.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture

Biotechnology Research and Development Corporation


The invention is directed to the removal of serum gal-3 from circulation by plasmapheresis, comprising at least in part donor apheresis, using gal-3 binding agents in either a fixed bed, or in a form easily removed, such as by being complexed with magnetic particles. This method, on its own, brings a sharp reduction and relief from the inflammation and fibroses that can be induced by circulating gal-3. The process may be combined with the administration of gal-3 binding agents, such as modified citrus pectin, to further lower unbound gal-3 levels, to the point where gal-3 in the tissues may be addressed. This method may also be combined with removal of TNF receptors to provide an effective treatment for cancer.

Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to treatment of disease and biological conditions mediated at least in part by one or more galectins. Galectins are a family of lectins (sugar binding proteins) that are characterized by having at least one carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) with an affinity for beta-galactosides. These proteins were recognized as a family only recently, but are found throughout the animal kingdom, and are found in mammals, birds, amphibians, fish, sponges, nematodes and even fungi. This application focuses on galectins in mammals, and in particular, humans. Although the invention herein may be employed with both companion animals (e.g., pets such as dogs and cats) and commercial animals (such as cows, pigs and sheep) the methods and subject matter addressed herein are particularly focused on the treatment of humans.
Galectins mediate and modulate a wide variety of intracellular and extracellular functions, and thus are both expressed within the cell and frequently targeted to a specific cytosolic site, and secreted from the cell, for distribution extra-cellularly, as a component of human plasma. Among the many functions that are mediated by extracellular galectins are inflammation, fibrosis formation, cell adhesion, cell proliferation, metastatic formation, angiogenesis (cancer) and immunosuppression.
Galectins are a family of fifteen (15) carbohydrate-binding proteins (lectins) highly conserved throughout animal species. Most galectins are widely distributed, though galectin-5, -10 and -12 show tissue-specific distribution. While galectins are variably expressed by all immune cells, they are upregulated in activated B and T cells, inflammatory macrophages, natural killer (NK) cells, and FoxP3 regulatory T cells. Galectins contain a variety of structural arrangements, but a relatively conserved carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD). The majority of galectins display a single CRD, and are biologically active as monomers (galectin-5, -7 and -10), or require homodimerization for functional activity (galectin-1, -2, -11, -13, -14 and -15). Alternatively, tandem-repeat-type galectins (galectin-4, -8, -9, and -12) contain two CRDs separated by a short linker peptide, while galectin-3 (chimeric type) has a single CRD fused to a non-lectin domain that can be complexed with other galectin-3 monomers to form an oligomeric pentamer. Of note, some galectins, such as galectin-10, bind to mannose-containing glycans. Among the family of galectins, -1, -3, and -9 are particularly important as potential therapeutic targets, and -2, -4, -5, -6, -7, -8, -10, -11, -12, -13, -14, and -15 also appear implicated in a variety of biological pathways associated with morbidity and mortality.
Thus, galectin-7 has been implicated in the development of certain forms of cancer. St. Pierre et al, Front. Biosci., 1:17, 438-50 (2012) and in a variety of specific cancers, including gal-2, -4 and -8 in the context of colon and breast cancer, Barrow et al, Clin. Cancer Res., 15; 17 (22) 7035-46 (2011). Squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, Alves et al., Pathol. Res. Pract. 15; 207 (4) 236-40 (2011) has been shown to be associated with elevated levels of gal-1, -3 and -7, while cervical squamous carcinoma has been shown linked to gal-7 levels, Zhu et al, Int. J. Cancer, (August, 2012). A number of galectins, including gal-15, gal-13 and gal-10 have been demonstrated to be linked to implantation and pregnancy concerns. See, e.g., Than et al, Eur. J. Biochem. 271 (6) 1065-78 (2004), Lewis et al, Biol. Reprod. 77 (6); 1027-36 (2007). A number of galectins, including gal-2, 3, 8 and others have been identified as correlating with various autoimmune disorders, such as lupus. Salwati et al, J. Infect. Dis. 1; 202 (1) 117-24 (2010), Pal et al, Biochim. Biophys. Acta., 1820 (10) 1512-18 (2012) and Janko et al, Lupus 21 (7):781-3 (2012). Elevated levels of a number of galectins, including gal-3, are associated with inflammation and fibroses encountered in wound healing and the like. Gal et al, Acta. Histochem. Cytochem. 26:44 (5); 191-9 (2011).
Quite obviously, mediation of inflammatory and fibrotic pathways makes galectins critical elements of a wide variety of disease, injury and trauma related phenomena. In many cases, the presence of unwanted concentrations of galectins can aggravate a disease condition or trauma situation, or interfere with attempts to treat diseases, such as cancer or congestive heart failure. Among the family of galectins recognized as active in humans, galectin-1, galectin-3 and galectin-9 are of particular interest. As indicated above, these proteins are generally referred to, and referred to herein as, gal-1, gal-3 and gal-9. A wide variety of conditions in humans, ranging from problems in conceiving to asthma to chronic heart failure to cancer to viral infection to stroke and beyond are mediated or aggravated by higher than normal concentrations of galectins. Thus, among other galectins, gal-3 is particularly prominent in fibrosis, inflammation and cell proliferation, while gal-1 also plays a role in the immunosuppression required for a successful pregnancy. Gal-1 is also thought to be involved in the differentiation of nerve cells. Gal-9 has been shown to be involved in the control of lesions arising from immunoinflammatory diseases, and is generally implicated in inflammation—gal-9 apparently plays a role in eosinophil recruitment in inflammatory sites. It also appears to mediate apoptosis in certain activated cells.
While the discussion herein is applicable to circulating active gal-1, gal-3 and gal-9, and galectins in general, where elevated circulating galectin levels are associated with disease or injury conditions, more has been elucidated about the role of gal-3 in disease and trauma progression than any of the other galectins, and so it is exemplified herein. More specifically, this invention focuses on the removal of active gal-3 from mammalian, particularly human, plasma. Gal-3 has been shown to be involved in a large number of biological processes, many of which are related to disease states of various kinds. Binding and blocking activity of gal-3 in the circulation, or removal of large amounts of gal-3 from circulation may therefore improve existing medical treatments, suppress and/or reduce inflammation and fibrosis resulting from others, and make it possible to intervene in various disease states not otherwise easily treated. The invention is equally applicable to the reduction in circulating levels of other active galectins to address conditions mediated by those galectins. By "active" galectins, what is referred to is biologically active molecules. As noted, for example, gal-3 can be active, that is, mediate mammalian responses to various traumas and conditions, as a monomer and as an oligomer. In any mammal, at any given time, significant amounts of gal-3 and other galectins are present in an inactive state—that is, they are either tissue bound or ligand bound in such fashion as to inhibit molecular interaction. While such galectins molecules may become active, and may be or become the target of removal by the invention disclosed herein, when monitoring patient conditions and controlling responses, the focus of the invention is the removal of active galectins from the blood stream. This invention makes use of plasmapheresis, sometimes referred to as therapeutic plasma exchange, to control levels of gal-3, and more specifically biologically active galectin, in circulation. Plasma is lead through a fluid pathway and either intermixed with a gal-3 binding agent which can be separated from the plasma, or returned to the body with blocked inactivated gal-3, or lead past a solid support which binds gal-3, the plasma being subsequently returned to the body with a reduced level of gal-3. Thus, this invention can be used to remove bound gal-3 as part of a strategy to reduce total gal-3 content. The focus, in this application, however, is to remove active or unbound gal-3 as a therapeutic measure.
Related Art
This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/153,648, filed Jun. 6, 2011. That application in turn claims priority benefit to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/485,955, filed Jul. 6, 2006. The content of both these patent applications is expressly incorporated herein-by-reference. In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/153,648 (U.S. Patent Publication US-2011-0294755 A1) a method of treating cell proliferation conditions, inflammation and aggravated fibroses is disclosed which involves the administration of an agent that can bind circulating gal-3, such as modified citrus pectin, (MCP), a citrus pectin which has a reduced molecular weight of twenty thousand (20,000) Daltons or less, preferably ten thousand (10,000) Daltons or so. MCP is available commercially from EcoNugenics of Santa Rosa, Calif. and is discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,274,566 and 6,462,029.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A gyroscope powered by an engine, all fabricated on a common substrate in the form of an integrated circuit. Preferably, both the gyroscope and the engine are fabricated in the micrometer domain, although in some embodiments of the present invention, the gyroscope can be fabricated in the millimeter domain. The engine disclosed herein provides torque to the gyroscope rotor for continuous rotation at varying speeds and direction. The present invention is preferably fabricated of polysilicon or other suitable materials on a single wafer using surface micromachining batch fabrication techniques or millimachining techniques that are well known in the art. Fabrication of the present invention is preferably accomplished without the need for assembly of multiple wafers which require alignment and bonding, and without piece-part assembly.

Since World War II, human innovation has resulted in great strides in automatic navigation of vehicles and other objects. In particular, automatic navigation makes airline flights safer and less expensive, car travel and transportation more versatile and ocean travel more exacting. Furthermore, automatic navigation is heavily employed in missile systems and munitions. Navigation can be automated with both earth-bound devices or orbiting satellites. In its most versatile form, however, automatic navigation is completely self contained and commonly referred to as "inertial navigation."
Early inertial navigation systems used complex mechanical gimbal structures and mechanical devices with spinning wheels. These devices, known as gyroscopes, are capable of defining a fixed direction in space and can determine the change in angle (e.g., the angular rate) of its carrying vehicle with respect to a specified reference frame. For example, if the base of a three-ringed gyroscope is held in the hand with the rotor spinning and turned about in any of the three axes, the rotor axle will continue to point in the original direction in space. This property is known as gyroscopic inertia. If the speed of the rotor decreases, the gyroscopic inertia will gradually disappear, the rotor's axle begins to wobble and will ultimately take up any convenient position.
As early as the 19th century, J. B. L. Foucault mounted a spinning wheel within gimbal rings (a set of rings that permitted the wheel to turn in any direction) and demonstrated that the spinning wheel maintained its original orientation in space regardless of the Earth's rotation. The gimbals allowed the gyroscope to stabilize a mass to which it was attached (e.g., the platform) so that it remained in a fixed attitude relative to a chosen coordinate plane, even as the object moved around any of the three major coordinate axis. Recent inertial navigation systems rely on software and lasers to obtain information from the gyroscope to determine the angular movement of the vehicle to which the gyroscope is attached. Recent technology has also taken one further step by employing orbiting satellites (such as the Global Positioning Satellite system) and newer inertial navigation systems to obtain a higher-precision, higher-accuracy locating device.
Typical gyroscopes include an internal mass or wheel called a rotor wheel capable of spinning rapidly. In suspension, the rotor is typically free to turn in any coordinate axis. When the rotor is spinning, the gyroscope will resist changes in the orientation of its spin axis. This phenomena is explained by the moment of momentum principle which states that a steady spinning mass (possessing angular momentum) resists being disturbed and will produce a reacting torque in response to any disturbance, the disturbance being defined as that which causes the angular momentum vector to experience an angular rate. The reacting torque is then equal to the negative of the vector cross-product of the rate of change of angular position vector (disturbance) and the angular momentum vector of the spinning mass. Thus, as a vehicle (such as a ship or missile) pitches and rolls in various directions, the gyroscope holds the same plane of rotation which is not influenced by the changing directions of the vehicle.
Gyroscopes can be employed mounted to a stabilized platform or base (whose orientation in a moving vehicle remains fixed in space by employing one or more gimbals attached to the gyroscope) to thereby maintain the rotor's orientation regardless of any movement of the base. Gyroscopes can also be mounted directly to a vehicle (known as "strapdown"). Further, gyroscopes can be operated as a "closed loop" or "open loop" system. A closed loop gyroscope system means that a feedback information loop from the gyroscope output introduces a restoring force to the gyroscope, by torquing or platform motions, to maintain the gyroscope at its null (or initial) orientation. An open loop system means that the gyroscope is allowed to operate off its null orientation as it responds to input angular rates.
Gyroscopes are heavily used in guidance, navigation and stabilization applications. For example, gyroscopes can be used to measure the angular deviation of a guided missile from its desired flight trajectory; to determine the heading of a vehicle for steering; to determine the heading of an automobile as it turns; to indicate the heading and orientation of aircraft during and after a series of maneuvers; or to stabilize and point radar dishes and satellites. Gyroscopes respond to vehicle angular rates (e.g., rates of angular change between vehicle axes and reference axes) which allow the computation of the angles between vehicle axes and reference axes. Gyroscopes have also been used in personal computer products such as a computer mouse, for increased control and sensitivity. Furthermore, a gyroscope can counteract the rolling effect on a vehicle, and thus, is a preferred stabilization tool for vehicles such as a ship or missile.
A significant disadvantage of prior art gyroscopes is their size. While early gyroscopes were large units (e.g., more than two feet across) and heavy, gyroscope technology has lead to the development of smaller units, but still in the macroscopic domain. However, as described in the article titled "Surface Micromachined Microengine", E. J. Garcia, J. J. Sniegowski, Sensors and Actuators, A 48, pp. 203-214 (1995), recent advances in surface micromachining have led to the development of electrostatic actuators capable of driving microscopic machinery. Micrometer devices are capable of producing sufficient force and/or torque to drive small objects such as a gyroscope rotor. The present invention discloses and claims a gyroscope which has all of the advantages and uses of a macroscopic gyroscope, but manufactured and used within the microdomain (e.g., mechanical devices which are fabricated on the scale of micrometers, or approximately 1.times.10.sup.-6 meters).
In particular, electrically powered micrometer-sized micro-motors (or "microengines" as they are known) are fabricated to provide rotational motion to an object. The fabrication of these devices involves the etching of a silicon substrate and depositions of thin films of semiconductor materials. The resulting device includes moveable structures such as links and gears. All elements on these devices are fabricated in the microdomain. Such devices are disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,631,514, titled "Microfabricated Microengine for Use as a Mechanical Drive and Power Source in the Microdomain and Fabrication Process," the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.
The micrometer-sized invention disclosed herein differs from existing gyroscope devices in several respects. First, until the present invention, gyroscopes with a free-spinning rotor did not exist which were fabricated by micromachinery techniques to achieve functionality in the micrometer domain. Free-spinning rotor gyroscopes can provide up to a thousand times greater sensitivity than a comparably sized vibratory rotor. Second, gyroscopes in the micrometer domain are capable of being mass produced since the process utilizes the same processing which is used to fabricate millions of integrated circuit chips. Further, microdomain fabricated gyroscopes are capable of being electronically integrated with other electronics similarly fabricated on the chip. Another advantage to the present invention is the fabrication of multiple gyroscopes on the same fabrication plane so that each gyroscope is a functional backup device in the event of a major failure of one or more adjacent gyroscopes. Additionally, microdomain fabricated gyroscopes can now be used in applications where cost and size of the device was previously prohibitive.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a gyroscope manufactured and used in the micrometer domain.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gyroscope which is driven by a microengine.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a navigational device sized in the micrometer domain.
It is a further object of the present invention to utilize a microengine to operate and control a microdomain fabricated gyroscope requiring sufficient force or torque to achieve a predefined angular rotation.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a microdomain gyroscope mechanically and electronically fabricated to achieve high signal-to-noise ratios in position detectors, enhanced-force logic for closed loop sensor devices and digitization of the resulting output data.


A power supply circuit for a power amplifier of a mobile radio communication terminal, the power amplifier being suitable for delivering transmitter power that can present variations that are relatively fast and variations that are relatively slow, the power supply circuit essentially comprising:. an active three-pole power device for controlling said power amplifier, the device receiving both a control voltage that is a function of said relatively fast variation and an active three-pole device power supply voltage, and delivering to said power amplifier a given power supply current at a given voltage referred to as the power supply voltage for said power amplifier; and PA1 means for generating the power supply voltage for said active three-pole device, and suitable for delivering to said active three-pole device a power supply voltage that is variable in such a manner that for a given value of said transmission power that is subject to relatively slow variations, the voltage drop across the terminals of said active three-pole device is minimal.

In a cellular mobile radio communication system, it is known to control transmitted power as a function of a power reference coming from the system itself, and in particular as a function of the distance of a mobile from an element of the infrastructure, also referred to as a base station, with which the mobile is in communication, for the purpose of reducing the overall level of interference in the system.
In a digital mobile radio communication system using the time division multiple access (TDMA) technique, it is also known to control the transmitted power as a function of the waveform of the signal to be transmitted. More precisely, since the information to be transmitted is put into the form of packets or "bursts", for transmission during predetermined time intervals in a frame structure, the waveform has a level corresponding to the working portion of the packet, preceded by a rising slope and followed by a falling slope, the two slopes corresponding to guard times on either side of the working portion.
In order to power a power amplifier in such a manner as to perform such control over transmitted power, it is known to provide an active three-pole power device for controlling said power amplifier, the active three-pole device receiving not only a control voltage as a function of the power to be transmitted, but also a power supply voltage for the active three-pole device, and delivering power supply current to the power amplifier at a given power supply voltage for said power amplifier. Said power supply voltage for the active three-pole device is also generally fixed and thus set, in practice, as a function of the maximum power that is to be transmitted.
The main drawback of such a circuit is poor efficiency at low transmitter power since the product of said power supply current multiplied by the voltage drop across the terminals of the active three-pole device can then rise to relatively high values.
To avoid that drawback, and in the context of an analog mobile radio communication system, it is known from document EP 0 626 765 to supply said power supply current and said amplifier power supply voltage via a voltage converter, itself including a controlling active three-pole device which is controlled as a function of the power to be transmitted, but which does not itself deliver said power amplifier power supply voltage and current in full, but delivers only that portion of said power supply voltage and current which varies as a function of the demanded transmitter power.
Such a solution is unsuitable for digital mobile radio communication systems of the kind outlined above, or more generally for any system in which transmitter power is likely to vary relatively quickly, i.e. too quickly relative to the reaction times necessary for such a voltage converter, due to the presence therein of components such as inductors and capacitors having relatively long time constants. To give an order of magnitude, in the mobile radio communication system known under the abbreviation GSM (for "Global System, for Mobile Communication"), the signals transmitted are liable to vary during said rising and falling slopes, by 70 dB over a time interval of about 30 microseconds.

Power supply circuit for a power amplifier of a mobile radio communication terminal


A system and method is disclosed is capable of receiving messages from a mobile communication system. The system generates a reference number for a received message comprising a terminal, a reference number table, and comparator. The terminal communicates a received message having an allocated reference number. A reference number table stores messages according to reference number. A comparison is performed at the terminal for comparing the allocated reference number to a reference number of a previously stored message. A new reference number is generated if the allocated reference number is the same as the reference number of the previously stored message. The system also provides means for storing the allocated reference number and the new reference number in the reference number table for the received message.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a message service of a mobile communication terminal, and particularly, to a system and method for generating a message reference number of a mobile communication terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
A mobile terminal provides not only voice, but more recently data communication and multimedia services. One type of data communication service, a short message service, transmits a text message through a short message center (SMSC) to a user. An enhanced message service (EMS) may transmit the text message with attachments. The attachments may be pictures, animations, photos, melodies, and the like. These attachments may be provided by an EMS terminal. A single message from an EMS terminal may contain only a limited number of bytes of data. To increase the capacity of an EMS terminal, multiple data bytes are concatenated as one message utilizing a concatenation function.
The data contained in a concatenated message has a value associated with a reference number. For example, if the reference number is 8 bits, then the data has a value between 0 to 255. In another example, if the reference number is 16 bits, then the data has a value between 0 to 65335. Upon transmission of a mobile originated (MO) message, a mobile originated mobile station (MOMS) assigns reference numbers to messages for concatenation. A mobile terminated mobile station (MTMS) receiving the messages concatenates the messages having the reference numbers into one message.
A reference number contained in a message of the conventional mobile terminal has a limited number of bytes. In one example, a conventional mobile terminal is limited to communicating messages of 8 to 16 bytes. When a mobile terminal user exchanges a message with multiple users, the reference numbers are repeatedly used. The MTMS may receive a message having the same reference number as that of a previously received and stored message. Accordingly, the received message and the previously stored message having the same reference number, even if stored separately, are not concatenated to avoid a collision of reference numbers. The collision would result in a data error.
There is a need for improvements in communicating messages within a mobile communication system that addresses the above problems and provides additional advantages.

System and method for generating message reference number for a mobile communication station


Disclosed herein are mutant photosynthetic microorgnaisms having an attenuated SGI1 gene. The mutants have reduced chlorophyll and increased productivity with respect to wild type cells. Also disclosed are methods of using such mutants for producing biomass or bioproducts, and methods of screening for such mutants.

Engineering photosynthetic organisms to increase photosynthetic efficiency for higher productivity is a long-standing goal of plant and algal biologists. US 2014/0220638 and US 2016/030489, both of which are incorporated herein by reference, describe mutant screens to obtain algal mutants referred to as "LIHLA" mutants having reduced chlorophyll that are impaired in their ability to low light acclimate, that is, they retain the low chlorophyll state of high light adapted cells even in low light. US 2014/0220638 describes algal mutants having mutations in the Light Acclimation Regulator LAR1, LAR2, and LAR3 genes, and US 2016/0304896 discloses algal mutants having mutations in the chloroplastic SRP54 gene.

High productivity algal mutants having reduced photosynthetic antenna


An electronic notification apparatus is disclosed. The electronic notification apparatus may include an image capture device which can scan a machine readable code on a physical object. A communication may thereafter be initiated to complete the transfer of the physical object to a user.

Different processing steps can be used to obtained resources. In some instances, goods can be ordered from a remotely located merchant. Goods can be shipped to the user who purchased them.
Some problems exist with existing resource acquisition systems. For example, in some cases, a user does not want to pay for the goods until they are actually delivered. This can be desirable in many instances. For example, goods that are paid for first and then delivered can be potentially stolen if the user is not home when the goods are delivered. In other instances, a user wants to be assured that the resource is delivered until the user actually pays for it. In the case of food, for example, food delivery services may become overwhelmed during peak periods and may not deliver the food in a timely manner. In such a case, it is better to pay for the food upon delivery since the delivery can be canceled if the delivery occurs too late to be useful.
While resource acquisition systems that allow users to pay for resources upon delivery are useful, a number of improvements can be made. For example, if the user ordering the resource is not at home, then the particular resource being delivered may need to be returned. Also, in some cases, the particular resource being delivered may be erroneously delivered to the wrong address. Still further, in some instances, a user may not have sufficient funds or the correct amount of cash to pay for the resource being delivered at the time of delivery.
Embodiments of the invention address these and other problems individually and collectively.


A bollard comprises an elongate outer tubular cover, an elongate inner tubular core located within the outer tubular cover, a damper located at a lower end of the inner tubular core, and a washer arranged to locate the damper against the inner tubular core. The outer tubular cover and the inner tubular core are both substantially circular in horizontal cross-section and the outer tubular cover and the inner tubular core are not connected together. The bollard further comprises one or more bolts, each bolt passing through the washer, damper and inner tubular core and into the ground.

In supermarkets and retail stores, objects such as freezers refrigerators, shelving and product displays are susceptible to damage due to collisions with items such as shopping trolleys, floor scrubbers and pallet jacks. For example, freezer and refrigerator cases typically include a glass or transparent plastic door for viewing the products inside without opening the door. The glass can be shattered or the plastic scratched, upon impact with shopping trolleys. Since the body of many of these floor fixtures is constructed of lightweight metals or hardened plastic it can be easily dented or cracked by such impacts. Likewise, in industrial locations such as warehouses and manufacturing facilities, both internally and externally, product storage, doorways and equipment are susceptible to damage due to collisions with heavy equipment, such as delivery vehicles and forklifts.
A bollard protects objects and fixtures from collisions with all types of vehicles. Bollards are commonly employed inside a store to protect store fixtures and outside a store to protect outdoor structures from collisions, to indicate parking areas, to block vehicle and heavy equipment access to a particular area, and to direct flow of traffic. Bollards can also be used to block vehicular access for security reasons.
There are two primary types of bollards; plate-mounted bollards and core-drilled bollards. Plate-mounted bollards conventionally involve a steel plate having three or four bolt holes and a bollard extending perpendicularly from one face of the plate. The plate sits on the floor and bolts are used to fasten the plate, and therefore the bollard, to the floor through the bolt holes. There is no significant disruption to the ground or floor, other than the bolt holes, which are in some instances pre-drilled. On the other hand, core-drilled bollards conventionally require a major disruption to the ground or floor with the creation of a hole two to four feet deep and having a larger diameter than the bollard itself, for example eight inches to two feet, or larger. Concrete is poured into the hole and the bollard is placed in the concrete and held vertically while the concrete cures. In some instances, concrete is also poured into the hollow bollard itself. Installation of a core-drilled bollard is significantly more expensive than with a plate-mounted bollard, and takes significantly more time to complete. However, there are locations where the core-drilled bollard is required due to its ability to absorb larger impacts than the plate-mounted bollard.
Plate-mounted bollards are conventionally utilised in areas where impacts are more likely to be less severe, and involve lighter objects, or where no significant impacts are likely and the bollard serves more as a marker. For example, inside a grocery store in front of a freezer case any impact would likely be from a shopping trolley or floor polisher. Such an impact would be considered to be low-energy, or relatively minor. Accordingly, a plate-mounted bollard would be appropriate for this type of installation. However, in a warehouse with heavy equipment, such as delivery vehicles and forklifts, impacts are more likely to be more severe, or high-energy. A vehicle backing up may accidentally collide with a bollard. Accordingly, a core-drilled bollard would be more appropriate in these types of settings.
There are a substantial number of installations where a conventional plate-mounted bollard does not provide quite enough impact protection; however, a core-drilled bollard is significantly over-sized for the application. Yet, a core-drilled bollard is installed because the conventional plate-mounted bollard falls short of providing the required protection. Likewise, there are installations where a core-drilled bollard is necessary to provide protection against likely impacts, yet a plate-mounted bollard is installed because they are less expensive or there are logistical problems with drilling four foot deep holes for the core-drilled bollard installation. Other factors may influence the selection of a plate-mounted bollard or a core-drilled bollard.
To address this issue, a bollard having an impact absorption mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,901,156 B2. This Patent discloses a plate-mounted bollard which includes an internal impact absorption mechanism that enables the bollard to absorb impact forces greater than conventional plate-mounted bollards. The bollard makes use of a force transfer process that shifts impact forces to areas better able to resiliently absorb the impact without causing damage to the bollard, the impact absorption mechanism, or the ground in which the bollard is installed. The impact absorption mechanism consists of an internal resilient core rod mounted at its proximal end to a base plate which is fixed to the ground. Impact forces are then transferred through an outer shell to the distal or upper end of the internal resilient core. With energy from the impact force being distributed along the maximum length of the resilient core rod, the rod flexes and the full length of the rod is utilized to absorb the impact energy.


The invention provides fragments of GAD.sub.65 that are specifically reactive with at least one class of GAD.sub.65 autoantibody. Most fragments are substantially free of N-terminal amino acids that would otherwise limit solubility. Different fragment contain epitopes for different classes of GAD.sub.65 autoantibodies. The fragments are used in methods of diagnosing and treating insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and stiff man syndrome.

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) (also known as type 1 diabetes) primarily afflicts young people. Although insulin is available for treatment, the several-fold increased morbidity and mortality associated with this disease require the development of early diagnostic and preventive methods. The destruction of pancreatic .beta.-cells (which are the insulin-secreting cells of the islets of Langerhans) that precedes the clinical onset of IDDM, is mediated by autoimmune mechanisms. Among the most thoroughly studied autoimmune abnormalities associated with the disease is the high incidence of circulating .beta.-cell specific autoantibodies at the time of diagnosis. Family studies have shown that the autoantibodies appear prior to overt IDDM by a number of years, suggesting a long prodromal period of humoral autoimmunity before clinical symptoms emerge. The family studies have also documented a slow, progressive loss of insulin response to intravenous glucose in the years preceding diagnosis. The presence of .beta.-cell specific autoantibodies in the prediabetic period is likely to reflect the ongoihg autoimmune process, one that eventually leads to critical .beta.-cell depletion and insulin dependency. It has been estimated that only 10% of the total .beta.-cell mass remains at the time of clinical onset.
The target of autoantibodies in pancreatic .beta.-cells in IDDM was originally identified as a 64 kDa autoantigen by immunoprecipitation experiments using detergent lysates of human islets (Baekkeskov et al. (1982), Nature 298:167-169). Antibodies to the 64 kDa autoantigen precede the clinical onset of IDDM and have been shown to have an incidence of about 80% at clinical onset and during the prediabetic period (Baekkeskov et al. (1987), J. Clin. Invest. 79:926-934; Atkinson et al. (1990), Lancet 335:1357-1360; and Christie et al. (1988), Diabetologia 31:597-602) (each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes). The rat and human 64 kDa protein are highly homologous with regard to autoantigenic epitopes (Christie et al. (1990), J. Boil. Chem. 265:376-381) (incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes). The 64 kDa autoantigen in islets of Langerhans is detected in three different forms with regard to hydrophobicity and compartmentalization: a hydrophilic soluble form of 65 kDa and Pi of approximately 7.1; a 64 kDa hydrophobic form, which is soluble or of a low membrane avidity and has a Pi of approximately 6.7; and a hydrophobic firmly membrane anchored form of the same electrophoretic mobility and Pi. Both the membrane bound and the soluble hydrophobic 64 kDa forms exist as two isoforms, .alpha. and .beta. which have identical Pi and hydrophobic properties but differ by approximately 1 kDa (Baekkeskov et al. (1989), Diabetes 38:1133-1141) (incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes). The 64 kDa autoantigen was found to be .beta.-cell specific in an analysis of a number of tissues, which did not include the brain (Christie et al., supra).
It has recently been shown that the 64 kDa autoantigen of pancreatic .beta.-cells is glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD, L-glutamate 1-carboxy-lyase, EC 184.108.40.206). The GAD enzyme synthesizes GABA from glutamic acid and is an abundant protein of GABA-secreting neurons in the central nervous system (CNS). See copending application, Ser. No. 07/756,207; Baekkeskov et al. (1990), Nature 347:151-157 (incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes).
GAD is an abundant and partially-characterized protein of GABA-secreting neurons in the central nervous system. The GAD enzyme has two forms encoded by two distinct non-allelic genes, GAD.sub.67 and GAD.sub.65 (also known as GAD-1 and GAD-2), which may have developed from a common ancestral gene during vertebrate phylogeny. GAD.sub.67 and GAD.sub.65 are highly diverse in the first 95 amino acids but share significant (approx. 75%) homology in the rest of the molecule. Both have a proteolytic hot spot 80-90 amino acids from the N-terminus (Christgau et al. (1991), J. Boil. Chem. 266:21257-21264; Christgau et al. (1992), J. Cell Biol. 118:309-320) (incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes), which may represent a domain boundary. The N-terminal domain harbors the post-translational modifications which result in anchoring of GAD.sub.65 to the membrane of synaptic vesicles and control the distinct subcellular localization of this protein.
In brain tissue, both GAD.sub.65 and GAD.sub.67 are produced (Bu et al. (1992), Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:2115-2119; Kaufman et al. (1986), Science 232:1138-1140; Chang & Gottlieb (1988), J. Neurosci. 8:2123-2130) (each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes). Some species express both GAD proteins in their pancreatic islets. However, in human islets only GAD.sub.65 is expressed (Karlsen et al. (1991), Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 88:8337-8341; Karlsen et al. (1992), Diabetes 41:1355-1359) (incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes). Immunogenic crossreactivity between isolates of GAD.sub.65 and GAD.sub.67 from different vertebrate species indicates a high degree of conservation of antigenic determinants from rodents to humans (Legay et al. (1986), J. Neurochem. 46:1478-1486). Consistent with this observation, human GAD.sub.65 and GAD.sub.67 polypeptides share more than 90% amino-acid sequence identity with cognate polypeptides in other mammals. Bu et al., supra.
The cDNAs of human CNS GAD.sub.67 and GAD.sub.65 have been cloned and sequenced (Bu et al., supra). Karlsen et al. (1991), supra, have reported sequence data for human pancreatic beta cell GAD.sub.65. DNA sequence information is also available for rat CNS GAD.sub.65 and GAD.sub.67 (Erlander et al. (1991), Neuron 7:91-100; Julien et al. (1990), J. Neurochem. 54:703-705) and rat beta cell GAD.sub.65 (Michelson et al. (1991), Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 88:8754-8758) (each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes).
The demonstrated equivalence of the 64 kDa IDDM autoantigen and GAD explains earlier observations linking IDDM with a rare, but severe, neurological disease termed stiff man syndrome, in which GAD has been recognized as the predominant autoantigen (Solimena et al. (1988), N. Engl. J. Med. 318:1012-1020; Solimena et al. (1990), N. Engl. J. Med. 322:1555-1560) (incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes). Almost all the GABA-ergic neuron autoantibody positive patients were also positive for islet cell cytoplasmic antibodies, and one third had IDDM. In addition, autoantibodies to GABA-ergic neurons were detected in 3 of 74 IDDM patients without SMS (Solimena et al. (1988), supra, and Solimena et al. (1990), supra). Other studies have also reported a high incidence of IDDM in SMS patients (Lorish et al. (1989), Mayo Clin. Proc. 64:629-636).
The demonstrated equivalence of the 64 kDa antigen and GAD has also led to some improvement in methods of diagnosing IDDM. Previously, the 64 kDa autoantigen had only been identified in the pancreatic .beta.-cell, and could not be purified in sufficient quantities to allow cloning, sequencing or other characterization that would have permitted large-scale preparation of reagents necessary for efficient detection or therapy. By contrast, the abundance of GAD in brain allows facile production by cloning, or otherwise, of large amounts of GAD protein (either GAD.sub.65 or GAD.sub.67) as a reagent for diagnosis. See co-pending application Ser. No. 07/756,207.
Although an improvement on prior methods, diagnosis using full-length forms of purified GAD protein is still not entirely satisfactory. GAD molecules have a lipid modification in the N-terminal region and are therefore insoluble except in the presence of detergent. The insolubility of full-length GAD molecules hampers purification, and use of GAD, in simple assays like immunoprecipitation, ELISA or radioimmunoassay. Moreover, use of full-length GAD as a diagnostic reagent does not distinguish between different classes of GAD autoantibodies, which may be diagnostic of different temporal stages of an autoimmune disease and/or different diseases. Furthermore, insoluble GAD proteins are unsuitable for in vivo administration as therapeutic reagents.
Based on the foregoing, it is apparent that a need exists for improved reagents and methods for diagnosing and treating patients having, or at risk of, IDDM and stiff man syndrome. The present invention fulfills this and other needs.

Reagents and methods for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes and stiff man syndrome

Reagents of the University of California


Provided is a lithium ion battery having a long service life by improving an adhesion strength between a binder resin and a metal foil. A binder resin, which is a compound having a chemical structure that contains a polyvinylidene fluoride molecular chain, a six-membered ring such as a cyclohexane ring, and an end group selected from the group consisting of SiX3, SH, NH2, GeX3, and TiX3 (wherein X is a functional group that undergoes a condensation reaction), wherein the six-membered ring is disposed in a region between the polyvinylidene fluoride molecular chain and the end group, is mixed with an active material and applied to a metal foil, and the binder resin is chemically bonded to metal atoms such as copper atoms on the surface of the metal foil.

Recently, a high-power and high-energy density lithium ion battery has been demanded not only for consumer appliances such as cellular phones, but also as a power source for hybrid cars capable of efficiently utilizing energy.
With regard to a binder resin (adhesive) that bonds an electrode active material and a metal foil to each other in a lithium ion battery, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) which is hardly degraded even if it is in contact with an electrolytic solution is described in Patent Literatures 1 and 2.

Lithium ion battery and method for producing the same


An improved brake/clutch unit for use in a riding lawnmower or another vehicle is provided. The unit includes a rotor assembly disposed radially outwardly of a longitudinally extending input shaft, an armature assembly, and a field shell assembly. The rotor assembly includes a rotor disc disposed radially outwardly of the input shaft. The armature assembly includes an armature axially-spaced from the rotor disc and an output member connected to the armature. The field shell assembly includes a field shell that is fixed against rotation, a pair of permanent magnets, first and second pole pieces having relatively low magnetic reluctance, a third pole piece having a relatively high magnetic reluctance, and a field coil. The field shell includes a radially outwardly extending flange on which all of the pole pieces are disposed. The magnets are disposed between the flange and the first and second pole pieces while the third pole piece is disposed between the first and second pole pieces. The field shell, magnets, first and second pole pieces and armature form a magnetic circuit that draws the armature in a first axial direction into a braked position in engagement with the first and second pole pieces. Upon energizing the field coil, a second magnetic circuit is formed between the field shell, rotor disc, and armature. The second magnetic circuit draws the armature in a second axial direction towards the rotor disc and into a clutch engaged position. In particular, a portion of the armature angularly opposite the magnets engages the rotor disc first and forces the armature to disengage from one of the first and second pole pieces.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a clutch/brake unit for use in a riding lawnmower or similar vehicle, and more particularly, to a unit having a pole piece having a relatively high magnetic reluctance separating a pair of pole pieces having relatively low magnetic reluctance to enable more efficient release of the brake and engagement of the clutch.
2. Disclosure of Related Art
Clutch/brake units are commonly adapted for use in riding lawnmowers, garden tractors or similar vehicles to selectively transmit a drive torque from a motor to an implement drive (e.g., a mower blade drive) and to apply a positive braking torque to the drive when drive torque is not being transmitted.
A conventional clutch/brake unit may include an input member, or hub, connected to a longitudinally extending input shaft for rotation therewith, a rotor disc mounted on the input member, an armature axially spaced from the rotor disc, and an output member such as a pulley connected to the armature. The armature and output member may be connected by a plurality of springs that bias the armature in a first axial direction away from the rotor disc and into a braked position against a braking member. The unit may further include an electromagnetic clutch disposed on a side of the rotor disc opposite the armature. The clutch may include an electrical coil disposed within a stationary field shell. Energization of the coil establishes a magnetic circuit between the field shell, rotor disc, and armature and draws the armature in a second axial direction towards the rotor disc and into a clutch engaged position--concurrently releasing the armature from engagement with the braking member(s). Deenergization of the coil severs the magnetic circuit and the springs once again draw the armature in the first axial direction into a braked position against the braking member.
As noted by applicant in applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,918 (hereinafter, "'918 patent")--the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference--the above-described clutch/brake units have significant drawbacks. In these conventional units, the entire braking force is provided by the springs that connect the armature and the output member. As a result, these springs must be relatively strong. A relatively high electromagnetic force must then be generated by the electromagnetic clutch in order to release the brake and cause engagement of the clutch. In addition, the force provided by the springs increases as the armature is drawn away from the braked position and towards the clutch-engaged position against the rotor disc. Because a high electromagnetic force is required, larger and/or more expensive electrical components must be used both within the clutch/brake unit itself and within any vehicle or machine that incorporates the unit.
In the '918 patent, applicant disclosed a clutch/brake unit that is capable of overcoming the above-mentioned deficiencies. In particular, applicant disclosed a clutch/brake unit that incorporates a plurality of permanent magnets to effectuate braking. The plurality of magnets are disposed between a radially extending flange of the field shell and a corresponding plurality of pole pieces having relatively low magnetic reluctance. The magnets create a magnetic circuit between the magnets, the pole pieces, the field shell, and the armature that draws the armature in a first axial direction into a braked position against the pole pieces. Because the armature is drawn into a braked position by magnetic attraction, the springs that connect the armature and the output member need only be strong enough to transmit torque from the armature to the output member. Moreover, the braking force provided by the magnetic circuit decreases as the armature is drawn in a second axial direction towards the rotor disc and into the clutch-engaged position (as opposed to the increasing force in the conventional spring-set brake). Because less force is required to release the brake and bring the armature into engagement with the rotor disc, smaller and/or less expensive electrical components can be used in the clutch/brake unit and in the vehicle or machine incorporating the unit.
Although the clutch/brake unit described in the '918 patent represents a significant improvement over the prior art, additional improvements are desirable. One desired improvement would be to further reduce the electromagnetic force required to release the brake and engage the clutch. In the clutch/brake unit disclosed in the '918 patent, the magnets and pole pieces span an angular distance of less than one half the circumference of the field shell. Therefore, when the coil is energized, a portion of the armature furthest from the magnets quickly snaps into engagement with the rotor disc. As the magnetic attraction between the armature and rotor disc increases, the portion of the armature adjacent the magnets also snaps into engagement with the rotor disc. The force required to bring this latter portion of the armature into engagement with the rotor disc, however, is still greater than desired.
Another desirable improvement would be to enable the application of a protective coating, such as chrome carbide, to one or more of the pole pieces in order to increase the durability and lifespan of the pole pieces. Chrome carbide has a high magnetic reluctance. In conventional, clutch/brake units, therefore, only a relatively small amount can be applied to the pole pieces without a significant reduction in the magnetic attraction between the armature and the pole pieces, and consequently, the braking torque.
There is thus a need for a brake that will minimize or eliminate one or more of the above-mentioned deficiencies.


Paddles and enclosures for processing microfeature workpieces are disclosed. A paddle device having multiple paddles is positioned in an enclosure to reciprocate back and forth along a generally linear path. The clearances between the paddles, the workpiece and the walls of the chamber are relatively small to increase the flow agitation at the surface of the workpiece and enhance the mass transfer process occurring there. The paddles are shaped to reduce or eliminate electrical shadowing effects created at the surface of the workpiece during electrochemical processing. Paddles on the same paddle device may have different shapes to reduce the likelihood for creating three-dimensional effects in the flow field proximate to the surface of the workpiece. The reciprocation stroke of the paddles may shift to further reduce shadowing.

Microdevices are manufactured by depositing and working several layers of materials on a single substrate to produce a large number of individual devices. For example, layers of photoresist, conductive materials, and dielectric materials are deposited, patterned, developed, etched, planarized, and so forth to form features in and/or on a substrate. The features are arranged to form integrated circuits, micro-fluidic systems, and other structures.
Wet chemical processes are commonly used to form features on microfeature workpieces. Wet chemical processes are generally performed in wet chemical processing tools that have a plurality of individual processing chambers for cleaning, etching, electrochemically depositing materials, or performing combinations of these processes. In some cases, the processing chambers include a vessel configured to electrolytically apply material to the workpiece and/or remove material from the workpiece. The workpiece is partially immersed in a bath that includes an electrolyte in fluid communication with an electrode. When material is to be added to the workpiece, electrical potentials of opposite polarities are applied to the electrode (which functions as an anode) and the workpiece (which functions as a cathode). When material is to be removed from the workpiece, the polarities are reversed so that the electrode operates as a cathode and the workpiece operates as an anode.
During electrolytic processing, a diffusion layer develops at the surface of the workpiece in contact with the electrolytic liquid. The concentration of the material applied to or removed from the workpiece varies over the thickness of the diffusion layer. In many cases, it is desirable to reduce the thickness of the diffusion layer so as to allow an increase in the speed with which material is added to or removed from the workpiece. In other cases, it is desirable to otherwise control the material transfer at the surface of the workpiece, for example to control the composition of an alloy deposited on the surface, or to more uniformly deposit materials in surface recesses having different aspect ratios.
One approach to reducing the diffusion layer thickness is to increase the flow velocity of the electrolyte at the surface of the workpiece. For example, some vessels include paddles that translate or rotate adjacent to the workpiece to create a high speed, agitated flow at the surface of the workpiece. In one particular arrangement, the workpiece is spaced apart from an anode by a first distance along a first axis (generally normal to the surface of the workpiece) during processing. A paddle having a height of about 25% of the first distance along the first axis oscillates between the workpiece and the anode along a second axis transverse to the first axis. In other arrangements, the paddle rotates relative to the workpiece. In still further arrangements, fluid jets are directed at the workpiece to agitate the flow at the workpiece surface.
The foregoing arrangements suffer from several drawbacks. For example, it is often difficult even with one or more paddles or fluid jets, to achieve the flow velocities necessary to significantly reduce the diffusion layer thickness at the surface of the workpiece. Furthermore, when a paddle is used to agitate the flow adjacent to the microfeature workpiece, it can create "shadows" in the electrical field within the electrolyte, causing undesirable nonuniformities in the deposition or removal of material from the microfeature workpiece. Still further, a potential drawback associated with rotating paddles is that they may be unable to accurately control radial variations in the material application/removal process, because the speed of the paddle relative to the workpiece varies as a function of radius and has a singularity at the center of the workpiece.

Paddles and enclosures for enhancing mass transfer during processing of microfeature workpieces