The present invention provides novel HIV protease inhibitors, pharmaceutical formulations containing those compounds and methods of treating and/or preventing HIV infection and/or AIDS.

A retrovirus designated human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) is the causative agent of the complex disease termed Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), and is a member of the lentivirus family of retroviruses. M. A. Gonda, F. Wong-Staal, R. C. Gallo, "Sequence Homology and Morphological Similarity of HTLV III And visna Virus, A Pathogenic Lentivirus", Science, 227, 173, (1985); P. Sonigo, N. Alizon, et al., "Nucleotide Sequence of the Visna Lentivirus: Relationship to the AIDS Virus", Cell, 42, 369, (1985). The complex disease AIDS includes progressive destruction of the immune system and degeneration of the central and peripheral nervous systems. The HIV virus was previously known or referred to as LAV, HTLV-III or ARV.
A common feature of retrovirus replication is the post-translational processing of precursor polyproteins by a virally encoded protease to generate mature viral proteins required for viral assembly and function. Interruption of this processing appears to prevent the production of normally infectious virus. Unprocessed structural proteins also have been observed in clones of non-infectious HIV strains isolated from human patients. The results suggest that the inhibition of HIV protease represents a viable method for the treatment of AIDS and the prevention or treatment of infection by HIV.
The HIV genome encodes structural protein precursors known as gag and pol, which are processed to afford the protease, reverse transcriptase and endonuclease/integrase. The protease further cleaves gag and gag-pol polyproteins to yield mature structural proteins of the virus core.
Considerable efforts are being directed toward the control of HIV by means of the structural protein precursors which are processed to yield the retroviral protease, reverse transcriptase and endonuclease/integrase. For example, the currently used therapeutic, AZT, is an inhibitor of the viral reverse transcriptase. H. Mitsuya, NS. Broder, "Inhibition of the In Vitro Infectivity in Cytopathic Effects of HTLV III", Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 83, 1911 (1986).
Research efforts have also been directed toward HIV protease inhibitors. For example, European Patent Application (EPA) 361 341; EPA 346 847; EPA 402 646; and EPA 337 714 all disclose compounds which are said to be useful as HIV protease inhibitors.
Unfortunately, many of the known compounds suffer from toxicity problems, lack of bioavailability or short in vivo half-lives. Thus, despite the recognized therapeutic potential associated with a protease inhibitor and the research efforts expended thus far, a viable therapeutic agent has not yet emerged.
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide novel HIV protease inhibitors which are useful in the treatment or prevention of HIV infection and/or the resulting acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
A further object of the present invention is to provide therapeutic compositions that are useful in the treatment or prevention of HIV infection and/or AIDS.
Still another object is to provide methods for the treatment or prevention of HIV infection and/or AIDS.
Other objects, features and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description and claims.

Inhibitors of HIV protease useful for the treatment of AIDS


A structure for installing a lightning arrester between the cross arm mounted to the upper end of an electric pole and a power line is disclosed. A dead end clamp, the lightning arrester and an insulation reinforcing insulator are connected in series, an end of the insulation reinforcing insulator is connected to the cross arm by a shackle, a disconnector is connected to the voltage outlet portion of the lightning arrester, a grounding wire for diverting abnormal voltage to the ground is connected to the disconnector, and an insulation cover surrounds the dead end clamp and the voltage inlet portion of the lightning arrester.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for installing a lightning arrester for an electric pole and, more particularly, to a structure for installing a lightning arrester for an electric pole, in which a lightning arrester, a dead end clamp and an insulator are connected in series, so that electric wires can be arranged in an orderly manner on the upper end of an electric pole to prevent the upper end of the electric pole from being in disorder and electrical failure from occurring due to the contact of electric wires with foreign objects such as birds, creatures or a magpie nest, installation work can be conveniently conducted to reduce the installation cost and the maintenance and repair fee, and the number of parts to be installed together with the lightning arrester can be decreased to thus reduce the material cost.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known in the art, an electric pole is employed to support electric wires for supplying electricity from a nearby transformer substation to customers. The electric pole is made of concrete, wood, etc., in consideration of the required size and strength of the electric pole, economy, surrounding geographical conditions, and so on.
Since the electric pole is erected on the ground and supports electric wires in the air, an abnormally high voltage can be formed in the electric wires when a surge such as a thunderbolt is applied thereto. In order to divert the abnormally high voltage to the ground and allow a normal voltage to flow in the electric wires, a lightning arrester is installed on the upper end of an electric pole which is used for a line switch pole, an intermediate line position, an overhead service drop, an underground service drop, or a customer's high voltage reception facility.
In the conventional art, the lightning arrester is separately installed on an electric pole. That is to say, the power line installed on the electric pole and the electric wire for connecting the lightning arrester with the power line are connected with each other by a connector or a sleeve, an insulator for insulation purposes is installed on a cross arm, which is mounted to the electric pole, the lightning arrester is separately erected by a bracket at a different position on the upper end of the electric pole and is tightened along with the insulator by a bolt, and an electric wire extending to the ground is connected to the output portion of the lightning arrester, which is complicated.
In other words, in the conventional art, since the lightning arrester and the insulator are installed together on the cross arm on the upper end of the electric pole, the number of parts increases on the upper end of the electric pole, which is complicated. In addition, substantial installation costs and repair and maintenance fees are incurred, and the complexity can serve as a factor causing accidents that affect workers.
Also, in the conventional art, because the electric wires and so forth are tangled in a complicated pattern on the upper end of the electric pole, spaces between parts decrease, foreign objects are likely to be caught, and conditions suitable for a magpie to make a nest are created, whereby not only the leakage of current in the electric wires but also the damage to the parts installed on the upper end of the electric pole may be caused.

Structure for installing lightning arrester for electric pole


A multi-state memory and a method for manufacturing the same. A magnetoresistive tunnel junction is disposed on a spin-orbit coupling layer, and thermal annealing is performed after dopant ions are injected from a side of the magnetoresistive tunnel junction. The concentration of dopant ions in the magnetoresistive tunnel junction has a gradient variation along the direction that is perpendicular to the direction of the current and within the plane in which the spin-orbit coupling layer is located. Symmetry along the direction perpendicular to the direction of the current is broken. In a case a current flows into the spin-orbit coupling layer, resistance are outputted in multiple states in linearity with the current. The multi-state storage is achieved. It can meet a requirement on hardware of neural network synapses, and is applicable to calculation in a neural network.

With wide application of artificial intelligence technology, applying storage technology to neural network becomes a hot topic of research. In the neural network, information processing is achieved by adjusting interconnections among a large number of internal synapses on a basis of system complexity. A conventional memory merely stores data in two states, 0 and 1. In case of a memory storing data in more states, namely, being capable to achieve multi-state storage, the memory can meet a requirement on hardware of the neural network synapses, and thereby can be applied to calculation in the neural network.

Multi-state memory and method for manufacturing the same

Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences


A method for programming a NAND-type flash memory device is provided. In the method for programming a NAND-type flash memory device having a plurality of strings two dimensionally arranged on the bulk area of a first conductivity type and a plurality of bitlines arranged in parallel on the plurality of strings, a bulk bias corresponding to a reverse bias is applied to the bulk area of the first conductivity type. At least one bitline is selected among the plurality of bitlines. At least one string is selected from among the plurality of strings connected to the selected bitline in parallel. At least one cell is programmed from among the plurality of cells within the selected strings.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for programming a non-volatile memory device, and more particularly, to a method for programming a NAND-type flash memory device using a bulk bias.
2. Description of the Related Art
Information stored in a non-volatile memory cell, a type of semiconductor memory device, is not erased even if power is not supplied. Accordingly, non-volatile memory devices are widely used in computers and memory cards.
Since it is easier to increase the integration degree of a NAND-type flash memory device rather than that of a NOR-type flash memory device in a non-volatile memory device, a NAND-type flash memory device is widely used in a highly integrated flash memory device.
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing part of a cell array region of a general NAND-type flash memory device. FIG. 2 is an equivalent circuit diagram showing the cell array region of FIG. 1.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, active regions 1 are parallel to each other. A string selection line SSL, a plurality of word lines WL1, WL2, . . . , WLn, and a ground selection line GSL which cross the active regions 1 are parallel to one another. Contacts CT for exposing the active regions are positioned in the active regions 1 adjacent to the string selection line SSL. Bit lines BL1 and BL2 electrically connected to the active regions 1 through the contacts CT pass over the respective active regions 1. Also, the active regions 1 adjacent to the ground selection line GSL are extended to the direction parallel to the ground selection line GSL to thereby operate as a common source line (CSL). String selection transistor portions SST1 and SST2 comprised of the string selection transistors are formed where the string selection line SSL crosses the respective active regions 1. Cell transistor portions CT1 and CT2 comprised of a plurality of cell transistors are formed where the respective word lines WL1, WL2, . . . , WLn cross the respective active regions 1. Also, ground selection transistor portions GST1 and GST2 comprised of ground selection transistors are formed where the ground selection line GSL crosses the respective active regions 1.
Each cell transistor is comprised of a tunnel oxide film, a floating gate FG, an inter-poly dielectric layer, and a word line which operates as a control gate electrode, sequentially stacked on the active region 1. Here, the floating gates FG of the respective cell transistors are formed to be separate from each other. As shown in FIG. 1, the string selection transistor, the plurality of cell transistors, and the ground selection transistor, which are serially arranged on the active region 1 comprise one string. Also, the respective cell transistors, the respective string selection transistors, and the respective ground selection transistors are formed as NMOS transistors and are formed in a bulk region such as a P-well region.
FIG. 3 shows voltage waveforms for explaining a method for programming a cell A among a plurality of memory cells constructing the general NAND-type flash memory device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
Referring to FIG. 3, the moment a power supply voltage Vcc is applied for a precharge time Tpc to the first bit line BL1 serially connected to a first string including the cell A to be programmed, a pass voltage Vpass and a programming voltage Vpgm are sequentially applied to the second word line WL2 corresponding to the control gate electrode of the selected cell A for the precharge time Tpc and a programming time Tpgm, respectively. The power supply voltage Vcc is continuously applied to the string selection line SSL and the second bit line BL2 serially connected to a second string parallel to the first string for the precharge time Tpc and a programming time Tpgm. A pass voltage Vpass is applied to non-selected word lines WLns, i.e., the first word line WL1 and the third word line WL3 through the nth word line WLn for the precharge time Tpc and the programming time Tpgm. Also, 0 volts is applied to the ground selection line GSL, the common source line CSL, and the bulk region.
When predetermined voltages are applied to the respective control lines in order to program the selected cell A as mentioned above, the channel region of the selected cell A and the channel regions of the non-selected cells are precharged for the precharge time Tpc to a voltage close to the power supply voltage Vcc. However, charges precharged in the channel region of the selected cell A are discharged through the first bit line BL1 which falls down to a ground potential for the programming time Tpgm. Accordingly, 0 volts are induced to the channel region of the selected cell A. As a result, the selected cell A is programmed by the programming voltage Vpgm applied to the second word line WL2 and the channel voltage induced to 0 volts.
Meanwhile, the channel regions of the memory cells constructing the second string are electrically isolated from the second bit line BL2 and the common source line CSL for the program time Tpgm, to thereby be floated. Therefore, a voltage increased by the programming voltage Vpgm applied to the second word line WL2 is induced in the channel region of a non-selected cell B which shares the second word line WL2 with the selected cell A. Accordingly, the non-selected cell B is not programmed. At this time, a voltage Vch induced in the channel region of the non-selected cell B can be represented by Equation 1 from FIG. 4 which is a sectional view taken along the line PPxe2x80x2 of FIG. 1 and FIG. 5 which is an equivalent circuit diagram of the non-selected cell B of FIG. 4. Here, a bulk voltage Vb applied to a bulk region 10 of FIG. 4 is 0 volts.
Vch={Ctot÷(Ctot+Cch)}xc3x97Vpgmxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(b 1)
wherein, Ctot is the total capacitance of an inter-poly dielectric layer capacitance Cipo and a tunnel oxide film capacitance Ctox, serially connected to each other. Cch is a depletion capacitance formed in the channel region. The inter-poly dielectric layer capacitance Cipo represents the capacitance of an inter-polysilicon dielectric layer IPO interposed between the floating gate FG and the second word line WL2 of FIG. 4. The tunnel oxide film capacitance Ctox represents the capacitance of a tunnel oxide film Tox interposed between the floating gate FG and the bulk region 10 of FIG. 4.
Referring to FIG. 4 again, a field oxide film Fox operates as an isolation film between the selected cell A and the non-selected cell B. Therefore, a parasitic field transistor is formed between the selected cell A and the non-selected cell B. There is a high probability that the parasitic field transistor is turned on as the channel voltage Vch of the non-selected cell B is higher when the selected cell A is programmed. In addition, it is easier for the parasitic field transistor to turn on as the thickness and the width of the field oxide film Fox are reduced. Accordingly, when the parasitic field transistor is turned on, since undesired leakage current IL flows from the channel region of the non-selected cell B to the channel region of the selected cell A through the surface of the bulk region 10 under the field oxide film Fox, the channel voltage Vch of the non-selected cell B is lowered. As a result, the non-selected cell B is programmed.
As mentioned above, according to the conventional technology, the non-selected cell may be programmed since the parasitic field transistor between the selected cell and the non-selected cell is easily turned on. In particular, when the width and the thickness of the field oxide film are reduced in order to realize a highly integrated NAND-type flash memory device, the non-selected cell is much more easily programmed.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a method for programming a NAND-type flash memory device by which it is possible to prevent a non-selected cell from being programmed though the thickness and the width of a field oxide film are reduced.
To achieve the above objective, there is provided a method for programming a NAND-type flash memory device having a plurality of strings two-dimensionally arranged in a bulk area of a first conductivity type and a plurality of bitlines arranged in parallel on the plurality of strings, comprising applying a bulk bias corresponding to a reverse bias to the bulk area of the first conductivity type, selecting at least one bitline among the plurality of bitlines, selecting at least one string among the plurality of strings connected to at least one selected bitline in parallel, and programming at least one cell among the plurality of cells constructing the selected string.
The bulk area of the first conductivity type is preferably a p-type semiconductor substrate or a p-type well. Also, the respective strings are comprised of a string selection transistor portion, a cell transistor portion, and a ground selection transistor portion, which are sequentially and serially connected to one another. The string selection transistor portion and the ground selection transistor portion are respectively comprised of at least one NMOS transistor. The cell transistor portion is comprised of a plurality of cell transistors which are serially connected to one another. Each cell transistor has a gate structure in which a tunnel oxide film, a floating gate, an inter-poly dielectric layer, and a control gate electrode are sequentially stacked on the bulk area of the first conductivity type. One cell transistor corresponds to one cell. The source area of the NMOS transistor comprising the ground selection transistor portion of each string, i.e., the source area of the ground selection transistor, is connected to a common source line. The drain area of the NMOS transistor comprising the string selection transistor portion, i.e., the drain area of the string selection transistor, is connected to a bitline. Also, the control gate electrode of each cell transistor is connected to a wordline. The bulk area of the first conductivity type is connected to a bulk line. The string selection transistor portion is controlled by at least one string selection line. The ground selection transistor portion is controlled by at least one ground selection line. To be more specific, the gate electrode of the string selection transistor is connected to the string selection line, and the gate electrode of the ground selection transistor is connected to the ground selection line.
The selecting of at least one bitline among the plurality of bitlines is performed by applying a ground voltage or a pulse voltage having a voltage level the same as that of a power supply voltage, for a predetermined time such as a precharge time, to the bitline connected to a string including at least one selected cell to be programmed. At this time, a program inhibition voltage Vpi, preferably, a power supply voltage Vcc is applied to non-selected bitlines among the plurality of bitlines.
Also, the selecting of at least one string is performed by turning on the string selection transistor portion of the string including the selected cell and turning off the ground selection transistor portion of the string including the selected cell. At this time, a ground voltage is applied to the common source line connected to the turned off ground selection transistor portion. When the string selection transistor portion is comprised of one string selection transistor formed of the NMOS transistor, it is possible to turn on the string selection transistor portion by applying the power voltage to the string selection line connected to the gate electrode of the string selection transistor. Also, when the ground selection transistor portion is comprised of one ground selection transistor formed of the NMOS transistor, it is possible to turn off the ground selection transistor portion by applying the ground voltage to the ground selection line connected to the gate electrode of the ground selection transistor.
Also, in the selecting of at least one cell and programming it, a wordline connected to the control gate electrode of the cell to be programmed is selected from among a plurality of wordlines for controlling the cell transistor portion constituting the selected string, and a programming voltage Vpgm, for example, a high voltage of about 18 volts to 20 volts is applied to the selected wordline. At this time, it is preferable that a voltage higher than the program inhibition voltage Vpi and lower than the programming voltage Vpgm, for example, a pass voltage of about 10 volts to 12 volts is applied to the non-selected wordlines excluding the selected wordline.
It is preferable that the bulk bias applied to the bulk area of the first conductivity type, i.e., the p-type semiconductor substrate or the p-type well is xe2x88x921 volts to xe2x88x922 volts.

Method for programming NAND-type flash memory device using bulk bias


Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods and computer readable media for optimizing a data integration process. In embodiments, a system can be configured to represent the processing of a data record that includes attributes, and to use that representation to determine an optimal processing of that data record. In embodiments, the system represents the processing of a data record as an operator graph comprising nodes and edges, where each node is an operator node that represents an operator for implementing at least one logical operation on at least one of the attributes and each edge between a pair of nodes represents the movement of data between the nodes. In embodiments, each operator node includes one or more operator metrics (e.g. operator cost metrics and operator quality metrics). In embodiments, the system determines optimal processing of the data record by determining a best path within the operator graph.

Databases abound in the age of the Internet. Many databases have as their origins data that originated elsewhere, in one or more other databases, for example. The original data may have existed in different formats, for different purposes, and with different standards and/or requirements for accuracy. Data integration is the process of taking multiple, disparate, heterogeneous, "dirty" data sources (i.e., containing less-accurate or even erroneous data, data of which the accuracy is not known, and/or data not optimally formatted) and combining them into a single, unified database known, to a desired degree, to be generally error-free and properly formatted. Sometimes, data integration is accomplished using multiple processing steps that iteratively clean and normalize the data. High-quality data integration often includes processing steps such as data collection, training machine-learning algorithms, cleaning up of "dirty" data, and verifying data. Cost, in terms of time and money, of the data integration process becomes a key consideration when the amount of data becomes large (e.g., millions or billions of input records). Through applied effort, ingenuity, and innovation, solutions to optimize the data integration process have been realized and are described in connection with embodiments of the present invention.


A sewing machine presser foot includes a presser pivotally coupled to the presser foot, a casing secured to the presser foot, a release handle pivotally coupled to the presser foot, a presser pivotally coupled to the presser foot, a spring having one end engaged with the presser in order to depress the presser and the other end engaged in the casing. The casing and the other end of the spring are separated from the release handle such that the users will not be hurt by the spring when the users actuate the release handle.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sewing machine presser foot, and more particularly to a sewing machine presser foot having means for positioning a spring element.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
A typical sewing machine presser foot is disclosed in FIG. 4 and comprises a body 10, a presser 12 pivotally coupled to the body 10, a release handle 11 secured to the body 10 for positioning the presser 12 and for releasing the presser 12 in order to replace the presser 12, a stub 13 extended laterally from the body 10, and a spring 14 including a loop 140 formed in the middle portion for engaging with the stub 13, a first end 141 engaged with the presser 12 in order to press the presser 12, and a second end 142 engaged with the body 10; however, the second end 142 is located close to the release handle 11 such that the hand of the user may be easily or inadvertently hurt by the second end 142 of the spring 140 when actuating the release handle 11.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional sewing machine presser foot.

Sewing machine presser foot having means or positioning spring element


Options are displayed on a user interface that provides a network service, a selection instruction of a user is received, and an option selected by the user is acquired according to the selection instruction; the option selected by the user is recorded; and an advertisement that matches the option is queried for, and the advertisement is presented to the user.

To effectively present high matching advertisement information (also referred to as network media information) to a specific audience, an existing publishing system generally performs data processing such as collection, data mining, analysis, induction, and statistics collection on user Internet surfing records, and performs computing to obtain attribute information of each user that includes a user attribute and/or a socializing attribute. The user attribute may be, for example, an attribute such as an age group, interest, education background, or a region of a user, and the socializing attribute may be, for example, a type of a friend circle of a user such as an industry, a graduation school, or an interest circle. An advertisement information advertiser may perform targeted advertising according to user attribute information and other information that is set, for example, an advertising region, an industry (for example, the IT industry, the mechanical manufacturing industry, or the chemical engineering industry), and an interest type (for example, the film type, the music type, the football type, or the tennis type).

Method, system, and client for publishing advertisement on network service platform

TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED


Systems, methods, and software are disclosed herein for implementing enterprise graph search. In at least one implementation, an enterprise search service receives a search request that includes a graph query directed to an enterprise graph. The graph is representative of various objects and actors associated with an enterprise, as well as which of the actors performed which of various actions with respect to each of the various objects. The service searches at least a portion of the enterprise graph to identify a subset of the objects that relate to the actors as defined by the graph query in terms of at least the actors and actions. A reply to the search request may include graph results indicative of the subset of the objects.

Graph search is rapidly becoming ubiquitous within a variety of different contexts. The basis for graph searching are graphs, which are data structures that represent entities in terms of their connections to each other. The basic elements of a graph are nodes and edges. Nodes typically represent any kind of entity, such as a person or object, while edges represent the connections between them. A graph of a social network, for instance, may include nodes that represent all of the people in a group of people and edges that represent how they are connected to each other. Other fields in which graphs and graph analysis have proven very effective for organizing and searching information include transportation, biology, and economics.
In the social networking context, users can perform graph searches to discover other people that might share their interests or to discover particular things about people already in their network. Examples include searching a social graph for a list of friends that like a particular entity, such as a particular restaurant, for any photos taken by a particular person, or for any photos taken of a particular person. Such queries can be made even more powerful with the addition of Boolean operators. For instance, a graph query directed to a social graph may ask for any people who like both one entity and another, or for people who have visited a particular place and also like a particular entity.
In the foregoing examples, the type of objects that are the subject of a graph search are limited to the types specified in the query itself and are known prior to commencing the search. Thus, photos are the target of searches for photos of a particular person, friends are the target of a search for friends that like a particular entity, and so on.
In the context of enterprise search, such search tools may be less than optimal due to the wide variety of objects with which people interact. In just one limited example, a graph of a person's connections in an enterprise may represent a variety of object types, such as documents, presentations, emails, and invitations with which they may interact. In addition, they may interact with the objects in many different ways, such as by authoring, editing, and sharing documents, or sending, receiving and forwarding emails.

Enterprise graph search based on object and actor relationships


A computer-implemented method according to an example of the present disclosure includes obtaining, for each of a plurality of PPMs of an organization, a profile that indicates operating parameters of the PPM. IECs for a plurality of print-related tasks are stored in a database, the IECs including material costs and labor costs for the print-related tasks. For each print job received, an optimal PPM set is determined that includes one or a combination of the eligible PPMs to use for the print job based on the PPM profiles, the print-related tasks needed for the print job, and the itemized estimated costs of the print-related tasks. IACs are determined for received print jobs based on shop floor data from the organization. A notification that proposes a change to a particular IEC is transmitted based on a difference between the IEC and its corresponding IAC differing by more than a predefined threshold.

This application relates to printing, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for managing print jobs.
Processing print jobs is challenging process, both in relation to performance of the print job and properly estimating the costs of the print job. Proper cost estimation typically involves estimating the material needed, the setup and run spoilage, the setup time, the cleanup time, and the run time. These can differ greatly for different printing machines and different types of print jobs. Consider an example organization that has five printers, five cutting machines, and seven folding machines. That yields 175 different combinations of machines that can be used for jobs that require printing, cutting, and folding, and 175 different estimating scenarios. When faced with conditions such as these, print organizations resort to inaccurate cost estimates that do not accurately reflect actual costs.

System and method for managing print jobs by determining optimal printers and comparing itemized actual and estmated costs


A tool comprising tongs with two pivoted arms and a release system. The two arms each bear, at their respective ends, pressure members. A drive motor causes the arms to pivot with respect to one another, either to close them and thus permit the pressure members to grip the part to be treated, or to open them and permit the release of the part with respect to the tongs after treatment. This tool in addition includes a release system which insures that the two pressure members are well separated from the part after actuation of the opening of the arms. The release system includes a coupling device adapted to actively control the opening and closing of the arms using a fraction of the power of the drive motor. Preferably, this coupling device is an electrically controlled clutch.

The present invention relates to tooling comprising tongs with two pivoted arms, with a release system, these two arms each bearing, at their respective ends, a pressure member and being associated mutually with drive means adapted to cause them to pivot with respect to one another, either to close them and thus to permit said pressure members to grip parts to be treated, or to open them and permit the disengagement of said parts with respect to the tongs after treatment, this tooling comprising in addition a release system enabling it to be ensured that the two said pressure members are well-separated from said parts after actuation of the opening of the said arms.
The invention also relates generally to tools or machines which have to perform assembly operations by welding, stamping, stapling or the like, or handling, when these tools or machines comprise two arms or jaws designed to grip the parts to be treated or to be manipulated by applying a certain force for the realization of the operation of assembly or of handling concerned. Thus, the expression "pressure members" may denote, for example, resistance welding electrodes, adapted to grip two sheets of metal to weld them together by the passage of a high intensity current, or any tools for stamping, for handling, etc., and consequently the generic expression "treatment" denotes the corresponding operations of welding, stamping and the like.
The two arms being movable with respect to one another with a degree of freedom permitting them to be automatically adapted, by self-centering, on said parts, it is understood that it does not suffice, in general, to open them to permit the disengagement or the release of the parts once said treatment has been carried out: moreover it is convenient to be assured that the pressure members are both sufficiently separated from said parts, with a well-defined position with respect to the latter. This is the role of the above-mentioned release system.
It is to be noted also, by way of generalities, that this tooling can be mounted on robots or on any other positioning system, the parts being fixed with respect to the ground. In another case, the tooling may be fixed with respect to the ground, the parts then being presented by a robot or a manipulator.
As for the drive means mentioned at the introduction, they can comprise a pneumatic, hydraulic, or hydropneumatic jack, or even a servo-coupled electric motor.
To understand better the present technique as well as the problems that the invention seeks to resolve, there will be described below by way of example, with reference to FIG. 1, a resistance welding tongs with a pneumatic jack, with so-called "X-form" arms, shown in open position and provided with a known release system (the principles and problems which will be mentioned below will be practically the same with similar welding tongs or tooling with so-called "C-form arms").
These tongs are constituted by upper 3 and lower 2 electrode holder arms pivoted to one another around an axle 7. A pneumatic jack 1 is attached on the one hand to the arm 3 through its rod 11 and on the other hand to the arm 2 through its cylinder. The admission of compressed air into the chamber 8 of this jack enables a force to be exerted between the two arms, so-called "welding-force". This force is applied to the metal sheets to be welded 12 and 13 gripped between the two electrodes 3' and 2'. When the welding force is reached, a transformer 10 enables a voltage to be applied between the two electrodes through leads 11' and electrode holder arms 2, 3, themselves serving as conductors. The pivoted whole constituted by the jack 1, the lower 2 and upper arms 3, can itself oscillate around an axle 9 fast to the tongs cradle 5; the tongs cradle is fixed to the end of a robot or of a manipulator arm 6.
For the tongs used for the robots or the manipulators, the relative position of the metal sheets to be welded with respect to the robot or manipulator is not defined with precision. This is due to the wide geometric tolerances of the mechano-welded preassemblies, to wear of the electrodes, and to deviations of the trajectory of the robots.
Due to the floating mounting of the arms 2 and 3 with respect to the pivot 9, they may be self-positioned with respect to the metal sheets during the closing of the jack.
When the tongs are open, the self-centering system described above is not capable of ensuring that one of the two electrodes is no longer in contact with the metal sheets to be welded to permit the movement of the robot. In particular, the torque due to the weight of the pivoted assembly may be such that one or other of the electrodes will remain in contact with the metal sheets. This is the reason why one of the two arms (so-called "release arm") must be positioned precisely with respect to the cradle of the tongs 5. This is achieved by means of the release system.
In FIG. 1 is shown a single acting pneumatic jack release system 4. In this case, the pressure is admitted into the chamber 20 of this jack during the opening of the tongs, which separates the arm 2 from the metal sheet 13 and brings it back into a precise position with respect to the cradle 5. During the closing of the tongs, the two chambers of the jack 4 are opened to the atmosphere, which renders the system self-centering.
A spring 21 can replace the compressed air in the chamber 20 and ensure a permanent release force. In this case, during the closing of the tongs, it is the reaction of the upper arm 3 on the metal sheet 12 which brings back the arm 2 into contact with the metal sheet 13, thus compressing spring 21. The stack of metal sheets will have to support this compressive force, as well as the weight if necessary of the pivoted assembly.
It is to be noted that the jack 4 could also be a double-acting jack. In this case, the chamber 22 will be supplied by compressed air at constant or variable pressure, to assist the return of the arm 2 in contact with the metal sheet 13 during the closing phase.
This release-equilibrating system is common : it has the advantage of causing a positive movement with a definite travel and with a precise force. In addition, in the case of a double acting jack, the equilibration of the weight of the movable assembly is well-ensured.
The drawbacks of the known release systems reside however in the difficulty of regulating the movement of such a small jack, which can sometimes cause a shock on the impact of the lower electrode, impossibility of adjusting the release force and, of course, the need to have compressed air and to provide a system of distribution by electrovalve. On the other hand, the movements of the welding tongs in space is such that the force necessary for the return of the release arm against the metal sheet during the closing phase is not constant, since the weight of the release arm may either accelerate this movement, or retard it, or be neutral.

Tooling comprising tongs with two pivoted arms, with a release system


An error-detection flip-flop is disclosed for identifying timing errors in digital circuits. The error-detection flip-flop is a master-slave flip-flop including logic to determine whether an input signal is received during a predetermined clock period, signifying a timing error. The error-detection flip-flop produces a variable-length error pulse, which may be combined with other error pulses and converted to a stable signal for sampling by error-correction circuitry. The error-detection flip-flop does not increase the clocking power of the digital circuit and consumes little additional circuit area.

Digital circuits include circuit elements whose input signals are synchronized using one or more clocks. Between these synchronizing elements may be multiple stages of logic that perform the desired computation. The propagation delay of a signal through this logic must meet certain requirements such that the synchronizing elements are able to capture the correct data at the intended clock stage, e.g., the rising or falling edge of the clock. If, for some reason, the signal is delayed through this logic and does not arrive at the synchronizing element by the required time period, a timing error may result, which may impair operation of the digital circuit.
Where the delay is known, the digital circuit may be designed to incorporate the delay. There are many variations, both static and dynamic, however, which cause delays to change in digital circuits. A process variation may result from the fabrication of the circuit. This static variation may affects the speed at which the circuit operates. Dynamic variations, such as reliability degradation, voltage and temperature fluctuations, and delay push-out due to crosstalk or noise, may be more difficult to predict and account for in a circuit design.
Typically, variations that cause delays in digital circuits are managed by "margining" the circuit, or changing its operating environment so as to avoid the delay condition. As one example, the clock frequency of the circuit may be sufficiently reduced so that the circuit works even under the worst-case variations. Even where the delay variation, such as a voltage droop, is infrequent, the slower clock rate ensures that the digital circuit does not experience a timing error. Another method of margining the circuit may be to increase the voltage supplied to the circuit.
Margining is undesirable because the full benefit of the original circuit design, in terms of power efficiency and speed, is not realized. Furthermore, margining does not always work. As variations increase, the margins are increasing as well, resulting in lower performance or higher power demands. In some circumstances, the variations may be difficult to accurately predict.
Another technique for addressing timing errors may be to operate the digital circuit according to its original design specifications and detect the worst-case condition. Thus, for example, the digital circuit may be maintained at a higher, "non-safe" frequency, that is, vulnerable to variations, but may include additional circuitry to detect the delay variation. Various methods have been proposed for detecting timing errors in digital circuits. One technique employs double-sampling flip-flops to detect when an input signal to the flip-flop arrives late, causing an error. If the later sampling does not match the original sampling, the data has arrived too late to be captured by the flip-flop, and an error is signaled. The error may then be handled by stalling the pipeline of the signal path and re-initiating the signal, for example. The double-sampling technique involves a large amount of overhead in terms of clocking power and circuit area.
Thus, there is a continuing need to provide a method and a system for detecting timing errors in a digital circuit that overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art.


Methods and compositions useful for detecting an in vivo blood pool, monitoring the distribution of a compound of interest to a desired site in an organism by magnetic resonance imaging, monitoring the accumulation of a compound of interest at a desired site in vivo by magnetic resonance imaging, and monitoring the release of liposomal contents to an external stimulus at a desired site in vivo by magnetic resonance imaging are disclosed. Some compositions comprise envirosensitive or non-sensitive liposomes. Contrast agents, such as manganese-based compounds, are also disclosed.

Medical diagnostic imaging has evolved as an important non-invasive tool for the evaluation of pathological and physiological processes. Presently, nuclear magnetic resonance imaging ("MRI") and computerized tomography ("CT") are two of the most widely used imaging modalities. Although both MRI and CT can be performed without the administration of contrast agents, the ability of many contrast enhancement agents to enhance the visualization of internal tissues and organs has resulted in their widespread use.
Proton MRI is based on the principle that the concentration and relaxation characteristics of protons in tissues and organs can influence the intensity of a magnetic resonance image. Contrast enhancement agents that are useful for proton MRI effect a change in the relaxation characteristics of protons, which can result in image enhancement and improved soft-tissue differentiation. Different classes of proton MR imaging agents include paramagnetic metal chelates and nitroxyl spin labeled compounds.
Detection and monitoring of tumor growth and remission is vital for the effective diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Current methods for detecting tumor growth and regression using CT scan, positron emission tomography ("PET"), optical imaging and MRI are limited in their ability to distinguish between normal and tumor tissue. Additionally, the ability to image the vasculature within in a tissue and occlusion of that vasculature finds application in a variety of different scenarios. Vascular occlusion imaging is presently limited by a variety of obstacles, one of which is the inability to selectively image occlusions over other tissues and structures. Further, there is no currently available method of monitoring internal wound healing, nor is there an adequate method of monitoring angiogenic activity in tumor and non-tumor tissue.
The use of envirosensitive liposomes in hyperthermia therapy is a promising approach to targeting a tumor or other tissue. Broadly, envirosensitive liposomes comprise a formulation adapted to lose structural integrity under certain environmental conditions. For example, thermosensitive liposomes lose structural integrity within a given temperature range. Alternatively, the envirosensitive liposome can be a radiation sensitive liposome, which is formulated to lose its structural integrity when contacted with a particular wavelength range of electromagnetic radiation. When an envirosensitive liposome, such as a thermosensitive or a radiation sensitive liposome, loses its structural integrity, the contents of the liposome are released.
One consideration with respect to the use of envirosensitive liposomes as a delivery vehicle (e.g. for a therapeutic compound) is the ability to target the liposomes to a desired location, such as a tumor. Targeting liposomes, both envirosensitive and insensitive species, has been a subject of research for some time. Various approaches have been taken, including the formation of immunoliposomes, which comprise, for example, an antibody or a fragment of an antibody (see, e.g., Sullivan & Huang, (1985) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 812(1): 116-126; Perlaky et al., (1996) Oncol. Res. 8(9): 363-369).
Liposome targeting, however, depends in part on how stably the liposomes administered to a subject circulate through the circulatory system in the normal physiological environment and how effectively the liposomes release their content (e.g. a drug) at a particular desired site (e.g. a tumor). In the case of some thermosensitive liposomes targeting has been problematic. For example, the liposomes described by Yatvin et al. (Yatvin et al., (1978) Science 202: 1290) release only a small amount of the drug at the temperature of hyperthermia. Other liposomes have been observed to release the drug at a temperature lower (e.g., 37-39° C.) than that typically reached in an approach employing hyperthermia (Bassett et al., (1986) J. Urol. 135(3): 612-615; Needham et al., (2000) Cancer Res. 60(5): 1197-1201).
However, an approach for monitoring the release of liposome contents once an envirosensitive liposome has lost structural integrity has not been disclosed in the art. Therefore, absent a method of monitoring liposome opening and content release, a clinician or researcher must assume that the liposome was delivered to the desired site, that it ruptured and released its contents and that the contents were delivered to the desired site.
Thus, what is needed is an envirosensitive liposome, for example a thermosensitive liposome composition that exhibits a desirable phase transition at the typical temperature of hyperthermia (40-45° C.), or a radiation sensitive liposome that exhibits a desirable phase transition when contacted by a particular wavelength range of electromagnetic radiation. Further, what is needed is an envirosensitive liposome that is adapted to entrap a drug at a high concentration for long periods of time when maintained at physiological conditions, for example a temperature lower than that of hyperthermia for thermosensitive liposomes, and that is adapted to release the drug efficiently in a very short time after a particular environmental stimulation, for example at the temperature of hyperthermia or higher for thermosensitive liposomes. Such an envirosensitive liposome composition would also be adapted to be tracked to a desired location, wherein content delivery could be monitored in vivo by a non-invasive method.
What is also needed is a non-invasive method of monitoring tumor growth or regression, vascular morphology, vascular occlusion formation and dissolution, angiogenesis and wound healing in a subject that offers superior sensitivity, relative to the currently available methods. These and other problems are addressed by the compositions and methods disclosed herein.

Methods and compositions for blood pool identification, drug distribution quantification and drug release verification


Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and a device for processing location information of a fault point. The method includes: obtaining, by an ingress node of an LDP LSP, first location information of a fault point on a link traversed by the LDP LSP, where the first location information of the fault point includes an identifier of an upstream node of the fault point and an identifier of an interface that is connected to the fault point and located on the upstream node of the fault point; and providing the first location information of the fault point to a user so that the user determines a location of the fault point corresponding to an LDP LSP fault. Therefore, the location of the fault point corresponding to the LDP LSP fault can be determined, and efficiency of troubleshooting specific to the LDP LSP fault can be improved.

In a radio communication network, a base station is interconnected with a radio network controller (RNC) of a core network over a radio backhaul bearer network. With explosive growth of radio traffic, higher and higher requirements are imposed on the radio backhaul bearer network. A trend in the communications industry is to use an Internet Protocol (IP) network, such as an IP radio access network (Radio Access Network, RAN for short) as a radio backhaul bearer network.
The IP RAN network bears communication traffic in a typical full-IP manner. On a public network forwarding layer, a label switch path (LSP) generated through signaling negotiation is used for bearing communication traffic; on a service layer, a virtual private network (VPN) is used for bearing communication traffic. Generally, LSP types include a Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) LSP and a Traffic Engineering (TE) LSP. Due to flexible and simple configuration and high extensibility of the LDP LSP, many operators choose an LDP LSP for bearing VPN traffic. In the LSP terminology, generally an initial node of an LSP is referred to as an ingress node, an end node of the LSP is referred to as an egress node, and an intermediate node is referred to as a transit node.
When a link is faulty in an IP RAN network, after detecting the fault, upstream nodes of a fault point and downstream nodes of the fault point will initiate an LDP LSP tearing process directed to the ingress node and the egress node respectively. With the LDP LSP being torn, a user cannot perform troubleshooting specific to an LDP LSP fault effectively.

Method and device for processing location information of fault point


An impact resistant rigid composite article comprising a fibrous layer comprising a network of filaments dispersed in a rigid matrix comprising one or more thermosetting resins and one or more thermoplastic resins.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to ballistic resistant composite articles. More particularly, this invention relates to such articles having improved ballistic protection.
2. Prior Art
Ballistic articles such as bulletproof vests, helmets, structural members of helicopters and other military equipment, vehicle panels, briefcases, raincoats and umbrellas containing high strength fibers are known. Fibers conventionally used include aramid fibers such as poly(phenylenediamine terephthalamide), graphite fibers, nylon fibers, ceramic fibers, glass fibers and the like. For many applications, such as vests or parts of vests, the fibers are used in a woven or knitted fabric. For many of the applications, the fibers are encapsulated or embedded in a matrix material.
In "The Application of High Modulus Fibers to Ballistic Protection", R. C. Laible et al., J. Macromol. Sci.-Chem., A7(1), pp. 295-322, 1973, it is indicated on p. 298 that a fourth requirement is that the textile material have a high degree of heat resistance. In an NTIS publication, AD-A018 958 "New Materials in Construction for Improved Helmets", A. L. Alesi et al , a multilayer highly oriented polypropylene film material (without matrix), referred to as "XP", was evaluated against an aramid fiber (with a phenolic/polyvinyl butyral resin matrix). The aramid system was judged to have the most promising combination of superior performance and a minimum of problems for combat helmet development. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,403,012 and 4,457,985 disclose ballistic resistant composite articles comprised of networks of high molecular weight polyethylene or polypropylene fibers, and matrices composed of olefin polymers and copolymers, unsaturated polyester resins, epoxy resins, and other resins curable below the melting point of the fiber.
A. L. Lastnik, et al., "The Effect of Resin Concentration and Laminating Pressures on KEVLAR Fabric Bonded with Modified Phenolic Resin", Tech. Report NATICK/TR-84/030, Jun. 8, 1984; disclose that an interstitial resin, which encapsulates and bonds the fibers of a fabric, reduces the ballistic resistance of the resultant composite article.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,623,574 and 4,748,064 disclose a simple composite structure comprising high strength fibers embedded in an elastomeric matrix. The simple composite structure exhibits outstanding ballistic protection as compared to simple composites utilizing rigid matrices, the results of which are disclosed in the patents. Particularly effective are simple composites employing ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene and polypropylene such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,110.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,737,402 and 4,613,535 disclose complex rigid composite articles having improved impact resistance which comprise a network of high strength fibers such as the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene and polypropylene disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,110 embedded in an elastomeric matrix material and at least one additional rigid layer on a major surface of the fibers in the matrix. It is disclosed that the composites have improved resistance to environmental hazards, improved impact resistance and are unexpectedly effective as ballistic resistant articles such as armor.

Ballistic resistant composition article having improved matrix system


The invention provides a process for enabling the production of a particulate composition containing anhydrous crystalline ascorbic acid 2-glucoside that does not significantly cake even when the production yield of ascorbic acid 2-glucoside does not reach 35% by weight. The process for producing a particulate composition containing anhydrous crystalline ascorbic acid 2-glucoside, which comprises allowing a CGTase to act on a solution containing either liquefied starch or dextrin and L-ascorbic acid and then allowing a glucoamylase to act on the resulting solution to obtain a solution with an ascorbic acid 2-glucoside production yield of at least 27%, purifying the obtained solution to increase the ascorbic acid 2-glucoside content to a level of over 86% by weight, precipitating anhydrous crystalline ascorbic acid 2-glucoside by a controlled cooling method or pseudo-controlled cooling method, collecting the precipitated anhydrous crystalline ascorbic acid 2-glucoside, and ageing and drying the collected anhydrous crystalline ascorbic acid 2-glucoside.

Due to its advantageous physiological activities and antioxidant action, L-ascorbic acid has been used for various purposes, including those for food products and cosmetics. L-Ascorbic acid, however, has a serious disadvantageous in that it is unstable because of its reducibility and susceptible to oxidative degradation to easily lose its physiological activities. To overcome the disadvantage, the same applicant as the present invention, as one of the co-applicants of Patent Literature 1, disclosed 2-O-α-D-glucosyl-L-ascorbic acid that is composed of one molecule of D-glucose bound to the hydroxyl group at the C-2 position of L-ascorbic acid (hereinafter, abbreviated as "ascorbic acid 2-glucoside", throughout the specification). As outstanding characteristics, ascorbic acid 2-glucoside does not exhibit reducibility, has a satisfactory stability, and exerts the physiological activities inherent to L-ascorbic acid after being hydrolyzed in living bodies into L-ascorbic acid and D-glucose by an in vivo enzyme inherently existing in the living bodies. According to the process disclosed in Patent Literature 1, ascorbic acid 2-glucoside is formed by allowing a saccharide-transferring enzyme such as cyclomaltodextrin glucanotransferase (abbreviated as "CGTase", hereinafter) or α-glucosidase to act on a solution containing L-ascorbic acid and an α-glucosyl saccharide compound.
In Patent Literature 2, the same applicant as the present invention succeeded in crystallizing ascorbic acid 2-glucoside from a supersaturated solution of ascorbic acid 2-glucoside and disclosed crystalline ascorbic acid 2-glucoside and a particulate composition containing the same. In Non-Patent Literature 1, the same applicant as the present invention disclosed a process for producing a high ascorbic acid 2-glucoside content product on a large scale. Until now, crystalline ascorbic acid 2-glucoside has been known to exist in an anhydrous crystalline form only. For reference, Non-Patent Literatures 2 and 3 report the results on X-ray structure analysis for crystalline ascorbic acid 2-glucoside.
In Patent Literatures 3 and 4, the same applicant as the present invention further disclosed a process for producing a high ascorbic acid 2-glucoside content product, which comprises the steps of subjecting a solution with ascorbic acid 2-glucoside formed by enzymatic reactions to a column chromatography with a strong-acid cation exchange resin, and collecting a fraction rich in ascorbic acid 2-glucoside. In Patent Literature 5, the same applicant as the present invention disclosed a process for producing a high ascorbic acid 2-glucoside content product, comprising subjecting a solution containing ascorbic acid 2-glucoside formed by enzymatic reactions to electrodialysis with an anion-exchange membrane to remove impurities such as L-ascorbic acid and saccharides from the solution; and in Patent Literature 6, the same applicant as the present invention disclosed a process for producing a high ascorbic acid 2-glucoside content product, which comprises the steps of subjecting a solution with ascorbic acid 2-glucoside to an anion-exchange resin, and selectively desorbing the ingredients adsorbed on the resin to obtain a fraction rich in ascorbic acid 2-glucoside.
In addition, Patent Literatures 7 to 11 disclose a CGTase derived from a microorganism of the species Bacillus stearothermophilus, which is now classified into a microorganism of the species Geobacillus stearothermophilus; a nucleotide sequence of a gene encoding such CGTase protein; an amino acid sequence determined from the nucleotide sequence; a mutant CGTase prepared by artificially introducing a mutation into the amino acid sequence; and a process for producing saccharides using the same. Non-Patent Literatures 4 and 5 disclose the formation of ascorbic acid 2-glucoside by allowing a CGTase derived from a microorganism of the species Bacillus stearothermophilus to act on a solution containing amylaceous substance and L-ascorbic acid, and then allowing glucoamylase to act on the resulting solution to form ascorbic acid 2-glucoside.
In Patent Literature 12, the same applicant as the present invention disclosed a process for producing ascorbic acid 2-glucoside comprising allowing either an α-isomaltosyl-glucosaccharide-forming enzyme or an α-isomaltosyl-glucosaccharide-forming enzyme and CGTase to act on a solution containing L-ascorbic acid and α-glucosyl saccharide compound to form ascorbic acid 2-glucoside. Patent Literatures 13 and 14 by the same applicant as the present invention respectively disclose that an α-isomaltosyl-glucosaccharide-forming enzyme and an α-isomaltosyl-transferring enzyme form ascorbic acid 2-glucoside by catalyzing the transfer of saccharides to L-ascorbic acid.
As for the use of ascorbic acid 2-glucoside, many proposals have been made as shown in Patent Literatures 15 to 34. Due to its advantageous properties, ascorbic acid 2-glucoside has been extensively used as a food material, food additive material, cosmetic material, quasi-drug material, or pharmaceutical material for use as in conventional L-ascorbic acid and for other uses where L-ascorbic acid could not have been used because of its unstableness.
As described above, at present, ascorbic acid 2-glucoside has been known to be produced by using various saccharide-transferring enzymes from L-ascorbic acid and an amylaceous substance as materials. Among them, to the extent of the knowledge to date of the present applicant, the method comprising allowing CGTase as a saccharide-transferring enzyme to act on a solution containing either liquefied starch or dextrin and L-ascorbic acid is an industrially advantageous method because the production yield of ascorbic acid 2-glucoside is the highest. Based on the finding, the present applicant has produced a particulate composition containing anhydrous crystalline ascorbic acid 2-glucoside by a process comprising allowing CGTase to act on a solution containing either liquefied starch or dextrin and L-ascorbic acid, and has commercialized it as a material for cosmetics/quasi-drugs and for food products and food additives under the respective product names of "AA2G" (commercialzied by Hayashibara Biochemical Laboratories, Inc., Okayama, Japan) and "ASCOFRESH" (commercialized by Hayashibara Shoji, Co., Ltd., Okayama, Japan), where the all of these conventional particulate compositions containing anhydrous crystalline ascorbic acid 2-glucoside, which have been commercialzied as such a material for cosmetics/quasi drugs and for food products and food additives, are abbreviated as "quasi-drug-grade powders", hereinafter.
Although quasi-drug-grade powders have a relatively high ascorbic acid 2-glucoside purity of 98.0% by weight or higher product specifications and have a satisfactory flowability as powders just after their productions, they have a disadvantage in that they induce caking due to their own weights and moisture absorptions when allowed to stand under relatively high temperature and humid conditions. In view of such a disadvantage, quasi-drug-grade powders have been commercialized in a product form, enclosed in a steel can with a lid after packed in a polyethylene bag by 10-kg weight each along with a desiccant, however, the present inventors' later finding revealed that quasi-drug-grade powders even in such a product form have the disadvantage that they may often cause caking and lose their useful properties as powders when stored for a relatively long period of time. When a particulate composition containing anhydrous crystalline ascorbic acid 2-glucoside for use as a cosmetic material or quasi-drug material or as a food material or food additive material is once caked, it may cause any troubles in the steps of transporting, sieving, mixing raw materials, etc., if production plants are designed under the premise that raw materials are powders retaining flowability.
A particulate composition containing anhydrous crystalline ascorbic acid 2-glucoside (product name "Ascorbic acid 2-Glucoside 999", Code No.: AG124, commercialized by Hayashibara Biochemical Laboratories, Inc., Okayama, Japan) (hereinafter abbreviated as "a reagent-grade powder") (see, for example, Non-Patent Literature 6), which has been commercialized as an analytical standard reagent by the same applicant as the present invention, does not cake even under the conditions that allow a quasi-drug-grade powder to cake, and still retains its properties as a powder. Similarly as in a quasi-drug-grade powder, such a reagent-grade powder is a powder prepared by allowing CGTase to act on a solution containing L-ascorbic acid and an amylaceous substance, purifying and concentrating the obtained solution containing ascorbic acid 2-glucoside to precipitate anhydrous crystalline ascorbic acid 2-glucoside, and collecting the precipitated crystals. Such a reagent-grade powder is different from a quasi-drug-grade powder in that, in addition to conventional steps, the former needs additional steps such as a recrystallization step of dissolving the once obtained crystals and then recrystallizing the crystals, and a washing step of repeatedly washing the crystals, obtained through a recrystallization step, with refined water, etc., to increase the purity of ascorbic acid 2-glucoside to a distinctly high purity of 99.9% or higher by weight. Accordingly, even in a quasi-drug-grade powder, it can be speculated to be made into a particulate composition containing anhydrous crystalline ascorbic acid 2-glucoside that substantially, more hardly cakes, by increasing the purity of ascorbic acid 2-glucoside to a level of at least 99.9% by weight.
However, as described above, to increase the purity of ascorbic acid 2-glucoside to a level of at least 99.9% by weight, a recrystallization step and a repeating washing step with refined water, etc., should be added in addition to the usual production step, resulting in disadvantages of not only an increment of times and labors required for its production but a loss of ascorbic acid 2-glucoside in the recrystallization and washing steps, as well as a reduction of the production yield and an increment of the production cost by a large margin. Because of this, it is not a realistic option to simply increase the purity of ascorbic acid 2-glucoside to a level of at least 99.9% by weight for the purpose of obtaining a particulate composition containing anhydrous crystalline ascorbic acid 2-glucoside that substantially, more hardly cakes compared to a quasi-drug-grade powder. In addition, according to the present inventors' knowledge, a reagent-grade powder has a disadvantage that it is inferior in solubility when mixed with a hydrophilic solvent, such as an aqueous 1,3-butylene glycol solution, which is frequently used in cosmetics and quasi-drugs.
Under these circumstances, the present applicant has made trial and error efforts, revealing that, in a production method of allowing CGTase to act on a solution containing either liquefied starch or dextrin and L-ascorbic acid and then allowing glucoamylase to act on the resulting solution, in the case of increasing the production yield of ascorbic acid 2-glucoside in the solution obtained by the enzymatic reactions to a level of at least 35% by weight, a powder that significantly, more hardly cakes compared to a conventional quasi-drug-grade powder can be produced through substantially the same steps as the process for producing such a conventional quasi-drug-grade powder, without dissolving and recrystallizing the once obtained anhydrous crystalline ascorbic acid 2-glucoside; and disclosed the above finding in Patent Literature 35. In the above process, however, there exists an inconvenience in that a limited, specific CGTase should be used alone or in combination with a starch-debranching enzyme such as isoamylase to increase the production yield of ascorbic acid 2-glucoside to a level of at least 35% by weight in the reaction mixture obtained by the enzymatic reactions, and such process lacks general versatility as a production method.

Process for producing a particulate composition comprising an hydrous crystalline 2-O-α-D-glucosyl-L-ascorbic acid


This invention provides a clock switching circuit that can switch clocks without causing a hazard or a distortion of a duty ratio of the clocks. The clock switching circuit of this invention includes a first synchronization circuit that synchronizes a clock selection signal with a first clock, a second synchronization circuit that synchronizes with a second clock the clock selection signal that has been synchronized with the first clock by the first synchronization circuit and a clock selection circuit that outputs “1”, that is a high level, in synchronization with the clock selection signal that has been synchronized with the first clock by the first synchronization circuit and after that selects the second clock in synchronization with the clock selection signal that has been synchronized with the second clock by the second synchronization circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a clock switching circuit that switches between first and second clocks that are not synchronized with each other and have different frequencies.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional clock switching circuit switches between a first clock CLK1 and a second clock CLK2 simply in response to a clock selection signal SEL, as shown in FIG. 6. Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. H07-248843, 2003-223237, 2003-347931, 2004-54350 and 2005-50327 disclose various clock switching circuits.
With the clock switching circuit which switches between the first clock CLK1 and the second clock CLK2 simply in response to the clock selection signal SEL, however, there arises a hazard, that is, an unwanted pulse, and a distortion of a duty ratio of the clock when the first clock CLK1 and the second clock CLK2 are not in synchronization with each other and have different frequencies, resulting in malfunctioning of a circuit that operates with the clocks. For example, when the circuit that operates with the clocks is a flip-flop, the flip-flop may fall into a metastable state because of irrelevant setup/hold or the like.


A method and apparatus is provided for logical steering of instructions or operations to avoid power related hot spots on a microprocessor. The instructions are distributed to one of multiple units located within different areas of the integrated circuit. Each of the multiple functional units are identical or perform substantially the same function in response to the instruction. Power dissipation is measured within each of the areas in which a functionally equivalent unit is located. If the power dissipation within an area exceeds a predetermined amount or value, a localized heating problem exists within the area. The instruction is dispatched or routed to one of the other functional units located within an area not experiencing a localized heating problem, thus reducing the possibility of catastrophic failure due to overheating, decreasing overall chip power dissipation, increasing chip reliability, and increasing throughput.

Limiting power dissipation is one of the major goals when designing a microprocessor. Microprocessor power dissipation has substantially increased with the advent of new semiconductor technologies, increased density and complexity, and higher clock speeds.
Many current microprocessor designs have encountered problems where localized heating has forced the idling of particular portions (or functional units) of the microprocessor chip to prevent potentially fatal destruction. When this happens, overall microprocessor chip throughput is drastically reduced since the microprocessor must wait to perform the operation of the idled functional unit until any localized heating effect is not a threat.
Overall microprocessor chip throughput is measured in "SPEC" marks. The SPEC marks of a particular microprocessor are determined by running a number of standard programs and evaluating the microprocessor's performance, thus resulting in a given microprocessor throughput. As will be appreciated, shutting off functional units due to localized heating problems reduces the availability of those units to perform calculations or computations, thereby reducing the microprocessor throughput.
Prior attempts to combat localized heating have centered around the placement of functional units within the integrated circuit and powering off (disabling) units that are not required for certain operations. Strategically placed units may alleviate some localized heating problems, however, as chip densities increase and the performance of computational-intense programs and operations require functional units to operate relatively non-stop, placement or layout on the chip has little or no effect. Typical implementations for powering off units involve a central controlling unit that disables functional units not required based on incoming/upcoming instructions or operations.
Other attempts at improving SPEC throughput have focussed on adding multiple functional units. For instance, fixed point (or floating point) computational SPEC marks may be improved by adding a second fixed point functional unit to the microprocessor design. However, no consideration has been given as to which functional unit, in the case of multiple units of the same nature, to shut off or disable. Some attempts have simply used each of the functional units in some alternating fashion. Even with such techniques, localized heating problems with these functional units remains a problem due to the lack of consideration of actual power dissipation (or activity) within the neighborhood (area) of each functional unit.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an apparatus and method for decreasing localized heating problems associated with functional units within a microprocessor. Further, a need exists for an apparatus and method that provides information about the power dissipation in, and/or around, a given functional unit. In addition, an apparatus and method is needed for the logical steering of microprocessor instructions (or operations, functions) to reduce the possibility of any catastrophic failure(s) due to overheating, to increase microprocessor chip reliability, and to decrease overall average microprocessor chip power dissipation. Thus, logical steering of instructions to different functional units within separate neighborhoods is needed to reduce localized heating effects and increase microprocessor throughput.

Logical steering to avoid hot spots on integrated circuits


An improved method for producing low-cost carbon-carbon composites based on melt-impregnation of carbonaceous fiber preforms with low-melting point sugars is provided. Sugars such as fructose, ribose and sucrose are provided as impregnants via either ambient pressure or vacuum processing. Subsequent pyrolysis in air by heating to temperatures in the 325.degree. C. to 350.degree. C. range results in almost complete decomposition of the sugars to carbon. Frothing during the sugar melt-impregnation and pyrolysis process is minimized by the use of extended periods of isothermal pyrolysis or by the use of a catalyst. A hybrid process combining sugar melt-impregnation and pyrolysis with carbonaceous resin impregnation and pyrolysis is also provided as a densification enhancement. Three sugar melt-impregnation and pyrolysis cycles followed by a furfural alcohol impregnation cycle and a final sugar melt-impregnation cycle reduce the pore volume from sixty per cent in the preform to twenty-six per cent in the densified composite.

This is a non-provisional application based upon an earlier-filed provisional application, Ser. No. 60/009,477 filed Jan. 2, 1996. The present invention relates generally to composite materials containing fibers and a carbon matrix, and more particularly to a reduced-temperature, low-cost process for fabricating carbon fiber-carbon matrix composites of high density.
Carbon fiber-carbon matrix (C--C) composites are a class of lightweight, very high-temperature materials that have a variety of niche applications in the aircraft and aerospace industries. Among these applications, rocket nozzles, reentry nosetips and heat shields, and aircraft brake disks are the most prominent.
C--C composites are fabricated in general by a two-step method in which a porous carbonaceous fiber preform is first assembled by a variety of textile processes that either directly yield useful shapes or produce bulk materials that are subsequently shaped. A typical preform consists of ten to eighty plies of woven carbon fibers. The fibers can be woven into fairly simple two-dimensional geometries or more complex three-dimensional braid architectures, depending upon the configuration and desired properties of the finished C--C composite part. Second, the carbon matrix is formed by impregnating a carbon matrix precursor material into the preform by either repeated cycles of liquid impregnation and pyrolysis or continuous processing by simultaneous gas infiltration and pyrolysis.
During the liquid impregnation and pyrolysis method, a carbon matrix precursor material, such as a fluid carbonaceous resin or pitch, is impregnated into the porous carbonaceous fiber preform by injection, soaking, or a similar technique. This impregnated preform is then pyrolyzed by heating it to temperatures sufficient to thermally decompose the precursor material to leave behind only carbon.
In contrast, during the gas infiltration technique, of which chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) is an example, a porous carbonaceous fiber preform is placed into a furnace filled with a heated flowing hydrocarbon gas such as methane, propane, or propylene. This gas serves as the carbon matrix precursor material. As the gas slowly diffuses into the porous carbonaceous fiber preform, the gas decomposes, or pyrolyzes, to form carbon.
Several patents are illustrative of this basic processing technology. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,174,895 to Gibson, et al., dated Mar. 23, 1965, discloses a method of fabricating artificial carbon or graphite bonded cloth laminates that have flexibility, strength, and electrical property advantages over monolithic artificial graphites. Graphite cloth sheets are painted with a carbonaceous binder, stacked, molded, cured together under pressure and baked to form the laminates. U.S. Pat. No. 3,233,014 to Bickerdike, et al., dated Feb. 1, 1966, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,238,054 to Bickerdike, et al., dated Mar. 1, 1966, disclose a method for fabricating fibrous carbon articles by pyrolytic deposition in which a fibrous preform is heated in a stream of gas containing a gaseous carbon compound so that the gas decomposes to deposit carbon within the preform to form the matrix. Alternatively, the carbon matrix can be formed by a process in which a synthetic carbonaceous resin, such as a furfural alcohol, impregnates the preform and the resin is subsequently polymerized and carbonized. U.S. Pat. No. 3,462,289 to Rohl, et al., dated Aug. 19, 1969, teaches a method of producing high density reinforced carbon and graphite bodies whereby a carbon or graphite fiber preform is made into a shape and impregnated in vacuum by a suitable carbonaceous resin, followed by pressure curing and baking. A low-cost method to fabricate C--C composites by the use of colloidal graphite impregnation techniques is taught in a pending U.S patent application based upon an earlier-filed provisional application, Ser. No. 60/008,112, by James E. Sheehan, filed Oct. 29, 1996.
Conventionally, resins such as furfural alcohol and phenol formaldehyde (phenolic), as well as pitches derived from both coal and petroleum are used as carbon precursor materials. The use of alternative precursor materials in processing graphitic articles is well known. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 935,180 to Williamson, dated Sep. 28, 1909, and U.S. Pat. No. 963,291 to Horton, dated Jul. 5, 1910, teach the use of a solution containing a carbohydrate such as molasses to impregnate porous graphitic articles. U.S. Pat. No. 4,472,460 to Kampe, et al., dated Sep. 18, 1984, teaches the use of a liquid sugar solution to coat carbon black particles, which, upon pyrolysis, form a continuous coating of electrically conductive carbon char for use in gas diffusion electrodes. U.S. Pat. No. 3,026,214 to Boyland, et al., dated Mar. 20, 1962, teaches the use of solutions of purified sugar to impregnate carbon bodies in repeated high-temperature processing cycles. These art-described processes, which utilize sugar or other carbohydrates as carbon precursors, prefer that the sugar or carbohydrate be dissolved in either water or some other appropriate solvent.
Both the gas infiltration and liquid infiltration processing methods for C--C composites require prolonged and repeated processing at temperatures over 1000.degree. C. in the absence of oxygen. Both techniques are slow and costly. Some CVI techniques can take as long as weeks or even months to produce a finished part, although advances in forced-flow technology have reduced this processing time. During some liquid impregnation and pyrolysis processes, the resin shrinks upon pyrolysis, so the entire impregnation and pyrolysis cycle must be repeated in order to properly densify the part. The number of cycles is determined by the density desired in the C--C composite article, which is in turn determined by the performance and cost requirements of the C--C composite article in application. For instance, a typical desired density for C--C brake disks ranges between approximately 1.5 g/cm.sup.3 and 1.8 g/cm.sup.3 while a typical desired density for rocket nozzles or nosetips ranges between approximately 1.7 g/cm.sup.3 to 1.9 g/cm..sup.3
The method disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,026,214 utilizing a sugar solution as a carbon precursor also requires pyrolysis under pressure to prevent frothing and similar high-temperature treatment in a non-oxidizing environment to achieve a high purity product. In addition, the use of sugars dissolved in water or other appropriate solvents for the techniques disclosed in the art is inefficient. These are significant factors that contribute to the high cost and complexity of processing C--C composites.

Low-temperature densification of carbon fiber preforms by impregnation and pyrolysis of sugars


The multiphase preparation having higher contraceptive safety and reduced side effects is based on a combination of a natural oestrogen with dienogest or drospirenone. The multiphase preparation is characterized by a first phase consisting of 2 daily dose units of 3 mg of oestradiol valerate, a second phase consisting of 2 groups of daily dose units, wherein a first group is formed by 5 daily dose units each containing a combination of 2 mg of oestradiol valerate and at least two or three times an ovulation-inhibitory dose of dienogest or drospirenone and a second group is formed by 17 daily dose units each containing a combination of 2 mg of oestradiol valerate and at least three or four times the ovulation-inhibitory dose of dienogest or drospirenone, a third phase consisting of 2 daily dose units of 1 mg of oestradiol valerate, and a further phase consisting of 2 daily dose units of pharmaceutically acceptable placebo.

1. The Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a multiphase product for contraception based on a natural oestrogen with a synthetic progestogen.
Compared with the generic conventional ovulation-inhibiting products which have proved to be reliable and safe on wide use for a long time, this multiphase product achieves a greater contraceptive reliability over the entire duration of the cycle, improves the cyclic bleeding behaviour and minimizes or eliminates side effects such as breast tenderness, headaches, depressive moods and libido changes and the like.
2. Related Art
The patent literature discloses multiphase products based on natural oestrogens in combination with progestogens.
The patent EP 0 770 388 B1 describes a multiphase product for contraception whose first phase consists of 2 to 4 daily dose units, and each daily dose unit contains as active ingredient exclusively natural oestrogens. The second phase of the multiphase product consists of 2 groups of daily dose units with a combination of at least one natural oestrogen and at least one synthetic or natural progestogen. In this case, the first group is formed by 5 to 3 daily dose units and the second group is formed by 17 to 13 daily dose units. A third phase consists of 2 to 4 daily dose units, and each daily dose unit contains as active ingredient exclusively natural oestrogens. The daily dose unit of natural oestrogen remains constant within the phases, but falls from phase 1 to phase 3. The proportion of synthetic or natural progestogen in the second group of the second phase exceeds the proportion in the first group. A final phase consists of 2 to 4 daily dose units, and each daily dose unit contains as active ingredient a pharmaceutically acceptable placebo.
Use example 5 indicates a combination of oestradiol valerate with dienogest. In this case, in the first phase 3 daily dose units of 3 mg of oestradiol valerate, in the second phase, in the first group, 4 daily dose units of 2 mg of oestradiol valerate plus 1 mg of dienogest, in the second group of this second phase 16 daily dose units of 2 mg of oestradiol valerate plus 2 mg of dienogest and in the third phase 2 daily dose units of 1 mg of oestradiol valerate are administered. The last phase contains 3 daily dose units of pharmaceutically acceptable placebo.
It is additionally known that the contraceptive reliability of combination products derives from the effect of both components, of the oestrogen and of the progestogen.
It is also known that the ovulation-inhibitory dose requires 1.0 mg a day for dienogest—Dienogest: Präklinik und Klinik eines neuen Gestagens, edited by A. T. Teichmann, Walter de Gruyter Berlin/New York (1995), p. 101) and 2.0-3.0 mg for drospirenone (Rosenbaum P, Schmidt W, Helmerhorst F M et al., Inhibition of ovulation by a novel progestogen (drospirenone) . . . , Eur contracept. Reprod. Health Care 5: 16-24 (2000)).
Moreover, TAUBERT, H.-D. and KUHL, H. (Kontrazeption mit Hormonen, editors Taubert, H.-D. et al., Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart/New York (1995), p. 160) show that there is no connection whatsoever between the occurrence of irregular bleeding and low serum concentrations of the oestrogen, in this case ethinyl-oestradiol, or of the particular progestogen.

Multi-phase contraceptive preparation based on a natural estrogen


A method for obtaining a parameter of interest relating to a region investigated by a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tool and a non-NMR tool is disclosed. Data arising from the NMR tool is acquired, and data arising from the non-NMR tool is acquired. A solution equation is utilized for NMR signal intensity, the solution equation being functionally related to the NMR data, and a solution constraint is utilized based at least partially on the non-NMR data. The solution equation is solved for the signal intensity subject to the solution constraint, wherein the solving provides information relating to the parameter of interest.

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of petroleum reservoir formation and fluid identification, more particularly to a method of determining heavy oil volume, and even more particularly to a method of distinguishing movable and non-movable portions of heavy oil components from wireline logging.
The ability to detect and quantify very viscous or heavy oil in petroleum reservoirs becomes more and more important as the discovery of conventional oils becomes more and more difficult while the worldwide consumption of petroleum products increases. Therefore, exploration and production of petroleum from heavy oil fields are inevitable trends as there are more proven heavy and very viscous oils reserves in the world than that of conventional oils.
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is one of the logging techniques that is useful for underground formation evaluation and fluid identification. In principle, the capability of identifying and quantifying fluid phases in porous media by NMR techniques is based on the sensitivity of NMR measured quantities, such as signal amplitude, diffusivity, relaxation times, and some combination thereof. NMR signature for heavy oil is characterized by very low diffusivity and short relaxation time, and, in extremely heavy oil reservoirs such as tar, the relaxation time can be so short that the signal is substantially decayed even before an NMR logging tool can detect it. Because the apparent relaxation time for both heavy oil and bound water (such as clay-bound-water, for example) are dominated by intrinsic relaxation mechanism (defined as the combination of bulk and surface relaxation rates), there is a great uncertainty in distinguishing heavy oil and bound water using relaxation time methods, diffusion contrast-based methods, or a combination of both methods.
The bound water in formation rock generally consists of clay-bound-water (CBW) and capillary bound (or irreducible) water (BVI). Often these two types of bound water volumes do not have a sharp boundary to separate them on a T2 (transverse relaxation time) distribution, but it is generally true that CBW resides in smaller T2 than BVI on a T2 spectrum. When the formation contains heavy oil, CBW is less likely to be discernable from the heavy oil. On the other hand, there are other logging techniques that may be used to estimate the volume of CBW. For instance, the reading of GR (gamma ray) from GR logging, expressed in API (American Petroleum Institute), is often used as a CBW indicator.
NMR relaxation time for a single-component oil, such as hexane, exhibits a single or nearly-single exponential decay behavior. Crude oils contain many constituents having different carbon numbers and different molecular structures. Therefore the relaxation time for crude oil exhibits a broader distribution, and the distribution pattern often associates with the underlying crude oil constituents. The feature of constituent mixture in crude oil is not often characterized by downhole fluid-analyzing devices or by openhole logging. A single value of viscosity or specific gravity is usually inadequate to fully describe a system that is intrinsically multiple components in constituents.
The distribution of T2 is potentially useful for characterizing the crude oil constituents. So far, however, NMR applications for fluid identification usually took a different route. Instead of utilizing the rich information provided by an oil T2 spectrum, common practice is to reduce the distribution to a single value, often a geometric-mean T2. Then this single value is correlated to the oil viscosity. However, the correlation is a less reliable quantity for heavy oil characterization, especially for extra-heavy oils. Additionally, this approach has failed to utilize T2 distribution for providing the need information of fluid component analysis.
Viscosity is often a very useful parameter to describe a conventional crude oil because it is related to the flow properties that are essential to oil production. However, viscosity alone cannot fully describe a heavy oil flow property because heavy oil may contain more complicated molecules, such as asphaltenes, which may affect fluid flow in different manners, such as precipitation. Thus, the amount of asphaltene in crude oil affects the production and transportation of heavy oil from formation to wellhead to surface. If one can characterize the amount of asphaltenes in the logging stage, one can choose the optimal production method that minimizes the asphlatene deposition, thereby minimizing the formation damage and pipeline clogging.
Another method for identifying heavy oil involves actively or passively heating the formation and the fluids therein, then performing logging measurements at a temperature equilibrium state and at an artificially elevated state. Because T2 of heavy oil is significantly affected by temperature, while T2 of water in rock formations is much less affected by temperature, by determining whether there is a significant T2 upshift as temperature increases one would be able to detect the presence of heavy oil in the formation that is otherwise indistinguishable by a single-temperature-state measurement alone.
The name heavy oil comes from the fact that the density of the oil is high. In the refinery industry, heavy oil is defined as the fuel oil remaining after the lighter oils have been distilled off during the refining process. For reservoir engineering, heavy oil is a type of crude petroleum characterized by high viscosity and a high carbon-to-hydrogen ratio. It is usually difficult and costly to produce by conventional techniques. The exact viscosity range for heavy oils varies.
Conventional crude oil may be viewed as oil that flows naturally or that can be pumped without being heated or diluted. Crude oil is commonly classified as light, medium, heavy or extra heavy, referring to its gravity as measured on the American Petroleum Institute (API) Scale, which is measured in degrees. U.S. industry defines light crude oil as having an API gravity higher than 31.1°, medium oil as having an API gravity between 31.1° and 22.3°, heavy oil as having an API gravity between 22.3° and 10°, and extra heavy oil (such as bitumen, for example) as having an API gravity of less than 10°. Canada has only two classifications, light oil with an API gravity greater than 25.7° API, and heavy oil with an API gravity less than 25.7° API. In other locations, such as the Lloydminster area of Alberta and Saskatchewan in Canada, heavy oil has API gravities ranging from 9° to 18°, and from the oilsands deposits in the Athabasca area of Alberta, Canada, heavy oil in the form of bitumen has an API gravity of around 8°. From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the definition of heavy oil depends on the location of the deposits, having API gravities of 22.3° to 10° API for U.S. heavy oil, less than 10° for U.S. extra heavy oil, 18° to 9° for Alberta heavy oil, and 8° for Athabasca oilsands heavy oil, for example.
Accordingly, and from a practical standpoint, it would be more useful to define heavy and extra heavy oil in less rigorous terms. For practical purposes, it would be useful to relate heavy and extra-heavy oil based on the ability of the crude oil or oil components to flow, rather than the API values, because the API value is defined at a standard temperature and pressure condition of 1 atm and 60 degree-C., while the heavy oil reservoirs may be at different conditions. Thus, the viscosity values and the recoverability of the oil at a reservoir head may be substantially different from the standard condition. As such, and as herein used, the terms heavy oil and extra-heavy oil are referred to in relation to NMR characteristics, with heavy oil being defined as a viscous oil that has an intrinsic relaxation time upper-limit of approximately 5° ms (milliseconds) at reservoir condition, and extra heavy oil as more viscous oil that has an intrinsic relaxation time upper-limit of approximately 10 ms. Because crude oil contains hydrocarbons having a distribution of carbon-to-hydrogen ratio and chemical structures, a distribution of relaxation time is observed. The faster relaxing components are generally related to more viscous components and are less-likely to be producible with conventional oil recovery methods. It should also be noted, however, that the recoverability is also affected by the reservoir pressure. Thus, and as a practical matter, it is preferable not to define a clear-cut dividing line between heavy and extra heavy oils.
While existing petroleum reservoir analysis methods may be suitable for their intended purpose, there remains, however, a need in the art for an improved analytical method of determining heavy oil volume, and of distinguishing movable and non-movable portions of heavy oil components within a petroleum reservoir.

Method and apparatus for characterizing heavy oil components in petroleum reservoirs