A tessellating board game which combined with game rules simulates the economic development of single or multiple star planetary systems in which choices made by competing parties influencing each other's economic prospects have ramifications modeled by a subsuming moral dynamic, affecting player destiny as moral or karmic law analogous to natural law. Also simulated is a complex gravitational field of a star and its planets, either for a single star in the unistellar game version or for multiple stars in the multistellar game version, and players must plot spacecraft trajectories within those gravitational fields, adjusting spacecraft speed and direction using planetary encounters and fuel decrement, and, in the multistellar game, using hyperspace jump locations to transcend the constraint of distance.

A. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a game apparatus simulating the economic development of single or multiple star systems, requiring the plotting of spacecraft trajectories in those single or multiple systems' combined gravitational fields of star and orbiting planets, subject to the constraint upon player economic choices of a universal moral or karmic order, generating synergy between the players' advancement of each's economic interests and the players' sacrifices for the advancement of others.
B. Prior Art
Games preexisting the present invention vary in the degree that they share features of at least two of the present invention's three distinct components --spacecraft navigation, economic competition, and moral dynamic-- and no preexisting game incorporates features of all three said components.
Games involving spacecraft movement over tessellated game boards occur periodically in the market place, their availability being ephemeral, the games often linked to transitory film and television entertainment. In relation to those products, only the present inventor's previous patents U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,184 and Des. Pat. Nos. 247,453, 250,053, and 252,049 realize game apparatus whose interrelation of game rules and polygonal tessellation enable the intuitive and tractable plotting of spacecraft trajectories in the complex gravitational fields of a star and its orbiting planets. And yet, the aforementioned game apparatus only simulate the gravitational fields of a single star and its planets, which limitation the present invention overcomes with a tessellating game board that enables simulation of multiple star planetary systems.
The field of tessellating game boards includes three recent patents which to varying degree approach the present invention in their intent. O'Conner's 1986 "Interchangeable Game Board", U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,344, demonstrates three game boards with the shapes of regular polygons each of which tessellate with congruent game boards and each of which "has an overall pathway design that differs with each arrangement of the congruent game board segments". The pathway designs for different arrangement of congruent game board segments must "differ" or those arrangements would defeat the invention's purpose of overcoming "the sameness of the unchanging and unchangeable network of pathways from one playing of a particular game to the next", which games are of the labyrinth or maze variety. O'Conner's invention's constraint to labyrinth or maze games is realized in its independent claim, which includes game board surfaces "having depicted thereon a labyrinth pathway design whereby the pathway design is a network of individual pathways" and also "at least one of said labyrinth pathway designs further include at least one cul-de-sac pathway". The independent claim also specifies that between adjacent game boards labyrinth paths are formed using entry/exit points that are at the same spaced locations on all sides of the game board segments. Thus,
(1) paths that are allowed between adjacent game boards differ in their extensions within game boards (internal paths) for every distinct conjoining of game board sides, PA0 (2) movement between two adjacent game boards is not allowed at every conjunction of those game boards' internal paths, and PA0 (3) some of those pathways within game boards (internal paths) are closed. PA0 (1) paths interconnecting adjacent game boards are identical for any two game board sides conjoined, PA0 (2) paths of adjacent game boards are not interrupted where they conjoin at their game boards' boundaries, and PA0 (3) paths within a game board are not differentiated by interruption, and therefore none are closed. PA0 (1) Its game board supports traversal of the central star figure using any of the forty eight possible parabolic trajectories (twenty four approaching the star figure with a clockwise curl and twenty four approaching with a counter clockwise curl); which forty eight traversals are traced using the star figure's twelve rays and twelve spaces between rays FIG. 2B-#1,#2 --missing on the Galactiad game board-- and twenty four ring 1 hexagons FIG. 18B --also missing in Galactiad; PA0 (2) Its array easel has a fourth ledge FIG. 5A-#31D upon which are placed fuel markers FIG. 6C designating the fuel supply of the spacecraft marker in whose array column it resides; which fourth array ledge and fuel markers are not present in Galactiad; PA0 (3) Its game rules specify with detailed diagrams, FIGS. 19A,B and FIGS. 20A,B for example, PA0 (4) Its game rules specify with detailed diagrams, FIG. 17 and FIG. 21A,B,C for example, PA0 (5) Its game rules specify with a detailed diagram the increments to a spacecraft marker's fuel marker attendant the varied trajectories with which the spacecraft marker may traverse an outer planet marker (source of spacecraft marker fuel); PA0 (6) The multistellar game board has a region of regular hexagons --termed an interboard region-- formed at the boundary of conjoined game boards that models interstellar space in the game rules governing its traversal by spacecraft markers; PA0 (7) Game rules specify with detailed diagrams PA0 (8) Game rules specify with detailed diagrams for a spacecraft marker commencing a planet marker traversal from an interboard hexagon initial position, PA0 (9) Game rules symmetrical to "8" above that specify with detailed diagrams for a spacecraft marker commencing a planet marker traversal from an intraboard polygon (a polygon in a game board interior) with a trajectory terminating for that move on an interboard hexagon PA0 (11) Game rules specifying hyperspace jump locations and moves initiated thereon which enable spacecraft markers to traverse polygonal paths spanning multiple game boards in a single step; PA0 (1) game boards (both enumerated and unenumerated), PA0 (2) array easels, PA0 (3) game markers, PA0 (4) game rules, and PA0 (5) criteria for winning;
Alternatively, the interconnection of multiple, spherically symmetric stellar gravitational fields is cross-sectionally simulated by the present invention's game board using a tessellation that extends between any two adjacent game boards without interruption the internal polygonal paths of one into the identical internal polygonal paths of the other. Thus,
Saiz's 1994 "Board for the Playing of Multiple Board Games", U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,930, demonstrates a board "composed of an indeterminate number of modules, each one formed by a large number of blocks which surround another block which makes up the center or nucleus of each module, and all of them are differentiated among themselves using color". Thus, the game board characteristic of modular construction that participates in the tessellation concept is circumscribed by (1) the fundamentally indivisible building module being composed in every instance of a nucleus block surrounded by other blocks, (2) "said surrounding blocks exhibiting different colors that differentiate them by pairs of blocks not adjacent to one another" and the nucleus block colored differently than the surrounding blocks, and (3) the color pattern of blocks within a module being identical for all modules. None of these characteristics is shared by the present invention.
Somerville's 1989 "Game Board", U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,268, demonstrates a plurality of congruent game board segments which are tessellated to construct a composing game board, but each segment is distinguished by indicia representing physical objects such as cities, railroads, etc. and none has an internal tessellation.
Games realizing moral themes, whether instruction or dynamic, are rare compared to strategy games. Neff's 1982 "Board Game With Interrelated Cards and Chips", U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,226, embodies the karma concept of repayment in future lives for deeds done in past lives. The game board incorporates a circuit of positions which landed upon require a player to "elect" between a good karma instruction that causes a short term disadvantage and a long term advantage and a bad karma instruction that causes a short term advantage and a long term disadvantage. Thus, a player's karmic or moral circumstance derives from the player's choice to parameterize their unfolding economic prospects in terms of short term and long term advantage. Players do not derive their karmic or moral circumstance from choices they make regarding other players, which would correspond to karma working in the real world.
Masakayan's 1996 "Good News Bible Board Game", U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,308, "teaches spiritual principles as disclosed in the Bible". Players advance upon a board depicting the "tree of life" according to their response to predetermined questions. Thus, there is no interaction between players which manifests moral principles or influences moral destiny modeled by the game.
Munn et al.'s 1983 "Conquest Game", U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,765, combines a spacecraft travel game with an embodiment of a hidden influence in the form of astrological destiny. Herein, the solar system spacecraft traverse is partitioned between the twelve zodiacal sectors, and players receive destiny cards enhancing or diminishing their prospects within designated sectors. Again, the quasi-spiritual astrological influence is static, being contingent upon random selection and not player choice.
Games realizing economic competition are abundant. Tourville's 1986 "Board Game", U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,939, combines in the context of solar system conquest financial and martial features. The game board incorporates distinctly segregated pathways for financial, military, and planetary strategies. Players travel the outermost financial pathways buying industries to achieve what is required to advance to purchasing planet segments, in a pathway interior to the financial pathway, from which they can launch spaceships to establish dominant ownership of planets, which are motionless in their domain. No component of the present invention corresponds to those distinct financial, military, and static planet pathways.
Finally, there is the present inventor's 1979 "Game Apparatus", U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,184, in which the game board articulates within a regular hexagon tessellation a central region of concentrically inscribed rings of contiguous hexagons, wherein spacecraft trajectories in the external regular hexagon tessellation conform to rules modeling inertia and spacecraft trajectories in the concentric ring region conform to rules modeling both inertia and the complex gravitational field of a star with orbiting planets. The 1979 "Game Apparatus" is henceforth referenced Galactiad, the name used in the 1979 "Description of the Preferred Embodiments" section. The present invention shares with Galactiad an underlying navigation component, and features of the two navigation components may be partitioned between those having superficial similarity and those without similarity. Of the superficially similar features, the present invention's features are unique in the following ways:
(a) the amounts of fuel which must be expended to transition a spacecraft marker's orbit between circular, parabolic, and paracircular varieties and PA1 (b) changes in a spacecraft marker's speed given fuel expenditure and orbit transition type; which detailed statement of the interrelations between fuel expenditure, speed, and orbit transition are not present in Galactiad; PA1 (a) the initial orientations of a spacecraft marker to a polygon bearing a planet marker that permit the spacecraft marker to traverse the planet marker, PA1 (b) the permitted planet traversal trajectories, and PA1 (c) changes in speed attendant each traversal trajectory; PA1 (a) the stages of spacecraft marker traversal of interboard regular hexagons, including the coordination of moves of spacecraft markers occupying the same said hexagon, and p1 (b) trajectory changes permitted upon said interboard hexagons and the speed decrements attendant such changes; PA1 (a) the permitted said interboard hexagon initial planet traversal positions, PA1 (b) the permitted planet traversal trajectories, and PA1 (c) changes in speed attendant each traversal trajectory; PA1 (a) the permitted said intraboard polygon initial planet traversal positions, PA1 (b) the permitted planet traversal trajectories, and PA1 (c) changes in speed attendant each traversal trajectory; (10) Game rules specifying stable planet marker orbits --requiring no fuel expenditure to maintain-- encompassing multiple game boards;
Features of the present invention's navigation component that have no (superficially) similar counterparts in Galactiad include the following 6 through 11:
The present invention, apart from navigation component considerations, uniquely differs from Galactiad with regard to the following additional features:
which differences are specified in the following Description of Preferred Embodiments section.


The invention relates to a computer-implemented system for security monitoring of Member accounts in a cloud environment. The Member accounts are provided as instances of cloud services in one or more monitored clouds by one or more cloud service providers. The system is programmed to automatically deploy software agents to the Member accounts. The software agents are configured to monitor activities in the Member accounts and to push security and operations data to a SIEM platform. The security and operations data may comprise alerts and activity logs for the Member accounts, public internet protocol (IP) addresses used by the Member accounts, and identifying information for individuals and information technology (IT) assets associated with the Member accounts. The system includes a user interface to define customized alerts based on the security and operations data, and the system generates and sends the customized alerts to a system administrator or security analyst.

Cloud services have become targets for threat actors and insider threats who seek unauthorized access to sensitive data stored in the cloud. Conventional cloud services have logs that record instances of attempted access and other actions. However, threat actors may attempt to delete such logs, and in some cases, even administrators may tamper with or delete such logs for illegitimate purposes. Additionally, regulatory compliance frameworks may dictate requirements for log retention and immutable properties that cloud security monitoring enforces. Another challenge that business entities may face in securing their data is the utilization of multiple instances of multiple cloud services, such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, or others. It is desirable that such a business entity be able to collect logs from various cloud services to allow its information technology (IT) and security teams the ability to perform threat analysis, incident response, vulnerability assessment, operational monitoring, application monitoring, cloud inventory, or near real-time compliance validation on monitored cloud environments from a central "pane of glass." However, conventional security monitoring of cloud services may typically involve labor-intensive deployment procedures and inconsistent processes across cloud providers, such as manual implementation of various configurations to deploy security monitoring measures in the cloud. This type of manual deployment may lead to drift from needed logging configurations by requiring the administration team to account for the logging configurations on resources deployed.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods to overcome these and other disadvantages of known systems and methods.

System and method for cloud security monitoring


An all-solid-state electrochromic device comprises a transparent base material, and an electrochromic multilayer-stack structure formed on the transparent base material. The electrochromic multilayer-stack structure comprises a first transparent-conductive film formed on the transparent base material, an ion-storage layer formed on the first transparent-conductive film, a solid-electrolyte layer formed on the ion-storage layer, and an electrochromic layer formed on the solid-electrolyte layer. The electrochromic layer comprises a reflection-controllable electrochromic layer. In one exemplary embodiment, the electrochromic layer comprises a reflection-controllable layer that comprises at least one of antimony and an antimony-based alloy. A second transparent-conductive film can be formed on the reflection-controllable layer, or between the reflection-controllable layer and the solid-electrolyte layer. In one exemplary embodiment, the second transparent-conductive layer comprises a base metal and/or a base metal alloy.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to an all-solid-state reflection-controllable electrochromic device. More particularly, the subject matter disclosed herein relates to an all-solid-state reflection-controllable electrochromic device that has high transmittance in the bleached state and is capable of switching in a short period of time over a large surface area between a transparent state and a reflective state.
Windows and other openings are generally the place where the most heat enters and escapes buildings. For example, during the winter about 48% of the heat produced by a heating system of a building escapes through windows of the building. During the summer, the proportion of heat that enters an air-conditioned room through the windows can reach about 71%. A tremendous energy savings can, therefore, be realized by effectively controlling light and heat entering and escaping through windows. Light-control glass has been developed to control the bi-directional flow of light and heat through a window.
There are several ways that light is controlled by light-control glass. One way is to form an electrochromic material on the glass in which the transmissivity of the electrochromic material reversibly changes under application of a current or a voltage. Another way is to form a thermochromic material on the glass in which the transmissivity of the thermochromic material changes with temperature. Yet another way is to use a gastrochromic material that changes its transmissivity by controlling the atmosphere gas. Of these, electrochromic-based light-control glass has been researched in which a tungsten-oxide thin film is used for the light-control layer. Some commercial products based on this type of electrochromic light-control glass have already appeared.
Conventional electrochromic-based light-control glass, including tungsten-oxide-based versions, all control light by absorbing the light using a light-control layer. A significant drawback with absorbing the light is that heat is produced and radiated into a room when the light-control layer absorbs light, thereby diminishing the energy-saving effect of the conventional electrochromic light-control glass. To eliminate this drawback, another approach of reflecting light rather than absorbing light has been considered. Accordingly, a material capable of reversibly switching between a mirror state and a transparent state would be useful.
For a long time, such a material capable of switching between a mirror state and a transparent state was not found, but in 1996 a group in the Netherlands discovered a hydride of a rare earth, such as yttrium or lanthanum, switches between a mirror state and a transparent state under the influence of hydrogen. Such a material is conventionally referred to as a "switchable mirror". See, for example, J. N. Huiberts et al., Nature, 380, 1996, 231. The rare-earth hydrides undergo a large change in transmissivity, and have excellent light-control mirror characteristics. Nevertheless, because a rare-earth element is used in the material, there are problems in terms of resources and cost when rare-earth-hydride-based switchable mirrors are used for window coatings and other applications.
Additionally, conventional metal-hydride-based mirrors suffer from poor cycle life due to the reactive nature of the metal film, which is readily attacked by air or water. Notably, water is one component of the electrolyte in electrochromic hydride mirrors, and may be produced during removal of hydrogen from the mirror film in both electrochromic and gasochromic devices. The life-cycle degradation is conventionally inhibited by using additional barrier layers for protecting the active materials and by sealing devices for preventing access of environmental air and water. The former approach of adding barrier layers is difficult to achieve and may not be effective after long periods of use. The latter approach of sealing does not address the problem of internal sources of water or oxygen.
More recently, U.S. Pat. No. 6,647,166 B2 to T. J. Richardson discloses alloys of magnesium and transitional-metals that can be used as switchable-mirror materials, thereby significantly reducing the cost of materials for electrochromic-based light-control glass.
Additionally, the commonly used transparent conducting oxide (TCO) coatings, such as indium tin oxide (ITO), fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), and aluminum-doped zinc oxide, are unstable at the switching voltages used for the reflection-controllable electrochromic devices. Side reactions, such as irreversible lithium intercalation, occur at the extremely low voltages, resulting in fast degradations of the TCO layers. Therefore, mirror electrodes for reflective-type electrochromic device prepared to date have relied upon the intrinsic conductivity of the active material. Volume expansion and contraction during cycling contribute to loss of connectivity within the electrode and eventually produce isolated regions that switch slowly or not at all.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,042,615 B2 to T. J. Richardson discloses use of a semi-metal, antimony, as a switchable-mirror thin-film material that is based on lithium insertion and extraction. Addition of low-resistivity metals, such as Ag and Cu, to the thin-film material is also disclosed by Richardson for improving the cycling stability of the mirrors. The added low-resistivity metals reduce the volume change and increase the conductivity of the switchable-mirror thin-film materials in all states of charge, thereby improving the uniformity of the current density across the thin film and reducing the stress between regions of different composition. For an antimony film containing 33% copper, the volume change on full lithiation is about 70% as opposed to 136% for pure Sb. The resulting semiconducting phase is diluted by copper and, therefore, less prone to coarsening on delithiation. Nevertheless there exists a serious problem with noble metals, such as Ag and Cu, if used as an additive. For example, when noble metals are added in the active layer of an all-solid-state electrochromic device, the noble metals can easily migrate (referred to herein as "electromigration") into the solid electrolyte layer and create shorts for the device (and, thus, a failed device), particularly when an electric field is applied to the device to switch the state of the device, and the solid electrolyte layer of the device is relatively thin (for example, less than about 100 nm in thickness).

Reflection-controllable electrochromic device using a base metal as a transparent conductor


A photoconductor containing a substrate, an undercoat layer thereover comprising a polymeric resin, a silanol, and a metal oxide; and a photogenerating layer; and at least one charge transport layer.

There are disclosed herein photoconductors containing a hole blocking layer or undercoat layer (UCL) comprised, for example, of metal oxide particles and a silanol. More specifically, there are disclosed herein a hole blocking layer comprised of metal oxide particles, a silanol, and polymeric resins. Even more specifically, there are disclosed herein hole blocking layers comprised of a number of the components as illustrated in the copending applications referred to herein, such as a metal oxide like a titanium dioxide, a polyol resin, and an aminoplast resin, such as a melamine resin, and wherein the metal oxide is treated with a hydrophobic silanol by, for example, the in situ modification of the metal oxide surface to form silanol hydrophobic moieties thereon. Also, in embodiments the metal oxide hole blocking layer component, such as titanium oxide nanoparticles, can be pretreated with hydrophobic silanols and subsequently dispersed in a polymeric binder thus resulting in the formation of the undercoat layer. Alternatively, the silanols can be simply added to the hole blocking layer dispersion.
Although not being desired to be limited by theory, it is believed that the silanol groups attach to the metal oxide rendering it hydrophobic, and wherein the remaining amount of the silanol interacts with the polymeric binder allowing the metal oxide pigment to be readily dispersible. The silanol is believed to also stabilize the hole blocking layer dispersion thereby minimizing dispersion aging effects that increases ghosting because of pigment re-aggregation.
In embodiments, a photoconductor comprised of a silanol hole blocking or undercoat layer enables, for example, minimal print quality failure, such as charge deficient spots (CDS) caused by the humidity sensitive metal oxide that, for example, is more conductive in humid environments. Moreover, in embodiments there are provided photoconductors with a number of acceptable characteristics, such as excellent adhesion of the UCL to layers thereunder and thereover thus avoiding or minimizing delamination; minimizing or substantially eliminating ghosting; and permitting compatibility with the photogenerating and charge transport resin binders, such as polycarbonates. Charge blocking layer, and hole blocking layer are generally used interchangeably with the phrase "undercoat layer".
Also included within the scope of the present disclosure are methods of imaging and printing with the photoresponsive or the photoconductive devices illustrated herein. These methods generally involve the formation of an electrostatic latent image on the imaging member, followed by developing the image with a toner composition comprised, for example, of a thermoplastic resin, colorant, such as pigment, charge additive, and surface additives, reference U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,560,635; 4,298,697 and 4,338,390, the disclosures of which are totally incorporated herein by reference, subsequently transferring the image to a suitable substrate, and permanently affixing the image thereto. In those environments wherein the device is to be used in a printing mode, the imaging method involves the same operation with the exception that exposure can be accomplished with a laser device or image bar. More specifically, the imaging members, photoconductor drums, and flexible belts disclosed herein can be selected for the Xerox Corporation iGEN3® machines that generate with some versions over 100 copies per minute. Processes of imaging, especially xerographic imaging and printing, including digital, and/or high speed color printing, are thus encompassed by the present disclosure.
The imaging members disclosed herein are in embodiments sensitive in the wavelength region of, for example, from about 400 to about 900 nanometers, and in particular from about 650 to about 850 nanometers, thus diode lasers can be selected as the light source.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An adaptive dilution mixture control system for internal combustion engines including an apparatus for measuring a combustion force within a combustion chamber communicating with an apparatus for calculating the real-time work output of the engine from the measured combustion force, and an apparatus for controlling the variable dilution of the fuel-air mixture delivered to the combustion chamber to achieve a desired work output, the controlling apparatus responsive to the real-time work output. The apparatus for controlling the variable fuel-air mixture dilution includes a compensator for comparing the real-time work output and other engine parameters to an adaptive optimizing control model, and calculating the desired work output. Also included is a fuel injection system, and an exhaust recirculation valve to vary the dilution of the fuel-air mixture to achieve the desired work output. The adaptive optimizing control model is adapted to change over time based on a change in engine conditions.

This invention relates to a dilution control system that utilizes closed-loop adaptive control based on real-time engine work output to increase engine efficiencies and reduce emissions.
Control of internal combustion engines is currently premised on the reading of various engine operating parameters such as engine speed, intake manifold pressure, coolant temperature, throttle position, and exhaust oxygen concentration. These parameters are used in conjunction with specific, predetermined base maps calibrated by a baseline engine to select the ignition timing, fuel injector duration, and exhaust gas recirculation ("EGR") of the engine so that the engine achieves maximum efficiency and minimum emissions as determined by the baseline engine.
Base map control is simple and can be very effective for new engines. This control, however, has drawbacks as the engine ages and deposits build up in the combustion chambers and on the valves. More importantly, with emissions standards now requiring an automobile to remain within strict emissions limits for at least the first 100,000 miles, base map control cannot maintain the engine at or near its maximum efficiency and minimum emissions operating point for the required mileage.
Many experimental engine control systems use base map control to vary fuel-air mixture dilution, which reduces emissions. However, due to the complexities of running an engine heavily diluted, these control systems are not capable of maintaining maximum efficiency. For this reason, these systems often sacrifice maximum efficiency to maintain the low emissions required for at least the first 100,000 miles.
The current strict emissions standards require engine control systems to improve engine efficiencies of internal combustion engines. Research indicates that to increase such efficiencies, internal combustion engines must operate with a fuel-air mixture heavily diluted with excess air, exhaust gases, or a combination of both. This produces more efficient combustion, while also reducing pumping losses at part throttle conditions. The current strict emissions standards also require that internal combustion engines meet the emissions criteria for at least the first 100,000 miles. Therefore, an engine control system adaptable to changing engine conditions over the life of the engine is needed so that the engine can operate at maximum efficiency and minimum emissions for at least the first 100,000 miles.
Present engine control systems, and more specifically, dilution control systems, do not adequately control internal combustion engines so that maximum efficiency and reduced emissions are achieved for the required mileage. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,934 provides a fuel-air mixture dilution control system by monitoring cycle-to-cycle fluctuations of the angular position of peak combustion pressure of each engine cylinder. This control system determines an air/fuel ratio at which engine stability changes between stable and unstable conditions. A controller attempts to continuously operate the engine at the engine stability point, leaning the fuel-air mixture until the engine becomes unstable, and enriching the fuel-air mixture until the engine becomes stable again. This stability point is often beyond the point of maximum efficiency and is often also beyond the point of minimum emissions.
Other control systems, such as the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,724, control the air/fuel ratio by measuring the burn duration of each engine cylinder. The duration is compared to an adaptive engine map that determines the lean limit for the engine at a specific speed and load. The engine is then controlled to operate at the most dilute point possible for a desired engine stability, but this point is often beyond the point of maximum efficiency, and is often beyond the point of minimum emissions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,603 discloses three different methods of controlling the level of fuel-air mixture dilution using pressure ratio management. The first system controls the amount of diluent at a specified value as a function of engine speed and load. The second system controls the amount of diluent to adjust the burn rate or combustion time. The third system controls the amount of diluent using cycle-to-cycle variability as both a method to balance fuel delivery to each combustion chamber, and as a method of stability control. Pressure ratio management allows for a simplified algorithm, but does not supply the engine controller with enough information for complete engine control because taking pressure readings only at specific points allows the controller only to estimate engine stability, and therefore, this system suffers the same limitations of the previously mentioned systems.
Alternatively, the system of U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,603 could be used at a specific air/fuel ratio that is calculated according to base maps, but even with an adaptive algorithm, the pressure ratio does not give enough information to allow the system to provide both maximum efficiency and minimum emissions for at least the first 100,000 miles. The system in U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,603, for example, would have extreme difficulty calculating the engine mean effective pressure if spark timing varies by large amounts. Such a calculation is necessary for an engine to achieve maximum efficiency at highly dilute mixtures and minimum emissions for at least the first 100,000 miles.

Adaptive dilution control system for increasing engine efficiencies and reducing emissions


In a speech enhancement apparatus, a generator part generates a value representing likelihood of a consonant from an input audio signal, and a calculator part generates a consonant/vowel discriminating signal for discriminating a consonant portion and a vowel portion based on the generated value, detects a first signal level of the vowel portion and a second signal level of the consonant portion based on the audio signal and the consonant/vowel discriminating signal, and outputs a level-related signal. A determining part determines a gain coefficient that exceeds one when the second signal level is smaller than the first signal level based on the level-related signal so that the gain coefficient increases as the second signal level becomes smaller than the first signal level. A multiplier part multiplies the audio signal by the gain coefficient to output an audio signal having an emphasized consonant portion.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a speech enhancement apparatus for emphasizing a consonant portion of an audio signal to improve articulation thereof, and a speech enhancement method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a method for improving articulation by amplifying consonants in an input audio signal has been proposed (See, for example, Patent Document 1). However, the signal level of vowels with respect to the signal level of consonants relevant to the amount of masking of consonants by vowels largely changes depending on the utterer, the language and the phoneme even if the consonants are amplified in a manner similar to that of this method. Therefore, if consonants are amplified at a constant amplification factor, it is difficult to improve the articulation of speech when the signal level of the consonants is small. On the other hand, a method for securing the articulation by changing the amplification factor of consonants according to the time expansion ratio of vowels for approximation to an energy balance in the audio signal by natural utterance is proposed (See, for example, Patent Document 2).
Documents related to the present disclosures are as follows:    Patent Document 1: Japanese patent laid-open publication No. JP 2006-203683 A; and    Patent Document 2: Japanese patent laid-open publication No. JP H10-145897 A.
However, the method of the Patent Document 2 has had such a problem that the masking of consonants by vowels is not sufficiently compensated for unless the time expansion ratio of the vowels is raised in the case of consonants whose signal level is small, and therefore, only unnatural speech could be obtained when the time durations of vowels are largely extended to sufficiently amplify the consonants. Further, the methods of the Patent Documents 1 and 2 have had such a problem that the articulation of speech can not be improved as a consequence of a failure in correctly amplifying the consonants since it is difficult to reliably discriminate the consonants and vowels from speech uttered in a real environment despite that the discrimination of consonants and vowels is performed.

Speech enhancement apparatus and method for emphasizing consonant portion to improve articulation of audio signal

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


A crystal oscillator tester includes first and second test pins, first and second transistors, an indicator, a first diode, and first-third capacitors. The first test pin is connected to a power source. The collector of the first transistor is connected to the first test pin. The base of the second transistor is connected to the second test pin. The emitter of the first transistor is grounded via the indicator. The base of the first transistor is connected to the cathode of the first diode. The anode of the first diode is connected to the first test pin via the first and second capacitors one by one in series. The emitter of the second transistor is connected to a node between the first and second capacitors. The collector of the second transistor is grounded. The third capacitor is connected between the base and emitter of the second transistor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to testers, and particularly, to a tester for testing crystal oscillators.
2. Description of Related Art
Nowadays, crystal oscillators are widely used in electronic devices to supply frequency signals. A typical testing method to test a crystal oscillator is using an oscillograph to detect a frequency of the crystal oscillator, however this method is not exact or accurate enough.
What is needed is to provide a more precise system to test crystal oscillators.

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd.


A method is provided for compensating for brightness change in a display. The method includes storing a plurality of look-up tables (LUTs), where each table has a plurality of pixel levels at a variable refresh rate (VRR) and a plurality of brightness signals that provide compensation for the brightness change when refresh rate is changed during a panel self-refresh (PSR). The method also includes receiving an input signal from a graphics processing unit (GPU) and determining the VRR of the input signal from the GPU. The method further includes obtaining the LUT at the determined VRR of the input signal and adjusting the input signal to produce an output signal that compensates for the brightness change for each pixel or sub-pixel in a timing controller based upon the LUT at the determined VRR. The method further includes transmitting the output signal to the display. A system is also provided.

A panel self-refresh (PSR) updates a display at a reduced refresh rate. Generally, the reduced refresh rate is lower than a frame rate of the display, which is normally 60 Hz. When the display is updated at a reduced refresh rate, less power may be consumed because each updating of the display requires certain power consumption. For example, if the display is refreshed at a refresh rate of 30 Hz during a panel self-refresh (PSR), or even lower refresh rate, the display reduces usage of the power. However, when the refresh rate of the display is lowered to save power, the display may show a reduced brightness or otherwise become dimmer to the extent that this change in brightness may be perceivable by a human eye. Thus, it is desirable to develop methods to enable power savings in a display without impacting visual effect or brightness.

Compensation methods for display brightness change associated with reduced refresh rate


An image recording and reproducing apparatus and an image recording and reproducing method in which, in an AV server using a so-called G-Shuttle system, the processing required in the high-speed playback mode can be simplified. A corresponding relationship between image groups results from dividing image data of each image unit by a plurality of image groups and groups of a first memory are being cyclically changed at every image unit, the image groups are recorded by the first memory and error-correcting codes of the image groups are generated at every image unit and recorded by a second memory. During normal speed playback, the image groups and the error-correcting codes are reproduced and digital errors of the image groups are corrected. During high-speed playback, the error-correcting codes are not reproduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an image recording and reproducing apparatus such as an AV (audio and/or video) server in which image data is recorded/reproduced by memory means which can be accessed randomly, and particularly to an image recording and reproducing apparatus and an image recording and reproducing method in which an image can be prevented from being disturbed due to digital errors caused in the normal tape speed playback mode and in which image data can be prevented from dropping out at the frame unit or the like in the high-speed playback mode.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, recording/editing/transmitting systems in the broadcasting station are required to become able to simultaneously record a plurality of material data (video and/or audio data), to become able to edit material data which is being recorded in real time, and are also required to become able to transmit the same material data through a plurality of channels at the same time. To meet these demands, heretofore, there are used apparatus called an "AV (audio and/or video) server" or a "video server".
An AV server generally includes a plurality of input/output (I/O) ports which can operate independently and a data memory section (e.g., hard disk drive (HDD)) which can be accessed randomly. When different material data are simultaneously inputted from these I/O ports to the AV server and recorded by the data memory section, it becomes possible to record a plurality of material data at the same time. When material data, which is being inputted from one I/O port and is being recorded, is simultaneously and parallelly reproduced from the data memory section and outputted from other I/O port, it becomes possible to edit the material data, which is being recorded, in real time in a nonlinear editing fashion. Furthermore, it becomes possible to simultaneously transmit the same material data through a plurality of channels by outputting the same material data reproduced from the data memory section from a plurality of I/O ports.
In the case of the nonlinear editing, in order to search an edit point whose time code is not clear, image data have to be reproduced at high speed (speed higher than a one-time normal speed) and the image data thus reproduced have to be displayed on a monitor, whereby a scene which serves an edit point can be detected
In the conventional AV server, when the edit point is searched at high speed, it is customary that image data are reproduced at random in the unit of frames. Specifically, when image data is reproduced in the twice normal speed playback mode, image data are reproduced on every other frame such as the first frame, the third frame, the fifth frame, . . . When image data is reproduced in the four-times normal speed playback mode, image data are reproduced on every three frames such as the first frame, the fifth frame, the ninth frame, . . .
However, when image data is reproduced at random in the unit of frames, image data of the skipped frame is lost completely. Accordingly, when it is intended to search a momentary scene in which a flash bulb is lit as an edit point, image data of the frame corresponding to such momentary scene is lost completely. As a result, it is frequently observed that such momentary scene cannot be detected.
To solve the above problem, the assignee of the present application has already proposed a system (so-called "G-shuttle system") in which image data of individual frames can be prevented from dropping out completely in the high-speed playback mode (see Japanese patent application 11-317926).
FIG. 1 shows the manner in which image data are recorded by this G-shuttle system. Upon recording, inputted image data is divided in the unit of one frame to provide four image groups A, B, C and D, for example. Hard disk drives (HDDs), which are grouped as four groups W, X, Y and Z in response to the number of the image groups A, B, C and D, are adapted to record the image groups while a corresponding relationship between the image groups A, B, C, D and the groups W, X, Y, Z of the HDDs is being changed cyclically at every frame.
In the four-times normal speed playback mode of the high-speed playback modes, for example, ID (identification data) and image groups of the first 16 frames (frames No. 1 to No. 16 in FIG. 1) are reproduced from the group W, ID and image groups of the next 16 frames are reproduced from the group X, ID and image groups of the next 16 frames are reproduced from the group Y, and ID and image groups of the next 16 frames are further reproduced from the group Z of the HDDs 21 shown in FIG. 6 which will be described later on.
Then, image data of one frame is sequentially synthesized from image data (image groups A, B, C and D) of four consecutive frames in such a manner as to synthesize image data of first one frame from the image data (image groups A, B, C and D) of the frames Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 reproduced from the group W and to synthesize image data of the next one frame from the image data (image groups A, B, C and D) of the frames Nos. 5, 6, 7 and 8 reproduced from the group W. . .
With respect to image data of frames following 65th frame, the same processing is repeated for 64 frames.
As a result, there can be obtained image data containing one portion (one image group each) of each of image data of all recorded frames with the result that image data of individual frames can be prevented from completely dropping out. Accordingly, when the edit point is searched at high speed, if it is intended to search a momentary scene in which a flash bulb is lit as an edit point, then a part of image data of the frame corresponding to that momentary scene is displayed on the monitor, thereby making it possible for users to detect such momentary scene.
Also in the twice-normal speed playback mode and the eight-times normal speed playback mode, image groups are reproduced from the groups W, X, Y, Z over the range of the frames which are not identical to each other and image data of one frame is synthesized from the reproduced image groups A, B, C and D of the frames which are not identical to each other, whereby image data of individual frames can be prevented from completely dropping out (in the case of the eight-times normal speed playback mode, the number of frames in which image data completely drops out is decreased).
In the high-speed playback mode to search the edit point, even when an image on the monitor is disturbed due to a digital error existing in the image data reproduced from any of the HDD groups W, X, Y, Z, such disturbance of image, in particular, may not cause a serious problem.
On the other hand, upon broadcasting in which the recorded material data is reproduced in the normal speed mode (reproduced at one-time normal speed) and reproduced data is transmitted, an image displayed on a television receiver can be prevented from being disturbed due to this digital error.
However, there has not yet been disclosed an AV server in which the processing required in the high-speed playback mode can be simplified and in which an image can be prevented from being disturbed due to a digital error in the normal playback mode while the so-called G-Shuttle system is being used.

Image recording and reproducing apparatus and image recording and reproducing method


A low voltage BiCMOS output driver that is operable in a mixed voltage signal environment is provided which comprises a pull-up transistor and blocking circuitry operable to block current flow from the mixed voltage signal environment through the BiCMOS output driver to its supply voltage source.

Although digital electronics circuits have proved useful in an extremely wide range of applications, demands for faster and lower power circuits remain significant. The combination of bipolar and CMOS technologies in BiCMOS integrated circuits has allowed for relatively high speed performance and lower power consumption. Even greater power reductions have been accomplished through the use of low voltage technology, whereby power supplies on the order of 3.3 volts are used rather than power supplies on the order of 5 volts.
While low voltage technology systems have incorporated BiCMOS technologies to allow for relatively high speed performance, most existing systems are 5 volt systems. Unfortunately, difficulties arise when low voltage technology systems are to be integrated with 5 volt systems. One of those difficulties arises from the fact that low voltage technology systems, even in tri-state operation, act as current sinks when 5 volt systems are in their high (i.e., approximately 5 volt) state. Although some pure CMOS devices have blocked current sinking in unmixed voltage systems (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,936 for a "NON-LOADING OUTPUT DRIVER CIRCUIT", issued to Andresen), the problems associated with the interfacing of low voltage technology systems with mixed voltage environments have not been addressed.
Therefore, a need has arisen for a low voltage technology output driver that can be coupled to mixed voltage systems (such as systems containing 5 volt and 3.3 volt systems) without sinking current from the higher voltage devices, even while the output driver is powered down, while yet providing enhanced speed and power performance.

BiCMOS bus interface output driver compatible with a mixed voltage system environment


Method in a pipeline processing stage in a processor, includes the steps of: receiving a first block from a first register and a first execution parameter associated with the first block from a second register, the execution parameter having a first value; inspecting a set of data being at least a part of the first block; and, if the set of data differs from a predetermined condition, storing a second execution parameter on a third register and a third execution parameter on the second register, where the second execution parameter has a second value and is associated with the first block and the third execution parameter has the first value and will be associated with a second block. The invention also relates to the pipeline processor, a module, an integrated circuit and a computer unit.

Data transported in a communications network is typically encapsulated in multiple layers of protocols, where each protocol has one or many stacked headers. For example, TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) over Ipv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) with stacked options, TCP over Ipsec (IP Security) over IP, or multiple stacked MPLS (MultiProtocol Label Switching) headers.
Tunneling enables traffic from one protocol to be carried inside the same or another similar layer protocol. For example IP carried inside MPLS, or SNA's (System Network Architecture) SDLC (Synchronous Data Link Architecture) packets and IPX (Intemetwork Packet Exchange) can be carried inside IP.
In some cases, e.g. packet inspection in firewalls or Field Manipulation in NAT (Network Address Translation), there is a need to inspect and manipulate fields deep inside the packet, such as protocols corresponding to OSI (Open System Interconnection) layers higher than 3. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,025-A.
The combination of stacked headers is often dynamic and the communications equipment needs to be able to analyse the headers by inspecting certain fields and unwind these headers at runtime. Normally field inspection and manipulation by means of special purpose hardware is only capable of processing fixed size headers of OSI layer 2 and 3. Processing that needs to inspect fields deep in a packet or to unwind dynamic length headers, is performed more or less in software on a general-purpose processor, with resulting loss of wire speed performance. The more headers that need to be unwind to locate a particular field the more execution time a processor needs, since the software has to analyse or unwind one header at a time. This implies both that inspection and modification deep in a packet takes a long time and different times depending on the specific header configuration. Different times for different headers render a parallel processing of different packets more difficult.

Method and apparatus for processing blocks in a pipeline


Human interleukin-2 (IL-2) muteins or variants thereof are provided. In particular, provided are IL-2 muteins that have an increased binding capacity for IL-2Rβ receptor as compared to wild-type IL-2 for use in combination therapies with anti-PD-1 antibodies for the treatment of cancer. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions that include such anti-PD-1 antibodies and the disclosed IL-2 muteins.

Interleukin 2 (IL-2) is a pluripotent cytokine produced primarily by activated CD4+ T cells, which plays a crucial role in producing a normal immune response. IL-2 promotes proliferation and expansion of activated T lymphocytes, potentiates B cell growth, and activates monocytes and natural killer cells. It was by virtue of these activities that IL-2 was tested and is used as an approved treatment of cancer (aldesleukin, Proleukin®). In eukaryotic cells, human IL-2 is synthesized as a precursor polypeptide of 153 amino acids, from which 20 amino acids are removed to generate mature secreted IL-2 (Taniguchi 1983). Recombinant human IL-2 has been produced in E. coli (Rosenberg 1984), in insect cells (Smith 1985) and in mammalian COS cells (Taniguchi 1983).
Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a four α-helical bundle type I cytokine first identified as a T cell growth factor (Morgan et al., Science 193: 1007 (1976)) but subsequently shown to have broad actions. IL-2 promotes T helper differentiation (Zhu et al., Annual review of immunology 28: 445 (2010); Liao et al., Nat Immunol 9: 1288 (2008); and Liao et al., Nat Immunol 12: 551 (2011)) and the development of regulatory T (Treg) cells (Cheng et al., Immunol Rev 241: 63 (2011)), induces natural killer and lymphokine activated killer activity (Liao et al., Immunity 38: 13 (2013)), and mediates activation-induced cell death (AICD) (Lenardo et al., Nature 353: 858 (1991)).
IL-2 works by interacting with three different receptors: the interleukin 2 receptor alpha (IL-2Rα; CD25), the interleukin 2 receptor beta (IL-2Rβ; CD122), and the interleukin 2 receptor gamma (IL-2Rγ; CD132; common gamma chain). The first receptor to be identified was the IL-2Rα, which is a 55 kD polypeptide (p55) that appears upon T cell activation and was originally called Tac (for T activation) antigen. The IL-2Rα binds IL-2 with a Kd of approximately 10−8M, and is also known as the "low affinity" IL-2 receptor. Binding of IL-2 to cells expressing only the IL-2Rα does not lead to any detectable biologic response. In most circumstances, IL-2 works through three different receptors: the IL-2Rα, the IL-2Rβ, and the IL-2Rγ. Most cells, such as resting T cells, are not responsive to IL-2 since they only express the IL-2Rβ, and the IL-2Rγ, which have low affinity for IL-2. Upon stimulation, resting T cells express the relatively high affinity IL-2 receptor IL-2Rα. Binding of IL-2 to the IL-2Rα causes this receptor to sequentially engage the IL-2Rβ, and the IL-2Rγ, bringing about T cell activation. IL-2 "superkines" with augmented action due to enhanced binding affinity for IL-2Rβ were previously developed (Levin et al., Nature 484: 529 (2012)).
Despite the wealth of knowledge around IL-2, including IL-2 superagonists, there remains a need in the art for better combination therapies for the treatment of cancer, including combination therapies with anti-PD-1 antibodies as well as combinations with oncolytic viruses or CAR-T cells. The present invention meets this need, providing combination therapies of IL-2 superagonists or agonists for the treatment of cancer, in particular combinations of anti-PD-1 antibodies with IL-2 muteins comprising substitutions L80F, R81D, L85V, I86V and I92F, numbered in accordance with wild-type IL-2.

IL-2 superagonists in combination with anti-PD-1 antibodies


A microorganism which has an L-amino acid producing ability and has been modified so that succinate dehydrogenase activity and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase activity are decreased is cultured in a medium to produce and accumulate an L-amino acid in the medium or cells of the microorganism, and the L-amino acid is collected from the medium or cells to produce the L-amino acid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for producing an L-amino acid such as L-glutamic acid using a microorganism. L-Glutamic acid is useful as an ingredient of seasonings, and the other L-amino acids are useful in industry as animal feed additives, health food ingredients, amino acid infusions, and the like.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Methods for producing a target substance such as an L-amino acid by fermentation using a bacterium can include methods of using a wild-type bacterium (wild-type strain), an auxotrophic strain derived from a wild-type strain, a metabolic regulation mutant strain derived from a wild-type strain as a strain resistant to various drugs, a strain having properties of both auxotrophic strain and metabolic regulation mutant, and the like.
For example, L-glutamic acid can be produced by fermentation using an L-glutamic acid-producing bacterium of the so-called coryneform bacterium belonging to the genus Brevibacterium, Corynebacterium or Microbacterium or a mutant strain thereof (refer to Kunihiko Akashi, et. al. "Amino Acid Fermentation", Gakkai Shuppan Center, 1986, pp. 195-215). Moreover, as methods for producing L-glutamic acid using other strains, methods utilizing a microorganism belonging to the genus Bacillus, Streptomyces, Penicillium, or the like (refer to U.S. Pat. No. 3,220,929), Pseudomonas, Arthrobacter, Serratia, Candida, or the like (refer to U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,857), Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Serratia, Aerobacter aerogenes (currently Enterobacter aerogenes), or the like (refer to, Japanese Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. S32-9393), a mutant strain of Escherichia coli (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-open (Kokai) No. H5-244970), and the like are known. Furthermore, the inventors of the present invention proposed a method of producing L-glutamic acid using a microorganism belonging to the genus Klebsiella, Erwinia, Pantoea, or Enterobacter (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-open Nos. 2000-106869, 2000-189169 and 2000-189175).
In recent years, recombinant DNA techniques have been used in the production of target substances by fermentation. For example, L-amino acid productivity of a bacterium can be improved by enhancing expression of a gene encoding an L-amino acid biosynthetic enzyme (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,168,056 and 5,776,736), or by enhancing uptake of a carbon source to the L-amino acid biosynthesis system (U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,925).
For example, as for L-glutamic acid production, it was reported that introduction of a gene encoding citrate synthase from Escherichia coli or Corynebacterium glutamicum was effective for enhancement of L-glutamic acid-producing ability in a coryneform bacterium belonging to the genus Corynebacterium or Brevibacterium (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-open No. H7-121228). Furthermore, it was reported that introduction of a citrate synthase gene from a coryneform bacterium into an enterobacterium belonging to the genus Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Serratia, Erwinia or Escherichia was effective for enhancement of L-glutamic acid-producing ability (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2000-189175).
It is also known that microorganisms which are deficient in α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (α-KGDH) produce a marked amount of L-glutamic acid (EP771879 A, EP0952221 A, EP1078989 A).
Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) is an enzyme which catalyzes the reaction of converting succinic acid to fumaric acid, and it was reported that a coryneform bacterium deficient in the gene of this enzyme produced a small amount of L-glutamic acid (EP1106684 A).
Furthermore, although a succinate dehydrogenase-deficient strain is also known for Escherichia coli belonging to the enterobacteria (J. Gen. Microbiol., 1978 July; 107 (1): 1-13), the relationship between succinate dehydrogenase deficiency and L-glutamic acid production has not been previously reported.
Furthermore, it is known that if α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase is deleted in an Escherichia coli strain, the strain becomes succinic acid auxotrophic, but the double deficiency of SDH and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase causes the strain to recover from the succinic acid auxotrophy (J. Gen. Microbiol., 1978 July; 107 (1): 1-13). However, the effect of the double deficiency of α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase on production of an L-amino acid such as L-glutamic acid is not known.


The present invention provides a mycoplasma vaccine, its preparation and application thereof. The foregoing mycoplasma vaccine comprises inactivated Mycoplasma hyorhinis ATIT-7 only or the mixture of inactivated Mycoplasma hyorhinis ATIT-7 and inactivated Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, which effectively prevents the infection of swine enzootic pneumonia in pigs.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vaccine prepared from Mycoplasma hyorhinis isolated from the lung lesions of pigs infected with enzootic pneumonia and the application of the foregoing vaccine.
2. Description of Related Art
Swine enzootic pneumonia is a chronic disease characterized by high infection rate and low mortality that infects 25˜93% of swine herds and is positive in 28˜80% of lung tissues of carcasses. The growth efficiency of infected pigs is reduced by 14˜16%. In high-density rearing environment that is poorly ventilated and moist with wildly changing climate, the incidence and spread of swine enzootic pneumonia can rise to an alarming level, resulting in lower feed conversion, regarded growth, inflammatory reaction and immunosuppression in pigs. This disease is often accompanied by secondary infection of opportunistic pathogens, such as Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Pasteurella, and Streptococcus suis, leading to serious economic loss and becoming one of important reasons for the cost increase of the pig industry.
The strategic approach to the prevention of swine enzootic pneumonia in Taiwan is to add antibiotic in the feed. But long-term use of antibiotic is prone to produce resistant strains and leads to the problem of residual antibiotic in the meat products, which poses significant health issue. Field experience also shows the preventive effect of feeding animals with drugs is not as ideal as expected.
There are three commonly seen mycoplasma in pigs, which are Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyopneumoniae), Mycoplasma hyorhinis (M. hyorhinis), and M. flocculate. M. hyopneumoniae is the important causative organism of swine enzootic pneumonia (SEP); M. hyorhinis is the etiological agent of polyserositis and arthritis; M. flocculate has not been shown to cause diseases. In the past, all SEP incidences were caused by M. hyopneumoniae. But recently it is found that such disease is caused by either M. hyorhinis alone or the combination of M. hyorhinis and M. hyopneumoniae. In Taiwan, mycoplasma isolated from the lung lesions of pigs infected with SEP was only M. hyopneumoniae prior to 1996. In the case reports in other countries, M. hyorhinis was primarily isolated from the synovial fluid of pigs infected with arthritis, which did not cause SEP and was not considered an important pathogen for swine diseases. Taiwan never isolated this pathogen in the past. But starting in 1996, the Mycoplasma Laboratory of Animal Technology Institute Taiwan finds mycoplasma isolated from the lung lesions of pneumonia-infected pigs to be M. hyorhinis in more incidences as confirmed by antibody binding reaction using Western blotting and comparison with ATCC standard strains.
The Animal Technology Institute Taiwan provides mycoplasma isolation and identification service to pig farms around the country, and sees higher and higher incidence of M. hyorhinis isolates from pneumonia cases. In the 242 cases in 2001 and 205 cases in 2002, the M. hyopneumoniae infection rate dropped from 46.8% in 2001 to 15.8% in 2002, while that of M. hyorhinis rose from 65.5% in 2001 to 79.2% in 2002. The infection rate of the mixture of M. hyopneumoniae and M. hyorhinis was 14.4% in 2001 and 15% in 2002. These figures indicate rapidly rising M. hyorhinis infection in swine pneumonia cases in Taiwan and rapidly dropping infection rate of M. hyopneumoniae, while infection rate of the mixture of the two remains steady. It also indicates that M. hyorhinis is gradually replacing M. hyopneumoniae as the most significant pathogen of SEP. The past belief was that M. hyopneumoniae was the only species among mycoplasma to cause SEP. This is not the situation now. In the isolation cases described above, there was one pure M. hyorhinis infection case in 2001, and five such cases in 2002, suggesting M. hyorhinis alone could elicit SEP.
Field experience shows that the chance of reinfection with the same mycoplasma species is relatively low, indicating good innate immunity of the pigs against such pathogen. Thus using vaccination as a means of disease prevention is a viable approach. Given the weak cross reaction between the antigens of M. hyorhinis and M. hyopneumoniae, it is found in pig farm survey on vaccination that pigs administered with M. hyopneumoniae vaccine were not effectively protected against the infection of M. hyorhinis. For pigs infected with both mycoplasma species, the effect of administering M. hyopneumoniae vaccine or M. hyorhinis vaccine alone was not satisfactory. Only vaccine containing the mixture of both mycoplasma antigens provides adequate protection. Thus developing vaccine containing M. hyorhinis or both M. hyorhinis and M. hyopneumoniae is a pressing task.

Mycoplasma vaccine, method of making, and application thereof


Provided is a film forming apparatus for forming a film on a substrate maintained within a film forming container by supplying a raw material gas to the substrate. The film forming container includes a substrate maintaining unit, a supply mechanism configured to include a supply pipe with supply holes formed thereon to supply a raw material gas to the interior of the film forming container through the supply holes, an exhaust mechanism configured to include an exhaust pipe with exhaust holes formed thereon to exhaust gas from the interior of the film forming container through the exhaust holes, and a controller configured to control the substrate maintaining unit, the supply mechanism, and the exhaust mechanism. The supply holes and the exhaust holes are formed to face each other with the substrate maintained in the substrate maintaining unit interposed therebetween.

Recently, material used for a semiconductor device has extended from inorganic material to organic material, and the characteristics of a semiconductor device or a fabrication process can be further optimized by using the special characteristics of the organic material, which are not present in the inorganic material.
One such organic material is polyimide. Polyimide has high adhesion and low leakage current. Thus, a polyimide film obtained by forming polyimide on a surface of a substrate may be used as an insulating layer, and may also be used as an insulating layer in a semiconductor device.
As a method for forming such a polyimide film, there is known a film forming method based on deposition polymerization using, for example, pyromellitic dianhydride (hereinafter, abbreviated as "PMDA") and 4,4′-diaminodiphenylether including, for example, 4,4′-oxydianiline (hereinafter, abbreviated as "ODA") as raw material monomers. The deposition polymerization is a method for thermally polymerizing PMDA and ODA used as raw material monomers on a surface of a substrate. In the related art, there is disclosed a film forming method for forming a polyimide film by evaporating the monomers of PDMA and ODA with a carburetor, supplying the evaporated vapor of each of the PDMA and ODA to a deposition polymerization chamber, and deposition-polymerizing the same on the substrate.
In order to form a polyimide film having excellent film quality by using deposition polymerization at a low cost and within a short time, it is required to continuously supply a fixed amount of vaporized PMDA (hereinafter, referred to as "PMDA gas") and the vaporized ODA (hereinafter, referred to as "ODA gas") to the substrate. Thus, a film forming apparatus for forming a polyimide film preferably includes a supply mechanism for supplying raw material gases composed of the PMDA gas and the ODA gas into a film forming container and an exhaust mechanism for exhausting gases from the film forming container to decompress the interior of the film forming container.
However, a film forming apparatus for forming a polyimide film by supplying the PMDA gas and the ODA gas to the substrate has the following problems.
In order to form a polyimide film on the surface of the substrate by supplying the raw material gases composed of the PMDA gas and the ODA gas, the supply amount of the raw material gases within the plane of the substrate is preferably uniform, and to this end, the flow of the raw material gases on the surface of the substrate is preferably a laminar flow. However, the flow of the raw material gases on the surface of the substrate that is generated as the raw material gases are supplied into the film forming container by the supply mechanism and as the gases are exhausted from the interior of the film forming container by the exhaust mechanism is not a laminar flow, degrading the uniformity of the supply amount of the raw material gases within the plane of the substrate. In addition, besides a film thickness of the formed film, the uniformity of film quality is also degraded.


A roller assembly for a glass sheet bending apparatus has a guide shaft bent to have a predetermined curvature and a plurality of ring rollers fitted rotatably to the guide shaft whereby a glass sheet is bent while the glass sheet is transferred into a predetermined direction by the rotation of the ring rollers, wherein the guide shaft is formed by overlapping a plurality of strip members bendable to have predetermined curvatures and the ring rollers are rotatably fitted to the guide shaft by means of bearings.

As a glass sheet bending apparatus for bending a glass sheet during the transfer of it, a roller-form conveyor is known. The roller-form conveyor is provided with roller assemblies each comprising a guide shaft bent preliminarily to have a predetermined curvature and a plurality of ring rollers attached rotatably to the guide shaft wherein the ring rollers are connected to each other, whereby the roller assemblies can be rotated by a power machine or a power transmitting means disposed at a side of guide shafts. The roller assemblies are arranged in parallel to thereby form a transferring path having a predetermined curvature. When a glass sheet heated to a temperature near the softening point is transferred on the transferring path, the heated glass sheet is bent by its own weight so as to meet the curved surface of the transferring path.
There are many numbers of examples as to structures of roller assemblies.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,509 discloses such structure that projections are formed at one side of ring rollers and grooves are formed at the other side of ring rollers wherein a projection formed in a ring roller is fitted to a groove formed in an adjacent ring roller, so that when a rotating force is given to a ring roller at an end, the rotating force is transmitting successively to other rollers whereby all ring rollers can be rotated around the guide shaft holding the ring rollers, as a whole.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,754 discloses a roller assembly comprising a flexible bellows type pipe made of stainless steel in which spirally screw-cut portions are formed. A plurality of collars are fastened with spaces to the bellows type pipe by means of the screw-cut portions. Slip pipes are inserted in the collars and are fitted to an outer periphery of a guide shaft. When bellows type pipes are rotated through the slip pipes, a glass sheet is transferred so that it is bent by its own weight along a predetermined curvature formed by the bellows type pipes.
JP-A-8-188431 discloses a roller assembly comprising a guide shaft bent preliminarily to have a predetermined curvature and coil springs fitted rotatably to an outer periphery of the guide shaft. When a rotating force is applied to an end of the coil springs, the coil springs are rotated integrally around the guide shaft.
JP-A-10-218629 discloses a roller assembly of a type that a plurality of ring rollers are fitted to a guide shaft bent preliminarily to have a predetermined curvature; annular ribs are formed at both sides of adjacent ring rollers, and flexible tubular members made of, for example, rubber are fitted to the annular ribs, wherein both ends of the flexible tubular members are connected to the annular ribs by screws so that adjacent ring rollers are connected to each other.
In the above-mentioned structures, however, it was necessary to prepare guide shafts for different kinds of articles having different curvatures because each guide shaft was preliminarily formed to have a predetermined curvature, whereby there was a problem of cost increase. Further, there was a problem that it took a long time for job changing because it was necessary to exchange rollers when a kind of article which has been produced was changed to another to be produced. This caused a reduction in productivity of curved glass sheets.
On the other hand, there is proposed a roller assembly allowing its curvature to have a predetermined value. This roller assembly has such a structure that a guide shaft having a form of coil spring holds thereon a plurality of ring rollers so that the guide shaft can be bent to have a predetermined curvature. This roller assembly uses a thick coil spring. Accordingly, when a glass sheet is bent to have a small radius of curvature R such as a radius of 1,000 mm, which is usable for, for example, a window glass for an automobile, it is difficult to use the roller assembly having a thick coil spring because a smaller radius of curvature is required. Use of a thinner coil spring causes a reduction of the stiffness of the coil spring and is apt to suffer influence by an external force, whereby there is a problem that accuracy in the shape of a bend-shaped glass sheet becomes poor.

Roller assembly for a glass sheet bending apparatus and a glass sheet bending apparatus


A fastener comprising a fastener body and a fastener head is disclosed. The fastener body has a threaded portion and defines a longitudinal axis. The fastener head is arranged at one end of the fastener body, and comprises a tool engaging portion. The tool engaging portion comprises a plurality of alternating lobes and flutes forming a multilobular surface pattern, each lobe having a driven surface arranged to engage with a driving surface of a tool, and a trailing surface arranged opposite to the driven surface. The driven surface and the trailing surface extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis defined by the fastener body. The trailing surface of at least one lobe is provided with a modified zone in which a diameter of the lobe is increased, said modified zone providing a wedging effect between the tool engaging portion and a tool.

Fasteners comprising a multilobular tool engaging portion are known. For instance, fasteners for use with a TORX® drive system are provided with such tool engaging portions. The tool engaging portion may be in the form of a socket formed in a fastener head, or it may be in the form of a protruding portion, extending outwardly from a fastener head. A multilobular tool engaging portion ensures that a good driving contact can be obtained between driving surfaces of a tool and driven surfaces of the tool engaging portion of the fastener, thereby ensuring efficient torque transfer between the tool and the fastener. Accordingly, the risk of the tool disengaging the fastener during driving the fastener into a workpiece is minimised.
However, in multilobular driving systems, the tool tends to 'wobble' or 'wander' when it engages a tool engaging portion of a fastener. Therefore it is often necessary to use two hands when the tool is operated. This is a disadvantage. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a tighter fit between the tool and the fastener in order to prevent or reduce 'wobbling' of the tool during use, thereby allowing one-hand use of the tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,952 discloses a driver assembly for driving fasteners into a workpiece. According to one embodiment, a fastener socket is provided with a multilobular tool engaging portion where each lobe includes a driven side wall and a trailing tapered side wall. The driven side walls are adapted to contact the complementary lobular portions of a tool in order to apply torque to the fastener, while the trailing tapered side walls are aligned to contact the complementary lobular portion in wedge engagement. This reduces the wobble or walking of self-tapping screws.
One disadvantage of the driver assembly of U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,952 is that the trailing tapered side walls have the effect that the diameter of the socket increased along a direction from the base of the socket towards the mouth of the socket. Since it is desirable to ensure that the wedge engagement between the socket and the tool takes place at a certain depth of the socket, the mouth of the socket therefore has a relatively large diameter. This has the consequence that a relatively large gap exists between the socket and the tool at the mouth of the socket, and this increases the risk of instability or wobble of a tool engaging the socket of the fastener.

Fastener with multilobular tool engaging portion

Abstract: In the fastener of the invention wobble between the fastener and a tool is significantly reduced. A tool for punching a recess in a fastener head is also disclosed.


The invention relates to an oil management system for a compressor in a refrigeration system comprising: an oil temperature sensor; a heater arranged to heat oil in a crank case of the compressor; and a controller operatively associated with the temperature sensor and the heater, the controller arranged to control operation of the heater on the basis of ambient air temperature and oil temperature to maintain the oil temperature within a range Tmax≧R≧Tmin where Tmax>Tmin.

In a refrigeration system a compressor is used to produce a high refrigerant pressure gas which is subsequently liquefied by a condenser. The compressor has moving parts which must be lubricated in order to ensure reliable operation and longevity. Oil which is delivered to the moving parts of the compressor collects in a bottom of a compressor crank case and is recirculated: by a pump, or by refrigerant gas circulation through compressor, to the moving parts.
A crank case heater is sometimes used to heat the oil during a cycle OFF mode of the refrigeration system. This keeps the oil warm and prevents refrigerant migrating back to the crank case. In addition in cooler weather conditions, heating the oil maintains a minimum viscosity which assists in ensuring the quick application of lubricant to moving parts upon the refrigeration system switching to a cycle ON mode.
Oil management systems for compressors are well established in the market. Mechanical systems like the system per example from AC&R Components or the electronic system from per example Henry Technologies or Traxon Industries Pty Ltd.


A document feeder is formed of a reading section for reading an original document while the original document is being transferred; a transfer roller having a transfer path therearound with an inlet located near the reading section and an exit so that the original document is transferred from the inlet to the exit through the reading section; and first and second rollers pressed against the transfer roller. The first and second rollers are located respectively in upstream and down stream sides of the transfer path relative to the reading section. A guide member is overlapped with the transfer roller at one end so that the original document from the second roller is guided from the one end to the other end.

The present invention relates to a document transferring device for an image forming device, such as an image reading device or an image printing device, and more specifically, to an automatic document supplying device for supplying a plurality of documents stacked on a document tray by separating sheet by sheet to the image forming device, such as the image reading device.
As an example of the document transferring device for the image forming device, there has been known an automatic document supplying device for a book scanner wherein a function for reading a transferring document is added to the book scanner of a type where a stationary document is read. This type of device comprises a document placing table, document separating means disposed on one side over an ejection tray and a scanner main portion, document transferring means, and paper ejecting means, wherein a document transfer path extending to the ejection tray is rotated by 180 degrees on the way thereof, so that the document placing table and the ejection tray are disposed in a vertical relationship. In the conventional device, since the document placing table and the ejection tray are disposed in the vertical relationship, reading of the stationary document and reading of the transferring document can be carried out with a compact structure.
However, in the reading device as described above, the document does not always have an image information on one side thereof, and in many cases, the document has image information on both sides.
The conventional device as described above does not have a mechanism for automatically processing the document with the image information on both sides, and in order to process the both side document, even the automatic document supplying device is not useful, so that there are defects in an operation ability in that the both side document has to be manually reversed whenever one surface side is copied.
The present invention has been developed based on the aforementioned problems of the conventional device, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a document transferring device wherein the document is surely transferred while having the same compact structure as in the conventional device, and furthermore, various supply modes are provided to thereby obtain improved performance.

Compact automatic document feeder with compact document reversing device


A vertical cavity surface emitting laser with polarization control includes a first stack of distributed Bragg reflectors positioned on a substrate with an active region including a first cladding region and a second cladding region positioned on opposite sides of an active area overlying the first stack of distributed Bragg reflectors A second stack of distributed Bragg reflectors is positioned on the active region. The second stack has an ion implantation region formed to control and define a lasing threshold of the laser. The second stack further is formed into a ridge with the ridge being etched into the ion implantation region to form an elongated shape so as to polarize light emitted by the second stack of distributed Bragg reflectors

Recently, there has been an increased interest in a new type of laser called a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL). VCSELs have several advantages, such as being a smaller device, having potentially higher performance, and being potentially more manufacturable. These advantages are due in part from advances in epitaxial deposition techniques, such as metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE).
However, even with these advances there are still several difficulties such as polarizing the light emitted from the VCSEL while obtaining low threshold current, and the like. In general, the high threshold current is, in part, caused by inefficient current confinement in the VCSEL. Thus, conventional VCSELs are not easily used in polarization sensitive applications.
It can be readily seen that conventional VCSELs have several disadvantages and problems. Thus, many advantages provided by VCSEL technology can not be taken full advantage of by designers and consumers. Moreover, since some of the applications are high volume applications, these problems do not allow VCSEL technology to be use so as to drive the cost of laser technology down. Therefore, a vertical cavity surface emitting laser and method of making same that provides light emission polarized toward a predetermined direction while lowering the threshold values and reducing cost would be highly desirable.
It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a new and improved vertical cavity surface emitting laser with polarization control.
It is another purpose of the present invention to provide a new and improved vertical cavity surface emitting laser with polarization control and low lasing threshold.

VCSEL having polarization control and method of making same


A two-stroke engine is for a portable handheld work apparatus such as a motor-driven chain saw, cutoff machine, brushcutter or the like. A combustion chamber (3) is configured in the cylinder (2) of the engine (1) and is delimited by a reciprocating piston (5). The piston (5) drives a crankshaft (7) via a connecting rod (6). The crankshaft (7) is rotatably journalled in the crankcase (4). The two-stroke engine includes a discharge opening (10) for conducting exhaust gases out of the combustion chamber (3) and an inlet (11) via which an air/fuel mixture is conducted to the crankcase (4). The air/fuel mixture passes via at least one transfer channel (12, 15) from the crankcase (4) into the combustion chamber (3). The transfer channels (12, 15) open at one end with a transfer window (13, 16) into the combustion chamber (3) and are connected at the other end to the crankcase (4). A bypass channel (20) conducts essentially fuel-free gas and opens via a membrane valve (19) into the transfer channel (15). The sum of all areas of the inlet windows (13, 16) referred to the piston displacement of the engine is approximately 1.4 mm2/cm3 to approximately 5.90 mm2/cm3 whereby good exhaust-gas values are obtained at low fuel consumption.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,571,756 discloses a two-stroke engine wherein an air/fuel mixture is drawn by suction into the crankcase and is moved into the combustion chamber via transfer channels during a downward travel of the piston. For reducing the scavenging losses, transfer channels, which are arranged near the outlet, are supplied with pure air via bypass channels and a controlled opening. When opening the transfer channels, pure air prestored in the bypass channel first flows into the combustion chamber whereby the afterflowing air/fuel mixture is intended to be curtained off with respect to the outlet. An essential component of the unavoidable scavenging losses, which are caused by construction, is formed by the inflowing air so that the component of the air/fuel mixture in the scavenging losses is reduced.
In practice, it has been determined that the fuel consumption and also the exhaust-gas behavior are not satisfactory, especially in two-stroke high-performance engines having a piston displacement of more than 50 cm3 to, for example, 200 cm3 and a capacity of more than 45 kW/l Vh (kilowatt per liter of piston displacement).


A retractable grip assist handle assembly provides an extendable support for a passenger during ingress to or egress from the vehicle. The retractable grip assist handle assembly includes a handle, and a body portion having a first end connected to the handle and the handle and body portion are extendable relative to the vehicle. A mechanical energy storage device is connected between a second end of the body portion and the vehicle. The mechanical energy storage device provides a return force that returns the handle to a retracted position from an extended position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an assist handle for a vehicle, and more particularly to a retractable assist handle for a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A passenger of a vehicle, such as a motor vehicle, may need to hold onto a portion of the vehicle for support during ingress into the vehicle or egress from the vehicle. The need for support may occur under a variety of circumstances, such as due to the size of the passenger relative to the height of the vehicle from the ground, or the dexterity or physical ability of the passenger. To accommodate the various types of passengers, vehicles typically include strategically placed handles for the passenger to grip upon entering or leaving the vehicle. For example, a handle may be located on a pillar, or on a seat or another portion of the vehicle. While these handles work well, they may be stationary, or may not be accessible to the user, or they may interfere with ingress to and egress from the vehicle. Thus, there is a need in the art for a retractable grip assist handle that has a more ergonomic placement, and does not interfere with ingress to and egress from the vehicle.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


Channel-bodied surgical needles and surgical incision members are disclosed having a generally U-shaped cross-sectional body portion and a penetrating tip portion formed on at least one end thereof. Preferably, penetrating tip portions are formed at both ends of the channel-bodied portion. The surgical needle and/or surgical incision member may additionally includes apparatus engagement structure formed adjacent either end of the body portion and engagable with a suitable surgical suturing apparatus. The channel-bodied surgical needle and/or surgical incision member may additionally include securement structure for attachment of a length of suture material thereto. There is also disclosed apparatus for forming a channel-shaped body portion and the suture attachment structure. Additionally, methods for suturing tissue sections, particularly vascular tissue sections, with the channel-bodied surgical needle and the channel-bodied surgical incision members, are disclosed. Also, methods for forming the channel-bodied surgical needle and channel-bodied surgical incision member are disclosed.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to surgical needles and, more particularly, to a surgical suturing needle having a channel-shaped body portion.
2. Description of Related Art
Surgical suturing needles are available in numerous types and sizes depending on the intended use or application. Surgical incision members are a type of surgical grade needle designed for use with surgical suturing instrumentation. Surgical incision members have points formed at either end and, preferably, a length of suture material attached intermediate the points. Typically, surgical incision members have a substantially uniform round cross-section, although other solid bodied cross-sections may be provided. Apparatus engagement structure may also be formed in a body portion of the surgical incision member to facilitate its use with a suitable surgical suturing apparatus. As used herein, the terms "surgical needle" and "surgical incision member" refer to fully formed surgical grade needles ready for suture attachment and use in surgical procedures. Further, as used herein, the term "needle blank" refers to a piece of needle stock at various stages of completion but not filly formed into a surgical grade needle or surgical incision member suitable for use during surgical procedures.
Solid bodied surgical incision members are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/260,579, filed Jun. 16, 1994 entitled SURGICAL INCISION MEMBERS; and 29/024,594, filed Jun. 16, 1994 entitled SURGICAL INCISION MEMBER, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein. Suitable apparatus for manipulation of surgical needles and surgical incision members are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 06/954,013 filed Sep. 30, 1992 entitled SUTURING APPARATUS; 08/134,145 filed Oct. 8, 1993 entitled SURGICAL SUTURING APPARATUS WITH LOADING MECHANISM; 08/319,703 filed Oct. 7, 1994 entitled VASCULAR SUTURING APPARATUS; and 08/319,840 filed Oct. 7, 1994 entitled ENDOSCOPIC VASCULAR SUTURING APPARATUS.
During surgical procedures it is often necessary to join or rejoin tissue or vessels to form an anastomosis. Various methods of joining tissue or vascular tissues to create an anastomosis are used, such as, for example, suturing, stapling or clipping the tissue together. The anastomosis of vascular tissue involves particularly delicate and precise suturing in order to insure a secure and fluid tight seal. Given the very small size of typical vascular tissue, accurate and precise suturing on a small scale is imperative. Working in a highly magnified field, the surgeon uses a very small suturing needle having a length of suture material attached thereto to suture the vessels together. The suturing needle is typically grasped by a needle holder and passed through one vessel and then the opposite vessel. The procedure is repeated to thread or impart a series of stitches to the vessels to suture them together. Because of the extremely small size of the suturing needle used, typically on the order of ten thousands of an inch in diameter, and the highly magnified field, handling problems may arise while manipulating the suturing needle through the vascular tissues. Drawing the needle and suture through a vessel requires the controlled and accurate release and acquisition of the needle and suture during the procedure. Precise control of the needle is often difficult when using typical needle holders. Thus surgical suturing apparatus which manipulate either surgical needles or surgical incision members are particularly useful in vascular surgery. They can provide accurate and reliable transfer of the needles or incision members through vascular tissue, particularly in small operating fields.
Care must be taken to ensure only a minimal puncture is performed and that the tissue is not damaged as the suture is drawn through. Round punctures in vascular tissues can take longer to heal than a non-circular incision or cut. Further, when using round-bodied surgical needles, the size of the needle and suture should be carefully matched to ensure the suture does not tear tissue and to prevent fluid leakage from the vessel. Accordingly, a need exists for a surgical needle and/or surgical incision member which penetrates tissue in a less traumatic manner than a conventional needle. It would be desirable to make a more incision-like penetration of the tissue to facilitate healing.
Surgical needles and/or surgical incision members typically require several processes to form the finished product. These processes may include curving and cutting needle stock to form needle blanks, altering or refining the tip configurations and curvature radius, punching or drilling the blank to form a suture hole and/or notching the blank to provide engaging structure for cooperative instrumentation.
Due to the complexity of forming round-bodied surgical needles and surgical incision members, the manufacture of surgical incision members may become complicated and costly. For example, one commonly used method of manufacturing a round-bodied surgical incision member is by a process called metal injection molding or "MIM". The MIM manufacturing process tends to be costly and thus may adversely affect the otherwise desirable characteristics and traits of a surgical suturing apparatus utilizing surgical incision members.
It would be desirable to have a surgical suturing needle or incision member which can be produced with reduced cost and effort. It also would be desirable to have a vascular surgical suturing needle which is particularly suited to microscopic suturing of vascular tissues and which is capable of penetrating, and drawing a suture through, vascular tissue sections with minimal trauma to the tissue. It would also be desirable to have an inexpensive surgical suturing needle or surgical incision member which is easily handled by a surgical suturing apparatus.

Channel-bodied surgical needle and method of manufacture