A method of treating a well consists of introducing into the wellbore a biodegradable fluid system containing a blend of lactic acid ester, such as ethyl lactate, and a fatty acid ester, such as methyl soyate. The fluid system may be further in the form of a microemulsion that is formed by combining a blend with one or more emulsifiers, an alcohol, and water. The fluid system may be used in displacement, well remediation and stimulation as well as additional, alternative applications such as the cleaning of surface and/or downhole equipment.

Stimulation refers to the treatment of geological formations to improve the recovery of hydrocarbons. Common stimulation techniques include well fracturing and acidizing operations.
Fracturing of the formation is accomplished by pumping fluids into the borehole of an oil or gas well under high pressure to create fractures in the rock formation surrounding the wellbore. The fractures radiate outwardly from the wellbore, typically from a few to hundreds of meters, and extend the surface area from which oil or gas drains into the well.
Typically, the fracturing fluid is a crosslinked polymer that has been gelled to increase its viscosity. Crosslinked gels are able to withstand the high temperature conditions commonly found in deeper oil and gas wells with little reduction in viscosity. After the fracturing fluid is injected into the formation to produce the fracture, the viscosity of the fluid is reduced by gel breakers. Such components break down the gelled fluid so that it can be easily pumped and removed from the well. Often, breaker catalysts are used to activate the gel breaker.
In certain formations, aqueous acid solutions can be used to improve the permeability of the formation, thereby increasing production. These acids are often combined with the polymer gels used in fracturing to provide an acid fracturing fluid. One of the benefits of combining the aqueous acid solutions with gelled fracturing fluids is that the gelled fluid inhibits or retards the reaction of the acid with the formation. This is beneficial in that the acid would otherwise react too quickly, depleting the acid with very little penetration of the formation. Once in place, the viscosity of the fluid is reduced so that the acid is released to react with formation damage or other skin present at the face of the newly formed fractures and improving the permeability of the producing strata.
In addition to fracturing and acidizing operations, stimulation further encompasses techniques for enhancing oil recovery as well as water control treatments. In the latter, the flow of excess water is prevented while the flow of produced hydrocarbons from the well is enhanced. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,812 and U.S. Patent Application No. US2004/0177957A1 disclose a chemical treatment that selectively reduces water production by the use of relative permeability modifiers (RPMs). RPMs are generally water soluble polymers having a charged end which assists in binding of the RPM to the geological rock formation.
Stimulation methods often include the use of spearhead fluids that are typically composed of an aqueous base fluid and chemical additives. Spearhead fluids precede the introduction of stimulation fluids. Spearhead fluids, for instance, may precede the introduction of RPMs. The spearhead fluid thereby removes heavy oil deposits in the near wellbore and oil films in the pore spaces of the rock. The RPM is then introduced and is capable of more strongly adhering to the rock.
In contrast to stimulation, remediation refers to the removal of unwanted deposits from the wellbore and production equipment. Remediation includes hydrogen sulfide mitigation. Such unwanted deposits form and/or accumulate in the wellbore, production and recovery equipment and well casing. For example, highly toxic hydrogen sulfide is produced during the decomposition of organic matter. In addition to hydrogen sulfide, other undesirable downhole products form such as scale, paraffins, fines, pipe dope, sulfur, heavy oil tar by-products and water blocks. Such accumulated deposits affect productivity and are typically removed prior to cementing or the introduction of completion fluids into the wellbore. Remediation treatment fluids are further typically used to remove such undesired deposits prior to the introduction of stimulation fluids.
Upon the completion of drilling and cementing operations, it is often desired to displace the drilling fluid system with a completion fluid system. Completion often requires the use of a packer fluid in the annulus between the casing and the production tubing. Well completion designs and reservoir conditions govern acceptable levels of particle content in packer fluids. The required cleanliness of this fluid can vary from several hundred Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) down to 10–20 NTU.
Displacement of a drilling fluid with a completion fluid may be performed in several steps. Typically, the drilling fluid is first displaced by a casing cleaning fluid. Treatment with seawater normally follows. The seawater may then be displaced by a packer fluid. Complete displacement of a fluid by another fluid by use of hydraulic force is difficult to achieve in the annulus. In order to more efficiently displace the drilling fluid with a packer fluid, cleaning fluids with a variety of chemical additives are pumped between the drilling fluid and the packer fluid. The chemical additives serve to disperse and break-up solid components within the drilling fluid. In addition, they serve to decrease surface activity between the two fluids.
Well treatment fluids presently used for stimulation and remediation as well as fluids for removing drilling muds from the wellbore, prior to cementing or introduction of a completion brine, are either not biodegradable or are less efficacious than desired. There is a continued need for more effective methods and systems for drilling fluid displacement, enhancement of oil recovery, wellbore remediation and formation stimulation. In particular, there is a need for new systems that are biodegradable.

Method of treating an oil or gas well with biodegradable low toxicity fluid system


Each of an image retrieval method and an image retrieval device in accordance with the present invention is provided with a means for extracting a color layout feature quantity, a dominant color feature quantity, a region division feature quantity, and a shape feature quantity from a query image which is a key of retrieval, and a means for specifying a region of interest of the image by carrying out mutual use of the above-mentioned feature quantities.

Conventionally, when retrieving an image, a keyword related to the image is generally used. As a means for retrieving an image which is intuitively similar to a query image which is used as a key of retrieval, there has been provided a method of extracting feature quantities, such as the color, texture, and outline of the query image, from the query image, and retrieving an image on the basis of the feature quantities. Furthermore, there has been proposed a method of dividing the query image into regions, extracting image characteristic quantities from each of the regions, and calculating degrees of similarity between the query image and images to be retrieved.
In general, a portion including an object to be shot and a background portion exist in a captured image. In a case in which feature quantities are extracted from the whole image, the feature quantities of the object to be shot and the feature quantities of the background coexist in the extracted feature quantities. Therefore, especially in a case in which the background portion occupies a large region in the image, the feature quantities of the background become a factor to lower the retrieval accuracy remarkably.
In order to solve this problem, patent reference 1 proposes a method of dividing an image into some regions, extracting feature quantities, and carrying out similarity calculation.
[Patent reference 1] JP,2004-21430,A
However, in accordance with the method disclosed in patent reference 1, an image is divided into rectangular regions, and no method of specifying the region of the object to be shot is disclosed explicitly. Many kinds of feature quantities, such as color, shape, and texture, are extracted from the image, and show different features of the image. Because feature quantities which should be thought as important in the calculation of similarity vary dependently upon images to be retrieved and the user's taste, desired results are hard to be obtained. A further problem is that in a case in which the number of images to be referred to is huge and the similarity calculation is carried out for each of all of many feature quantities, large amounts of computations are needed, the cost of the retrieval system is increased, and the user's convenience may be spoiled.
The present invention is made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an image retrieval method and an image retrieval apparatus which achieve improvement in the speed of extraction of feature quantities and similarity calculation by making mutual use of the feature quantities, and which improve the retrieval accuracy and speed by carrying out region division adaptively and selecting an appropriate feature quantity.

Image retrieval method and image retrieval device


A disposable wearing article improved so that leakage of body waste can be prevented, a change in color which might develop in an unused state of the wearing article can be inhibited and actually discharged body exudates can immediately cause an indicator to develop a change of color. A disposable diaper includes a topsheet, a backsheet and a liquid-absorbent structure interposed between these top- and backsheets. The backsheet includes first and second backsheets and the first backsheet is formed on its side facing the liquid-absorbent structure with an indicator adapted to develop a color reaction when the indicator comes in contact with at least one of moisture and body exudates. A plurality of such indicators is arranged to extend in a longitudinal direction and to be spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction. The liquid-absorbent structure includes a liquid-absorbent core and a wrapping sheet adapted to wrap the core. A bottom sheet as a hydrophobic bottom element is interposed between a bottom surface of the core and a bottom region of the wrapping sheet as a hydrophobic bottom element.

Conventionally, disposable diapers are known including front and rear waist regions and a crotch region extending between these front and rear waist regions wherein the crotch region is formed with an indicator adapted to detect the occurrence of urination. For example, JP 2007-175390 A (PTL 1) discloses a disposable diaper including a crotch region coated with an adhesive containing an ingredient adapted to develop color reaction in response to contact with moisture such as urine so that such an adhesive may function as an indicator.
The disposable diaper described in PTL 1 includes a liquid-absorbent body, a liquid-permeable topsheet lying on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body facing the wearer's body, i.e., the liquid absorbing surface of the absorbent body, a leakage-barrier sheet lying on the bottom side of the absorbent body and a backsheet lying on the outer surface of the leakage-barrier sheet. The absorbent body is wrapped with a wrapping sheet and the side of the leakage-barrier sheet facing the absorbent body is formed with the indicator. As a material of the core wrapping sheet, a hydrophobic fibrous nonwoven fabric is used to prevent the indicator from coming in direct contact with the absorbent body. The absorbent body intrinsically has water absorbability and may absorb moisture vapor in the atmosphere even in an unused state of the diaper. However, the absorbent body may be wrapped with the hydrophobic wrapping sheet to prevent the indicator from undergoing a color change due to moisture vapor in its unused state.


To provide an optical unit which can be driven with low electrical power, is controllable in its transmittance in visible light, has satisfactory spectroscopic properties in a light-screening state, and exhibits a life span extended by reducing the over-voltage upon the electrodes; and to provide an electrolytic solution to be used in the optical unit. An optical unit comprising a pair of opposing electrodes 2 and 3, and an electrolytic solution 1 comprising a solvent and a silver bromide dissolved therein, the electrolytic solution further containing a metal salt such as copper bromide to be co-deposited with silver, and the electrolytic solution being disposed between the opposing electrodes such that deposition/dissolution of silver is caused by drive-controlling these electrodes.

The present invention relates to optical units, for example, units for displaying figures or characters or units for a X-Y matrix displaying or a filter capable of controlling transmittances in visible light (within a wavelength range of 400 to 700 nm), and also relates to electrolytic solutions used in such optical units.


The present invention relates to a method of detecting phycocyanin algae or bacteria in water from reflected light, and also includes devices for the measurement, calculation and transmission of data relating to that method.

The present invention relates to a method of detecting phycocyanin-pigmented algae or bacteria (cyanobacteria) in water from reflected light. These organisms are generally referred to as phycocyanins and cyanobacteria.
In many instances it is desirable to be able to detect the presence microorganisms in water, particularly bodies of water that serve as a source for drinking water or that may serve as a site for recreation, such as for swimming boating, water sports and fishing. Many of these organisms in high concentrations can be harmful to the public and to the environment generally.
It is particularly desirable to be able to be able to detect the presence microorganisms in water in a manner that is convenient and provides relatively immediate results so that the public may be warned or other actions taken to avoid or eliminate contamination of the assayed water.
The Laurentian Great Lakes have experienced toxin-producing blooms of the cyanobacterium Microcystis sp. on a number of occasions over the past decade, including a massive bloom in Lake Erie in 1995 that caused a variety of water quality problems and attracted broad public concerns (Taylor, 1997; Brittain et al, 2000; Budd et al, 2002).
Most freshwater systems in the world are affected by anthropogenic eutrophication, leading to undesirable increases in planktonic and benthic biomass. These phenomena often show large local differences and interactions with patterns of water flow. Among various problems, the amount and distribution of nuisance-forming cyanobacteria is of primary concern for water management. Cyanobacterial blooms may cause a variety of water quality problems, including dissolved oxygen depletion and subsequent fish kills, aesthetic nuisances (e.g., odors, scums, fish tainting, unsightliness), and unpalatable and possibly unsafe drinking water (Carmichael, 2001). Such problems can severely limit aquatic habitat, recreational activities, fisheries, and use of a water body as a potable water resource. Microcystis spp., a common bloom-forming species of cyanobacteria, was regularly documented in Lake Erie several decades ago, when the lake was heavily eutrophied as a result of anthropogenic activities (Makarewicz, 1993). Subsequent phosphorus abatement strategies initiated as part of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement have been largely successful resulting in a reduction in algal biomass and greater lake transparency. Despite these actions, blooms of Microcystis spp. have returned to Lake Erie, recurring each summer since 1995. The return of the blooms appears to coincide with the spread of invasive zebra mussels throughout Lake Erie and is possibly related to selective filtration of other phytoplankton by the mussels and rejection of Microcystis spp (Vanderploeg et al. 2001). During September, 1995, Lake Erie experienced a Microcystis spp. bloom resembling a thick slick of grass-green paint that extended over the entire surface of the western basin (Taylor, 1997; Brittain et al, 2000; Budd et al, 2002). Another notable bloom was reported in September, 1998 (Lake Erie LaMP, 2000). These blooms are of special concern because at least some Lake Erie strains of Microcystis spp. produce the peptide hepatotoxin microcystin, which is harmful to waterfowl or other animals that might drink the untreated water (Brittain et al, 2000). Microcystin has also been identified as a tumor promoter, making long-term ingestion of even low levels of the toxin of concern (Falconer and Humpage, 1996; Carmichael, 2001).
It would be of economic and public health value to be able to detect early stage (emergent) blooms of cyanobacteria, and Microcystis spp. in particular, especially if it is on a sufficiently timely basis for municipalities and recreation facilities to implement a response plan. It has been shown that remote sensing technology can be used to estimate the concentration and distribution of cyanobacteria through measuring the concentration of the pigment phycocyanin (Dekker, 1993), which is indicative of the presence of cyanobacteria. In waters off the southeastern coastal U.S. and the Gulf of Mexico, Subramaniam et al (2001) have applied a multispectral classification algorithm that employs data from the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) for mapping blooms of Trichodesmium spp., a marine cyanobacterium. In cyanobacteria, phycobiliproteins constitute the major photosynthetic accessory pigments (MacColl and Guard-Friar, 1987). Whereas in marine species the pink-colored phycoerythrin is the dominant accessory pigment, in fresh water taxa, such as Microcystis spp., phycocyanin is the dominant pigment (MacColl and Guard-Friar, 1987). With the availability of LANDSAT 7 imagery for every 16-day overpass period, the present invention is intended to develop a LANDSAT TM algorithm for detecting various levels of phycocyanin in western Lake Erie. The present invention also allows for the mapping of turbidity in Lake Erie and its tributaries, to investigate relationships between phycocyanin and turbidity.
With the availability of LANDSAT Thematic Mapper TM imagery featuring an overpass cycle of every 16 days (8-day intervals, if both LANDSAT 5 and 7 are employed), one goal of the present invention was to develop a set of algorithms, methods of their use and devices for detecting cyanobacterial blooms in Lake Erie, based on a unique spectral signature produced by phycocyanin, a light-harvesting pigment complex ubiquitous among cyanophytes.
In addition to the features mentioned above, objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent upon a reading of the following description and through practice of the present invention.

Method and apparatus for detecting phycocyanin-pigmented algae and bacteria from reflected light


A PLL circuit includes a voltage-controlled oscillator having a control voltage terminal, a charge pump, a loop filter having an output coupled with the control voltage terminal via the loop filter, and a part for connecting any point on a route from an output terminal of the charge pump to the control voltage terminal to ground and disconnecting said point from the ground after a frequency of the voltage-controlled oscillator is adjusted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a PLL (Phase-Locked Loop) circuit, a communication apparatus equipped with a PLL circuit, and a frequency adjustment method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A PLL synthesizer module used in a communication apparatus has a circuit configuration composed of a VCO (Voltage-Controlled Oscillator), a loop filter circuit, a PLL IC including a charge pump circuit and a phase comparator.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a conventional frequency trimming method for the voltage-controlled oscillator. First, a supply of power to the VCO is started at step S101, and a supply of power to the PLL IC is started at step S102. Next, an instruction signal that indicates a target frequency to be set is written into the PLL IC at step S103. If it is determined, at step S105, whether the VCO deviates from the target frequency at step S105 after the PLL loop is in the locked state (in-phase state) at step S104. If the VCO does not oscillate at the target frequency, the frequency is adjusted by trimming a capacitance element or an inductance element, which elements form the resonance circuit of the VCO. It is to be noted that the frequency adjustment mentioned above is carried out while the PLL IC is working.
However, the conventional trimming-based frequency adjustment needs a long time to set the PLL circuit at the target frequency because the PLL IC is being activated until the target frequency is obtained by applying the control voltage to the frequency control terminal of the VCO through the charge pump circuit. It is therefore difficult to shorten the time it takes to perform the step of trimming. Further, the trimming-based frequency adjustment needs several instruments such as a frequency measurement device, a power supply, and a circuit generating a digital signal used as the input signal to control the PLL IC.
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a PLL circuit described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-183733. Referring to FIG. 2, a PLL circuit 10 includes a voltage-controlled oscillator 2 equipped with a trimming area 2c serving as an oscillation frequency adjusting mechanism and a control voltage terminal 2d, a charge pump 7, a loop filter 8, an oscillator 3, frequency dividers 4 and 5 and a phase comparator 6. The output of the charge pump 7 is connected to the control voltage terminal 2d via the loop filter 8. Any of voltage applying means 11a through 11e are provided in the route from the output terminal of the charge pump 7 to the control voltage terminal 2d via the loop filter 8. The voltage applying means 11a through 11e apply a predictable dc voltage to the control voltage terminal 2d. Then, the oscillation frequency of the voltage-controlled oscillator 2 is adjusted by using the trimming area 2c. It is therefore possible to rapidly adjust the oscillation frequency of the voltage-controlled oscillator 2 in the PLL circuit 10 without operating the entire PLL circuit 10.
However, this adjustment method is liable to be affected by noise superimposed on the power supply. In order to reduce the influence of this noise and precisely control the VCO at the target frequency, it is necessary to apply a control voltage to a signal line between the charge pump and the voltage-controlled oscillator, particularly at a point close to the side of the charge pump. The position at which the control voltage is applied is thus limited.

PLL circuit, communication apparatus equipped with PLL circuit, and frequency adjustment method


A container for body fluid specimens includes temperature sensing means and means to read the temperature of a fluid specimen in the container. On the outside face of the container there is a first strip to cover the temperature reading means and over the strip is a label. Removal of the strip defaces or at least partly destroys the label which can indicate tampering with the container.

Personnel working in safety sensitive and sporting environments are often subjected to random drug testing, and it is necessary to avoid tampering with specimens.
This invention relates to a tamper-proof container for body fluid specimens such as urine. Different forms of containers have been devised to minimize the possibility of tampering of containers. After rendering the specimen, it is necessary to insure that the particular specimen of the subject is retained in the bottle unadulterated and free of tampering. It is also necessary to insure that there is no substitution of a bottle containing a specimen for a different subject's specimen.
One manner of minimizing sample tampering is to insure that the temperature of the specimen is within a prescribed range within a prescribed period of time after the specimen is rendered. Any major variation in that temperature can indicate that a subject has substituted a rendered specimen with a specimen not immediately rendered.
It is desirable to have a simple system for detecting tampering and thus minimizing the risk of tampering.
Prior art systems use relatively complicated containers with relatively complex closure means operative with a container.
There is a need to provide a simple and effective tamper detection container for fluid body specimens which minimizes the disadvantages of prior art systems.


A bone repair composition and methods thereof include elongated bone fibers made from cortical bone in which a plurality of approximately uniform bone fibers is made into various implant shapes conducive for various applications. The bone fiber compositions may be in the form of a cavity, ball, pellet, wrap, strip, cylinder, cone, putty, gel, or injectable slurry.

Bone grafts are commonly used to treat defects in the skeletal system caused by injury or disease. Skeletal defects often require bone grafts to maintain space and provide a matrix for healing. A graft should provide or facilitate the various mechanisms of bone healing including osteoconduction, osteoinduction, and osteogenesis. Osteoconduction is the ability of the graft to act as a matrix or scaffold to support bone formation. Osteoinduction is a result of bone growth factors that stimulate differentiation of local cells to become bone forming cells, i.e. osteoblasts. Bone morphogenic proteins (BMP's) that are naturally occurring in bone, or that may be produced by recombinant gene technologies, are responsible for osteoinduction. Osteogenesis refers to the formation of bone, and may also be used to reference the ability of cells, to form bone. Bone forming cells may either be resident at the graft site or transplanted to the site by autogenous bone, bone marrow aspirate and/or cell implantation. Considering these requirements to form bone, a need exists for a reproducible and cost-effective process of making a bone graft having improved osteoconductive and osteoinductive properties.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Demineralized bone fibers having controlled geometry and shapes and methods thereof


A vehicle control station includes a hand rest and at least one micro-joystick positioned relative to the hand rest such that the hand rest is configured to locate an operator's hand and fingers in position to operate the at least one micro-joystick. A function enable switch is configured to activate the at least one micro-joystick.

The invention relates to compact vehicles and, more particularly, to a control station that is particularly suited for stand-on tracked vehicles like dumpers, crawler work platforms (booms and scissors) as well as wheeled work platforms and other types of compact tracked and wheeled vehicles.
Existing track type machines or crawler machines with a stand-on control station typically use one of two approaches to control station design. With a single two-axis proportional joystick, the left and right vehicle tracks are driven proportionally based on a position of the single joystick. For example, pushing the joystick straight forward provides for equal drive to the left and right tracks, whereas pushing the joystick forward and 45° to the right, for example, would drive the left track slightly faster than the right track, causing the vehicle to initiate a right turn. The second approach utilizes two single-axis joysticks that are typically positioned close together. Each of the two single-axis joysticks independently controls one of the left and right tracks. Thus, for example, pushing the left joystick forward would drive the left track and initiate a right turn.


The present disclosure relates to a control unit for controlling operation of a hoist in a load slip condition. The hoist may include a motor coupled to a winding drum for lifting and lowering a load. The control unit may include a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor. The memory may store processor executable instructions, which, on execution, cause the processor to operate the hoist for selectively lifting and lowering a load between a first position and a second position upon detecting a load slip condition. The processor may operate the hoist based on parameters pertaining to transport of the load. The control unit may be configured to reciprocate the load in a load slip condition to prevent overheating and failure of a motor, thereby preventing a fall of the load in a work area.

Cranes are widely used in handling heavy loads in a number of applications and industries, such as, but not limited to, manufacturing industries, on-shore and off-shore platforms, civil construction sites, and the like. The cranes are configured to handle the heavy loads in a work area by either lifting, lowering, holding or overhanging the heavy loads.
The cranes are provided with a hoist for handling the heavy loads. The hoist generally includes a motor operable by an operator, to lift or lower the load based on requirement. A brake assembly is mounted on a winding drum of the motor, which is adapted to restrict movement of the winding drum, so that the load may be held or supported in an overhang position. However, during prolonged usage of the hoist, or due to overloading, there may be instances that the brake assembly in the overhang condition, may fail, and cause free fall of the heavy load in the work area of the floor.
Conventionally, to overcome such limitations in the brake assembly, a system for compensating brake failure in the brake assembly is employed. The system includes a control unit configured to operate the motor, so that the load falling due to failure of the brake assembly is held in place, until the load is unloaded in a safe zone of the work area. Also, when the load is held at place unattended at zero speed of the motor, the motor might get heated up quickly and burn. In these conditions, the motor may be subjected to undue stresses due to inertial forces and also due to the load acting on the motor. The combination of these stresses may cause the motor to overheat and fail. This condition may lead to loss of power in the motor, and hence the motor may drop the load altogether, which is hazardous and undesirable.
Thus, there exists a need for a control unit for controlling operation of the hoist in the load slip condition in order to maintain a safe work area.
The information disclosed in this background of the disclosure section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the present disclosure and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

Control unit for controlling a hoist in a load slip condition and method thereof


According to the present invention, there is provided an improved multi-beam exposure unit using a plurality of beams for scanning, in which shifts between the beams are reduced so that images can be accurately superposed without color shifts or variations in beam spaces. The multi-beam exposure unit according to the invention has a pre-deflection optical system, which includes light sources, each having light-emitting points arranged individually in the respective positions of the vertexes of a triangle defined by m=3, and a mechanism for collectively adjusting the sub-scanning-direction spaces between light beams from the light sources on an image surface, a deflector having rotatable reflecting surfaces and capable of deflecting the light beams from the pre-deflection optical system in predetermined directions by rotating the reflecting surfaces at a predetermined speed, and a post-deflection optical system for continuously focusing m number of light beams, deflected by the deflector, on the image surface. Thus, the spaces between the three light beams in the sub-scanning direction can be equalized substantially.

The present invention relates to multi-beam exposure units for multi-beam scanning, adapted to be used in multi-drum color printers and copiers, multicolor printers and copiers, single-color high-speed laser printers, single-color high-speed digital copiers, etc.
An image forming apparatus, such as a color printer or copier using a plurality of image forming units that include a photoconductor drum each, employs an exposure unit that can provide a plurality of light beams as many as a plurality of image data corresponding to color-separated color components, that is, as many as the image forming units at the least.
Exposure units of this type include a plurality of semiconductor laser devices, first lens group, deflector, second lens group, etc. The laser devices emit a predetermined number of light beams corresponding to the image data for the individual separated color components. The first lens group serves to reduce the cross section of each light beam from each laser device to a predetermined size and shape. The deflector deflects light beams, reduced to the predetermined size and shape by the first lens group, by continuously reflecting them in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which a recording medium, carrying thereon an image formed by means of each light beam, is transported. The second lens group serves to focus each light beam deflected by the deflector on a predetermined portion of the recording medium. In many cases, the direction in which each light beam is deflected by the deflector is regarded or referred to as a main-scanning direction, and the direction in which the recording medium is transported, that is, a direction perpendicular to the main-scanning direction, as a sub-scanning direction.
Some image forming apparatuses use a plurality of exposure units that correspond individually to the image forming units, while others use only one exposure unit or multi-beam exposure unit that can singly provide a plurality of light beams. These days, high-speed printers are proposed to ensure higher image forming speed and improved image resolution. In these printers, image data of the same color are exposed in parallel with one another so that high-resolution images can be formed at higher speed.
If the rotational frequency of reflecting surfaces of the deflector is expected to be increased to ensure high-speed, high-resolution image formation, in one such exposure unit, high-speed rotation of the reflecting surfaces requires use of an expensive bearing such as a pneumatic bearing. On the other hand, the motor speed has its upper limit, and a motor for high-speed rotation costs high, requiring an expensive driver circuit. The increase in the rotational frequency of the reflecting surfaces cannot cover this increase in cost. Moreover, increasing the rotating speed of the reflecting surfaces accelerates windage loss of the reflecting surfaces and entails louder windage noises.
In contrast with this, the increase of the motor speed can be restrained by increasing the reflecting surfaces in number. If this is done, however, the image frequency is augmented, so that noise components, which are probably superposed on image signals (image data), increase inevitably. The augmentation of the image frequency, however, imposes various restrictions on the control circuit design or mounting.
Accordingly, multi-beam exposure has already been proposed as a method for lowering the rotational frequency of the reflecting surfaces and the image frequency. In this method, a plurality of light beams are allotted individually to color-separated color components and deflected (for scanning) at a time. However, the multi-beam exposure involves the following various problems.
If U number of groups of light beams are used as light sources, corresponding to the number of the color-separated color components, and if V number of light beams are provided for each color component, the number of necessary semiconductor laser devices is U.times.V. Therefore, the number of light beams to be deflected by the deflector is U.times.V. In order to deflect these light beams collectively, U.times.V number of semiconductor lasers and first lenses and U.times.V-1 number of half-mirrors are needed to put together the U number of groups of light beams, each including V number of light beams. In consequence, the number of necessary components is increased, thus entailing higher cost.
In the case where a plurality of image forming units, e.g., W=4 in number in general, are provided corresponding individually to the color components to be used in a color copying apparatus or the like, moreover, the semiconductor lasers, first lenses, and half-mirrors in the aforesaid numbers must be provided in W number of sets. Accordingly, the size of the apparatus is also increased. In this case, furthermore, it is necessary to secure a space that is wide enough to hold all the elements.
On the other hand, the numbers of semiconductor lasers and first lenses can be reduced by using semiconductor laser arrays that include X number of light emitting points each. In this case, however, control of the space between each light beam and its adjacent ones or the next one to be deflected is complicated in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the light beams are deflected by the deflector. If the space from each adjacent light beam or the next one to be deflected is changed slightly, the light beams are projected without being fully superposed in the direction perpendicular to the direction of deflection, so that jitters increase to lower the resolution.
The use of the semiconductor laser arrays that use X number of light-emitting points each allows some light beams that pass through lenses for converting the beams into a parallel or convergent beam to pass through any other portions of the lenses than the centers thereof. Therefore, aberrations for all the light beams can be corrected uniformly. In other words, it is difficult to equalize the aberrations for all the light beams by the same process of correction. Thus, the control for the space from each adjacent light beam or the next one to be deflected is restricted within a certain range.
Variation of the space from each adjacent light beam or the next one to be deflected results in uneven image density as well as increased jitters. This further causes the color copying machine to suffer unevenness of colors and color shifts.


A method for inspecting and ascertaining the quality of a cast workpiece for the dimensional quality control is used for cast workpieces in which both the rough, as cast workpiece, as well as the finished cast workpiece are initially described in a computer file of a computer aided drafting (CAD)system. The method includes the steps of positioning and spatially locating the workpiece on a support surface; providing a computer having a CAD file of both the as cast workpiece and the finished workpiece; selecting a zone of the workpiece to be inspected; conducting a shape analysis of the workpiece in the selected zone using a three dimensional measuring device operatively associated with the computer so as to transmit three dimensional measurement data to the computer; storing the measurement data relating to the selected inspection zone; comparing the measurement data with corresponding data in the CAD file for the workpiece; repeating the aforementioned steps until the entire workpiece has been inspected; and accepting or rejecting the workpiece based on the comparison of the measured data with the data in the CAD file. Additionally, the step of comparing the measurement data with the CAD file data may involve the steps of carrying out a first comparison between the measured data points and the CAD file for the rough, as cast workpiece and, if the result of this first comparison is outside of the predetermined tolerances, carrying out a second comparison between the measurement data and the CAD file data for the completed, finished workpiece.

The invention relates to method for the dimensional quality control of cast parts, more particularly such a method used for determining the quality of such cast parts having aeronautical applications.
As is well-known, quality control methods for ascertaining the quality of cast parts are applied to both the rough, or as cast, workpiece as well as to the finished workpiece. Typically, after the workpiece has been cast, it must undergo further machining operations to be brought into its final dimensions.
The known quality control methods typically comprise two steps: the step of checking the appearance of the workpiece by looking for burns, inspecting the surface quality for both the external surface of the workpiece as well as any passageways or orifices; and the step of checking the dimensions of the workpiece, either by manually measuring the dimensions, such as with a caliber, depth gauge, etc., or by using a template or the like.
The known quality control steps are usually carried out on the first workpieces produced by a new manufacturing run. Indeed, the initial parts may be subjected to a complete dimensional check, which may include cutting the part open to inspect any interior dimensions. Once the inspection has been satisfactorily completed, it is performed only on randomly selected manufactured workpieces.
To date, such quality control checks have been carried out entirely manually. The manual operations, which may include spot painting to emphasize markings previously applied by an operator with a scriber or a compass, are laborious and consume large amounts of time of skilled personnel. The steps may include: Placing the workpiece at the beginning of the manufacturing run; tracing outer or remote segments to insure that workpiece did not warp from any previous thermal treatment; tracing the axes and the bore hole framing lines in one plane; tipping the part onto another plane and repeating the above operations; and tracing and measuring several shapes.
Such time consuming operations cause production delays, thereby increasing the manufacturing costs of the workpiece. Typically, such quality control checks on a rough, as cast workpiece may take several weeks.

Dimensional quality control method for cast parts


Disclosed are a method and apparatus for transmitting configuration information of a physical downlink control channel. The method comprises: acquiring state information of a terminal device, and generating dynamic signaling according to the state information of the terminal device, wherein the state information of the terminal device comprises service state information of the terminal device or channel state information of the terminal device; and sending the dynamic signaling to the terminal device, the dynamic signaling being used to indicate first configuration information of a search space, wherein the first configuration information is used to indicate that the terminal device monitors a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). The technical problem of high power consumption of a terminal device in the prior art is solved.

In a 5th generation new radio (5G NR) access technology system, the configuration of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) is related to a control-resource set (CORESET) and a search space, the search space refers to the time and period needed for monitoring in the condition that a terminal device monitors the PDCCH, the position in the CORESET and a candidate set of granularity of the control domain allocation resource element (control channel element, CCE), and each PDCCH is usually mapped to one or more CCEs. The set of multiple CCEs is called aggregation, and the order of magnitude is an aggregation level (AL). If the aggregation level is larger, the PDCCH will be mapped to more CCEs, thus the transmission performance of the PDCCH will be better.
At present, in order to monitor the PDCCH sent by a base station in real time, the terminal device monitors the PDCCH based on the configuration of radio resource control (RRC) signaling. Based on the configuration of the RRC signaling, each terminal device can be configured with multiple sets of control resources, each control resource set is configured with multiple search spaces, and each search space corresponds to a configuration of multiple levels of aggregation. Since the PDCCH is sent based on requirements, the terminal device needs to monitor the PDCCHs in PDCCH candidate sets corresponding to the configuration of multiple control resource sets, multiple search spaces and multiple aggregation levels, thus resulting in multiple PDCCH blind detecting by the terminal device in one time slot, and further increasing the power consumption of the terminal device.

Method and apparatus for transmitting configuration information of physical downlink control channel

Datang Mobile Communications Equipment Co., Ltd.


A set of encoders within a transmitter (TX) physical layer (PHY) encode incoming data using a predefined encoder scheme by translating multiple data segments into a set of balanced bit sequences. Each data segment comprises a first number of bits and each balanced bit sequence comprises a second number of bits. A data striping component distributes the set of balanced bit sequences to a set of serializers by routing bits from particular bit positions in each balanced bit sequence to a corresponding serializer. The set of serializers generates serialized data based on the set of balanced bit sequences.

Single-ended signaling is a common method of transmitting electrical signals over wires. With single-ended signaling, also referred to as non-differential signaling, one wire carries a varying voltage that represents the signal and another wire is connected to a reference voltage, usually ground. A disadvantage of single-ended signaling is that the return currents for all the signals use the same conductor and this can sometimes cause interference ("crosstalk") between the signals, which results in noise being introduced in the signals, thereby reducing the reliability of the signal transmission.

Encoding and striping technique for DC balancing in single-ended signaling


According to one embodiment, a cooling device includes: a heat transfer unit including a passage, through which a coolant circulates; a heat-receiving section thermally connected to a heating element; and a heat-sinking section for dissipating heat received by the heat-receiving section. The heat transfer unit includes: a first plate member, in which a groove corresponding to the passage is formed; and a second plate member, which covers the groove. The heat-receiving section is formed on one of the first and second plate members.

1. Field
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a cooling device having a pipe, through which a coolant flows. Another embodiment of the present invention relates to an electronic apparatus equipped with the cooling device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electronic apparatus, such as a portable computer, tends to be slimmed down. In association with slimming down, a cooling device for cooling a heating element, such as a CPU, also tends to be made slim. In order to make the cooling device slim, a practice for thinly forming a passage through which a coolant flows has been carried out.
In order to prevent reduction in the strength of the passage, which would otherwise be caused by slimming down, a multi-hole pipe having a plurality of holes is adopted for the passage. Since partition walls, which partition the holes, function as columns, the required strength of the multi-hole pipe is ensured.
The multi-hole pipe of this type is formed by means of, e.g., extrusion molding (see, e.g., JP-A-2000-193385).
Alternatively, the multi-hole pipe of this type has a structure having a first plate-like body whose one surface has a plurality of protruding sections, and a second plate-like body having recessed sections to fit the protruding sections. By means of the protruding sections of the first plate-like body fitting the recessed sections of the second plate-like body, the protruding sections and the recessed sections constitute partition walls, to thus form a plurality of holes (see, e.g., JP-A-2005-7459). The first and second plate-like bodies disclosed in JP-A-2005-7459 are formed by means of rolling.


A method for identifying an antisense oligonucleotide capable of binding to a target mRNA, which comprises contacting the target mRNA with each member of an oligonucleotide library separately under hybridization conditions, removing unhybridized material and determining which member or members hybridize; wherein the oligonucleotide library comprises a plurality of distinct nucleotide sequences of a predetermined common length, and wherein each nucleotide sequence comprises a known sequence of 4 to 8 bases and all possible combinations of the known sequence are present in the library.

The present invention relates to a method for identifying accessible sites in an RNA molecule for antisense agents and to methods for identifying antisense oligonucleotides.
Most library strategies used for identifying oligonucleotides (ONs) that bind an RNA have relied on cleavage of the target mRNA by RNAse H as the key component of their selection process. This, however, only selects for ONs which bind their targets with normal Watson-Crick interactions. ONs that bind their target RNA can mediate cleavage by RNAse H and the resultant fragments can be isolated by high resolution gel electrophoresis. The precise sequence of the successful ON is determined by sequencing the fragments. Mishra and Toulmxc3xa9 (1) have developed an alternative selection procedure based on selective amplification of ODNs (Oligodeoxynucleotides) that bind their target and have demonstrated non-Watson-Crick interactions in that binding. Their protocol requires just as much sequencing as the RNAse H strategy but they sequence the ODNs and not the target RNA fragments. Furthermore most library strategies use libraries that are free in solution which has the problem of cross hybridisation of ONs within the library. This can be solved by using mulitple libraries of minimally cross hybridising subsets but this adds to the labour involved in the selection of ODNs with active antisense properties.
The present invention provides a method for identifying an antisense oligonucleotide capable of binding to a target mRNA, which comprises contacting the target mRNA with each member of an oligonucleotide library separately under hybridisation conditions, removing unhybridised material and determining which member or members hybridise; wherein the oligonucleotide library comprises a plurality of distinct nucleotide sequences of a predetermined common length, and wherein each nucleotide sequence comprises a known sequence of 4 to 8 bases and all possible combinations of the known sequence are present in the library.
Each member of the oligonucleotide library may be contacted with the target mRNA in a separate container which may be immobilised in the container. Alternatively, each member of the oligonucleotide library may be immobilised at a separate location on a hybridisation array. Preferably the length of the known sequence is from 4 to 6 bases.
Each member of the oligonucleotide library may comprise a set of nucleotide sequences. Each nucleotide sequence may have a window region comprising the known sequence and a flanking region of no more than 8 bases, wherein all possible combinations of bases in the flanking region are present in each set and the common length of the nucleotide sequences is no more than 12 bases, preferably no more than 10 bases. The nucleotide sequences may be made from DNA analogues.
In one arrangement, the step of determining which member or members hybridises comprises determining the member or members which hybridise more rapidly.
The sequence of each member which hybridises may be compared with sequence information relating to the target mRNA so as to identify in the target mRNA one or more antisense binding sites.
This invention is aimed at the problem of identifying accessible sites within an mRNA but the object of this technique is to find accessible sites in a system that is applicable to any RNA molecule, that requires no sequencing and is not biased by the use of RNAse H. The emphasis of this patent is on the use of libraries of short oligonucleotide (ON) probes, preferably 4-mers. This invention provides a method for determining the accessible sites of an RNA to short ON probes by following the hybridisation reactions of each of the probes in the library with the target. Probes are spatially isolated and in the reactions, and either the probe or the target RNA is immobilised.
The rationale behind using probes with windows as short as 4mers is the assumption that most occurrences of a given 4-mer will be sequestered in secondary or tertiary structure. The data gained from following each individual hybridisation is interpreted in terms of the primary sequence:xe2x80x94hybridisation of several 4 mers to an accessible region will be marked by clustering of overlapping 4-mers in the primary sequence of the RNA. Ambiguities should be resolvable in part by analysis of the binding kinetics, so even if a 4-mer occurs more than once, it should still be possible in most cases to identify the most accessible regions in the RNA. The importance of using short probes is the ability to calibrate and normalise the hybridisation behaviour of all members of the library, since the library is not so large that this is impractical. A 4-mer library has 256 members, which is a modest number and it is realistic to test such a library against a number of model molecules to calibrate the system. Calibration is important as most 4-mers have different binding energies for a given degree of accessibility. In order to identify the regions of a molecule that are accessible on the basis of hybridisation kinetics requires that one be able to compare normalised kinetic data that takes into account that discrete overlapping 4-mers will bind the same accessible site with different kinetics. Small arrays of probes are cheaper to construct and manipulate when spatial isolation of probes is desired. Furthermore short probes are much less likely to have any secondary or tertiary structure themselves which would complicate the analysis of the hybridisation reactions.
Hybridisation times can be varied to derive kinetic data about each hybridisation reaction. The amount of probe ON hybridised after a given time will give quantitative data about the binding affinity of that probe for its target. By varying the hybridisation duration, a time course for the hybridisation reaction of each probe can be derived. The accessibility of any region of the structure will be inversely related to the time its complementary probe will take to bind hence detailed information about secondary structure can be acquired by this approach. In combination with a Scintillation Proximity Assay (Amersham), discussed below, the system is still more effective in that no washing is needed, so shorter probes can be used and the hybridisation reaction of each probe can be followed in real time.
Molecular Probes of RNA Structure
Spatial isolation and immobilisation of probes avoids cross-hybridisation problems associated with the use of oligonucleotide libraries free in solution simplifying interpretation of results. This process does not necessarily determine the most effective cut sites for RNAse H but provides detailed structural information about the target RNA to allow rational design of targetted molecules which can be then be developed into effective antisense agents, which will not necessarily operate on the basis of RNAse H mediated RNA degradation.
Advantages Over Previous Library Strategies
This invention uses random libraries of ONs since, in a random library of ONs of a given length, every possible sequence of that length is represented, hence every sub-sequence of that length that comprises a given target RNA is also represented. This means that a random library will be applicable to any RNA and will contain all the target subsequences within it. Since ONs are monitored independently, this means that this approach entails the targeted libraries discussed in a previous patent PCT/GB96/02275, and gives detailed kinetic behaviour about them. Explicit data concerning accessibility of sub-regions of the RNA to normal Watson-Crick interactions can thus be derived by this system.
Non-Watson-Crick interactions might well be less common than the normal complementary interactions but will also be represented in a system like this. One would expect interactions with regions that are partially complementary to the target RNA. If Watson-Crick interactions are the only potential interactions that are possible, such partial hybridisation would be expected to be weak but if non-Watson-Crick interactions play a role, as Mishra and Toulmxc3xa9 suggest (1), then subsets of these interactions might be expected to have higher strength interactions with the target RNA. Hence this strategy will identify potentially specific interactions that are non-Watson-Crick.
There appears to be a difference in the results of experiments performed with random libraries and those with targeted libraries. Different cut sites were identified by each library in the experiments performed in our previous patent application PCT/GB96/02275. In those experiments the targeted libraries covered only three specific sub-regions of the target RNA, TNFa. However the sites identified by this library were not identified by the random library. This is probably due to the fact that targeted libraries have fewer members, each of which are at higher relative concentrations than might be the case for members of a random library. The random library, therefore, picked up more accessible sites in regions not covered by the targeted libraries but the ONs corresponding to those used in the targeted library did not pick up the same cut sites. The cut sites picked up by the targeted libraries may have been due to their relatively higher concentration so these may not have been the most accessible. The problem of cross-hybridisation is also difficult to assess in these systems and the contribution of this effect is likely to be different for each type of library. This novel approach should normalise all of these effects giving much more meaningful data.
Kinetic data should also be acquired by this approach, as discussed below, which will give detailed structural information about target RNAs.
Kinetic Data from Hybridisation Experiments
Hybridisation times can be varied to derive kinetic data about each hybridisation reaction. The amount of probe ON hybridised after a given time will give quantitative data about the binding affinity of that probe for its target. By varying the hybridisation duration, a time course for the hybridisation reaction can be derived. The accessibility of any region of the structure will be inversely related to the time its complementary probe will take to bind to a given degree hence detailed information about secondary structure should be acquired by this approach.
This procedure would be impossible if libraries of large ONs were used due to the number of ONs that would be required. Calibration of each of the probes in a large library would be a massive task, although with automated image analysis of combinatorially synthesised chips, it might be feasible. However it is not necessary or desirable to use large oligonucleotides.
Real Time Kinetic Assays
Radiolabelling is a favourable labelling scheme with desirable properties, particularly radio-isotopes that produce low energy radiation with short path lengths such as 33p. Radiolabelling permits the development of proximity assays. The radiation emitted can be detected by various means, including scintillation or by geiger counters. Proximity detection systems and corresponding proximity assays measure the intensity of a signal from a label which gives a measure of the distance of the label from the detector. Scintillation proximity assays for example are based on the detection of radiation emitted from a radio-isotope. The amount of radiation reaching a scintillant surface is detected by photo-amplification of the scintillation. The mean path length of certain forms of radiation is fairly short. Beta radiation from 33P has a relatively low energy and short path length. This means a probe labelled with 33P will be detected only when it is relatively close to the detection surface. The further from the source the lower the intensity that is measured.
If an RNA molecule is labelled with 33P, and hybridised to an oligonucleotide probe immobilised on a scintillant containing surface or visa versa, one would expect the scintillation count to increase as the amount of RNA hybridised to the probe increases. One would expect there to be a background count, from molecules free in solution close enough to the scintillant surface to be detected, so control reactions with labelled RNA or probe depending on which is to be labelled in the actual assays must be performed. In this sort of system, spatial resolution of probes is essential, as only one radiolabel can be used at a time, so only one probe or RNA could be labelled at a time. The primary benefit of a system based on radiolabelling is the ability to measure hybridisation reactions in real time to give detailed kinetic data. Real time analysis can be achieved by detecting scintillation with a photoamplification and detection system coupled to appropriate signal processing electronics such as the Amersham Cytostar-T scintilling microplates.
Hybridisation Probes
There are two complementary difficulties with the use of short ON libraries. To ensure that the hybridisation of probe to an immobilised RNA is strong enough, one requires that the oligonucleotides be long enough to ensure a reasonable degree of hybridisation but the longer the probe the more massive the task of resolving the behaviour of individual library members. Since RNA/DNA hybrids have higher binding energies than RNA/RNA or DNA/DNA duplexes they are more stable than either of the homo-duplexes, one can use shorter probes than one might use for homogenous interactions and one can use non-natural analogues that have higher binding affinity for natural nucleic acids than probes composed of natural nucleic acids.
Non-Natural Nucleic Acid Analogues
Since this approach does not require recognition by RNAse H, one has more flexibility in the use of non-natural backbones. One can use non-natural base analogues to increase binding energies of any interactions. For the purposes of this system one might use a backbone that is less charged than the natural phosphodiester linkages such as methylphosphonodiester linkages or peptide nucleic acids, Increased energies of probe binding interactions might be useful to allow strand invasion of double stranded regions more easily by the immobilised probed oligonucleotides, the kinetics of which should reveal useful information about the structure of the region being invaded.
Increasing xe2x80x98Boundxe2x80x99 Time of ON Probes
The problem of weak hybridisation that faces this embodiment is quite acute in the light of the fact that the shorter the ON, the more readily the molecule will dissociate from its target RNA. In carrying out structural probes using short ONs, a large quantity of the probe oligonucleotide would be added to each well of immobilised RNA. This would drive the hybridisation equilibrium in favour of hybridisation, thus significant hybridisation might occur. Once however the unbound oligonucleotide is washed away, the equilibrium shifts dramatically in favour of dissociation of hybridised probe. Various measures can be taken to increase the xe2x80x98on-timexe2x80x99 of bound oligonucleotides by increasing the binding energy of the interactions. Similar considerations about non-natural nucleic acid analogs as discussed in the first embodiment above apply here. One might conceivably also include cross-linking effectors at this stage that are photo-activatable to ensure that hybridised probe is xe2x80x98fixedxe2x80x99.
Using libraries of short ON probes is a problem in that to get decent hybridisation one needs a nucleic acid of reasonable length, but each additional base added to a probe increases the number of ONs in a library exponentially. One can overcome the problem of weak hybridisation of short oligonucleotides indirectly by constructing oligonucleotides in sets such that each set is composed of a fixed number of bases of known sequence flanked on one side or other or both by a further fixed number of bases where all possible combinations of nucleotides are represented, these could also be a universal base:
5xe2x80x2-NNXXXXNN-3xe2x80x2
The above example has 2 bases, labeled N for any base, flanking the known sequence xe2x80x98windowxe2x80x99, XXXX, on both sides. Thus there would be 256 different sets of 8 mers which could be used to probe the immobilised RNA. This is effectively the same as probing with 4-mers but the flanking bases would increase the stability of interactions. In conjunction with non-natural nucleic acid analogs, this alternative could increase the stability of complexes sufficiently to allow washing and quantitative measurements to be made.
Using probes with windows as short as 4mers might be problematic in that they may appear too frequently in an RNA and thus might make resolving kinetic data more difficult, as there are likely to be more than 2 occurrences of any given 4mer present in a single RNA. Using 5-mers or 6-mers as windows, with stabilising flanking regions, might be easier to resolve, if automated systems were available to cope with the added labour as these are more likely to appear only once in any given RNA.
Probe Arrays
One can test oligonucleotides (ONs) individually by spatially isolating probes in separate wells on a microwell plate. One can immobilise a target RNA and challenge the RNA with individual, fluorescently labeled ONs. Thus for a library of ONs of 4 nt, an array of 256 wells would be required, into which equal quantities of RNA would be immobilised. Each well would be challenged with a different labeled ON. The ON is allowed to hybridise for a predetermined length of time and the unhybridised ONs can then be washed off The quantity of ON hybridised is determined by measuring the fluorescence in each well. This approach will require significant quantities of RNA which can readily be generated using, for example, the T7 phage RNA polymerase system. An alternative is to immobilise the ON probes and challenge these with labeled RNA.
A random oligonucleotide library can be constructed while immobilised on a glass surface such that distinct regions of the array carry distinct oligonucleotides within the library (2). A random library of ONs of 8 nt will have 48 possible members if all possible sequences are represented. Since the ONs are all immobilised on the array there will be no cross-hybridisation.
An RNA for which the tertiary structure is unknown can be cloned and produced in quantity in vitro using for example the T7 phage RNA polymerase system. The RNA can be labeled with a fluorescent label. This can then be used to challenge the immobilised library under conditions that favour the adoption of the normal tertiary structure of the RNA, i.e. in vivo cytoplasmic conditions. The RNA is allowed to hybridise onto the array for a predetermined duration and then unhybridis ed RNAs are washed off. Where hybridisation has occurred can be visualised by detecting fluorescence. The regions of the array from which fluorescence is detected will reveal which ONs the RNA will hybridise to.
These approaches face the problem of weak hybridisation of short ON probe; the minimum size of probe ON will be determined by the strength of interaction necessary to immobilise a large molecule of RNA to the array and allow the RNA to resist being washed off. This would have to be tested empirically but the problem of rapid dissociation should be less severe, when the RNA is the mobile element, as the size of the molecule ought to make it somewhat more sluggish than the small ONs used in the first embodiment. The same approach of creating ONs with short windows of known sequence and flanking regions of random sequence can be readily applied to this embodiment and similar considerations regarding non-natural nucleic acid analogues apply too. Using nuclease resistant analogues would have the additional advantage of being more reusable than phosphodiester linkages, as one can never completely ensure that there is no contamination by nucleases, etc. which would damage a DNA array.
This embodiment is quantitative, as well, as long as each RNA molecule bears a single fluorescent tag. Thus the regions of the array which give the most fluorescence will be those to which the RNA will hybridise to the most strongly. By repeatedly challenging the array with the target RNA for varying but predetermined durations, one would be able to get detailed kinetic information about the hybridisation reaction occurring at each point on the array. This will reveal regions whose structure must be disrupted to allow hybridisation as these will have much slower kinetics.
An alternative to the use of fluorescent labels would be the use of mass labels cleavably linked to the RNA used to probe the array. Mass labels that are derivatives of photo-excitable compounds of the kind discussed in GB 9700746.2, such as nicotinic, sinapinic or cinnamic acid, can be photocleaved and excited into the gas phase by application of appropriate frequencies of light, ideally using a laser. Such labels could be incorporated into an RNA molecule using a terminal transferase reaction for example or an end ligation. If an RNA molecule labelled with laser excitable mass labels of this kind were hybridised to an array of oligonucleotide probes, the degree of hybridisation of the RNA to distinct regions of the array, corresponding to individual oligonucleotides, could be determined by MALDI (Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation) mass spectrometry. Simpler, non-exitable mass labels could also be used. In this embodiment the RNA would be hybridised to an array, and following hybridisation, the supernatent would be removed and the array would be embedded in an excitable agent, of the kinds described above, and ionisation of cleaved labels could be mediated indirectly by excitation of the matrix.
Rational Drug Design with the Process
Tertiary Structure Determination
Secondary structure modelling of nucleic acids is well developed and in conjunction with data from a system like this it should be possible to develop decent models of tertiary structure of a target RNA. This will start to make so-called xe2x80x98rationalxe2x80x99 drug design a much more quantitative process. In conjunction with other methods such as NMR, complete structure determination will probably be possible. At the very least, accurate secondary structure predicition should be achieved. Most likely only minimal further information from other methods would be needed to determine a structure for any given RNA.
Databases and Drug Selection
This system will, with use, provide a comprehensive database of information about RNA tertiary structure which will lead to better theoretical models of RNA structure and allow a much more specifically targeted approach to designing effective antisense agents. The evidence of Wagner et al (3) suggests that short oligonucleotides can show specificity for target RNAs. The qualification that must be made to this suggestion is that short ONs would have to be highly structure specific. With a comprehensive database of RNA structures a system like this might actually pinpoint potential drugs directly once it is established what structural features are widespread and which are rare. Directly searching for rare features will thus be possible making choice of drug candidates much simpler.
More General Antisense Targets
This system is not specific to detecting RNAse H sensitive sites and could be used for targeting more general antisense agents at various RNAs in cells. Thus this system has potential for more general applications in developing therapeutic agents and research tools for targeting more general functional RNAs in vivo such as ribosomes, splicing apparatus and some of the active RNAs that have recently been implicated in sex determination.
Automation
Both embodiments can be implemented with automated liquid handling systems as the procedure is simple and repetitive. The hybridisation array approach would probably be cheaper in terms of reagents but may be difficult to implement if the binding strength of the interaction between array and target RNA is too small to permit washing of the array. The first embodiment will have a much larger requirement for reagents, although micro-arrays of wells can be constructed to reduce this requirement.
(1) R. K. Mishra, J. J. Toulmxc3xa9, C.R.Acad. Sci. Paris, Life Sciences 317, 977-982, 1994.
(2) W. Bains, Chemistry in Britain, February 1995, 122-125.
(3) R. W. Wagner et al, Nature Biotechnology 14, 840-844, 1996.
(4) Siew Peng Ho et al, Nucleic Acids Research 24, 1901-1907.

Identifying antisense oligonucleotide binding


A physically non-distributed microprocessor-based computer includes a microprocessor, and a random access memory device, a mass storage device, and an input-output port device, all operable from the microprocessor and including an interface for receiving and transmitting data in packet form. A novel packet-based data channel extends between the microprocessor and the interfaces of the devices to provide communication between the microprocessor and the devices. By varying the size of the packets in accordance with actual data transmission requirements improved computer performance is achieved.

This invention relates to physically non-distributed microprocessor based systems and, more particularly, the communication channel between functional components within a class of computer systems commonly known as personal computers.
A personal computer (PC) is comprised of several major functional components which may be basically defined as a microprocessor, a read/write memory (RAM), a mass storage device (e.g., hard drive or CD ROM), and an input/output (I/O) device (e.g., display, serial port, parallel ports, etc.). These functional components within the PC are interconnected by, and communicate via, a parallel data/address bus which is usually as wide as the processor data I/O path. The bus is typically of fixed physical length comprising a number of parallel copper traces on the PC's motherboard. In addition, there are provided a number of fixed tap points to the bus, e.g., edge connectors, din connectors, etc., to allow the customization of the PC's configuration by adding peripheral functions, memory, etc., or removing unused functionality.
While a bus provides a simple-minded mechanism for customization and communication within a PC, it has several limitations and unique problems associated with it. First, a bus is by nature, single transaction (e.g., only one functional unit can communicate with another at any given time and during this time, no other functional units can communicate with anything) and sequential (messages follow one after the other with considerable handshaking between functional units). A second problem of a bus is that all functional units connected to the bus must meet the electrical specifications and requirements of the bus even if these specifications and requirements are quite dated, technologically. Thirdly, because the bus is a generic interconnect in nature, it can not be truly optimized for communication between any specific subset of functional units without adversely affecting communication performance between another subset of functional units.
Fourth, the speed of the bus is substantially slower than might otherwise be obtainable. This is due to two primary issues: First, busses are composed of relatively long lengths of parallel traces in close proximity to one another and this results in high parasitic capacitive coupling between traces of the bus (i.e., electrical noise). This noise increases as the frequency, or speed, of the bus increases. Thus, noise margin requirements restrict the speed (and length) of the bus. The second issue relates to the unknown and highly variable electrical loading of the bus. The speed of the bus is inversely proportional to the capacitive load on the bus. This capacitive load is determined by the number of electrical connectors on the bus and the number of electrical connections to the bus. Since these numbers are variable, designers typically engineer the bus for worst case constraints. That is, the bus is typically slowed down to a rate that would sustain a worst case loading situation even though this may occur in one PC in a thousand.
Other major drawbacks of a bus are the need for electrical handshake signals and its fixed electrical data width (i.e., 8 bits, 16 bits, 32 bits, etc.) Handshake signals typically include READ, WRITE, MEM, I/O, WAIT/READY, etc. These signals are physical and are used to inform and control functional units (i.e., inform of the type of request, and control/synchronize between communicators.) Fixed data width limitations become problematic as chip data path widths exceed the width of the bus. As will be seen herein, defining handshaking and data size at the physical layer is less flexible than would be desired.
With the ever increasing demand for data manipulation in such applications as multimedia or graphics programs, the bottleneck of the bus becomes more acute. There have been many attempts to address and remedy this problem (e.g., VESA, Video local bus, PCI, etc.) but no solution offers greatly improved performance and complete scalability.
The present invention provides a system with the configuration flexibility of a bus-based PC while reducing the electrical problems. Commensurably, interfunctional-unit communication speed and flexibility are greatly enhanced. The present invention applies a point-to-point packetized interconnection structure to facilitate communication between functional units (e.g., processor, memory, disk, I/O, etc.) within a PC.
Because it is point-to-point, the interconnections scheme of the present invention is of relatively fixed electrical load and can, therefore, be optimized for speed. Furthermore, the packet protocol that will be more fully disclosed herein provides a means of eliminating the typical physical layer control signals of a bus and replacing them with link-layer control which is much more flexible.
In order to allow for interconnecting more than two functional units, the present invention may be expanded by any of several interconnect topologies, e.g., switches, rings, etc. Where speed and a high degree of parallel traffic is desired, a switch topology provides the best means, e.g., crossbar switch. If speed is important but parallel traffic patterns are not very common, a shuffle-type switch may make the most sense. In applications that are very cost sensitive, the present invention may also be expanded by means of a ring topology.
As will be made clear in the specific disclosure portion of this document, the packetized point-to-point interconnection scheme of the present invention improves speed and performance at reduced cost and with better noise characteristics (both internal electrical noise and radiated EMI) as compared to the bus interconnect currently employed within a PC.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved PC, specifically, improving internal communication between microprocessor, memory, mass storage, I/O, etc. or any subset of these functional units. It is further an object of the invention to improve communication speed within a PC. It is further an object of the invention to reduce interconnection electrical noise within a PC. It is further and object of the invention to provide a more flexible interconnect means within a PC.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a new and improved PC, specifically improving internal communication between microprocessor, memory, mass storage, I/O, etc. or any subset of these functional units.
It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide improved communication speed within a PC.
It is a still more specific object of the present invention to reduce interconnection electrical noise within a PC, and to provide a more flexible interconnect means.

Computer having packet-based interconnect channel


A system and method for supplemental channel (SCH) assignment control in a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) mobile communication system. Upon request of a Mobile Station (MS) for a SCH, a maximum available data rate is determined which is less than a predetermined data threshold. The MS is notified of the determined maximum data rate. Thus, the SCH is assigned to the MS.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a system and method for a call assignment in a mobile communication system, and in particular, to a system and method of controlling an assignment of a reverse call in a mobile communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a mobile communication system, upon a request for the establishment of a call between an MS (Mobile Station) and a BS (Base Station), the call is assigned based on the availability of radio channel resources. Therefore, a call cannot always be assigned. While a dedicated line is assigned to a terminal in wired communications, in wireless communications a call cannot be assigned to an MS when all radio resources available to the BS are in use. Handoff is also a consideration due to the mobility of the MS in the mobile communication system.
Existing 2nd Generation (2G) Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems primarily provide voice service. The voice service is provided via FCHs (Fundamental Channels) on forward and reverse links. The Forward link is in the direction from the BS to the MS. The reverse link is in the direction from the MS to the BS.
To satisfy growing user demand for various services, systems that also provide data service have been proposed and standards are being developed to provide global use of the data service. CDMA2000 is one of the proposed systems. It uses the Fundamental Channel (FCH), a Pilot Channel (PCH), and a Supplemental Channel (SCH). The SCH delivers data at a high rate, e.g., Radio Configuration3 (RC3) 9.6, 19.2, 38.4, /76.8, /153.6, and 307.2 Kbps. If a user is assigned an FCH at 9.6 Kbps and an SCH at 153.6 Kbps in RC3, data can be transmitted at a high rate of 163.2 Kbps.
For the CDMA2000 system, transmission power is determined according to the Frame Error Rate (FER) of the FCH. The transmission power of the PICH is determined such that an appropriate FER is maintained for the FCH. The transmission power of the FCH and the SCH is the product of the PICH transmission power and predetermined constants. Hence, the transmission power of an MS is calculated usingtransmission power=pilot transmission power×(1+FCH_offset+SCH_offset)where the FCH_offset and the SCH_offset are the offsets of the FCH and SCH, respectively with respect to the PICH. The FCH-offset and SCH_offset are constants that vary with channel type, data rate, RC, and coding.
The CDMA mobile communication system basically supports soft handoff and softer handoff. Soft handoff is means communication with a new BS without interrupting communication with an old BS. Softer handoff is handoff between sectors within a cell, with continuity of a call. Softer handoff is simpler to implement than soft handoff. For example, a plurality of channel elements (CEs) are required during a soft handoff, but a single CE is sufficient during a softer handoff.
As stated, CDMA has evolved from the 2G system to the CDMA2000 system with the goal of providing a high-rate data service. Although, the CDMA2000 system initiated the high-rate data service some time ago, little research has been conducted to support efficient provisioning of the high-rate data service. Moreover, studies on the reverse link have been confined to voice service, particularly to call assignment control, power control, soft/softer handoff, and sector capacity analysis. However, as high-rate data transmission as well as voice service is carried out on the reverse link, issues that require consideration have emerged.
First of all, there is a need for a call assignment control technique to ensure quality of the high-rate data service without impairing the quality of the existing voice service. Soft/softer handoff must be performed reliably so that a user can receive the high-rate data service using an FCH and an SCH simultaneously, while handoff. Unlike the voice service, the high-rate data service requires high MS power. Thus, as an MS moves away from a BS, the MS's transmission power may be insufficient. As described, reverse power control is based on a reverse FCH (R-FCH). For high-rate data service, the MS uses a lot of a sector's capacity. Thus, a related power control leads a rapid increase in load and decreases the communication quality of other MSs.

System and method of controlling assignment of a call on a reverse supplemental channel in a mobile communication system


A spinner apparatus retained on a wheel to change and enhance the appearance of a roller skate. The spinner apparatus includes a support member connected to the wheel by first and second leg passing through spokes in the hub and resiliently positioned adjacent the outer face of the wheel. The support member has a plurality of radial slots that extend from adjacent an axial opening that receives an axial projection on a disc to position the disc in a plane adjacent the outer face of the wheel. The support member rotates with the wheel while the disc independently rotates in the axial opening of the support member and as a result any light that passes through the first and second plurality of slots is interrupted to illustrate a difference in the rotation of the wheel and disc.

The wheels of a roller skate are attached to an axle through the engagement of a bearing by a nut that is affixed by threads to the axle. The type of material used in a wheel is normally determined by the surface on which a person will skate however most wheels are made from plastic such as the wheel disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,592,189. In all roller skates, the material in the wheels or the bearing eventually wears requiring the replacement thereof by removing the nut from the axle. In order to enhance the appearance of a roller skate, wheels have been made of various colors that can often be selected to match an outfit of a skater. The roller skates function in an adequate manner but often a person may desire to have an appearance different from that of other skaters.
In co-pending patent application Ser. No. 10/907,809 structure is provided to provide a spinner apparatus that enhances the wheel of a roller skate. This structure is attached to the wheel through a cone member that is retained on the axle by a same nut that holds the bearing against the hub of the wheel. While this structure accomplishes a goal of enhancing a wheel, any time a person desires to change the spinner the nut must be removed from the axle.


An apparatus for cutting elongated meat includes a frame that has a longitudinal axis and a motor proximate the frame. At least two generally circular blades are rotatably mounted to the frame each about a respective blade axis. Each blade axis is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The blades axes are positioned generally on an imaginary plane generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The blades are rotated by the motor and cut the elongated meat when the elongated meat is placed generally collinear with the longitudinal axis and contacts the blades.

This invention generally relates to an apparatus for cutting elongated meat and, more particularly, to an apparatus for cutting elongated meat into a plurality of separated strips.
In the preparation of meat products, it is useful to process relatively larger portions of meat, such as a pre-manufactured hot-dog or sausage, into smaller portions or strips of meat. Such individual strips of meat can be used to form many meat products. For example, the individual strips of meat can be battered, breaded and fried to form a "fun" to eat French fry type of meat product.
Slicing meat into various relatively small portion of meat is a time consuming and tedious process when carried out by hand. Additionally, the size of the sliced portions will vary and is difficult to keep consistent and to produce a large quantity. More problematic is the inherent danger in using a knife or other sharp cutting device to manually slice a portion of meat, as the knife can easily slip from the meat and cut the hand and/or other parts of the person cutting the meat. Known automated meat cutters have difficulty centering the meat with respect to the cutting blades.
What is needed is an apparatus capable of safely, simply and rapidly processing portions of meat into smaller pieces of meat.


An ignition coil includes a primary coil, a secondary coil, a center core, a side core, a core cover, a case, and an insulating resin. The core cover is formed in a form that covers an inner side face, one thickness direction end face, and an other thickness direction end face of the side core. Wall portions that divide a mass of the insulating resin into portions, or reduce an amount thereof, are provided in the core cover on an aperture portion side of the case, which is the one thickness direction end face side of the side core.

In general, an ignition coil used in a vehicle-use internal combustion engine is such that a primary coil is disposed on an outer side of a central center core, a secondary coil is disposed on an outer side of the primary coil, and a side core is disposed on an outer side of the secondary coil, thereby configuring a transformer. Also, the side core is covered with a core cover. These parts are housed in a case, and connected to an internal part using a connector assembly that forms a connector for connection with a vehicle harness, after which the parts are fixed and insulated using an insulating resin. A switching ignitor is also connected to the connector assembly. Normally, an electromagnetic steel sheet is used for the center core and the side core, and a thermosetting resin such as an epoxy resin is used for the insulating resin. An output terminal is provided in the case, and is connected to an ignition plug of an internal combustion engine via a spring. The spring is housed in a protector, and an electrical leak between a plug hole and the spring is prevented by the protector.
Herein, the side core formed of an electromagnetic steel sheet exists inside an insulating resin with a different linear expansion coefficient, and distortion occurs in the insulating resin when thermal stress is applied. Further, when thermal stress is repeatedly applied, there is a possibility of cracking occurring in the insulating resin. Therefore, the core cover is mounted on the side core, thereby preventing cracking in the insulating resin originating in the side core. However, cracking in the insulating resin occurring due to the side core also affects a part opposing the side core. For example, there is a possibility of causing distortion of the secondary coil (of a bobbin in particular) to occur in a vicinity of the bobbin or the like of the secondary coil, which is disposed in a position near the side core and formed of a material that adheres well to the insulating resin. Cracking occurring as a result of this causes an internal leak, and distortion causes a coil disconnection, and there is a problem in that a decrease of an ignition device output voltage, or a phenomenon wherein output voltage is not generated, occurs.
Because of this, an ignition coil disclosed in, for example, Patent Literature 1 is such that a core cover of a side core is configured of two kinds of core cover, those being a first core cover of a material that adheres closely to an insulating resin and a second core cover of a material that peels away from the insulating resin, and cracking in the insulating resin is prevented by stress alleviation being achieved by causing a peeling away from the insulating resin in the second core cover.


In an implementation of on-screen display image rendered with MPEG hardware, image data corresponding to an image and formatted for on-screen display is received. MPEG frames are generated from the on-screen display image data and the MPEG frames are decoded to generate the image for display as an MPEG image. For example, a graphical user interface can be generated for display as the MPEG image. Further, additional on-screen display image data can be processed to generate an on-screen image for display over the MPEG image. For example, an on-screen image, such as text or a graphic, can be generated for display over the graphical user interface.

A limited resource client device in a television-based system, such as a set-top box without a graphics accelerator, can receive on-screen display image data and process the image data with a central processing unit to display the image as an on-screen display. For example, the client device can render a user interface with conventional four-bit on-screen display processing which will slowly render the user interface with limited color and graphic rendition.
A conventional client device also includes an MPEG hardware decoder to receive and process digital video which is rendered in a digital video plane. Digital video is processed as a sixteen-bit, true color rendition and generates an image for display much faster than an image rendered as an on-screen display. Further, an on-screen display image can be processed for display such that the on-screen image is displayed over a digital video on a display device. A conventional client device also includes a tuner that, when tuned to an analog channel, receives analog video content which is processed for display on an analog plane.
For a client device, such as a set-top box in a television-based system, there is a need to be able to generate an image formatted for display as on on-screen display image with component(s) of the client device other than with a central processing unit.

On-screen display image rendered with MPEG hardware


A server properly manages user names which users use in services. Based upon communication with a user terminal, a handle name and a character are selected. The information of the selected character is stored in association with the selected user name. The character profile of the character is stored as information of each associated character. Information relating to the user is also stored, and the information relating to the user is blurred when sent to a user terminal used by another user to maintain privacy.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to servers, information processing methods and recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
When video game machines are equipped with Internet access functions, users thereof can enjoy various services through servers of an ASP (Application Service Provider). Exemplary new services include on-line delivery of software games and online network multiplayer games. To enjoy such services, users, generally, carry out user registration to providers in advance. Based upon information registered by the user registration, the providers manage the attribute information of users and fees associated with each service.
The user registration is carried out by registering a password and user names that correspond with attributes such as an address, name and telephone number of the user. Therefore, there is no need for the user name to be the same as the name of the user. For example, in online multiplayer game services provided by providers, a user can join in the games with his/her own user name which is set at discretion, while corresponding the user name with a character appearing in the game. When various types of games are provided by providers, users may wish to join in the games with different user names which are changed with respect to each title of the games or to join in the games with the same user name representing multiple characters.
Furthermore, in a chat, during message transmission and during games, it may occur that the user's profile information (such as age, sex, occupation and address) is sent to other users, while users may not desire their profile information to be provided to other users in detail.

User name and profile information management


An analog front-end circuit includes an array of pixel circuits. Each pixel circuit includes an event counter and a power consumption circuit. The event counter is configured to count photons incident at the pixel circuit. The power compensation circuit includes an event rate circuit and a current sink circuit. The event rate circuit is configured to determine a rate of photon detection events at the pixel circuit. The current sink circuit is configured to pass a compensation current selected based on the rate of photon detection events at the pixel circuit.

The penetrative ability of X-rays makes them valuable for structural imaging applications ranging from medical imaging and materials research to quality control and security. Transmission imaging with X-rays is typically used to produce an attenuation contrast image of the material of interest. However, these images suffer from poor contrast sensitivity that severely limits many applications. X-ray systems that employ photon counting detectors provide a number of advantages over older X-ray technologies that employ energy integrating detectors. For example, using a photon counting detector applying multiple detector energy thresholds, multiple contrast media can be simultaneously imaged and are distinguishable. Accordingly, X-ray systems using photon counting detectors show promise in a variety of applications.

Photon counting analog front end with load balancing