There is provided an ink-jet printer including an ink-jet head, a conveyance section, and a controller. The ink-jet head includes a plurality of nozzle groups. Between the plurality of nozzle groups, the nozzles forming the nozzle groups are positioned in conformity with each other, respectively, in a second direction. The controller causes the conveyance section to convey the recording medium between a first pass and a second pass such that the respective nozzle groups have partly overlapped scanning areas, and causes the ink-jet head to print separately between the first pass and the second pass in the second direction. The controller sets usable bordering positions in the overlapping range with respect to the passes. The controller sets the usable bordering positions based on one of such conditions as a duty of printing on the recording medium and a type of the nozzle groups to be used in printing.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ink-jet printers configured to jet ink onto a recording medium to print images.
Description of the Related Art
There are ink-jet printers adopting such a method as to jet ink respectively from a plurality of nozzles to print image while moving an ink-jet head having the plurality of nozzles in a predetermined scanning direction relative to a recording medium. Such printer prints the image on the recording medium by alternately carrying out one single movement of the ink-jet head in the scanning direction (to be also referred to below as a pass), and a transportation of the recording medium in a transport direction by a predetermined length.
However, due to some factors such as deviation in transported length and the like, the abovementioned printer may cause deviation in the transport direction between the image part printed in a previous pass and the image part printed in the successive pass. Such cases may give rise to non-uniform shading (white streaks and black streaks) in the shape of streaks extending in the scanning direction between the two image parts. Any occurrence of such non-uniform shading greatly lowers the quality of the image printed on the recording medium.
In this regard, there is known such a printer as is capable of suppressing occurrence of the streak shaped non-uniform shading mentioned above. This printer causes the scanning area of a previous pass to overlap partially with the scanning area of the successive pass in the transport direction of the recording medium. On top of that, it zigzag changes the border between the image part printed in the previous pass and the image part printed in the successive pass. Further, in the case of multicolor printing, each such border as mentioned above may be misaligned from another (i.e. differ in alignment with another) between the nozzle rows for different colors. By adopting such a printing method as described above, the streaks become less likely to be conspicuous between the image part printed in the previous pass and the image part printed in the successive pass. However, there is no knowledge about under what kind of conditions the above printing method is adopted.


The invention relates to substituted polycyclic aryl and heteroaryl pyrazinone compounds useful as inhibitors of serine proteases of the coagulation cascade and compounds, compositions and methods for anticoagulant therapy for the treatment and prevention of a variety of thrombotic conditions including coronary artery and cerebrovascular diseases.

Physiological systems control the fluidity of blood in mammals [Majerus, P. W. et al: Anticoagulant, Thrombolytic, and Antiplplatelet Drugs. In Hardman, J. G. and Limbird, L. E., editors: Goodman & Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. 9th edition. New York, McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1996, pp. 1341–1343]. Blood must remain fluid within the vascular systems and yet be able to undergo hemostasis, cessation of blood loss from a damaged vessel, quickly. Hemostasis or clotting begins when platelets first adhere to macromolecules in subendothelian regions of an injured and/or damaged vessels. These platelets aggregate to form the primary hemostatic plug and stimulate local activation of plasma coagulation factors leading to generation of a fibrin clot that reinforces the aggregated platelets.
Plasma coagulation factors include factors II, V, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, and XII; these are also called protease zymogens. These coagulation factors or protease zymogens are activated by serine proteases leading to coagulation in a so called "coagulation cascade" or chain reaction [Handin, R. I.: Bleeding and Thrombosis. In Wilson, J., et al. editors: Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 12th Edition, New York, McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1991, p. 350]. Coagulation or clotting occurs in two ways through different pathways. An intrinsic or contact pathway leads from XII to XIIa to Ma to IXa and to the conversion of X to Xa. Xa with factor Va converts prothrombin (II) to thrombin (IIa) leading to conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin. Polymerization of fibrin leads to a fibrin clot. An extrinsic pathway is initiated by the conversion of coagulation factor VII to VIIa by Xa The presence of Tissue Factor and VIIa accelerates formation of Xa in the presence of calcium ion and phospholipids. Formation of Xa leads to thrombin, fibrin, and a fibrin clot as described above. The presence of one or more of these many different coagulation factors and two distinct pathways of clotting could enable the efficacious, selective control and better understanding of parts of the coagulation or clotting process.
While clotting as a result of an injury to a blood vessel is a critical physiological process for mammals such as man, clotting can also lead to disease states. A pathological process called thrombosis results when platelet aggregation and/or a fibrin clot blocks (i.e., occludes) a blood vessel. Arterial thrombosis may result in ischemic necrosis of the tissue supplied by the artery. When the thrombosis occurs in a coronary artery, a myocardial infarction or heart attack can result. A thrombosis occurring in a vein may cause tissues drained by the vein to become edematous and inflamed. Thrombosis of a deep vein may be complicated by a pulmonary embolism. Preventing or treating clots in a blood vessel may be therapeutically useful by inhibiting formation of blood platelet aggregates, inhibiting formation of fibrin, inhibiting thrombus formation, inhibiting embolus formation, and for treating or preventing unstable angina, refractory angina, myocardial infarction, transient ischemic attacks, atrial fibrillation, thrombotic stroke, embolic stroke, deep vein thrombosis, disseminated intravascular coagulation, ocular build up of fibrin, and reocclusion or restenosis of recanalized vessels.
There have been several reports of non-peptidic and peptidic compounds that act as an inhibitor of a coagulation factor present in the coagulation cascade or clotting process. In PCT Patent Application WO 97/40024, Sanderson et al. describe alkyl, cycloalkyl, and trifluoromethyl substituted pyrazinones reported to inhibit thrombin activity. In PCT Patent Application WO 98/08840, Duggan et al. describe 2-heterocyclylacetyl derivatives of β-alanine esters reported to inhibit αvβ3 and αvβ5 receptors and possess utility in atheriosclerosis. In PCT Patent Application WO 98/09949, Suzuki et al. describe 2-heterocyclylacetamido derivatives of 1,2-diketones and report that they inhibit proteases, especially chymase inhibitors. In PCT Patent Application WO 98/42342, Isaacs et al. describe additional alkyl, cycloalkyl, and trifluoromethyl substituted pyrazinones reported to inhibit human thrombin. In PCT Patent Application WO 99/61442, Sanderson and Naylor-Olsen describe 1-(5-methylenecarboxamidomethyleneimidazo-[1,2-a]pyridinyl) pyrazinones without substitution in the imidazolyl portion and reported that the compounds inhibit thrombin activity. In PCT Patent Application WO 99/59591, Sanderson et al. describe 1-((N-substituted aminopyridyl and N-substituted phenyl)amidocarbonylmethylene)pyrazinones reported to inhibit thrombin. In PCT Patent Application WO 99/64446, Lu et al. describe 1-((N-amidinoaminooxyalkylene and N-amidinohydrazinoalkylene) amidocarbonylmethylene)pyrazinones reported to inhibit trypsin-like serine proteases and thrombin. In Japanese Patent Application 99/229491, Black et al. describe thrombin inhibiting halo and alkyl substituted pyrazinone acetamides in which the amide nitrogen is substituted by a group containing a benzimidazole or indole ring.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Substituted polycyclic aryl and heteroarpyl pyrazinones useful for selective inhibition of the coagulation cascade


Determining shot peening intensity by affixing a Almen test strip to a shot peening surface, removing the peened strip from the shot peening surface, measuring an arc height of the shot peened strip, and determining peening intensity on the surface from the measured arc height. The strip may be affixed with an adhesive such as rubber cement and may be a sub-size strip cut from a full size Almen strip. The arc heights of the sub-size strip may be correlated to arc heights of the standard strips. A sub-size strip may be affixed to and a full size standard strip may be mounted on a peening surface of a block and be simultaneously shot peened. Arc heights may be measured on a gage having support means for holding both strips.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to shot peening and, more particularly, to measuring shot peening intensity with Almen test strips.
2. Description of Related Art
Shot peening has been common practice in the treatment of metal components to increase or restore fatigue life. Spherical shot is impacted on the surface of a component forming very small spherical dents on the surface and imparting compressive residual stress in the component in the shot peened surface of the component. It is highly desirable if not required to control intensity of the shot peening because intensity above and below a critical intensity range can result in a component having less than optimal fatigue life properties.
Shot is typically accelerated by using air pressure to force the shot through a peening nozzle which is directed at the surface undergoing peening. Almen strips are used to measure shot peening intensity by their curvature which is typically referred to as arc height. Note that arc height or curvature is sometimes referred to as deflection. Almen strips are precision (hardness and thickness controlled) thin 1070 steel strips. Each strip is bolted to a holder which restrains the strip from curving until the bolts are released. The strip is then exposed to the shot stream under the same conditions as the component undergoing peening. After the strip has undergone peening for a predetermined time period, the strip is removed from the holder and the arc height (curvature) measured, all according to specification prescribed procedures, using an Almen gage containing a dial (or digital) indicator or gage. Typically, a scrap part is appended with a number of Almen strip holders so that intensity may be determined in a number of locations.
Accordingly, a series of Almen strips are exposed to the shot stream for increasing time periods at each of these locations. When the arc height of each of the Almen strips increases by no more than ten percent (10%) when the time is doubled, the arc height is declared to be the intensity and peening of the component parts may begin at this intensity if all are within the required range. Intensity is expressed in terms of measurement of the arc height, e.g. inches.
Intensities in less accessible areas, where holders cannot fit, can sometimes be inferred by similarity in impingement angle to Almen strip equipped areas. In critical life areas inference is often not enough. In areas that are smaller than the Almen strip or accessible only by ricochet, a better method is highly desirable. One method uses "shaded" strips in which a full strip is mounted in a fixture exposing only a stripe representing the size, location and accessibility issues of the part area to be shot peened. The use of "shaded" strips in small areas involves an expensive tooling cost to insert the shaded strip holder into a fixture simulating the part to be peened. The use of "shaded" strips requires an added step in the peening process setup because an additional setup and peening test must be conducted to correlate the shaded strip arc height to full strip values which must be within the required intensity range. A more accurate, less costly, and less time consuming shot peening intensity measuring method is highly desirable.

Measuring intensity of shot peening in areas with difficult accessibility


The invention relates to monitoring of pain-related responses in a patient in order to detect the level of pain experienced by the patient. At least one first measurement signal is acquired from the patient and at least one of the signals is transformed into a normalized signal having a predetermined value range. Based on the at least one normalized signal obtained in this way, a threshold condition is set and a rate at which at least one second measurement signal fulfills the threshold condition is monitored, wherein each of the at least one second measurement signal is derivable from a corresponding normalized signal and indicative of pain-related activity in the patient. The level of pain experienced by the patient depends on the rate monitored.

Pain is an unpleasant sensory or emotional experience that is associated with actual or potential tissue damaging stimuli. It is always an individual and subjective sensation, which may be acute (nociceptive), elicited by noxious stimuli, or chronic pain that has outlived its usefulness to preserve tissue integrity. The perception of pain takes mainly place at cortex, and it may be suppressed in deep sedation and anesthesia by the general (global) inhibitory effects of sedative drugs and anesthetic agents. The responses to noxious stimulus may also be suppressed when the pain signal pathway is sufficiently suppressed at the subcortical level, often in the region of the brainstem and spinal cord. Both cortical and subcortical mechanisms play a role in pain management in modern surgical anesthesia or intensive care.
Analgesia refers to the absence of pain or loss of sensitivity to pain without unconsciousness in response to stimulation that would normally be painful.
Noxious stimuli, such as pin pricks or inflammation exceeding a certain threshold stimulus level in nociceptive nerve fibers (nociceptors), cause a nociception, i.e. a neuronal signal or perception that denotes the induced pain or injury. Nociception is transmitted in the Central Nervous System (CNS) via several different ascending pathways causing responses that can be cortical pain responses or subcortical stress responses. NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs) effectively relief pain at a damaged tissue site, whereas opioids selectively affect the pain pathways in the region of the spinal cord or the brainstem. The local anesthetic agents, for instance those used in epidural analgesia, block both the pain and the sensory pathways in the spinal cord region.
Antinociception normally refers to the blocking or suppression of nociception in the pain pathways at the subcortical level. It may be described as subcortical analgesia, in distinction to preventing the perception of pain at the cortex, i.e. cortical analgesia.
Sedation is a drug-induced state of a patient, during which the patient may respond normally to verbal commands or tactile stimulation and is not agitated or anxious (mild sedation), or during which the patient responds only to loud commands or tactile stimulation (moderate or conscious sedation), or during which the patient is unconscious and not easily arousable, but responds only to repeated or painful stimulation (deep or unconscious sedation). Anesthesia, in turn, is the deepest drug-induced state of sedation, during which the patient is not arousable, even by painful stimulation.
Agitation is often defined as the motor restlessness that accompanies anxiety. Mild or moderate sedation is induced to remove the agitation and to ensure optimal patient management. Optimal level of sedation varies with the stimulation affecting the patient and is often achieved, for ventilated patients, at the deepest sedation, accompanied with sufficient analgesia.
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is the 'unconscious' nervous system, which controls and regulates virtually all of our basic body functions, such as cardiac function, blood circulation and glandural secretion. The main parts of the ANS are the parasympathetical and sympathetical nervous branches. The sympathetical nervous system usually prepares us for high stress situations by speeding up the body functions. Under conditions of normal ANS regulation, the parasympathetical system restores the normal conditions in blood circulation by slowing down the heart rate. Pain, discomfort, and surgical stress may activate the sympathetical branch of the ANS and cause an increase in blood pressure, heart rate and adrenal secretions.
Neuromonitoring is a subfield of clinical patient monitoring focused on measuring various aspects of brain function and on changes therein caused by drugs commonly used to induce and maintain anesthesia in an operation room or sedation in patients under critical or intensive care.
Electroencephalography (EEG) is a well-established method for assessing brain activity by recording and analyzing the weak biopotential signals generated in the cortex of the brain with electrodes attached on the skin of the skull surface. The EEG has been in wide use for decades in basic research of the neural systems of the brain, as well as in clinical diagnosis of various neurophysiological diseases and disorders.
Electromyography (EMG) is a method for recording electrical biopotentials of muscles. In an EMG measurement, the electrodes are attached on the surface of the skin at a muscle group. An EMG signal is often recorded from the skull of the patient, whereby the recorded signal indicates both the activity of the facial muscle (fEMG) and the brain (EEG). As the frequencies of the EMG spectrum are usually high and above the frequencies of brain activity, the signal components can be separated by methods of signal processing or spectral analysis from the EEG signal.
Electrocardiography (ECG) is another well-established method for assessing cardiac function by recording and analyzing the biopotential signals generated in the heart. Electrodes are attached on the skin of the chest with more peripheral references. The ECG is commonly used for diagnosing cardiac dysfunctions, various cardiac and circulatory diseases, and arrhythmias. Heart rate (HR), often derived from the ECG waveform, is one of the most important parameters characterizing the condition of a patient.
Respiration rate is another vital sign, which is often monitored even in basic patient care. In connection with anesthesia and sedation of ventilated patients, monitoring of the respiration is often combined with monitoring of gas exchange, which includes monitoring of inhaled and exhaled oxygen, carbon dioxide and anesthetic gases. In modern gas monitors, airway pressure (AWP) and gas flows are also measured in order to improve the safety and quality of the ventilation.
Blood pressure (maintaining blood circulation) is yet another vital sign obtained from a patient. It may be monitored either non-invasively (NIBP) or invasively (InvBP) using catheters inserted in the arteries or veins. The latter techniques are continuous and they allow a detailed monitoring of the regulation of the cardiac-circulatory and pulmonary functions.
Pulse oximetry is a well-established technique for measuring oxygen saturation (SpO2) in arterial blood. SpO2 is an important parameter, nowadays often called as the fourth vital sign, which relates to the adequacy of oxygen supply to peripheral tissues and organs. Pulse oximeters also display a photoplethysmographic (PPG) pulse waveform, which can be related to tissue blood volume and blood flow, i.e. the blood circulation, at the site of the measurement, typically in finger or ear. The amplitude of a PPG waveform is a sensitive indicator of patient discomfort and pain, but it also reacts to non-noxious stimulations.
Analysis methods using the heart rate variability (HRV) are emerging techniques for diagnosing cardiac diseases, such as lack of oxygen supply to the cardiac muscle, and for characterizing the cardiac function and the condition of the patient in general. Fast changes in the heart rate are usually caused by the parasympathetical ANS control mediated in the vagal cranial nerve. Vagal control slows down the heart beat. The slow variations (<0.15 Hz) of the heart rate are mainly associated with sympathetical activity, which accelerates the heart beat. The ratio of the fast components of the HRV to the slow components of the HRV is often called the sympatho-vagal balance, which in emergency or during intense surgical stress turns to sympathetical dominance.
One of the special applications to which a significant amount of attention has been devoted during the past few years is the use of processed EEG signals for objective quantification of the brain function for the purpose of determining the level of consciousness. Here, the basic idea is to automatically detect if the subject or patient is asleep or awake. Specifically, this has become an issue, both scientifically and commercially, in the context of measuring the depth of anesthesia during surgery. The concept of the adequacy of anesthesia, which is a broader concept, further includes various other aspects relating to the quality of anesthesia, such as the state of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), and more specifically analgesia, i.e. loss of sensation of pain.
The assessment, measurement, or control of the different components of anesthesia or sedation is difficult and sometimes poorly defined, as the drugs used are often unspecific and influence many components simultaneously. The cortical components, i.e. hypnosis, amnesia (loss of memory) and perception of pain and conscious control of movements, mainly refer to the activity of the cortex and integrity of the cortical evaluations of the sensory afferent inputs and the ability to store information and control the body. Loss of consciousness, i.e. loosing responses to non-noxious sensory stimulations, such as spoken commands, is dominantly related to the overall suppression of cortical processing and awareness, which already in an early phase of light sedation lead to the loss of explicit memory. Therefore, the monitoring of the loss of consciousness and/or awareness is usually enough to guarantee an adequate amnesia of the patient, as well.
During the past few years, several commercial devices for measuring the level of consciousness and/or awareness in a clinical set-up during anesthesia have become available. These devices, which are based on a processed one-channel EEG signal, have been introduced by Aspect Medical (Bispectral Index), by Datex-Ohmeda (Entropy Index) and by Danmeter (an auditory evoked EEG potential monitoring device, AAI™). At present, the situation with the assessment of the cortical activity and integrity is considered satisfactory, though not resolved for all applications.
As to the central nervous system (CNS), the assessment or measurement of the suppression of the sub-cortical activity, the ANS and the integrity of subcortical evaluations is far more unsatisfactory. No commercial devices exist for this purpose. This is mainly because the sub-cortical components are not represented in any single bioelectrical or other signal, in contrast to that the EEG almost alone may represent the cortical activity. The monitoring of the adequacy of anesthesia or sedation thus—in addition to monitoring the hypnotic state of brains by EEG—call for a multi-parameter approach, which combine parameters describing the overall responsiveness of the patient to "unconscious" stimulations. This may be defined by means of the hemodynamic, motor, and endocrine stability. A promising basis for searching a multi-parameter monitoring method for sub-cortical activity can thus possibly be found from the subtle features in the common vital signs, the heart rate, the respiration rate, the blood circulation, and the blood pressure.
The sub-cortical integrity of the afferent input, ANS evaluations, and efferent output is best researched with noxious stimulations and their responses, as these are mainly processed and modulated in the brainstem and spinal levels. The responses can also be modulated (attenuated) by analgesic or antinociceptive drugs, which influence the pain pathways at the sub-cortical levels. A successive monitoring method shall thus demonstrate a clear relationship and correlation between both the effect (concentration) of the analgesics on the suppression of the nociceptive responses and the intensity of the noxious stimulations on the strength or amount of the responses in the parameters.
The need for reliable monitoring of the adequacy of anesthesia is based on the quality of patient care and on economy related aspects. Balanced anesthesia reduces surgical stress and there is firm evidence that adequate analgesia decreases postoperative morbidity. Awareness during surgery with insufficient analgesia may lead to a post-traumatic stress disorder. Prolonged surgical stress sensitizes the central pain pathways, which post-operatively increases patient pain and secretion of stress hormones. Low quality pre- and intra-operative analgesia makes it difficult to select the optimal pain management strategy later on. More specifically, it may cause exposure to unwanted side effects during the recovery from the surgery. Too light an anesthesia with insufficient hypnosis causes traumatic experiences both for the patient and for the anesthesia personnel. From economical point of view, too deep an anesthesia may cause increased perioperative costs through extra use of drugs and time, and also extended time required for post-operative care. Too deep a sedation may also cause complications and prolong the usage time of expensive facilities, such as the intensive care theater.
International patent application WO 02/32305 discloses a method and device for ascertaining the cerebral state of a patient. In this disclosure, a measure derived from EMG signal data enhances and confirms the determination of the hypnotic state made using EEG signal data. As the EMG data may be computed more frequently than the EEG data, this renders ascertaining changes in the hypnotic state of the patient more rapid. In this method, the (facial) EMG thus alone reflects the suppression of the nociceptive pathways. State entropy (SE), which is calculated in the low frequency band up to 32 Hz, is dominated by the cortical EEG activity, while response entropy (RE), which also includes the high frequencies, represents both the cortical and muscle activity. The difference RE-SE is, therefore, a measure of the (f)EMG power, which will increase at nociception and which, therefore, may be a good measure of the suppression of the pain pathways. However, the above-mentioned dependency on the medication of the patient may render the method unusable in certain situations. As the (facial) electromyography signal is affected by neuro-muscular blocking agents (NMBAs), which suppress signaling at the nerve-muscle junctions, the EMG component of the measurement may vanish and render the method unusable, if the medication of the patient includes neuro-muscular blocking agents. It shall also be emphasized that the difference RE-SE is not specific to the suppression of the pain pathways but also reflects the overall motoric activity following any arousals—that is emotional or normal sensory evoked arousals, too. For instance, when the patient is awake and not perceiving any pain or discomfort, the RE-SE difference is typically about 8-10 percent. At deep hypnosis it is obvious that only painful stimulations can cause RE to differ from SE, but it is difficult to tell at which level the transition to the only-nociception induced varying difference in the deep anesthetia takes place.
EP patent 0553162 proposes a method and apparatus for assessing the depth of anesthesia by using respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) as a measure of the state of the brain. The document describes a method in which a parameter indicative of clustering of the heart beat pattern is determined from the ECG waveform relative to the beginning of each respiration cycle. This parameter is then compared with a reference value calculated using a test for randomness. The parameter is then compared with the reference value to derive a measurement of the depth of anesthesia. In particular with spontaneously breathing anesthetized patients, the clustering is proportional to the RSA, which decreases with deepening anesthesia. The heart rate changes influencing the clustering are primarily controlled by the parasympathetical branch of the ANS, and therefore, the depth of anesthesia is related to the parasympathetical activity. This, however, correlates poorly with sympathetical effects, i.e. with the pain and nociception, and therefore also poorly with the adequacy of analgesia. Furthermore, the clustering takes place differently in artificial over-pressure ventilation and in spontaneously breathing patients, as the heart rate always accelerates during the low pressure period of the respiration cycle and decelerates during the high pressure phase. The low pressure period occurs during the inspiration in case of spontaneously breathing patients and during the expiration in case of artificial ventilation. The proposed method works reasonably well for spontaneously breathing patients, who in addition have a large RSA, such as children, but often fails in connection with artificially ventilated older patients. Pain reduces RSA amplitudes, as does the deepening of anesthesia. As a result, a low value of clustering may suggest too deep an anesthesia, leading to a decrease in the level of hypnosis. This may, however, lead to a worse situation, as a result of which the patient may even wake up, especially if surgical stimulations are intense.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,443 also suggests a method based on a heart beat interval (ECG R-to-R peak interval, RRI) analysis to assess the depth of anesthesia. In this method, the degree of randomness of the heart beats is described by means of a fractal dimension of the series of the R-R Intervals, mathematically describing the correlation within the RRI series. High correlation is indicative of a low fractal dimension and of only very few (CNS) processes, which add irregularities in the RRI series. Low correlation and thus high randomness equals high fractal dimension, which implies that the anesthesia is light and that many processes influence the RRI series. The methods for calculating the fractal dimensions are computationally heavy. In addition, the suggested method suffers from the fact that the degree of both hypnosis and analgesia affect the fractal dimension. The orthogonality of the two measures corresponding to the cortical and subcortical activity is thus poor. Although the method was primarily suggested for measuring the hypnosis of the patient, it is probable that it will also correlate with the degree of the surgical stress, which increases hemodynamic instabilities and the fractal dimension of the RRI series. Using this method, it is thus difficult to tell, whether the anesthetist should add or reduce opioids or hypnotic drugs.
European patent application EP1273265 describes a simpler method for analyzing an RRI and a blood pressure (BP) time series. Furthermore, the method tries to make a clear distinction between the sympathetical and parasympathetical cardiovascular responses. The sympathetical responses correlating with the surgical stress increase the heart rate and blood pressure. The acceleration index of the heart rate and the index for the increase of the blood pressure is calculated using a filter, a kind of edge filter, which detects the increasing slopes in the values of RRI or BP, but neglects the decreasing values. The document suggests that these indices may be used as a measure of the adequacy of analgesia. However, the method lacks the specificity to noxious stimuli and detects also the variations caused by respiration and other increasing slopes resulting from normal sympathetical activation without noxious stimulation. For instance, when the patient is in light anesthesia, both the sympathetical and parasympathetical branch of the ANS is active and the indices show erroneously high values suggesting insufficient analgesia.
The prior art technologies thus aim to describe the adequacy of anesthesia using a unidimensional concept for the depth of anesthesia. They do not account for separate hypnotic and analgesic components, which are orthogonal, i.e. as much independent of each other as possible, and specific to the hypnotic and analgesic medications given during anesthesia. Thus the prior art methods cannot not answer to the question, whether one should add or reduce the analgesics or hypnotics in order to restore a balanced anesthesia. All prior art technologies that are claimed to measure the adequacy of analgesia show a considerable dependence on the level of hypnosis and, consequently, at light anesthesia without any noxious stimulations show a value that is usually associated with poor analgesia. A further drawback of the prior art technologies is that the measurement values show a considerable inter-patient variability. This makes their interpretation, i.e. the interpretation of the adequacy of anesthesia, difficult.
The present invention seeks to alleviate or eliminate the above drawbacks associated with the above-described measurements and to bring about a mechanism for monitoring and evaluating the analgesic component required for accomplishing optimal pain relief and balanced anesthesia.

Monitoring pain-related responses of a patient


Various human corticotropin-releasing factor binding protein promoter sequences are disclosed. Nucleic acids and host cells that contain the promoter sequences are also disclosed. Further disclosed are various methods involving the use of these sequences.

In modern society stress and its consequences are prevalent and result in considerable distress and alterations in physical health and social and occupational functioning. At its extreme, stress can lead to disabling neuropsychiatric problems which include depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and other illnesses (Mitchell, 1998; Arborelius et al., 1999). Recent studies demonstrate the potent effects of stress on the body and brain. For example, chronic and intense stress can result in alterations in the region of the brain that plays an important role in memory (McGaugh and Roozendaal, 2002). In addition, stress can negatively impact cardiovascular function, immune function and gastrointestinal physiology (Tache et al., 2001; Beglinger and Degen, 2002; Coste et al., 2002; Gasparotto et al., 2002; Vanitallie, 2002).
It is estimated that 10% of the population suffers from depression and another 15% from clinically significant anxiety. This high incidence of stress-related problems is reflected by the fact that approximately 50% of visits to primary care doctors are stress and/or psychologically related.
Current treatments for stress and its disorders are highly sought after and include the traditional anti-anxiety drugs like Valium and Xanax. More recently newer antidepressants like Prozac have been used to treat depression, anxiety and other stress related problems. It is estimated that $13 billion was spent last year in the U.S. on drugs like Prozac and Paxil. However, these treatments still suffer from lack of efficacy in approximately 30% of the individuals treated. Among those who do respond, only about 50% of them will return to normal function. In addition, these treatments have bothersome side-effects (50% have marked sexual dysfunction) which make treatment with these drugs unacceptable for many individuals. Since depression and anxiety are recurrent and chronic disorders it is important that patients are comfortable taking their medication over a long period of time. Overactivity of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system is implicated in depression and anxiety and treatments aimed at this system may be very effective (Reul and Holsboer, 2002).
Studies in animals demonstrate that antagonism of the CRF system blocks the distress and physical effects related to stress (Takahashi et al., 2001; Bakshi et al., 2002). Studies in humans show that the CRF system in the brain is overactive in patients with depression, anxiety disorders and other neuropsychiatric problems (Nemeroff, 1989; Chappell et al., 1996; Fossey et al., 1996; Bremner et al., 1997; Mitchell, 1998; Baker et al., 1999). In addition, human and animal studies demonstrate that many effective antidepressant treatments decrease brain CRF activity (Veith et al., 1993). Based on these findings the pharmaceutical industry is currently intensively searching for orally administered compounds that will block or reduce the effects of CRF in the brain. Already some compounds have been identified and are in the early stages of human studies (Zobel et al., 2000).
The CRF system is now known to consist of at least seven components. CRF is a neurotransmitter that is released from neurons and has its effects by interacting with CRF receptors located on adjacent brain cells. Urocortin (UCN), urocortin II (UCN II) and urocortin III (UCN III) are other neurotransmitters similar to CRF that also interact with the system (Vaughan et al., 1995; Lewis et al., 2001; Reyes et al., 2001). Once stimulated the receptors activate intracellular processes which mediate the stress effects.
CRF produces its effects by interacting with two different receptors termed CRF1 and CRF2 (Chen et al., 1993; Perrin et al., 1995). Multiple isoforms of the two receptors exist. For example, there are three different isoforms of the CRF2 receptor, termed "CRF2α," "CRF2β" and "CRF2γ" (Lovenberg et al., 1995; Kostich et al., 1998). In addition to CRF1 and CRF2 receptors, there also exists a protein, termed "CRF binding protein" (CRF-BP), that is found in brain cells and functions to inactivate CRF after it is released (Potter et al., 1991).
The CRF-BP is a 37 kDa protein that binds CRF and urocortin peptides with an affinity similar to the CRF receptors (Behan, et al., 1995). CRF-BP is thought to limit the effects of CRF on CRF receptors. For example, CRF-BP blunts the effects of CRF on ACTH release from the pituitary and placental cells in vitro (Linton, et al., 1990). In addition, approximately 60-95% of CRF is complexed by CRF-BP in most regions of the normal human brain (Behan, et al., 1997). In order to regulate the expression of CRF-BP, through which the activity of CRF and urocortin peptides can be regulated, it is important to understand how the CRF-BP promoter region works. However, no sequence information on CRF-BP promoter is currently available.

Promoter sequences for corticotropin releasing-factor binding protein and use thereof


A data processing method is disclosed, and the method includes: encoding a data chunk of a predetermined size, to generate an error-correcting data chunk corresponding to the data chunk, where the data chunk includes a data object, and the data object includes a key, a value, and metadata; and generating a data chunk index and a data object index, where the data chunk index is used to retrieve the data chunk and the error-correcting data chunk corresponding to the data chunk, the data object index is used to retrieve the data object in the data chunk, and each data object index is used to retrieve a unique data object.

As a price of a memory drops, a distributed memory storage system is widely applied to a distributed computing system, to store hot data. A most commonly used data storage manner is key-value (key-Value, KV) pair storage. Currently, mainstream commercial products include Memcached, Redis, RAMCloud, and the like, and are commercially applied to data storage systems of Twitter, Facebook, and Amazon.
A mainstream fault tolerance method of the distributed memory storage system is mainly a full backup solution. A manner of the full backup solution is replicating an entire piece of data to different devices. When some devices become faulty, backup data on other devices that are not faulty may be used to restore data on the faulty devices. This implementation solution is simple and reliable. However, data redundancy is relatively high, and at least two backups are required. In addition, to ensure data consistency, data modification efficiency is not high.
Another fault tolerance solution is an erasure coding (Erasure Coding, EC) fault tolerance solution. An erasure coding technology is used to encode data, to obtain an erasure code (Parity). A length of the erasure code is usually less than a length of original data. The original data and the erasure code are distributed on a plurality of different devices. When some devices become faulty, a part of the original data and a part of the erasure code may be used to restore complete data. In this way, an overall data redundancy rate is less than 2, and an objective of saving memory is achieved.
Currently, mainstream technologies using erasure coding include LH*RS, Atlas, Cocytus, and the like. In these technologies, erasure coding is performed on a value of a key-value (KV) pair, and the full backup solution is still used for other data of the key-value pair. Specifically, a KV data structure of first target data (object) usually includes three parts: a key, a value, and metadata. The key is a unique identifier of the first target data, and may be used to uniquely determine the corresponding first target data. The value is actual content of the first target data. The metadata stores some attribute information of the first target data. The attribute information is, for example, a size of the key, a size of the value, or a timestamp of creating/modifying the first target data. When a current mainstream erasure coding technology is used to back up the first target data, the full backup solution is used for a metadata part and a key part of the first target data, and the EC solution is used for a value part. For example, three data objects need to be stored and backed up, and are represented by using M1, M2, M3, Data 1, Data 2, and Data 3, where M represents metadata and a key of a data object, and Data is a value of the data object. In this case, EC encoding is performed on the Data 1, the Data 2, and the Data 3, to obtain error-correcting codes Parity 1 and Parity 2. The five pieces of data, that is, the Data 1, the Data, the Data 3, the Parity 1, and the Parity 2, are distributed on five devices, and three duplicates of each of M1, M2, and M3 are created and are distributed on the five devices.
This solution may also be referred to as a partial encoding storage solution. In a scenario in which a large data object is stored, to be specific, in a scenario in which a data length of metadata and a key is far less than a data length of a value, the partial encoding storage solution has relatively high storage efficiency. However, this solution has low efficiency in processing a small data object, because a data length of metadata and a key of the small data object is slightly different from a data length of a value of the small data object, or even the data length of the metadata and the key is greater than the data length of the value. According to statistics released by Facebook, most of data objects stored in memory storage are small data objects, and even more than 40% of the data objects have less than 11 bits. This indicates that most data is small data. EC encoding cannot be used to advantage in such a partial encoding storage solution. As a result, data storage redundancy is relatively high, and storage costs are increased.

Data processing method, system, and apparatus


An agricultural harvester with a flexible crop residue management system. A pivotal swath door and displaceable windrow chute are coordinated to be displaced between positions in which all of crop residue is spread laterally and another position in which straw in the crop residue is directed in a windrow by a windrow chute and the chaff is directed laterally. The windrow chute and swath door are each pivotally mounted and a linkage is provided between the windrow chute and swath door in the form of bars extending in between rollers to displace the windrow chute in coordination with the displacement of the swath door.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to agricultural harvesters such as combines, and, more particularly, to crop residue systems used in such combines.
2. Description of the Related Art
An agricultural harvester known as a "combine" is historically termed such because it combines multiple harvesting functions with a single harvesting unit, such as picking, threshing, separating and cleaning. A combine includes a header which removes the crop from a field, and a feeder housing which transports the crop matter into a threshing rotor. The threshing rotor rotates within a perforated housing, which may be in the form of adjustable concaves and performs a threshing operation on the crop to remove the grain. Once the grain is threshed, it falls through perforations in the concaves onto a grain pan. From the grain pan, the grain is cleaned using a cleaning system, and is then transported to a grain tank onboard the combine. A cleaning fan blows air through the sieves to discharge straw, chaff and other debris toward the rear of the combine.
During the process of harvesting, crop material other than grain (MOG) is intended to be expelled from the combine. This material is usually derived from one of two areas, the threshing rotor or the cleaning system. The material expelled from the threshing rotor is generally referred to as straw and the material expelled from the cleaning system is generally referred to as chaff. This crop residue can be dealt with in several ways, generally categorized as spread and windrowed.
Spread refers to using a mechanical device to distribute the straw and/or chaff evenly across the width of the combine header cut width. This spread material is usually chopped to as short a length as possible so that when it is spread it will break down as quickly as possible and not interfere with tillage or seeding operations.
Windrowing refers to the process of dropping straw directly behind the combine in a continuous stream. The purpose of doing this is usually to allow post harvest processing of the straw such as shaping it into bales. In this process, the straw is usually allowed to pass through the combine with as little interference as possible so that it remains as close as possible to its original length and condition.
Many harvester systems have two separate spreading systems, one of which is dedicated to spreading the chaff from the cleaning system and another dedicated to spreading the straw from the rotor. These systems can be operated independent of one another. Currently, in order to windrow straw discharged from the rotor, the spreader disks normally used to spread the crop residue, must be removed from the machine and stored elsewhere since there is little available storage on the combine. Besides having to remove the disks, there is an absence of a device to slow the velocity of the straw before it hits the ground. This causes the straw to be driven into the stubble and makes it very difficult to return and pick up later. While windrowing straw, many operators prefer to spread chaff from the cleaning system which requires the use of a secondary spreader on the machine.
It has been proposed in co-pending application entitled "System for Flexible Crop Residue Management" of common assignment with the present invention to provide the ability to windrow straw and spread chaff. In that application, a windrow chute is displaceable between several positions in coordination with displacement of a swath door for the crop residue stream. The implementation of the coordinated displacement can be difficult and complicated.
Accordingly what is needed in the art is a linkage for a crop residue management system that is simple and effective.

Actuation linkage for flexible crop residue management


An aggregate storing and classifying mechanism for production of asphalt in plants, comprising a body (2) having plurality of circular sections (6) arranged in a manner of substantially surrounding the body (2) for storing aggregate material comprising different gradation levels plurality of foot means (1) holding said body (2); corridor means (7) and channel means (15) arranged tree branch-like manner in the body (2) for distributing and storing the aggregate in the body (2) as homogenously; plurality of discharge mouths (4) and discharge covers (8) for discharging the aggregate material from the body (2) and feeding the aggregate material to conveyors placed under the body (2) through plurality of discharging axis.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to production method and mechanism for the production of bituminous hot mix (asphalt) in plants where aggregate and micro granulated dust particles obtained from ballast material are used as raw material and collected within a closed system. In this system, aggregate materials are crushed and separated through to screens considering the requirement for their relative particle sizes and grades and deposited. Later aggregates are either transferred into the asphalt plant for continuous feeding of the system or taken directly for discharge.
2. Description of Prior Art Including Information
In order for better understanding of present invention, terms and definitions characteristic to this technical field are explained below:
Aggregate: Main raw material used in asphalt production, obtained through crushing of hard stone particles.
Bitumen: raw material obtained from petroleum, used to attach aggregates to each other.
Crusher Plant: Plant for crushing and sieving hard stone particles.
Asphalt Plant: Plant for asphalt production.
Asphalt: Material obtained from mixing of aggregate with bitumen, used especially for paving of roads and open spaces.
Gradation: Relative size of a stone particle in a graded series.
Ballast: Stone particles with 25–65 mm in size, they are crushed in primary crusher after extracted from stone quarry to be separated from other foreign particles.
Asphalt is obtained through several steps which involve the mixing of hot bitumen with specified sized of aggregates collected together according to their sizes and heated in controlled manner.
In FIG. 1, hard stones used in asphalt production are shown. They are obtained through dynamiting stone quarries, mines or river beads and transferred into crusher to unit. This material usually contains soil and large, coarse stone particles which are crushed with various crushing elements such as jaw crusher, impact crusher, hammer crusher etc. at two stages known as primary crushing and secondary crushing. This is shown in FIG. 2.
In order to produce aggregate, first soil material inside the crushed stone particles are roughly eliminated through by-pass system later coarse stone particles go through crushing and sieving stages to produce aggregates at required sizes in crushing units which are arranged in horizontal fashion.
As it is seen in FIG. 2, crushing procedure is carried out at two sequential orders called primary crushing stage and secondary crushing stage. Transport and conveyance between these two stages are made with conveyors.
Large stone particles are almost reduced less than 150 mm in size in primary crushing whereas a further reduction in size which is almost less than 25 mm is get through secondary crushing.
Crushed stones (aggregates) are classified according to their sizes by passing through screens at various sizes (FIG. 2) and these classified aggregates (for example classified between 0–4 mm, 4–7 mm, 7–12 mm and 12–19 mm) are stored at open areas as shown in FIG. 3 without allowing them to mix with each other. Each category of classified aggregates is then transferred to cold aggregate bunkers to be used as raw material for asphalt production. This is shown in FIG. 4.
Aggregates are transferred into conveyors (FIG. 4) via passing through feeders placed under bunkers and discharged into drying oven where aggregates are advanced inside the oven by a rotating motion and dried with the help of hot air and heated inner surface of dryer oven as a result of vaporization of water vapor inside aggregates. Temperature inside dryer is raised up to 160 C. Drying ovens are generally heated with burners which consumes fuel either in liquid or in gas forms. (FIG. 4)
Burned gases from drying oven are thrown out usually with an exhaust pipe after they have been initially treated with a high capacity dust retaining filter placed above the plant's exhaust system in order to prevent;                1. environmental pollution which is caused as a result of mixing and spreading of micro granulated dust particles inside aggregate and burned air inside dryer oven with water vapor and exhaust gases during emptying from pipe,        2. escape of dust particles which are important raw material for good quality asphalt production and to store them
Dust particles are retained in cyclones of this filter system to be used as filler material. As shown in FIG. 4, this application is started to be widely used except some plant types.
Filler material collected in cyclone units are transferred into filler silo through the use of spiral conveyor (FIG. 4).
Aggregates heated and dried in dryer oven are transferred into asphalt plant through vertical elevator (FIG. 4). As it is seen in the figure, hot aggregates are passed through with multi-layered screen unit for further screening, classified according to their sizes and discharged into hot aggregate bunker.
Aggregates required for asphalt production at certain quantity and sizes are weighed automatically and transferred into mixer.
On the other side, bitumen which will also be used in asphalt production are automatically weighed in bitumen weighbridge and added into aggregate content inside the mixer.
Now, aggregates and bitumen which come together inside the mixer are thoroughly mixed during a definite time interval to obtain a homogenous bituminous hot mixture (FIG. 4).
Mixture obtained through this process are either directly discharged over carrying vehicle or stored in ready asphalt bunkers before carrying for use.

System units for treatment of aggregate material


Disclosed is a system for regulating the efficiency of a combustion process by detecting radiant energy emitted from ash particles entrained in the gas stream exiting the combustion chamber of a boiler or incinerator. The intensity of selected wavelengths of light emitted from the particles is indicative of the temperature of the particles. The change in the intensities of the selected wavelengths of light, and thus of the temperature of the gas stream at the furnace exit, is monitored, and a feedback control mechanism is used to regulate one or more combustion, pollution control, or heat transfer parameters thereby maximizing the thermal efficiency of the combustion process in the boiler or incinerator.

Combustion of carbonaceous materials, such as coal, oil, natural gas and biomass is the dominant source of energy in today's industrial society. The primary products of combustion are heat, gases and ash. Heat generated by combustion is transferred to a working fluid, such as steam (making the system a "boiler"), which is then transported to a location where it is used to power turbines to produce electricity, drive chemical processes or provide a source of heat. Combustion is also used to incinerate solid municipal wastes. In this case, the primary product is the destruction of the waste, although some "waste-to-energy" systems make practical use of the heat generated by incineration. Combustion gases from boilers and incinerators are injected into the atmosphere after recovering as much heat as possible.
A typical boiler collects heat from both the combustion or furnace section and from the exhaust gas stream. Heat transfer in the furnace is primarily by absorption of the heat by water-cooled walls or tubing.
Combustion furnace designers and operators desire to monitor and control the operation of a boiler so that the performance of the boiler can be optimized and the efficiency of the boiler can be maximized, resulting in more efficient and cost-effective use of resources and less unwanted emissions. In utility boilers, the fraction of heat recovered is maximized when a particular temperature distribution is maintained within the boiler and its downstream recovery apparatus. When combustion temperatures or heat transfer temperatures deviate from this range, more heat is lost up the stack. This occurs, for example, when soot or slag builds up on the heat exchange surfaces of the combustion chamber thereby reducing the efficient transfer of heat to the boiler.
Incinerators for waste to energy production or for waste destruction must maintain combustion temperatures in a specified range in order to reduce the risk of emission of significant quantities of toxic hydrocarbons and/or chlorinated compounds. Exhaust gas temperatures are generally not monitored in these facilities, therefore procedures for assuring that these temperature requirements are met require use of excessive, and thus wasteful auxiliary fuels.
Certain pollution control systems for boilers or incinerators use a chemical process in the post-combustion zone to reduce the concentration of harmful pollutants. These systems inject urea, ammonia, or other compounds that react chemically with the harmful pollutants in the gas stream, rendering them benign. The reaction occurs within an optimum temperature range. Should these reactions occur at temperatures outside of the optimum range, the pollution reduction could be inadequate and other harmful compounds could be produced.
One of the parameters used to measure and control the efficiency of a boiler is the temperature of the gas exiting the combustion chamber. For many commercial boilers, it is desirable that the exit gas temperature be between about 1000.degree. K. to 1800.degree. K. When the temperature falls below this range, the combustion conditions can be changed to increase the temperature. When the temperature rises above this range, the heat transfer surfaces can be cleaned to improve heat transfer to the boiler. For example, an auxiliary heater is often used to control the temperature of combustion in solid waste incinerators. It is desirable to fire the auxiliary heaters only when necessary and only to the extent required to keep the combustion temperature within the desired range for maximum efficiency.
Attempts at providing reliable and accurate systems for monitoring exit gas temperatures have met with only limited success. Suction pyrometers, also known as high-velocity thermocouple probes, are generally used for this purpose. These devices are essentially thermocouples shielded by water-cooled tubular housings through which the hot exhaust gas is drawn. These devices are difficult to use and are not accurate unless the thermocouple junction is well shielded from the colder furnace walls. The thermocouples cannot withstand continuous exposure to the hot gases, and generally succumb to erosion and breakdown. Another drawback is that these devices only provide a single point measurement, so that several devices must be used to obtain an average gas temperature.
Acoustic pyrometers have been used to monitor exit gas temperatures. Acoustic pyrometers are based on the premise that the change in the temperature of the gas can be related to the change in the speed of sound. These devices take a measurement across a line of sight to compute an average temperature. Acoustic temperature measurement assumes that the gas molecular weight is fairly constant. In practice, however, the amount of moisture and the hydrogen content in the fuel can vary significantly, which renders sonic measurements less accurate. Another drawback is that the acoustic horns used in these devices are subjected to extremely high temperatures and soot and ash deposits which change their sound characteristics. For accurate temperature mapping, multiple horns and detectors are required. In addition, turbulence in the system cause dispersion of the particles, and acoustic emissions from combustion related equipment introduces background noise both of which reduce the accuracy of the measurements. Sonic measurement is costly and complex, and requires time consuming signal analysis.
Infrared optical pyrometers also have been used to monitor exit gas temperatures. These pyrometers measure infrared radiation in the boiler exit chamber. However, they cannot distinguish between infrared radiation emitted by the gas and that radiating from the cooler furnace walls, thus, optical infrared pyrometers are not sufficiently accurate for use in industrial monitoring and control systems.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus which exploits an optical temperature monitoring device which accurately measures the temperature of exit gas, which can distinguish between the temperature of the gas and that of the walls, and which can be used to improve the control of a boiler, furnace or incinerator by regulating various combustion, heat transfer, pollution control and/or other chemical process parameters.

Apparatus for combustion, pollution and chemical process control


A display apparatus includes: a display unit including a modulator that modulates a plurality of color light fluxes and a light source section that includes a plurality of light sources corresponding to at least any of the color light fluxes; a light source driver that supplies the light sources with pulse currents; and a controller that sets the cycle of each of the pulse currents and an ON-period of the pulses in the pulse current in accordance with the luminance of the light source, wherein when the luminance of any of the light sources is so set that the ON-period of the pulse current is shorter than a preset lower limit, the controller sets the length of the ON period of the pulse current to be equal to the lower limit or at a value longer than the lower limit and reduces the current value of the pulse current.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a display apparatus that displays an image by using a light source and a method for controlling the display apparatus.
2. Related Art
To adjust the luminance of a light source of a display apparatus, there has been a known apparatus that controls a light source based on PWM (pulse width modulation) (see JP-A-2010-051068, for example). In a control process of this type, the luminance of a light source is adjusted by causing the light source to periodically start and stop emitting light and changing the ratio between the light-on period and the light-off period.
A light source, such as an LED used in the configuration described in JP-A-2010-051068 and a laser, has a lower limit specified in the specifications of the light source, and the light source cannot follow input pulses shorter than the lower limit, which is a problem because the adjustable range of the luminance of the light source is limited on the low luminance side.

Display apparatus and method for controlling display apparatus


A stretch wrapping machine includes a web dispenser and a rotatable support for providing relative rotation between the web dispenser and load to wrap a web of packaging material around the load. Cooperating engagement members are selectively and positively engageable with each other throughout the rotation of the rotatable support for stopping the rotation of the rotatable support when the engagement members are positively engaged and for permitting rotation of the rotatable support when the engagement members are disengaged. One of the engagement members is mounted on a rotatable support and the other is mounted on a fixed support. An actuator selectively engages engagement members. One engagement member preferably includes at least two stop units spaced at a distance less than the distance between the engageable formations of the other engagement member. A shock absorber is connected to one of the engagement members for decelerating the rotatable support when stopping the rotation of the rotatable support when the engagement members are engaged.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stop mechanism for stretch wrapping machines which stops the movement of the load or the packaging material dispenser in response to a stopping command or signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Stretch wrapping machines wrap a web of packaging material around a load by providing relative rotation between a web dispenser and the load. These wrapping machines may be structured in various arrangements to accommodate particular applications. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,793,798, 4,317,322, 4,302,920, 4,109,445, 4,722,170, 4,858,415, 4,845,920 and 4,866,909 are incorporated herein by reference to illustrate a number of these arrangements.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,793,798, U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,445 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,170, a web dispenser is supported on an arm which extends radially outward and downward from a vertical axis. The arm moves the dispenser in an orbital path about the vertical axis to wrap the load. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,920 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,415 the load is placed on a rotatable turntable. As the turntable rotates about a vertical axis, the load is wrapped with a web which is dispensed from a dispenser. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,909, the wrapping machine has a rotatable annular frame which carries the web dispenser in an orbital path about a horizontal axis to wrap a load.
In each of these arrangements, either the web dispenser or the load support is a relatively heavy inertial body which travels at substantial velocities. While various braking devices have been used in some applications to stop the rotating body, there is a need for a reliable stopping system which stops the rotating support for the web dispenser or load in a minimal stopping distance after detection of an obstruction in its path or other condition such as an emergency stop or power loss.


Online reordering for database table columns may allow a user to reorder the columns of a database table without taking the database offline. A mapping between different column orders for a database table may be generated and stored in response to a request to reorder columns in a database table. When a portion of the database table is accessed, the columns of the database table in the accessed portion of the database table may be reordered to perform the access request.

Data schemas optimize the ways in which stored data is managed or accessed in a data store. For example, a common data model, such as a relational data model, may allow for storage engines or other systems that access the data to utilize languages or commands based on first-order predicate logic to search for data that satisfies quantified variables. For example, Structured Query Language (SQL) allows for queries to be performed over data that satisfy various predicate conditions identified by a SQL statement. Changes can be performed with respect to data schemas in order to change the optimization of the data. If, for instance, additional information should be stored as part of individual items in a data set, then the data schema may be changed to account for or identify that the additional information is included in items. As changes to a data schema impact an entire set of data stored according to the data schema, implementing changes to the data schema may grow more costly as the amount of data increases. With the amount of data collected and managed growing ever larger, efficiently performing changes to data schemas con provide correspondingly greater cost savings.
While embodiments are described herein by way of example for several embodiments and illustrative drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments are not limited to the embodiments or drawings described. It should be understood, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit embodiments to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims. The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). The words "include," "including," and "includes" indicate open-ended relationships and therefore mean including, but not limited to. Similarly, the words "have," "having," and "has" also indicate open-ended relationships, and thus mean having, but not limited to. The terms "first," "second," "third," and so forth as used herein are used as labels for nouns that they precede, and do not imply any type of ordering (e.g., spatial, temporal, logical, etc.) unless such an ordering is otherwise explicitly indicated.
"Based On." As used herein, this term is used to describe one or more factors that affect a determination. This term does not foreclose additional factors that may affect a determination. That is, a determination may be solely based on those factors or based, at least in part, on those factors. Consider the phrase "determine A based on B." While B may be a factor that affects the determination of A, such a phrase does not foreclose the determination of A from also being based on C. In other instances, A may be determined based solely on B.
The scope of the present disclosure includes any feature or combination of features disclosed herein (either explicitly or implicitly), or any generalization thereof, whether or not it mitigates any or all of the problems addressed herein. Accordingly, new claims may be formulated during prosecution of this application (or an application claiming priority thereto) to any such combination of features. In particular, with reference to the appended claims, features from dependent claims may be combined with those of the independent claims and features from respective independent claims may be combined in any appropriate manner and not merely in the specific combinations enumerated in the appended claims.

Online reordering of database table columns


A method for fabricating a high-bias device compatible with a low-bias device is provided. The method of the invention includes using a doped well as a drift region of the high-bias device so that the drift region can be formed simultaneously when a well for a low-bias device is formed. The method of the invention also fabricates the high-bias device and the low-bias device simultaneously, using a commonly used photomask. Several ion implantation processes are also performed simultaneously. There is no need of some extra fabrication of photomasks and ion implantation processes separately used for forming the high-bias device.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to semiconductor fabrication, and more particularly to a method for fabricating a high bias device, using a doped well as a drift region of the high-bias semiconductor device.
2. Description of Related Art
As the size of semiconductor device is reduced, the channel length is accordingly reduced resulting in a semiconductor device with a faster operational speed. However, even though the shorter channel length raises the operational speed, a channel length that is too short creates other serious problems. These problems are generally called the short channel effect and are described as follows. If the bias applied on the semiconductor device is kept constant but the channel length is shortened, according to a formula of "electric field (E-field)=bias/channel length", where E-field is measured in units of "V/m", the electrons within the channel gain more energy due to the stronger E-field so that the possibility of an electrical breakdown is higher.
For example, it is quite common for current electronic products, such as a digital versatile disk (DVD) or a liquid crystal display (LCD), to be driven by high bias. A circuit device for driving the DVD and the LCD needs a high bias tolerance of about 12-30 volts. In general, a high-bias semiconductor device mainly utilizes an isolating layer 0 volts. In general, a high-bias semiconductor device mainly utilizes an isolating layer and a drift region under the isolating layer to increase the distance between an interchangeable source/drain and a gate. So, the high-bias semiconductor device can normally work with a high-bias power source.
FIGS. 1A-1D are cross-section views of a high-bias semiconductor device schematically illustrating a conventional fabrication process for a high-bias semiconductor device. In FIG. 1A, a semiconductor substrate doped with a first-type dopant is provided (not shown). Then, a well 10 doped with a second-type dopant is formed on the substrate. If the first-type dopant is N-type then the second-type dopant is P-type, and if the first-type dopant is P-type then the second-type dopant is N-type. The P-type dopant is, for example, boron or gallium, and the N-type dopant is, for example, arsenic or phosphorus. Next, a thermal process is performed on the well 10 to form a pad oxide layer 20 over the well 10. A low chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) process is performed to form a silicon nitride layer 30 over the pad oxide layer 20.
In FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, a portion of the silicon nitride layer 30 is removed by photolithography and etching to expose the pad oxide layer 20. The silicon nitride layer 30 becomes a silicon nitride 50, on which a photoresist layer 40 remains. An ion implantation is performed to implant the exposed region of the pad oxide layer 20. A drift region 60 then is formed. The drift region 60 includes, for example, the first type of dopant, gallium.
In FIG. 1C, the photoresist layer 40 is removed. A wet oxidation process is performed by using the silicon nitride layer 50 as a mask to form a field oxide layer 70 above the drift region 60. A bird's beak structure, or an acute structure, occurs on each end of the silicon nitride layer 50. The bird's beak structure is due to a high temperature from the wet oxidation process. The high-temperature environment drives the implanted ions inside the drift region 60 into the well 10 and forms the field oxide layer 70 above the drive region 60, where the field oxide layer 70 is not masked by the silicon nitride layer 50. The field oxide layer 70 pushes each end of the silicon nitride layer 50 to form the bird's beak structure.
In FIG. 1C and FIG. 1D, a wet etching process is performed to remove the silicon nitride layer 50 and the pad oxide layer 20 shown in FIG. 1B so that the well 10 is exposed. Then, a dry oxidation process is performed to form a gate oxide layer 80 over the well 10 and the field oxide layer 70. A gate layer 90 including, for example, polysilicon is formed over the gate oxide layer 80 by, for example, deposition. A portion of the gate oxide layer 80 and the gate layer 90 is removed by photolithography and etching, in which a region of the field oxide layer 70 and the well 10 is exposed. Then an ion implantation process with a high density but low energy condition is performed to implant the first-type dopant into the well 10 on the exposed region. The drift region 60, after implantation, becomes a drift region 100 below the exposed region. A first-type dopant with high density and low energy is doped onto the exposed region of the well 10 on each side of the gate layer 90 to form a source region 110 and a drain region 120.
The conventional high-bias device shown in FIG. 1D needs several photomasks to obtain the desired structure. The high-bias device is separately fabricated in order to serve as an interface to drive other 1C device driven by high bias, such as the DVD or the LCD. In conclusion, this conventional method for fabricating the high-bias device consumes much time and cost for the fabrication of the photomasks. The throughput is also affected.

Method for fabricating a high bias device compatible with a low bias device


With the vehicle anti-collision system of the present invention, road vehicles in the vicinity of a railway crossing are alerted as a train approaches the crossing. A signalling device operating in conjunction with a GPS receiver located in the train emits a signal to a receiver located at the railway crossing to provide an indication of the rail vehicle's location with respect to the railway crossing. The signal is sent continuously at predetermined intervals to provide the railway crossing with sufficient data to estimate the velocity and time of arrival of the train or railway vehicle at the crossing. The railway crossing processes the information and transmits an alarm signal to approaching road vehicles as the rail vehicle approaches the crossing. The signal emitted by the crossing is received at the road vehicle which provides various levels of alarms depending on how close the rail vehicle is to the crossing. The communications between the railroad vehicle and the crossing monitor are preferably by satellite link. A sensor is also preferably provided at the crossing to detect an object on the crossing when the rail vehicle is approaching.

Railway crossings are inherently unsafe due to weather conditions, lack of attention by vehicle operators crossing the tracks and the fallibility of railway crossing signalling devices. Various systems have heretofore been designed to minimize problems associated with detecting an oncoming train approaching a railway crossing. Such systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,929,307; 4,120,471 and 4,723,737.
Although each of these systems improves the reliability of detecting oncoming trains at railway crossings, studies have shown that motor vehicle operators will nevertheless try to beat the train at the railway crossing, or will simply be unaware of the flashing signal at the crossing.
In some cases, railway crossings and road traffic signals present vehicle operators with information which can place the vehicle in a dangerous location with respect to the railway crossing. For example, railway crossings are often located near traffic lights at an intersection. In most cases, the traffic signals and the railway crossing signals operate independently. Although traffic and road planners make an effort to place traffic signals at a safe distance from railway crossings, this is not always possible. Unfortunately, accidents have occurred at such location, wherein either a bus or a truck overhangs the railway crossing while stopped at a red light. This may also occur when traffic is backed-up at the traffic light and the last vehicle does not completely clear the railway crossing.
In some situations, two or more tracks may cross a highway with insufficient spacing between the tracks for a bus or truck to clear both tracks.
Whether accidents are caused by the inattention of the drivers, undesirable weather conditions or inadequate traffic planning, a railway crossing collision avoidance system is required which will reduce the likelihood of a railway crossing accident. Accordingly a need exists for a railway crossing collision avoidance system which can overcome the problems associated with the aforementioned prior art.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a collision avoidance system for railway crossings in which a receiver located at the railway crossing is used to receive information from an oncoming railway vehicle which is indicative of the railway vehicle's velocity and time of arrival at the crossing.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a collision avoidance system for railway crossings in which the railway crossing is provided with a processor which makes use of the information received from the railway vehicle to establish an alarm condition as an oncoming railway vehicle approaches the railway crossing.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a collision avoidance system for railway crossings in which a transmitter located at the railway crossing emits an alarm signal directed to approaching road vehicles, which is indicative of how close the rail vehicle is to the crossing.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a collision avoidance system for railway crossings in which the alarm signal emitted by the railway crossing provides the operator of the vehicle with various levels of alarms depending on how close the rail vehicle is to the crossing.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a collision avoidance system for railway crossings in which the location of crossings can either be pre-stored on the rail vehicle's processor or transmitted from each crossing as the rail vehicle approaches each crossing.

Railway crossing collision avoidance system


The present invention provides an automatic surgical lighting device and its lighting method. The surgical lighting device is located to face a target area and includes a supporting element that is connected to at least a moving element that is above the target area. A lighting capture module set on the moving element is used to illuminate the target area and capture the image of the target area in order to send feedback signal. Both the lighting capture module and moving element are electronically connected to at least one control unit. The control unit, base on the feedback signal received, moves the lighting capture module via the moving element till the whole image of the target area is obtained. By this method, the surgery quality is improved, the surgery time is shortened and the risk of cross infection and the consequent litigation is lowered.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lighting method. More specifically, it relates to an automatic surgical lighting device and its lighting method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the operation rooms of hospitals, the location to be operated on a patient is illuminated using surgical light. As shown in FIG. 1, many surgical lighting devices (10) are hanged, by means of several mechanic arms, on the ceiling, walls or frames inside of the hospital. These movable mechanical arms allow adjustment of the relative position of the surgical light to the patient. Usually, the surgical light is positioned behind the surgeon that the head of the surgeon is positioned between the surgical light and the operation spot. The quality of the surgical light affects deeply the result of the operation.
There are several important issues to be considered about the surgical light. First, the lighting field of the surgical light varies depending on the position of the patient. Usually, during the operation, the surgical light is above the heads of the medical staff that moves unsystematically and blocks the light. In the case of mouth surgical lighting, the upper, lower, left and right areas of the mouth all need to be in the lighting field and a single illuminating source can hardly light all part of the mouth. Thus, the position of the surgical light has to be changed constantly to allow perfect lighting of the target area. Furthermore, if the surgeon has to operate the surgical light manually, the cross infection among patients can occurred during operations. Moreover, it is bothersome for the surgeon to multitask. For example, when a dentist deals with hard tissue such as teeth, the shadowed spot of the teeth cannot be seen even with the lighting and the quality of the operation is affected.
Therefore, the present invention provides an automatic surgical lighting device and its method to solve the above-mentioned issues and the known problems.

Automatic surgical lighting device and its lighting method


In a method for displaying a three-dimensional stereo image, a left-eye image defined by multiple left-eye strip pixels and a right-eye image defined by multiple right-eye strip pixels are displayed such that the left-eye pixels and the right-eye pixels are arranged alternately from the left to the right in a width direction. The left-eye image and the right-eye image are guided separately to the left eye and the right eye of an observer. Then, the left-eye image and the right-eye image are shifted by one pixel in an oscillating manner, and the left-eye image and the right-eye image are deflected synchronized with the one-pixel shifting operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for displaying a three-dimensional (3D) stereo image, and more particularly to a 3D stereo image display technique making use of a light deflector to allow an observer or a viewer to perceive a three-dimensional image without wearing special glasses.
2. Description of Related Art
Stereoscopic sense is derived from the mechanism of binocular parallax, where images reflected in the left eye and the right eye differ from each other. Various studies have been made on three-dimensional (3D) image display apparatuses. For example, JP 53-80114A discloses a stereo television apparatus that requires viewers to wear special glasses (using a left-eye lens and a right-eye lens with 90-degree shifted polarization).
Other types of 3D image display apparatuses that do not require special glasses have also been developed. For example, JP 7-181429A discloses a 3D image display apparatus that employs a light source for generating light stripes to project images separately to the left eye and the right eye of the observer in order to give binocular vision. In addition, JP 5-232435A and Japanese Patent No. 2,908,300 (issued from JP 09-159971A) disclose a technique of using a parallax barrier or a lenticular lens to reproduce stereo images making use of binocular parallax, in order to implement a projection type or direct-view type 3D image display apparatus.
With the conventional techniques, the image displayed on the screen is separated into two components, namely, a left-eye image and a right-eye image by means of a striped barrier (or a light source for generating a stripe of light) or a lenticular lens array. The left-eye image is reflected into the left eye of the observer, and the right-eye image is reflected into the right eye of the observer. Consequently, the observer perceives a three-dimensional image due to binocular parallax.
Since, in JP 7-181429A, the displayed image is separated into the left-eye image and the right-eye image using a light source with a striped shield, the horizontal resolution for the observer decreases.
The technique disclosed in. JP 5-232435A uses multiple liquid crystal panels (light bulbs) with an ordinary aperture ratio to optically superpose the images to improve the resolution. However, this technique causes the 3D image display apparatus to become large with increased cost.
JP 09-159971A employs a lenticular lens with a polarizing plate array, together with polarizing direction switching means that operates in synchronization with the left image and right image displayed in a time dividing manner, thereby spatially separating an image into a left image component and a right image component to produce three-dimensional vision. Although the resolutions of the left image and the right image are the same as those of an existing LCD panel, the pixel size becomes half due to the polarizing direction switching means and the polarizing plate array. To this end, the light use efficiency decreases.
With the conventional techniques, the horizontal resolution decreases inevitably because the alternately arranged left-eye image and the right-eye image on a display device are perceived separately. To increase the resolution with the conventional arrangement, the size of the 3D image display apparatus has to be increased.
Meanwhile, it is desired to widen a perceivable range for three-dimensional images, and a method for dividing a space on the image display means corresponding to multiple viewpoints (or observation positions) is proposed. However, as the number of spatially divided areas increases, the substantive resolution decreases. Actually, a technique of allowing several people to enjoy high-resolution 3D images has not been realized.

Method and apparatus for displaying three-dimensional stereo image using light deflector


An engine assembly that includes an internal combustion engine and a steam engine both designed to operate at speeds of optimal efficiency at normal engine driving conditions. A heat exchanger recovers heat losses from the internal combustion engine's exhaust gases and coolant to produce steam to operate the steam engine. Excess steam produced by the heat exchanger but not directly used by the steam engine is supplied to a steam buffer which stores the excess steam and energy and delivers steam to drive the steam engine during short periods of high load as required. The engine assembly is particularly advantageous in applications for propulsion of heavy vehicles such as trucks, freight trains or ships.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention refers to an engine assembly that includes an internal combustion engine and a steam engine connected to a driving assembly, for instance, by a common driving axle, and further includes a heat exchanged by which heat losses, from exhaust gases or cooling water, or both, from the internal combustion engine are utilized for generating steam to the steam engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is conventional to utilize combustion gases from an internal combustion engine in order to improve its efficiency, an internal combustion engine referring here to otto-cycle and diesel engines. The most common device presently in use is an exhaust driven turbo turbine driving a turbo compressor for supercharging the intake combustion air, which improves the performance of the engine at high shaft speeds. In large ships it is also customary to use steam turbines in order to utilize the heat from the exhaust gases of diesel engines. It has also been proposed to use exhaust gas heat from an internal combustion engine in a Rankine cycle process for the purpose of increasing engine efficiency. However, in conventional steam technology, the steam engine with its auxiliary system is too bulky and heavy. Therefore, these conventional systems have not been considered as a realistic alternative for vehicles in which weight and space demands are of great importance.
From a thermodynamic point of view, a piston steam engine could be a possible solution for utilizing the heat losses of an internal combustion engine. However, in such a case, the weight and space demands of the system must be considerably reduced compared to that provided by present steam technology.

Engine assembly comprising an internal combustion engine and a steam engine


A first network node maintains separate routing policy information to forward network traffic depending on a direction of the network traffic. Upstream routing policy information at the first node identifies a second node to forward upstream traffic received from at least a first client communicating through the first node. Downstream routing policy information at the first node identifies how to forward downstream network traffic received from another node to the first client. By preventing use of the downstream policy routing information by the first client to route upstream network traffic, the first node is able to forward traffic along a path that the network traffic otherwise would have not traveled. For example, network traffic communicated through the first node can be forced to travel through another network node through which it would have not otherwise have passed if the downstream policy information was available to route the network traffic.

Computer networks known as "subscriber networks" offer high speed long-haul transport of data communications between remote installations of subscriber or customer network facilities. As an example, a bank with several branches, or a large chain restaurant or other customer with several remote or geographically distributed installations that each operate a computer network (e.g., local area network installations) may subscribe to a subscriber or carrier network to provide data communications capabilities between that customer's remote network installations. Subscriber networks are able to transport many different types of data on behalf of many different customers of the subscriber network. One technology that supports this capability of a subscriber network to transport different types of data on behalf of different customers is called Multi-Label Protocol Switching (MPLS). MPLS is a technology known to those skilled in the art and is documented in several Request For Comments (RFCs) published by a standards organization called the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).
Subscriber networks supporting MPLS typically include a number of edge routers (Provider Edge or PE routers) to which customer edge routers (CE routers on the edge of each customer facility) connect with in order to communicate over the subscriber network. MPLS-based subscriber networks may provide wholesale services in which subscribers access various services of the network based on use of certain layer-2 service selection criteria. Layer-2 service selection requires the use of a PPP (Point-to-Point) client such as PPPoE (Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet) or PPPoA (Point-to-Point Protocol over ATM). Generally, to initiate a PPP session with a wholesale Service Provider (who may own the service supporting the subscriber), the client selects a given service and enters a username@servicename and password.
One type of wholesale service supported by an MPLS network may be "hub & spoke" Internet type access between a client (e.g., spoke) and an upstream ISP (Internet Service Provider) (e.g., a hub). According to this topology, multiple Internet subscribers may be provided with Internet access and connectivity with other subscribers through the MPLS core to the hub ISP. The upstream ISP typically includes a node that assigns public IP (Internet Protocol) addresses from a given subnet to subscribers initiating session requests to communicate over the Internet. In this case, such clients may be, for example, dial-in users such as employees that require access to an employer's facility.
To establish a session for such a service, a subscriber may initiate a PPP session based on a given username@servicename such as firstname.lastname@example.com. An LAC/PE-router receives and sends the username@servicename and password information to a wholesale Service Provider RADIUS server (i.e., a Remote Authentication Dial-In User Server). At the Service Provider RADIUS server, the "servicename" is used to index into a profile that contains information on the IP address of the RADIUS server for the "servicename" Service Provider (for example ISP-A.com). The username@servicename and password is then forwarded from the Service Provider RADIUS server (which acts as a "proxy-radius") to an ISP RADIUS server. The ISP RADIUS server authenticates the received information and assigns and returns an IP address for use by the requesting subscriber.
After authentication, a so-called "Access-Accept" is then sent back from the ISP RADIUS server to the wholesale Service Provider RADIUS server. The wholesale Service Provider RADIUS server adds authorization information to the Access-Accept packet (based on the servicename or domain-name) and forwards the Access-Accept packet back to the LAC/PE-router, where a temporary Virtual-Access interface (with associated /32 IP address) for the user is placed into an appropriate VRF (Virtual Routing & Forwarding Instance) for routing purposes.

Methods and apparatus to support routing of information


A writing instrument has a main body having front and rear ends and a writing tip at the front end, and a cap detachably attachable to a front portion of the main body to cover the writing tip and detachably attachable to a rear portion of the main body. A first opening is provided in the rear portion of the main body, and a second opening is provided in the cap. The first and second openings are alignable with one another when the cap is detachably attached to the rear portion of the main body to enable a tether to be threaded through the aligned openings for tethering the writing instrument to an object. Alternatively, the tether may be threaded through only the first opening at the rear portion of the main body for tethering the main body to an object. The cap may have a third opening at or near an end thereof, and the tether may alternatively be threaded through the third opening for tethering the cap to an object. This multi-mode tethering greatly increases the versatility of the writing instrument, enabling it to be attached to objects in different ways.

The present invention relates generally to writing instruments that can be tethered to an object, such as a person, clipboard, knapsack and the like, and more particularly to a writing instrument that can be tethered to an object in various modes to thereby increase the versatility of the writing instrument.
Writing instruments are generally known that have provision for a tether for tethering or connecting the writing instrument to an object. These writing instruments typically have an opening at the rear end thereof for receiving a tether, which may be fixed or slidable in the opening.
Such writing instruments have the drawback that they may be tethered in only one mode, i.e., through the opening provided at the rear end of the writing instrument. Another drawback is that when the cap is removed to enable use of the writing instrument, the cap is likely to be misplaced since though the main body of the writing instrument is tethered, the cap is not. If left uncapped for long periods, the performance of the writing instrument may deteriorate.

Writing instrument with multi-mode tethering