Automated testing of audio performance of applications across platforms is provided for via capture of audio data. The audio data can include, inter alia, output sounds from a sound card or pre-rendered buffer data. The audio data is processed to produce descriptive data including data describing the audio data at least a first resolution and a second resolution. This descriptive data is used to compare data samples and describe the degree of similarity of two or more data samples. This comparison enables a determination as to whether the audio performance is satisfactory.

Software is often developed to run with a wide variety of hardware and system software. The differences between these systems have the potential to create compatibility issues. Testing for these issues is essential to ensure overall system integrity and avoid user complaints.
Human testers may be used to catch compatibility issues. This involves running the software on different system configurations and manually checking the results. Not only is this a tedious, time-consuming, and resource intensive process, but the results may be marred from subjectivity and human error.
Test automation has already proven to reduce the cost and improve the accuracy of graphics testing. For example, automated tools may be used to perform screen captures and image comparisons of the same graphical data rendered on multiple platforms. This allows the tester to quickly determine the correctness of different outputs using a standard method of measurement.
While crude automated audio testing methods exist, these methods do no more than determine the mere existence of audio output. Human testing is still needed to determine if audio output processed correctly. While human ears are relatively well-equipped to catch certain audio defects, such as popping sounds, they are inadequate for other aspects, such as precise tone/pitch differentiation, slight timing differences, or accurately parsing a complex clamor of sounds. Additionally, as previously mentioned, such human testing is tedious, time-consuming and resource-intensive and prone to errors due to subjectivity and human error.
Thus, improved audio test automation techniques are needed in order to not only determine if audio output was generated, but to also evaluate if it was generated correctly. Such techniques would improve test result quality, and reduce human testing resource costs.


The invention provides a plurality of embryonic stem cell-like progenitor cells, which are isolated from a human tissue by a systemic screening of human mesenchymal stromal stem/progenitor cells and a cell sorting by a cell antigen selected from the group consisting of CD34, CD117, CD133, CD201, GloboH and combination thereof, and cultured in a medium supplemented with at least one or more steroids and one or more growth factors. The cells of the invention express CD34 and exhibit sphere-like clonogenicity in early passages and express multipotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) like characteristics.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a population of precursor/progenitor cells, particularly enriched with multipotent embryonic stem cell-like mesenchymal common progenitor cells (MCPCs), and method for enriching the same.
2. Description of Related Art
In regenerative medicine, to identify a source of stem cells of high safety and efficacy is the first step of the development of bio materials for repairing and renewing damaged and defective tissues. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can remain undifferentiated, if cultured under appropriate conditions, and begin to spontaneously differentiate into various types of cells, which is a good indication that a culture of embryonic stem cells is a source for producing various types of cells. However, it is not an efficient way because to control the differentiation of embryonic stem cells is required (see: Stem Cells: Scientific Progress and Future Research Directions. Department of Health and Human Services. Jun. 2001.).
Mesenchymal stem cells, or MSCs, are multipotent stem cells that can differentiate into a variety of cell types. MSCs have been isolated from placenta, adipose tissue, lung, bone marrow, dental pulp, and blood. Cell types that MSCs have been shown to differentiate into in vitro or in vivo osteoblasts, chondrocytes, myocytes, adipocytes, and beta-pancreatic islets cells. MSCs were found to be rare in bone marrow, representing ˜1 in 10,000 nucleated cells. Although not immortal, they have the ability to expand manyfold in culture while retaining their growth and multilineage potential. Pittenger et al. (Science 284, 143 (1999)) discloses that isolated mesenchymal (stem) cells were uniformly positive for SH2, SH3, CD29, CD44, CD71, CD90, CD106, CD120a, CD124, and many other surface proteins, while the mesenchymal cells were negative for other markers of the hematopoietic lineage, including the lipopolysaccharide receptors CD14, CD34, and the leukocyte common antigen CD45. MSCs are identified by the expression of many molecules including CD44 and CD105 and are negative for the hematopoietic markers CD34, CD45, and CD14.
It was reported that amniotic mesenchymal stromal cells and human chorionic mesenchymal stromal cells could be isolated from placenta. The surface antigen expression of these cells is given in Table A below, showing that they cannot express CD45, CD34, CD14 and HLA-DR (Parolini et al., Stem Cells 26: 300-311, 2008).
TABLE ASpecific antigen expression at passages 2-4 for amnioticmesenchymal stromal cells and human chorionic mesenchymal stromal cellsPositive (≧95%)Negative (≦2%)CD90 CD45CD73 CD34CD105CD14HLA-DR
Caplice (U.S. Pat. No. 7,790,453 B2) taught blood-derived, adult smooth muscle progenitor cells which were positive for CD34. However, the smooth muscle progenitor cells disclosed by Caplice are not characterized as mesenchymal stromal stem/progenitor cells and said progenitor cells have limited differentiation potential.
Lucas et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 7,259,011 B2) taught isolated human pluripotent adult stem cells (PPASCs) expressing CD13, CD34, CD56, and CD117. The PPASCs according to Lucas et al. did not express CD10, CD14, and stage specific embryonic antigen SSEA2. The PPASCs are not characterized as mesenchymal stromal stem/progenitor cells, either.
Hariri (U.S. Pat. No. 7,468,276 B2) taught isolated human placental stem cells that are OCT4+ and CD34+. The human placental stem cells disclosed by Hariri were SSEA3− and SSEA4−. The human placental stem cells of Hariri were not characterized as mesenchymal stromal stem/progenitor cells.
Edinger et al. (US 2008/0206343 A1) discloses non-adherent, CD34+CD45− stem cells isolated from placenta. The placental stem cells according to Edinger et al. are non-adherent, and thus were not mesenchymal.
For tissue engineering, an enriched population of multipotent stem cells that are juvenile and prolonged self-renewal are desired.

Human multipotent embryonic stem cell-like progenitor cells

SUNSHINE LIFE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CORP.


Methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed herein for power modulation control of power grids using end-use loads. At the beginning of a coordination period typically lasting a few minutes, a population of end-use loads (water heaters, air conditioners, plug-in electric vehicles, etc.) is interrogated for their willingness to participate in power modulation by undergoing state transitions from on to off, or off to on. Distribution system flexibilities are calculated from the sums of device powers within distribution systems. Area flexibilities are calculated from the sums of device powers within areas. Thresholds for various devices to change state in response to inter-area oscillation damping or frequency regulation are derived from these flexibilities. Two power functions are monitored in real-time and compared with the device thresholds to trigger state changes which then remain locked throughout the remainder of the coordination period, then the devices are released from the lockout state.

In the management of modern power grids, inter-area oscillations are a growing problem stemming from reductions in stability margins arising as power grids are pushed ever closer to their operating limits. The degree of damping of these oscillations typically decreases as power transfers between areas grow larger, especially over weak transmission connections and longer distances. Such oscillations may lead to system breakup and even cascading blackouts.
Inadequate availability of sufficient energy storage, HVDC lines, and generators with fast-acting governors remains a limitation on the practical application of direct methods for modulating real power in order to damp inter-area oscillations. Therefore, there remains ample opportunity for improvement to inter-area oscillation damping in power grids.
On the other hand, the integration of renewable energy into modern power grids has become a growing trend due to growing environmental concerns as well as economic and political requirements. However, the vast integration of intermittent renewable energy into power grids can substantially reduce the total system inertia as well as decrease contingency reserves, as conventional generation is gradually displaced by non-dispatchable renewable generation. Therefore, it becomes extremely difficult for system operators to maintain the stability and reliability of power grids. However, requiring these additional reserves to be provided by conventional generation will diminish the net carbon benefit from renewables, reduce generation efficiency, and become economically untenable. Therefore, there also remains ample opportunity to improve frequency regulation in power grids.

Control approach for power modulation of end-use loads


The present invention relates to novel vinorelbine derivatives. Pharmaceutical compositions containing these compounds as well as processes of preparation and processes of use for treatment of various conditions are also disclosed.

Cellular Proliferation and Cancer
The disruption of external or internal regulation of cellular growth can lead to uncontrolled cellular proliferation and in cancer, tumor formation. This loss of cellular growth control can occur at many levels and, indeed, does occur at multiple levels in most tumors. Under these circumstances, although tumor cells can no longer control their own proliferation, such cells still must use the same basic cellular machinery employed by normal cells to drive their growth and replication.
Mitosis and Spindle Formation
In a process known as mitosis, cancer cells, like all mammalian cells, multiply through replication and segregation of the original chromosomes. Following DNA replication in the S phase, the cells progress in the G2 phase. During the G2 phase, cells continue to increase in mass and prepare for mitosis. If chromosome damage is present in the G2 phase, the affected cell responds by activating the G2 phase checkpoint, which prevents progression into mitosis. In the absence of DNA damage or following repair of damage, the G2 phase cells then enter the M phase in which the identical pairs of chromosomes are separated and transported to opposite ends of the cell. The cell then undergoes division into two identical daughter cells.
In a process known as spindle formation, the cell utilizes the mitotic spindle apparatus to separate and pull apart the chromosomes. This apparatus, in part, consists of a network of microtubules that form during the first stage of mitosis. Microtubules are hollow tubes that are formed by the assembly of tubulin heterodimers from alpha- and beta-tubulin. The assembly of tubulin into microtubules is a dynamic process with tubulin molecules being constantly added and subtracted from each end.
Vinca Compounds as Inhibitors of Mitosis and Cellular Proliferation
In general, vinca compounds are known to be inhibitors of mitosis and cellular proliferation. In particular, the antiproliferative activity of the vinca alkaloid class of drugs has been shown to be due to their ability to bind tubulin. Assembly of tubulin into microtubules is essential for mitosis and the binding of the vincas to tubulin leads to cell cycle arrest in M phase and subsequently to apoptosis. For example, at low concentrations, these compounds interfere with the dynamics of microtubule formation. At higher concentrations, they cause microtubule disassembly, and at still higher concentrations, the formation of tubulin paracrystals.
Moreover, the anti-cancer activity of vinca alkaloids is generally believed to result from a disruption of microtubules resulting in mitotic arrest. However, cytotoxicity of vinca alkaloids also has been demonstrated in non-mitotic cells. Considering the role of microtubules in many cellular processes, the cytotoxic action of vinca alkaloids may involve contributions from inhibition of non-mitotic microtubule-dependent processes.
Cytotoxicity may also be a consequence of changes in membrane structure resulting from the partitioning of vinca alkaloids into the lipid bilayer. Studies with another tubulin binding compound, taxol, have shown that cell cycle arrest was not a precondition for apoptosis by agents of this type. Therefore, the anti-cancer activity of vinca alkaloids may be the result from disruption of a number of distinct microtubule-dependent and possibly microtubule-independent processes.
The assembly of tubulin into microtubules is a complex process involving dynamic instability (i.e. the switching between periods of slow growth and rapid shortening at both ends of the microtubule), and treadmilling (i.e. the addition of tubulin to one end of the microtubule occurring at the same rate as loss of tubulin from the other). Low concentrations of vinca alkaloids have been shown to bind to the ends of the microtubules and suppress both microtubule instability and treadmilling during the metaphase stage of mitosis. For example, vinca alkaloids have been shown to stabilize microtubule plus ends and destabilize microtubule minus ends. Although the spindle is retained under these conditions, there is frequently abnormal alignment of condensed chromosomes. At higher concentrations of vinca alkaloids, the spindle is not present and the chromosome distribution resembles that of prometaphase cells. At both low and high concentrations of vincas, mitotic arrest results from activation of metaphase-anaphase checkpoint. The molecular basis of this checkpoint is a negative signal sent from the kinetochore of chromosomes that are not attached to microtubules. This signal prevents the activation of pathways that result in the initiation of anaphase events.
Although there is a common binding site for the vinca alkaloids on tubulin, the members of this class do behave differently. The relative overall affinities for β-tubulin binding are vincristine >vinblastine >vinorelbine >vinflunine, but there is no significant difference in the affinity of all four drugs for tubulin heterodimers. The discrepancy has primarily been explained by differences in the affinities of vinca-bound heterodimers for spiral polymers and the binding of drug to unliganded polymers. For example, tubulin spirals induced by vinflunine are significantly smaller than those induced by vinorelbine.
In addition, vinca alkaloids also differ in their effects on microtubule dynamics. Vinflunine and vinorelbine suppress dynamic instability through: slowing the microtubule growth rate, increasing the mean duration of a growth event and reducing the duration of shortening. In contrast, vinblastine reduces the rate of shortening and increases the percentage of time the microtubules spend in the attenuated state. Vinblastine, vinorelbine, and vinflunine all suppress treadmilling, with vinblastine displaying the greatest potency.
In Vivo Properties
The vinca derivatives fall into the general class of cytotoxic anti-cancer agents and, as such, suffer from the same problem as all cytotoxics—i.e., toxicity. Vincristine and vinblastine are neurotoxic. Vinorelbine, which is structurally very similar to vinblastine and vincristine and is only slightly less potent, is less neurotoxic. This change in toxicity cannot be explained by examination of the binding affinity of these compounds for tubulin alone. It has been postulated to arise from an increase in sensitivity to changes in microtubule dynamics in tumor cells and, as described above, these compounds have been shown to have subtly different effects. It could also arise from changes in cellular uptake of the drug. Vinflunine is not very potent in vitro yet is active in vivo, and this has been attributed to its superior cellular uptake. There are also quite significant differences in the profile of efficacy of vinca alkaloids. Vincristine has found wide use in the treatment of hematologic malignancies including leukemias and lymphomas. It is also widely used in pediatric solid tumors and, in the past, in small cell lung cancer. Vinblastine is an important component of the combination regimen that is curative for testicular cancer. Vinorelbine is quite different and has found use mainly in breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.
There remains a need for novel vinca derivatives with improved pharmacological and therapeutic properties, improved processes for the preparations of such vinca derivative compounds, corresponding pharmaceutical compositions, and methods of use.
The present invention is directed to achieving these objectives.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The merchandise planning and development system includes a WWW server 33 for informing many and unspecified customers 31 to 3n of merchandise planning and development information about planning and/or development of new merchandise through the Internet 20, and a news server 35 for collecting the opinion information of the customers 31 to 3n looking up the merchandise planning information through the Internet 20. The WWW server 33 informs the customers 31 to 3n of the merchandise information suited to the needs of the customers on the basis of the opinion information by way of the Internet 20.

Recently, as needs of customers are diversified, and consumers tend to purchase merchandise by choosing only those truly necessary for the own self, it is becoming more and more difficult for the enterprises engaged in development of new merchandise to satisfy the needs of the individual customers sufficiently.
To differentiate the merchandise, it is very important for the enterprises to operate activities for distributing the merchandise and service from the manufacturers to the consumes rationally and efficiently, that is, to investigate the latent needs of customers by market research or other unit, and feed back the results to the merchandise development.
On the other hand, to investigate the latent needs of customers, the enterprises are attempting to utilize the exiting Internet, and feed back the results to development of new merchandise.
However, hitherto, no method is known to cover all steps of development of new merchandise from planning and/or developing to sales of products by exchanging opinions over the Internet, magazines or the other media, that is, by exchanging opinions among the consumers, the media providing enterprises, and manufacturers.

Merchandise planning and development system and method for the same, and a computer product


A portable data carrier with a card body in which an integrated circuit is embedded may include a token, a token holder, and one or more fixing portions. The token may comprise the integrated circuit. The token holder may include a first end and a second end, the first end configured to flexibly extend from the card body, and the second end configured to be releasably attached to the token, and a separation line along a length of the token holder between the token holder and the token, the separation line configured to allow the token to be detached from the token holder. The one or more fixing portions may be configured to releasably hold the token and the token holder to corresponding portions of the card body surrounding the token and the token holder.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to portable data carriers, in particular to the chip cards or tokens. Specifically, the invention relates to the storage and delivery configuration of such chip cards and tokens.
2. Description of Related Art
Chip cards, also known as smart cards, generally comprise a thin card body with embedded integrated circuits (i.e., at least one semiconductor chip), and has dimensions and characteristics that meet the requirements of ISO/IEC standards 7810 and 7816. Chip cards may be used for identification, data authentication and storage, and application processing.
Known chip card designs may have a chip card capable of being inserted into a chip card slot or a USB hub. The chip card may include a token (e.g., a subscriber identity module, or "SIM" card) that has a semiconductor chip with an integrated circuit located at an end portion of a token holder. In addition, a slot surrounds the token holder, and the token holder may be formed in one piece with the rest of the chip card from a flexible plastics material. Further, the chip card may have a hinge that fixes the token holder to a position in a chip card plane, and allows the token holder to be reversibly bent or folded out of the chip card plane and bent or folded back into the chip card plane again.
In certain situations, however, users may need a chip card that allows the token to be completely removed from the chip card and used as a separate token for additional flexibility.

Plug-in portable data carrier with semi-detachable token holder


This invention provides a magenta toner obtaining a sharp color and having a high coloring power and superior transparency and light-fastness. The magenta toner of the present invention is characterized by having magenta toner particles containing at least a coloring compound having a structure represented by the following Formula (1)

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a magenta toner used in full-color copying machines and printers for developing electrostatic latent images in electrophotography, electrostatic recording, electrostatic printing and so forth, and to a process for producing the magenta toner.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, electrostatic printing, electrophotography and so forth are available as processes for developing electrostatic latent images by the use of toners to form visible images. In these processes, electrostatic latent images are formed on a photosensitive member, subsequently the electrostatic latent images are developed by the use of toners to form toner images, then the toner images are transferred to a transfer material such as paper as occasion calls, and thereafter the toner images are fixed by the action of heat, pressure, heat-and-pressure, solvent vapor or the like to obtain copies or prints.
In recent years, in image forming apparatus such as copying machines and printers, the evolution from monochrome colors to full colors is being in rapid progress, where full-color image forming apparatus have been put into practical use and it has become able to obtain high-quality images which are of course superior in resolution and gradation and also in color reproducibility free of color non-uniformity.
For example, in full-color copying machines, a color-image original is color-separated into B (blue), G (green) and R (red) with use of corresponding color filters, and thereafter latent images formed of dots of 20 to 70 μm in diameter which correspond to an original image are developed by the use of respective-color toners of Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan) and B (black), utilizing the action of subtractive color mixing.
As conventional magenta colorants for electrophotography, proposed are quinacridone pigments, anthraquinone pigments, thioindigo pigments, xanthene dyes, xanthene pigments, azo dyes, azo pigments and so forth (Japanese Patent Publications No. S49-46951 and No. S55-42383, and Japanese Patent Applications Laid-open No. S55-26574, No. S59-57256 and No. 2000-248191). In particular, xanthene dyes are preferred in view of chroma and brightness. However, the xanthene dyes have had a problem on fastness such as light-fastness. To solve such a problem, phenylxanthene dyes substituted with a branched alkyl group are proposed, which, however, have solubility in water or are insufficiently soluble in polymerizable monomers, and hence it has been difficult for them to be used in direct suspension polymerization (Japanese Patent No. 02916835).
A method is also known in which, in order to further control colorant transparency and color tints, a coloring compound is not used alone, and a pigment and a pigment, or a pigment and a dye, are mixed, or a quinacridone pigment is used in the state of mixed crystals (see Japanese Patent Applications Laid-open No. H1-224777 and No. S62-291669).
These magenta colorants have good affinity for binder resins and good light-fastness, and can provide magenta toners having superior triboelectric charging characteristics and color tones. However, as the full-color image forming apparatus have become more highly functional in recent years, magenta toners are demanded to be more improved in color tones, chroma, transparency, electrophotographic performance and so forth.

Magenta toner and process for producing magenta toner


Apparatus is provided in an aircraft to convert signals from a Universal Navigation System such as LORAN to signals compatible with the standard Omni Bearing Selector (OBS) in the aircraft. The apparatus allows a visual bearing to any destination to be provided for the navigator.

As is well known, the standard VOR system for aircraft navigation comprises a source of a ground signal and an omni bearing selector (OBS) in the aircraft. The navigator turns the selector to align with the beam provided by the ground signal and merely follows the beam to the "waypoint". In this manner, the navigator could follow a course to any VOR Station in any direction in 360 degrees. This was an early navigation system for aircraft which permitted the navigator to follow a course to the source of the beam.
The LORAN system is different. The LORAN system, as is the case with other universal navigation systems, permits a navigator to set a course to any desired destination rather than to a VOR Station. The system is a ground or satellite based system. The navigator has equipment which calculates the position of the aircraft from the LORAN signal and determines bearing to waypoint data as is also well understood.

Navigation system for converting bearing to waypoint data from a universal navigation system to signals usable by an omni bearing selector


An apparatus for separating solids from a drilling fluid that includes a basket having two opposed spaced-apart side walls having first ends and second ends, the first ends spaced apart by an end wall connected to each of the side walls, the basket further including a bottom wall through which a fluid outlet passage is defined, a plurality of screening surfaces having a front edge and a back edge and positioned within the basket between the side walls with each screening surface spaced apart vertically from adjacent screening surfaces and the back edge spaced apart from the end wall of the basket, wherein the back edge of each screening surface is lower than the front edge of the corresponding screening surface, a plurality of weirs, each weir retained along the back edge of a corresponding screening surface and spaced apart from the end wall to define a fluid passage between each weir and the end wall, wherein each weir has a top edge extending to a weir height above the back edge of the corresponding screening surface and the top edge is lower than the front edge of the corresponding screening surface, at least one flow director catching unseparated drilling fluid in the fluid passage and directing the unseparated drilling fluid onto a lower screen, and wherein fluid in the fluid passage between the lowermost screen and the end wall is directed to a spillover fluid outlet is disclosed.

Oilfield drilling fluid, often called "mud," serves multiple purposes in the industry. Among its any functions, the drilling mud acts as a lubricant to cool rotary drill bits and facilitate faster cutting rates. The mud is mixed at the surface and pumped downhole through a bore of the drillstring to the drill bit where it exits through various nozzles and ports, lubricating and cooling the drill bit. After exiting through the nozzles, the "spent" fluid returns to the surface through an annulus formed between the drillstring and the drilled wellbore.
Furthermore, drilling mud provides a column of hydrostatic pressure, or head, to prevent "blow out" of the well being drilled. This hydrostatic pressure offsets formation pressures thereby preventing fluids from blowing out if pressurized deposits in the formation are breached. Two factors contributing to the hydrostatic pressure of the drilling mud column are the height (or depth) of the column (i.e., the vertical distance from the surface to the bottom of the wellbore) and the density (or its inverse, specific gravity) of the fluid used. Various weighting and lubrication agents are mixed into the drilling mud to obtain the right mixture for the type and construction of the formation to be drilled. Because the mud evaluation and mixture process is time consuming and expensive, drillers and service companies prefer to reclaim the returned drilling mud and recycle it for continued use.
Another significant purpose of the drilling mud is to carry the cuttings away from the drill bit to the surface. As a drill bit pulverizes or scrapes the rock formation at the bottom of the borehole, small pieces of solid material are left behind. The drilling fluid exiting the nozzles at the bit stir up and carry the solid particles of rock and formation to the surface within the annulus between the drillstring and the borehole. Therefore the fluid exiting the borehole from the annulus is a slurry of formation cuttings in drilling mud, and the cutting particulates must be removed before the mud can be recycled.
One type of apparatus used to remove cuttings and other solid particulates from drilling mud is commonly referred to in the industry as a "shale shaker" or "vibratory separator." A shale shaker is a vibrating sieve-like table upon which returning used drilling mud is deposited and through which substantially cleaner drilling mud emerges. Typically, the shale shaker is an angled table with a generally perforated filter screen bottom. Returning drilling mud is deposited at a first end of the shale shaker. As the drilling mud travels across the perforated screen, the fluid falls through the perforations to a reservoir below thereby leaving the solid particulate material behind. The combination of the angle of inclination with the vibrating action of the shale shaker table enables the solid particles left behind to flow until they fall of the second end of the shaker table. The amount of vibration and the angle of inclination are typically adjustable to accommodate various drilling mud flow rates and particulate percentages in the drilling mud. After the fluid passes through the perforated bottom of the shale shaker, it can either return to service in the borehole immediately, be stored for measurement and evaluation, or it may pass through another, smaller size shale shaker or other equipment to further remove smaller cuttings.
As mud is circulated through the shaker separators and other cuttings removal apparatus, the flow rate of the feed mud may increase when the driller is flushing the wellbore or the geology of the wellbore requires a change in drilling fluid properties. The flow rate may increase to such an extent that the mesh of the screening surface can become congested with solids that are not removed fast enough to allow the fluid component of the feed mud to flow through the screen.
To prevent the loss of valuable drilling mud over the front edge of the screening surface and into the cuttings collection area during such flow rate increases, the front end of the separator is often raised so that the front edge of the screening surface is higher than the back edge of the screening surface. When the separator is actuated, the screening surfaces and basket within which they are secured vibrate at a desired frequency and with a predetermined motion, such as linear, elliptical, or circular. While the basket and screens vibrate at a predetermined frequency and motion, the housing to which the basket is resiliently mounted does not vibrate. This often results in the presence of a small gap between the back edge of the basket and the housing. Unfiltered drilling fluid drains directly into the filtered fluid collection area through the resulting gap. When the front end of the separator is raised, as during normal operation of the vibratory separator, the quantity of unfiltered drilling fluid that drains into the filtered fluid can increase when the mud depth increases. It would be an improvement to the quality of drilling fluid being filtered by the vibratory separator, to direct such unfiltered fluid into a secondary screen.
The condition of the screens may also contribute to the commingling of unfiltered drilling fluid with filtered drilling fluid. As drilling fluid solids are filtered from the drilling fluid, the wires making up the screening surface are subject to breakage. Such breakage is more prevalent near the back of the screening surface, where the unfiltered drilling mud is initially directed onto the screening surface. As the wires break, a hole or tear in the screen forms and becomes larger, which leads to more solids passing through the screening surface. Because separators are typically in continuous use, any repair operations and associated downtimes are minimized to the extent possible. Often, the screens of separators, through which the solids are separated from the drilling mud wear out over time and need replacement. Therefore, separator filter screens are typically constructed to be quickly and easily removed and replaced. Generally, through the loosening of only a few bolts, the filter screen can be lifted out of the shaker assembly and replaced within a matter of minutes. Additional screening surfaces that are vertically arranged would expose the drilling fluid to multiple screens, thereby reducing the effects of a tear or break in any single screen. Further, the replacement of a single screen could be deferred until additional screens break or there is down time in the drilling operation.
Many separator are equipped with screens having a lower mesh size than is preferable. This results in the removal of coarse solids but permits some solids that are larger than preferable to pass through the screen and remain in the filtered drilling fluid. Among the reasons for using screens having larger perforations include the desire to salvage drilling fluid when there are surges in the fluid flow to the shaker separator. By having larger perforations in the screen, more fluid passes and less fluid is discarded with the cuttings. Another reason for using such screens is to increase the capacity of the separator to filter the drilling fluid. Screens having smaller perforations cannot filter the same quantity of drilling fluid in a period of time as do screens having larger perforations. It would be an improvement to provide more desirable mesh sizes without the undesirable side effect of losing drilling fluid into the cuttings collection area.
Power loss or fluctuation in power to a shaker reduces the G-force of the shaker, causing the screening process to lose efficiency. The solids in the unfiltered mud are no longer propelled to the front of the screen and instead accumulate on the screening surface. As the used mud continues to be provided onto the screening surface, the lack of vibration results in the larger solids settling on the screening surface, causing it to become clogged such that much of the fluid does not pass through the screen mesh. If sufficient power is not promptly restored, the unfiltered drilling fluid will accumulate in the space defined by the inclined screen surface, the rear wall of the basket, the side walls of the separator to eventually overflow the front edge of the screening surface into a cuttings box or solids collection area. When the drilling fluid overflows into the cuttings collection area, additional treatment of the cuttings is usually required before the cuttings can be properly disposed. Although it is not desirable to have unfiltered drilling fluid continually released to the collection area for filtered drilling fluid, such a result is preferred when compared to losing the valuable drilling fluid in the cuttings collection area. More preferential would be to separately collect the unfiltered drilling fluid for re-circulation through the shaker.


Fall restraint equipment comprising a mobile access unit having a mobile platform portion, a ladder portion, and a cage portion. The components of the fall restraint equipment are formed from butterflying, lasering, cutting, bending, and/or stamping continuous pieces of tubular and sheet metal. The components of the mobile access unit are modular and include adapters of varying height that cause the mobile access unit to exhibit varying height.

Typically, fall restraint equipment and its components are manufactured by cutting and welding stock pieces of material together. The stock material commonly exhibits a predefined configuration, size, and arrangement. As a result, the stock material must be plasma cut to the desired shape and/or size. The resulting pieces are then welded together to form a component. To accomplish this, a surface of one piece is placed flat against a surface of another, and the connection between the two is then welded. As a result, the strength of the formed component is limited at least in part by the weld holding the two pieces together. Once the component is formed, it is attached to other components that have been formed in the same manner by welding the two components together. Similarly, the strength of the resulting equipment is limited at least in part by the weld holding its components together.
Additionally, manufacturing equipment in this manner is both time-consuming and costly. Moreover, the drilling and cutting of the stock materials must be accomplished with precision in order to create a stable end product. Variances greater than an acceptable level render the smaller pieces unusable, which are typically discarded as it is often unfeasible to use them in another product once they have been drilled or cut. Moreover, if other parts cannot be cut or drilled from the remaining portions of the stock materials, they too are discarded. Further, different types and sizes of the metal stock material must be kept on hand in order to form the components to be welded together. The inefficient yet inescapable use of stock material also increases the costs associated with manufacturing fall restraint equipment.


An accelerator pedal provides feedback to a driver of a vehicle indicating that an engine is about to be started. This feedback is associated with a threshold position of the accelerator pedal. The threshold position may be fixed and a pedal mapping curve fit to pass through the threshold position. The threshold position may vary and depend on a minimum of the motive power capacity of a battery and an activation power threshold of the engine.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to methods and systems for alerting a driver that a motive power system is about to be activated.
2. Discussion
Hybrid electric vehicles have a traction battery and an engine, which may be an internal combustion engine or a hydrogen fuel cell. The traction battery and engine provide power to move the vehicle. In some circumstances, the traction battery is the primary motive power source for the vehicle. For example, the traction battery may exclusively provide power to support low to moderate speed driving. In other circumstances, power from the traction battery may be supplemented with power from the engine if the driver demand for power exceeds the capacity of the traction battery. For example, the traction battery and engine may provide power to support high speed driving.
A driver of a hybrid electric vehicle may wish to drive in electric only mode. The driver, however, may be unaware that requests for additional power will result in the starting of an engine.

Method and system for alerting a driver that a motive power system is about to be activated


A power control apparatus of a PC mounted fax/modem comprises a fax/modem operator detecting a ring signal and performing a fax operation or modem operation; and a power controller automatically controlling a supply of a power to a PC power source section in response to a detection of the ring signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the power control of a fax/modem, and more particularly to an automatic power control apparatus of a PC mounted fax/modem.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A conventional PC mounted fax/modem apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 includes a ring signal sensing section 100 for searching out a signal received from a telephone line and for changing a logic value in a flag register to a logic value of one from a logic value of zero when a telephone ring signal is produced. This indicates that a fax has been received or that data has been received over a modem. An MCU 101 controls a hook switch section 102 as the logic value of one is stored in the flag register of ring signal sensing section 100. Simultaneously, the MCU 101 decodes the data received via the telephone line to provide corresponding fax or modem data. Hook switch section 102 connects or cuts off the hook switch in accordance with a control signal from MCU section 101 for connecting or cutting off the telephone line. A PC power source section 103 is supplied with AC power via a power converter for converting it into DC power. The PC power source section 103 supplies power for driving the various blocks of FIG. 1.
The operation of the automatic power control apparatus of the conventional PC mounted fax/modem will be described below.
With the power switch of the PC turned on, ring signal sensing section 100 receives the external ring signal via the telephone line. Ring signal sensing section 100 monitors the rising edge of a pulse generated when the telephone bell is to be rung, i.e., when the ring signal is received. Upon receiving a ring signal, ring signal sensing section 100 instantly writes a logic value of one into the 1-bit flag register internally mounted therein. The flag register in ring signal sensing section 100 stores a logic value of zero when the PC is operated as a transmitting fax/modem. When the PC is operated in the fax/modem mode, the telephone bell cannot be rung. The logic value changes from zero to one at the moment the telephone call is externally made.
The MCU 101 for controlling respective blocks searches out the flag register of ring signal sensing section 100 to read out the stored value. The MCU 101 supplies the read-out value as the control signal to hook switch section 102 to connect the hook switch if the value is one to permit the externally transmitted data to be received. The MCU 101 determines whether the externally received data is fax data or is general PC communication data, and accordingly identifies it as fax data or PC data. The MCU 101 determines the completion of the receipt of data by determining that no data is received for one frame period and will then open a contact point of hook switch section 102. This generates a control signal to cut off the telephone line. In other words, the hook switch section 102 turns the telephone line on and off in accordance with the control signal from the MCU 101.
However, since the conventional power control apparatus of a PC mounted fax/modem cannot perform the fax/modem function when the power of the PC is off, the PC must be maintained on in order to execute the fax/modem function, which in turn wastes too much power.

Automatic power control apparatus of a PC mounted fax/modem


Embodiments of the present systems and methods may provide techniques for extracting vocal features from voice signals to determine an emotional or mental state of one or more persons, such as to determine a risk of suicide and other mental health issues. For example, as a person's mental state may indirectly alters his or her speech, suicidal risk in, for example, hotline calls, may be determined through speech analysis. In embodiments, such techniques may include preprocessing of the original recording, vocal feature extraction, and prediction processing. For example, in an embodiment, a computer-implemented method of determining an emotional or mental state of a person, the method comprising acquiring an audio signal relating to a conversation including the person, extracting signal components relating to an emotional or mental state of at least the person, and outputting information characterizing the extracted emotional or mental state of the person.

The present invention relates to techniques for extracting vocal features from voice signals to determine an emotional or mental state of one or more persons, such as to determine a risk of suicide and other mental health issues.
Mental health disorders, and more particularly depression and suicide, have become a major concern for society. Conventional diagnosis suffers from a lack of accuracy and reliability due to patient self-reporting, Overall, mental health disorders are under-diagnosed and under-treated. Public health interventions often include strategies, such as the suicide crisis hotline. However, the counselors answering the calls are not necessarily mental health professionals and can overtook subtle signs. The human voice carries much more than simply the linguistic content. Paralinguistic content, including information regarding emotions, is also present. As a person's mental state indirectly alters his or her speech, a person's mental state may be reflected in the paralinguistic content of their speech.
Accordingly, a need arises for techniques for extracting vocal features from voice signals to determine an emotional state or mental of one or more persons, such as to determine a risk of suicide and other mental health issues.

Real-time vocal features extraction for automated emotional or mental state assessment


The successful monitoring of procurement processes requires that dates in the supply chain be calculated exactly and tracked accordingly. The central calculation of dates ensures that different applications arrive at the same results, optimizing their accuracy. Monitoring the dates will allow a user to quickly gain an overview of the current procurement situation and react on time to potential delays. Dates from a purchase order are transferred to the event management system and used to calculate base dates. A schedule bar is provided in the event management system, and includes dates received or calculated by the event management system. An activity is triggered based upon the occurrence or nonoccurrence of an event by a purchaser order date or a calculated date.

In general, business models can involve buying merchandise and services for one price and selling it for another. In the process, sellers can incur spectacular costs marketing to prospective and existing users, leasing stores, paying employees, buying and maintaining information technology, transporting, and, most importantly, buying and managing the transfer of the merchandise itself.
These various costs require planning to be, at one level, a strategic activity. Executives set business objectives and merchandise planners derive strategies to meet them: back to basics to reduce the style count, extended assortments with additional colors and styles, or new lines of business such as health & beauty. On another level, planning is tactical and operational. The plan influences how many styles and colors a merchant will carry. It influences how distributions are planned for stores. It influences when markdowns are expected to be taken for each style and color. It also influences which stores should carry each style. Current business systems suffer from a limited ability for interaction between these two levels of planning.
In many businesses, such as retail stores, the procurement of goods is one of the key items to be planned. One of the key challenges faced by procurement monitoring is to keep track of processes, warehouse stocks and different events in the supply chain—from a purchase order with external suppliers to goods receipt in the warehouse—and react to potential problems. Optimizing the smooth flow of the procurement process will increase an enterprise's efficiency and competitiveness and determine its success.
The successful monitoring of procurement processes requires that dates in the supply chain be calculated exactly and tracked accordingly. The central calculation of dates ensures that different applications arrive at the same results, optimizing their accuracy. Monitoring the dates will allow a user to quickly gain an overview of the current procurement situation and react on time to potential delays.
A computerized method and system are needed for use with the key procurement processes in the fashion industry, from the point of view of procurement monitoring, and fashion scheduling.

Computer-readable medium, program product, and system for providing a schedule bar with event dates to monitor procurement of a product


A speaker module includes a speaker, a bracket and a pair of conductive pins. The bracket holds the speaker. The pair of pins is arranged diagonally on the corners of the bracket and is configured for mounting to and electrically connecting the speaker with a PCB.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a speaker module, and particularly relates to a speaker module used in an electronic device.
2. Description of Related Art
Electronic devices, such as a mobile phone, include a speaker module for playing sound. The speaker shape, which may be rectangular or oval, always have pins arranged symmetrically on a same side of the speaker module, such as from left to right or from up to down. The space for mounting speaker module inside the electronic device is very limited, thereby the speaker module is compact and the distance between pins is close. The pins are configured to be soldered to pads set on a printed circuit board (PCB) of the electronic device. Since the distances between the pads and the pins are close, dislocation and misalignments between pins and pads are common. Thus, errors in assembling the speaker module easily occur and the performance and the reliability of the speaker module may be adversely affected.


A phonon laser pumped by a thermal gradient, the phonon laser having a coherent phonon pumping media, a heat source and a heat sink. The pumping media includes an array of micro resonators and a thermal phonon emitting media.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to phonon lasers and in particular to phonon lasers pumped by a thermal gradient using a two-stage laser effect, which can have a major impact on heat transfer and can be used in welding, cutting, various sensors, etc.
2. The Relevant Technology
Known are phonon lasers pumped by electron phonon interaction, microwave radiation (I. Silvera, U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,104), heat pulse, typically created by optical laser pulse (D. Cahill et al., Journal of Applied Physics, V. 93, No. 2, p. 793-818, 2003). Also known is a device, which might or might not be a phonon laser, having some of the elements of a phonon laser (Y. Qu, U.S. Pat. No. 6,132,823).


This invention relates to personal computers having the capability for the usual system controlling processor to be reset, initialized and then isolated if an alternate system controller is provided for the system. In accordance with this invention, a personal computer system has a high speed local processor data bus; an input/output data bus; a microprocessor coupled directly to the local processor bus; a connector coupled directly to the local processor bus for accommodating reception of an alternate system controller; and a bus interface controller coupled directly to the local processor bus and directly to the input/output data bus for providing communications between the local processor bus and the input/output data bus, with the bus interface controller providing for detection of an error signal generated by an alternate system controller mounted in the connector and indicative of the failure of the alternate system controller. In response to detection of the error signal, the bus interface controller transfers control of the local processor bus from the alternate system controller to the microprocessor.

This invention relates to personal computers capable of having the usual system controlling processor reset, initialized and then isolated if an alternate system controller is provided for the system and, more particularly, to such a computer in which such transfer of control to an alternate system controller may be overridden in the event of failure of the alternate system controller.
Personal computer systems in general and IBM personal computers in particular have attained widespread use for providing computer power to many segments of today's modern society. Personal computer systems can usually be defined as a desk top, floor standing, or portable microcomputer that consists of a system unit having a single system processor and associated volatile and non-volatile memory, a display monitor, a keyboard, one or more diskette drives, a fixed disk storage device, and an optional printer. One of the distinguishing characteristics of these systems is the use of a motherboard or system planar to connect these components together. These systems are designed primarily to give independent computing power to a single user and are inexpensively priced for purchase by individuals or small businesses. Examples of such personal computer systems are IBM's PERSONAL COMPUTER AT and IBM's PERSONAL SYSTEM/2 Models 25, 30, 35, 40, L40SX, 50, 55, 57, 65, 70, 80, 90 and 95.
These systems can be classified into two general families. The first family, usually referred to as Family I Models, use a bus architecture exemplified by the IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER AT and other "IBM compatible" machines. The second family, referred to as Family II Models, use IBM's MICRO CHANNEL bus architecture exemplified by IBM's PERSONAL SYSTEM/2 Models 50 through 95. In the beginning, the Family I models typically used the popular INTEL 8088 or 8086 microprocessor as the system processor. These processors have the ability to address one megabyte of memory. Later Family I models and the Family II models typically use the higher speed INTEL 80286, 80386 and 80486 microprocessors which can operate in a real mode to emulate the slower speed INTEL 8086 microprocessor or a protected mode which extends the addressing range from 1 megabyte to 4 Gigabytes for some models. In essence, the real mode feature of the 80286, 80386, and 80486 processors provide hardware compatibility with software written for the 8086 and 8088 microprocessors.
As personal computer technology has developed and moved from eight to sixteen and eventually thirty two bit wide bus interaction and higher speed microprocessors capable of real and protected mode operation, performance capability has been sought by separating the architecture of the personal computer into varying bus areas. More specifically, in the original IBM PC, what came to be known as the expansion bus was essentially a direct extension of the microprocessor (8086 or 8088) connections, buffered and demultiplexed as required. Later, as the AT bus specification was developed and came into wide use (now being also known as the Industry Standard Architecture or ISA), it became possible to sever the nearly direct connection between the microprocessor and the bus, giving rise to the presence of what became known as the local processor bus and the renaming of the expansion bus as the input/output bus. Typically, in order to enhance performance, the local processor bus runs at a higher clock speed (typically expressed in Hertz) than does the input/output bus. The IBM AT architecture also opened the possibility of running more than one microprocessor on the input/output bus, through use of direct memory access (DMA) interrupts.
As enhanced performance capability has continued to be a goal, and as faster clock speeds have become attainable for microprocessors, strategies have evolved in which it has become desirable to accommodate alternate system controllers which may, under appropriate circumstances, assume control of systems into which the controllers are inserted. For example, the provision of a processor upgrade card or board is one example of such a strategy. Heretofore, such strategies have usually contemplated the substitution of the upgraded component for the component previously used. Such substitution is acceptable where components are received in socket connectors permitting ready interchange. However, where components are soldered in place on circuit boards (as is the case with a surface mount Intel 80386SX) such substitution is less feasible or impossible. In particular, mere addition of another device normally will result in unacceptable contention for control of system resources and bus access.

Personal computer with alternate system controller error detection


A magnetic tape cartridge is provided including a case which is formed by an upper half and a lower half which are combined together, a reel to which a magnetic tape is wound, being rotatably contained in the case, a labeling side which is provided in an outer surface of the case, and a security tag which an external detector can detect, in which the security tag is arranged behind the labeling side so as to face obliquely upward.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic tape cartridge, and more specifically, to a magnetic tape cartridge which a detector can surely detect.
2. Description of the Related Art
In companies, organizations, institutions, and so on which handle a large amount of data or very important data such as personal information which require security protection, the data are saved in a large capacity of recording medium so as to be backed up. Thus, it is possible to prevent loss of the data. A magnetic tape cartridge is used as the recording medium to back up the data due to its large storage capacity, reliability, and easy handling. Moreover, the magnetic tape cartridges which hold the back-up data are collectively stored under strict management in a controlled area such as a storage house or a storage room where human access is controlled. Thus, it is possible to restrict and control the magnetic tape cartridges being carried out so as to prevent loss of the important data. For instance, a cartridge storage rack 61 shown in FIG. 6 is placed in the controlled area where ID authentication with an ID card or the like is required to restrict people to enter freely. In addition, the magnetic tape cartridges MCs which hold the back-up data are stored in the cartridge storage rack 61. In this case, a label which shows a management number for identification, description of the saved back-up data, a back-up date, and so on is affixed on each of the magnetic tape cartridges MCs. Then, each of the magnetic tape cartridges MCs is stored in the cartridge storage rack 61 with a labeling side 62 facing outside so that the items shown on the label can be seen.
However, even in the controlled area where human access is controlled, it is necessary to monitor each of the magnetic tape cartridges MCs itself. By so doing, it is possible to restrict each of the magnetic tape cartridges MCs being carried out of the controlled area. Otherwise, a person who enters into the controlled area can easily carry out the magnetic tape cartridge MC from the controlled area.
In view of the above, to prevent the magnetic tape cartridge MC from being carried out of the controlled area, a security tag is affixed or attached on each of the magnetic tape cartridges MCs. This makes it possible to monitor the magnetic tape cartridges MCs not to be carried out of the controlled area freely. However, the security tag is conventionally put on an outside of the magnetic tape cartridge. Therefore, when the security tag is detached, a detector cannot detect the magnetic tape cartridge even though the detector is set in a doorway. As a result, it is possible to carry out the magnetic tape cartridge from the controlled area.
For this reason, a magnetic tape cartridge with a built-in security tag which is not easily detached is proposed (See JP 2004-127349A). However, the conventionally proposed security tags in the magnetic tape cartridges are described merely about how to install the security tags in the magnetic tape cartridges with consideration of shapes and so on of the magnetic tape cartridges. Therefore, the security tags are described without consideration of detection of the security tags, which is to be a principal object.
By the way, as shown in FIG. 7, when a large number of the magnetic tape cartridges are carried out of the controlled area, the magnetic tape cartridges MCs are loaded onto a carrier cart 71 and then carried out. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 5B, the magnetic tape cartridge MC may pass through a service window and then be carried out of the controlled area.
When the carrier cart where the large number of the magnetic tape cartridges are loaded, or the magnetic tape cartridge passes by a detector (through a security gate) placed in a doorway of the controlled area, it is detected whether the magnetic tape cartridge has the security tag or not. At this time, each of the magnetic tape cartridges is usually loaded onto the carrier cart with the labeling side facing outside so that the magnetic tape cartridge can be visually checked. And, the labeling side of the magnetic tape cartridge usually faces outside also when the magnetic tape cartridge passes through the service window. In addition, when the magnetic tape cartridge is stored or carried, the upper surface of the upper half of the magnetic tape cartridge faces a ceiling. Otherwise, when the magnetic tape cartridge erects, the labeling side is designed to face upward (in a case of one reel) or sideways (in such a way that a supply reel is placed lower than the other reel in a case of two reels). Therefore, the magnetic tape cartridges are not to be carried with the upper surfaces of the upper halves facing a floor even using methods other than the carrier cart.
However, in the magnetic tape cartridge described in JP 2004-127349A, it is merely described that the security tag is arranged at an opposite corner from a position where a write protect tag or a built-in tag to identify a type of the magnetic tape cartridge is placed, or the like. Therefore, no situation of the security gate or carrying out of the magnetic tape cartridges is considered. As a result, the detector may be impossible to detect the security tag since a detection signal from the detector or the like may be blocked depending on methods or ways to carry out the magnetic tape cartridge.


The invention relates to inositolglycans having insulin-like action. Specific compounds are provided having the formula I EQU A--Z--R (I). where A is the radical H--P(O)(OH)--, H--P(S)(OH)--, HO--P(S)(OH)--, HS--P(S)(OH)--, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)-alkyl-P(O)(OH)--, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)-alkyl-P(S)(OH)--, S(O).sub.2 (OR.sup.1)--, S(O)(OR.sup.1)--, NH.sub.2 --C(O)--, R.sup.1 R.sup.2 N--, R.sup.1 R.sup.2 N--C(O)--NH--, R.sup.1 O--SO.sub.2 --NH--, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)-alkyl-SO.sub.2 --, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)-alkyl-S(O)-- or R.sup.1 --S--, Z is 2 to 6 substituted or unsubstituted sugar radicals and R is substituted or unsubstituted inositol. The inventive compounds are suitable for the treatment of diabetes mellitus or noninsulin-dependent diabetes.

The invention relates to inositolglycans having insulin-like action, which are suitable for the treatment of diabetes mellitus.
It is known that the metabolic action of insulin also causes the formation of low molecular weight compounds which also have insulin-like action (U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,064). A number of inositolglycan compounds have already been proposed which have insulin-like action (WO 96/14075, JP 6/293790, JP 4/120089).
Diabetes type II, noninsulin-dependent diabetes, is accompanied by insulin resistance of the peripheral tissue, such as muscle or fatty tissue. The glucose utilization, which is thereby reduced, is caused by a lack of insulin stimulation of glucose transport and subsequent metabolic processes.

Inositolglycans having insulin-like action


A control device for a vehicle A.C. generator which is used to supply a vehicle load such as a battery. The control device includes a semiconductor switching element for controlling a field current in a field winding of the generator. The control device also includes a ground pattern conductor arranged between a power source terminal connecting the semiconductor switching element and the load and a control signal input terminal for inputting a control signal to the semiconductor switching element. The ground pattern conductor is further connected to a ground terminal of the semiconductor switching element. This arrangement affords protection from short circuiting of the power source terminal and the control terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control device for a vehicle a.c. generator, in particular to the arrangement of a field current control circuit for controlling a field current in an a.c. generator.
2. Discussion of Background
As a control device for a vehicle a.c. generator, there has been known the one shown in FIG. 4. In this Figure, reference numeral 1 designates an a.c. generator which includes armature coils 101 and a field winding 102. Reference numeral 2 designates a rectifier which includes an output terminal 201 and a ground (earth) terminal 202. Reference numeral 3 designates a field current control circuit which is constituted by a semiconductor switching element 301 and a suppression diode 302, and which includes four terminals of a power source terminal "a", a field current control terminal "b", a control signal input terminal "c" and a ground (earth) terminal "d". Reference numeral 4 designates a control unit which is mounted on a vehicle and includes a microcomputer. Reference numeral 5 designates a battery, and reference numeral 6 designates a key switch.
Now, the operation of the control device will be explained. When a control signal is sent out from the control unit 4 to the control signal input terminal "c" of the field current control circuit 3, the semiconductor switching element 301 is driven to conduction to flow a field current in the field winding 102, generating electricity at the a.c. generator 1 The output from the a.c. generator is rectified by the rectifier 2, and charges the battery 5. On the other hand, the control unit 4 detects the terminal voltage of the battery 5. When the control unit detects that the terminal voltage of the battery becomes higher than a predetermined voltage, the control unit cuts off the control signal to the field current control circuit 3 to decrease the field current so as to lower the output from the a.c. generator, stopping charging the battery. Such a operation is repeated to control the output voltage of the a.c. generator.
The field current control circuit 3 for that type of control device is arranged separately from the output portion of the a.c. generator 1 (the rectifier 2 in the shown example) to optimize temperature characteristics as disclosed in JP-U-54-140224. The field current control circuit is arranged as shown in FIG. 5. Specifically, the semiconductor switching element (e.g. transistors) 301 has the collector connected to the field current control terminal "b", the base connected to the control signal input terminal "c", and the emitter connected to the ground terminal "d", respectively. The suppression diode 302 is connected between the power source terminal "a" and the field current control terminal "b".
Since the control device stated above is constructed with the field current control circuit 3 having the power source terminal "a" adjoining the control signal input terminal "c", the control device has created problems in that the power source terminal "a" and the control signal input terminal "c" are readily short-circuited by entrance of water, for example, and that in such case a short-circuit current flows from the battery 5 directly into the control signal input terminal "c", the semiconductor switching element 301 is driven to conduction to increase the field current, and the output voltage from the a.c. generator is extraordinarily raised to overcharge the battery 5 or damage an electrical load such as a headlight due to overvoltage, and further to damage an electrical system for ignition or the control unit, thereby stopping the engine.

Control device for a vehicle a.c. generator


An information processing device causes a computer to count the number of data having a predetermined relation on data included in a first data group. Further, when the counted number is N (N is a natural number) or more, the information processing device outputs a plurality of data having a predetermined relation to an output destination. Further, the information processing device counts the number of data having a predetermined relation on data included in the first data group and a second data group different from the first data group. Further, when the number of data having a predetermined relation which is counted on the data included in the first data group and the second data group is N or more, the information processing device output the data included in the second data group among a plurality of data having a predetermined relation to the output destination.

In recent years, cloud computing has been increasingly used. In the cloud computing, when information in the company is released to the outside of the company, processing of anonymizing information specifying an individual and making it difficult to specify an individual is performed. As a technique of anonymizing and making it difficult to specify an individual, there is a technique of making information specifying an individual vague or removing information specifying an individual (for example, see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2007-287102, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2007-219636, and Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2007-141192). As another technique of anonymizing and making it difficult to specify an individual, there is a technique of converting a numerical value specifying an individual into a kana character.
FIG. 51 is a diagram for describing an example of an anonymizing technique. Individual information to be anonymized is illustrated on the left of the example of FIG. 51. For example, individual information to be anonymized illustrated in the example of FIG. 51 is information such as a medical checkup. The individual information to be anonymized illustrated in the example of FIG. 51 includes various items such as "name," "height," "weight," and "age." A person's name is registered to the item of "name." The height of the person whose name is registered to the item of "name" is registered to the item of "height." The weight of the person whose name is registered to the item of "name" is registered to the item of "weight." An age of the person whose name is registered to the item of "name" is registered to the item of "age."
When the individual information illustrated on the left of the example of FIG. 51 is anonymized, anonymous data illustrated in the right of the example of FIG. 51 is obtained. The anonymous data illustrated in the example of FIG. 51 represents an example in which information registered to the item of "name" of the individual information is discarded, and information registered to the items of "height," "weight," and "age" becomes vague.
Further, even when the individual information is processed into anonymous data, it may be possible to specify an individual through collation with other information (hereinafter, referred to as "collation easiness"). For example, in the anonymous data illustrated in the example of FIG. 51, even when information in which a name is "A" and the height of a person is "175 cm" is collated with the anonymous data, since there are two records of the anonymous data representing that the height is "175 cm," it is difficult to specify a corresponding record. Similarly, even when information in which a name is "B" and the height of a person is "173 cm" is collated with the anonymous data, since there are two records of the anonymous data representing that the height is "173 cm," it is difficult to specify a corresponding record. However, when information in which a name is "C" and the height of a person is "182 cm" is collated with the anonymous data, since there is only one record of the anonymous data representing that the height is "182 cm," it is possible to specify a corresponding record. Further, when information in which a name is "D" and the height of a person is "169 cm" is collated with the anonymous data, since there is only one record of the anonymous data representing that the height is "169 cm," it is possible to specify a corresponding record.
Here, there is no objective criterion on whether or not there is "collation easiness," and it is difficult to determine whether or not anonymous data can be safely used. The "collation easiness" has the following points of view:
(1) whether or not it is an environment in which it is possible to easily collate with other information; and
(2) whether or not it is possible to identify an individual as a result of collating with other information.
In the point of view of (1), since the collation easiness is rejected by performing a countermeasure including data manage (a collation right, a collation range, and an information leakage countermeasure), it is difficult to perform determination based on only a specification of software generating anonymous data. The point of view of (2) is referred to as an "individual identifiability." When anonymous data is generated, safe anonymous data can be generated by performing processing of discarding the record in which an individual is likely to be identified. Thus, even when it is possible to easily collate with other information or even when information identifying an individual leaks out, since it is difficult to specify an individual, anonymous data can be safely used.
As a technique of processing anonymous data, for example, there is a technique of processing anonymous data by determining and removing information in which an individual is likely to be specified when the information is collated with individual information.
Further, known is a technique of verifying an individual identifiability based on duplication of records in anonymous data and then processing data is also known (for example, see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2009-181207). This technique uses the principle in which a duplication number that records are duplicated in anonymous data is N or more, since N or more results are obtained as a result of collating with individual information, it is difficult to identify an individual from anonymous data.
Specifically, processing illustrated in FIG. 52 is performed. Anonymous data illustrated on the left of FIG. 52 includes 3 records, and two upper rows are the same. Since it is determined that there is no individual identifiability when the two or more records are the same, the records are added to verified anonymous data as "OK." However, since a record of ABCD is present in only one row, there is an individual identifiability, and thus the record is determined as "NG." In this case, for example, attribute values B and C of some of ABCD are converted into X, and a record of AXXD is added to verified anonymous data. Meanwhile, the record of ABCD is discarded. This processing method is effective when records previously accumulated in a single database are processed.
However, there is a problem when data appropriately collected from various business systems is anonymized and then output to another system that uses anonymized data. For example, when the three records illustrated on the left of FIG. 52 are first collected and then subjected to the above-described processing, data illustrated on the right of FIG. 52 is output to another system. Thereafter, when three records illustrated on the left of FIG. 53 are newly collected and then subjected to the above-described processing, since two upper rows are the same, it is determined that there is no individual identifiability, and thus the records are added to verified anonymous data as "OK." However, since a record of ABCD is present in only one row, there is an individual identifiability, and the record is determined as "NG." In this case, some attribute values B and C are converted into X, and a record of AXXD is added to verified anonymous data. Then, the record of ABCD is discarded. As described above, the record of ABCD appears twice, but since the records differ in collection timing, the record of "AXXD" is registered to verified anonymous data twice. In this case, information such as ABCD is lost, and this causes a problem in statistical processing or the like in another system. For example, a problem occurs in statistical processing or the like when a large amount of data is determined not to satisfy a predetermined inter-data condition such as a "match of data" among pieces of data included in a collected data group.

Computer-readable recording medium, information processing device, and system


A sound protection component includes an absorber element and a reflection element, the absorber element being of self-supporting design.

The invention relates to a sound protection component.
Increased environmental awareness and increasing knowledge of the hazardous effects of noise on the body and psyche of the population lead to an increasing use of sound protection components on or adjacent to traffic routes in order to reduce the noise exposure of the population.
Sound protection components such as sound-absorbing panels are known which comprise a support or base body which is usually made of normal concrete and which forms a supporting structure. A layer for the absorption of airborne sound is then arranged on said base body, which layer faces the expected source of the noise. Such a layer is formed by growth of plants or by a layer of a porous material such as bulk-porous lightweight concrete.
It is disadvantageous in such known sound protection components that they have a large thickness. Furthermore, retrofitting existing traffic routes is often difficult as a result of the required need for space.


Disclosed is a light source control apparatus which controls a plurality of light sources; wherein a luminance can be independently controlled for each of the plurality of light sources by changing a ratio between a turned-on period and a turned-off period; the light source control apparatus comprising a determining unit configured to determine the respective luminances of the plurality of light sources and to determine, as a light source driving condition, a length of the turned-on period of each of the plurality of light sources and a turn-on reference timing as a start timing of the turned-on period; a correcting unit configured to perform correction for the light source driving condition to lower the luminance(s) of at least one of the plurality of light sources so that an electric power consumption is not more than a threshold value at all of the turn-on reference timings.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light source control apparatus, a control method for controlling the same, and a liquid crystal display apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A method is known, in which the luminance of the light source of a backlight is variably controlled partially or for the entire screen in accordance with the contents of an input video signal (picture signal) in order to expand the contrast of a liquid crystal display. A backlight control method, in which the light source luminance provided at a position corresponding to each of a plurality of divided areas set in a display area of a display panel is variably controlled depending on a statistical amount (gradation value) of an image to be displayed on the divided area, is generally referred to as "local dimming". The control method for the local dimming is roughly classified into a control method in which only the light source luminance of the dark area is lowered, and a control method in which the light source luminance of the dark area is lowered and the light source luminance of the bright area is raised depending on the amount of decrease in the light source luminance of the dark area. In this context, when the light source luminance of the dark area is lowered and the light source luminance of the bright area is raised as in the latter control method, the electric power consumption is also temporally fluctuated increasingly or decreasingly with respect to the average value in accordance with the dynamic change of the light source luminance. Therefore, in view of the protection of a power source circuit which supplies the electric power to the light source of the backlight, a technique has been suggested, in which the light source luminance is controlled while making the restriction or limitation so that the electric power consumption of the light source does not exceed the electric power amount capable of being supplied by the power source.
For example, JP2010-152174A suggests that a luminance correction coefficient, which allows an average light source luminance of the entire screen to be not more than a certain prescribed value, is calculated for each of frames, and the luminance correction coefficient is used to correct the light source luminance of the entire backlight. According to JP2010-152174A, the electric power consumption can be suppressed in temporal average in relation to 1 frame.
On the other hand, JP2001-312241A suggests such a technique that a plurality of light sources for constructing a backlight are successively turned ON every certain delay times, and thus the instantaneous concentration of the electric power load is suppressed. According to JP2001-312241A, the plurality of light sources are successively turned ON every certain delay times, and hence the electric power load can be dispersed within a period of 1 frame when the luminances of the respective light sources are identical with each other.

Light source control apparatus, control method for controlling the same, and liquid crystal display apparatus


A one-time-use camera comprising a main body part having a chamber, and a film cartridge adapted to be located in a predetermined position within the chamber, is characterized in that the film cartridge is a modified cartridge as compared to a standard cartridge, because it has a recess that is not on the standard cartridge, and the main body part has a blocking protuberance that projects into the chamber to fit in the recess when the modified cartridge is located in the predetermined position within the chamber, but which will abut the standard cartridge to prevent it from being located in the predetermined position within the chamber if one attempts to substitute the standard cartridge for the modified cartridge, and which has a hollowed-out space that will allow ambient light to leak into the chamber should one cut the protuberance off the main body part at the hollowed-out space in order to permit the standard cartridge to be located in the predetermined position within the chamber.

Film and cameras that are all in one, commonly referred to as single-use or one-time-use cameras, have become well known. Typically, the one-time-use camera is a simple point-and-shoot type comprising a plastic main body part which supports a conventional 35 mm film cartridge in a cartridge receiving chamber, a film take-up spool in a film supply chamber, a fixed-focus taking lens, a film metering mechanism with a rotatably supported metering sprocket that engages the filmstrip, a manually rotatable thumbwheel rotatably engaged with a film spool inside the film cartridge, a single-blade shutter, a manually depressible shutter release button, a rotatable frame counter for indicating the number of exposures remaining for picture-taking, a direct see-through viewfinder, and in some models an electronic flash. A pair of plastic front and rear cover parts house the main body part between them to complete the camera unit. The rear cover part connects to the main body part and/or to the front cover part to make the main body part light-tight. A decorative cardboard outer box or label at least partially covers the camera unit and has respective openings for the taking lens, etc.
After each time a picture is taken with the one-time-use camera, the photographer manually rotates the thumbwheel in a film winding direction to similarly rotate the film spool inside the film cartridge. This winds an exposed section of the filmstrip into the film cartridge. The rewinding movement of the filmstrip the equivalent of slightly more than one frame width rotates the metering sprocket in engagement with the filmstrip to decrement the frame counter to its next lower-numbered setting, and to pivot a metering lever into engagement with the thumbwheel to prevent further manual rotation of the thumbwheel. Manually depressing the shutter release button to take another picture pivots the metering lever out of engagement with the thumbwheel to permit renewed rotation of the thumbwheel. When the maximum number of exposures available on the filmstrip are exposed, and the filmstrip is completely wound off the take-up spool and wound into the film cartridge, the one-time-use camera is given to a photofinisher who tears the outer box off the camera unit, separates the rear cover part from the main body part, and removes the film cartridge with the exposed filmstrip from the cartridge receiving chamber. Then, he removes the exposed filmstrip from the film cartridge to develop the negatives and make prints for the customer, and he forwards the used camera parts to the manufacturer for recycling, i.e. remanufacture.
Typically, during original manufacture or recycling (remanufacture) of the one-time-use camera, a film leader protruding from a fresh cartridge is attached to the film take-up spool, the fresh cartridge and the film take-up spool are loaded into the cartridge receiving and film supply chambers, and an intermediate leader section which bridges the film take-up spool and the fresh cartridge is engaged with the metering sprocket. The front and rear cover parts are connected to the main body part and/or to the front cover part to complete the camera unit. Then, an engageable end of the take-up spool which protrudes from the film roll chamber is rotated to factory prewind substantially the entire length of the unexposed filmstrip from the fresh cartridge onto the film take-up spool and to rotate the metering sprocket to increment the frame counter to its total-available frame number setting. Lastly, the outer box or label is placed on the camera unit.

One-time-use camera can only be used with modified film cartridge, to prevent unauthorized reuse with standard film cartridge


Compounds having the general structure

The vanilloid receptor 1 (VR1) is the molecular target of capsaicin, the active ingredient in hot peppers. Julius et al. reported the molecular cloning of VR1 (Caterina et al., 1997). VR1 is a non-selective cation channel which is activated or sensitized by a series of different stimuli including capsaicin and resiniferatoxin (exogenous activators), heat & acid stimulation and products of lipid bilayer metabolism, anandamide (Premkumar et al., 2000, Szabo et al., 2000, Gauldie et al., 2001, Olah et al., 2001) and lipoxygenase metabolites (Hwang et al., 2000). VR1 is highly expressed in primary sensory neurons (Caterina et al., 1997) in rats, mice and humans (Onozawa et al., 2000, Mezey et al., 2000, Helliwell et al., 1998, Cortright et al., 2001). These sensory neurons innervate many visceral organs including the dermis, bones, bladder, gastrointestinal tract and lungs; VR1 is also expressed in other neuronal and non-neuronal tissues including but not limited to, CNS nuclei, kidney, stomach and T-cells (Nozawa et al., 2001, Yiangou et al., 2001, Birder et al., 2001). Presumably expression in these various cells and organs may contribute to their basic properties such as cellular signaling and cell division.
Prior to the molecular cloning of VR1, experimentation with capsaicin indicated the presence of a capsaicin sensitive receptor, which could increase the activity of sensory neurons in humans, rats and mice (Holzer, 1991; Dray, 1992, Szallasi and Blumberg 1996, 1999). The results of acute activation by capsaicin in humans was pain at injection site and in other species increased behavioral sensitivity to sensory stimuli (Szallasi and Blumberg, 1999). Capsaicin application to the skin in humans causes a painful reaction characterized not only by the perception of heat and pain at the site of administration but also by a wider area of hyperalgesia and allodynia, two characteristic symptoms of the human condition of neuropathic pain (Holzer, 1991). Taken together, it seems likely that increased activity of VR1 plays a significant role in the establishment and maintenance of pain conditions. Topical or intradermal injection of capsaicin has also been shown to produce localized vasodilation and edema production (Szallasi and Blumberg 1999, Singh et al., 2001). This evidence indicates that capsaicin through it's activation of VR1 can regulate afferent and efferent function of sensory nerves. Sensory nerve involvement in diseases could therefore be modified by molecules which effect the function of the vanilloid receptor to increase or decrease the activity of sensory nerves.
VR1 gene knockout mice have been shown to have reduced sensory sensitivity to thermal and acid stimuli (Caterina et al., 2000)). This supports the concept that VR1 contributes not only to generation of pain responses (i.e. via thermal, acid or capsaicin stimuli) but also to the maintenance of basal activity of sensory nerves. This evidence agrees with studies demonstrating capsaicin sensitive nerve involvement in disease. Primary sensory nerves in humans and other species can be made inactive by continued capsaicin stimulation. This paradigm causes receptor activation induced desensitization of the primary sensory nerve—such reduction in sensory nerve activity in vivo makes subjects less sensitive to subsequent painful stimuli. In this regard both capsaicin and resinferatoxin (exogenous activators of VR1), produce desensitization and they have been used for many proof of concept studies in in vivo models of disease (Holzer, 1991, Dray 1992, Szallasi and Blumberg 1999).
VR1 agonists or antagonists have use as analgesics for the treatment of pain of various genesis or aetiology, for example acute, inflammatory and neuropathic pain, dental pain and headache, particularly vascular headache such as migraine, cluster headache and mixed vascular syndromes as well as non-vascular, tension headache. They are also useful as anti-inflammatory agents for the treatment of inflammatory diseases or conditions, for example the treatment of arthritis and rheumatic diseases, osteoarthritis, inflammatory bowel disorders, inflammatory eye disorders (e.g. uvetis), inflammatory or unstable bladder disorders (e.g. cystitis and urinary incontinence), psoriasis and skin complaints with inflammatory components, as well as other chronic inflammatory conditions.
They are, in particular, useful in the treatment of inflammatory pain and associated hyperalgesia and allodynia. They are also useful in the treatment of neuropathic pain and associated hyperalgesia and allodynia, e.g. trigeminal or herpetic neuralgia, diabetic neuropathy pain, causalgia, sympathetically maintained pain and deafferentation syndromes such as brachial plexus avulsion. They are also indicated for the use in the prophylactic or curative treatment of asthma, of epithelial tissue damage or dysfunction, e.g. spontaneous lesions, of herpes simplex, and in the control of disturbances of visceral motility at respiratory, genitourinary, gastrointestinal or vascular e.g. for treating wounds, burns, allergic skin reactions, pruritis and vitiligo, for the prophylactic or curative treatment of gastrointestinal disorders such as gastric ulceration, duodenal ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease and diarrhea, gastric lesions induced by necrotising agents, for example ethanol or chemotherapeutic agents, hair growth, for the treatment of vasomotor or allergic rhinitis and for the treatment of bronchial disorders or bladder disorders, such as bladder hyper-reflexia.

Vanilloid receptor ligands and their use in treatments

Abstract: Compounds having the general structure

Abstract: and compositions containing them, for the treatment of acute, inflammatory and neuropathic pain, dental pain, general headache, migraine, cluster headache, mixed-vascular and non-vascular syndromes, tension headache, general inflammation, arthritis, rheumatic diseases, osteoarthritis, inflammatory bowel disorders, inflammatory eye disorders, inflammatory or unstable bladder disorders, psoriasis, skin complaints with inflammatory components, chronic inflammatory conditions, inflammatory pain and associated hyperalgesia and allodynia, neuropathic pain and associated hyperalgesia and allodynia, diabetic neuropathy pain, causalgia, sympathetically maintained pain, deafferentation syndromes, asthma, epithelial tissue damage or dysfunction, herpes simplex, disturbances of visceral motility at respiratory, genitourinary, gastrointestinal or vascular regions, wounds, burns, allergic skin reactions, pruritis, vitiligo, general gastrointestinal disorders, gastric ulceration, duodenal ulcers, diarrhea, gastric lesions induced by necrotising agents, hair growth, vasomotor or allergic rhinitis, bronchial disorders or bladder disorders.


A dynamic balancing test and correction apparatus capable of shortening the time required for correcting imbalance in a correction part and improving the entire workflow of the apparatus.

In a conventional dynamic balancing machine, imbalance signals generated by rotating a workpiece provided with a rotating shaft are detected by vibration detecting sensors (pickups) respectively arranged on left and right bearings supporting the rotating shaft of the workpiece at both ends. Then, from the amplitude values of the detected imbalance signals, the magnitude of the imbalance between both of the left and right surfaces of the workpiece is obtained. Also, the direction (angle) of the imbalance between both of the left and right surfaces of the workpiece is obtained on the basis of a rotation reference pulse obtained by using a non-contact sensor to detect a rotation reference position such as a mark attached on a surface of the workpiece, and the phase relationship between the left and right imbalance signals (see Patent Literature 1).
In addition, a conventional imbalance correction apparatus has a configuration that obtains a balance by, on the basis of the magnitude and direction of imbalance detected by a dynamic balancing machine, performing hole drilling on paired correction surfaces facing a direction orthogonal to a rotating shaft of a workpiece (see Patent Literature 2).
When performing the hole drilling using such a correction apparatus, a configuration that fixes the workpiece in a predetermined position with a holding member holding the workpiece, as well as moves drilling mechanisms respectively independently in mutually orthogonal two directions in a plane orthogonal to the rotating shaft of the workpiece, and performs the hole drilling from one of the correction surfaces of the workpiece can be employed (see FIG. 11 of Patent Literature 2). Alternatively, a configuration that fixes the workpiece in the predetermined position with the holding member holding the workpiece, as well as makes the drilling mechanisms arranged on both sides of the workpiece simultaneously perform the hole drilling from both of the correction surfaces of the workpiece may be employed (see FIG. 1 of Patent Literature 2).
On the other hand, when performing hole drilling at angle positions different between one correction surface and the other correction surface in an imbalance correction apparatus that performs hole drilling from both sides of a workpiece, a correction apparatus including a rotation mechanism adapted to rotate the workpiece around a rotating shaft of the workpiece is used. Such a correction apparatus has a configuration that performs hole drilling on a first correction surface of a workpiece using a first drilling mechanism, and after making the rotation mechanism rotate the workpiece to change the rotation angle position of the workpiece, performs hole drilling on a second correction surface on the side opposite to the first correction surface of the workpiece using a second drilling mechanism.

Dynamic balancing test and correction apparatus