Amino acid and nucelotide sequences relating to the glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) enzyme are described. The GDH enzymes descnred herein were discovered in the alga Chlorella sorokinina in the form of seven different inducible isoenzymes. These isoenzymes are found in the algae as chloroplast-localized hexamers composed of .alpha.- and .beta.-subunits. Plants transfromed with nucleotide sequences encoding the .alpha.- or .beta.-subunits of the enzyme show imrpoved properties, for example, increased growth and improved stress tolerance.

Inorganic nitrogen acquired by plants is ultimately converted to ammonium before being assimilated in organic nitrogen metabolism. One enzyme postulated to be involved in the assimilatory process is glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), a group of ubiquitous enzymes found to be present in almost all organisms from microbes to higher plants and animals (Srivastava, H. S., R. P. Singh [1987] Phytochem. 26:597-610). GDH catalyses the reversible conversion of .alpha.-ketoglutarate to glutamate via a reductive almnation that utilizes reduced .beta.-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) or reduced .beta.-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) as a cofactor. The role of plant GDHs in the assimilation of ammonium into amino acids has been questioned since the discovery of the glutamine synthetase/glutamate synthase (GS/GOGAT) pathway that is believed to be the favored pathway for ammonium assimilation in higher plants (Miflin, B. J., P. J. Lea [1976] Phytochem. 15:873-885).
The primary objection to GDH playing a major role in plant nitrogen metabolism is its low afiniy for ammonium that would require high intracellular ammnonium concentrations to function anabolically. Early evidence indicated that GDH is a catabolic enzyme catalyzing the deamination of glutamate with only a partially anabolic function in synthesizing glutamate (Wallgrove, J. C., N. P. Hall, A. C. Kendall, [1987] Plant Physiol. 83:155-158). The physiological role of large amounts of GDH present in various plant tissues and organelles is still unclear, and possible conditions under which GDH may play a significant role in carbon and nitrogen metabolism have not been resolved.
The majority of plant GDHs characterized to date are localized in the mitochondria; however, a GDH species differing in several properties (i.e., cofactor specificity, K.sub.m values, organelle localization, thermal stability) has been characterized from the chloroplast of a unicellular green alga Chlorella sorokiniana. C. sorokiniana cells have been shown to possess a constitutive, mitochondrial, tetrameric NAD-specific GDH (Meredith, M. J., R. M. Gronostajski, R. R. Schmidt [1978] Plant Physiol. 61:967-974), and seven ammonium-inducible, chloroplast-localized, homo- and heterohexameric NADP-GDH isoenzymes (Prunkard, D. E., N. F. Bascomb, R. W. Robinson, R. R. Schmidt [1986] Plant Physiol. 81:349-355; Bascomb, N. E., R. R. Schmidt [1987] Plant Physiol. 83:75-84). The seven chloroplastic NADP-GDH isoenzymes were shown to have different electrophoretic mobilities during native-PAGE, and presumably result from the formation of homo- and heterohexamers composed of varying ratios of .alpha.- and .beta.-subunits (53.5 and 52.3 kilodaltons, respectively).
Chlorefla cells cultured in 1 to 2 mM ammonium medium accumulate only the .alpha.-homohexamer (Bascomb and Schmidt, supra). The addition of higher ammonium concentrations (3.4 to 29 mM) to nitrate-cultured cells results in the accumulation of both .alpha.- and .beta.-subunits in NADP-GDH holoenzymes (Prunkard et al., supra; Bascomb and Schmidt, supra; Bascomb, N. F., D. E. Prunkard, R. R. Schmidt [1987] Plant Physiol. 83:85-91). Prunkard et al. (Prunkard, D. E., N. F. Bascomb, N F, W. T. Molin, R. R. Schmidt [1986] Plant Physiol. 81:413-422) demonstrated that the NADP-GDH subunit ratio and isoenzyme pattern is influenced by both the carbon and nitrogen source as well as the lift conditions under which cells are cultured.
.alpha.- and .beta.-NADP-GDH homohexamers purified from Chlorella cells have strikingly different ammonium K.sub.m values; however, the K.sub.m values for their other substrates are very similar. The .alpha.-homohexamer (composed of six identical .alpha.-subunits) that catalyzes the biosynthesis of glutamate is allosterically regulated by NADPH and possesses an unusually low K.sub.m for ammonium that ranges from 0.02 to 3.5 mM, depending on the NADPH concentration (Bascomb and Schmidt, supra). The K.sub.m value for ammonium of the .alpha.-homohexamer is the lowest reported ammonium K.sub.m for any plant GDH characterized to date. In contrast, the .beta.-homohexamer (catabolic form) is a non-allosteric enzyme with an ammonium K.sub.m of approximately 75 mM. From these studies involving purified enzymes, it is postulated that the heterohexamers have varying degrees of affinity for ammonium. However, no kinetic analyses have been performed on purified heterohexamers.
Although the .alpha.- and .beta.-subunits have distinct in vivo turnover rates (Bascomb et al., supra) and the corresponding homohexamers have remarkably different ammonium K.sub.m values, the .alpha.- and .beta.-subunits are derived from precursor proteins of nearly identical size (ca 58,000 Daltons) and were shown to have very similar peptide maps (Prunkard et al., supra; Bascomb and Schmidt, supra). Moreover, polyclonal antibodies prepared against the .beta.-homohexamer are capable of immunoprecipitating all of the NADP-GDH isoenzyes (Yeung, A. T., K. J. Turner, N. F. Bascomb, R. R. Schmidt [1981] Anal. Biochem. 10:216-228; Bascomb et al., supra), but do not crossreact with the mitochondrial NAD-GDH. In addition, previous research in this laboratory provided genomic cloning and southern blot evidence that indicated the C. sorokiniana genome possesses a single NADP-GDH structural gene (Cock, J. M., K. D. Kim, P. W. Miller, R. G. Hutson, R. R. Schmidt [1991] Plant Mol. Biol. 17:17-27).
The C. sorokiniana nuclear-encoded chloroplastic NADP-specific glutamate dehydrogenases are the only chloroplastic localized GDH sequences isolated and characterized from plants. Although the Chlorella GDH isoenzmes had been well characterized, it has been discovered in the present invention that the two mature subunits arise via specifc processing of two similar precursor proteins encoded by two mRNAs formed by alternative splicing of a pre-mRNA derived from a single nuclear gene. Furthermore, the identification of the cleavage site and amino-terminal peptide sequence of the mature functional GDH subunits critical to understanding the enzymatic regulation previously demonstrated in vitro had not been accomplished prior to the present invention.

Polypeptides and polynucleotides relating to the .alpha.- and .beta.-subunits of glutamate dehydrogenases and methods of use

University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.


An angular velocity sensor including a tuning-fork sensor element made of a material exhibiting piezoelectricity to have two arms formed integrally on a base and electrodes provided on surfaces of the arms. The free end of each arm is formed with an extension projecting outward in the direction of arm vibration. The surfaces of the arms lying in the direction of vibration and the surfaces thereof lying orthogonal to these surfaces are each provided with a single electrode. When the angular velocity sensor experiences an angular velocity owing to rotation about an axis orthogonal to the plane of the tuning fork, Coriolis forces act on the arms in the same direction as or the opposite direction from that of the vibration at that instant, thereby producing a bending moment. The direction and magnitude of the angular velocity can be determined by detecting the voltages produced by the bending moment.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an angular velocity sensor utilizing a sensor element (vibrator) made of a piezoelectric material and to an angular velocity sensing system utilizing the angular velocity sensor to detect angular velocity, and is used, for example, as an angular velocity sensor in a gyroscope.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mechanical rotor-based gyroscopes have long been used in the inertial navigation systems of aircraft and ships. Although these mechanical rotor-based gyroscopes are excellent in stability and performance, they are not suitable for incorporation in small-scale equipment because of their large size and high cost.
This has led to the recent increasing application of small vibrating gyroscopes of intermediate accuracy. The vibrating gyroscope utilizes an angular velocity sensor which uses a piezoceramic to vibrate a sensor element and a separate piezoceramic provided on the sensor element to detect voltages produced by Coriolis-induced vibrations in proportion to angular velocity.
An angular velocity sensor using a quartz crystal sensor element is taught, for example, by Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 4-504617.
A conventional angular velocity sensor using a quartz crystal will be explained with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the prior-art angular velocity sensor, and FIGS. 13 and 14 are sectional views taken along lines B--B and C--C in FIG. 12.
As shown in these figures, the angular velocity sensor 60 consists mainly of a tuning-fork sensor element 61 having two arms 40, 41 and a base 42. The arms 40, 41 are formed of quartz crystal.
The arm 40 on the left side in the figures is provided with drive electrodes 43, 44, 45, 46 and sensor electrodes 51, 52, 53, 54. The arm 41 on the right side is provided with drive electrodes 47, 48, 49, 50 and sensor electrodes 55, 56, 57, 58.
Drive voltages are applied to the drive electrodes 43-50 to vibrate the arms 40 and 41 in the plane of the tuning fork (the plane in which the arms vibrate), i.e., in the directions of the arrows -X and X (along the X axis) shown in FIG. 12. At this time, if the angular velocity sensor 60 is rotated at an angular velocity .omega. about the longitudinal axis of the arms 40, 41 indicated by the arrow Y (the Y axis), Coriolis forces F proportional to the angular velocity .omega. are produced in the directions indicated by the arrows -Z and Z (along the Z axis) orthogonal to the X axis. The Coriolis force F is expressed by EQU F=2.multidot.M.multidot..omega..multidot.V
where M is the mass of the arms and V the vibration velocity.
The Coriolis forces F excite a new vibration in the Z-axis direction of the arms 40, 41 and the new vibration produces voltages at the sensor electrodes 51-58. The direction and magnitude of the angular velocity .omega. produced in the angular velocity sensor 60 can be determined by detecting these voltages by means of a detection circuit.
The symbols + and - in FIGS. 13 and 14 indicate the polarity of the drive voltages applied to the drive electrodes 43-50 and the polarity of the voltages produced at the sensor electrodes 51-58.
In the so-configured prior-art angular velocity sensor, the axis of the rotation whose angular velocity is to be detected must extend in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the two arms of the tuning fork (the Y axis in FIG. 12). This limits the degree to which the thickness of the angular velocity sensor can be reduced in the direction of this axis of rotation.
Another problem with this angular velocity sensor is the overall complexity of its electrode configuration caused by providing the drive electrodes at an upper portion of the arms 40, 41, the sensor electrodes at a lower portion thereof and the means for connection with these electrodes at the base 42 of the tuning-fork sensor element 61.
Since this arrangement requires vacuum deposition or sputtering steps for forming the sensor electrodes by use of a sensor electrode mask and then forming the drive electrodes by use of a drive electrode mask, it increases the cost of fabrication.
A still further drawback of the so-configured angular velocity sensor is that as a result of mechanical coupling therein a slight leak output voltage is produced at the sensor electrodes solely by the vibration caused by the periodic application of voltage to the drive electrodes, even when no angular velocity is being experienced. Since the phase of this leak output voltage is the same as that of the angular velocity sense voltage, the sense output includes the leak output voltage superimposed on the angular velocity sense voltage.
The angular velocity sensing system utilizing the conventional angular velocity sensor of this type has no means for compensating for this leak output voltage. Since the detection of the angular velocity is therefore made based on changes in the output voltage from the angular velocity sensor including the superimposed leak output voltage, the detection accuracy is markedly degraded.

Angular velocity sensor and angular velocity sensing system


A chip provided with a layer for separation of a surface region and a hydrophilic surface is manufactured. One or both of a hydrophilic region and a hydrophobic region are formed on a substrate surface where the chip is placed. Liquid is dropped onto the hydrophilic region on the substrate surface, and the chip is placed thereon. The substrate and the chip are heated while being pressure-bonded so that the chip is fixed on the substrate surface, and then the surface region of the chip is separated. By providing a liquid layer in a position where the chip is placed, the chip can be placed on the substrate with high accuracy and thus productivity can be increased.

1. Field of the Invention
An embodiment of the present invention relates to a technique for selectively forming a semiconductor layer over a substrate, or a technique for selectively forming an integrated circuit, an active element, a passive element, or the like which is formed by using the semiconductor layer, over a substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
In today's electronics industry, a technique for attaching or mounting an integrated circuit, an active element, a passive element, or the like, or a substrate chip (hereinafter referred to as a chip) including any of these or a device (a package) in which the chip is sealed in plastic, ceramics, or the like on a substrate is essential. Hereinafter, a "chip" in this specification is not limited in size, thickness, and shape, unless otherwise specified. This technique is needed, for example, when an LSI chip or an LSI package used for driving an active matrix circuit is attached on a glass substrate provided with the active matrix circuit. For example, COG and TAB are known as a technique for attaching an LSI chip and a technique for attaching an LSI package, respectively.
However, when an LSI chip or an LSI package is attached on a substrate with such a technique, the thickness is increased in a portion where the attachment is performed. As a method for solving this problem, there is a technique in which a chip or the like is attached on a substrate and then separation is performed so that only a surface portion where a circuit is formed is left on the substrate, whereby the thickness is reduced, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 (see Patent Document 1).
The following technique is also disclosed. A surface of a region of a substrate, where a chip or the like is to be placed, is made hydrophilic and a surface of the other region is made hydrophobic. Further, a surface of the chip or the like, which is to be in contact with the substrate, is also made hydrophilic. A proper quantity of liquid is dropped onto the hydrophilic region of the substrate, and then the chip or the like is roughly dropped to the portion where it is to be placed. Consequently, the position of the chip or the like is precisely aligned in a self-aligned manner by surface tension of the liquid (see Patent Document 2 as an example).

Method for manufacturing semiconductor device

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A drive control device includes: a meshing engagement unit; an engine; a rotary machine; a detector detecting a predetermined parameter; and a controller configured to perform a release control of causing the rotary machine to output a second rotation torque in a direction opposite to a first rotation torque applied from the engine to the engagement unit at a time the engagement unit is released. The release control includes setting a magnitude of the second rotation torque to a predetermined value larger than a magnitude of the first rotation torque at a time the predetermined parameter change degree is not smaller than a threshold value and gradually decreasing the magnitude of the second rotation torque, and setting the magnitude of the second rotation torque to a magnitude smaller than the predetermined value at a time the predetermined parameter change degree is smaller than the threshold value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drive control device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is known a control that releases a meshing engagement unit. For example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2009-286356 discloses a technique of a drive device equipped with a meshing engagement unit that corrects a torque change speed by determining a learned correction amount of a torque change speed of a first motor generator in response to an engine operation state when a dog clutch is switched from an engagement state to a release state.
There is a room for the further improvement in the release responsiveness for the release of the meshing engagement unit. For example, when a small change occurs in the engine operation state, an engine torque may be highly precisely estimated compared to the case where a large change occurs in the operation state. In the case where the release of the engagement unit is promoted by a torque of a rotary machine, it is considered that the release responsiveness of the engagement unit may be improved by appropriately changing the torque control of the rotary machine in response to the engine operation state.
There is a need for a drive control device capable of improving the release responsiveness of a meshing engagement unit.


A chevron osteotomy guide for use in a minimally invasive bunionectomy procedure comprises an oblong base plate having a modified rectangular shape with two parallel longitudinal sides, and having a semi-circular proximal end and a chevron shaped distal end. The chevron shape is isosceles triangular in which a dorsal edge and a plantar edge intersect to form an apex angle that is less than 90 degrees and greater than 60 degrees. In the bunionectomy procedure, the chevron osteotomy guide is attached to the first metatarsal bone using two K wires or pins through proximal and distal apertures in the guide. The proximal aperture is surrounded by two concentric tubular projections which are orthogonal to the plane of the base plate. These projections consist of an inner tubular core, having a circumference that coincides with that of the proximal aperture, and an outer tubular haft, which serves as a handle by which the surgeon adjusts the position of the guide on the first metatarsal bone. Once the osteotomy guide is stabilized on the medial side of the first metatarsal bone, the surgeon uses a sagittal saw sequentially guided along the dorsal edge and then along the plantar edge of the chevron guide, so as complete osteotomies through the dorsal and plantar cortices of the first metatarsal bone. These osteotomies allow the metatarsal head to be translated and pivoted into a position that corrects the patient's bunion condition.

Medical procedures involving osteotomies often employ devices for guiding the surgical saw in cutting the bones. Bunionectomy procedures require the surgeon to make a precise chevron-shaped cut through the first metatarsal bone. While surgeons typically make this osteotomy configuration in open surgical procedures, the present invention allows the cuts to be made through a minimal incision (0.5-1 inch). This device has the advantage of less dissection/disruption of tissue, which in turn reduces pain and healing time. The cuts in the bone are also made extra-capsular (outside the joint capsule), so that a patient's postoperative recovery of range of motion is faster and less restricted.
As used herein, the terms "proximal" and "distal" refer to the directions on a human foot toward the arch and toward the toes, respectively. The terms "dorsal" and "plantar" refer to the directions on a human foot toward the top of the foot and toward the sole and the foot, respectively. The term "medial" refers to a direction orthogonal to both "dorsal" and "plantar," or toward the side of the foot. As applied to the osteotomy guide, the foregoing definitions apply to the configuration of the guide in use during the bunionectomy procedure described herein.

Minimally invasive bunionectomy procedure using chevron osteotomy guide


In order to control smoothness depending on accumulation of a pigment ink in the multi-pass printing, an information processing apparatus for an image forming apparatus that forms an image on the same area in a print medium by a plurality of printing scans with the same pigment ink, the information processing apparatus comprises an input unit that receives inputs of image data and a target gloss level; a storage unit that stores a plurality of pattern sets including a recording pattern for each of the printing scans; and a generation unit that generates pattern data corresponding to the recording patterns by selectively using the pattern sets based on the image data and the target gloss level; wherein at least one of the plurality of pattern sets has a different thinning ratio in the recording pattern for each of the printing scans on the same area.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gloss control when an image is formed on a print medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Inkjet printing apparatuses are classified into a serial-type inkjet printing apparatus in which a printhead scans the printing area in vertical and horizontal directions and a line-head type inkjet printing apparatus where nozzles extend on the full width of the printing area, and scanning is performed in only one direction. The serial-type inkjet printing apparatus, which is low cost, is being widely used. With the serial-type inkjet printing apparatus, images are sequentially formed on a print medium by, while ink is ejected from the printhead, alternately repeating printing main-scanning in which a carriage including a printhead is moved/scanned on the print medium and sub-scanning in which the print medium is conveyed by a predetermined amount in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which printing main-scanning is performed. The serial-type inkjet printing apparatus generally employs a printing method called multi-pass printing in which an image is formed in stages by performing a plurality of printing scans on the same image area of the print medium.
Also, demand for improved weather resistance and water resistance of printed matter is increasing in recent years, and pigment ink containing, as a color material, a pigment having superior weather resistance and water resistance is being developed. Unlike dyes that are present in the form of molecules, pigment ink is present in solvents in the form of particles having a size of several ten nanometers to several micrometers. It is generally known that in pigment ink, the size of color material is larger than that of dye ink, and it is therefore possible to obtain printed matter having a high weather resistance. In addition, the pigment particles are not soluble in water, and thus pigment ink is superior to dye ink in terms of water resistance as well.
However, when printing is performed using pigment ink, the pigment particles hardly permeate into the print medium and thus accumulate on the print medium surface. Accordingly, a phenomenon occurs in which the fine regularity (smoothness) of the image surface differs between a printed area and a non-printed area. Also, the amount of color material used differs depending on the density and color of the print image to be reproduced on the print medium, and therefore the amount of area covered by the color material in the print medium differs. Because the reflectivity of the color material and that of the print medium are different, as a result, the difference in the amount of area covered by the color material in the print medium will be recognized by the user as a difference in gloss. In other words, when printing is performed using pigment ink, the gloss level will differ depending on the density and color of the print image to be reproduced. Consequently, so-called "gloss non-uniformity" will occur in which areas having different gloss levels are formed in the same print image. Particularly when non-uniform gloss occurs in photographic printed matter, it is often recognized as an image flaw.
To address this, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-297212 (Patent Document 1) discloses a technique in which the number of passes and the mask pattern for multi-pass printing are changed according to the gloss level of the print medium. Specifically, this technique performs multi-pass printing by changing the number of passes, the mask pattern and the concentration of pixels, in order to control the smoothness of the print medium surface depending on accumulation of the pigment ink.
It was found, however, when the technique of Patent Document 1 is applied to multi-pass printing in which the amount of ink per pass is small, it may not be possible to sufficiently control the smoothness of the print medium surface depending on accumulation of the pigment ink.
According to the present invention, even in multi-pass printing, the smoothness of the print medium surface depending on accumulation of the pigment ink is suitably controlled.

Information processing apparatus, and method for controlling image forming apparatus


A process for the simultaneous production of lubricating blending stocks by means of hydrocracking a hydrocarbon feedstock in a first hydrocracking zone to convert at least a portion of the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock to produce an effluent stream containing lube oil boiling range hydrocarbons. One portion of the effluent stream is directly removed from the first hydrocracking zone to produce high quality lube oil blending stocks. Another portion of the effluent stream from the first hydrocracking zone is directly introduced into a second hydrocracking zone without intermediate separation. The second hydrocracking zone is utilized to further crack the feed to produce motor fuel.

The field of art to which this invention pertains is the conversion of heavy hydrocarbon feedstocks to produce lubricating oil base stocks and motor fuel. More specifically, the invention withdraws an intermediate hydrocracked stream to produce lube oil base stock having high viscosity while simultaneously producing large quantities of motor fuel in a hydrocracking process.

Process for the simultaneous production of lubricating oil base stocks and motor fuel


An electromagnetic voice coil actuator comprises a pot core magnet structure having a magnetic flux conductive core, a field coil within the pot core magnet structure for generating magnetic field through the magnetic flux conductive core and across an air gap, a voice coil disposed within the air gap. The voice coil and the field coil are each driven by an amplified signal derived from the audio input signal to create an actuation force, wherein the pot core magnet structure uses a soft magnet core.

1. Technical Field of the Disclosure
The present invention is related in general to electromagnetic actuators, and in particular to a moving voice coil actuator or transducer which does not utilize costly permanent magnets.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical speaker used today utilizes a transducer that transforms varying electrical signals to corresponding audible signals. A conventional loudspeaker typically has a stationary support frame or housing, a diaphragm which is the movable membrane, a permanent magnet mounted on the housing, a coil support connected longitudinally to the diaphragm and a voice coil wound transversally on the coil support within the magnetic field of the magnet. As is known by those skilled in the art, vibrations are induced in the voice coil and diaphragm when an alternating source signal is supplied to the voice coil by an amplifier or the like and the induced magnetic field interacts with the magnetic field of the permanent magnet to alternately attract and repel the voice coil.
Such speakers work well but the primary disadvantage with the use of such conventional speakers is they relatively large and heavy due to the presence of the permanent magnet. Conventional permanent magnet speakers thus lose their attractiveness in many applications such as automobiles, airplanes, or any other application in which maintaining a lightweight system is a concern. Conventional permanent magnet speakers also begin to lose their attractiveness in applications such as high-powered woofers in which the sheer size and weight of the permanent magnet required for the speaker increases the weight of the speaker beyond acceptable limits. Furthermore, typical permanent magnets suitable for voice coil actuators of speakers are fabricated from Neodymium Iron Boron (NdFeB), For a given magnetic field strength, a field coil constructed of copper wire will be of lower cost than the NdFeB magnet.
In the early days of speaker technology when permanent magnets were not stable and had the tendency to lose their magnetism, speakers were manufactured with a continuously powered stationary electromagnet. Such speakers include a frame, an electromagnet mounted on the frame, a movable membrane mounted on the frame, and a voice coil mounted on the membrane and movable therewith. The coil of electromagnet or field coil is continuously powered by an internal DC power source such as a battery to produce a constant-polarity magnetic field for interaction with the alternating field in voice coil. Speakers employing permanent electromagnets were not only heavy and cumbersome because they required their own internal power source, but were also very inefficient and were replaced by permanent magnet speakers as soon as permanent magnet technology was suitably developed. The electromagnets of such speakers, being powered by an independent power sources, also were necessarily not excited in proportion to the source signals exciting the voice coils.
Permanent magnets like Neodymium have more recently replaced the earlier used bulky and power consuming electromagnets. Due to this and other reasons, there has recently been a greater than one hundred fold increase in the price of rare earth Neodymium. Thus, the price of Rare earth NdFeB magnets has increased to a level that makes the use of NdFeB permanent magnets not viable for many applications. The costs have further spread to even the substantially lower performance ceramic permanent magnets, which have also increased in price, although not to the same extent as rare earth NdFeB permanent magnets. Because of the current costs associated with them, it must be asked when it remains appropriate to use NdFeB in bulk form such as the way Neodymium is currently used in NdFeB magnets. It is not inconceivable that the use of rare earth elements such as Neodymium will be restricted to those applications where they are used in 2-D film and nano or micro-sheet formats as opposed to 3-D bulk applications such as the weighty and wasteful permanent magnets employed in today's loudspeakers and other motors.
Voice coil actuators are electromagnetic devices that provide force proportional to current applied to a coil. A typical voice coil actuator comprises a coil assembly and a magnet assembly. The magnet assembly comprises inner and outer yokes of soft magnet material, which each conduct magnetic flux and which together define an air gap in which the coil assembly is suspended for movement within the air gap. The magneto motive force, Fm, which drives this magnetic flux, can either be created by a permanent magnet or a field coil with electric current carrying wire encircling a soft magnetic material core.
In a typical voice coil actuator, an electrical current conductive coil is suspended at a zero current bias position within a magnetic field formed in a gap. The flux path of the field within this gap may be optimally radial with respect to the axis of the coil so that when an externally applied current conducts through the coil, a Lorentz force will be developed which displaces the coil axially from its zero current bias position. As is known, the Lorentz force is linearly proportional to the coil current. Different configurations of voice coil actuators can provide different shapes of Force vs. Stroke curves. In the known prior art related to the voice coil actuator, the magnetic field in the gap is derived from a permanent magnet core.
The most common magnet system topologies for permanent magnet voice coil actuators are radially symmetric or axisymmetric. The system topologies typical of micro-speakers include center magnet topology, ring-magnet topology, and double-magnet topology. These topologies are generally fully scalable to all common sizes of loudspeakers. The pot core magnet structure (center magnet topology) has the inherent advantage of lowest stray-field losses compared to the other topologies. In addition to the radially symmetric voice coil actuators described above, there are two additional electromagnetic voice coil actuator topologies commonly employed in loudspeakers namely, planar voice coil actuators arid radial magnet voice coil actuators.
Magnet-less speakers without permanent magnets and that employ two electromagnetic coils, one of which is mounted on a movable membrane and the other of which is mounted on a fixed frame, are known in the art and were in fact in wide use prior to the advent of reliable permanent magnets. Recent advancements in the art provide a lightweight speaker constructed without permanent magnets by providing two coils, one of which is mounted on a movable membrane and the other of which is mounted on a fixed frame. The coils are mounted in close proximity to one another and excited by a common source signal from a common amplifier or the like in such a fashion that the electromagnetic fields created by the coils upon excitation interact to cause the coils to alternately attract and repel one another. One of the coils is fed with an excitation signal directly from the source. The other coil receives the source signal only indirectly, preferably via a bridge rectifier. The coils may take the form of conventional wound wires or, in a particularly sophisticated yet inexpensive embodiment, may be formed on a printed circuit board in the form of flat spirals. The resulting speaker is very lightweight and thus is well suited for use in automobiles, airplanes, and other applications in which weight minimization is important. However, the source signal is not split using digital signal processing for the purpose of feeding the two coils. Hence, there is no provision for providing a feedback signal to linearize the actuation three so that it is a faithful representation of the incoming audio signal.
One of the existing field coil actuators includes a magnetic flux conductive material case, an electrical current conductive field coil and two electrical current conductive moving coils uniquely arranged. The case has a first surface and a continuous channel disposed in said first surface. The channel has a pair of opposing walls. The field coil is disposed within the channel between the walls so that a gap remains between the walls above the field coil and another gap remains between the walls below the field coil. When a current is induced in the field coil, magnetic flux is developed across the gaps. The flux is confined substantially normal to the walls of the channel. The electrical current conductive moving coils are each disposed moveably in one of the gaps such that an electrical current in the coil develops a Lorentz force on each of the coils in a direction substantially normal to the current in the moving coil and the magnetic flux to displace the moving coil in response to the current in the moving coil. However, an independent power source is require to produce the constant magnetic flux and thus a DC current must to be applied to the field coil in order for the system to be operational.
Yet another conventional voice coil actuator includes a magnetic flux conductive material core a magnet and an electrical current conductive coil. The core has a first surface and a continuous channel disposed in said first surface. The channel has a pair of opposing walls. The magnet is disposed in intimate contact with a first one of said walls and spaced from a second one of said walls so that a gap remains between the magnet and the second one of the walls. The magnet has a first face of a first magnetic polarity facing the first one of the walls and a second face of a second, opposite magnetic polarity facing the gap. The magnet is further spaced from a bottom of the channel so that magnetic flux is substantially normal from the second face across said gap to the second one of the walls. The electrical current conductive coil is disposed moveably in the gap such that an electrical current in the coil develops a magnetic force on the coil in a direction substantially normal to the magnetic flux to displace said coil in response to said magnetic force. However, a major difficulty with conventional single-ended planar magnet loudspeaker designs, as in this case, is the presence of low-frequency range distortion.
Various other loudspeakers exist that include a magnetic circuit having a magnet, a lower plate, and an upper plate. In the magnetic circuit, a gap between magnetic poles is formed between the upper plate and a center pole that stands straight from a center position of the lower plate. A voice coil is located within the gap. A center cap is mounted in the vicinity of an upper end of the coil bobbin, The speaker further comprises a diaphragm, an edge to be connected with an outer periphery of the diaphragm, and a bent portion thrilled in the vicinity of a border of as connecting portion connecting the diaphragm and the edge, wherein it is possible to prevent strength deterioration or damage of the diaphragm even when sound signals having large amplitude is inputted, and to prevent deterioration of acoustic characteristics. The bent portion is provided with a reinforcing portion in order to reinforce the bent portion. However, such loudspeakers employ permanent magnets in their voice coil actuators.
Based on the foregoing there is a demonstrable need for a voice coil actuator device that eliminates the use of permanent magnets and uses a low cost iron electromagnet structure. Such a needed voice coil actuator would comprise an integrated amplifier and field coil driver. The voice coil actuator device when integrated with loudspeaker drivers would operate as electrically efficient as class-D amplifiers, when driving contemporary loudspeaker drivers. The actuator would provide an efficient magnet circuit with log magnet flux loss from stray fields using pot core magnet structure geometry for the voice coil actuator's electromagnet. The device would use Soft Magnetic Composites (SMC) material for the pot core magnet structure that has Ferromagnetic or Super paramagnetic behavior with a near linear response to the input audio or other actuating signal, low eddy current losses in the electromagnet structure and AC operation from DC to 20 KHz. The needed device would include electronics signal processing that provides a linear response of the actuation force in both amplitude and frequency to the incoming audio signal and that has a bandwidth from DC to 20 KHz. The needed electronics signal processing units would employ negative feedback to linearize the actuation force so that it would be a faithful representation of the incoming audio signal. In addition, the needed device would employ efficient electronics amplification of audio signals using pulse width modulated (PWM) Class-D amplifiers for driving both the voice coil and field coil. Further, the device would offer significant weight reduction and efficient recirculation of the magnetic energy generated by the field coil and stored in the voice coil air gap. The needed device would also be able to integrate the magnet-less voice coil actuator with the electronic integrated circuits to provide a loudspeaker drive motor which can receive low level analog or digital noise free audio signals and power. Further, the needed device would extend the magnet-less methodology to other voice coil actuator topologies with linear motion and permanent magnet motors with rotational motion. Finally, the voice coil actuator would provide as method of encrypting copyrighted and other high-resolution audio works of art. The present invention overcomes prior art shortcomings by accomplishing these critical objectives.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named xe2x80x98Zesty Yomeganxe2x80x99, characterized by its upright plant habit; freely branching growth habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; duplex daisy-type inflorescences; and dark pink-colored ray florets.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Zesty Yomeganxe2x80x99.
The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Megan, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,756. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within a population of flowering plants of the parent cultivar in October, 1996 in a controlled environment in Highstown, N.J. The selection of this plant was based on its unique ray floret color.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Gainesville, Fla. since December, 1997, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Zesty Yomegan has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Zesty Yomeganxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Zesty Yomeganxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Upright plant habit.
2. Freely branching, dense, full plants.
3. Uniform and freely flowering.
4. Duplex daisy-type inflorescences.
5. Dark pink-colored ray florets.
Compared to plants of the parent cultivar Megan, plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower earlier and differ in ray floret color.


An electric vehicle may include a frame, a set of wheels, and an electric propulsion system comprising an electric motor and a primary battery assembly including a first battery pack that powers the electric motor. The vehicle may also include an auxiliary battery pack configured to power the electric motor when the primary battery assembly is disconnected from the electric motor. The primary battery assembly may be non-destructively removable from the frame. In addition, the auxiliary battery pack may be fixedly attached to the frame.

The present invention relates generally to mining vehicles.
Various types of mining vehicles may be used to remove and transport material in a mining operation. One type of vehicle, a haul truck, may be used. Traditional haul trucks may operate with diesel-powered engines.
Diesel powered haul trucks can have different hauling capacities. Some trucks may have a 35 metric ton hauling or greater hauling capacity.
Electric vehicles may operate with one or more electric motors powered by batteries. Batteries in electric vehicles, such as cars and other kinds of vehicles, may be large and heavy. Removing batteries may require external infrastructure such as cranes, lifts or other systems.


An approach and a method for efficient execution of nested map-reduce framework workloads to take advantage of the combined execution of central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs) and lower latency of data access in accelerated processing units (APUs) is described. In embodiments, metrics are generated to determine whether a map or reduce function is more efficiently processed on a CPU or a GPU. A first metric is based on ratio of a number of branch instructions to a number of non-branch instructions, and a second metric is based on the comparison of execution times on each of the CPU and the GPU. Selecting execution of map and reduce functions based on the first and second metrics result in accelerated computations. Some embodiments include scheduling pipelined executions of functions on the CPU and functions on the GPU concurrently to achieve power-efficient nested map reduce framework execution.

1. Field
The embodiments are generally directed to cloud computing, and in particular, to the execution of map-reduce workloads on a cloud of heterogeneous accelerated processing units.
2. Background Art
Cloud computing includes workload execution on networks of computer systems. A map-reduce framework is an example of a program utilized in a wide range of business configurations including for example, social networks, recommendation engines, and business data analytics. Most computer systems execute map-reduce workloads on central processing units (CPUs). Some computer systems include an accelerated processing unit (APU) environment that includes a combination of a CPU and a graphics processing unit (GPU). However, such computer systems execute workloads inefficiently.

Power-efficient nested map-reduce execution on a cloud of heterogeneous accelerated processing units


A cassette (1) that is insertable into an infusion pump for delivery of a fluid to a subject that has a housing with two ends for holding flexible tubing (75) through which the fluid is directed. The housing has an open area exposing the tubing, which engages a pumping mechanism when inserted into an infusion pump. An anti-flow valve mechanism (100) associated with the tubing or the cassette and present either in, on or near the housing is made up of a piston (103/105) and spring (110), where the spring biases the piston against the tubing to prevent fluid flow.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for preventing free flow during enteral or parenteral administration of solutions through the tubing of an infusion line. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device that can be associated with an infusion pump for delivery of a fluid to a subject wherein the device includes an anti-flow valve mechanism such that, when the device is associated with an infusion pump, fluid is allowed to flow through the tubing, and when removed from the pump the anti-flow valve closes off the tubing to prevent the undesirable free-flow of solution therethrough.
The use of infusion sets to administer solutions to patients is well known in the medical arts. Infusion sets are used for both enteral and parenteral applications. Enteral feeding pumps are used to provide patients with nutrition and medication when they are unable, for a variety of reasons, to eat normally. Parenteral (intravenous) solutions are provided to patients to ensure adequate hydration and to provide needed nutrients, minerals and medication. Often, the infusion set is placed in a free standing arrangement in which gravity forces the solution into the patient. To prevent this, the tubing is often clamped or otherwise blocked to prevent such flow when not desired.
In many medical applications, fluids must be administered to a subject in a well regulated manner. In such instances, a free-standing infusion arrangement, where fluids are delivered to the patient under the force of gravity, is not acceptable. Instead the fluids are administered through the use of an infusion pump. An infusion pump is used to regulate the amount and rate at which the fluid is delivered from a reservoir to the patient. Typically a tube connected to the reservoir passes through the infusion pump and is intravenously inserted into the patient. While the tubing from the reservoir is in the infusion pump, free flow of the fluid is restricted by the pressure of the pump mechanism rollers closing off the tubing, however, when the tubing is removed from the pump, this pressure is released and fluid flow may resume under gravity. Devices that suffer from this disadvantage are those which lack a flow control mechanism. To prevent such free-flow of fluids, multiple means of closing the tubing off when it is not inserted in a pump have been disclosed in the prior art. These devices can be manually operated clamps, or cassettes with some form of automatic flow control mechanism.
For proper operation, the clamped or otherwise blocked tubing must be manipulated so that it allows fluid flow therethrough. It is not uncommon, however, for emergencies or other distractions to prevent the medical personnel from properly loading or unloading infusion sets into the feeding pump. When the infusion set is not properly loaded in the pump or is improperly removed and the tubing is opened to allow fluid flow, a free-flow situation often develops, wherein an amount of solution that is many times the desired dose can be supplied to the patient within a relatively short time period. This can be particularly dangerous if the solution contains potent medicines or if the patient's body is not physically strong enough to adjust to the large inflow of solution.
Numerous devices have been developed in an attempt to prevent free flow conditions. Such devices, however, typically add significantly to the overall cost of the infusion set and some provide only marginal protection against free flow. Furthermore, some of these are complicated making it difficult for medical personnel to properly operate them.
One attempted simplification of such systems is the use of an infusion cassette that is only operable to allow fluid flow through the tubing when the cassette is inserted into the pump. Cassette devices of the types like those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,668 to Hyman et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,165,154 to Gray et al. tend to be more complex and require the action of additional associated mechanisms, such as the movement or closing of an infusion pump door, handle or the like to function fully.
Thus, there is a need for infusion pumps and cassettes that provide improved performance over the art in that they need to be less complex and easier to use to quickly and conveniently control the delivery of fluids to the patient. The present invention now satisfies this need.

Infusion pump cassette with anti-free-flow valve mechanism


A device for coupling to a fishing rod includes a handle which includes a member with an aperture for receiving a reel seat of a rod and an arm extending from the member comprising a grip for receiving one or more digits is provided. A device may also include a handle, which includes a cylindrical member for coupling onto a rod, an arm extending from the member and disposed at a selected angle thereto, where the arm includes a grip for receiving one or more digits. Methods for using the devices and coupling to a user to repetitively make desired casting movements are also provided.

Fly fishing is a form of sport fishing and may also be considered an art. Other forms of fishing include bait or spin casting. In bait or spin casting, the lure is thrown and the line goes along with the lure, whereas in fly casting, the line is thrown and the lure goes along with the line.
A fly cast is made by executing the rod to move the entire length of line backwards and forwards to be cast in the air in a forward direction using the rod to deliver the line and a fly at the terminal portion thereof to the water. In typical fly casting, the casts may be between twenty and sixty feet in length.
It is more difficult to learn to cast a fly line than to use a spinning reel and rod. The skills applicable to spin casting do not apply to fly casting and may also be counterproductive to learning the art. The proper cast of a fly rod may also be counterintuitive, leading many to pursue other types of fishing instead.
A fly rod is typically longer than a bait or spin casting rod. To an extent, the weight and speed of the line is used to throw the line, but it is the loading and unloading of the rod that is used to impart speed and a wave motion to the line. The speed and wave motion increase the efficiency of the fly cast to a substantial distance with accuracy.
In fly casting, a basic motion is to cast the line back and forth in a straight line accelerating to a stop. An additional amount of line may be added while casting back and forth, until a suitable length is achieved. When a suitable amount of line is in motion, the cast is complete by allowing the line to fall to the water surface. The motion described above is one that must be mastered, although it is counterintuitive. The caster must learn the appropriate motions of the body and the rod so the tip of the rod moves through a very small arc at the appropriate time. By using the appropriate motions, speed, and power, the line goes backward and forward in a "tight loop" configuration. Making a movement in an inappropriate direction or decelerating to a stop at the inappropriate time results in an ineffective cast.
Although fly fishing is considerably more difficult than conventional casting, casting properly with a spinning rod and reel and other fishing rods also poses difficulties to any caster.
There remains a need for a device and method to assist the caster in casting fishing rods, including spinning and fly fishing rods.


A microprocessor-controlled, self-contained steam sterilizer is disclosed. Once the steam exposure phase is complete in the sterilizer, the microprocessor is programmed to operate the vaporizing heater in a low-power duty cycle to utilize the vaporizing heater as a drying heater in a lower power operating mode to effect a drying phase.

Field:
The present invention is directed toward a sterilizer with an improved drying phase, and particularly toward one in which a high-capacity vaporizing heater is operated subsequent to an exposure phase in a low-power mode to effect drying of a load.
State of the Art
Portable or self-contained sterilizers typically include an internal reservoir of water and a heater mounted at the bottom of the pressure vessel. The reservoir is typically filled with distilled water. A fixed amount or "charge" of water from the reservoir is dispensed into the pressure chamber for each sterilizing cycle. This charge of water fills the bottom of the chamber above an area heated by an electrical heating element. Water vaporization elements are necessarily of large capacity, typically from about 800 Watts to about 1800 Watts. The article to be sterilized, or "load," is subjected to an environment of pressurized, saturated steam. Sterilizers of this type are sometimes referred to as "table top" or "unplumbed" sterilizers.
After completion of the steam exposure phase of operation, it may be necessary to subject the load to a "drying phase," in which the chamber door is left ajar and dry heat is applied to the chamber. The water vaporizing element provides too much heat for this purpose. A low wattage heater (typically of fixed wattage between about 100 Watts to about 500 Watts) is thus conventionally mounted in the sterilizer. This low capacity heater is energized for a selected period of time to drive residual moisture from the load. The capacities of the vaporizing heater and the drying heater are selected on the basis of the size of the sterilizer vessel. The larger the vessel is, the higher the capacity for both the vaporizing heater and the drying heater. For example, a typical sterilizer may have a 1500 Watt vaporizing heater with a 150 Watt drying heater.
Such self-contained sterilizers, however, often do not provide adequate drying. Inadequate drying is particularly noticeable in the case of certain objects, such as sterilized instruments and wrapped instrument packs. During the sterilization process, steam typically penetrates the wrapped loads and condenses on instruments. After sterilization, this residual moisture must be removed or driven out of the packs to effect a complete sterilization.
Currently used drying systems also allow for inconsistent and incomplete results due to the many variables in the process. Such variables include, for example, how far the door is left open, AC line voltage, chamber temperature, the size and mass of the load, and air flow within the chamber. If a time period has elapsed between the exposure phase and the drying phase, the sterilizer, the load, and any condensed water may have cooled to room temperature. A low-wattage heater may be slow or ineffective in warming the load and the condensed water to a proper drying temperature.
There remains a need for a pressure chamber or sterilizer which provides for an improved drying phase and which eliminates the need for a separate low-power drying heater.

Self-contained sterilizer with duty-cycle heater


A method for high resolution cross sectioning of polysilicon features with a dual electron (E) beam and focused ion beam. The method comprises consecutive steps of encapsulating the polysilicon features of interest with a metal coating, followed by ion beam cross sectioning of the metal encapsulated polysilicon features, followed by electron (E) beam and gas (XeF2) etching and cleaning of the polysilicon from the encapsulating metal to remove the polysilicon while leaving the polysilicon surface features preserved in the encapsulating metal. The method is practiced with a dual beam tool comprising a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a focused ion beam tool. Advantageously, in the electron (E) beam and gas etching and cleaning step, the cleaning and imaging are simultaneous, allowing E beam imaging while the cleaning is taking place to evaluate the extent of cleaning. The step of etching and cleaning is followed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging and evaluation of the metal preserved polysilicon features.

The present invention relates generally to high resolution cross-sectioning of polysilicon features with a dual beam tool, and more particularly pertains to high resolution cross-sectioning of polysilicon features with a dual beam (electron beam and focused ion beam) tool that provides a compatible metrology technique, provides measurements of iso-features, and provides a metrology for 3-D (three dimensional) profiles.
In current technologies used in process development and failure analysis during semiconductor manufacturing, it is very important to be able to obtain precise measurements and cross sections of critical polysilicon structures, such as polysilicon gate line features, which are developed on a silicon wafer.
The prior art uses an ion beam initiated Pt (platinum) coating on polysilicon line features, takes an ion beam cross-section of the Pt coated polsilicon line features, and then uses SEM (scanning electron microscope) imaging to evaluate the features of the polysilicon line features. The prior art process results in severe rounding of the top edges of the polysilicon line features.

High resolution cross-sectioning of polysilicon features with a dual beam tool

International Business Machines Corporation


A time released nutritional food product and method of making it in is provided in which the product includes a plurality of grain or seed based constituents having plural digestion rates. In a preferred embodiment the product can be prepared by cooking the constituent parts together as a mixture at a substantially single length of cooking time. For example, the product while palatable, can be cooked by adding water, boiling for a given amount of time and eaten. In an embodiment the constituent parts include processed and unprocessed grains, at least one of which forms a gelatinous coating on the others when cooked.

Various types of ready-to-eat and cooked cereal products are known. For example, various processed cereal products are known. Such cereal products frequently are made of uniformly processed grains that typically include a processed flour form, which is formed into a desired shape, and baked, toasted or otherwise pre-prepared. Various additives such as sugar or dried fruits are added. Among such processed cereal food products are "Cheereos" or "Wheaties" from General Mills Corp., located in Minneapolis, Minn.
Various forms of cereal products to be cooked are also known. One example is oatmeal, which typically includes a dry form of rolled oats, which is prepared by adding water and then boiled for a period of time until a desired consistency is achieved. One example of an oatmeal product is "Quaker Oats" available from The Quaker Oats Company, Chicago, Ill. Cereal products such as this that are available in a dry form and meant to be cooked will be referred to herein as "cooked cereal" products.
Some ready-to-eat and cooked cereal products have a disadvantage in that the product is digested over a relatively short period of time. For examples cereal products made of a grain or grains that is/are processed in a single way tends to be digested within a given time period. Easy to digest flour based products can typically be digested over a relatively short period of time. With such a product one tends to get hungry relatively quickly after eating. Various known ready-to-eat and cooked cereal products suffer this disadvantage.
One known cereal product directed to providing a longer period of digestion is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,612. The product is meant to be digested over an extended period of time providing for the release of energy over an extended period of time. Components of varying levels of fiber and degree of cook are selected. However, this product suffers a number of disadvantages, including that preparation requires several different cooking steps under different preparation conditions, such as preparing different components in separate batches.
De-hulled whole grain oats, known as groats, have various known nutritional benefits including high fiber, and relatively slow digestion times. Likewise bumped oat groats, which are lightly processed groats have relatively slow digestion times. Other forms of oats, such as cut oats also have some of these benefits, but a generally faster digestion time than groats, but still slower than rolled oats. One disadvantage of a cooked or liquid cereal product including groats, bumped oats, or cut oats is that a relatively long cooking time is required in order to soften the groats sufficiently to be swallowed with ease. Without sufficient softening, the groat or steel cut oat can remain relatively hard and undesirable for human consumption.
Hot grain cereals on the market today typically provide only one milling process (i.e. rolling) and therefore a uniform digestion process that does not regulate carbohydrate or other nutrition delivery times, nor do they typically provide different grain milling types that have different digesting times and carbohydrate delivery.
In addition, intact whole grain (i.e. with or without hulls, but including the testa or seed coating) is considered to provide health benefits, such as including naturally occurring nutrients and phytochmicals. However, the above-discussed products suffer a disadvantage in that they typically cannot make use of whole unprocessed grains, which are viewed as not susceptible of inclusion in a commercial product, without at least some processing.
It is understood that the high and frequent pervasive consumption of high glycemic index foods in common modern diets can result in various health problems, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, high-glycemic index diets result in high levels of insulin, which increase hunger and favor fat deposition. Staving off a hungry feeling is understood to be one reason for obesity, in which a hungry feeling results in further food consumption. Low satiety occurring with high-glycemic index foods translates into significantly increased food and calorie consumption leading to weight gain in many people. Satiety is a function several food attributes: the glycemic index, level of dietary fiber, starch resistance, digestion time, and carbohydrate availability or delivery.
Therefore, there exists a need for a liquid or cooked cereal product that includes grains with plural digestion time rates, which can be used for regulating carbohydrate or other nutrition delivery to consumers, and also for specific use to control carbohydrate delivery. There also exists a need for foods that provide a regulated nutrition and especially carbohydrate delivery for blood glucose level control and treatment of diabetes. There also exists a need foor foods that provide regulated nutrition delivery in order to control appetite and provide assistance with dieting or other treatment of obesity. Furthermore, there exists a need for a liquid or cooked cereal product that has relatively simple manufacture and preparation processes. In addition, there exists a need for other grain or seed based products having varied rates of nutrition time release.

Time released nutritional product and method of manufacture


Provided is a small-sized, flat, vein authentication device of high authentication accuracy by photographing a living body several times and thus obtaining as registration data plural images that are picked up at different positions. A biometric information processing device of this invention comprising an image pickup device, which picks up a vein image, an image computing unit, which processes the vein image picked up by the image pickup device, an interface on which a part of a living body to be picked up is placed, and a light source, which emits infrared light. The biometric information processing device is further comprised of a sensor unit, which detects the presence or absence of a subject picked up by the image pickup device, a unit to obtain plural images as registration data, and a unit to select optimum registration data out of images obtained as registration data.

This invention relates to a biometric information processing device for authenticating individuals, and more specifically, to an authentication technique using venous information of a living body.
Security of personal information is gaining greater importance in recent years. Biometrics authentication is attracting attention as individual authentication technology for ensuring security. Biometrics authentication is authentication technology that uses physiological information of a person, and is excellent in terms of convenience and preservation of confidentiality.
Examples of known conventional biometrics authentication technology include authentication using a fingerprint, iris, voice, face, or vein on the back of a hand or on the palm side of a finger. In particular, vein biometric authentication using a vein is highly fraud-proof in terms of use of in vivo information.
The description given below focuses on finger vein authentication devices.
A finger vein authentication device first irradiates a finger with infrared light, which is scattered inside the finger and then transmitted to the outside. The finger vein authentication device picks up the infrared light transmitted through the palm side of the finger.
Since hemoglobin in blood absorbs infrared light more than its surrounding tissues, the image picked up by the finger vein authentication device is a visualization of blood vessels running under the skin on the palm side of the finger (i.e., finger veins) as a dark shadow pattern (i.e., finger vein pattern).
Features of the finger vein pattern are registered in the finger vein authentication device in advance.
For authentication, the finger vein authentication device picks up an image of the user's finger. The finger vein authentication device accomplishes individual authentication by obtaining a correlation between a finger vein pattern of the image picked up and the features registered in advance.
However, conventional finger vein authentication devices pick up an image of a finger inserted into the finger vein authentication devices. Therefore, users feel reluctant to insert a finger into the closed interior space of a finger vein authentication device.
Conventional finger vein authentication devices need to be tall enough to accommodate a light source placed beside a finger as disclosed in JP 2004-265269 A. The applicant of this application has filed a patent application for a contrasting system which uses in authentication a spectrum measured with a light source and a detector that are placed on the same side as a measurement subject living body.
With the background art described above, accurate authentication is not possible in a case where a finger presented for matching is positioned differently from when it is registered, thus casting a different pattern from the image picked up upon registration. A structure for regulating the finger position is therefore necessary in order to improve the authentication accuracy. This takes form as finger rests and other physical structures for directing where to place a finger in a device disclosed in JP 2004-265269 A.
A configuration disclosed in PCT/JP2005/011184 enables an authentication device to have a small size, but its substantially flat surface on which a living body is placed makes it difficult to add finger rests and other similar physical structures. Without such structures, users have no way of knowing the right place to put a living body, and the position difference between registered biometric information and biometric information presented for authentication leads to incorrect authentication.

Biometric information processing device and biometric information processing program


A film folding and supplying apparatus for machines for packaging products with stretchable film comprising a pleating means for folding ends of a film traveling in a direction, to modify the width of the film in such a manner that the last edges of the film on the bottom of a product to be wrapped do not laterally project from the bottom of the product. The pleating means cooperates with rolling friction of the traveling film and comprises an elongate, flat and fixed guide having longitudinal edges with projecting rows of flat, idle and rounded edges wheels; and respective lateral guides having projecting rows of flat, idle and wheels with rounded edges which fold the film.

The invention relates to constructive improvements in a film folding and supplying unit for the machines described in the Italian patent n. 1 266 296, property of the same applicant, to which is made wide reference. In this type of machines, the packaging film has a width which is suitable for the packaging of products which have variable dimensions inside a large range and its width is proportionate to that of the products having the greatest dimension that the machine can wrap. The width of the film is adapted to the dimensions of the product to be wrapped, with a process of pleating of the same film during the feeding phase to the wrapping phase, so that the longitudinal axis of the pleats which are oriented in the length direction of the portion of film inserted in said station and such that in the packaging of products having small dimensions, it is in any case provided for the formation of a wrapping which is enough wrapped and blocked. In this type of machines, the film is unwound from the feeding bobbin, passes through the tightening pulley which provides a longitudinal tensioned feeding and then is transmitted on a transversal and arched roller which transversally tensions the same and avoid the formation of uncontrolled pleats because the film is coming out from said roller with an ascending direction and runs longitudinally with its own center portion, on a rectilinear guide anteriorly provided with an idle roller which facilitates the entry of the film the lateral edges of which are folded under said guide by means of respective lateral guides, the whole in such a manner that the film is folded with a pressed omega transversal shape, and presents in such manner a width which is proportionate to the width of the product to be wound. Said curved transmission roller has been resulted of difficult realization so that it has been thought to substitute the same with a composite roller formed by a central roller and two long lateral rollers, having the same distance from the central roller with an angle of about 170° Another drawback found in the apparatus of the known type, is due to the great contact surface of the film with the folding guides above mentioned which were realized with polished metal or with material having a low friction coefficient. To improve the folding action performed by the guides, the same have been provided on the edges which was before operating in contact with the film, with rows of idle wheels with which the film is co-operating with rolling friction.
The lateral edges of the film which is coming out from said folding which are external to the folded portion of the said film, run upon rubber and idle rollers upon which the same are maintained in contact by a contrast superior roller, idle, but made of metal and sprung, after that the folded film arrives to a gripper-shaped distributor, made by a lower fixed portion, to which there is fixed in projecting manner said longitudinal and central guide, and by an upper portion assembled upon a structure which may oscillates upon an anterior axis which is parallel to the same distributor, and which is carrying the final folder of the machine, the one which is folding on the bottom of the product the last portion of film previously retained by the same distributor, and which is carrying the heated conveyor for the welding of the lower edges of the packaging. This structure may be raised with oscillation upon said transversal axis, in the initial phase in which the film coming from a new bobbin must be inserted in a machine. Upon this structure there is assembled said metallic and sprung roller which co-operates with said rubberized rollers. The distributor of the film realized with the known technique, is complex and scarcely reliable. An object of the invention is to improve the distributor and to provide freewheel means in the upper metallic roller contrasting the rubberized rollers, in such a manner that the film which passes through said rollers may only go forward and not backward.
In the apparatus of the described type, both folding guides of the lateral edges of the film fed by the machine, and the rubberized rollers, are pre-arranged to be automatically adjustable in the reciprocal distance by means of self-centering regulation mechanism, controlled by an electric step motor controlled by the computer of the machine which by means of the optical barriers detects the dimensions of the products to be packaged, to automatically adjust to these the width of the packaging film.

Film folding and supplying apparatus for stretch film packaging machines


A display with low power consumption using a memory-incorporated pixel system capable of refreshing the image signal memory and updating an image without causing a flicker. Each pixel arranged in matrix has, at an intersection between the signal line and the scan line, a first transistor and a second transistor to drive the electrooptical medium. The second transistor has its gate connected with the image signal memory which in turn is connected to the reference voltage line. There is a parasitic capacitor between the gate of the second transistor and the scan line. The gate of the second transistor is also connected with an added capacitor. Further, the second transistor is connected with a holding capacitor and also has a parasitic capacitor.

The present invention relates to a display and a method of driving the display and more particularly to a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) active matrix display.
For digitizing contents that have conventionally been provided in the form of paper, such as books and newspapers, a display with as high a resolution as printed matters is desired. The resolution of the currently available displays, however, is 200 ppi (pixels per inch) at the highest, far less than that of printed matters. The conventional displays have another problem that even at a resolution of around 200 ppi a large number of pixels used consumes a large amount of electricity.
A most effective method for reducing power consumption is to reduce a frame frequency. A reduction in frame frequency may be achieved by having a memory in pixels. In liquid crystal displays having a memory in pixels, an example of a conventional pixel circuit configuration related to this invention is disclosed in JP-A-2-272521.
In a system having a memory in pixels, JP-A-2003-302936 describes that, in an amorphous TFT, a transistor for driving an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode), an increased component of a threshold voltage (Vth) is removed by turning on or off a gate voltage and a drain voltage simultaneously.
Further, in the system having a memory in pixels, JP-A-2002-341828 describes that a display pixel circuit using organic EL (electroluminescence) devices adjusts a brightness of displayed image practically without reducing the number of grayscale levels of the image.
In such system having a memory in pixels, JP-A-10-319909 describes that a plurality of organic EL elements emit light for respective picture sub-frames with its own brightness, that images for each of sub-frames are visually combined and that brightness within a frame can be represented.
Further, in the system with a memory in pixels, JP-A-7-111341 describes that an organic thin film EL display reduces a failure rate caused by wire breaks and short circuits, by reducing a total wiring length and the number of crossings.
For a superfine resolution as high as printed matter, the number of pixels per unit area needs to be increased compared with the conventional displays. However, the use of the conventional display driving method to perform an image display at the superfine resolution requires increasing a reference clock frequency significantly, which results in a substantial increase in power consumption, making this method impractical.
One conceivable method for realizing a high resolution at low power consumption involves incorporating a memory in pixels and reducing the frame frequency. If a complex memory circuit such as static RAM or a CMOS transistor memory circuit is used, it is difficult to realize a high resolution.
To realize both a high resolution and a low power consumption at the same time, this invention adopts a memory-incorporated pixel system of single channel transistor configuration which is the simplest configuration. The memory-incorporated pixel system using the single channel transistor configuration has two single channel transistors for each pixel.
In the case of the CMOS transistor configuration, one of two reference voltage lines can be chosen, whereas the conventional single channel transistor configuration has only one reference voltage line and thus no method is available so far to switch from one state to another without adversely affecting the image display performance.
It is therefore an object of this invention to realize a display using a memory-incorporated pixel system of single channel transistor configuration which performs refreshing of image signal memories and updating of an image without adversely affecting the display performance and which has an ultrahigh resolution comparable to that of printed matter and a lower power consumption. It is also an object of this invention to provide a method of driving such a display.


In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, an optical disc having a reduced planar thickness is provided. In accordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention, the optical disc includes a central clamping area that defines a central aperture operable to be engaged by a spindle mechanism of an optical disc drive, an optically-readable data storage area substantially surrounding the central clamping area, the optically-readable data storage area having a planar thickness of less than 1.20 mm, and one or more stacker elements coupled to, or integral with, the central clamping area, the stacker elements configured to increase the thickness of the central clamping area above the planar thickness of the optically-readable data storage area. In particular embodiments, the optical disc may further include a magnetic stripe disposed upon one surface of the optical disc.

Optical discs, such as compact discs ("CDs") and digital video discs ("DVDs"), are often used to store computer-readable information. Typically, this information is stored on optical discs in the form of a single track of "lands" and pits" that spirals outward from the center of the disc. Using a tightly focused laser beam, these lands and pits may be read by an optical disc drive. By reading the lands and pits, the optical disc drive can generate electrical voltages which are matched against a timing circuit to generate a binary stream that is readable by a computer.
Magnetic stripe cards, such as credit and debit cards, are also used to store computer-readable information. Typically, such magnetic stripe cards comprise a plastic card having a magnetic stripe comprising a magnetically sensitive material. Conventional magnetic technology is then used to store information, such as a credit account number, on the magnetic stripe. The card can then be read by "swiping" the card through a reader having a magnetic head that senses the magnetic polarities encoded on the magnetic stripe to thereby derive the information encoded on the magnetic stripe.
Previous attempts have been made at combining optical discs and magnetic stripe cards into a single data storage device. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,597,653 issued to Burnett discloses an interactive transaction card that combines these two types of computer-readable media into a single card with magnetically and optically readable storage. However, combining optically readable storage and magnetically readable storage into a commercially-viable transaction card requires that the resulting transaction card be thin enough to be read by traditional magnetic stripe readers, which can only swipe cards less than about 0.96 mm thick. Because of this, traditional magnetic stripe cards typically have a planar thickness from about 0.80 mm to about 0.86 mm. Unfortunately, traditional optical discs have planar thickness of 1.20 mm. When the planar thicknesses of these optical discs are reduced below 1.20 mm, some optical disc drives may have problems reading the data stored on the optical disc due to problems with clamping/engaging the optical disc and/or focusing their lasers at the proper depth within the optical disc.

Optical disc having a reduced planar thickness


An implantable heart stimulator has a pulse generator, implantable in a subcutaneous pocket, and an electrode lead connected thereto for delivering stimulation pulses to a patient's heart. The pulse generator has an electrically conductive housing, and the electrode lead has a proximal portion which after implantation, extends substantially from the housing to a location situated beyond entry into the venous system and before entry into the superior vena cava. The proximal portion has an exterior with an electrically conductive surface, which together with the housing, form an infection control current electrode. A counter electrode is disposed outside of the subcutaneous pocket, and a current source supplies an infection control current between the infection control current electrode and the counter electrode for counteracting bacterial growth at least on an exterior of the housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an infection control apparatus for an implantable heart stimulator of the type having a pulse generator for delivering electric stimulation pulses to a patient's heart through a lead connectable to the pulse generator the pulse generator housing being electrically conductive.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Implantable heart stimulator pocket infection is a severe complication which often ends up in explanation of the stimulator. The reason therefor is that conventional treatment with antibiotics cannot eradicate the infection. This seems to depend on the circumstance that the bacteria live in a biofilm formed around the exterior surfaces of the implanted stimulator, which film blocks antibiotics. The bacteria may also live passively on a very low metabolism and can therefore not be treated successfully by antibiotics.
A method of enhancing the effect of antibiotics by applying an electrical field across the biofilm is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,813. This method is based on findings by J. W. Costerton et.al. Their studies have shown that the infection can be completely cured and no explanation has to take place by applying an electric field or a small current across the biofilm during antibiotic treatment, cf. also ASAIO Journal 1992, p.M-174 M178, Khoury et.al, "Prevention and Control of Bacterial Infections Associated with Medical Devices", and Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Vol. 38, No. 12, December 1994, p. 2803-2809, Costerton et.al., "Mechanism of Electrical Enhancement of Efficacy of Antibiotics in Killing Biofilm Bacteria" In these studies, generally, a low electric current of the order of 15-400 μA/cm2 is applied onto the infected surface while immersed in a buffer with antibiotics. In the most successful studies a total killing of microorganisms was reported after only 8 hours of current and antibiotic treatment—tobramycin 2.5 mg/l, 15-400 μA/cm2 during 8 h. This effect has been termed "the bioelectric effect".
These studies suggest that the electric field needs to be applied in close proximity to the infected implant. A passive electric field will not be effective, but a current should be conducted between electrodes in the biofluid surrounding the implanted device. A possible explanation to the observed effect is that electrochemically generated products are needed for the bioelectric effect to occur. At the titanium surface, titanium being normally used in heart stimulator housings, the following electrochemical processes take place.
At the anode:
1) 2H2O→O2+4H++4e−
2) 2Cl−→Cl2+2e−
3) Ti+2H2O→TiO2+4H++4e−
At the cathode:
1) O2+2H2O+4e−→4OH−
2) 2H2O+2e−→H2+2OH−
It is supposed that primarily the produced oxygen and chloride gases have an influence on the biofilm attached to the surface. It is also supposed that the fact that the pH-value is towered at the anode and increased at the cathode is significant for the influence and viability of the biofilm.
An infection that is initiated in the stimulator pocket will also often start to spread along the lead. The polymer surface of the lead may be a substrate for the bacteria and makes it easy for the bacteria to attach. At the time when a pocket infection is clinically manifested, in many cases the infection has already spread some distance from the stimulator pocket along the lead.

Implantable heart stimulator with infection control current, employing counter electrode


A system for performing an operation to a printed wiring board (PWB) having an apparatus for automatically resetting a PWB supporting device including a supporting table, supporting members which are set on a surface of the supporting table to support the PWB, a supporting-member storing device for storing the supporting members, a holding head for holding each of the supporting members, a moving device which moves the holding head relative to each of the supporting table and the storing device, in a direction parallel to the supporting table surface, so that the holding head takes a prescribed one of the supporting members from the storing device and sets the supporting member at a prescribed setting position on the surface of the supporting table, and takes the supporting member from the setting position and stores the supporting member in the storing device, and a control device which controls the moving device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the art of resetting a printed-wiring-board supporting device which supports a printed wiring board (PWB), and particularly relates to the art of shortening a time needed to reset the PWB supporting device. A PWB with electric components (e.g., electronic components) being mounted thereon should be called as a printed circuit board (PCB) but, in the present specification, a PCB is also referred to as a PWB, for avoiding complexity.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Generally, a PWB includes a thin substrate formed of an electrically insulating material such as a synthetic resin, and a circuit pattern formed of an electrically conductive material on the thin substrate. Thus, the PWB has flexibility. Therefore, when electric components (ECs) are mounted on the PWB, or when an adhesive or a creamed solder is applied to the PWB for mounting of ECs, the PWB cannot maintain an accurate flatness, unless a back surface of the PWB is supported at a considerably large number of points.
To solve this problem, Japanese Patent Document No. 7-15189 teaches applying a negative pressure or suction to a PWB and thereby holding the same. More specifically described, the document discloses a PWB holding device including a base plate and a plurality of holding pins. The base plate has a plurality of negative-pressure-supply holes each of which opens in an upper surface thereof and is connected via a negative-pressure passage formed therein to a negative-pressure-supply source. Each of the holding pins includes an elongate pin portion and a container-like seat portion, and the pin portion has a passage which is formed therethrough in an axial direction thereof and is communicated with an inner space of the seat portion. Each holding pin is attached to the upper surface of the base plate, such that a lower-end surface of the seat portion thereof is held in close contact with a portion of the upper surface that surrounds the opening of one negative-pressure-supply hole. In this state, the inner passage of the pin portion is communicated with the negative-pressure-supply hole via the inner space of the seat portion, so that negative pressure is supplied to the inner passage and is applied to a lower or back surface of a PWB to support the same. Thus, the PWB holding device is a PWB supporting device which has the function of sucking and holding a PWB.
The holding pins support the back surface of the PWB that is opposite to the front surface for which an operation, such as mounting of ECs, is performed. However, the holding pins must not engage uneven portions of the back surface of the PWB itself or the ECs mounted on the back surface. Therefore, the holding pins must be engaged with only limited portions of the back surface of the PWB and, depending upon those limited portions of the back surface, the holding pins must be attached to only limited portions of the upper surface of the base plate. Thus, the holding pins are attached to selected ones of the negative-pressure-supply holes of the base plate, and the remaining supply holes to which the holding pins are not attached are closed with respective caps to avoid the leakage of negative pressure.
However, conventionally it is an operator who sets the holding pins on the base plate and attaches the caps to the negative-pressure-supply holes free of the holding pins, and accordingly it takes a long time to reset the PWB holding device. When a current sort of PWBs are changed to a new sort of PWBs for each of which an operation is to be performed, the PWB holding device is reset by moving the holding pins from the current positions to new positions to support the new sort of PWBs. However, this resetting operation needs a long time.
This problem occurs to not only a PWB supporting device which includes holding pins each for applying negative pressure to a PWB and thereby holding the same but also a PWB supporting device which does not have the function of applying negative pressure to a back surface of a PWB and thereby holding the same but includes closing-pins each for supporting, at a support surface thereof, a back surface of a PWB and thereby supporting the same. The latter PWB supporting device does not require the operator to attach caps to negative-pressure-supply holes, but it needs a long time for the operator to set the closing-pins at respective prescribed positions. Thus, it takes a long time to reset the latter PWB supporting device as well.

System for operating and resetting PCB holding device


The cutting inserts of this patent are provided with positive cutting geometry and are especially adapted for service in face milling and shoulder milling raw castings and other hard-shelled workpieces by providing a cutting edge land which varies in width along the cut from narrowest at the bottom of the main cutting edge to broadest where the cutting edge meets the hard surface of the workpiece. In double-ended cutting edges, i.e., where the cutting edge is designed to cut equally in cutters of either hand of rotation, the maximum land width occurs at cutting edge midpoint and tapers to minimum width at each end. The surface of the land may also desirably be warped, twisting from radially positive rake at the bottom of the main cutting edge to neutral or even negative radial rake where the cutting edge meets the hard surface of the workpiece.

The first face milling cut of raw castings is a challenge because the outer shell of the casting is hard and frequently carries embedded moulding sand which abrades the cutting edges and rake faces of the milling cutters. The problem is further accentuated in the milling of cast iron engine blocks, where efforts at weight reduction and engine-cooling efficiency have reduced wall-thicknesses to a minimum. To mill gasket surfaces on such complex parts and thin sections without significant break out where the cutting tool exits the cut typically requires sharper cutting edges, i.e., a relatively high degree of positive rake, which, in turn, weakens the cutting edge and renders it more vulnerable to the accelerated and selective dulling action encountered by that portion of the cutting edge in constant edgewise encounter with the harder and abrasive skin of the casting while in the cut. Chipping of the cutting edge at that depth is not uncommon.
The resulting loss of the preferred cutting geometry shortens the useful life of the tool, and results in substantially increased cutting loads. These in turn increase the workpiece deflection, reducing the accuracy of the machining operation. If not adequately monitored, the condition will cause excessive breakout at the exiting edge of the cut, and require scrapping of the workpiece.
This real problem is addressed by this invention by providing a progressively strengthened cutting edge along the depth of the cut, i.e., by the provision of a cutting edge land which increases progressively in width from the bottom corner of the positive rake face upwardly along the cutting edge to the full height of cut for which the insert is designed. By that measure, the cutting edge is strengthened where it encounters the hardened and abrasive skin of the raw casting while preserving the downwardly increasingly sharper edge for the heavier metal removal load beneath the outer skin of the casting to the full depth of cut.
The hardened skin condition which characterizes previously uncut cast iron occurs in other materials as well. Forged steel, for example, and hot-rolled slab typically incorporate a harder skin layer from the working of the material, while certain metals exhibit surface hardening merely from previous machining cuts. For such applications as well, although less often encountered, perhaps, than the machining of raw castings, the wider cutting edge land at the top of the milling cut is preferred to offset the greater wear experienced at that location.

Milling with insert having cutting-edge land of width increasing with depth of cut