Coalescence of cells or other membrane-bound entities is facilitated by anchoring an outwardly projecting first oligonucleotide in one member and an outwardly projecting second oligonucleotide, complementary to the first, in a second member and incubating under hybridizing conditions. Liposomes may be coalesced with cells to deliver hydrophilic agents thereto, such as DNA probes or drugs. Kits containing complementary oligonucleotides containing hydrophobic anchoring moieties may be used.

Biological membranes constitute a barrier which most hydrophilic or charged compounds cannot traverse. Encapsulation of these compounds within liposomes followed by the fusion of the liposomes with cellular membranes can be used to deliver these compounds into cells. This process is useful in delivery of drugs and for gene therapy.
Also due to their membranes, cells stay apart from each other and do not normally fuse. However for a number of applications such as for cloning and generation of hybridomas, it is necessary to fuse two cells with each other. Fusion requires merging of separate membranes into a single membrane structure, and despite efforts to facilitate the fusion with the help of chemical agents and other means such as electric shock, the efficiency of this process is generally poor. This is because the membranes have similar charges on them and thus repel each other, or the hydration shells around the lipid head groups of the membranes interfere with close contact. The two membranes have to be held together for a significant time for fusion to take place, which Brownian motion normally prevents.
An aspect of this invention is a method for improving fusion, or coalescence. of cells liposomes, lipidic particles and lipid bilayer vesicles with cells and with each other by bringing them close to each other and holding them in close proximity so that their membranes can be fused and their contents can be mixed.
Another aspect of this invention is oligonucleotide-coated liposomes containing entrapped substances for delivery into cells.
Another aspect of this invention is reagent kits containing oligonucleotide constructs useful in methods according to the invention.

The Public Health Research Institute of the City of New York, Inc.


Monitoring interactions between application programs and data stores for analyzing stability of application programs. A method of the invention intercepts interactions from a plurality of application programs to a data store. The method also identifies pre-execution data relating to each of the intercepted interactions and the intercepted interaction is executed. The method identifies post-execution data relating to each of the executed interactions. The identified pre-execution data and the identified post-execution data from each of the interactions are normalized to create normalized interaction data for each of the interactions. The method combines the normalized interaction data for each of the interactions as a function of the application programs associated with each of the interactions. The method further stores the combined interaction data for analysis of the interactions between the application programs and the data store which is indicative of the stability of the application programs.

In a typical computing system or device, one or more application programs, software, or other computer-executable instructions are installed in addition to an operating system to enhance a user's experience with the computing system or device. For example, a user may install a word processing application program to prepare a report and may print the report to a printer connected to the computing system. Another user may install a media processing and managing application software to manage her pictures stored in a digital camera.
The application programs interact with the operating system and/or stored data via a set of routines used by the application program. These routines, also known as an application programming interface (API), direct the performance of some procedures by the operating system. In the word processing application program above, when the user runs the word processing application program, the word processor may initiate a number of API calls to the operating system and its associated components such that the word processor may display a date on the report or may save the location of the report in the computing system in a "Most Used Files" folder/directory. Such API calls may involve reading, writing, creating, or removing one or more files relating to the operating system or in the data store. In addition, some API calls may modify entries in a configuration database associated with the operating system.
While the interactions between application programs and the operating system are designed to enhance the user's experience and perform desired functions, unintended consequences of the interactions may cause application programs or the operating system to operate correctly. For example, a first application program may wish relocate a file from folder B to folder A while a second application program may wish to access the same file in folder B. When the second application program could not find the file in folder B, the second application program may become unstable and hang or cease to continue to operate because the file is missing from folder B. This may further result in failure of the operating system.
Some current systems monitor interactions or memory accesses, such as API calls, between a signal application program and the operating system to prevent crashes or other unexpected consequences. These systems intercept the interactions and identify data relating to the interactions for a particular application program and computing system environment. However, the recorded data from such monitoring systems is limited to the particular application program and computing system environment that is monitored. The data recorded by existing systems is inefficient for making comparison with other systems. For example, suppose interactions between an application A are monitored in a computing system X and the same application A is also monitored in a computing system Y. Both computing systems X and Y execute the same application A, but the computing system X may have a different software and hardware configuration from that of the computing system Y. As such, the locations of the files or data that interact with the application A may be different in the computing system X and the computing system Y. The existing monitoring system would record system specific data (e.g., file path, process ID, or the like) relating to the interactions between the application A and files or data in the computing system X. Such system specific information is not useful when comparing with recorded data from the interaction with the computing system Y because the system specific information of the computing system X differs from the computing system Y.
Accordingly, a system and method for monitoring interactions between a plurality of application programs and stored data and combining the monitored interactions for analysis are desirable to address one or more of these and other disadvantages.

System and method for monitoring interactions between application programs and data stores


A copying apparatus detects as to whether or not an IC chip is present in an original paper. When the IC chip is detected, the copying apparatus reads data from this IC chip. When the read data is additional information, which can be printed as an image, the copying apparatus stops a printing process, and notifies a message indicating that the read data is the additional information to the user and then, waits for an instruction issued by the user. When the user instructs to print the additional information, the copying apparatus prints the image read from the original paper and the additional information read from the IC chip on a printing paper in an output format designated by the user.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image reading system and an image reading method, which detects as to whether or not a non-contact memory attached to an original is present and performs a process responding to the detection result.
2. Description of the Related Art
A compact semiconductor chip (for example, μ-chip by HITACHI, LTD.) from which an external unit can read stored data in a non-contact manner has been known.
Also, JP-A-2001-229199, JP-A-2000-285203, JP-A-2001-134672, JP-A-2001-283011, JP-A-2001-148000, and JP-A-2001-260580 disclose applications of the compact semiconductor chip.

Image reading system and image reading method


The invention provides a beverage extractor permitting extraction of a beverage of high quality irrespective of its type. The extractor is provided with a first extraction channel for letting the beverage extracted in a cylinder flow into the extraction pipe via beverage outlet holes of a second piston having a prescribed first bore and a second extraction channel via a communication hole having a prescribed second bore, which is smaller in bore than the outlet holes, for letting the beverage extracted in the cylinder flow into the extraction pipe, and the first and second extraction channels are switched over between each other by the movement of the second piston. This makes it possible to select an extraction channel suitable for the type of beverage, whether regular coffee or espresso coffee, and accordingly to extract a beverage of high quality irrespective of the type of beverage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a beverage extractor for extracting a beverage from a raw material, such as ground powder of coffee beans.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of the known beverage extractors of this kind is provided with a cylinder for accommodating a raw material, a piston disposed to be movable within the cylinder, a hot water feed pipe for feeding hot water into the cylinder and an extraction pipe for letting flow out the beverage extracted in the cylinder. With this extractor, regular coffee or espresso coffee is extracted by feeding the raw material, which is coffee beans ground to the grain size for either regular coffee or espresso coffee, into the cylinder, compressing the powder between pistons and feeding hot water into the cylinder.
In this beverage extractor, it is necessary to feed hot water into the cylinder, when regular coffee is to be extracted, under a pressure of 0.1 MPa to 0.3 MPa or, when espresso coffee is to be extracted, under a pressure of about 0.9 MPa. For this reason, it is necessary to keep the aperture of the extraction pipe channel smaller when espresso coffee is to be extracted than when regular coffee is to be extracted to keep the pressure of hot water to be fed into the cylinder at the required level.
However, since this beverage extractor uses a common extraction pipe for extracting regular coffee and espresso coffee and extraction of regular coffee with an extraction pipe suitable for the extraction of espresso coffee takes a much longer time because the hot water feeding pressure should be reduced. Taking a longer time to extract the beverage may invite excessive extraction of the content of the raw material and therefore degradation of the quality of the extracted beverage.


The invention provides methods of obtaining a peptide that include steps of synthesizing a peptide intermediate having one or more side chain protecting groups; providing a solvent to the peptide intermediate to form a peptide intermediate composition; and providing a precipitating agent in an amount sufficient to precipitate the peptide intermediate from the peptide intermediate composition, wherein the precipitating agent is an alcohol having three or more carbon atoms. Also provided are methods for precipitating peptides, methods for concentration peptides, and methods for filtering peptides.

Many methods for peptide synthesis are described in the literature (for examples, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,881; Mergler et al. (1988) Tetrahedron Letters 29: 4005-4008; Mergler et al. (1988) Tetrahedron Letters 29: 4009-4012; Kamber et al. (eds), Peptides, Chemistry and Biology, ESCOM, Leiden (1992) 525-526; Riniker et al. (1993) Tetrahedron Letters 49: 9307-9320; Lloyd-Williams et al. (1993) Tetrahedron Letters 49: 11065-11133; Andersson et al. (2000) Biopolymers 55: 227-250; and Bray, Brian L. (July 2003) Nature Reviews 2: 587-593. The various methods of synthesis are distinguished by the physical state of the phase in which the synthesis takes place, namely liquid phase or solid phase.
Liquid phase methods (often referred to as solution phase methods) of synthesis carry out all reactions in a homogeneous phase. Successive amino acids are coupled in solution until the desired peptide material is formed. During synthesis, successive intermediate peptides are purified by precipitation and/or washes.
In solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS), a first amino acid or peptide group is bound to an insoluble support, such as a resin. Successive amino acids are added to the first amino acid or peptide group until the peptide material of interest is formed. The product of solid phase synthesis is thus a peptide bound to an insoluble support. Peptides synthesized via SPPS techniques are then cleaved from the resin, and the cleaved peptide is isolated.
In addition to the liquid phase and SPPS techniques described above, a hybrid approach can be utilized. Hybrid synthesis is typically utilized to manufacture complex sequences. For example, in one representative hybrid scheme, complex sequences can be manufactured through the solid phase synthesis of relatively large, protected peptide intermediates, which are subsequently assembled either by solution phase or SPPS methods to produce a final peptide product. Thus, as a step in the synthesis, an intermediate compound is produced that includes each of the amino acid residues located in its desired sequence in the peptide chain with various of these residues having side chain protecting groups. The peptide intermediates are isolated, and the protected peptide intermediates are then coupled in solution to form a complete peptide. See, for example, WO 99/48513.
Peptides can also be manufactured utilizing recombinant techniques, whereby recombinant DNA technologies are utilized in cell-free systems to produce peptides of interest.
Peptides and amino acids from which peptides are synthesized tend to have reactive side groups as well as reactive terminal ends. When synthesizing a peptide, it is important that the amino group of one peptide reacts with the carboxyl group of another peptide. Undesired reactions at side groups or at the wrong terminal end of a reactant produces undesirable by-products, sometimes in significant quantities. These by-products and reactions can seriously impair yield or even ruin the product being synthesized from a practical perspective. To minimize side reactions, it is conventional practice to appropriately mask reactive side groups and terminal ends of reactants to help ensure that the desired reaction occurs.
For example, a typical solid phase synthesis scheme involves attaching a first amino acid or peptide group to a support resin via the carboxyl moiety of the peptide or amino acid. This leaves the amino group of the resin-bound material available to couple with additional amino acids or peptide material. Thus, the carboxyl moiety of the additional amino acid or peptide desirably reacts with the free amino group of the resin-bound material. To avoid side reactions involving the amine group of the additional amino acid or peptide, such amine group is masked with a protecting group during the coupling reaction. Two well-known amine protecting groups are the BOC group and the Fmoc group. Many others have also been described in the literature. After coupling, the protecting group on the N-terminus of the resin-bound peptide can be removed, allowing additional amino acids or peptide material to be added to the growing chain in a similar fashion. In the meantime, reactive side chain groups of the amino acid and peptide reactants, including the resin-bound peptide material as well as the additional material to be added to the growing chain, typically remain masked with side chain protecting groups throughout synthesis.
After synthesis, some or all of the protecting groups can be removed from the peptide product (deprotection). When substantially all protecting groups (terminal protecting groups and side chain protecting groups) are removed, this is referred to as global deprotection. Deprotection can occur contemporaneously with cleaving or can be carried out later if the peptide is to be further processed, modified, coupled to additional peptide or other material, and the like. Some cleaving reagents not only cleave peptide from the support resin, but also cause deprotection to occur at the same time (for example, the strongly acidic cleaving reagents associated with BOC chemistry). Other cleaving reagents are milder than those utilized in BOC chemistry and cleave without causing undue deprotection. The cleaved peptide remains substantially protected after cleaving as a result. The mildly acidic cleaving reagents associated with Fmoc chemistry tend to produce cleaved peptides in a protected state.
Peptide synthesis schemes typically require recovery of peptide material (for example, final peptide product or peptide intermediate) at one or more points during synthesis. For example, in SPPS synthesis methods, peptide material is typically recovered after it has been cleaved from the solid support. Similarly, in solution phase methods, the peptide material is recovered from solution. When peptide intermediates are synthesized and then coupled to produce a final, larger peptide product, as in hybrid approaches, several isolation steps may be required.
Typical methods to recover peptides involve the use of acid/salt chemistry. For example, peptide can be precipitated in aqueous salt (such as sodium chloride), and the solids can then be collected (for example, by vacuum filtration), washed, and dried. However, such methods present problems for commercial scale production, including high impurity levels. The presence of impurities in the solution with a peptide can result in downstream problems as well, if the peptide will be subsequently reacted with other species (such as additional peptides).
Other recovery methods involve concentration of the peptide solution under vacuum, followed by reconstitution with a solvent such as ethanol, methanol or heptane, then precipitation of the peptide by the addition of water. Known reagents used for peptide precipitation include heptane, water, methanol, ethanol, or diethyl ether. Each of these reagents has limitations. For example, some reagents can be extremely flammable, whereas other reagents can have a higher boiling point and therefore require higher temperatures during distillation steps to remove them. Further, the use of some reagents (such as heptane) during precipitation can cause electrostatic charge build up, which limits handling of this reagent. In addition, when the reagent is utilized only in the isolation steps, but not in other processing steps, specific equipment and/or processing steps (for example, to remove the reagent or purge the system) must be dedicated to the isolation steps involving that reagent.
As part of the recovery process, the precipitated peptide is collected, often by passing the composition containing the precipitated peptide through a filter. Characteristics of the precipitated peptide can impact the filterability of the precipitate. For example, the individual peptide particles that make up the peptide precipitate are desirably in a size range that allows for effective filtration of the precipitate. If outside this desirable size range, peptide precipitate can generate fines that clog the filtration apparatus (for example, when particles are too small) or become too tacky and prevent filtration (for example, when particles are too large).
For large-scale production of peptides, issues relating to product recovery and product purity, as well as reagent handling, storage and disposal, can greatly impact the feasibility of the peptide synthesis scheme. Thus, there is a continuing need for peptide synthesis processes capable of producing peptide materials of commercial interest in large batch quantities. Recovery of peptide material after synthesis, for example, by precipitation, is one aspect of the synthesis in which improvement is needed. Conventional methodologies may result in impurity levels that are higher than desirable.

Process and systems for recovery of peptides


The present invention provides a novel method for forming a self-assembly substance of probes making it possible to shorten a reaction time required for formation of a self-assembly substance and also to increase regions of probes available for detection of a target gene by previously preparing a plurality of dimer-probes and increasing the types. This method comprises the steps of: providing plural groups, wherein each group includes a pair of dimer forming probes containing a pair of oligonucleotides, each oligonucleotide having three regions of a 3′ side region, a mid-region and a 5′ side region, in which the mid-regions of the oligonucleotides have base sequences complementary to each other, and the 3′ side regions and the 5′ side regions of the oligonucleotides have base sequences not complementary to each other; hybridizing a plurality of pairs of the dimer forming probes of the plural groups; and forming a double-stranded self-assembly substance by self-assembly of the oligonucleotides.

In the method for forming a self-assembly substance of probes in which a double-stranded self-assembly substance is formed by providing a plurality of pairs of probes each comprising n (n≧3) portions complementary to each other (may be referred to as a "HoneyComb probe: HCP" hereinafter) and hybridizing the probes so as to cross alternately (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,261,846, JP A 00-201687, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-98797, and this method may be referred to as a "PALSAR (Probe alternation link self-assembly reaction) method" hereinafter), a target gene is detected through formation of a double-stranded self-assembly substance by using only a pair of oligonucleotide probes and hybridizing the probes so as to cross-link alternately, but as only two oligonucleotide probes are used, there are several restrictions in regions of the oligonucleotide probes be used for detection of a target gene and regions for labeling with a fluorescent dye, an enzyme or an antibody.
Furthermore, as two oligonucleotide probes react to each other alternately, each region is in competition with each other, and a somewhat long reaction time is required for formation of a self-assembly substance.
In a pair of oligonucleotide probes used in the PALSAR method, only a pair of oligonucleotide probes are used and hybridized to each other so as to cross-link alternately, thereby forming a double-stranded self-assembly substance.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel method for forming a self-assembly substance of probes in which not only a pair of oligonucleotide probes, but each oligonucleotide probe is previously prepared as a plurality of dimer-probes, and the types are increased, thereby enabling a reaction time required for formation of a self-assembly substance to be further shortened and enabling regions of oligonucleotide probes which can be used for detection of a target gene and regions for labeling with a fluorescent dye, an enzyme or an antibody to be increased, and a method for detecting the self-assembly substance formed by the method for forming the self-assembly substance.
In the recent techniques for genetic diagnosis, various techniques represented by an enzyme immunoassay called EIA and a fluorescent labeling are used to detect a target gene, but in any method, use of an expensive enzyme, an antibody or fluorescent label and complicated operations are required.

Methods of constructing self-assembly of probes and method of detecting the same


A wire stitching machine and a method for wire-stitching print products with the wire-stitching machine. At least one stitching head is arranged to move along with a respective print product to be stitched during a stitching operation. A control device is arranged to control the stitching head so that the stitching head is displaced relative to the print product following placement of a first staple by the stitching head in a print product to drive in at least one second staple at a distance to the first staple.

The invention relates to a method for stitching print products with a wire-stitching machine that comprises at least one stitching head and moves during the stitching operation along with a print product which is conveyed in a gathering and wire-stitching apparatus.
The wire-stitching of print products with the aid of staples in a gathering and wire-stitching apparatus has long been known and involves, for example, the stitching together of booklets consisting of several gathered, folded sheets in a wire-stitching machine. The products are generally transported by a gathering chain, provided with uniformly spaced carriers, in which the aforementioned folded sheets are gathered. The gathering chain conveys the gathered, folded sheets to the wire-stitching machine where the print products are wire stitched while in a stationary position or during the transport.
A method and machine of the aforementioned type for wire-stitching print products are known, for example, from European Application EP 0 958 942 A, which is co-owned by the assignee of the present application. This machine is provided with two stitching heads that are operated by a crank mechanism. The two stitching heads are positioned on a stitching-head carriage which moves along with the product to be stitched. If a product is to be stitched with three wire staples, then three stitching heads are needed and for the stitching with four wire staples, four stitching heads are needed.
A different type of stitching machine is further known from European Application EP 1 153 764 A.

Method for stitching print products and stitching machine for realizing said method


A silver conductive adhesive comprising silver powders is disclosed. The silver powders are spherical silver powders. A method for preparing the silver conductive adhesive is further disclosed. The silver conductive adhesive has higher heating and curing efficiency, obviously shortening the curing time period and improving yield.

In order to conduct static electricity, in-plane switching (IPS) and fringe field switching (FFS) liquid crystal display (LCD) products require the dispensing of a silver adhesive on a rear conductive layer (indium tin oxide (ITO)) of a color filter (CF) substrate and a ground resistance area of an array substrate. The traditional silver conductive epoxy adhesive is usually prepared by using flake or dendritic silver powders in connection with a certain proportion of epoxy resin, curing agent, dispersant and the like. The silver conductive adhesive has a high curing temperature and a long curing time period, usually heating for 2 hours at the temperature of 70 centigrades, hence affecting the productivity of chip on glass (COG). In order to accelerate the velocity of turnover, more ovens have to be arranged in the production line. Therefore, not only the equipment investment is increased but also the space of the production line is limited. Meanwhile, trays tend to be deformed due to long-term high-temperature heating, resulting in loss of materials.
In the heating process of the traditional silver conductive adhesive, surface curing occurs at first; the surface-cured silver adhesive forms one layer of "casing" 1-1, so that the organic dispersant in the internal non-cured silver adhesive 1-2 cannot be easily volatilized; and meanwhile, external heat cannot be easily transmitted to the internal silver adhesive, so that the curing time becomes longer, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Moreover, due to poor fluidity of flake or dendritic silver powders, more organic solvent or dispersant is needed to guarantee appropriate viscosity. After the silver adhesive is cured, the volume of the silver adhesive is reduced (partially reduced in the thickness direction) due to the volatilization of both the organic solvent and the dispersant. The longitudinal shrinkage of the silver adhesive is currently 35 to 46 percent, and hence the silver conductive adhesive 1 at a connection between a CF substrate 2 and an array substrate 3 tends to be overly thin and even gives to disconnected so that the electric conductivity is lost, as illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B.

Silver conductive adhesive and preparation method

CHENGDU BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


An ignition timing control system for an industrial engine or small engines used on lawn mowers, etc. is provided. In such an industrial engine, a pulser coil outputs an alternating current signal in response to movement of a magnet which rotates together with an output shaft of the industrial engine. To the pulser coil, there are connected a detecting circuit for generating a timing signal corresponding to an angle of rotation of the output shaft in response to the signal from the pulser coil, a microcomputer for determining an engine speed in accordance with the timing signal and then determining an ignition timing in accordance with the determined engine speed, and a signal generating circuit for generating a signal for controlling the timing at which a spark plug is driven by an ignition drive unit. By advancing and retarding the ignition timing, the output of the engine can be controlled with responsiveness such that the stable operation of the engine can be obtained even when the air/fuel mixture is made leaner to such an extent that will inevitably cause hunting when the engine is operated under only a throttle valve opening and closing control by a governor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ignition timing control system for industrial internal combustion engines, particularly for small internal combustion engines used on small boats, small generators, lawn mowers, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
For small-sized, simple structure and low cost, industrial engines such as those used in lawn mowers, etc. have heretofore been constructed so as to be ignited simply at a previously set constant timing without making such a complicated combustion control according to a driving condition as in automotive engines while being operated steadily at a predetermined rated speed by means of a governor which mechanically regulates a throttle opening according to the engine speed.
For supply of fuel, a carburetor constructed so as to utilizes vacuum produced at a venturi of an intake passage is used so that the engine can start smoothly without supply of electric power. For cooling of the engines, air cooling which features simple structure is employed.
However, air cooling is lower in the cooling ability as compared with water cooling which is widely used for automotive engines, etc., so the carburetor for the industrial engine is set so as to allow the air/fuel mixture to be considerably richer than the stoichiometric value for thereby supplementing the cooling ability by utilizing the heat of vaporization of the mixture. For this reason, the exhaust gasses emitted from the industrial engines contain a large amount of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon (HC), etc.
On the other hand, recently, there is a tendency to require even such industrial engines to decrease in the amount of noxious components contained in the exhaust gases. To meet such a requirement, it is necessary for the air/fuel mixture to be leaner and set so as to have such an air/fuel ratio adjacent the stoichiometric value.
However, when the setting of the carburetor is caanged for simply making leaner the air/fuel mixture supplied to the engine, there is caused such a problem that not only the durability of the engine is deteriorated due to the higher combustion temperature and exhaust gas temperature but a variation of the engine speed in response to a sudden variation of the load of the engine becomes larger and therefore it takes a longer time for the engine to return to a rated engine speed, and in the worst case hunting in operation of the engine occurs.
That is, in the event the air/fuel mixture is made leaner, increase of fuel supplied to the engine when, for example, engine speed becomes lower is retarded even if the governor is operated to make larger the throttle opening since the mixture is lean. As a result, the air/fuel mixture becomes further leaner and therefore the engine speed becomes further lower. Then, the increase of fuel supplied to the engine is executed as required to increase the engine speed. However, upon this time, the throttle opening has become too large, thus causing the engine speed to become too high. Then, the governor is operated so as to decrease the throttle opening. However, upon this time, the air/fuel mixture is lean and therefore decrease of fuel is carried out rapidly, thus causing the engine speed to become lower than required. From this time onward, the above described actions are repeated to cause hunting.

Ignition timing control system for industrial engines


A wind turbine blade (60) damped by viscoelastic material (54, 54A-F) sandwiched between stiffer load-bearing sublayers (52A, 52B, 56A, 56B) in portions of the blade effective to damp oscillations (38) of the blade. The viscoelastic material may be located in one or more of: a forward portion (54A) of the shell, an aft portion (54D) of the shell, pressure and suction side end caps (54B) of an internal spar, internal webbing walls (54C, 54E), and a trailing edge core (54F).

Wind turbine blades are being made larger for improved economic efficiency. As blade size increases, structural requirements increase to support the greater mass. Additional structural mass results in greater gravitational and centrifugal loads, requiring still more structure in a cascading fashion. Blade designs can devote the majority of their structural strength simply to support the mass of the blade. Due to scaling laws, maximum producible turbine size is limited by this problem. Increased blade mass requires increased mass in all the turbine and tower structural components. So this problem is a large contributor to total turbine cost.
Damping of wind turbine blades is often low due to the natural properties of the materials of construction of the blades. Aerodynamic damping is effective for flapwise loads only. "Flapwise" means perpendicular to the chord and the span of the blade, such as in the direction 36 in FIG. 1. Edgewise loads include gravitational loads and dynamic loads from oscillations. "Edgewise" means parallel to the chord of the blade, such as in the direction 38 of FIG. 1. Edgewise oscillations are minimally damped, as they depend completely on the low levels of material damping. Therefore, edgewise loads due to oscillations are difficult to reduce. They contribute significantly to the total loads.

Wind turbine blade with viscoelastic damping


A magnetic core flux sensor assembly may include a flux sensor core portion and at least one elongated opening for receiving a conductor winding through the flux sensor core portion. An electrical current flowing through the conductor winding generates a magnetic field about the conductor winding and a magnetic flux flow about the elongated opening. A plurality of pairs of sensor holes are positioned relative to the elongated opening for preventing significant disruption of the magnetic flux flow and for sensing the magnetic flux flow at different distances from an edge of the elongated opening. A sensor conductor winding passes through each pair of sensor holes. The magnetic flux flow generates an electrical signal in each sensor conductor winding. The electrical signal in a particular sensor conductor winding corresponds to the magnetic flux flow at a location of the particular sensor conductor winding.

Electromagnetic devices, such as inductors, transformers and similar devices include magnetic cores in which a magnetic flux flow may be generated in response to an electrical current flowing through a conductor winding associated with the magnetic core. The magnetic flux flow in a magnetic core may be estimated using techniques such as finite element analysis or similar techniques; however such methods are not a direct method of measuring the flux in a core. Accordingly, magnetic cores may be overdesigned or may be made larger than necessary for some applications. This can result in excess weight and volume of such devices. The excess weight and volume can be an important consideration when these electromagnetic devices are used in certain applications, such as for example on vehicles such as aircraft, aerospace vehicles or other vehicles where weight and size may be important.
An understanding of the flow or pattern of saturation in a magnetic core may also be helpful information in designing such electromagnetic devices. Whether a particular core design saturates as one body or if the saturation is time-based may be useful. For example, at any one moment in time, there is a boundary in the core material where the material may be saturated on one side of the boundary and non-saturated on the other side of the boundary. Knowledge of the saturation pattern may directly affect the design and implementation of magnetic components and such understanding may best be obtained by directly measuring the magnetic flux in the core. Accordingly, there is a need for being able to directly measure the flux within the core component of an electromagnetic device, such as an inductor, transformer or similar device.


A method, system, and computer program product for performing robust, parallel data transfer by a processor device. Data is segmented into k-bit segments, where k≧1. The k-bit segments are convolution encoded, using m≧1 stages of delay. The n output streams are transmitted in parallel for increased effective data rate, where n>k. The n output streams are received. An XOR (Exclusive OR) logic is applied to the n output streams with pathing allowed by the convolution encoding, in a trellis-decoding diagram.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general computing systems, and more particularly to, various embodiments for effecting data transfer in a rapid, efficient manner with robust error correction capability.
Description of the Related Art
Today with modern technology, large volumes of data are storable on hard disk drives (HDD) and solid state drives (SSD); these drives can exist as a solo entity, or as part of a broader make up within a larger storage environment. In addition, the large amount of data may need to be transferred between storage locations for reasons such as data redundancy, security, and operational efficiency, particularly in enterprise scenarios, but also becoming more of a common occurrence in everyday consumer use.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Convolution-encoded hyper-speed channel with robust trellis error-correction

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A drying device for a coating machine equipped with a rotary pan (1), in which the products to be coated are introduced, includes air injecting means (5) for supplying air to dry the products inside the rotary pan (1), and an exhaust air pipe (7), equipped with perforated hollow head pieces which can be removed, adapted to be immersed in a heap of products to be coated. The pipe (7) is supported by sliding means (21) which are moved in a direction longitudinal to the same pipe between a working position, in which the exhaust pipe (7) is operated, and an advanced position, so as to allow maintenance operation on the exhaust pipe (7) performed from outside through the front opening (3a) of the pan (1).

Coating machines for pharmaceutical, confectionary and the like, are usually equipped with a rotary hollow drum, in which the products to be coated are introduced and sprayed with a liquid mixture aimed at forming the coating.
Inside the rotary drum, also called coating pan, the products are subsequently exposed to a stream of hot air, so as to cause drying of the coating layer.
In several drying devices used to perform this operation, the air is supplied in the pan and exhausted therefrom at a distance above the tumbling products.
Alternatively, the air is supplied and exhausted via suitably shaped bodies which are immersed in the heap of products.
In the European Patent N. 0.131.152, granted to the Applicant, there is disclosed a drying device in which the air is freely injected into the rotary pan, while it is exhausted by suitable perforated hollow bodies immersed in the heap of products.
Good results have been obtained by means of this device, in particular the coating speed has been increased and granular remains, usually left after the coating operation, have been avoided.
The hollow bodies are fastened (see e.g. the Application No. 21924A/89 of the Applicant) to respective tubular members, which are removably fixed to each other so as to define a pipe arranged in coaxial relation to the pan.
The air to be exhausted from the rotary pan and that is drawn off via the hollow bodies passes through the pipe.
The tubular members can be disassembled and the hollow bodies can be detached therefrom thus allowing to easily carry out cleaning and/or maintenance operations of the same hollow bodies and pipe.
When the rotary pan is small and/or medium in size, the operator can carry out the above mentioned disassembling operation directly through the front opening of the pan.
When the rotary pan is rather big in size, the above mentioned operations cannot be performed from outside, therefore it is necessary for the operator to enter the pan, with all the inconveniences resulting therefrom.
Consequently, performing inside cleaning operations, in particular of the air exhaust pipe, is very uncomfortable and difficult, specially with big rotary pans.


A heat exchanger with a heat exchanger block is disposed between two collecting tanks, whereby the collecting tank have a cover and a tube bottom, The tube bottom has upstanding edge regions. T-shaped tabs are disposed at an upper end of the upstanding edge regions, whereby the collecting tank has a flange rear engageable at least in part by the T-shaped tabs.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a heat exchanger with a heat exchanger block disposed between two collecting tanks, whereby the collecting tank has a cover and a tube bottom, whereby the tube bottom has upstanding edge regions.
2. Description of the Background Art
Heat exchangers, particularly those used in motor vehicles, normally have a radiator block made of tubes and ribs. The tubes are inserted in a tube bottom and connected to it. A collecting tank is connected to the tube bottom, which normally is made of a metallic material, particularly aluminum.
The collecting tank, which in many cases is made of a plastic, is fixed to the tube bottom by a mechanical connection. To assure a fluid-tight connection between the collecting tank and the tube bottom, a seal is inserted between the tube bottom and collecting tank.
The seal between the collecting tank and tube bottom is compressed by the mechanical connection of the collecting tank with the tube bottom.
The connection between the collecting tank and the tube bottom is exposed to alternating loads by the operation of a heat exchanger. This occurs because of the internal pressure in the heat exchanger. With an increasing operating life of the heat exchanger, there is the risk that the joint between the collecting tank and tube bottom becomes untight. This can be caused, for example, by the deformation of the mechanical connection.
DE 28 52 408 A1, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,331,201, discloses a so-called corrugated slotted flanging. The tube bottom in this case has slots in the upstanding edge region. For connection with the collecting tank, the material is pressed over the slots inwardly toward the collecting tank. The inwardly pressed areas thereby engage via a pressed down peripheral flange of the collecting tank, as a result of which the tank is attached. In the case of high loads due to the arising internal pressures, it can happen that the outer wall is pressed outwardly especially along the long sides of the collecting tank and bends the tube bottom or the mechanical retaining elements of the tube bottom, as a result of which there no longer is a sufficient sealing effect.
DE 43 38 055 A1 discloses a similar solution. In addition, hooks of the collecting tank here engage behind the tube bottom from outside. Said hooks are intended to produce an additional stabilizing effect particularly along the long side of the collecting tank.
The insufficient durability in particular of the connection between the tube bottom and collecting tank in the state of the art is disadvantageous.


A method comprising obtaining a first location of a first pointer contact on an input surface; calculating a restricted area proximate the first location; processing the first pointer contact; and inhibit processing of a second location of a second pointer contact within the restricted area.

Interactive input systems that allow users to inject inputs such as digital ink, mouse events, text or the like into a computer program typically utilise an input method such as an active pointer (e.g. a pointer that emits light, sound or other signal) or a passive pointer (e.g., a finger, cylinder or other object). Alternatively these same inputs may be inputted via another suitable input device such as a mouse or trackball. These more conventional forms of input are less interactive compared to new interactive input systems using active or passive pointers. These interactive input systems include but are not limited to: touch systems comprising touch panels employing analog resistive or machine vision technology to register pointer input such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,448,263; 6,141,000; 6,337,681; 6,747,636; 6,803,906; 7,232,986; 7,236,162; and 7,274,356 and in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0179001, all assigned to SMART Technologies ULC of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, assignee of the subject application, the entire disclosure of which are incorporated herein by reference; touch systems comprising touch panels employing electromagnetic, capacitive, acoustic or other technologies to register pointer input; tablet and laptop personal computers (PCs); personal digital assistants (PDAs) and other handheld devices; and other similar devices.
In any interactive input system requiring physical interaction with a display, there exists a common problem of determining the exact location of the physical interaction. This is particularly prevalent in touch systems where the physical contact of an active or passive pointer upon a display is intended to trigger an event on an attached computer system. The method of detecting the presence of a contact is unique to the technology employed in the interactive input system, in interactive input systems utilizing an optical or other vision based technology, the method is typically analyzing the output of an imaging device to determine the location of a pointer within the field of view of the imaging device.
A further hindrance to determining the exact location of a physical interaction with a display in an optical based interactive input system is the presence of unwanted contact with the display. For example, if a user is intending on touching the display with a finger in order to generate a touch event, the user may inadvertently also press on the display with the palm of their hand, or the sleeve of their shirt may contact the display. Either of these occurrences would generate touch events in the system which are not intended by the user, and would significantly reduce the functionality of the system.
Accordingly, improvements in interactive input systems to facilitate a greater number of true contacts are desired. It is therefore an object to provide a novel method for providing assistance in the detection and rejection of contact events in interactive input systems and a novel interactive input system employing the same.

Method for detection and rejection of pointer contacts in interactive input systems


The present disclosure relates to hybrid monolithic fuel cells. In one embodiment, the fuel cells comprise a monolithic substrate composed of a metal material and an electrolyte material, the substrate defining a fuel channel and an oxidant channel that are separated by the electrolyte material. The disclosure also relates to methods for manufacturing hybrid monolithic fuel cells. In one embodiment, the methods comprise preparing a metal material, preparing an electrolyte material, and forming a hybrid monolithic fuel cell substrate comprising the metal and electrolyte materials in a one-step fabrication process.

Currently, there is a great deal of interest in developing alternative energy sources. For instance, there is much interest in developing alternatives to conventional internal combustion engines found in most vehicles. One such alternative energy source being investigated is the fuel cell.
Generally speaking, fuel cells are electrochemical devices that, like conventional batteries, convert the chemical energy of a fuel directly into electrical energy. Unlike conventional batteries, however, fuel cells use externally supplied fuel, such as hydrocarbon fuels, to generate the electrical energy.
Many advantages can be attained through the use of fuel cells. For instance, fuel cells operate with high efficiency due to their ability to directly convert chemical energy to electrical energy. By contrast, internal combustion engines convert chemical energy to thermal energy and then to mechanical energy with substantial losses in accordance with the Carnot cycle. Another advantage provided by fuel cells is that, unlike internal combustion engines, fuel cells do not produce harmful pollutants during operation. Furthermore, fuel cells are low maintenance energy sources in that they require no moving parts beyond those used to deliver fuel to the cells. Additionally, unlike batteries, fuel cells do not deplete with use and therefore do not need frequent replacement or recharging. Many other such advantages exist including low noise production, low vibration, low thermal emissions, high reliability, modularity, fuel flexibility, etc.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a known fuel cell. In particular, FIG. 1 illustrates a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) 100 of the prior art. As indicated in FIG. 1, the fuel cell 100 generally comprises a first interconnect layer 102, an anode 104, an electrolyte layer 106, a cathode 108, and a second interconnect layer 110. As is apparent from the figure, these various layers are stacked atop one another to form a stacked arrangement that is conventional in the art.
Each interconnect layer 102 and 110 normally is formed of an electrically conductive material (e.g., metal) and serves as both a gas flow field and a current collector. To provide the flow field functionality, the interconnect layers 102 and 110 typically are provided with channels 114 that permit reactant gas (fuel or oxidant as the case may be) to travel along the fuel cell 100. Typically, both the anode 104 and cathode 108 (i.e., the electrodes) comprises a porous material capable of diffusing reactant gas.
In use, fuel is delivered along the channels 114 of the first interconnect layer 102 (indicated by arrow "F") and oxidant is delivered along the channels 114 of the second interconnect layer 110 (indicated by arrow "O") so as to create a cross flow of reactant gas within the fuel cell 100. As the fuel travels along its channels 114, the fuel is broken down by the anode 104 into its constituent elements. Simultaneously, the oxidant is broken down by the cathode 108 to form oxygen ions. The oxygen ions are conducted through the electrolyte layer 106 and anode 104 so as to mix with the fuel and, thereby, provide electrons to the fuel. This addition of electrons causes a reaction to occur that generates inert reaction products such as water and carbon dioxide. Through this reaction, an electrochemical potential is created which can be used to generate a current flow, i, from the first interconnect layer 102 when a load (e.g., electric motor) is applied to the fuel cell 100.
Where increased voltage is required, multiple repeatable units 116 can be stacked on top of each other to multiply the voltage output. In such an instance, the second interconnect layer 110 may have a bipolar arrangement that includes a second set of channels 114 that are orthogonally transverse to the first. With such an arrangement, the stack can be continued with a further anode 118 and the other remaining layers of a further repeatable unit 116.
In view of the many advantages of fuel cells such a that shown in FIG. 1, it can be readily appreciated that fuel cells are an attractive option for powering many different types of vehicles, machinery, and equipment. Unfortunately, however, current fuel cell designs are very costly to produce. Specifically, each of the aforementioned layers must be separately fabricated. Where the interconnect layers are to have channels as identified above, the complexity of this fabrication increases, requiring intricate casting or very precise machining. Furthermore, once each of the layers is fabricated, they must be connected (e.g., bonded) to each other with great care. This manufacturing process accounts for approximately 95% of the cost current fuel cells.
Due to the high costs associated with manufacturing fuel cells, their use is not practical. Generally speaking, current fuel cell designs have costs of approximately two orders of magnitude greater than that which would be viable for use in most real-world applications. In view of the many advantages fuel cells provide, it can be appreciated that it would be desirable to a means for manufacturing fuel cells lower costs.


A light irradiation device (151) includes a UV lamp (153), first and second optical filters (164, 165) which transmit and block wavelengths within different specific ranges, and a filter switching mechanism (162) which selectively interposes the first and second optical filters (164, 165) between the UV lamp (153) and an optical lens. The blocking wavelength of the first optical filter (164) is relatively longer than that of the second optical filter (165). The first optical filter (164) is interposed between the UV lamp (153) and the optical lens since the start of curing a coating solution until a lapse of a predetermined period of time. When the predetermined period of time has elapsed, the second optical filter (165) is interposed between the UV lamp (153) and the optical lens to replace the first optical filter (164).

In the fabrication of an optical lens, particularly a spectacle lens, in order to improve the light-shielding properties, anti-glaring properties, photochromic properties, anti-scratch properties, and the like, a coating film is formed on the surface of the spectacle lens using a material that matches the object of the spectacle lens. Formation of the coating film is described in "Spectacles", May 22, 1986, pp. 81 to 83, published by Kabushiki Kaisha Medical Aoi Shuppan. An apparatus that forms a coating film automatically is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2000-334369, 2004-290857, and the like.
The lens coating apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-334369 automatically performs a series of steps from the step of applying a coating solution to a lens surface to the step of curing the coating solution by ultraviolet irradiation. When curing the coating solution, air in a curing station is purged with nitrogen gas.
The coating apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-290857 comprises a photopolymerization chamber where photopolymerization takes place and a photopolymerization preliminary chamber serving as a front chamber of the photopolymerization chamber. Air in the two chambers is purged with an inert gas. When polymerizing a photocuring coating agent, a lens coated with the coating agent is stored in the polymerization preliminary chamber in advance, and air in the preliminary chamber is purged with nitrogen gas. Then, the lens is moved to the photopolymerization chamber and irradiated with ultraviolet radiation to polymerize the coating agent. The polymerization preliminary chamber is provided to shorten the time required for purging the nitrogen gas in the photopolymerization chamber to obtain a uniform film thickness and prevent color shading and a decrease in lens optical characteristics.
As the material of the coating film to form on the spectacle lens, a UV-curing resin added with a photopolymerization initiator is usually used. As the photopolymerization initiator, a mixture of two types of UV polymerization initiators that contribute to internal curing and surface curing is used. As the internal curing UV polymerization initiator, generally, bisacylphosphine oxide (BAPO) or bis(2,6-dimethoxybenzoyl)-2,4,4-trimethyl-pentylphosphine oxide is used. As the surface curing UV polymerization initiator, 1-hydroxy-cyclohexyl-phenyl-ketone described in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-334369 is used. BAPO is a polymerization initiator that can increase the photosensitivity on the long wavelength side to promote curing of the interior deep in the film, and is very effective particularly as the material of a pigment or ink coating which has a large thickness and low optical transmittance.


A memory apparatus and method of operation is provided. The apparatus has blocks each including non-volatile storage elements. Each of the non-volatile storage elements stores a threshold voltage representative of an element data. The apparatus also includes one or more managing circuits configured to erase at least one of the blocks in an erase operation and program the element data in a program operation. The one or more managing circuits are also configured to proactively identify ones of the blocks as potential bad blocks and selectively apply stress to the ones of the blocks identified as the potential bad blocks and determine whether the potential bad blocks should be retired from the erase and program operations and put in a grown bad block pool or released to a normal block pool used for the erase and program operations based on a judgment after selectively applying the stress.

This section provides background information related to the technology associated with the present disclosure and, as such, is not necessarily prior art.
Semiconductor memory is used in various electronic devices. For example, non-volatile semiconductor memory is used in cellular telephones, digital cameras, personal digital assistants, mobile computing devices, non-mobile computing devices and other devices. Electrical Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM) and flash memory are among the most popular non-volatile semiconductor memories.
Some non-volatile memory utilizes a floating gate that is positioned above and insulated from a channel region in a semiconductor substrate. The floating gate is positioned between the source and drain regions. A control gate is provided over and insulated from the floating gate. The threshold voltage of the transistor is controlled by the amount of charge that is retained on the floating gate. That is, the minimum amount of voltage that must be applied to the control gate before the transistor is turned on to permit conduction between its source and drain is controlled by the level of charge on the floating gate.
Some non-volatile memory utilizes a charge trapping layer to store information. One such example has an oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) region, in which the nitride (e.g., SiN) serves as a charge trapping layer to store information. When such a memory cell is programmed, electrons are stored in the charge trapping layer.
Non-volatile memory could have a 2D architecture or a 3D architecture. Ultra high density storage devices have been employed using a 3D stacked memory structure having strings of memory cells. One such storage device is sometimes referred to as a Bit Cost Scalable (BiCS) architecture. For example, a 3D NAND stacked memory device can be formed from an array of alternating conductor and insulator layers. The conductor layers may function as word lines. A memory hole is drilled in the layers to define many memory layers simultaneously. A NAND string is then formed by filling the memory hole with appropriate materials. A straight NAND string extends in one memory hole, while a pipe- or U-shaped NAND string (P-BiCS) includes a pair of vertical columns of memory cells which extend in two memory holes and which are joined by a pipe connection. The pipe connection may be made of undoped polysilicon. A back gate may surround the pipe connection to control conduction of the pipe connection. Control gates of the memory cells are provided by the conductor layers.
Prior to programming certain non-volatile memory devices, such as a NAND flash memory device, the memory cells are typically erased. The erase operation removes electrons from the floating gate, for some devices. For other devices, the erase operation removes electrons from the charge trapping layer.
Following manufacturing, short circuits may exist between the memory hole and the word lines or conductor layers or between the word lines and a local interconnect extending in parallel with the memory holes. Such defects can result in NAND dysfunction such as erasing, programming, and reading the memory cells and possibly lead to data loss.

Technique to proactively identify potential uncorrectable error correction memory cells and countermeasure in field


An apparatus for dividing bread dough or the like is provided, which comprises a dough-cutting member (38) comprising a saw blade means, two dough-supporting members (30, 56), a drive means for reciprocating the saw blade means, and a discharge means (57) for regulating the pieces of bread dough cut to have a thickness corresponding to a preset distance from the dough outlet (35) of the apparatus, thereby producing pieces of bread dough having a uniform thickness. A similar apparatus is modified, which has an adjusting means for moving a second dough-supporting member (112) parallel to its stationary position, thereby changing the size of the dough outlet (35) of the apparatus to meet a required thickness of the bread dough to be cut. Also, a similar apparatus is provided, which has a pressing means (160) for pressing the bread dough in a hopper for dough to maintain the pressure in the bread dough at a uniform value, whereby almost all the bread dough in the hopper (15) can be cut.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for dividing bread dough. In particular, the invention relates to an apparatus for dividing bread dough in which the pieces of cut bread dough are regulated to have a thickness corresponding to a preset distance from the dough outlet of the apparatus. Thereby pieces of bread dough that each have a plate-like form of a uniform thickness are obtained. It relates more particularly to an apparatus in which by a simple operation the thickness of bread dough to be cut can be adjusted. Further, it particularly relates to an apparatus for dividing bread dough into pieces of bread dough having a plate-like form, without regard to the remaining amount of dough in a dough hopper when the amount of the dough mass is decreasing. This results in an efficient dough production, which leads to a greatly standardized bread-dough product. Thus, the automated production of bread dough and the like having a high quality can be promoted.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 08/045,963 discloses an apparatus for dividing bread dough or the like. It comprises a dough-cutting member comprising a saw blade means, two dough-supporting members, and a drive means for reciprocating the saw blade means. By this prior-art apparatus, a plastic material such as bread dough or confectionery dough is smoothly severed, whereby pieces of divided bread dough, each having a plate-like form in which no stress has occurred, are obtained. However, because, at the initial stage of the cutting of bread dough, due to its static friction resistance to an outer force, the dough-cutting member advancing into the bread dough causes the stress in the bread dough to be increased. Therefore, after a piece of bread dough has been discharged from the dough outlet, the leading end of the piece of bread dough is deformed to somewhat expand, by the reaction of the stress occurring in the hopper, against the outer force. Accordingly, these pieces of divided bread dough did not necessarily have an exactly uniform thickness.
Further, in the prior-art apparatus, the positional relationship between the first and second dough-supporting members is stationary, namely, they are in a fired relationship. Therefore, to adjust or change a thickness of the bread dough to be cut, the mounting position of the second dough-supporting member to the frame had to be changed. This leads to complications and inefficiency.
Moreover, the decrease in the amount of the bread dough in the hopper causes the weight of the dough mass in the hopper to be decreased, so that the pressure in the dough decreases. Therefore, the bottom of the bread dough mass against which the dough-cutting member advances cannot be held down by the weight of the bread dough against the dough-supporting member. Thus, the bread dough mass cannot resist the advancing cutting member, so that the dough-cutting member merely pushes a part of the dough mass in any direction with the bread dough mass not being cut. Therefore, not all of the bread dough charged in the hopper would be available to be cut. This leads to an uneconomical use of the bread dough.

Apparatus for dividing bread dough or the like


In reagent reaction experiments using microplates, the operator cannot just set dispensing tips in all the fixing holes of the dispensing tip container. It is necessary to carry out the time-consuming task of deciding in advance on a suitable arrangement of positions for the dispensing tips. It is also necessary for the operator to carry out the time-consuming task of determining in advance the quantity of reagent used and how the reagent is to be arranged. These problems are solved by providing a control device that includes a dispensing tip arrangement calculator and reagent quantity and arrangement calculator, and that can inform the operator of these results. The dispensing tip arrangement, the reagent quantity used, and the reagent arrangement is calculated from the information set in advance on specific reagent, the quantity of reagent dispensed into one well of the microplate, the range of wells in the microplate into which reagent is dispensed, and the direction of dispensing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the control device for an automatic liquid handling system that automatically calculates the distribution of dispensing tips for reagent or enzymes that are used in drug metabolic experiments.
2. Description of Related Art
In the development of new drugs, this type of experiment is frequently carried out, and each experiment is involved with a large amount of work. It is therefore essential to reduce mistakes caused by human error. To this end, there is a tendency that operations depending upon human operation shift to automatic operation.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-83650, a conventional automatic test apparatus used in conducting metabolic experiments includes a three-dimensionally movable robot having a tip end on which a single dispensing probe is mounted. A vial rack with a group of four vials, a thermo-mixer, a cooling unit, and a specimen container are disposed in fixed locations and maintained in an upright position. The layout of these components can be arbitrarily changed.
The above-described apparatus is disadvantageous in that with a single dispensing probe, a number of experiments cannot be performed at high speed. Recently, microplates having wells formed in an n-by-m matrix are used instead of vials. The use of microplates reduces costs and the quantity of reagent. Recently, an automatic liquid handling system using the microplates have been proposed in which a large number of processings involved in a drug metabolic experiment can be performed at high speed. The handling system includes a robot with a dispensing head in which a plurality of dispensing tips is removably disposed in a row. When performing this type of experiment using such a handling system, the operator has to determine a suitable arrangement of the dispensing tips in a container.
At the same time, it is also necessary for the operator to calculate in advance the amount of reagent to be used in the experiment and how the reagent is to be arranged.

Control device for automatic liquid handling system


A multi-function card dispenser and related apparatuses, systems, and methods for processing credit cards, phone cards, in-store gift cards, and the like at customer-operated kiosks and other machines. In one embodiment, a card apparatus can include a card hopper having a card eject surface and a card track having a card transport surface positioned below the card eject surface. A first roller is configured to rotate to draw a first card from a card port and onto the card track. A second roller is configured to rotate to dispense a second (ejected) card from the card hopper and onto the card track and further toward the card port. In one embodiment, the second roller is further configured to rotate to deposit cards below the card hopper.

Various types of vending machines and kiosks dispense prepaid credit cards, debit cards, phone cards, and the like to customers. Such machines typically include a user interface for selecting a card, a monetary input device for receiving payment (e.g., a credit card reader or bill acceptor), and an outlet for dispensing the card to the customer. To purchase a card, the customer selects a desired card and deposits the required funds. Once the machine has confirmed payment, a card dispenser housed within the machine dispenses the desired card to the consumer via the outlet.
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a card dispenser 100 configured in accordance with the prior art. The card dispenser 100 includes a card hopper 102 containing a plurality of cards 101, a card conveyor 104, a card reader 106, and a card outlet 108. In a typical card vending machine, the card dispenser 100 is housed within the machine so that only the card outlet 108 is exposed. In operation, after a user has selected a desired card and deposited the required funds, the card conveyor 104 removes the bottom-most card 101 from the hopper 102 and moves the card forward past the card reader 106.
As the card moves past the card reader 106, the card reader 106 reads information off a magnetic stripe on the card. The magnetic stripe can include one or more "tracks" of information. The information can include a unique code for associating the card with a particular account. For example, if the card is a prepaid credit card, then the code can be associated with a specific credit card account. Similarly, if the card is a prepaid phone card, then the code can be associated with a specific long-distance account. After moving past the card reader 106, the card conveyor 104 pushes the card through the outlet 108 to the user.

Multi-function card handling apparatus and methods of operation


According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a camera, a first polarizer, a second polarizer, a liquid crystal panel, and a controller controlling the liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal panel includes a first region and a second region. The controller controls a first opening mode of transmitting light through the first region and the second region, and a second opening mode of making a quantity of light transmitted through the first region smaller than a quantity of light transmitted through the second region.

Recently, electronic apparatuses such as a smartphone comprising a display portion and a camera on the same surface side have been widely put into practical use. In such an electronic apparatus, the camera is provided outside the display portion. Demands to reduce an outer frame width of the display portion while maintaining a space to install the camera have been increased.
In addition, capturing sharp pictures is desired.

Display device and electronic apparatus incorporating the same


A process for the carbonylation of substituted metal coordination compounds in the presence of carbon monoxide at a pressure in excess of 400 psig to produce optionally substituted cyclopentadienyl metallic carbonyls, particularly methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl in a thin-film-producing reactor.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,178,463 discloses the formation of compounds of iron, ruthenium and osmium in which three carbonyl groups and a compound containing a cyclopentadiene configuration are bonded to the metal atom. Said compounds are depicted by the empirical formula C.sub.y HM(CO).sub.3, wherein C.sub.y H is a cyclopentadiene hydrocarbon and M is an iron subgroup metal, i.e., iron, ruthenium or osmium.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,447 discloses improvements in the operation of gasoline internal combustion engines in which the gasoline contains an organic manganese compounds.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,975 discloses a process for making methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl compounds. The process disclosed involves forming a mixture of bis(methylcyclopentadienyl) manganese and manganese acetate, reacting this mixture with an alkyl aluminum compound in the presence of an ether donor compound in an amount to provide about 1 mole of ether per mole of aluminum alkyl and reacting the resultant product with carbon monoxide to produce methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl.


In a driveline for a motor vehicle that includes an automatic transmission having an output shaft that drives a transfer case, an oil sump located in the transfer case, a pump supplied with fluid from the first sump, delivers fluid to a lubrication circuit in the transmission, a second sump supplies fluid to the inlet of a second pump, whose output supplies a second lubrication circuit located in the transfer case. Both of the hydraulic pumps are continually driveably connected to a set of the vehicle's drive wheels.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a driveline that directs power to forward and rear axles, in particular it pertains to a lubrication system for a transmission and transfer case.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional motor vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission should be towed with its drive wheels out of contact with the ground, preferably with the vehicle supported on a tow truck or with the drive wheels supported and the non-driven wheels on the ground. A similar requirement applies also to a vehicle having an automatic transmission and a transfer case. If the vehicle were towed with the drive wheels on the ground, certain transmission and transfer case components would be driven in rotation by reverse torque from the drive wheels. With the engine stopped, the transmission pump cannot supply lubrication fluid to rotating components of the transmission. In order to avoid damage to these components due to lack of lubrication to the rotating components, the distance and speed at which such a vehicle can be towed with the drive wheels in contact with the ground is limited. Frequently there is a need for such vehicles to be towed long distances at highway speed with all the wheels contacting the road surface.
A transfer case usually includes a planetary gear set for producing either a "high" range, in which the transfer case output is driven at the same speed as the input, or a "low" range, in which the output is driven slower than its input speed. The 4×2 and 4×4 states of the transfer case are usually selected or controlled manually by the vehicle operation by operating a lever or switch. At a first position of the selector, the planetary gear set of the transfer case directs power from the transmission output to a front drive axle. At a second position of the selector, the transfer case directs power to both a front drive axle and a rear drive axle, the 4×4 drive mode.
The oil sump of a transfer case may fill with transmission fluid used to lubricate critical rotating components and to operate the hydraulically actuated clutches and brakes. Typically there is no gravity feedback of oil to the transmission sump from the transfer case sump because the transfer case sump is located at a lower elevation than the transmission sump, or because the hydraulic path between them is obstructed to fluid flow.
Yet it is desirable to improve the fuel economy and function of a vehicle equipped with a driveline having a transfer case and an automatic transmission by reducing hydraulic drag losses in the driveline caused by passing rotating components through fluid contained in a transfer case oil sump. A drive mechanism for transmitting power from the output shaft of the transfer case to the forward drive shaft typically rotates with an output sprocket wheel and chain moving in the sump. By operating with the level of oil in the sump at a low level or with a dry sump, the fuel economy of the vehicle can be improved by avoiding hydraulic drag losses.
In order to improve fuel economy it is desirable that the sump of the transfer case be drained continually and its contents be used to supply lubrication fluid to the transmission. Furthermore it is desirable that fluid that collects in the transmission oil sump be supplied to lubricate the transfer case.

Transmission and transfer case having integrated lubrication systems


An image display medium displays an image including a first region having a first composite image. The first composite image includes a first display image and a first latent image. The first display image includes at least one of a first halftone dot image and a first line image having a first linearity. The first halftone dot image and the first line image have such densities as are not reproduced by copying. The first latent image includes at least one of a second halftone dot image and a second line image having a second linearity. The second halftone dot image and the second line image have such densities as are not reproduced by copying. The first and second linearities produce different moiré patterns when the first display and the first latent images are enlarged by a first common optical system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medium, a method and a system for composite image formation. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image display medium capable of displaying a composite image including a display image and a latent image, and a preparation method and a generation system for preparing composite display image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent technological advances in various fields such as image forming and image processing have made it harder to distinguish an original from a duplicate of the original.
In one example, an attempt is made to distinguish an original from a duplicate by using an image processing apparatus capable of detecting a counterfeit or alteration of an image on ordinary paper. The image processing apparatus sequentially generates a character image from a character code, a background pattern from character information, and a composite image including the character image and the background pattern and sends the composite image to a thermal printer so that the composite image is printed. Since the background pattern is formed in such a manner as not to be in contact with the character image, deletion from and addition to the original can be easily identified.
Other examples attempt to distinguish between an original and a duplicate of the original by using ground tint patterns, which are visible in the original while invisible in the duplicate or vice versa. The original includes a display image and a latent image. Each of the display image and the latent image has a halftone dot image with a different density. For example, at least one area of the latent image includes relatively large dots while at least one area of the display image includes relatively small dots. When the original is copied, the large-dot area of the latent image becomes clearly visible while the small-dot area of the display image is omitted (i.e., becomes invisible), thus making it possible to determine if the image is an original or a duplicate.
However, the latent image has to be positioned across the entire page of the original to form a visible area and/or an omitted area with relatively large-sized characters, which limits the number of characters that can be displayed. Specifically, only simple words such as "COPY PROHIBITED" can be used. In addition, such characters cannot be used as text characters.

Image display medium, method and system for preparing composite image display data


Disclosed is a process for producing pure form of 2-methyl-4-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)-10H-thieno[2,3-b][1,5] benzodiazepine. The process comprises of reacting 2-(2-aminoanilino)-5-methylthiophene-3-carbonitrile with N-methyl piperazine in conjunction with N-methylpiperazine acid salt, to produce 2-methyl-4-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)-10H-thieno[2,3-b][1,5] benzodiazepine. Also disclosed is a process for obtaining the Polymorphic Form I of 2-methyl-4-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)-10H-thieno[2,3-b][1,5] benzodiazepine by crystallizing the crude 2-methyl-4-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)-10H-thieno[2,3-b][1,5] benzodiazepine in a mixture of solvents.

2-Methyl-4-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)-10H-thieno[2,3-b][1,5]benzodiazepine (Olanzapine) is an atypical neuroleptic agent that has better reported efficacy and few side effects than conventional neuroleptic agents. It is useful in the treatment of psychotic patients and mild anxiety states.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,382 and its Continuation-In-Part application, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,008,216 to Chakrabarti, et. al., disclose processes for Olanzapine preparation by different intermediates. One of the known procedures consists of reduction and cyclization reaction of 2-(2-nitroanilino)-5-methylthiophen-3-carbonitrile with stannous chloride (SnCl2) in an aqueous-alcoholic solution of hydrogen chloride followed by a reaction of thus formed 4-amino-2-methyl-10H-thieno[2,3-b][1,5]benzodiazepine [3] with N-methylpiperazine in an organic solvent or solvents mixture such as anisole, toluene, dimethylformamide or dimethylsulphoxide, preferably at a temperature from 100° to 150° C. for about 20 hrs, to which alcohol and excess water is added after the reaction is complete (Scheme A). The crude product is separated out and collected. The crude Olanzapine is then crystallized in acetonitrile and gives a crystalline form, which is designated as Form I in later patents.
In PCT applications numbered WO 02/18390 and WO 03/097650, it has been disclosed that Polymorphic Form II of Olanzapine with XRD starting from 10.26 is obtained by following the procedure disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. '382, more particularly the process disclosed in the Example 1 Sub-Example 4 for the crystallization of Olanzapine in acetonitrile,

Another of the known procedure consists cyclization of 1-{[2-(2-aminoanilino)-5-methylthiophen-3-yl]carbonyl}-4-methylpiperazine (9), using titanium tetrachloride as catalyst and anisole as solvent at reflux temperature in 48 hours. The long reaction time yields multifold impurity profile and thus low productivity. The product was purified by chromatography on florisil by using ethyl acetate. The separation through chromatography is not desirable and therefore this method is not suitable for large-scale manufacturing. The product with the formula [9] is prepared in situ by reacting a compound of formula [7] with N-methyl piperazine at 100° C. in a solvent such as anisole and employing titanium chloride as a catalyst. The amino ester [7] is prepared from the reduction of corresponding nitro ester [6] e.g. by employing hydrogen and palladium/carbon in ethanol and ethyl acetate mixture or stannous chloride and hydrogen chloride in aqueous ethanol. The nitro ester can be made by condensation of thiophene with an ortho-halonitrobenzene, preferably ortho fluoro- or chloro-nitrobenzene in the presence of base, for example (a) sodium hydride in tetrahydrofuran or (b) anhydrous potassium carbonate or lithium hydroxide in dimethlysulphoxide. This reaction takes 20 hours to complete. This process is depicted in Scheme B. The reaction yields of the prior art processes are low (˜30%) as all the steps take long hours to complete.

In international application no. WO 2004/00847, Olanzapine is prepared by the N-methylation of N-desmethylolanzapine with formaldehyde in presence of reducing agent e.g. borohydride of group I or II metal or of alkali metal and acetic acid in aqueous media or formic acid or by hydrogenation in presence of metal catalyst. In another process N-methylation of N-desmethylolanzapine is carried out by ethyl formate. In another process the said N-methylation is carried out by direct methylation of N-desmethylolanzapine with a methylating agent e.g. methyl iodide.
In most of the prior art methods technical grade Olanzapine is separated in the form of solvate with alcohol. Depending on the solvent used for the crystallization of technical grade Olanzapine, different polymorphic forms are obtained by different prior art methods.
Olanzapine is found in different polymorphic forms and most of the prior arts describe different conditions and solvents for the preparation of these polymorphic forms. Polymorphism can be influenced by controlling the conditions of obtaining a compound in solid form. These polymorphic forms are distinguished on the basis of IR and X-Ray diffraction data.
Attempts to reproduce the methods known in the prior art for isolation and purification of Olanzapine, obtained by the condensation of N-methylpiperazine and 4-amino-2-methyl-10H-thieno[2,3-b][1,5]benzodiazepine in organic solvent, e.g. dimethylsulphoxide and/or toluene, and subsequent addition of water and alcohol, show that obtained product contains high percentage of impurities and recovery of different solvents is difficult and thus not industrially feasible. The boiling point of dimethylsulfoxide is 189° C. The boiling point of the other solvent toluene, which is used as a co-solvent with DMSO, in most of the prior arts, is 110° C. Thus it is rather difficult to remove these solvents by conventional methods. The reaction takes 20-22 hours to complete. This long reaction time decreases the manufacturing capacity.
Other drawback of the prior art is the use of different solvents at different stages of the process. The main solvent is Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), which penetrates to places in the body very swiftly. Dimethylsulfoxide substitutes for water and moves rapidly through cell membranes. It has been called "water's alter ego." It changes the water structure within the cell. Thus the use of dimethyl sulfoxide is not desirable at the manufacturing level.
The present invention provides an improved process, which overcomes the drawbacks of processes recited in prior arts. The main aim of this invention is to provide a new improved and concise process for the large-scale production of Olanzapine.
Further aim of the present invention is to develop a process for production of Olanzapine, which will involve more simple and economical chemical steps, while allowing obtaining high yields of the final product having high purity by environment friendly process.

Process for producing pure form of 2-methyl-4-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)-10H-thieno[2,3-b][1,5]benzodiazepine


Compositions and methods for regulating CD154 gene expression are provided that rely on the interaction of polypyrimidine tract proteins with the 3′-untranslated region of CD154.

The expression of CD154 (CD40 ligand) by activated T lymphocytes is critical in the development of humoral and cell-mediated immunity (Foy, et. al. (1996) Annu. Rev. Immunol. 14:591–617; Grewal and Flavell (1998) Ann. Rev. Immunol. 16:111–135; Noelle (1996) Immunity 4:415–419). The interaction of CD154 with its receptor, CD40, was first shown essential for B cell growth and differentiation and formation of germinal centers (Foy, et. al. (1996) Annu. Rev. Immunol. 14:591–617). This interaction is essential to numerous elements of cell-mediated immunity. In the absence of CD154, antigen presentation by dendritic cells and macrophages is profoundly impaired, as is macrophage-mediated killing of intracellular or extracellular pathogens (Grewal and Flavell (1998) supra; Noelle (1996) supra). Given the breadth of importance of CD154-CD40 interaction, it is not surprising that CD154 blockade retards the development and progression of immune responses in an array of transplantation and autoimmune disease models ranging from Systemic Lupus Erythematosus to Rheumatoid Arthritis to Multiple Sclerosis (Foy, et. al. (1996) supra; Grewal and Flavell (1998) supra).
The CD154 gene is located on the X chromosome, and belongs to the Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) gene family (Hollenbaugh, et al. (1994) Immunol. Rev. 138:23–37). Study of CD154 expression chiefly involves CD4+ T lymphocytes, with the earliest studies showing that resting cells express little or no CD154 (Lane, et al. (1992) Eur. J. Immunol. 22:2573–2578; Nusslein, et al. (1996) Eur. J. Immunol. 26:846–850; Roy, et al. (1993) J. Immunol. 151:2497–2510). Activation of the T lymphocytes demonstrated that induction of CD154 expression was different from that of other cytokines. Signals (anti-CD3, mitogenic lectins) that triggered resting T cells to engage in high levels of proliferation and cytokine production would elicit very little (CD4+ T cells) or no (CD8+ T cells) expression on either mouse or human T cells (Lane, et al. (1992) supra; Nusslein, et al. (1996) supra; Roy, et al. (1993) supra). Optimal expression of CD154 was found to require pharmacologic stimulation provided by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and calcium ionophores such as ionomycin (Lane, et al. (1992) supra; Nusslein, et al. (1996) supra; Roy, et al. (1993) supra; Roy, et al. (1994) Eur. J. Immunol. 25:596–603). The induction of CD154 on T lymphocytes is blocked by concurrent treatment with cyclosporine and glucocorticoids; these effects are presumed to be transcriptional (Fuleihan, et al. (1994) J. Clin. Invest. 93:1315–1320; Roy, et al. (1993) supra) based on the presence of NF-AT sites in the CD154 promoter (Schubert, et al. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 15:29264–29627). Since cyclosporine and glucocorticoids also inhibit cytokine production (Ashwell, et al. (1992) Ann. Rev. Immunol. 18:309–345; Sigal and Dumont (1992) Ann. Rev. Immunol. 10:519–60), this pathway does not account for the differential regulation of CD154 expression by T lymphocytes.
The expression of TNF-α is primarily regulated at the level of mRNA turnover and translation, conferred by adenine-uridine rich cis-acting elements (AURE) present in its 3′-untranslated region (Beutler and Kruys (1995) J. Cardiovasc. Pharm. 25:S1-8; Kontoyiannis, et al. (1999) Immunity 10:387–398; Shaw and Kamen (1986) Cell 46:659–669). CD154 mRNA is rapidly degraded in human peripheral blood T lymphocytes, with a half-life of approximately 30 minutes, similar to that of interleukin 2 (Ford, et al. (1999) J. Immunol. 162:4037–4044; Murakami, et al. (1999) J. Immunol. 163:2667–2673; Rigby, et al. (1999) J. Immunol. 163:4199–4206; Suarez, et al. (1997) Eur. J. Immunol. 27:2822–2829). CD154 and cytokine mRNA stability may be differentially regulated in activated T lymphocytes as evidenced by CD2 engagement by LFA-3 stabilizes CD154 mRNA without altering IL-2 mRNA stability (Murakami, et al. (1999) supra) and CD28 crosslinking increases cytokine (TNF-α, IL-2) production at the level of mRNA stability (Lindsten, et al. (1989) Science 244:339–343) while having minimal effect on CD154 expression (Ford, et al. (1999) supra).
Using human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) it was observed that PMA or ionomycin treatment rapidly increased CD154 mRNA stability, even in the context of transcriptional inhibition (Rigby, et al. (1999) supra). In these studies, two major, p50 and p25, and two minor, p40 and p36, RNA binding proteins were shown to bind the CD154 3′-untranslated region. The binding of the p50 and p25 mapped to a polypyrimidine-rich region (˜0.4 kb) that lacked an AURE. UV crosslinking studies demonstrated that the p50 and p25 directly contacted uridines and cytidines in this region. Signals which stabilized CD154 mRNA decreased p25 levels in both cytosolic and polysomal fractions, while a corresponding increase in p50 binding activity was observed (Rigby, et al. (1999) supra).
It has now been found that a novel cis-acting element in this polypyrimidine-rich region exists and regulates CD154 mRNA turnover through the relative levels of two polypyrimidine tract binding proteins.

Compositions and methods for regulating RNA stability using polypyrimidine tract proteins


A mooring loop is operative to secure a movable device such as a ship in connection with a bollard or other fixed structure. The exemplary mooring loop includes a continuous rope segment that includes at least one coil or a plurality of coils. The rope segment defining the mooring loop includes an inner core surrounded by an outer jacket. A plurality of controlled failure points are included in the rope segment. The failure points enable the rope segment to permanently elongate in response to an applied tension force at a level above a working range, which elongation is visibly observable. The controlled failure point is defined between segmented ends of a severed inner core such that only the outer jacket is located at the controlled failure point.

Mooring loops are used to connect mooring lines of ships or other movable items to fixed structures such as bollards. In the event that a mooring line is overloaded the line breaks and damage may be caused to the vessel or other secured item. Personal injury may result to persons in proximity to the line when it fails.
The inventor of the present application as previously developed a mooring loop that will reduce the risk of catastrophic failure by elongating and giving a visual indication that the mooring loop has been subject to a force above a yield force before separation. A mooring loop of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 9,056,656 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Mooring loops and similar securing structures manufactured from partially drawn or totally undrawn fibers may benefit from improvements in splicing techniques. Especially as they relate to the ultimate breaking strength of the mooring loop.

Controlled failure point for a rope or mooring loop and method of use thereof