The invention provides a GOA circuit for LTPS-TFT, using a resistor (R1) and a tenth TFT (T10) to replace the second capacitor in known technology, and change the diode-style connection of the ninth TFT (T9) in known technology to connect one end of the resistor (R1) to the constant high voltage (VGH) and the other to the gate of the ninth TFT (T9) so that during the output end (G(n)) staying at low, the voltage of the second node (P(n)) follows the (M+1)-th clock signal (CK(M+1)) to switch between high and low, that is, following a fixed frequency to pull down the voltage of the second node (P(n)), prevents the second node from staying at high for long duration and prevents the sixth TFT (T6) and the seventh TFT (T7) from prolonged operation to cause threshold voltage shift and improve GOA circuit stability.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of display, and in particular to a gate driver on array (GOA) circuit for thin film transistor (TFT) based on low temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) semiconductor.
2. The Related Arts
As the liquid crystal display (LCD) shows the advantages of being thin, low power-consumption, and no radiation, the LCD is widely used in various devices, such as, liquid crystal TV, mobile phones, PDA, digital camera, PC monitors or notebook PC screens as well as the leading technology in tablet PCs.
The gate driver on array (GOA) technology is the array substrate column drive technology, by using the array substrate process for the LCD panel to manufacture the driver circuit for the horizontal scan line in the area around the active area on the substrate to replace the external integrated circuit (IC) to perform driving the horizontal scan lines. GOA technology can reduce the bonding process for the external IC and reduce cost, as well as the ability to realize narrow-border or borderless panels, and is used by many types of displays.
As the low temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) semiconductor TFT develops, the LTPS-TFT LCD gains much attention. The LTPS-TFT LCD has the advantages of high resolution, fast response, high luminance, and high opening ratio. Because the LTPS has a more orderly arrangement than the a-Si, the LTPS has ultra-high electron migration rate, 100 times higher than the a-Si. The LTPS can use GOA technology to manufacture the gate driver circuit on the TFT substrate to achieve system integration, save space and the cost for driver IC.
Refer to FIG. 1. The known GOA circuit for LTPS-TFT comprises: a plurality of cascade GOA units, for a positive integer n, the n-th stage GOA unit comprising: a first TFT T1, with a gate connected to an M-th clock signal CK(M), a source connected to an output end G(n−1) of an (n−1)-th stage GOA unit, and a drain connected to a third node K(n); a second TFT T2, with a gate connected to a first node Q(n), a source connected to an (M+1)-th clock signal CK(M+1), and a drain connected to an output end G(n); a third TFT T3, with a gate connected to an (M+2)-th clock signal CK(M+2), a drain connected to the third node K(n), and a source to an output end G(n+1) of an (n+1)-th stage GOA unit; a fourth TFT T4, with a gate connected to an (M+3)-th clock signal CK(M+3), a drain connected to the output end G(n), and a source connected to a constant low voltage VGL; a fifth TFT T5, with a gate connected to a constant high voltage VGH, a source connected to the third node K(n), and a drain connected to first node Q(n); a sixth TFT T6, with a gate connected to a second node P(n), a drain connected to the third node K(n), and a source connected to a constant low voltage VGL; a seventh TFT T7, with a gate connected to the second node P(n), a drain connected to the output end G(n), and a source connected to a constant low voltage VGL; an eighth TFT T8, with a gate connected to the third node K(n), a drain connected to the second node P(n), and a source connected to a constant low voltage VGL; a ninth TFT T9, with a gate and a source connected to the (M+1)-th clock signal CK(M+1), and a drain connected to the second node P(n); a first capacitor C1, with one end connected to the first node Q(n) and the other end connected to the output end G(n); and a second capacitor C2, with one end connected to the second node P(n) and the other end connected to the constant low voltage VGL.
The GOA circuit in FIG. 1 can scan forward or backward, and the forward scan process and the backward scan process are similar. Refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. During forward scanning, scan process is as follows: first, both the M-th clock signal CK(M) and the output end G(n−1) of the (n−1)-th GOA unit provide a high voltage, the first TFT T1 and the fifth TFT T5 are turned on, and the first node Q(n) is pre-charged to high voltage; then, both the M-th clock signal CK(M) and the output end G(n−1) of the (n−1)-th GOA unit become low, the (M+1)-th clock signal CK(M+1) provides a high voltage, the first node Q(n) stays high due to the storage effect of the first capacitor C1, the second TFT T2 is turned on, the output end G(n) outputs the high voltage of the (M+1)-th clock signal CK(M) so that the first node Q(n) is raised to an even higher voltage, at the same time, the eighth TFT T8 is turned on, the second node P(n) is pulled down to the constant low voltage VGL, the sixth TFT T6 and the seventh TFT T7 are turned off; then, the (M+2)-th clock signal CK(M+2) and the output end G(n+1) of the (n+1)-th GOA unit provide high voltage, the first node Q(n) stays high, the (M+1)-th clock signal CK(M+1) becomes low, the output end G(n) outputs the low voltage of the (M+1)-th clock signal CK(M+1); and then, the M-th clock signal CK(M) provides high voltage again, the output end G(n−1) of the (n−1)-th GOA unit stays low, the first TFT T1 is turned on to pull down the first node Q(n) to low voltage, the eighth TFT T8 is turned off; then, the (M+1)-th clock signal CK(M+1) provides high voltage, the ninth TFT T9 is turned on, the second node P(n) is charged to high voltage, the sixth TFT T6 and the seventh TFT T7 are turned on to continue pulling down the first node Q(n) and output end G(n) to the constant low voltage VGL, respectively, the second node P(n) stays high under the storage effect of the second capacitor C2, the sixth TFT T6 and the seventh TFT T7 stay turned on during the duration of a frame to keep the first node Q(n) and the output end G(n) at low voltage.
In the above GOA circuit for LPTS-TFT, because the sixth TFT T6 and the seventh TFT T7 operate for a long duration, a threshold voltage shift (Vth shift) may occur to the sixth TFT T6 and the seventh TFT T7, which lowers the circuit stability and may lead to abnormal output for GOA circuit.

WUHAN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


A process for the production of a dense, granulated protein gel is disclosd which is readily rehydratable with water at ambient temperatures, and upon rehydration with water functions as a meat extender in various natural meat products. The textured, granulated gel is prepared by hydrating a vegetable protein isolate having superior gel forming properties and a protein content of at least 90% by weight, followed by heating of the hydrated protein at a temperature between about 75.degree.-125.degree. C. to form a protein gel. The gel is granulated and dried to form a textured protein material which has excellent rehydration characteristics and is highly functional as a meat extender.

This invention relates to a process for the production of a granulated protein gel which is readily rehydratable with water, and upon rehydration is suitable as a meat extender.
Vegetable protein products including soy flour, isolates and concentrates have become widely used and accepted food ingredients. Among the vegetable protein products which have been the most widely accepted are the textured vegetable protein materials which have gained wide acceptance as a meat extender. The extended meat products are comparable in nutrition and quality to the natural meat products.
A variety of textured vegetable protein materials and processes for the production have been proposed. Generally recognized as one of the first processes for texturization of protein was that described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,682,466. Edible protein filaments were produced by a spinning process similar to that for the spinning of textiles. The starting material for this texturization process was a protein isolate, which has the bulk of oil and carbohydrates removed to achieve a protein content of 90-95% by weight on a dry basis.
Although numerous texturization techniques have been proposed for materials of lower protein content such as soybean meal, soy flour or concentrates, the most widely used and commercially successful technique for the texturization of vegetable protein materials is the extrusion process described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,495. This process produces an expanded, meat simulating product which is capable of rehydration with water and upon rehydration is highly suitable as a meat extender. This type of extender was approved for use for the School Lunch Program by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS Notice 219) and since then has found wide usage in this program as well as by meat processors for the production of extended meat.
Other texturization processes too numerous to categorize have also been proposed following development of the extrusion process. These processes including the extrusion process, employ lower protein content vegetable protein materials as well as vegetable protein isolates. Some of these processes describe variations in the extrusion process described above in U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,495 for achieving differences in density or functionality of the textured product as well as an improvement or modification of the flavor or texture of the resultant product. Other processes have been directed to the production of non-expanded textured products, for example, an agglomerated protein material as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,590 or an unpuffed proteinaceous extrudate as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,498,794 and 3,968,268.
The non-expanded products generally exhibit poorer rehydration properties than the expanded materials, requiring longer times or extreme temperatures to achieve maximum rehydration capacity. Therefore, the non-expanded products are more suitable in canned products which employ significant amounts of water and use higher temperatures during retort cooking of the product. Hydration rate of the textured material is less of a factor in this type of product. The expanded products have therefore proven to be more successful as an extender in ground meat applications than the non-expanded products because of a better hydration rate as well as the formation of a mixture more nearly approximating that of natural meat.
In spite of the commercially developed nature of the textured vegetable protein industry, a continuing need exists for specific types of textured materials exhibiting specific functional properties for various food uses.
An object of the present invention is to present a process for the production of a textured vegetable protein material which has a high hydration capacity or ability to absorb water. It is also an object to provide a process for the production of a textured vegetable protein material which rehydrates rapidly with water under ambient conditions.
It is also an object to provide for the production of a textured protein material from a vegetable protein isolate which exhibits the above rehydration characteristics and blends well with ground meat to provide a mixture comparable to the natural meat.
It is a further object to provide a process for the production of the above material which is convenient and reliable to practice on a commercial basis.

Process for the production of a granulated protein gel suitable as a meat extender


The present invention provides compounds of the formula: ##STR1## and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein: R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each alkyl;. n is an integer of from 1 to 4; PA1 x is oxygen or --(CH.sub.2).sub.m --; PA1 m is an integer of from 1 to 3; PA1 y is oxygen or sulfur; and PA1 p is an integer of from 1 to 4.. These compounds are inhibitors of COX-I and/or COX-II, and are useful for the treatment of inflammation-associated disorders.. The present invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising a therapeutically-effective amount of a compound of Formula I in combination with a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier, and a method for treating inflammation-associated disorders in an animal comprising administering a therapeutically-effective amount of a compound of Formula I to the animal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to aromatic cyclic alkylethers. More particularly, the present invention relates to the novel compounds of Formula I, which inhibit cyclooxygenase I and/or II, to pharmaceutical compositions containing one or more of these compounds in combination with a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier, and to medical methods of treatment employing these compounds.
2. Background Information
It is well recognized that arachidonic acid, an essential unsaturated fatty acid, is enzymatically oxygenated to various products, including, prostaglandins, thromboxanes, the 5-, 11-, 12- and 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs, DIHETEs) and hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HPETEs), and the leukotrienes, all of which have potent physiological effects.
Those compounds of the present invention which inhibit cyclooxygenase I and/or II inhibit the synthesis of prostaglandins via the cyclooxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism. These prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors may exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic and analgesic activity, and are useful in the treatment of inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.
Prostaglandins play a major role in the inflammation process and the inhibition of prostaglandin production, especially production of PGG.sub.2, PGH.sub.2 and PGE.sub.2, and have been a common target of anti-inflammatory drug discovery. However, common nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that are active in reducing the prostaglandin-induced pain and swelling associated with the inflammation process are also active in affecting other prostaglandin-regulated processes not associated with the inflammation process. Thus, use of high doses of most common NSAIDs can produce severe side effects, including life threatening ulcers, that limit their therapeutic potential. An alternative to NSAIDs is the use of corticosteroids, which have even more drastic side effects, especially when long term therapy is involved.
Previous NSAIDS have been found to prevent the production of prostaglandins by inhibiting enzymes in the human arachidonic acid/prostaglandin pathway, including the enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX). Recently, the sequence of another heretofore unknown enzyme in the human arachidonic acid/prostaglandin pathway has been reported by T. Hla and K. Nielson, PROC. NATL. ACAD. SCI. USA, 89, 7384 (1992), which is incorporated herein by reference, and named cyclooxygenase II (COX II) or prostaglandin G. H. synthase II. The discovery of an inducible enzyme associated with inflammation provides a viable target of inhibition which more effectively reduces inflammation and produces fewer and less drastic side effects. Cyclooxygenase II is inducible by cytokines or endotoxins, and such induction is inhibited by glucocortoids (J. Masferrer, et al, PROC. NATL. ACAD. SCI. USA, 89, 8917 (1992), which is incorporated herein by reference). The 6-methoxy-2-napthylacetic acid metabolite of nabumetone has been found by E. Meade et al. to selectively inhibit the COX II enzyme (J. BIOL. CHEM., 268, 6610 (1993), which is incorporated herein by reference). In addition, Futaki et al (GEN. PHARMAC., 24, 105 (1993), which is incorporated herein by reference,) has reported that N-(2-cyclohexyloxy-4-nitrophenyl)methanesulfonamide is anti-inflammatory and lacks gastric side effects.
Compounds of the present invention relieve the effects of inflammation and may inhibit cyclooxygenase I and/or cyclooxygenase II.
Prior to the recognition of the significance of the arachidonic acid metabolism pathway in allergic reactions and inflammation, the search for effective therapeutic agents was based primarily on those agents which treated the symptoms of allergy and inflammation. There has since been an effort to develop new drugs which selectively block the formation of the mediators of these conditions, and the present invention provides new chemical entities which are inhibitors of the arachidonic acid pathway and are useful in the treatment of asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, psoriasis, and other allergic, hypersensitivity, and inflammatory conditions. Further examples of inflammatory conditions or diseases with an inflammatory or immune system component are disclosed in, for example, the Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, 15th Edition (1987) which is incorporated herein by reference.
Various thioether compounds have been described previously. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,903 and its continuation-in-part, U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,524, disclose compounds of the formula: ##STR2## wherein: R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are the same or different and independently represent tert-alkyl or phenyl; A represents methylene or methylene substituted by alkyl, dialkyl or hydroxy, provided that when A includes hydroxymethylene, the hydroxymethylene group is not adjacent to a heteroatom; B represents sulfur, sulfoxide, sulfone, oxygen, --NH-- or nitrogen substituted by alkyl, phenyl, benzyl, substituted phenyl or substituted benzyl; C represents methylene or methylene substituted by alkyl; R.sub.3 represents CO.sub.2 H, CO.sub.2 -alkyl or a tetrazole group; m is 0 or 1, n is 2, 3 or 4 and p is 1, 2 or 3; and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The compounds are specific inhibitors of 5-lipoxygenase, and are useful in the treatment of local and systematic inflammation, allergy and hypersensitivity reactions and other disorders in which agents formed in the 5-lipoxygenase metabolic pathway are involved.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,098 and its equivalent, European Patent Application Publication No. 0131221, disclose compounds of the formula: ##STR3## in which Ar is phenyl or phenyl substituted by one to three of varied substituents, for example, alkyl, alkoxy, hydroxy, etc.; Q is oxygen, sulfur or an NH group; A is straight or branched chain, optionally substituted, alkylene, and R is hydrogen or straight or branched alkyl, optionally substituted by alkoxy, hydroxyl, carboxyl, alkoxycarbonyl, etc.; and n is 0, 1 or 2. The disclosed compounds are indicated to have anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties through inhibition of undefined anaphylactic and anaphylactoid reactions, although no test data are provided. The preferred compounds are stated to be those in which Q represents oxygen and n is 0, without mention of any preference among the numerous possible substituents for R or substituted phenyl as Ar.
U.S. Patent Nos. 4,029,812, 4,076,841 and 4,078,084 disclose compounds of the formula: ##STR4## comprising 2-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy-phenyl) thio carboxamides. The compounds are indicated to be useful in lowering serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
A series of thioethers, useful as, for example, polyfunctional antioxidants for polymers, and biologically active substances, obtained by the nucleophilic addition of thiols, including 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxythio-phenol, and hydrogen sulfide to acrylate derivatives have been described. See Medvedev et al., Khimiya; Khimicheskaya Tekhnologiya, Volume 20, (1977), pp. 568-574. The compounds resulting from the foregoing process have the general formulas RS(CH.sub.2).sub.n X and S(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.s X).sub.2 in which R is 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl and X represents, for example, --C.ident.N, NH.sub.2, CH(OH)CH.sub.2 Cl, OH, COCl and various carboxy, carboxylate and amide functions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,153,803 discloses cholesterol-lowering phenoxyalkanoic acid esters of the formula: ##STR5## wherein, when Y is sulfur, X is hydrogen, benzyl, benzyloxy or benzylthio or substituted derivatives thereof; R is hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, alkyl or alkoxy, A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 are hydrogen or alkyl and Z is amine or azacyclohydrocarbonyloxy.
JP 49116035 discloses a process for making compounds of the formula: ##STR6## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup. 2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are hydrogen, alkyl or aryl groups, and R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 can be combined to form a cycloalkyl group. The compounds are said to be useful as drug intermediates, agricultural chemicals, antioxidants and industrial chemicals. Specifically disclosed is a compound of the formula: ##STR7##
CA 107:197783q discloses dialkylphenol derivatives of the formula: ##STR8## wherein R.sup.1 R.sup.2 =alkyl; A=alkylene, S, SO; Y=alkoxyimino, O; Z=alkylene, O; n=1, 2; 2-3 saturated or unsaturated. The compounds are said to be useful as modifiers for biosynthesis of prostaglandins and leukotrienes and hypolipemics (no data).
EP0293900 discloses 5-lipoxygenase inhibiting compounds of the formula: ##STR9## where R.sup.3 and Y together are: ##STR10## and n is 2 or 3.
Katsumi, et al., CHEM. PHARM. BULL. 34(4):1619-1627(1986) discloses 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4hydroxystyrenes. Some of the compounds disclosed had anti-inflammatory activity and some inhibited 5-lipoxygenase. Only one compound (Compound 3, Table I) had S attached to the 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenol. It has the following structure: ##STR11##
U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,611 discloses 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors of the formula: ##STR12## where R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are tert-alkyl and R.sub.3 can be: ##STR13## where R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 are C.sub.1-4 alkyl.
Each of the documents described hereinabove discloses compounds which are structurally different from the compounds of the present invention. Thus, the compounds of the present invention are structurally distinct from that which has been described in the art.
Compounds of the present invention inhibit cyclooxygenase I and/or cyclooxygenase II, and relieve the effects of inflammation. These compounds, in addition, produce a reduced amount of side effects.

Derivatives of aromatic cyclic alkylethers


The disclosed computer-implemented method for determining topics of data artifacts may include (1) extracting at least one initial keyword from a data artifact with an unknown topic, (2) creating a set of keywords by generating a plurality of contextually relevant keywords related to the initial keyword and combining the initial keyword with the contextually relevant keywords to form the set of keywords, (3) retrieving, from a topic processor, at least one list of topics associated with each keyword within the set of keywords, and (4) generating, based on the retrieved topic lists, an ordered list of probable topics of the data artifact. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Millions of digital documents are being created and stored each day, ranging in topic from essays to financial transaction logs to personal health histories to patent applications, and thousands of other topics besides. Many organizations have access to large quantities of documents created and stored for a variety of purposes. Unfortunately, these documents aren't always categorized in a useful and sensible manner. Finding documents related to a particular topic may be difficult when searching through a data store of thousands of documents that may not be indexed, categorized, or summarized.
Topic mining is an activity that results in the extraction of topics from an unstructured data artifact such as a document. Because documents are typically a loosely structured sequence of words and other symbols, the problem is non-trivial. Many traditional topic mining systems may be based on coarse-grained techniques that need to operate on a large number of documents in order to group the documents into multiple clusters where each cluster represents a particular latent topic. This is an expensive process; moreover, traditional systems may not assign human-readable topic names to the clusters. Accordingly, the instant disclosure identifies and addresses a need for additional and improved systems and methods for determining topics of data artifacts.

Systems and methods for determining topics of data artifacts


The present invention relates to a shelf appartus for a refrigerator which raises and lowers a refrigerator's food storage shelves in an analog manner, making it possible to determine the positions of the shelves largely in accordance with the size of food items stored inside the refrigerator. More particularly, racks are provided on the left and right sides of the refrigerator's interior, gears which engage these racks are provided on the shelves of the refrigerator, and the food storage shelves are raised and lowered by rotating these gears.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shelf apparatus which will raise and lower refrigerator's food storage shelves in an analog manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, a great variety of different things are stored in refrigerators. For example, prepared foods are refrigerated in large salad bowls or on plates etc., and large uncut vegetables, fruits or the like are refrigerated just as they are.
In this case, to secure space for storing large items of food and the like, it is necessary to increase the capacity of storage space between one storage shelf and another storage shelf inside a refrigerator (hereinafter, referred to as storage space). In the prior art, in order to increase the capacity of storage space, it is common that a plurality of rails parallel to a horizontal plane provided on opposing side walls of a refrigerator's interior to support storage shelves are employed, and then the positions for inserting the storage shelves are changed.
However, the above-mentioned means of the prior art makes it necessary to first remove all of the food etc. on the storage shelves in order to change the positions at which the storage shelves are inserted, and this is inconvenient.
Furthermore, since each position is fixed for a plurality of rails which support the storage shelves, an increase or decrease in capacity of the storage space becomes uniform, and hence there is a problem of not being able to increase or decrease the capacity corresponding to the size of each food etc.
The U.S. Pat. No. 2841459 discloses a means for solving the above-mentioned problem. This conventional shelf apparatus for a refrigerator comprises shelves arranged inside a refrigerator, frames for holding the shelves, two rails for sustaining the sliding of rollers which are supported at the left and right of the frame, and a jackscrew for fixing the frame at desired positions. The frame holds a nut engaged with the jackscrew and a shaft with a handle for rotating the nut so that they can rotate freely. Furthermore, the rails are vertically installed at the left and right rear of the refrigerator's interior, and the screwjack is vertically installed at the rear center of the refrigerator's interior. Then, the position of the frame for holding the shelf is changed by turning the shaft with a handle, which rotates the nut engaged with the jackscrew, and thereby changes the position of the nut.
The above-mentioned shelf apparatus for a refrigerator has a construction in which the position of the frame for holding the shelf is raised and lowered by the jackscrew installed at the rear center of the refrigerator's interior, and when food is placed on the shelf, particularly when the load is lopsided on either left or right, the shelf tilts to the side on which most of the food is placed and the rollers contact the rails at an angle, so that they do not rotate smoothly, making it necessary to turn the shaft with a handle using a great deal of force. Furthermore, the shaft with a handle, jackscrew and so forth are in the center portion of the shelf, and this structure is comparatively large, it becomes an obstruction to the placement of food on the food storage surface of a lower shelf or the bottom tier.
Furthermore, when a frame reaches the top or bottom of the refrigerator's interior, or when a plurality of them are provided and there are collisions between the frames, and when the dial shaft is over-loaded, there is a problem of the handle causing damage to the shaft.


A code analysis tool identifies a first and a second proposed code transformation (PCT) for respective expressions within a refactoring candidate section of source code, such that at least one PCT would result in an exercise of a target typing mechanism of the programming language being used. The determination of the data type of at least one of the expressions depends on the determination of the data type of the other. The tool generates a plurality of PCT combinations for the refactoring candidate section. In response to determining that a particular PCT combination meets acceptance criteria, a refactoring option which includes that PCT combination is recommended.

Programs written in languages such as Java™ may sometimes be used to implement business applications which are used for years after the programs were originally written. During the lifetime of such applications, many new features and enhancements may be introduced into new versions of the programming language, with the intention of enabling programmers to accomplish various application tasks more easily or more concisely than may have been possible with earlier versions. For example, enhancements to the type management mechanisms of a programming language may be implemented, and/or new features such as lambda expressions may be added. Programs written before the introduction of the enhancements may, of course, continue to run without any changes. However, in many situations, it may be beneficial to modify or refactor at least some portions of such programs to take advantage of the new capabilities of the programming language.
Such refactoring transformations may make the source code more readable and therefore easier to understand and debug, for example, and at least in some cases may make the code safer by resolving potential ambiguities. At least some programs written after the introduction of the enhancements into the programming language may also benefit from such transformations, especially because not all the programmers involved may be aware of (or fluent in the use of) the new features. However, as the sophistication of the enhancements and new features of the language increases, and multiple related code transformations that could impact each other in subtle ways become feasible, identifying which particular refactoring opportunities can be implemented may become a non-trivial task.

Target typing-dependent combinatorial code analysis


A metal particle detector apparatus for use with flowing non-conductive fluid such as lubrication oil from an engine or other rotary device wherein the lubricated components include bearings or the like susceptible to failure, thereby placing harmful metal particles in the non-conductive fluid. A circuit grid comprising two electrodes affixed on a perforated electrically non-conductive plate which is disposed in the fluid flow in a manner which will catch the particles being carried by the fluid and when one, or an accumulation of these particles bridges the gap between electrodes completes an electrical circuit passing into the device from outside. In one embodiment, a primary and secondary seal are provided for sealing fluid against leaking into the electrical chamber leading to the electrical circuit or alarm system while still permitting the electrical circuit system to be electrically connected to the detector unit which is disposed in the flowing fluid. Compressible O-ring seals are used. A detector drain is provided for permitting the flow of fluid out of the housing of the detector if the primary seal begins to fail, acting first as a way to prevent oil from entering the chamber containing the electrical wiring for the alarm system and secondly as an indication to the user of when the detector seal is beginning to fail.

Typically, a lubrication system is provided in most rotating machinery such as engines, turbines, pumps and the like. The non-conducting fluid such as lubricating oil is supplied to various wear points which are protected by bearings or other friction-reducing devices.
Prior to a total bearing failure and seizure of the rotating apparatus, small metal particles are emitted into the lubricating oil. Depending on the size of the rotating equipment, many variables of the lubrication system, (i.e. the metals of various bearing assemblies and other factors) determine how serious this problem is. The metal particles may be quite small or substantially large, and may vary in number from an occasional particle to a great number of particles, all of which can be indicative of failure conditions. In view of the great variety of circumstances, it will be understood and appreciated that a need has arisen for a metal bearing failure detector which is sensitive and responsive to particles of a given size or quantity, and which is not triggered by or responsive to a lesser number of particles in such circumstances.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,422,417 to Lowe, which is incorporated herein by reference, shows such a basic device which has been in use for many years. A problem with this prior art device is that if the insulation becomes hot and either melts out or is burned out because of a fire, or does not adhere properly, lubricating oil will leak into the electrical wiring cavity and the alarm system will fail. This problem is exacerbated because such failure can go undetected since it essentially disarms the alarm system without notification to the user. Consequently, the device being protected by the alarm system can essentially go undetected if the alarm system fails, and this of course can cause the primary equipment being protected, such as an engine, turbine, etc., to fail, at great expense to the user.
Consequently, there is a need for an improvement to the prior art metal particle detector devices such as that shown in the aforementioned Lowe patent to overcome the melting or burning insulation or adherence problem and to provide for early detection when the detector/alarm system is about to malfunction for this reason. If adhesion of the elastomeric seal is poor in the Lowe arrangement due to poor manufacturing processes, vibration during operation or high pressures may cause the seal to leak.
Additionally, there is considerable expense involved in the manufacture and insulation of the Lowe metal particle detector system because the metal plate detector unit must be insulated around the edges thereof. Accordingly, there is a need for a simpler and more dependable way of installing and using one of these detector units.

Metal particle detector apparatus for non-conducting fluid systems


A holder in the form of a J-shaped clip having an upper supporting portion, an intermediate portion and a lower gripping portion for mounting to window sills of various thicknesses between the upper portion and lower portion. The upper portion defines a platform for supporting an object having a protruding base such as an electric candle or plant pot and saucer assembly. A pair of upturned tabs are provided at opposite corners of the upper portion and a lip is formed in the intermediate portion. A resilient cord fastened to the upper portion and received in the lip holds the base of the object to be displayed on the upper portion. The upper portion and the lower portion grip the window sill and secure the holder thereto.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to holding devices and more particularly, is directed towards a holder for supporting candles, plant pots and the like on window sills, ledges and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electric candles, plant pots and the like are displayed in windows at various times of the year. A common problem with displaying candles and plant pots in windows is that it is difficult to adequately support them on the window sill. Attempts to secure candles to window sills include the use of adhesive tape and/or thumb tacks. Adhesive tape suffers from the disadvantages that it may leave marks on the window sill and/or remove some of the paint or stain. Also, adhesive tape may become loose due to condensation. Thumb tacks suffer from the disadvantage that they leave holes in the window sills. Other devices for holding candles on window sills are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,392,191 and 4,468,721. A need has arisen for a window sill clip for holding candles, plant pots and the like which does not suffer from the heretofore mentioned disadvantages and limitations.


The present invention relates generally to a home therapy system for aiding spinal cord decompression and for treating related health issues. More specifically, the present invention teaches a garment system combining an upper portion and lower portion. According to a preferred embodiment, the upper portion includes a head band and yoke for cervical vertebra disc decompression and for aiding in treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea by repositioning and opening up breathing airways. Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment, the lower portion includes vertical decompression straps attached to leg bands and extending over the shoulders for thoracic and lumbar disc decompression by arching the spinal column back and opening the vertebra.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to a home therapy system for aiding spinal cord decompression and in particular, to a garment system combining an upper portion having a head band and yoke for cervical vertebra disc decompression; and a lower portion having vertical decompression straps attached to leg bands and extending over the shoulders for thoracic and lumbar disc decompression.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The human body is designed to stand vertically upright, with the chin up slightly and the head positioned forward angled toward the horizon. Today, the common use of electronics forces users to spend hours every day looking down and thereby exerting damaging pressure on the C1 through C7 anterior cervical vertebra discs causing disc degeneration. The head weighs 8 to 12 pounds and for every centimeter the head is tilted forward there is a substantial increase in damaging pressure on the anterior cervical disc, resulting in nerve blockage over time.
When a disc degenerates, its ability to resist loads and pressure is greatly compromised and the peripheral nerves leading from the spinal column are affected. The affected areas supported by these peripheral nerves will become denervated over time and lose their intended functions as the disc become flatter causing increased damage to the peripheral nerves. This situation could cause pain, tingling or numbness in the affected areas, or if the affected area is the Pharynx, loose obstructive tissue, or double chins with a chicken neck appearance. The peripheral nervous system allows for the brain to direct and control every chemical reaction in every cell in the body so when these nerves are pinched, stretched or inflamed due to damaged disc the affected areas are compromised from their optimal functionality sometimes causing symptomatic diseases we experience today. The decompression of the entire spinal column allows the brain to send and receive the nerve impulses required for healing of the body's organs, systems, bones, tendons, ligaments and muscles. Home spinal decompression devices have been proposed for various uses, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,083,705 to Saunders et al. in which a pneumatic traction force is generated by a hand pump operated by the patient. This apparatus is expensive, bulky, inconvenient and not wholly restorative.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,079,971 to Becerra discloses a spinal mobilization treatment system with multi-dimensional force application. Similar to the device of Saunders et al., the patient lies upright on this apparatus and a harness and cable are attached to a computer device which applies forces at different angles.
As with Saunders et al. and Becerra, U.S. Pat. No. 8,021,287 to Hoffman et al. also consists of harnessing the patient to a device in which forces are applied using traction in order to reposition the spine in a pain-free position for performing exercises. The apparatus of Hoffman may be useful in a physical therapy setting for acute back pain suffers but it offers no long term passive mode of restoration to the spine and nervous system. Further, it fails to promote the natural tendency of the body to heal itself during periods of sleep.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,011,047 to Mandelzis et al. teaches a design to promote a good sleeping position by passively distributing body mass and muscle tension forces in a unidirectional fashion. This design includes a spinal length mattress made of memory foam. While this design may provide a certain degree of comfort while sleeping, it is limited in its therapeutic benefits. Further, the foam mattress of Mandelzis is bulky and relatively costly.
Other traction devices such as U.S. Pat. No. 7,270,628 to Campanaro et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,997,892 to Reinecke and U.S. Pat. No. 6,974,432 to Reinecke et al. also employ pulleys or cables, support belts, lifting mechanisms and digital devices for applying pressure to manipulate a patient's spine into proper alignment. Each of the designs presents complicated mechanisms for applying unnatural forces to a patient's torso during specific periods of exercise or therapy in which treatment must be monitored. Together, these devices, along with all related prior art, simply fail to provide the relief and healing of the present invention.

Spinal decompression and sleep therapy system


The present invention provides a method and system for determining the position of the image of a target object or the position of the x-ray source in digital tomosynthesis, as the x-ray source is moved relative to the object so as to obtain multiple two-dimensional images of the object from multiple angles. At least one marker, characterized by a simple and known image pattern, is disposed between an x-ray source and a detector system. The shift in the image of the object, resulting from the movement of the x-ray source during tomosynthesis, is calculated to a desired resolution using the readily observable shift in the image of the marker. The x-ray source may be translated along a plane parallel to the plane of the detector system, or may be rotated about a fixed center.

Standard x-ray radiography allows an x-ray image of a target object to be obtained, by capturing x-rays transmitted through the object onto a film screen. The x-ray image is a projection of the object along the x-ray direction. In the x-ray image, variations in the composition and thickness of the target object in different regions of the object are revealed, as a result of their differential absorption of the x-rays.
Digital radiography allows x-ray images to be captured digitally. Typically, an array of digital detectors and a digital image processor are used. Digital radiography systems allow the radiologist to window the image, i.e. to adjust the image's contrast. In this way, subtle details, which may be missed by the fixed, limited contrast in traditional film-screen radiography, can be detected. Thus, digital x-ray systems produce images having a greatly enhanced contrast, compared to the contrast in the images obtained by traditional film-screen radiography. the resolution of digital x-ray images is also greatly enhanced compared to the resolution of images obtained using other techniques, for example CT scanning.
There is no depth information, however, in the images obtained by stationary two-dimensional arrays of digital detectors, unlike in the images obtained by CT scanning. Digital x-ray systems produce 2-D images of the object, as projected along the x-ray direction and onto a lateral plane parallel to the plane formed by the detectors. These 2-D images have no resolution in the longitudinal dimension parallel to the x-ray beam and orthogonal to the detector plane formed by the detectors.
Digital tomosynthesis enables a three-dimensional (3-D) image of an object to be constructed from a finite set of 2-D projection images of the object, by acquiring multiple 2-D images from multiple angles, and then reconstituting the data. Using digital tomosynthesis, a certain degree of resolution can be produced in the longitudinal dimension. Typically, in digital tomosynthesis systems the x-ray source is rotated during data acquisition, for example in an arc through a limited angular range, and a set of projection radiographs of the object are acquired by a stationary detector at discrete locations of the x-ray source. In many systems, the digital x-ray detector array and the object are maintained in a stationary or fixed position, while the x-ray source is moved to multiple locations in order to obtain a collection of images from different view angles.
The multiple 2-D images are then combined or synthesized, using known digital averaging and filtering techniques. Each synthesized image is focused on a tomography plane, which is parallel to the detector plane, and which is located at a certain depth along the longitudinal direction. In a simplest method, the 2-D projection images are spatially translated with respect to each other, and superimposed in such a way that the images overlap precisely in the tomography plane. Other methods for reconstructing tomographic images may use sophisticated computation techniques similar to those used in computerized tomography (CT) systems. The location of the tomography plane within the object can be varied, and a 2-D image of the object can be obtained for each location of the tomography plane.
One of the drawbacks of digital tomosynthesis is that the relative location of the x-ray source with respect to the detector array must be known with great precision, as the x-ray source is being moved with respect to the object being imaged. In the process of synthesizing the images, it is necessary to align the collected images with a precision equal to, or better than, the lateral resolution. It is difficult, however, to move the x-ray source to multiple positions with the requisite degree of precision. Uncertainties in the position of the x-ray source and/or the x-ray detector generally contribute to image blurring.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a high-precision image positioning method and system for digital tomosynthesis that allows the position of the x-ray source and the object to be determined within a desired resolution, without requiring precise physical positioning of the x-ray source at the desired resolution. Such high-precision image positioning method and system would greatly reduce the mechanical requirement of the imaging system for tomosynthesis.

Image positioning method and system for tomosynthesis in a digital X-ray radiography system


An open-end spinning frame comprises a fiber feeding mechanism, constructed with a feed foller and a presser urged towards the feed roller, a combing roller having a metallic wire wound therearound, a rotor for spinning the fibers delivered from the combing roller, and a pair of flat side plates. The feeding mechanism is provided with a passage for flowing air current, which passage is formed by chamfering the side of the presser, by shortening the width of the feed roller or by forming only one projection at the front end of the presser. Through the air current flowing passage, one or more flow-in air currents flow so that the accumulation of fibers does not occur easily.

In an open-end spinning frame, the accumulation of fibers may prevent the smooth spinning operation and may cause yarn breakage and defective spun yarn. Therefore, it is advantageous to prevent such an accumulation of fibers. It is generally observed that when the spinning speed in an open-end frame is increased, the accumulation of fibers in the region neighboring the upper and lower surfaces of a fiber feeding mechanism is greater.
A device for preventing the accumulation of fibers in an open-end spinning frame is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,922,839. The device is intended to prevent the accumulation of fibers in the space between the free lateral surfaces of the feed roller and the combing roller and the inner surface of the closure plate covering the feed roller and combing roller in an open-end spinning frame. A groove is formed on the inner surface of the closure plate extending in opposition to at least the free lateral surfaces of the feed roller and combing roller, and one end of the groove is connected to an air suction source, which is either a channel for feeding combed fibers to the rotary spinning chamber, or a duct which discharges the air exhausted from the rotary spinning chamber. However, such an open-end spinning frame has the following disadvantages. Fibers which pass through the groove may stick at the portion adjacent to the side surface of the combing roller because of the rotational movement of the combing roller, and as a result, an accumulation of fibers may occur. Since part of the fibers pass by the combing roller without being subjected to a combing operation and are delivered to the spinning rotor, a yarn breakage or a defective spun yarn may result when a mass of fibers passing by the combing roller is delivered to the spinning rotor.

Device for preventing the accumulation of fibers in an open-end spinning frame

Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho


The present invention provides methods for increasing ribozyme catalytic activity without reducing specificity, which methods comprise contacting an RNA molecule with a ribozyme having a flanking sequence modified to contain 2'-O-substituted nucleotides. The invention also provides ribozymes comprising a flanking sequence modified to contain 2'-O-substituted nucleotides. In addition, the invention provides methods for increasing ribozyme catalytic activity comprising contacting an RNA molecule with a ribozyme having a flanking sequence modified to contain a 2'-O-substituted nucleotide and a facilitator oligonucleotide. The present invention further provides compositions comprising a ribozyme having modified flanking sequences and an effective amount of a facilitator oligonucleotide.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to ribozymes that cleave RNA. More specifically it reflects the enhancement of ribozyme catalytic activity by modifying ribozyme flanking sequence nucleotides to have substituents on the oxygen at the 2'-position, and by using a facilitator oligonucleotide complementary to an RNA sequence contiguous to the ribozyme.
2. Description of the Related Art
Drugs might be based on RNA catalysts or enzymes (ribozymes) designed to cleave viral or messenger RNA with high specificity at a rapid rate. These requirements historically have been mutually limiting.
Ribozymes consist of a catalytic core having flanking sequences adjacent the core which hybridize to the substrate RNA. The simplest ribozyme is an RNA motif known as a hammerhead.
Among the factors which limit ribozyme activity in cells are the extent of cellular uptake of the ribozyme and the extent of ribozyme degradation by nucleases. Accordingly, ribozymes having increased resistance to nuclease degradation are desired.
Ribozyme specificity depends on the number of base pairs formed between the ribozyme flanking sequences and its RNA substrate. Increased base pairing has been shown to decrease the rate of cleavage. Goodchild and Kohli, Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 284: 386-391 (1991). Goodchild and Kohli studied the cleavage of a sequence from HIV-1 RNA by various hammerhead ribozymes and determined that the rate of cleavage was dependent on the length of the flanking sequence. Shorter sequences were shown to result in weaker binding between the ribozyme and the cleavage products together with increased rate of cleavage. A ribozyme with 12 bases in the flanking sequences cleaved 10 times faster then one with 20 bases.
However, to have the requisite selectivity or specifity, i.e., the ability to discriminate between all RNA molecules in a cell, a ribozyme must form a minimum of about 15 base pairs with the target substrate. This requirement for selectivity limits the rate of cleavage that may be realized.
Accordingly, ribozymes having increased catalytic activity or methods of increasing ribozyme catalytic activity are needed.
Uhlenbeck, Nature, 328: 596-600 (1987) describes the synthesis of two oligoribonucleotides that can combine to form a structure consistent with the consensus self-cleaving domain. Because rapid cleavage of one of the oligomers was observed only when the other was present, the domain was necessary and sufficient for cleavage. The properties of the cleavage reaction were studied in detail. Nearly complete cleavage occurred even with large excess of the oligomer that was cleaved. This indicates that the oligomer that is uncleaved can cycle in the reaction and therefore be considered to act as a catalyst in the cleavage of the other oligomer.
Haseloff and Gerlach, Nature 334: 585-59 (1988), discuss the dissection of the RNA substrate and enzyme activities from a single self-cleaving domain from the (+) strand of the satellite RNA of tobacco ringspot virus (sTobRV). Inspection of the separated substrate and ribozyme activities, in comparison with other naturally-occurring self-cleaving domains, led to a model for the design of oligoribonucleotides which posses new and highly sequence-specific endoribonuclease activities. This model was successfully tested by the design and construction of ribozymes targeted against three sites within the Tn9 chloramphenicol acetyl-transferase (CAT) messenger RNA sequence.
Chemical modifications to nucleotides in the central region of various hammerhead ribozymes have been attempted; no such modifications have resulted in increased catalytic activity. In fact, almost all such reported modifications have resulted in decreased catalytic activity for the ribozymes.
Perreault, et al., Nature 344: 565-567 (1990) reports the results of replacing ribonucleotides in a ribozyme with deoxyribonucleotides. Analysis of the cleavage products of several of the hammerhead analogs indicated the involvement and the reaction of the 2'-OH adjacent to the cleavage site in a substrate. This analysis demonstrated that some 2'-OH groups in the catalytic region affect activity. The introduction of 2'-deoxynucleotides at the conserved positions E 13, 14 and 27-29 within the ribozyme sequence resulted in a 96% decrease of catalytic efficiency.
In addition, Perreault et al., Biochemistry 30: 4020-4025 (1991), and Dahn and Uhlenbeck, Biochemistry 72: 819-23 (1990) report that the replacement of various 2'-hydroxyl groups with hydrogen atoms reduced the catalytic activity of hammerhead ribozymes.
Olsen et al., Biochemistry 30: 9735-9741 (1991), report that replacing 2'-hydroxyl groups on all adenosine residues by either fluorine or hydrogen produced a large decrease in catalytic activity.
Pieken et al., Science 253: 314-317 (1991), report that catalytic activity was reduced by replacing various 2'-hydroxyl groups on adenosine residues by fluorine and by replacing the 2'-hydroxyl groups on cytidine residues by amine groups. However, catalytic activity was unaltered by replacing the 2'-hydroxyl groups on cytidine residues by fluorine or the 2'-hydroxyl groups on uridine residues by fluorine or amino groups.
Odai et al., FEBS Letters 267: 150-152 (1990), report that replacing by hydrogen the exocyclic amino group of a conserved guanosine residue in the core region reduced catalytic activity.
Ruffner and Uhlenbeck, Nucleic Acids Research 18: 6025-6029 (1990), and Buzayan et al., Nucleic Acids Research 18: 4447-4451 (1990), disclose that replacing oxygen atoms by sulfur on various internucleotide phosphate residues reduced catalytic activity.
Fedor and Uhlenbeck, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87: 1668-1672 (1990), analyzed the kinetics of cleavage for several hammerhead sequences to characterize the reaction mechanism and explore how nucleotides involved in substrate binding affect cleavage.
Goodchild et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 263: 401-409 (1988) discusses the effects of a series of synthetic oligonucleotides (hybridons) complementary to the 5' non-coding regions of rabbit .beta.-globin mRNA on endogenous protein synthesis in a rabbit reticulocyte cell-free translation system. With highly purified hybridons inhibition was completely specific for beta globin. Mixtures of two oligonucleotides binding contiguously to the mRNA were more effective than either oligomer alone.
Maher and Dolnick, Nucleic Acids Res. 16: 3341-3358 (1988) report that antisense oligonucleotides containing either anionic diester or neutral methylphosphonate internucleoside linkages were prepared by automated synthesis, and subsequently compared for their ability to arrest translation of human dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) mRNA in a nuclease treated rabbit reticulocyte lysate. In the case of oligodeoxyribonucleotides, tandem targeting of three 14-mers resulted in synergistic and complete selective inhibition of DHFR synthesis at a total oligomer concentration of 25 .mu.M.
Kutyavin et al, FEBS Lett. 238: 35-38 (1988) report that mono- and diphenazinium derivatives of oligonucleotides complementary to the DNA sequence adjacent to the target sequence of the addressed alkylation of DNA significantly enhance the extent and specificity of alkylation by p-(N-2-chloroethyl-N-methylamino(benzylamido) derivatives of the addressing oligonucleotides.
Inoue et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 15: 6131-6148 (1977) determined that (1) a 2'-O-methyl oligodeoxyribonucleotide-RNA duplex was much more stable than the corresponding oligodeoxy ribonucleotide and (2) the 2'-O-methyl oligonucleotide containing duplex was not a substrate for ribonuclease H.
Dunlap et al., Biochemistry, 10: 2581-2587 (1971) evaluated degradation studies using 2'-O-methylated oligonucleotides with a crude cell-free protein synthesizing system known to contain a variety of nucleases and determined the methylated nucleotides conferred nuclease resistance to the polymers. The 2'-O-methylated oligonucleotides were very resistant to mixtures of alkaline phosphatase, snake venom phosphodiesterase, and micrococcal nuclease.

Ribozymes having 2'-O substituted nucleotides in the flanking sequences


A robot for providing intelligent service within a facility includes a locomotion platform, an upper sensor for detecting objects within an upper field of view of the robot, a lower sensor for detecting objects within a lower field of view of the robot, a display and a robot computer in communication with the locomotion platform, the upper sensor and the lower sensor. The robot computer is configured to inventory products within the commercial facility and provide inventory discrepancy data to a user at a computing station.

Providing high quality service robots for commercial settings, such as consumer stores, malls, and shopping centers, has been a significant challenge within the industry. This challenge is due in part to the need for the robot to interact with human beings and interface with the commercial environment, which is often not design for robotic applications. In terms of customer service, to be successful, robots must be capable of communicating with shoppers, providing information to shoppers, and leading shoppers to specific locations in a store, all while ensuring that shoppers are not negatively affected by the robot's presence. It can also be a challenge for the robot to physically operate within the commercial environment. The aisles, displays, and environment of a store are designed for human satisfaction and commercial success, not for robotic interaction. As such, the robot must be able to succeed with its given task using the existing features of stores designed for human beings.
Beyond customer service, there are numerous duties required in commercial settings which are conventionally handled by human beings. One of these duties is the constant need for conducting inventory of the products within a store. Store employees often can spend countless hours assessing the inventory of a store by going aisle to aisle and correlating products to written records; jobs that robots have been conventionally unable to perform. There are many types of known service robots; however, such robots are not well-suited for customer service or adaptive inventory management service purposes, and thus are generally inefficient, unproductive, unattractive and otherwise less than desirable. Furthermore, when a robot is successfully implemented in a commercial facility, the initial costs and the daily operational costs can be significant, so it is necessary for the robot to be capable of performing as many tasks as possible.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.

Intelligent service robot and related systems and methods


A saturable magnetic reactor is disposed about one of the current-carrying conductors in a DC power transmission line. A zero-current status for the transmission line is sensed by means of impedance changes in the reactor. A step-down transformer cascade electromagnetically couples the saturable reactor to impedance detection means, which means typically comprise an oscillator driven bridge circuit.

The present invention relates to zero-current detectors for high voltage DC power transmission lines and in particular to such a detector employing a saturable magnetic reactor.
The sensing of current (including zero current) in an AC line is typically done with a "current transformer" which consists of a large iron core which circles the AC line and is dielectrically insulated from it. If a multi-turn winding on the iron core is loaded with a sufficiently small load resistance, then the voltage generated across the load resistance is a faithful replica of the current in the AC line.
For high voltage direct-current transmission, the magnetic flux surrounding the conductor is relatively constant so a conventional iron-core current transformer would not work, i.e., the core would merely saturate. If one omitted the iron core, i.e., merely used the voltage output of a coil adjacent to the line, this also is incapable of indicating the magnitude of the DC current. The reason for this is that the coil output voltage merely indicates the time-rate-of-change of the line current, i.e., the coil output would be identical for a current change going from 2,000 amp to 1,500 amp (in a given time) as for a current change going from 500 amp to zero amp in the same time. Thus, coil output would merely indicate a change in current, but not the magnitude of the current.
The desirability of providing zero-current sensors for high voltage DC power transmission lines is becoming greater because of the increased use of DC transmission lines for long distance power transmission. Any inefficiencies which may result in converting the alternating current to direct current and back again at the terminal ends of the transmission line are compensated for by the increased transmission efficiency of direct-current power. To provide increased system reliability, the DC power transmission lines are typically provided in side-by-side pairs, so that if there is a failure in one pair, service may be restored through the system through the other pair. The use of such pairs is particularly prevalent along those portions of the transmission line where repair is difficult or would be slow, for example, along an underwater path. If a failure occurs on one of the transmission line pairs, it is highly desirable that the DC power be rapidly switched to the alternate line in order to minimize the disruption of service. This is done by gradually lowering the DC current on the line until the current is low enough so that the switches employed can interrupt it. The switches now employed cannot interrupt a DC current of more than approximately 10 amperes. Hence, it is necessary to locate a zero-current sensor at each switch to detect when the line current is low enough so that the switch can be opened without damage.
Typical high voltage DC power transmission lines operate at power levels of approximately 400,000 volts and 2,000 amperes. For such lines, present zero-current sensors must not only be placed near the terminal ends of the line but also along the lines at switch positions which may be located tens or hundred of miles from the terminal equipment. Each of these zero-current sensors disposed along the transmission line now comprises a free standing device called a "transductor", typically costing approximately sixty thousand dollars if rated at 400 kV. The primary reason for this high cost is the insulation required. Accordingly, the cost of such sensors significantly adds to the ultimate price of the DC power system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,087,701 issued May 1978 to John M. Anderson and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention describes a transformer cascade for delivering relatively low levels of electric power to electronic systems and instrumentation operating on high voltage transmission lines. These transmission lines may be either direct current lines or alternating current transmission lines. In the Anderson invention, power is transmitted from a source at ground potential to instrumentation circuits operating at line potential through a cascade of transformers, each having relatively low voltage insulation and a turns ratio of approximately 1:1. The contents of this Anderson patent are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

Zero-current detector for high voltage DC transmission line


A liquid crystal display device of the present invention capable of enlarging and displaying to a high picture quality even when display data having a lower resolution than a liquid crystal panel is inputted is provided with storage element groups every drain line within latches of a liquid crystal driver. A portion of the storage element groups simultaneously captures display data. In doing so, the same liquid crystal apply voltage is outputted from drain lines corresponding to these storage element groups. Storage element groups corresponding to neighboring drain lines then simultaneously capture display data so as to enlarge an image in the horizontal direction. The rate of enlargement can be regulated by changing the number of storage element groups simultaneously capturing display data. A scanning driver then simultaneously selects a plurality of rows with a select voltage being applied to the simultaneously selected rows of pixel elements in the same period so as to enlarge the image in the vertical direction. Enlarged displaying is therefore possible by the liquid crystal driver regulating an output period of the liquid crystal apply voltage even when rows are selected one at a time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display and more particularly relates to a liquid crystal driver capable of enlarging and displaying a low resolution image signal on a liquid crystal panel.
2. Description of Related Art
A description of a related liquid crystal display will be given using FIG. 2 to FIG. 5.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a related liquid crystal driver. FIG. 3 is a timing chart showing the operation of a related liquid crystal driver. FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are block diagrams of liquid crystal displays employing related liquid crystal drivers.
In FIG. 2, numeral 101 indicates a data bus for transmitting display data. Numeral 102 indicates a clock CL2 synchronized with the display data of the display data bus 101. Further, numeral 103 indicates a display data capture start signal El, numeral 104 indicates a horizontal synchronization signal CL1 generated every horizontal period and numeral 105 indicates a reference gradation voltage that is a reference for a gradation voltage outputted by this liquid crystal driver. Moreover, numeral 201 indicates a shift register, numeral 202 indicates a latch signal group generated by the shift register 201, numeral 203 indicates a data latch, numeral 204 indicates a data bus for transmitting line data outputted by the data latch 203, numeral 205 indicates a line data latch for simultaneously capturing line data transmitted by the data bus 204, numeral 206 indicates a data bus for transmitting line data outputted by the line data latch 205, numeral 207 indicates a gradation voltage generator for generating a gradation voltage from the data bus 206 and the reference gradation voltage 105 and numeral 208 indicates a signal line group (hereinafter referred to as a "drain line group") for transmitting the gradation voltage generated by the gradation voltage generator 207.
In FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, numeral 401 indicates a data bus for transmitting display data supplied from a system (not shown in the drawings) and a synchronization signal. Numeral 402 indicates a controller for generating display data and timing signals etc. for liquid crystal driving use based on display data and synchronization signals transmitted via the data bus 401. Further, numeral 403 indicates a liquid crystal driver, numeral 404 and 404' indicate scanning drivers, numeral 405 indicates a power supply and numeral 406 and 406' indicate liquid crystal panels. Moreover, numeral 407 indicates a data bus for transmitting liquid crystal display data and timing signals supplied to the liquid crystal driver 403 from the controller 402, numeral 408 indicates a data bus for transmitting signals for controlling the scanning driver 404 and numeral 409 indicates a signal line for transmitting an alternating signal supplied to the power supply 405. Numeral 410 indicates a signal line group (hereinafter referred to as a "drain line group") for transmitting gradation voltages generated by the liquid crystal driver 403. Numeral 411 indicates a signal line group (hereinafter referred to as a "gate line group") for transmitting line select/de-select voltages generated by the scanning driver 404. Numeral 412 indicates a power supply line for transmitting a reference voltage for the line select/de-select voltage generated by the power supply 405 to the scanning driver 404. Numeral 413 indicates a power supply line for transmitting a voltage that is a reference for the gradation voltages generated by the liquid crystal driver 403. Numeral 414 indicates a power supply line for providing a voltage to opposing electrodes of the liquid crystal panel 406. Numeral 418 indicates supplementary capacitors provided in order to prevent voltage leakage from the liquid crystal 417. Numeral 415 indicates a power supply line for supplying a voltage to the supplementary capacitors 418 of the liquid crystal panel 406. Numeral 416 indicates a "Thin Film Transistor" (hereinafter abbreviated to "TFT") for carrying out a switching operation. Numeral 417 indicates a liquid crystal which is described as a condenser.
The details of the liquid crystal display of FIG. 4A are described based on FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. Here, a description is given with a 640 pixel portion of valid display data being transmitted to the liquid crystal driver.
When the display data capture start signal 103 is valid, the shift register 201 sequentially puts the latch signal group 202 to valid (refer to FIG. 3) in accordance with the clock 102 synchronized with the display data to be transmitted by the display data bus 101.
The data latch 203 then captures the display data by sequentially latching the display data transmitted via the display data bus 101 in accordance with the latch signal group 202. The display data stored at the data latch 203 also appears at the data bus 204 as shown in FIG. 3 because the latch signal group 202 is generated in synchronization with the display data transmitted via the display data bus 101.
When the horizontal synchronization signal 104 becomes valid, the line data latch 205 simultaneously captures the display data stored at the data latch 203 via the data bus 204. The line data latch 205 then transmits this captured display data to the gradation voltage generator 207 via the data bus 206. The gradation voltage generator 207 then generates gradation voltages in response to this display data and outputs the gradation voltage via the drain line group 208 (410).
When one horizontal line portion of display data is stored at the line data latch 205, the shift register 201 and the data latch 203 start the operation to catch display data for the next line. The above operation is then sequentially repeated during displaying.
The conditions for the liquid crystal driver of this related example to carry out displaying will be described together with a further driving circuit using FIG. 4A.
In FIG. 4A, the controller 402 converts the display data and synchronization signal transmitted from the system bus 401 into display data for liquid crystal driver use and each of the various timing signals and supplies this data and the various signals to the appropriate parts. The liquid crystal driver 403 then captures the display data in sequence and generates and outputs a gradation voltage corresponding to display data for one horizontal line portion. The liquid crystal driver 403 has already been described using FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.
The scanning driver 404 applies a select voltage or de-select voltage to the gate line group 411 in synchronization with the output of the gradation voltage, i.e. the scanning driver 404 applies a select voltage to the gate line connected to the first line while the liquid crystal driver 403 outputs a gradation voltage corresponding to the display data of the first line, with a de-select voltage being applied to gate lines of the remaining lines. TFTs 416 of pixel parts for the first line then become selected and a gradation voltage transmitted via a signal line of the drain line group 410 is applied to liquid crystals 417 and supplementary capacitors 418 of pixels of the first line.
Next, a select voltage is applied to the gate line connected to the second line when the liquid crystal driver 403 outputs a gradation voltage corresponding to display data for a second line. The gradation voltage is therefore applied to the TFTs of the pixels for the second line in the same way as for the first line. A de-select voltage is then applied to the gate lines of the first line and the remaining lines. The TFT 416 of the first line therefore goes off and the load (i.e. the applied gradation voltages) accumulated at the liquid crystal 417 and supplementary capacitors 418 for each of the pixel parts is stored.
Gradation voltages corresponding to display data for one picture portion can then be applied to all of the pixel parts by repeating the above operation while sequentially changing the line to which a select voltage is applied.
The operation of the related liquid crystal display shown in FIG. 4B is also basically the same as the liquid crystal display of FIG. 4A. However, with the liquid crystal panel 406' utilized in the liquid crystal display of FIG. 4B, the supplementary capacitors 417 of the pixel parts put on by the TFT 416 are connected to a separate neighboring gate line and a selection voltage therefore cannot be applied simultaneously to two neighboring gate lines.
With related liquid crystal displays, however, the picture becomes unsightly when the resolution of inputted valid display data and the resolution of the liquid crystal panel do not coincide. This problem is described in detail using FIG. 5.
In the example shown in FIG. 5, valid display data of 640 horizontal pixels and 480 vertical lines is shown on a liquid crystal display having 1024 horizontal pixels and 768 vertical lines.
As only a 640 pixel portion of display data is transmitted in the horizontal direction, the shift register 201 (refer to FIG. 2) of the liquid crystal driver 403 only puts a 640 pixel portion of the latch signal group 202 as being valid. Portions corresponding to latch signal groups 202 thereafter for the data latch 203, line data latch 205 and gradation voltage generator 207 are therefore not inputted as valid display data. Displaying is therefore not possible for regions for which this latch signal is not valid.
Further, only a 480 line portion of display data is transmitted in the vertical direction. Display data for the following frame therefore gets transmitted during the operation of selecting the gate lines of the lower part of the displayed picture. The image to be displayed at the upper part of the picture in the next frame therefore gets displayed at the lower part of the picture for the current frame, causing a problem.


A mat rolling machine for rolling a mat having a leading edge and a trailing edge may include a frame, at least one first drive belt, a plurality of second drive belts, a plurality of third drive belts, and a plurality of fourth drive belts. The mat rolling machine may include a plurality of primary fingers and a plurality of secondary fingers having a smaller radius of curvature on a lower face than the plurality of primary fingers. The mat rolling machine may include at least one support member for guiding a mat along a path through the mat rolling machine, and at least one pusher for discharging a rolled mat from the rear of the mat rolling machine. The mat rolling machine may include a wrapper cartridge. The mat rolling machine may include a cutter mechanism.

Mat rolling machines are typically used in the field of commercial rug cleaning. Large rugs and mats of the sort typically found in the lobbies, foyers and hallways of commercial, retail and industrial enterprises are sometimes removed for off-site cleaning. Once cleaned, these rugs may be rolled on a mat rolling machine to quickly shape the rug into a generally cylindrical form for ease of delivery.
A typical prior art mat rolling machine may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,644 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,010, hereby incorporated by reference. The mat rolling machines of the above-cited references have a frame and a hood housing a first set of horizontal or slightly inclined belts interleaved with a second set of generally vertical belts. The first set of belts moves the rug towards the second set of belts, which then moves the rug upward. The front edge of the rug travels upwards towards a set of fingers which curve the front edge of the rug back over to begin forming the rug into a cylindrical roll. Once the initial cylinder shape is formed, the action of the first set of belts and the second set of belts continue to roll the rug into a cylindrical shape. There is a control panel positioned generally below the first set of belts, and there are emergency stop buttons located on the hood above the fingers. These mat rolling machines can roll a rug such that the hollow interior of the roll is about 3 to 5 inches in diameter.
There is an ongoing need for an improved mat rolling machine and components thereof to roll rugs and mats.

Rear discharge mat rolling machine with wrapper


The invention relates to inhibiting the degradation of fuel oils by the addition of phosphines and phosphites. Additionally, the invention relates to inhibiting the degradation of fuel oils by drying the fuel oil and adding phosphines and phosphites.

This invention relates to inhibiting distillate fuel oil fouling, manifested by color degradation, particulate formation and gum generation in distillate fuel oils.
During hydrocarbon processing, transportation and storage, the hydrocarbons deteriorate, particularly when subjected to elevated temperatures. The deterioration usually results in the formation of sediment, sludge, or gum and can manifest itself visibly by color deterioration. Sediment, sludge, or gum formation may cause clotting of the equipment or fouling of processing equipment, such as, for example, heat exchangers, compressors, furnaces, reactors and distillation systems. The fouling can be caused by the gradual accumulation of high molecular weight polymeric material on the inside surfaces of the equipment. As fouling continues, the efficiency of the operation associated with hydrocarbon processing equipment, such as heat exchangers, compressors, furnaces, reactors and distillation systems, decreases. The distillate streams which can result in significant fouling include the straight run distillates (kerosene, diesel, jet), naphthas, catalytic cracker feedstocks (gas oils), light and heavy cycle oils, coker naphthas, residual fuel oils, petrochemical plant feedstocks, and hydrotreated products of the above.
It is has been found that some types of color degradation, particulate formation and gum generation can be traced to the presence of indole species and certain phenol species in the fuel oils. It is believed that these species react and cause degradation of the fuel oil. Therefore, it is desirable to develop methods for preventing the reactions of these species and thus the degradation of the fuel oil.

Fuel with stability additive and process for stabilizing fuel using an additive


An apparatus is provided comprising a first tubular having an inside surface and outside surface defining an outside diameter; a second tubular concentric with the first tubular, the second tubular having an inside surface defining an inside diameter greater than the outside diameter of the first tubular, an outside surface, and a longitudinal axis; a plurality of spacers between the first and second tubulars, each spacer having a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the second tubular, wherein at least one spacer is hollow; and at least one data sensing device and/or at least one data collecting device and/or at least one data transmitting device is carried within the at least one hollow spacer.

This invention relates to an apparatus for measurement and solid fluid filtering, particularly an apparatus for measurement during exploration and production of subsurface resources that simultaneously reduces solids from being produced while allowing fluids to be produced into a production conduit.
Various properties are typically monitored in wells, such as flow, pressure, vibration, sound, strain, light frequency and changes thereof, electrical resistance and conductance, displacement, and temperature. Measurement devices are typically either run down on wireline tools, or in lines attached externally to the drill or production piping. Wireline tool measurement techniques allow for measurements over short periods of time, since wireline tools are typically not left in a well. Additional conduits disposed in the well outside of the production conduit reduce the overall size of the drilling or production conduits which fluids can be produced through, as space must be made to accommodate the additional instrumentation line in the wellbore.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,202,939 teaches the art of using optic fiber sensors for pressure, temperature, and strain, with the Fabry-Perot interferometer and cross-correlation methods using a Fizeau interferometer. The Fabry-Perot optic sensing crevice could be used for measuring physical parameters within wellbore if the optics could be successfully carried downhole.
There is a need for an apparatus to be disposed permanently in the wellbore which will allow full-time measurement while minimizing an reduction to flow area in the production conduit. In a first embodiment there is provided an apparatus comprising:
a first tubular having an inside surface and outside surface defining an outside diameter;
a second tubular concentric with and said first tubular, said second tubular having an inside surface defining an inside diameter greater than the outside diameter of said first tubular, an outside surface, and a longitudinal axis;
a plurality of spacers between said first and second tubulars, each said spacer having a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of said second tubular, wherein at least one said spacer is hollow; and
at least one means for sensing data and/or at least one means for collecting, data and/or at least one means for transmitting data carried within said at least one hollow spacer.
In a second embodiment there is provided an apparatus for measurement comprising:
a cylindrical shaped membrane having a longitudinal axis, said membrane comprising at least one wire wound helically around a plane parallel to said longitudinal axis, thereby forming a cylindrical shaped membrane having an inside surface defining an inside diameter and an outside surface defining an outside diameter, wherein at least one said wire is hollow; and
at least one means for sensing data and/or at least one means for collecting data and/or at least one means for transmitting data carried within said at least one hollow wire.
In another embodiment, there is provided a process for taking measurements in a well, said process comprising:
providing a wellbore;
running means for sensing data and means for collecting data and means for transmitting data within an apparatus placed in the wellbore, said apparatus comprising a first tubular having an inside surface and outside surface defining an outside diameter, a second tubular concentric with and said first tubular, said second tubular having an inside surface defining an inside diameter greater than the outside diameter of said first tubular, an outside surface, and a longitudinal axis, and a plurality of spacers between said first and second tubulars, each said spacer having a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of said second tubular, wherein at least one said spacer is hollow, wherein said one means for sensing data and means for collecting data and means for transmitting data are carried within said at least one hollow spacer.
sensing and collecting data depicting certain well conditions; and
transmitting said data through said means for transmitting data.