A method and system are disclosed for performing supervised outcome-driven persona-typing, including receiving a first data set having patient specific data, treatment data, and outcome data for each of a plurality of first patients. Once received, the plurality of first patients are grouped based on the first data set, and a persona for each of patient groups is generated. A second data set may then be received for a second patient including second patient specific data. A comparison is then carried out on the second data set to identify an existing persona, and then associate the second patient with the identified persona. Based on each of the above steps, a patient care plan is then created.

Genetic information from patients allows the possibility of precision oncology and treatments for patients that are individualized. However, genetic information alone may not be sufficient. For example, a genomic profiling study reveals actionable mutations affecting signaling pathways, but in spite of these mutations, targeted inhibitors of these pathways may have low success rates. A possible reason for these failures is that single-gene biomarkers may fail to account for crosstalk within and between dysregulated pathways. Multi-omic profiling based on multiple biomarkers, genetic and molecular information and patient history can help make better molecular recommendations for treatment.
There has been an explosion in the number of drugs being developed specifically for cancer—nearly 1,000 separate drugs are currently at various stages of being tested for safety and efficacy. This growth in new drugs is associated with an evolution of precision medicine. However, it is unlikely that an oncologist can keep up with all of the science and progress established though these clinical trials or all of the published literature on disease treatments.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a system and process of patient evaluation that creates a comprehensive patient care plan.

Outcome driven persona-typing for precision oncology


An information processor which provides a game in which a benefit is awarded as a result of random determination to a terminal device over a communication line executes the processes of: (a) receiving, from the terminal device, a result of the random determination of determining content of the benefit, which is sent each time the random determination is executed; (b) storing, in the storage unit, the result of the random determination received in the process (a); (c) when a game acceleration instruction for accelerating progress of the game is made in the terminal device, receiving results of a predetermined number of times of execution of the random determination, which are sent together from the terminal device; and (d) storing, in the storage unit, the results of the predetermined number of times of execution of the random determination, which are received in the process (c).

Social games have recently been provided. In such a social game, a game provided from a server (information processor) is played on terminal devices such as smartphones owned by many players, over a communication network.
Among the social games, there is a social game in which various random determinations are performed in response to player's operations of a smartphone and the game progresses based on results of random determination (e.g., awarding of an item, awarding of a payout, and occurrence of an event) (Patent Literature 1 (U.S. Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-0200346)). In such a game, the random determinations may be successively executed in response to an operation by a player or the occurrence of an event. Under this circumstance, players who are used to play the game may wish to know a result of random determination early by shortening an effect accompanied with the random determination.
To fulfill the wish, an operation of informing a result of random determination early (acceleration of game progress) may be performed by shortening the time of the effect accompanied with the random determination in response to a predetermined operation or the use of a predetermined item awarded in the game progress.

Information processor and recording medium storing game program


A connector includes contacts having a contact portion, a connection portion, a fulcrum portion, a jointing portion and a pressure receiving portion; a housing having a ceiling portion covering the contact portions of the contacts and an upper wall covering the pressure receiving portions; and a pivoting member having an actuating portion, urging portions, anchoring holes and a cover portion. Pivotal movement of the urging portions between the connection portions and the pressure receiving portions brings the contact portions into contact with a connecting object. Gaps between the tip of the upper wall and the actuating portion and between the upper wall and the tip of the lower part of the pivoting member are made narrow so that the pivotally moving pivoting member does not touch the upper wall of the housing, thereby enhancing dust-proofing and achieving no insertion force for flexible printed circuit board.

The present invention relates to a connector using a flexible printed circuit board for use in electric and electronic appliances such as flat-screen or thin-shaped plasma televisions, notebook personal computers and the like, and more particularly to a connector superior in dust-proofing.
Connectors used in mobile phones, charge coupled device (CCD) cameras and the like generally include conductors arranged in narrow pitches and are very thin (a so-called lighter, more compact). A connector of one type mainly comprises a housing and contacts, and a flexible printed circuit board is inserted into the housing to force the circuit board into contact with the contacts (a so-called non-zero-insertion force type). A connector of another type mainly comprises a housing, contacts, and a slider, and a flexible printed circuit board is embraced between the housing and a slider (a so-called zero-insertion-force type). Various methods can be considered for embracing the flexible printed circuit board by the housing and the slider. Among them, a construction has been used in many cases, in which after the flexible printed circuit board has been inserted into the housing, the slider is inserted to press the circuit board against the contacts. According to customer's specifications and in order to achieve narrow pitches, it is often required to arrange connection portions of the contacts on the side of a fitting opening of the housing.
The housing is provided with inserting holes for inserting a required number of contacts and with a fitting opening for inserting a flexible printed circuit board. The contacts each mainly comprise a contact portion adapted to contact a flexible printed circuit board, a connection portion to be connected to a substrate, and a fixed portion to be fixed to the housing. The contacts are fixed to the housing by means of press-fitting or the like.
As examples of the zero-insertion-force type, or a so-called rear locking type, incorporated herein are Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2003-297,489 (Patent Literature 1) and Japanese Patent Application Opened No. H11-307,198 (1999) (Patent Literature 2) and further Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2004-71,160 (Patent Literature 3) proposed by the applicant of the present application. Moreover, as examples of constructions for locking the flexible printed circuit board, incorporated herein are Japanese Utility Model Application Opened No. H6-82,783 (Patent Literature 4) and Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-422,258 (Patent Literature 5) proposed by the applicant of the present application.
Patent Literature 1
According to the Abstract of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2003-297,489, this invention has an object to provide a connector whose actuator can be operated by a slight force and which can achieve a reliable connection by enlarging movements of contacts by the actuator and further can achieve a reduced overall height of the connector. The actuator comprises cam portions, an actuating portion, and relief grooves therebetween, into which tip portions of spring portions of contacts can be detachably inserted. When the actuator is rotated about a fulcrum through 90° in the clockwise direction, the cam portions cause the spring portions and connecting spring portions of the contacts to be elastically deformed so that a flexible printed circuit board is embraced between protrusions of contact portions, with the result that patterns of the flexible printed circuit board are connected through terminals of the contacts to a printed substrate. An insulator includes a ceiling portion for covering the contact portions of the contacts, and a guiding portion below the ceiling portion on the forward side for inserting the flexible printed circuit board into the connector.
Patent Literature 2
According to the Abstract of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. H11-307,198 (1999), this invention has an object to provide a connector for a printed circuit board, connecting a plurality of terminals and holding the flexible printed circuit board, which achieves improved operationality and holding performance. The connector includes a housing having an inserting groove for inserting a flexible printed circuit board or the like, a plurality of contacts arranged side by side so as to permit their contact portions to extend into and retract from the inserting groove, and an actuating member having a plurality of cam portions and being pivotally movable between a connecting position and a release position. When the actuating member is in the connecting position, operated portions of the contacts are urged by the cam portions to cause the contact portions to extend into the inserting groove so that the contact portions are pressed against terminals of the flexible printed circuit board or the like, thereby electrically connecting the terminals to the contacts. On the other hand, when the actuating member is in the release position, operated portions of some contacts are urged by the cam portions to cause the contact portions to slightly extend into the inserting groove so that the contact portions abut against the flexible printed circuit board to temporarily hold the circuit board, and the contact portions of the remaining contacts are caused to retract relative to the inserting groove.
Patent Literature 3
According to the Abstract of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2004-71,160, the invention has an object to provide a connector capable of securely pressing a flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable against contact portions of contacts by means of a slider without degrading strengths and specifications of respective components, and being superior in operationality, and achieving narrow pitches of conductors and reduced overall height. Disclosed is the connector whose contacts each comprise a contact portion, a connection portion, and an elastic portion and a fulcrum between the contact portion and the connection portion, and the contact portion, the elastic portion, the fulcrum and the connection portion are arranged substantially in the form of a crank. Moreover, the contacts are each provided with a pressure receiving portion extending from the elastic portion at a location facing to the connection portion. The slider is provided with urging portions arranged in a row side by side in its longitudinal direction and is installed on the housing so as to permit the urging portions to be pivotally moved between the connection portions and the pressure receiving portions of the contacts.
Patent Literature 4
According to the Abstract of the Japanese Utility Model Application Opened No. H6-82,783 (1994), this utility model has an object to provide a connector capable of easily anchoring a flexible flat cable by pawls of a slider even with the flexible flat cable having a rigid reinforcement plate attached to its rear face. Disclosed is a connector construction comprising a housing including contact pins therein and formed with a fitting space into which a flat cable is inserted, and a slider mounted on the housing such that the slider can be detachably inserted into the fitting space of the housing and is pivotally movable outside of the housing when the slider is removed from the fitting space, thereby bringing the flat cable into electrical contact with the contact pins by forcing the slider into the fitting space after the flat cable has been inserted into the fitting space, wherein the slider is provided on its flat cable abutting surface with anchoring protrusions adapted to be inserted in and anchored at anchoring portions formed in the flexible cables and formed in a reinforcement plate attached to the rear face of the flexible cable.
Patent Literature 5
In Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2003-422,258proposed by the applicant of the present application, disclosed as a construction for locking a flexible printed circuit board is a connector ensuring a required holding force for a flexible printed circuit board, even if the number of conductors is small, without causing any defective connection. According to this invention, the connector to be detachably fitted with a flexible printed circuit board includes a required number of contacts having a contact portion adapted to contact the flexible printed circuit board, and a housing holding and fixing the contacts therein and having a fitting opening into which the flexible printed circuit board is inserted, wherein the flexible printed circuit board is provided with anchoring portions and a locking member having engaging portions adapted to engage the anchoring portions is mounted on the housing so that the flexible printed circuit board is fixed so as not to be removed from the housing by causing the engaging portions of the locking member to be engaged with the anchoring portions of the printed circuit board, and a further reliable locking can be achieved by providing grooves in positions corresponding to the engaging portions.
Patent Literature 6
In the Abstract of Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-307,793 proposed by the applicant of the present application in order to improve dust-proof property, disclosed is a connector with high dust-proofing capability and requiring little or no insertion force for a flexible printed circuit board. The connector includes a required number of contacts, a housing, and a pivoting member, wherein the contacts each comprise at least a contact portion, a connection portion, a fulcrum portion, a jointing portion and a pressure receiving portion, and are substantially H-shaped, and when urging portions of the pivoting member are pivotally moved between the connection portions and the pressure receiving portions to bring the contact portions into contact with a connecting object, and wherein the housing comprises a ceiling portion for covering the contact portions of the contacts and an upper wall for covering the pressure receiving portions of the contacts, and the pivoting member comprises an actuating portion, the urging portions, anchoring holes, and a cover portion which covers the tail portions of the contacts after the pivoting member has been pivoted.
Recently, on proceeding of miniaturization of electric and electronic appliances, the need for miniaturization of connectors has become stronger so that the connectors have increasingly become lighter and more compact. With such a progress of light weight and smaller geometry, connectors whose upper surfaces of contacts (particularly on tail side) are exposed have been widely used in order to obtain an operating space for a pivoting member such as an actuator, slider and the like. Depending upon uses or applications of the connectors, however, there is no need for miniaturization (reduced overall height), and therefore, the dust-proofing of the connector would be degraded by the exposed contacts, which may cause defective or failed electrical connection as the case may be.
Moreover, there is a need for a connector capable of inserting a flexible printed circuit board thereinto with a slight force which is as little as possible. Further, there is a requirement for enabling to visually ascertain whether a flexible printed circuit board has been completely fitted in the connector. Furthermore, sometimes connectors are used under bad circumstances such as dusty environment. According to our customer's specifications, a requirement has become stronger for improving dust-proof property than that of the Patent Literature 6 proposed by the applicant of the present application.

Connector having a pivoting member with enhanced dust proofing


A rotation angle detecting device includes a permanent magnet member, a pair of magnetic sensor elements disposed in a magnetic field formed by the permanent magnet member to provide a pair of output voltage signals when the magnetic field changes as the rotating object rotates; and a rotation angle calculating unit. The rotation angle calculating unit calculates a phase difference between the pair of output voltage signals from a magnitude of the output signal of one of the magnetic sensor elements when detecting a specific magnitude of the output signal of the other magnetic sensor elements whose phase angle is known.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotation angle detecting device that detects a rotation angle of a rotating object.
2. Description of the Related Art
JP-2003-75108-A discloses a rotation angle detecting device that includes a pair of magnetic sensors and a magnetic field forming member. When a rotating object rotates, the pair of magnetic sensors of such a rotation angle detecting device is arranged to rotate relative to a magnetic field formed by the magnetic field forming member, thereby providing a pair of output signals, which is converted into a rotation angle of the rotating object.
However, if the phase difference between the output signals varies, it is difficult to detect an accurate rotation angle of the rotating object.


Inkjet ink compositions comprising a liquid vehicle, an azo pigment, and a synergist are described. The colorant of the azo pigment and the synergist have specific structural features that, in combination, can be used to form an inkjet ink composition having long term stability in a variety of ink vehicles.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to inkjet ink compositions comprising at least one azo pigment and at least one synergist.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, pigments alone are not readily dispersible in liquid vehicles. A variety of techniques have been developed which can provide stable pigment dispersions. For example, dispersants can be added to the pigment to improve its dispersibility in a particular medium. Examples of dispersants for an aqueous medium include water-soluble polymers and surfactants.
Azo pigments are a specific class of colored pigments, generally falling in the yellow, orange, or red color space. These pigments are typically prepared by mixing a diazonium salt (the diazo component) with a compound capable of reacting with a diazonium salt (the azo coupling component). The type and substituents on each component determine the pigments color and brightness.
Dispersions of azo pigments have been prepared using a variety of different techniques, both physical (such as milling) as well as chemical. For example, azo pigment dispersions have been prepared using dispersants having a structural unit similar if not identical to the chemical unit of the colored pigment. For example, GB2356866 discloses a bis-azo compound derived from diazotized (carboxy/sulfo)-anilines and 1,4-bis(acetoacetamido)phenylenes and their use in pigment and ink compositions. These materials were found to be particularly useful in combination with yellow or orange pigments having nearly the identical structure. GB2356634 describes very similar mono-azo compounds for the same use. GB2364322 describes N-(sulfophenyl)-alpha-(2-methoxy-4-nitrophenylazo)acetacetamides for use with monoazo pigments, particularly yellow pigments. Also, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,451,103, water soluble pigment derivatives, which are pigments further substituted with an acidic functional group or salt, are used to prepare aqueous dispersions of that specific pigment. Inkjet inks are also disclosed.
Other methods of controlling the dispersibility of colored pigments are also known. For example, International Patent Application No. WO00/26304 discloses the preparation of a crystal growth inhibitor that controls the amount of crystallinity developed during the process of preparing a colored pigment and prevents recrystallization of dispersed pigments. The crystal growth inhibitor is prepared using a process similar to the known process for preparing the pigment (for example, by the reaction of a diazonium salt with an azo coupling agent), and can also be prepared in situ during the preparation of the colored pigment.
EP 1 316 588 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,300,504 describe methods of preparing dispersions of azo pigments using mixtures of azo couplers or mixtures of diazonium reagents have also been described, including. For example, EP 1 316 588 describes the preparation of a pigment yellow 74 which is obtainable by coupling a diazo component and a coupler component. The coupler component comprises 2-methoxyacetoacetoanilide and an acetoacetoanilide derivative having a defined formula which can be substituted with a COOH or SO3H group. A similar approach using mixtures of diazo components having these substituents is also described. Printing inks are also disclosed.
While these methods produce dispersions of azo pigments, some of these dispersions have been found to be particularly sensitive to various cosolvents and additives used in inkjet ink compositions. Therefore, there remains a need in the industry for methods of preparing inkjet ink compositions comprising azo pigments, particularly those have long term dispersion stability across various types of ink vehicles.

Inkjet ink compositions comprising azo pigments


An image forming apparatus which can stably form an image of high quality by the use of a first developer carrying member and a second developer carrying member. On the first developer carrying member, development is performed by a method whereby a magnetic carrier contacts with an image bearing member, and on the second developer carrying member, development is performed by a method whereby the magnetic carrier does not contact with the image bearing member.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an image forming apparatus for use in a copying machine, a printer, or facsimile apparatus or the like adopting, for example, an electrophotographic process or an electrostatic recording process.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine using an electrophotographic process, an electrostatic latent image formed on an image bearing member such as a photosensitive drum has been visualized by a developer being caused to adhere thereto. As this developer, there is a magnetic mono-component developer including a magnetic toner, a nonmagnetic mono-component developer including a nonmagnetic toner, a dual-component developer including a nonmagnetic toner and a magnetic carrier, or the like, and one of these is suitably used.
Of conventional developing devices in which such developers are used, an example of a developing device using the dual-component developer including the nonmagnetic toner and the magnetic carrier is shown in FIG. 8 of the accompanying drawings.
In the developing device 1 using the dual-component developer as shown in this example, there is often adopted the construction of a single sleeve developing device of a construction containing the dual-component developer in a developer container 2, and provided with a developer carrying member 8 carrying the developer thereon and conveying the developer to develop an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive drum 10, i.e., a developing sleeve 8a and a magnet roll 8b provided therein, and further provided in the developer container 2 with conveying screws 5 and 6 which are conveying means for conveying the developer to the developing sleeve 8a while agitating the developer.
In such a developing device, however, there occurs in some cases a blank image which is one of image defects by an edge enhancement.
The mechanism of this blank image occurring will hereinafter be described with reference to FIG. 9 of the accompanying drawings. This is an example adopting a reversal developing process.
Usually, the blank image occurs when an image including a highlight image α is formed in an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 10, near the boundary between the highlight image α formed downstream with respect to the moving direction β of the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 and a solid image β formed upstream, i.e., between the trailing edge of the highlight image α and the leading edge of the solid image β.
FIG. 9 shows the shapes of an equipotential surface C and an electric flux line H when there is the highlight portion a on the photosensitive drum 10 and there is the solid portion β behind it and the boundary portion γ between the highlight portion a and the solid portion β is opposed to the developing sleeve 8a. It will be seen from this figure that near the boundary portion γ, the electric flux line H is greatly attracted toward the solid portion β.
Accordingly, in the conventional single-sleeve developing process, in a construction wherein the developing sleeve 8a is rotated in a forward direction D with the photosensitive drum 10, the toner in the supplied developer cannot be supplied to the trailing edge of the highlight portion α, but is used to develop along the electric flux line H toward the solid portion β and therefore, it is considered that there is a case where a blank area A occurs in the trailing edge portion of the highlight portion α.
So, in order to prevent the blank image, as shown in FIG. 10 of the accompanying drawings, there has been proposed a twin-sleeve developing process provided in a developer container 2 with two developer carrying members 8 and 9 upstream and downstream with respect to the rotation direction of a photosensitive drum 10, i.e., having developing sleeves 8a and 9a provided with magnet rolls 8b and 9b therein, and using a dual-component developer for visualizing the same electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 10 by a first developing step executed by the upstream developing sleeve 8a, and a second developing step executed by the use of the downstream developing sleeve 9a (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-323052).
This twin-sleeve developing process is a developing process which reduces the electric potential difference between the highlight portion a and the solid portion β by the above-described first developing step, and which reliably effects development at the trailing edge of the highlight portion α to thereby make it difficult for a blank image to occur.
Further, when the inventor carried out an investigation about an image characteristic, it was found that the dignity of image is determined chiefly by the second developing step.
Specifically, coarseness used in a measure of the quality of image and scavenging occurring in the trailing edge portion of an image are substantially determined by a developing characteristic at the second developing step. Particularly it has been ascertained that coarseness and scavenging occur due largely to such a factor as the mechanical frictional contact between the magnetic carrier in the dual-component developer and the photosensitive drum.
This will hereinafter be described in detail.
The first developing step is a step of developing an electrostatic latent image to thereby eliminate the electric potential difference between the highlight portion and the solid portion. Accordingly, it is desirable that developing efficiency be high. This can be accomplished by lengthening the effective developing time, i.e., setting the circumferential length of a developing nip to a great value. Specifically, a magnetic brush is caused to stay still after the termination of development to thereby earn the developing time, whereby the developing efficiency can be improved.
However, if the developer is caused to stay, as described above, the first developing step will be terminated with the deterioration of the image caused by a counter charge having occurred to the magnetic carrier.
When thereafter, shift is made to the second developing step, the electric potential difference between the highlight portion and the solid portion is reduced and therefore, at the second developing step, in the toner image already formed by the first developing step, the re-disposition of the toner is effected or if the toner does not adhere to that portion of the electrostatic latent image to which the toner should adhere (for example, a portion in which a blank image has occurred), the toner is supplied thereto to thereby achieve a higher quality of image.
However, the adoption of a developing method using a magnetic brush at the second developing step has led to the problem that the toner image already formed by the first developing step is disturbed more than necessary by the magnetic brush.
On the other hand, as a developing method not using a magnetic carrier, study has been made about a nonmagnetic toner mono-component developing method, as shown in FIG. 11 of the accompanying drawings (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-184988).
This developing device has a developing roller 8 as a developer carrying member contacting with a photosensitive drum 10, a supplying and collecting roller 80 for supplying and collecting a toner to the developing roller 8, and an elastic blade 81 abutting against the developing roller 8. The elastic blade 81 regulates the layer thickness of the toner supplied to the developing roller 8 and also, gives predetermined triboelectrification charges to the toner.
The developing device of such a construction does not use a magnetic carrier and therefore has the advantage that there is no noise component based on the magnetic carrier and thus, a higher quality of image can be achieved easily.
However, the charge giving (hereinafter referred to as the "tribo") to the nonmagnetic toner must be effected by only an extraneous additive to the toner and the elastic blade, and the stability of the tribo is spoiled by the deterioration of the elastic blade with time and the deterioration or the like of the toner due to the stress by the toner supplying and collecting roller. As a result, the developing characteristic is changed, and this has led to a great problem regarding durability.
Further, the magnetic carrier is not used and therefore the developing efficiency of the toner has been very bad, and the deterioration of image such as an edge enhancement has been liable to occur.
So, in order to solve the above-noted problems, as shown in FIG. 12 of the accompanying drawings, there has been proposed a developing method of taking out only a nonmagnetic toner component from a dual-component developer contained in a developer container 2, and conveying it to a developer carrying member and using it for development (see, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. H06-19638).
In this developing device, a developer carrying member 8 is provided with a developing sleeve 8a and a magnet roll 8b provided in the interior of the developing sleeve 8a, and an elastic blade 82 is provided so as to abut against the developing sleeve 8a. Also, a nonmagnetic mono-component developer and a slight amount of magnetic particles 83 are contained in a developer container 2. When in this construction, the developing sleeve 8a is rotated in a direction indicated by the arrow E, the magnetic particles 83 in the developer container 2 are blocked by the elastic blade 82, and only the nonmagnetic mono-component developer is carried on the surface of the developing sleeve and is conveyed to a developing area opposed to a photosensitive drum 10.
This method is a developing method which can satisfy the stability of durability resulting from the use of the mono-component developer and a higher quality of image resulting from the use of the mono-component developer.
However, an improvement in low developing efficiency resulting from the use of the mono-component developer is not achieved.


A golf ball stacking and dispensing apparatus is disclosed herein comprising: a) a substantially rectangular base frame; b) a plurality of rails substantially parallel to one pair of opposing sides of the rectangular base frame and secured at each end to the other pair of opposing faces of the rectangular base frame; and c) a hopper having an open-bottomed pyramidal lower section. The top edges of the sides of the base frame may extend above the tops of the rails. The rails are substantially uniformly spaced apart, with spacing and transverse dimensions such that a golf ball may not pass between adjacent rails, but rather is constrained to lie on each of two adjacent rails and roll along their lengths in a groove formed therebetween. The spacing between centerlines of adjacent rails must be larger than a ball diameter and less than about 1.414 times the ball diameter. Balls may be stacked on the apparatus by placing the hopper on the base frame, pouring balls into the hopper until a base layer is filled and a pyramidal stack is formed, and removing the hopper. Golf balls may be dispensed from the stack by rolling balls from the stack or along the grooves and over the side of the base frame into a practice area.

At a golf practice area, it is desirable to provide a golfer with a large supply of golf balls for use during a practice session. Such a supply of golf balls may be provided as a basket of balls carried by the golfer to the practice area. The golf balls must typically be removed by hand from the basket and moved to the practice area, which is time consuming and cumbersome for the golfer, requiring him/her to repeatedly bend over to remove golf balls from the basket. Alternatively, the entire basket of balls may be emptied into the practice area, resulting in a cluttered practice area, a falling/tripping hazard for the golfer, and significant numbers of balls rolling out of the immediate practice area which must be retrieved by the golfer or collected by golf facility personnel. The large number of balls required for a protracted practice session may also be too heavy (100 golf balls weigh about 10 pounds) to be readily carried to the practice area, necessitating repeated trips obtain more balls for continued practice.
Other previous means for providing a supply of golf balls for a practice session have employed a pyramidal stack of golf balls. Square pyramidal stacks of golf balls are provided by methods and apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 5,551,832 to Kelly; U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,574 to Thomsen; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,895 to Thomsen. Such pyramidal stacks offer the advantage over baskets of ease of dispensing golf balls for use. One or more golf balls may be knocked off of the stack by the head (i.e., lower end) of a golf club wielded by the golfer, without the need for the golfer to bend over to remove the balls by hand. Pyramidal stacks may also be considered an attractive way of presenting a supply of golf balls for use. Stacking the balls in a pyramid, however, may be quite labor intensive unless some means is used to quickly and readily create the stack. The Kelly patent discloses an open-bottomed square pyramidal shell which may be inverted and golf balls to be stacked poured in. When the pyramidal shell is filled, a square tray is placed over the open bottom and the entire assembly of shell, tray, and balls is turned upright. The tray holds the square pyramidal stack of golf balls after removal of the pyramidal shell. A drawback of this system is the fact that the stack (in the shell) must be held while the shell is being filled, and the assembly of shell, balls, and tray must be turned upright manually. This necessarily limits the weight (and therefore size) of a golf ball stack that may be practically achieved by this stacking system. The limit is typically 91 golf balls (a six layer stack, 6.times.6 balls on the bottom layer, 9.7 pounds) or 140 golf balls (a seven layer stack, 7.times.7 balls on the bottom layer, 14.9 pounds). A larger stack of balls, allowing a more protracted practice session and requiring less frequent restacking by golf facility personnel, is desirable. In particular, it is desirable to produce a stack with sufficiently many balls to sustain a two hour practice session at a typical rate of three balls used per minute (at least 360 balls, weighing 38.2 pounds).
The Thomsen patents disclose a golf ball tray having a square array of spherical depressions for receiving golf balls. A hopper with an open, square pyramidal lower end is placed over the tray, and golf balls are poured into a top opening of the hopper. As golf balls fill the spherical depressions, the square base layer, or array, of the pyramidal stack is formed. As more balls are poured in, subsequent layers are formed until the pyramidal stack is complete. Larger stacks of golf balls may be produced in this way, and the Thomsen patents disclose stacks as large as 204 golf balls (an eight layer stack, 8.times.8 balls on the bottom layer). It has been noted subsequently, however, that achieving complete filling of the base layer without excessive user manipulation and/or intervention is problematic. It is therefore desirable to provide apparatus and methods for producing a pyramidal stack of golf balls larger than previously disclosed which may be filled with little or no user manipulation and/or intervention, particularly when filling the base layer of the stack. The spherical depressions also make dispensing golf balls from the base layer with the head of a golf club difficult. It is therefore desirable to provide apparatus and methods for stacking golf balls in a pyramidal stack for use during golf practice sessions in which all of the golf balls in the stack, including the base layer, may be easily dispensed from the stack by a golfer using the head of a golf club.

Golf ball stacking and dispensing apparatus and method


The invention provides an isolated nucleic acid having a sequence encoding a spermidine/spermine acetyltransferase (“SSAT”), wherein translation of an mRNA comprising the encoded SSAT has increased basal translation and increased stimulated translation, compared to a wild-type mRNA encoding SSAT. Methods of use for the nucleic acid are also provided. Methods and compositions are also provided for reducing ischemia-reperfusion injury in organs or tissue for transplantation.

In the discussion of the background that follows, reference is made to certain structures and/or methods. However, the following references should not be construed as an admission that these structures and/or methods constitute prior art. Applicants expressly reserve the right to demonstrate that such structures and/or methods do not qualify as prior art.
Polyamines are small positively charged molecules present in all cells. Common polyamines include putrescine, spermidine and spermine. Polyamines function in a myriad of biochemical processes including polynucleotide stabilization, transcription and translation regulation, enzyme activity modulation, iron channel regulation, and oxidative stress responses (Pegg et al., 1982, The American Journal of Physiology 243(5):C212-221; Wang et al., Polyamine cell signaling: physiology, pharmacology, and cancer research, Humana Press, Totowa, N.J., 2006). Polyamines are essential for cell growth; rates of synthesis and content both increase with increased cell proliferation. As a consequence, manipulation of polyamine metabolism has been an anti-cancer strategy, with pool depletion in tumor cells used as a surrogate marker of efficacy (Kramer and Gerner, 2004). For instance, inhibitors of the rate limiting enzymes have been evaluated clinically as anticancer and chemopreventive agents (Gerner et al., 2004, Nat. Rev. Cancer 4(10):781-792).
Because polyamines affect so many cell processes, control of intracellular pools is critical and levels are maintained within a relatively narrow range by shifts in anabolism/catabolism as well as import/export (Alhonen-Hongisto et al., 1980; Porter and Bergeron, 1988). Translation control mechanisms are known to be involved in eukaryotic cell regulation of polyamine metabolism (Coffino, 2001, Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 2(3):188-194; Pegg, 2006, J Biol Chem. 281(21):14529-14532; Raney et al., 2002, J Biol Chem. 277(8):5988-5994).
Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is the rate-limiting anabolic enzyme. ODC is regulated by a translational control mechanism that responds to polyamine levels and involves a strong secondary structure in the mRNA 5′ UTR, fast protein turnover, and control of homodimerization required for enzymatic activity (Pegg, 2006, J Biol Chem. 281(21):14529-14532). ODC "antizyme" controls ODC by blocking homodimerization and increasing turnover; antizyme itself is regulated by a translational control mechanism involving polyamine-induced ribosomal frame-shifting (Coffino, 2001, Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 2(3):188-194).
Spermidine/spermine acetyltransferase (SSAT) is the principal catabolic regulator. SSAT uses acetyl-CoA to acetylate spermidine and spermine. The acetylation reduces the positive charge of spermidine and spermine, thus making them inert and facilitating their excretion. SSAT has an extremely low basal expression and turns over faster than ODC, yet is quickly inducible to high activity when polyamines are in excess (Casero et al., 2009, Biochemical Journal 421:323-338). Experimental manipulations that increase SSAT transcription produce only limited increases in translation and, conversely, increases in translation by stimulation with polyamines can occur with little change in transcription (Fogel-Petrovic et al., 1996, FEBS letters 391(1-2):89-94; Parry et al., 1995, The Biochemical Journal 305 (Pt 2):451-458). The postulation has been that SSAT mRNA is maintained in a translationally repressed status such that cells are able to respond quickly to changes in polyamine levels by releasing the translational repression. There is some evidence to support this, but there is little information regarding the underlying molecular mechanism. Data indicate that the 3′ and 5′ UTRs are not involved, the 5′ terminus of the coding region is involved, and a repressor protein is likely to be involved, though to date, none has been identified (Butcher et al., 2007, J Biol Chem. 282:28530-28539; Parry et al., 1995, The Biochemical Journal 305 (Pt 2):451-458). Data also suggest that increased polyamine flux consequent to SSAT induction can restrict tumor growth, for instance, in prostate adenocarcinoma (Kee et al., 2004, J Biol Chem 279(38):40076-83, Epub 2004 Jul. 13; Babbar et al., 2011. Recent Results Cancer Res. 2011; 188:49-64; Simoneau et al., 2008, Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008 February; 17(2):292-9).
During recovery and preservation organs are anoxic, as they are in ischemia, and following transplantation they are reperfused. Reperfusion may result in ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). IRI may also arise following resumption of blood flow to an organ when blood flow is interrupted, such as following brain injury or myocardial infarction. IRI is estimated to be responsible for 10% of early graft loss in the case of transplanted livers (Amersi et al., J. Clin. Invest. 1999; 104:1631).
Agents that repress SSAT translation may possess therapeutic activity in disorders or diseases characterized at least in part by increased SSAT activity. Exemplary diseases having such increased SSAT activity include ischemia-reperfusion injury, stroke and myocardial infarction. In particular, prevention of SSAT translation provides an opportunity for prevention of IRI, including IRI after liver or renal transplant, myocardial infarction (Han et al. (2009) Int J Cardiol 132:142-144; Zahedi et al. (2009) Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 296:G899-G90) and brain injury (Zahedi et al. (2010) J Neurotrauma 27:515-525).
In each of these conditions, ischemic injury has been suggested to increase SSAT activity to a level that causes cell toxicity. Studies with SSAT knockout animals have confirmed that renal ischemia-reperfusion injury is at least partially SSAT dependent because SSAT knockout animals have very mild injury compared to wild type animals (Zahedi et al. 2009).
Ischemic reperfusion injuries such as acute renal failure, acute liver failure, stroke, and myocardial infarction are prevalent causes of morbidity and mortality. In particular, kidney ischemic reperfusion injury is the leading cause of acute renal failure and dysfunction of transplanted kidneys. Treatment options for IRI are few.
There is also an unmet need in the art to identify the mechanism underlying translational repression in eukaryotic cell regulation of polyamine metabolism and to identify agents that relieve translational repression. There is also a need to identify agents that increase or decrease translation of SSAT for use in therapies where increased or decreased expression of SSAT is desired. The present disclosure addresses this need.

SSAT mRNA translation repression and activation

TEMPLE UNIVERSITY—Of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education


A painting method for painting a plurality of regions with a plurality of colors by selecting and assigning respective colors corresponding to respective regions. The selection and assignment of colors is performed in a lump. Painting the plurality of regions with selected colors is also performed in a lump.

The present invention relates to a method of arranging colors to figures displayed on a display screen.
In a conventional display apparatus, when colors are arranged to a figure constructed by a plurality of areas, it is necessary to designate desired colors to the areas one by one.
For example, a case of arranging colors to a stack bar graph as shown in FIG. 1 is considered. It is assumed that red is designated to three areas 111, 112, and 113, blue is designated to three areas 121, 122, and 123, and green is designated to three areas 131, 132, and 133.
According to a conventional method, colors are arranged by designating and painting colors to the total nine areas one by one in a manner such that red is designated and painted to the area 111, red is similarly designated and painted to the area 112, red is similarly designated and painted to the area 113, blue is designated and painted to the area 121, and the like.
The number of color designations can be reduced by linking the areas to be painted the same color and regarding the linked areas as one area. Referring to FIG. 1, the three areas 111, 112, and 113 are regarded as one area and red is designated to the area, thereby enabling the three areas to be colored in a lump. By combining the areas as mentioned above, all of the nine areas can be colored by total three operations in the example of FIG. 1.
In such a conventional method, however, the color designating operations have to be still performed by the number corresponding to the number of areas to be colored.
There are cases of using colors just to make areas distinguished irrespective of color itself. For example, a graph formation is a typical example of such a case and a main purpose of arranging colors is to just distinguish elements by using colors. Particularly, when the number of component elements is large, the number of color designations is accordingly large, so that there is a problem such that it is troublesome to operate.
There is a method of arranging colors which intends to obtain a visual effect by regular variations in hue, for example, a case of expressing a gradation in the areas.
The gradation expression is such that density and lightness of color, ratio of color in a predetermined area, and the like are adjusted with certain regularity to gradually arrange colors, thereby obtaining the visual effect by the lightness/darkness of color and hue variations.
For example, the areas 131, 132, and 133 in FIG. 1 are set to red, the areas 121, 122, and 123 are set to red of which density is half of the color in the areas 131, 132, and 133 (it shows a state such that the half of the number of dots per unit area is red dots and the other half is white dots) and the areas 111, 112, and 113 are set to red of which density is the half of the color in the areas 121, 122, and 123.
Even in such a case, according to the conventional method, it is necessary to designate colors by the number of areas in consideration of the regularity.

Method of painting a plurality of regions in a lump


The present invention relates to ply-twisted yarns comprising fiber blends of about 70 to 90 weight percent base fiber and about 10 to 30 percent non-melt compatible polyolefin fiber having a melting point of about 130.degree. to 170.degree. C. The base fiber may be polyamides, polyesters, or fiber mixtures thereof. The ply-twisted yarns may be heat-set by a conventional process, whereupon the polyolefin fibers melt and bond to each other but do not bond to the base fibers.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to novel ply-twisted yarns which may be used as pile yarn in a carpet to improve the carpet's texture retention. The yarns are composed of a blend of polyamide and/or polyester fibers and non-melt compatible polyolefin fibers.
2. Description of the Related Art
A large portion of carpets used in residences in the United States are known as cut pile saxony carpets. In saxony carpets, pile yarn is inserted into a backing material as loops which are cut to form vertical tufts. The tufts are then evenly sheared to a medium-length height. The cut ends of the tufts are referred to as the tuft tips. Generally, there are two different styles of saxony carpets: 1) a straight-set style in which the tufts are straight and substantially perpendicular to the plane of the carpet face, and 2) a textured style in which the tufts have varying degrees of curl.
Staple fiber, which refers to cut lengths of fiber from continuous filaments, may be processed into yarn suitable for saxony carpets by techniques known in the art. Generally, such techniques involve first combing crimped staple fiber in a carding machine to form sliver which is a continuous strand of loosely assembled fibers without twist. The sliver is then drafted on a drafting machine to improve its thickness uniformity and subsequently spun and twisted on a spinning machine to form singles twisted yarn. The singles twisted yarn may then be twisted with other singles twisted yarn(s) to form a ply-twisted yarn. Finally, the ply-twisted yarn is subjected to a heat-setting operation where the twist in the yarn is heat-set, thus making the yarn suitable for tufting.
It is important that the staple spun yarn have a high degree of thickness uniformity. The thickness uniformity of the staple spun yarn not only affects the quality of the finished carpet, but it also affects any subsequent processing steps. For instance, staple spun yarns with poor uniformity have a high number of thick and thin sections which greatly weaken the yarns, causing frequent fiber breaks during the ply-twisting phase. One object of the present invention is to produce a staple spun yarn having a high degree of thickness uniformity.
Secondly, the perceived value of saxony carpets is dependent upon several factors including carpet bulk and carpet "texture retention." By the term, "texture retention" as used herein, it is meant the ability of the carpet to retain its original tuft definition after being subjected to traffic. It is known that carpet bulk can be improved by increasing the face weight of the carpet or by increasing the crimp imposed on the staple fiber. However, carpet face weight is directly proportional to the carpet's total production cost. Furthermore, highly crimped staple fiber can create processing problems, especially during the carding operation. Another object of this invention is to produce yarns which may be tufted into carpets to provide good carpet bulk in such a manner that the above problems are avoided.
When saxony carpets are new, they have a pleasing texture. The bulked yarns which form the tufts provide firmness and body to the carpet. The ply-twist in the individual tufts allow for good tuft definition which gives the carpet a uniform and sharp appearance. Each tuft appears distinctly separate from neighboring tufts. However, when the carpet is subjected to a high degree of traffic, the tufts begin to untwist. This loss of twist causes the tuft tips to splay open. The individual filaments of one tuft tend to mingle with filaments of adjacent tufts giving the carpet a matted appearance and loss of texture. A still further object of this invention is to produce yarns which will impart improved texture retention to carpets.
Those skilled in the art have considered different ways for improving carpet texture retention. One method involves increasing the number of twists in the ply-twisted yarn. However, increasing the twist decreases carpet bulk and increases yarn production costs.
In other instances, yarns composed of a mixture of base fibers and potentially adhesive binder fibers may be prepared. Upon heat treatment, these binder fibers are activated and adhere to the base fibers in such a manner that the base fibers are bonded together. As mentioned in published UK Patent Application 2,205,116, the binder fibers may be bicomponent fibers in which one component of the fiber melts and becomes adhesive at a lower temperature than the other component in the fiber, or the binder fibers may be single component fibers in which the melting temperature is similar throughout the fiber. These binder fibers may also melt to such a degree that they substantially lose their identity as fibers, as described in published European Patent Specification 324,773. The above-described binder fibers may be referred to as "melt compatible" binder fibers, since the binder fibers have a chemical affinity with the base fibers and upon melting adhere to the base fibers.
The present invention provides a new yarn composed of a blend of polyamide and/or polyester fibers and "non-melt compatible" polyolefin fibers. By the term "non-melt compatible" as used herein, it is meant that upon heat activation, the polyolefin fibers will melt and adhere to other molten polyolefin fibers, but there is no adhesion between the polyolefin fibers and polyamide or polyester fibers. It has been found that these yarns have a high degree of thickness uniformity and provide good carpet bulk and improved texture retention.

Fiber blends for improved carpet texture retention


The invention described herein provides a modified material is a packaging material in which, at least one side, the product contact side, has been modified to sequester ions in order to prevent the ions from being available to promote degradative reactions in biological or chemical products such as food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, neutraceuticals, cosmetics, paints and chemicals. The invention described herein also includes methods of making the packaging materials and methods of using the packaging materials for preserving the integrity of biological and chemical compounds.

Oxidation is responsible for a number of degradative reactions in biological products, resulting in shortened shelf life, loss in color intensity, generation of unpleasant flavors and odors, loss in nutritional quality, and changes in physical characteristics. Such oxidation can also affect the bioactivity of natural components in consumer products such as anti-aging skin creams. The key components involved in oxidation of packaged products include free radicals to initiate the oxidative process, trace metals to catalyze the reaction, and oxygen to propagate the reaction, inhibiting any of these components can reduce the potential for oxidation and resulting product loss.
One strategy for reducing oxidation of packaged products has been to blend radical scavengers such as phenolic compounds, occurring naturally in many essential oils, into the packaging material. The method is typically quite costly and the resulting packaging materials suffer from poor stability both during the manufacturing process and storing period. Further, by incorporating the antioxidant throughout the packaging material, its bulk material properties can be adversely impacted.
Another strategy for reducing oxidation of packaged products has been to add metal chelators such as ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) or citric acid directly to the food product. Likewise, synthetic antioxidants such as butylatedhydroxytoluene (BHT) or butylatedhydroxyanisole (BHA) or natural free radical scavengers have been added directly to food products. Adding such chelators and antioxidants in the product formulation destroys the integrity of the food substance as an "all natural" product. In the case of natural free radical scavengers, such additions to foods are only moderately effective at inhibiting oxidation, are high in cost and have low stability.
Another strategy for reducing oxidation of packaged products has been to include an oxygen absorbing sachet within the package to reduce the oxygen content. Such sachets are inefficient at inhibiting oxidation, are not suitable for use in liquid products and require complicated packaging equipment.
There is a need for methods and materials that inhibit oxidation and other forms of degradation of biological and chemical products without the need to include additives in the product formulations.

Ion sequestering active packaging materials


According to one embodiment, a digital amplitude modulator includes a power supply unit, a measurement unit, a calculation unit, and a power controller. The power supply unit supplies a power supply voltage to a plurality of power amplifiers. The measurement unit measures the output power and reflection coefficient of a synthesizer. The calculation unit calculates loss power occurring in each power amplifier in an ON state, and reflected power consumed by each power amplifier in the ON state. The power controller controls all the power amplifiers to be in an OFF state, and performs a normal operation, and controls the input voltage of the power supply unit or ON/OFF of the plurality of power amplifiers.

A digital amplitude modulator is used for, for example, medium-wave broadcasting. The digital amplitude modulator includes a plurality of power amplifiers. The digital amplitude modulator ON/OFF-controls the plurality of power amplifiers according to the voltage amplitude level of a signal to be modulated, thereby changing the number of power amplifiers to which amplified carrier signals are output. The digital amplitude modulator generates an Amplitude Modulation (AM) wave by synthesizing the output signals of power amplifiers in an ON state, and sends the generated AM wave to a predetermined broadcasting service area.
In the aforementioned digital amplitude modulator, the signal quality of the AM wave may degrade when, for example, a breakdown of the power amplifier or some failure occurs. When an SWR (Standing Wave Ratio) deteriorates at the time of a lightning strike or the occurrence of an abnormal condition in a load system such as disconnection, failure, or mixing of a surge, it is necessary to prevent a breakdown of the power amplifier.
To prevent the power amplifier from a breakdown caused by reflected power from an antenna or the like, the digital amplitude modulator monitors the SWR (Standing Wave Ratio), and controls output power. For example, there is conventionally proposed a method of setting output power to zero by disconnecting the switch of a transmission circuit when the SWR value exceeds a warning limit. There is also known a method of decreasing transmission power when the SWR value exceeds a given value.
Power which actually causes damage to a power amplifier is the sum of loss power occurring in the power amplifier and reflected power consumed by the power amplifier. Even if, therefore, the reflected power becomes equal to or higher than a given value and the SWR exceeds a set value, this does not always cause a breakdown of the power amplifier. Especially when the SWR value becomes large to increase the reflected power, the output power decreases. In this situation, if an operation of protecting the power amplifier is performed by decreasing the transmission power, the coverage area of a broadcasting service area becomes narrow, thereby degrading the signal quality of the AM wave.

Digital amplitude modulator and control method for digital amplitude modulator


This optical coupling device couples a plurality of beams to a single fiber. A plurality of light sources is arranged at predetermined intervals and emits the plurality of beams. A plurality of collimating lens is arranged to face the plurality of light sources and collimates the plurality of beams emitted from the plurality of light sources. A reduction optical system reduces the beam diameter of the plurality of beams collimated by the plurality of collimating lens. A focusing lens focuses the plurality of beams reduced by the reduction optical system on a fiber. A first distance between the light source and the collimating lens arranged so as to correspond to a beam passing through the center of the reduction optical system is different from a second distance between the light source and the collimating lens arranged so as to correspond to a beam passing through the end portion of the reduction optical system.

As a conventional optical coupling device, an optical power combining optical system and a multiplexing optical system are known in which beams emitted from a plurality of laser diodes (LD) are coupled to a single fiber to acquire a high output from the fiber (see Patent Documents 1 and 2). In this optical coupling device, the beams from the light sources are passed through a reduction optical system, such as, e.g., a single lens and a telescope, and are then focused on a fiber by a focusing lens.
In this optical coupling device, the beam of the laser diode arranged at the center of the single lens or the telescope is incident on the central axis thereof. However, the beam of the laser diode other than the laser diode arranged at the center of the single lens or the telescope is incident on a portion of the single lens or the telescope away from the central axis thereof.


In one aspect, a method for detecting an object and/or managing an inventory will be described. A motion of an object is detected at a storage structure. One or more images are acquired of at least a part of the object. A direction of the motion of the object is determined. An object is identified based on the one or more images. In various embodiments, an inventory for the storage structure is updated based on the motion direction determination and the object identity.

Over time, refrigerators have becoming increasingly sophisticated and provide an ever growing array of features. One area, however, which has seen relatively limited progress, is inventory management. That is, a user of a refrigerator typically uses the appliance to store fruits, vegetables, beverages, leftovers and a variety of other foods, items or medicines. However, it is all too easy to forget what items are in the refrigerator, when they were put there and when certain items will expire or should be replaced.
Of course, users can rely upon notes written by hand or inputted into a smartphone or computer. However, such approaches are cumbersome, since the records must be manually and regularly updated to be effective. As a result, it would be beneficial to provide an inventory management system that would allow a user to easily recall and react to the current contents of a refrigerator.

Object recognition for a storage structure


A central tube for linear concentrating solar thermal power plants, has an absorber layer. The absorber layer is generated by cold gas sputtering, wherein suitable method parameters can in particular generate an increased surface roughness by means of pores in the surface region of the absorber layer. An absorber layer can thus be advantageously produced, having a quadratic roughness of no more than 1 μm, measured in a close range of no more than 50 μm diameter, and preferably being made of a corrosion-proof hard alloy comprising tungsten carbide, in particular WC—CoCr, WC—Co, WC—FeCo, WC—FeC, WC—FeNi, WC—Ni or WC—NiCr.

The invention relates to a method for applying an absorber layer onto a central tube. The invention furthermore relates to a central tube for a linear concentrating solar thermal power.
Linear concentrating solar thermal power plants are generally known. They can be configured as a parabolic trough power plant. The latter have parabolic trough collectors, which have a parabolic cross section which is upwardly open such that sunlight can be incident. The rays of the sun are reflected by the inner surface of the trough and impinge on a central tube, in which a heat-storing fluid circulates (for example an oil or molten salt). The heat transfer medium in the central tube transfers the heat for example to a thermal power generation system. Fresnel collectors can alternatively be used, in which the sunlight is collected using a Fresnel lens rather than with a parabolic mirror. The concentrating solar thermal power plants will also be referred to below as solar power plants for short. It should furthermore be noted that the term power plant should be understood in the widest sense. It is not only possible to equip heat engines such as turbines with the abovementioned collectors, but the heat stored in the heat-storing medium can also be used directly.
In order to achieve as high an efficiency of the solar power plant as possible, as much of the solar energy as possible must be injected into the heat transfer medium. To this end, the central tube is provided with a spectrally selective absorber layer which has as high a solar absorptivity α as possible and as low a thermal emissivity ε as possible. In order to efficiently convert solar light energy into thermal energy, the absorber layers should generally have a high solar absorptivity α and a small thermal emissivity at the respective operating temperature. Spectrally selective absorber layers are therefore characterized by low reflectivity (ρ≈0) for wavelengths λ under 2 μm and high reflectivity (ρ≈1) for wavelengths λ over 2 μm. Therefore there is a need for spectrally selective absorber layers for linear concentrating solar thermal power plants, which are easy and cost-effective to produce and are chemically and thermally stable at temperatures of around or over 500° C. in air. An ideal absorber layer would have a solar absorptivity α≧0.98 and a thermal emissivity ε≦0.05 at at least 500° C. For operation at what is referred to as medium temperature, a solar absorptivity α>0.85 and a thermal emissivity ε<0.15 at 400° C. are aimed for in the technically customary realization of absorber layers. The stability of the absorber layer in air under such operating conditions is another objective because it renders vacuum encapsulation of the central tubes in parabolic trough collectors, which is still prevalent today, requires great outlay in terms of construction and is expensive, obsolete.
It may therefore also be sensible to tolerate lower solar absorptivities α and/or higher thermal emissivities ε than those mentioned above if, in return, the air stability under the desired operating conditions can be attained in an economically favorable manner. Such coatings, which are cheap to produce, are known from commercial parabolic trough systems for operating temperatures of up to 300° C. (SOLERA sunpower), which are mainly designed to generate process heat and not to generate power. However, they are not suitable for operating temperatures that are much higher, for example 400° C.
According to U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,698 it is known to generally provide surfaces as broadband converters for light energy, which have a dendrite-type surface structure. It is important here that the dendrites in terms of their height and their spacing are in the region of the wavelength or of a low-number multiple of this wavelength in order to ensure optimum absorption of the light at the relevant wavelength. The dendritic layers can be applied according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,698 by vapor deposition.

Central tube for a linear concentrating solar thermal power plant, having an absorber layer, and method for applying said absorber layer


Various embodiments for systems and methods of evaluating perception systems for autonomous vehicles using a quality temporal logic are disclosed herein.

The wide availability of high-performance GPU-based hardware has led to an explosion in the applications of Machine Learning (ML) techniques to real-time image recognition problems, especially using deep learning. Such techniques are being used in safety-critical applications such as self-driving vehicles. Testing of these systems is largely based on either (a) measuring the recognition error on a pre-recorded data-set, or (b) running actual driving tests on the road with a backup human driver and focusing on the disengagements. Disengagement is an event when the autonomous car returns control back to the human driver. There is, thus, an urgent need for techniques to formally reason about the correctness and performance of such driving applications that use perception systems based on Deep Neural Networks (DNN) and ML algorithms.
The key challenge in formal verification is that it is infeasible to specify functional correctness of components using learning-based models in an abstract fashion. However, the confidence in the vision-based system can be vastly improved by extensive, safety-driven virtual testing of the vision algorithms.
It is with these observations in mind, among others, that various aspects of the present disclosure were conceived and developed.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding elements among the view of the drawings. The headings used in the figures do not limit the scope of the claims.

Systems and methods for evaluating perception systems for autonomous vehicles using quality temporal logic

Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of Arizona State University


A motor driver circuit for a Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) micro-mirror device, the motor driver circuit comprising: a non-inverting buffer circuit; an inverting buffer circuit; and a scalar circuit, the scalar circuit comprising a Supply Tracked Common Mode Voltage (VCMSC) generation circuit, wherein the non-inverting buffer circuit, the inverting buffer circuit, and the scalar circuit are configured, together with the VCMSC generation circuit, to provide a common mode voltage to a motor in response to a VCMSC voltage generated by the VCMSC generation circuit, and wherein the VCMSC voltage is generated by the VCMSC generation circuit in response to a control supply voltage and a driver supply voltage provided to the VCMSC generation circuit.

In recent years, micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) devices have been used to create compact scanning beam imaging systems. MEMS based scanning beam systems have been used extensively in various applications such as head-mounted see through displays, barcode scanners, endoscopes, and in portable projectors. Typically, two dimensional (2D) MEMS scanning beam systems (MEMS scanners) use a single mirror suspended in a gimbaled frame. These scanning mirrors are actuated by electrostatic or electromagnetic forces to reflect incident light beam from a laser source in order to project 2D image patterns onto a surface.
There are several drawbacks to conventional circuit architectures for driving MEMS scanning mirrors. Typically, currents with sinusoidal waveforms are employed to actuate (i.e. drive) MEMS scanning mirrors. However, this approach is not optimal as MEMS scanning mirrors driven by currents having sinusoidal waveforms suffer from discontinuities (i.e. dead zones) when the MEMS scanning mirrors are at resonance. This is undesirable as dead zones prevent data from being encoded onto, or decoded from, the projected beam. Further, MEMS scanning mirrors are highly reliant on a stable supply voltage in order to function optimally. If the supply voltage (from a battery cell for example) varies over time, the device would need to be recalibrated frequently. This translates to additional costs and operational inefficiency of conventional MEMS scanners.
Accordingly, what is needed is a robust and efficient means to actuate MEMS scanning mirrors. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the disclosure.

Supply independent and programmable non-resonant MEMS driver

Agency for Science, Technology and Research


Disclosed is a method for building a neural network tool to determine, by processing a picture of a human face, a score representative of a qualitative feature of the face, including performing a training session of an initial neural network to assess, from the picture, an estimated age of the person. The initial neural network includes layers of neurons and associated weights, and each training session is performed on a first database of face images with associated ages, and each training session outputs an updated version of the neural network with adjusted weights. For each updated version of the initial neural network corresponding to a training session, evaluating an error of part of the initial neural network on another database of images with each associated with a reference score representing the qualitative feature, selecting the part of the initial neural network in the updated version corresponding to the minimum.

A lot of research is focused on understanding which facial cues alter the perception of qualitative features such as the perception of health. To perform this research, researchers gather health perception ratings from faces, before pointing objective difference in facial cues that can explain the difference in health perception ratings.
However, gathering health ratings from humans for faces is a costly and time-consuming task. Indeed, it requires submitting each face image to a panel of raters of a significant size, each rater indicating a health rating, and then computing for each face an average health rating of all the ratings given.
As a consequence, the databases of face images associated with health ratings are very small. This brings about a number of issues. First, the small size of the databases makes it difficult for the researchers to obtain relevant and reliable statistical results.
Second, it would be desirable to train an artificial intelligence tool such as a neural network, to output health ratings from new images, in order to enrich existing databases. However, the existing databases are too small to train such a tool. Indeed, the minimum size of a database for performing learning of a neural network is typically of at least several thousands of images, up to hundreds of thousands of images, whereas the size of the available databases of images and health ratings is about several hundreds of pictures at most.
There is therefore a need for a tool allowing the automatic assessment of qualitative features such as health perception from face images, in order to better understand the phenomenon of health perception, and to enrich the databases used by the researchers.

Method for building a computer-implemented tool for assessment of qualitative features from face images


In an air bag apparatus which is installed at an opening of a dashboard, a case fixed to a vehicle dashboard has an opening and side walls having through holes. A door to cover the opening of the case has connecting portions having through holes. The connecting portions of the door are connected to the side walls of the case by stays. In this case, one end of each of the stays is fixed to the outer face of one of the side walls and the other end penetrates both the respective through holes of one of the side walls and one of the connecting portions so that the door can move in three dimensions with respect to the case. As a result, the door can be disposed at the opening of the dashboard without tilting with respect to the upper surface of the dashboard.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air bag apparatus for a passenger, provided in an upper part of a dashboard in a vehicle.
2. Related Arts
JP-A-7-117609 discloses an air bag apparatus for a passenger seat installed in an upper part of a dashboard in a vehicle. In the air bag apparatus, a lid (a door) includes tongues extending therefrom. Each of the tongues has a slot. Hook members fixed to a case of an air bag are engaged with the slots, respectively. The lid is positioned at an opening of the upper part of the dashboard. In this case, the lid is allowed to move to some extent because the hook members can move in the slot. Accordingly, the lid can be located on the same plane as the upper part surface of the dashboard.
In the above-mentioned air bag apparatus, when the lid is attached to the case which has been installed in the upper part of the dashboard, the lid is pushed toward the case through the opening of the upper part of the dashboard. At this time, the tongues are elastically deformed outward due to the hook members. As a result, the slots formed on the tongues are engaged with the hook members. However, when the lid is pushed onto the case of the air bag, stress is generated in the lid to deform the lid, thus, adversely influencing a tear-line formed on the lid.

Air bag apparatus with movably mounted door


Embodiments of this invention include active electrical components withing a housing that contains an absorptive cooler. The absorptive cooler is used to cool active electrical components, such as central processors or other heat-sensitive components. In some embodiments, heat produced by electronic components can be used to provide heat to the absorptive cooler. By using heat generated from within the housing of the electronic device or other heat-producing element to drive an absorptive cooler, temperatures within heat-sensitive elements, such as a central processing unit can be reduced with a minimum of energy loss, and thereby permitting faster processing speed and reduced power consumption.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cooling devices for electronic components. Particularly, this invention relates to absorptive coolers and their use in electronic devices, such as computers. More particularly, this invention relates to devices and systems for keeping central processors and other active computer elements cool using heat generated by the electronic device.
2. Description of the Art
Electrical components that have active computational elements (e.g., computer processors, or "chips") have become smaller over the decades since they were first introduced. As devices become smaller, the power consumption has been decreased, and computer speeds have increased. However, computer processing speed is limited by certain factors, including the operating temperature of the processor. Thus, at low temperatures, processor speeds are higher than for the same processor operating at a higher temperature. Thus, an ongoing objective is to provide efficient means for cooling active computer components such as processors.
Currently, electronic components are cooled by air movement produced by fans, which are run by electrical motors. The cooling efficiency of such systems is relatively low, due, at least in part, to the relatively low heat carrying capacity of gases, such as air, nitrogen and other gases used for conventional cooling devices. Cooling efficiency is so low, in fact, that many systems are required to operate in a temperature controlled (i.e., air conditioned) environment, such a cold room. Failures of air conditioning systems in such rooms can lead to widespread decreases in computing power and speed.
Therefore, there is a need for simple, efficient cooling systems that can be integrated into electronic devices.

Absorptive cooling for electronic devices


An induction circuit for a contactless power supply apparatus including an induction coil for inducing a current in response to a high frequency current flowing through a primary induction circuit and supplying the current to a load. The induction circuit includes a resonant capacitor, a full-wave rectifier, two short-circuited units, a current-limiting coil, and a smoothing capacitor. The current is rectified by the full-wave rectifier via the current-limiting coil to supply the load. The output voltage level and the voltage levels of the short-circuited units are monitored to control the resonance of resonant circuit which is formed by induction coil and resonant capacitor to stop by turning on any of the short-circuited units. Hence, an impulse current is prevented from entering the load and damaging the induction circuit.

The invention relates to an induction circuit for a contactless power supply apparatus.
Please refer to FIG. 1, which illustrates a related art induction circuit for a contactless power supply apparatus as disclosed in JP. Pat. No. 11-252912. In this related art induction circuit, a secondary induction circuit comprises an induction coil 92 for inducing a current in response to a high frequency current flowing through a primary induction circuit 91. The induction coil 92 is coupled to a resonant capacitor 93 to form a resonant circuit wherein the resonant circuit has a resonant frequency the same as the frequency of the high frequency current in the primary induction circuit 91. The resonant capacitor 93 is connected to a full-wave rectifier 94 wherein the full-wave rectifier 94 is coupled to a constant-voltage control circuit 95 which controls an output voltage according to a reference voltage. A load 96 is coupled to the constant-voltage control circuit 95 and supplied power thereby. The two diodes 94A and 94B in the full-wave rectifier are connected to the short-circuited transistors 921A and 921B respectively.
A current-limiting coil 97 is coupled between cathodes of the two diodes 94C and 94D, and an adjusting transistor 910 coupled to the outputs of the full-wave rectifier 94. The constant-voltage control circuit 95 further comprises a comparator 99 and a timer 922, wherein the comparator 99 compares the output and reference voltages Vref and generates a first output signal to timer 922 and an AND circuit 923 according to the comparison result. The timer 922 starts to count in response to the first output signal and generates a second output signal to the AND circuit 923. Thus the AND circuit 923 controls the adjusting transistor 910 in accordance with the first and second output signals.
The operation of the induction circuit is described in the following. When the load 96 is reduced and the output voltage VDC rises, the comparator 99 generates the first output signal to turn on the adjusting transistor 910. Meanwhile, the first output signal turns on the timer 922. Timer 922 then generates the second output signal for turning on the short-circuited transistors 921A and 921B and turning off the adjusting transistor 910 after a predetermined time. When the adjusting transistor 910 is turned on, the output voltage VDC is held at the reference voltage level vref. Furthermore, the energy accumulated in the resonant capacitor is accumulated in the current-limiting coil 97. When the short-circuited transistors 921A and 921B are turned on and the adjusting transistors 910 are turned off, the energy in the current-limiting coil 97 is output to the load 96 to be used effectively, thus reducing power loss.
The excessive output voltage VDC, however, may be reduced to the reference voltage level vref by the constant-voltage control circuit 95 when the adjusting transistor 910 in the constant-voltage control circuit 95 is turned on and the charges accumulated in the resonant capacitor flow into the adjusting transistor 910 via the current-limiting coil 97. This impulse current may damage the adjusting transistor 910 and heat the current-limiting coil 910 at a high speed, causing heat loss. The sizes of the current-limiting coil 97 and the adjusting transistor 910 are also limited due to the mentioned impulse current. In addition, there is a problem of complexity of the short-circuited transistor 921A and 921B, and the adjusting transistor 910 in the related art.
In view of the above, the objective of the invention is to provide an induction circuit for a contactless power supply apparatus to prevent transistors from damage when an impulse current is generated, reduce the heat loss of coils and minimize the size of components.

Induction circuit for contactless power supply apparatus


Isolated polynucleotides encoding novel polypeptides which are capable of binding to native and methylated LDL (low density lipoprotein), the isolated polypeptides, called LBPs (LDL binding proteins), and biologically active fragments and analogs thereof, are described. Also described are methods for determining if an animal is at risk for atherosclerosis, methods for evaluating an agent for use in treating atherosclerosis, methods for treating atherosclerosis, and methods for treating a cell having an abnormality in structure or metabolism of LBP. Pharmaceutical compositions and vaccine compositions are also provided.

Atherosclerosis is the principal cause of heart attacks and strokes. It has been reported that about 50% of all deaths in the United States, Europe and Japan are due to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerotic lesions in the arterial wall characterize atherosclerosis. Cholesteryl esters (CE) are present in these atherosclerotic lesions. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) has been shown to be the major carrier of plasma CE, and has been implicated as the agent by which CE enter the atherosclerotic lesions.
Scattered groups of lipid-filled macrophages, called foam cells, are the first visible signs of atherosclerosis and are described as type I lesions. These macrophages are reported to contain CE derived from LDL. The macrophages recognize oxidized LDL, but not native LDL, and become foam cells by phagocytosing oxidized LDL. Larger, more organized collections of foam cells, fatty streaks, represent type II lesions. These lesions further develop into complex lesions called plaques, which can result in impeding the flow of blood in the artery.
It is widely believed that accumulation of LDL in the artery depends on the presence of functionally modified endothelial cells in the arterial wall. It has been reported in animal models of atherosclerosis that LDL, both native LDL and methylated LDL, accumulates focally and irreversibly only at the edges of regenerating endothelial islands in aortic lesions, where functionally modified endothelial cells are present, but not in the centers of these islands where endothelial regeneration is completed. Similarly, LDL accumulates in human atherosclerotic lesions. The mechanism by which the LDL accumulates focally and irreversibly in arterial lesions has not heretofore been understood.

Low density lipoprotein binding proteins and their use in diagnosing and treating atherosclerosis


A suitcase, lid or door has a first polygonal part and a second polygonal part. The first and second parts are engaged against each other in a closed position for the assembly. The first and second parts each having at least two non-parallel sides connected to each other at a corner and extending at an angle to each other. Each side has a rabbet edge and the rabbet edges of the first part are shaped to closely engage the rabbet edges of the second part in the closed position. The edges of each side have a gently undulating profile with at least one arc on each side, one of the parts having convex arcs which correspond to, and closely engage concave arcs of the other part. The corners are rounded and one of the concave arcs extends around each corner.

The present invention concerns an assembly comprising at least two parts that are moveable in relation to each other: a building with at least one door, a vehicle with doors, a boot and a bonnet, a container such as a trunk, suitcase, bag, etc.
It can also cover casings requiring high-quality closure: photographic, cinematic, video and other cameras. In a fairly elaborate version, it may cover sealed doors, security lock chambers, and the like.
Indeed, whatever the application, the invention allows two parts that are moveable in respect of each other, particularly hinged, to be connected in an extremely sturdy manner, so as to withstand the stresses imposed on these parts, systematically or occasionally, by the use of the assembly.
It is known in particular that luggage is often subject to impacts during handling in travel: it can fall (sometimes from quite high) or receive relatively violent impacts at the time of collisions between rail carriages, on aircraft landing, etc.
Impacts often have the effect of placing a stress on the two moveable parts, the body of the article of luggage and its lid, so as to separate them.
Since these two parts cooperate, in the closed position, by contact between rabbets, the latter are very resistant to perpendicular impact but the two parts are only held in the closed position by added mechanical elements that are independent of the rabbets themselves.
In general these elements comprise at least one pivoting part that has to cooperate with a fixed part, similar to the bolt of a lock in its keeper.
In other words, however strong the two parts are, they cannot withstand an opening effort other than through the mechanical parts connecting them.
For this reason, manufacturers have concentrated their efforts on these mechanical elements since it is easy to solve the problem of the sturdiness of the assembly itself.
For instance, articles of luggage are now made of very strong synthetic materials, shaped as two shells edged with metallic rabbets, and it is known that such luggage is capable of resisting very high pressure without the risk of crushing.
Some articles of luggage have a very comprehensive metal structure that makes the assembly even more rigid and strong.
But even these articles of luggage can open under the effect of a very low stress if they are fitted with rudimentary locks.
To specify the state of the art, we can cite:
patent specification FR-A-2.388.973, which describes a solution to the problem of a door or similar being forced by means of a tool inserted into a gap between two parts that are moveable in relation to each other, with a view to exerting a lever effect. PA1 the arc of the curves has a deflection of a length less than the corresponding chord; PA1 the arc of the curves has a deflection of a length comprised between 1/100 and 1/4 of the length of the corresponding chord; PA1 if the assembly has a length L, a width I and a third dimension, height or thickness, H, then the height of the deflection of the arc of the curves is of the order of magnitude of 2/3 of H; PA1 the two distinct parts are moveable in relation to one another between a position known as "open" in which there is a passage between the two parts and a position known as "closed" in which the two parts are applied against one another, blocking the passage, when the two parts are in a closed position; PA1 the parts have a polygonal contour and have rabbets on at least two nonparallel sides of their contour; PA1 the parts have a quadrangular contour; PA1 the parts have rabbets on all four sides; PA1 the two parts are hinged together along an axis of pivoting; PA1 the axis of pivoting is close to one of the sides of the parts; PA1 the parts have rabbets on that one of their sides that is the closest to the axis of hinging; PA1 the moveable parts have to cooperate edge to edge, the portions shaped as a convex and concave curved arc being located in a line substantially perpendicular to the plane of the moveable parts proper; PA1 the moveable parts have to be located in the closed position, in planes that are substantially an extension of one another, such that the edges are themselves in the extension of said moveable parts and the portions shaped as a convex and concave curved arc in the extension of said edges; PA1 the rabbets have rims that are offset in twos and have to be positioned against one another when the two parts are in the closed position; PA1 a flexible seal is secured to one of the rabbets facing the opposite rabbet; PA1 the assembly comprises means intended to make a tight closure of the two parts, at right angles to the rabbets, said rabbets delimiting a space located between the two parts when they are in the closed position, which space is connected to an air suction device; PA1 one of the two parts at least has struts that have to cooperate with the other part, in the closed position; PA1 the two parts have struts, those of the one part having to be placed against those of the other part, in the closed position; PA1 the two distinct parts are joined together so as to be made inseparable and to form a single structure constituted by two shells; PA1 the shells define an internal space; PA1 the internal space contains struts between the shells; PA1 the internal space contains a filling material; PA1 the assembly has the general shape of a roller; PA1 at least one of the distinct parts has a convex outer face, in the shape of a dome with a very flat curve forming a vault; PA1 the part that has a convex outer face, in the shape of a dome with a very flat curve, has a polygonal contour, each vertex of the polygon being itself curved and convex, being connected to lateral faces that are substantially orthogonal to the convex outer face; PA1 each vertex of the polygon is a fraction of a sphere; PA1 the two distinct parts are asymmetrical; PA1 the rabbets are variable in width; PA1 the assembly having a polygonal contour, the greatest width of the rabbets is in the vicinity of the vertices of the polygon and/or in the central zone of its sides; PA1 the greatest width of the rabbets is at the vertex of the respectively convex and concave arcs; PA1 at least one of the parts is made of a material that is variable in thickness; PA1 at least one of the two parts has reinforcing ribs; PA1 the reinforcing ribs are hollow; PA1 the reinforcing ribs contain a filling material such as a synthetic foam which may if appropriate be strengthened, a cellular network or similar; PA1 the assembly consists of a container such as an article of luggage, a recipient or similar and has, externally, sliding elements such as runners, preferably produced in a piece with the assembly proper.
This solution consists of providing, between the two moveable parts, zigzag surfaces, that is, surfaces formed of teeth that are very numerous, very sloping (at least 45.degree.) and very close together so that there is no rectilinear part between two successive teeth that would allow a tool to be inserted and used as a lever so as to force apart the two moveable parts.
In this way, " . . . Owing to such a slope, even if a malicious person manages to insert any kind of tool into the gap separating the two moveable parts, the force he can exert with this tool does not produce a component tending to separate the two moveable parts." (Page 2, lines 31 to 35.)
The solution described in that document therefore concerns a problem that is quite different from that solved by the present invention.

Assembly comprising at least two separate portions, such as a suitcase with lid, a vehicle with doors or the like


A combined encoder/syndrome generator is provided that has a reduced delay. The combined encoder/syndrome generator generates check symbols during an encoding process and error syndromes during a decoding process. The combined encoder/syndrome generator has two or more blocks. The output of each block is fed as an input into a subsequent block. Each block can perform computations in parallel to reduce the delay of the encoding system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to error correction systems, and more particularly, to error correction systems that use a combined encoder/syndrome generator to generate both check symbols and error syndromes.
2. Description of the Related Art
A combined encoder/syndrome generator is an error correction circuit that can generate both check symbols and error syndromes. The combined error/syndrome generator generates check symbols during an encoding process. The check symbols are appended to a bit stream.
The combined encoder/syndrome generator generates error syndromes during a decoding process. The error syndromes are transmitted to a decoder, which uses the error syndromes to compute error locations and error values. The error locations and error values are used to correct errors in the bit stream. A controller selects between the encoding and decoding operations of the combined encoder/syndrome generating circuit using a control signal.
A combined encoder/syndrome generator circuit has multiple stages that are coupled together in series. Each stage of the combined encoder/syndrome generator circuit typically includes one multiplier and one or two adders. One input for each stage of the circuit (except the first stage) is an output from the previous stage. As a result, the delay of the combined encoder/syndrome generator circuit increases as the number of stages in the circuit is increased. The delay of a combined encoder/syndrome generator circuit having a large number of stages can be significant.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a combined encoder/syndrome generator that has a reduced delay relative to many prior art circuits.

Combined encoder/syndrome generator with reduced delay

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands, B.V.