A silver halide light-sensitive material comprises a support, a hardening layer and a light-sensitive layer. The hardening layer contains an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound and a hydrophobic polymer. The light-sensitive layer contains silver halide and a water-soluble polymer. The water-soluble polymer forms a water-soluble phase. The silver halide is dispersed in the water-soluble phase. The hardening layer or the light-sensitive layer contains a reducing agent. The light-sensitive layer further contains a water-insoluble polymer. The water-soluble polymer has a glass transition temperature of not higher than 0.degree. C. The water-insoluble polymer forms a water-insoluble phase. The water-insoluble phase is separated from the water-soluble phase.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,676 (Hayakawa et al.) and European Patent No. 0174634 (Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.) disclose an image forming method comprising the steps of imagewise exposing to light a light-sensitive material and heating the light-sensitive material. The light-sensitive material comprises a support and a light-sensitive hardening layer containing silver halide, a reducing agent and a polymerizable compound. The silver halide is developed by heating the light-sensitive material to form a polymer image. The polymerization is initiated by an oxidation radical of the reducing agent (including a radical formed from an oxidation product of the reducing agent).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,443 (Takeda), 5,290,659 (Takeda) and European Patent No. 0426192 (Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.) disclose embodiments of the light-sensitive materials, which are advantageously used for the preparation of a lithographic plate. In the light-sensitive materials for the lithographic plate, the light-sensitive hardening layer preferably comprises a hardening layer and a light-sensitive layer. The hardening layer contains a polymerizable compound and a hydrophobic polymer. The light-sensitive layer contains silver halide and a hydrophilic polymer. The hardening layer or the light-sensitive layer further contains a reducing agent. The light-sensitive material can further comprise an image formation accelerating layer containing a base or base precursor provided on the light-sensitive layer.
A process for the preparation of a lithographic plate comprises the steps of imagewise exposing to light the light-sensitive material, heating the material, removing the light-sensitive layer from the material and removing the unhardened area of the hardening layer with an alkaline etching solution. The formed replica image is used as a printing plate. The hydrophobic polymer in the hardening layer preferably has an acidic group, which has a function of dissolving the polymer in the etching solution.
The hardening layer containing a polymerizable compound and a hydrophobic polymer is hydrophobic, while the light-sensitive layer containing silver halide and a hydrophilic polymer is hydrophilic. Accordingly, the adhesion between the two layers is weak. The light-sensitive material was sometimes destroyed by separation between the layers while handling the light-sensitive material. The separation was caused when a pressure is applied to the light-sensitive material, for example when the material was cut, the surface of the material was rubbed, the material was rolled or stacked, or the material was taken out from a roll or a stack.
Japanese Patent Provisional Publication Nos. 8(1996)-123035, 8(1996)-146600, 8(1996)-184968 and 8(1996)-194314 disclose silver halide light-sensitive materials improved in the adhesion between the hardening layer and the light-sensitive layer.
Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 8(1996)-123035 discloses a light-sensitive material containing a hydrophobic polymer having an acidic group in the form of a salt as a binder of a hardening layer. Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 8(1996)-146600 discloses a process for the preparation of a light-sensitive material in which a coating solution for a hardening layer contains a hydrophobic polymer in a mixture of a good solvent and a poor solvent. The boiling point of the poor solvent is higher than that of the good solvent, and the difference between the boiling points is not less than 3.degree. C. Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 8(1996)-184968 discloses a light-sensitive material comprising a hardening layer containing a hydrophilic polymer having an acidic group and a light-sensitive layer containing a hydrophilic polymer and an aminoalcohol. Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 8(1996)-194314 discloses a light-sensitive material comprising an adhesive layer provided between a hardening layer and a light-sensitive layer. The adhesive layer contains a polymer or an additive proposed in the above-mentioned publications.
The above-mentioned publications propose modifying a polymer that has been used as a binder of a hardening layer or a light-sensitive layer to enhance the adhesion between the layers. It has been proved that the binder of the hardening layer or the light-sensitive layer has no adverse effects on the light-sensitive material or the image forming system.

Silver halide light-sensitive material comprising support, hardening layer and light-sensitive layer


The present disclosure relates to a method of setting a buffer status report (BSR) format including: in response to triggering a BSR by a UE, determining an amount of data buffered in a buffer corresponding to a logical channel group configured to transmit the data; and setting a format for the BSR based on the amount of the data buffered in the buffer. A number of bits in the BSR of the format is positively correlated with the amount of the data buffered in the buffer, and the bits indicate the amount of the data buffered in the buffer.

In a related art, a buffer status report (BSR) sent by a user equipment (UE) is mainly of two formats including a short format and a long format. In particular, a short-format BSR uses 5 bits to indicate an amount of data buffered in a buffer, while a long-format BSR 8 bits.
In addition, according to related communication protocols, with respect to the BSR of a certain type, the UE only sent the short-format BSR if only one logical channel group (LCG) has data available for transmission. In this case, when the buffer corresponding to the LCG has buffered a great amount of data, a span between the amounts of data buffered in the buffer which are indicated by the 5 bits of the short-format BSR will be relatively large.
For example, as naming a value corresponding to the 5 bits as BS in short, the maximum BS is 31. BS=19 indicates a data amount of 3909 bytes, and BS=20 indicates a data amount of 5446 bytes. The difference between the indicated data amount may be more than 1537 bytes even if the difference between the two corresponding BSs is only 1. Supposing that the amount of the data buffered in the buffer is 3910 bytes, in order to inform a base station to allocate uplink resources for transmitting the 3910 bytes, the UE has to send a short-format BSR with BS=20. Accordingly, the base station will allocate uplink resources in a way that the UE is allowed to transmit 5446 bytes, while the UE actually only requires uplink resources to transmit 3910 bytes, which may result in a waste of uplink resources with more than 1,000 bytes.

Methods and apparatuses for setting buffer status report format

Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd.


A new variety of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Omega Time Dark Pink’, having dark pink single flowers with a green disc.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum botanically known as Chrysanthemum morifolium, and referred to by the cultivar name 'Omega Time Dark Pink'.
'Omega Time Dark Pink', identified as 20929-19 was discovered as a naturally occurring whole plant mutation in a controlled cultivated planting of the variety 'Mega Time Rose' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,004).
The new variety 'Omega Time Dark Pink' has been asexually reproduced by vegetative cuttings in Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom and the distinguishing characteristics are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

Chrysanthemum plant named ‘OMEGA TIME DARK PINK’


TSG101 is a tumor susceptibility gene whose homozygous functional knock out in fibroblasts leads to transformation and the ability of these cells to form metastatic tumors in nude mice. The cellular transformation that results from inactivation of TSG101 is reversible by restoration of TSG101 function. Decreased expression of TSG101 is associated with the occurrence of certain human cancers, including breast carcinomas. The TSG101 nucleic acid compositions find use in identifying homologous or related proteins and the DNA sequences encoding such proteins; in producing compositions that modulate the expression or function of the protein; and in studying associated physiological pathways. In addition, modulation of the gene activity in vivo is used for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes, such as treatment of cancer, identification of cell type based on expression, and the like. The DNA is further used as a diagnostic for a genetic predisposition to cancer, and to identify specific cancers having mutations in this gene.

There has been considerable interest in the development of a method for identifying mammalian cell genes whose concurrent homozygous inactivation de novo leads to a defined phenotype, where multiple alleles of a gene have been inactivated and where it is easy to confirm that the inactivation results in a phenotype distinguishable from the wild-type. One use of this method is the identification of genes involved in tumor susceptibility.
Tumor susceptibility genes may be oncogenes, which are typically upregulated in tumor cells, or tumor suppressor genes, which are down-regulated or absent in tumor cells. Malignancies may arise when a tumor suppressor is lost and/or an oncogene is inappropriately activated. When such mutations occur in somatic cells, they result in the growth of sporadic tumors. Familial predisposition to cancer may occur when there is a mutation, such as loss of an allele encoding a tumor suppressor gene, present in the germline DNA of an individual. In the best characterized familial cancer syndromes, the primary mutation is a loss of function consistent with viability, but resulting in neoplastic change consequent to the acquisition of a second somatic mutation at the same locus.
Extensive studies of the early-onset breast cancer families have led to the recent identification of two candidate breast cancer suppressor genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2. Although frequent mutations of BRCA1 or BRCA2 have been demonstrated in familial early onset breast cancer, this type of cancer represents only about 5-10% of all breast malignancies, and the possible role(s) of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in the remaining 90-95% of sporadic breast cancers has not been determined.
Deletion and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of markers in human chromosome band 11p15 have been shown in a variety of human cancers, including lung cancer, testicular cancer and male germ cell tumor, stomach cancer, Wilms' tumor, ovarian cancer, bladder cancer, myeloid leukemia, malignant astrocytomas and other primitive neuroectodermal tumors, and infantile tumors of adrenal and liver. About 30% of sporadic breast carcinomas show a LOH in this region. Since LOH is believed to indicate inactivation of a tumor suppressor gene at the location where LOH occurs, the frequent LOH found at 11p15 in a variety of human cancers suggests the presence of either a cluster of tumor suppressor genes or a single pleiotropic gene in this region.
The clinical importance of these cancers makes the identification of this putative tumor suppressor gene of great interest for diagnosis, therapy, and drug screening.
Relevant Literature
Lemke et al. (1993) Glia 7:263-271 describes loss of function mutations engineered through the expression of antisense RNA from previously cloned genes and through the insertional inactivation of the P.sub.o gene, by homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells, and the generation of P.sub.o -deficient mice. Kamano et al. (1990) Leukemia Res. 10:831-839; van der Krol et al. (1988) Biotechniques 6:958; Katsuki et al. (1988) Science 241:593-595; Owens et al. (1991) Development 112:639-649; and Owens et al. (1991) Neuron 7:565-575 describe changes in cell phenotype associated with the expression of antisense RNAs in different cell types. Giese et al. (1992) Cell 71:565-576 describes the inactivation of both copies of a gene in a transgenic mouse.
Studies of LOH in Wilms' tumors identified a tumor suppressor locus at 11p15, for example see Dowdy et al. (1991) Science 254:293-295. Two familial breast cancer genes have been previously described, BRCA1 in Miki et al. (1994) Science 266:66-71, and BRCA2 in Wooster et al. (1995) Nature 378:789-792.
The interaction of stathmin with a coiled coil domain is described in Sobel (1991) Trends Biochem. Sci. 16:301-305.

Mammalian tumor susceptibility genes and their uses

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University


A buccal aerosol spray using a non-polar solvent has now been developed which provides nitroglycerin for rapid absorption through the oral mucosa, resulting in fast onset of effect. The buccal aerosol spray of the invention comprises: propellant 50-95%, non-polar solvent 5-50%, nitroglycerin 0.001-15%, flavoring agent 0.05-5%.

It is known that certain biologically active compounds are better absorbed through the oral mucosa than through other routes of administration, such as through the stomach or intestine. However, formulations suitable for such administration by these latter routes present their own problems. For example, the biologically active compound must be compatible with the other components of the composition such as propellants, solvents, etc. Many such formulations have been proposed. Klokkers-Bethke, describe a nitroglycerin spray for administration to the oral mucosa comprising nitroglycerin, ethanol, and other components. An orally administered pump spray is described by Cholcha in U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,925. Aerosol compositions containing a hydro-carbon propellant and a drug for administration to a mucosal surface are described in U.K. 2,082,457, Su, U.S. Pat. No. 3,155,574, Silson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,678, Wang et al., and by Parnell in U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,132. It should be noted that these references discuss bioavailability of solutions by inhalation rather than through the membranes to which they are admiministered.

Buccal, non-polar spray for nitroglycerin


One aspect of the present invention relates to a method of occluding a vascular site in a mammal, comprising the step of introducing into the vasculature of a mammal at or proximal to a surgical site, a composition comprising at least one optionally purified inverse thermosensitive polymer, wherein said inverse thermosensitive polymer gels in said vasculature, thereby temporarily occluding a vascular site of said mammal, wherein said temporarily occluded vasculature site is kept in a substantially cylindrical shape.

Blood vessels are cut during surgical procedures. Electrocautery is effectively used to reduce or stop hemorrhaging by "burning" the bleeding blood vessels, which seals them off. Various types, shapes, and sizes of tips (probes) are available for specific treatments. A small electrode is applied to the skin near the surgical site. This is used to collect the electricity from the body and safely discharge it back to the machine. A grounding pad is placed on the person's body (usually the thigh) before the surgery starts to protect the patient. Electrocautery prevents bleeding from small sized blood vessels and capillary beds. Larger blood vessels require temporary ligation during surgery.
There are two archetypical ways to achieve temporary ligation. The first way is to ligate from the outside of a blood vessel using clamps, clips and tourniquets or snares. Such devices press against opposite sides of a flexible hollow tube so that the walls flatten out and bear against one another. This produces an axially-extending fold at the two edges. For stopping the flow of fluid through the vessel, this squeezing or pinching action is very effective. However, the lumen of these vessels have linings (intima), which should not be traumatized by strong distortions. Strong pressures, and excessive bending (axial folding), can traumatize them leading to complications after the occluder is removed.
Surgical clamps exist in many sizes with many different types of clamp shapes (e.g., curved jaws, straight jaws, etc.). In addition, many different types of jaw surfaces exist, as adapted to the specific function performed by the clamp. When a different function is to be performed, either one must use a different clamp, or in some circumstances replaceable pads may be added to the jaws. Many existing surgical clamps have jaws with hard clamping surfaces. Some replaceable pads for these clamps are designed to fit over the jaws to provide a softer clamping surface. Vascular clamps, once they are clamped to the blood vessel, are usually held in the closed position manually by the operator, or with a locking mechanism.
Clamps and clips have some shortcomings in that atherosclerotic plaque in blood vessels and calcified blood vessels do not withstand the pressure exerted by these devices. It is well known that in crossclamping of the aorta for bypass operations, plaque may be released when the clamps are opened again and the plaques may lead to strokes (Boivie P, Hansson M, Engstrom K G. "Embolic material generated by multiple aortic crossclamping: a perfusion model with human cadaveric aorta." J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2003 June; 125(6): 1451-60; van der Linden J, Hadjinikolaou L, Bergman P, Lindblom D. "Postoperative stroke in cardiac surgery is related to the location and extent of atherosclerotic disease in the ascending aorta." J Am Coll Cardiol 2001 July; 38(1): 131-5). In addition, especially in older patients, calcified blood vessels, when clamped, may lead to vessel damage.
A second way to achieve temporary ligation is to occlude the blood flow internally. In temporary ligation using for example balloon angioplasty, a deflated balloon catheter is placed at the arterial or venous site to be occluded; and then, the balloon is inflated, thereby blocking blood flow at the site. When the ligation is no longer necessary, the balloon may be deflated and the catheter removed (Matsuoka S, Uchiyama K, Shima H, Ohishi S, Nojiri Y, Ogata H. "Temporary percutaneous aortic balloon occlusion to enhance fluid resuscitation prior to definitive embolization of posttraumatic liver hemorrhage." Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol 2001 July-August; 24(4): 274-6; Joseph N, Levy E, Lipman S. "Angioplasty-related iliac artery rupture: treatment by temporary balloon occlusion." Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol 1987; 10(5): 276-9). However, the inflated balloon leads to dilation of the artery and the injury to the intima can lead to thickening and narrowing of the artery (Wainwright C L, Miller A M, Wadsworth R M. "Inflammation as a key event in the development of neointima following vascular balloon injury." Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2001 November; 28(11): 891-5; Labropoulos N, Giannoukas A D, Volteas S K, al Kutoubi A. "Complications of the balloon assisted percutaneous transluminal angioplasty." J Cardiovasc Surg (Torino) 1994 December; 35(6): 475-89). Another way to internally occlude blood vessels is a "T" shaped device with a bulbous tip placed at either end of the "T." These devices are manufactured from silicon rubber. The bulbous tips of the device are inserted into each of the two parts of the vessel. The bulbous tips have to be the right size to effectively occlude the blood vessel. Too large and the bulbs will damage the intima, too small and the bulbs do not efficiently occlude and stop blood flow. See e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,889,685; 4,168,708; 4,946,463. In clinical practice, these devices reduce bleeding at the arteriotomy, but do not stop bleeding. The surgeon, therefore, has still to rely on additional devices like misted blowers and suction devices to clear the surgical field of blood. Further, the surgeon has to take great care not to stitch through the device and be careful during removal of the device from the arteriotomy and not entangle the device in the suture.
Consequently, there is still a need for reversibly stopping blood flow during surgery, without damage or trauma occasioned by clamps or balloons. This holds great promise in terms of, for example, patient outcome.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A holographic recorder can vary the optical distance between an object lens and a relay lens near the object lens. This arrangement allows defocus-multiplexing utilizing state variations in the laser beam when the beam reaches a storage medium.

In holographic recording, an interference pattern is generated on a storage medium, using an information beam which has two-dimensional page information and a reference beam which is separated from the same beam flux from which the information beam is separated, and the interference pattern is recorded. When reproducing the recorded information, the reference beam used for the recording is applied onto the recorded area in the storage medium, and a reproduction beam which comes from the storage medium is brought to focus on a two-dimensional-page-beam detector to form an image.
Advantages in holographic recording includes multiplex recording, i.e. recording a plurality of pieces of information on the same area in a storage medium. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a shift-multiplex holographic recorder. FIG. 11 shows a typical configuration of such a holographic recorder.
A holographic recorder X in FIG. 11 is an apparatus designed to record information on a storage medium Y as well as reproduce the recorded information by a shift-multiplex method. The storage medium Y includes a recording layer 991, which is made of a recording material such as photopolymer, sandwiched between a substrate 990 which is made of a glass plate for example, and a reflection layer 992. The storage medium Y is capable of recording interference patterns made by the information beam and the reference beam, in the form of refraction index changes of the recording material. Also, by applying only the reference beam to the recorded interference pattern, optical information which represents the recorded information is extracted.
In the holographic recorder X, a laser beam from a light source 901 is made into a parallel beam by a collimator lens 902, and then introduced to a beam splitter 903. The laser beam is then split by a beam splitter 903 into an information beam which comes out in a downward direction as in FIG. 11, and a reference beam which comes out in a rightward direction in the figure. The information beam is expanded in its beam diameter by combined lenses, i.e. beam expanders 904a, 904b, and then introduced to a spatial light modulator 905. The information beam is modulated by the spatial light modulator 905 into a beam which includes two-dimensional page information. The information beam which has left the spatial light modulator 905 passes through a beam splitter 906 and then through an object lens 908. The information beam is then condensed by the object lens 908 onto a recording layer 991. On the other hand, the reference beam is reflected by reflection mirrors 910a, 910b, and applied to the portion on the recording layer 991 where the information beam is applied.
Information recorded on the recording layer 991 by the information beam and the reference beam as described is reproduced when only the reference beam is applied to the recording layer. Specifically, when the reference beam is applied to the recording layer 991, a reproduction beam is generated which includes the two-dimensional page information. The reproduction beam is turned back by the reflection layer 992 in an upward direction as in FIG. 11, and enters the object lens 908. The reproduction beam, which is made into a parallel beam by the object lens 908, is then turned to the left as in FIG. 11 by the beam splitter 906, and enters a photo detector 915. The photo detector 915 extracts the two-dimensional page information contained in the reproduction beam.
The holographic recorder X uses shift-multiplex method in which multiplex recording of information is performed while making a very fine shift on the recording area. In the shift-multiplex method, accurate application of the reference beam to the storage medium Y is essential in order to make recording as well as reproducing, and for this reason, a complicated system is necessary as a means for controlling the storage medium Y. There is a similar problem in holographic recorders which use angle-multiplex method in which multiplex recording is accomplished by varying an incoming angle of the reference beam. In this case, it is difficult to control a reflection mirror which is used to apply the reference beam.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-2005-235312


An accelerometer for measuring the displacement of a magnet body using magnetic detecting elements is provided, the accelerometer having superior measurement accuracy by suppressing influence of a peripheral magnetic field. The accelerometer has detecting units each having a cantilever which is elastically deformed so as to rotate around a fixed end thereof, a magnet body provided at a free end of the cantilever, and a magnetic detecting head portion disposed outside the rotation region of the cantilever. In order to correct detection signals output from the magnetic detecting head portions, the accelerometer has peripheral magnetic field detecting portions for measuring a peripheral magnetic field acting on the magnetic detecting head portions and the magnet bodies.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an accelerometer using magnetic sensors.
2. Background Art
Heretofore, as an accelerometer, for example, there may be mentioned a device formed of a magnet body to be displaced in accordance with acting acceleration and a magnetic sensor detecting the change in magnetic field generated by the above magnet body. This accelerometer measures the amount of displacement of the magnet body based on the change in magnetic field, that is, measures the magnitude of acting acceleration (see, e.g., see Patent Document 1).
Patent Document 1; Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-258449
However, according to the related accelerometer described above, the following problem may arise. That is, in the related accelerometer described above, when a peripheral magnetic field, such as earth magnetism, is applied to the magnet body, this magnet body may behave as a compass and be displaced regardless of acting acceleration in some cases. In particular, a compact accelerometer formed in combination of a small magnet body and a low elastic cantilever may frequently cause the problem described above.

Accelerometer with cantilever and magnetic field detector


A new cultivar of Erodium plant named ‘CLARET’ that is characterized by low compact spreading habit, saturated dark red flowers with prominent deep purple veins and a white eye, and soft gray-green pubescent foliage. In combination these traits set ‘CLARET’ apart from all other varieties of Erodium known to the inventor.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Erodium×Geranium which is grown as an ornamental plant for use in border, rock garden, container, or as a groundcover for the landscape. Although the cultivar was developed by the inventor by the deliberate hybridization between the two genera Erodium and Geranium as further described herein, the overall appearance of the cultivar is strongly indicative of the genus Erodium. Plants of the genus erodium are commonly known as alpine geraniums or as cranesbill, or storksbill, or heronsbill. The new variety is known botanically as Erodium chamaedryoides×Geranium cinereum var. subcaulescens,, and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name 'CLARET'.
'CLARET' is the product of a formal breeding program established by the inventor in 2000 at the inventor's nursery in Watsonville, Calif. The purpose of the breeding program was to produce a novel and useful color break in erodium. The variety of erodium known as 'Bishop's Form' (unpatented) carries attractive pink-red flowers, and the inventor intended to produce a hybrid of 'Bishop's Form' whose flowers would be a deeper and more intense red in color.
'CLARET' is a seedling selection arising from the inventor's controlled cross-pollination of an unnamed seedling of the dark red flowered Geranium cinereum var. subcaulescens (species, unpatented) as male parent with the pink-red flowered variety Erodium 'Bishop's Form' (unpatented) as female parent.
The breeding process which produced 'CLARET' proceeded as follows:
First, in 2000 the inventor transferred pollen from the male parent to the female parent. Pollination was successful and a small amount seed was harvested in 2001. The inventor stored the seed for one year, and it was sown in 2002. The inventor observed the resulting seedlings as they flowered during the summer of 2002. Only one of the seedlings was considered distinct. This seedling exhibited the characteristic habit of the female parent and bore deep red flowers of even greater darkness and saturation than the male parent. The inventor isolated this one seedling and allowed it to grow and multiply by natural basal branching. In 2005, at his nursery in Watsonville, Calif., the inventor carried out the first asexual reproduction of the grown-on seedling, by taking softwood cuttings from the spreading crown. The inventor observed the resulting plants and determined that all the plants exhibited the exact characteristics of the original selected seedling. The inventor named the new plant 'CLARET' and has determined that 'CLARET' is stable, uniform, and reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.
'CLARET' is distinguishable from the female parent by the color of the flower. Whereas the flowers of the female parent are mid-pink in color, the flowers of 'CLARET' are deep red in color. The female parent, Erodium 'Bishop's Form' is also the closest variety of erodium known to the inventor.
'CLARET' is distinguishable from the male parent by habit, flower color, and flower size. Whereas the male parent grows to approximately 20 cm in height and bears dark red flowers whose diameter is approximately 30 mm to 35 mm, plants of 'CLARET' grow only to a height of 6 cm to 8 cm, and the flowers of 'CLARET' are a deeper saturated red in color and are approximately 22 mm in diameter. In addition, the flowers of 'CLARET' exhibit a strongly contrasting white "eye" which is typically absent or very small on flowers of Geranium cinereum var. subcaulescens.


A position-adjustable support assembly comprises at least one surface mount, an actuator affixed thereto, and a body coupled to and supported on the actuator free of the at least one surface mount. The body is moveable relative to the at least one surface mount in response to a motive force applied by the actuator. The actuator may be affixed to the at least one surface mount inboard of an outer perimeter defined by a frame portion of the body so as to be accommodated interstitially between the at least one surface mount and the body. In some embodiments, the support assembly may further comprise a strain gauge, coupled to the body at a terminal region thereof, which may be configured to detect a strain force acting on the body in the terminal region and control movement of the body based on the strain force detected by the strain gauge.

Wall-mounted storage units, such as cabinets and shelving, are utilized in many houses or other buildings as a way to organize items and to make better and/or more efficient use of available floor space by removing such items from the or other floor-based storage units. In some arrangements, wall-based storage units can be mounted in close proximity to other fixtures, installations and/or furnishings, such as counters, tables, bookcases, washer-dryer combinations, and the like. Typically, in such cases, the wall-mounted storage unit will be positioned at a height that accommodates the floor-based structure(s) and which provides sufficient clearance that different intended uses of these various floor-based structure(s) may be made.
Depending on the height and/or size of the floor-based structure, the wall-mounted storage units may be positioned at a height that is comparable to, or which even exceeds, the average height of a person. Consequently, depending on the height of the person, gaining access to all parts of the wall-mounted storage unit may pose some difficulty. For example, it is common to be able to reach lower areas of a cabinet or shelf without any physical aids, such as chairs or stools, but to require the use of such aids when attempting to access higher areas. Difficulty in accessing all areas of the storage units without the use of physical aides can limit their functionality.
For able-bodied persons, use of a physical aid to access the higher parts of a wall-mounted storage unit may not pose any risk or present much inconvenience. However, not all persons have the same physical attributes. Some people are shorter in stature; others have physical limitations whether due to age, medical condition, or for any other reason. Standing on a physical aid to reach the upper areas of a wall-mounted storage unit may therefore not be desirable or even possible for some.


A projection aligner includes a light source for emitting light, a mask including a focusing pattern and a condensing lens for condensing the light on the mask. Light-intercepting members and light-transmitting portions are alternatingly arranged in the focusing pattern. The projecting aligner includes a projecting lens for condensing the light on a surface of a wafer and a sensor for measuring the amount of the light transmitted through the focusing pattern after the light has passed through the focusing pattern on the mask and been reflected from the surface of the wafer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a projection aligner for use in the process of manufacturing LSIs.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 11 shows the optical system of a conventional projection aligner. Light emitted from a light source 11, such as a mercury lamp, passes through a condensing lens 12 and then irradiates a mask 13 on which a circuit pattern is formed. The light which has passed through the mask 13 projects the circuit pattern onto a wafer 15, whereby the
circuit pattern is exposed and then transferred.
Before the circuit pattern is exposed, the conditions under which a pattern is focused completely (hereinafter referred to as best focus conditions) must be determined. In a conventional exposure process, the best focus conditions are determined in the following manner. First, test patterns 16a to 16g as shown in FIG. 12 are successively exposed on the wafer 15 while the wafer 15 is moved along the optical axis at predetermined intervals. The wafer 15 is then developed. As shown in FIG. 13, patterns 17a to 17g corresponding to the test patterns 16a to 16g are formed on the wafer 15, and then observed with a microscope. Of the patterns 17a to 17g, the pattern having the best shape is found. The conditions under which such a pattern is formed are regarded as the best focus conditions. The circuit pattern is exposed under the best focus conditions. Of the patterns 17a to 17g shown in FIG. 13, for example, pattern 17c is determined as a pattern formed under the best focus conditions.
With such a conventional projection aligner, as described above, in order to determine the best focus conditions, before the circuit pattern is exposed, it is necessary to expose the test patterns 16a to 16g, to develop the wafer 15 and observe the patterns 17a to 17g with a microscope, such as an optical or electron microscope, thus requiring a great deal of trouble and time.


A signal transmitter and receiver are provided. The transmitter includes: a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) precoder configured to, in response to a first input signal and a second input signal, generate a first transmission signal and a second transmission signal by performing MIMO precoding by pre-phase shifting or pre-phase shifting/hopping the second input signal, and superposition encoding the first input signal and the pre-phase shifted or pre-phase shifted/hopped second input signal; and an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) modulator configured to OFDM modulate the first transmission signal and the second transmission signal.

In the 21st century information-oriented society, broadcasting communication services are moving into an era of digitalization, multi-channel, wideband, and high quality. In particular, as high quality digital televisions and portable multimedia player (PMP) and portable broadcasting equipment are increasingly used in recent years, there is an increasing demand for methods for supporting various transmitting and receiving methods of digital broadcasting services.
In order to meet such a demand, broadcasting communication-related technology organizations and industries have developed advanced technologies and are providing a variety of services to satisfy users' needs. In particular, MIMO transmitting and receiving methods for increasing transmission efficiency using limited frequency resources are being actively studied. Therefore, there is a demand for a method for providing users with improved services with high performance.

Transmitter and signal transmitting method thereof


A method of growing carbon nanostructures on a conductive substrate without the need for a vacuum or low-pressure environment provides high electrical field strengths to generate the necessary carbon ions from a feedstock gas and to promote alignment and separation of the resulting structures. In one embodiment, substantially uniform “vertical” nanostructures may be formed around the periphery of an extended wire for use in corona discharge applications or the like. Growth on a planar substrate may provide use with a variety of apparatus requiring a high specific surface conductor such as capacitors, batteries, and solar cells.

The present invention relates to the fabrication of carbon nanostructures such as carbon nanowalls and few-layer graphene and, in particular, to an improved process capable of operating at substantially atmospheric pressure and providing oriented nanostructures.
Nanostructures such as carbon nanowalls (CNW) present substantially two-dimensional graphitic platelets of few-layer graphene. It is believed that CNWs may exhibit similar properties to graphene including extremely high ballistic electron mobility, high thermal conductivity, high Young's modulus, and high fracture strength. The large surface area of CNWs holds promise in the fabrication of electrodes for electrical energy storage (e.g. batteries and capacitors), electrodes for solar cells, sensors, and substrates for catalysts. The sharp edges of CNWs may make them useful field emission materials or for generating corona discharge.
Ideally CNWs would be fabricated or arrayed in "vertical" orientation meaning that the substantially planar CNW flakes are extended edgewise perpendicularly from a surface of a substrate to which they are both electrically and mechanically attached.
Current methods of manufacturing CNWs may use a microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (MPECVD) or high current DC plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) operating in a near vacuum or low-pressure environment (0.1-1330 Pa). The low-pressure environment ensures an adequate mean free path of the electrons promoting sufficiently energetic electrons as is necessary for decomposition of the carbon precursors (such as hydrocarbon gases) providing the feedstock for the CNWs.

High electric field fabrication of oriented nanostructures


A method for drilling and completing a gravel packed well is disclosed. The method comprises drilling a wellbore with a drilling fluid, conditioning the drilling fluid, running the gravel packing assembly tools to depth in the wellbore with the conditioned drilling-fluid, and gravel packing a wellbore interval with a completion-fluid. The completion fluid may be the same as the drilling-fluid. This method may be combined with alternate-path sand screen technology to ensure proper distribution of the gravel pack.

The proper fluids for drilling, gravel packing and sand screens installation are essential for well completion success. Careful planning, well preparation and completion execution are required to increase completion productivity and longevity. Historically, a minimum of three fluids has been used to drill and complete gravel packed wells. The first fluid is a solids-laden drilling-fluid used to drill the completion interval. The second fluid is a solids-free completion-fluid used to displace the solids-laden drilling-fluid and to run sand-exclusion equipment and gravel packing tools in a generally solids-free environment. The third fluid is a carrier fluid for the gravel during gravel packing of the completion interval.
In producing hydrocarbons a wellbore is drilled through a subterranean reservoir. Drilling practices can affect a gravel pack and sand screen the same way they can affect conventionally perforated wells. The well should be drilled to maintain wellbore stability, and drilling fluids should be used that will not damage the formation.
The drilling fluid typically contains weighting solids, viscosifying solids, and drilled solids at varying concentrations. Drilling fluid filtrates should be compatible with completion fluids and should not interfere with the completion operations. Preferably, the drilling fluid selected should be dense enough to result in a well that is slightly overbalanced, should have low fluid loss and should be compatible with the clays in the productive formation.
The proper preparation of a well for gravel packing can be the key to completion success. Cleanliness is one of the most important considerations in the preparation of gravel packs. The presence of any particulate materials can result in a damaged completion. Currently tanks are often dedicated to gravel pack use to avoid repeated cleaning operations for drilling mud removal.
Completion fluids are used to displace the solids-laden drilling fluid and to run sand-exclusion equipment and gravel packing tools in a generally solids-free environment. Completion fluids can be oil- or water-based fluids. The water-based fluids are usually considered to be more flexible. Their densities, viscosities, and formation compatabilities are more easily controlled than those of oil-based fluids. Therefore, water-based fluids are most commonly utilized.
Regardless of the source of the completion fluid, the fluid should contain minimum particulate material and its chemistry must be compatible with the rock formation and connate water. Fresh water may cause clays to swell or disperse, while the presence of some ions may cause precipitation when in contact with formation water. The most common sources of completion fluids are field or produced brine, seawater, bay water or fresh water. The density of the completion fluids is often controlled with soluble salts.
Gravel placement involves those operations required to transport gravel from the surface to the completion interval to form a downhole filter that will permit the flow of fluids into the well but will prevent the entry of formation sands. Preferably, the gravel placement provides a uniform pack with a porosity of thirty-nine percent or less.
The gravel placement requires fluid to transport the gravel slurry to the completion interval. Oil- and water-based fluids and foams are commonly used as the gravel placement fluid. Clean fluids are essential for gravel placement. Depending on well pressures, high-density, solids-free soluble salt solutions may be required to maintain well control. In addition, the gravel placement fluids can be viscified by adding polymers.
Poor distribution of the gravel slurry is often caused when carrier fluid from the slurry is lost prematurely into the more permeable portions of the formation and/or into the screen, itself, thereby causing "sand bridge(s)" to form in the well annulus around the screen. These sand bridges effectively block further flow of the gravel slurry through the well annulus thereby preventing delivery of gravel to all levels within the completion interval.
To alleviate poor gravel distribution, "alternate-path" well tools or technology have been proposed and are now in use which provide for uniform distribution of gravel throughout the entire completion interval notwithstanding sand bridges formation before completion of gravel distribution. Such devices typically include perforated shunts or by-pass conduits which extend along the length of the device and which are adapted to receive the gravel slurry as it enters the well annulus around the device. If a sand bridge forms before the operation is complete, the gravel slurry can still be delivered through the perforated shunt tubes (such as, "alternate-paths") to the different levels within the annulus, both above and/or below the bridge. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,945,994 and 6,220,345 provides descriptions of typical alternate-path well screens and how they operate.
To summarize, the current method used to install open-hole gravel packs typically involves drilling the completion interval with water- or oil-based drilling fluid, displacing the fluid in the open-hole to a solids-free completion fluid (typically brine), running the gravel pack assembly and sand screens to depth in the solids-free completion fluid, and gravel packing the interval with a water-based carrier fluid. A common limitation of this method involves the inability to run the gravel pack assembly and sand screens to depth due to wellbore instability (collapse) caused by incompatibility between the water-based completion fluid (brine) and the formation. This method is inefficient since at least three fluids are required (drilling fluid, completion fluid, and gravel carrier fluid).
A frequent modification to the method described above involves placing a pre-drilled liner in the completion interval prior to displacing the open-hole to completion fluid and running the gravel pack assembly and sand screens (Murray, G., Morton, K., Blattel, S., Davidson, E., MacMillan, N., Roberts, J., SPE 73727, Feb. 20-21, 2002. Development of the Alba Field—Evolution of Completion Practices, Part 2 Open Hole Completions; Successful Outcome—Drilling with SBM and Gravel Packing with Water Based Carrier Fluid and Gilchrist, J. M., Sutton, Jr., L. W., Elliot, F. J., SPE 48976, Sep. 27-30, 1988. Advancing Horizontal Well Sand Control Technology: An OHGP Using Synthetic OBM.). The pre-drilled liner mitigates wellbore collapse and provides a conduit for running the gravel pack assembly and sand screens. While the pre-drilled liner improves the ability to run the gravel pack assembly and sand screens to depth, it provides an additional resistance to flow and may have a negative impact on productivity.
The current practice of using separate fluids for drilling, displacing the solids-laden drilling fluid and running sand-exclusion equipment and gravel packing tool, and gravel placement is both costly and time-consuming. Accordingly, there is a need to reduce operational complexity and time by simplifying the fluid system and eliminating the need for the pre-drilled liner. This invention satisfies that need.

Method for drilling and completing wells


Systems and methods are described for phase-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging using an efficient and robust phase correction algorithm. A method includes obtaining a plurality of MRI data signals, such as two-point Dixon data, one-point Dixon data, or inversion recovery prepared data. The method further includes implementing a phase-correction algorithm, that may use phase gradients between the neighboring pixels of an image. At each step of the region growing, the method uses both the amplitude and phase of pixels surrounding a seed pixel to determine the correct orientation of the signal for the seed pixel. The method also includes using correlative information between images from different coils to ensure coil-to-coil consistency, and using correlative information between two neighboring slices to ensure slice-to-slice consistency. A system includes a MRI scanner to obtain the data signals, a controller to reconstruct the images from the data signals and implement the phase-correction algorithm, and an output device to display phase sensitive MR images such as fat-only images and/or water-only images.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of medical imaging. More particularly, the invention relates to phase sensitive magnetic resonance imaging using an efficient and robust image processing algorithm.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has proven useful in the diagnosis of many diseases such as hepatic steatosis, cancer, multiple sclerosis, sports related injury, and bone marrow disorders. MRI provides unique imaging capabilities which are not attainable in any other imaging method. For example, MRI can provide detailed images of soft tissues, abnormal tissues such as tumors, and other structures which cannot be readily imaged using techniques like X-rays. Further, MRI operates without exposing patients to ionizing radiation experienced in X-rays. For these and other reasons, MRI is commonly utilized in the medical field.
In comparison to other imaging modalities, MRI is unique in that the MRI signal is represented by a complex number, rather than simply a scalar (such as X-ray attenuation in CT). The image value for each image pixel, therefore, usually includes a magnitude and a phase. Although the phase of an image pixel may carry important information and may be used in many applications such as chemical shift imaging, thermal imaging, and blood flow quantization, it is usually discarded in the standard image reconstruction process. The underlying reason is that some unwanted error phase almost always accompanies the desired phase. Although many methods have been developed to remove the error phase, a truly reliable and automated phase correction method is still lacking.
One application for phase correction of MR images includes inversion recovery imaging. Inversion recovery (IR) is generally used as a magnetization preparation technique in MRI. In IR imaging, the longitudinal magnetization along the main magnetic field is first rotated to the opposite direction using a 180° radiofrequency (RF) pulse. The inverted magnetization can be recovered by T1 relaxation during an inversion time (T1) between the inversion and the excitation RF pulses. One example application of the IR imaging is for suppression of a given type of tissue with a characteristic T1, such as short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) for fat suppression or fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) for cerebral spinal fluid attenuation. Another example application of IR imaging is for increased tissue contrast from the doubling of the dynamic range of the longitudinal magnetization. The application could be useful for imaging of neonate brains, myocardium at delayed enhancement, and for evaluating pulmonary blood flow. The potential for increased tissue contrast by IR imaging, however, is not always realized because conventional MR image reconstruction preserves only the magnitude of the MR signals and may actually lead to reduced or even reversed contrast in an IR image.
Phase-sensitive IR (PSIR) image reconstruction, in which unwanted phase errors in an IR image are removed, is a technique that can restore the contrast loss or reversal resulting from conventional magnitude image reconstruction. The main challenge in PSIR image reconstruction is a phase-correction process to separate the intrinsic signal phase in the complex image from other phase errors, which are common in an MR image. Several approaches have been proposed for PSIR image reconstruction including calibration of the phase errors through acquisition of another image without IR or with IR at different TIs. However, these approaches reduce data acquisition efficiency. Further, spatial misregistration between the actual and calibration scans due to patient motion can also be problematic.
An alternative approach for PSIR image reconstruction is to determine the phase errors from the IR image itself using various phase correction algorithms. In general, only the signal phase of a neighbor pixel for overall phase correction is used. As such, pixels with large phase variation, such as in regions of low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) or along tissue boundaries may corrupt the phase correction process. In order to minimize the effect, an empirical threshold is usually selected to exclude regions of large phase uncertainty. The actual threshold value, however, can be critical. If the value selected is too small, phase correction cannot reach beyond the regions defined by the threshold value and may thus be terminated prematurely. Alternatively, if the value selected is too large, errors in phase correction may propagate and even corrupt the rest of the process. In a region growing-based approach, for example, the selection of the threshold value together with that of the initial seed and the path of the region growing, determines the quality and the scope of the phase correction. To allow phase correction to proceed beyond local phase fluctuations and to avoid potential corruption due to phase correction errors, an additional special treatment, such as a "bridge filter" is required. Another limitation of the phase correction algorithms is the global polarity of a PSIR image, which cannot be unambiguously determined from the phase correction process itself. Consequently, images from different component channels of a phased array coil cannot be readily combined and inconsistency in display may arise for different images of a multi-slice acquisition.
Another application where correction of phase errors is important is the Dixon chemical shift imaging technique. In MRI, the signal-emitting protons may resonate at different Larmor frequencies because they have different local molecular environments or chemical shift. The two most distinct species found in the human body are water and fat, whose Larmor frequencies are separated by about 3.5 ppm (parts per million). In many clinical MRI applications, it is desirable to suppress signals from fat because they are usually very bright and obscure lesions. Presently, the most commonly used method for fat suppression is chemical shift selective saturation (CHESS), which, despite its many advantages, is known to be intrinsically susceptible to both the radiofrequency (RF) and the magnetic field inhomogeneity. Another technique that is sometimes used for fat suppression is the short tau inversion recovery (STIR), which is based on the characteristically short T1 relaxation constant for fat, rather than on its Larmor frequency. The drawbacks of STIR include reduction in scan efficiency and signal-to-noise ratio as well as potential alteration to the image contrast.
The referenced need for phase corrections in MRI and shortcomings of some of the existing approaches are not intended to be exhaustive, but rather are among many that tend to impair the effectiveness of previously known techniques concerning image reconstruction; however, those mentioned here are sufficient to demonstrate that the methodologies appearing in the art have not been satisfactory and that a significant need exists for the techniques described and claimed in this disclosure.

Method and apparatus for phase-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging

Boards of Regents, The University of Texas System


A method of producing a printing plate on a cylindrical printing-plate carrier includes subdividing the printing-plate carrier by computation in terms of its width and axial length into at least two circumferential subareas. Then an actual transfer characteristic curve for each subarea is determined and compared by computation with a predetermined desired printing characteristic curve for each subarea to find a deviation. The method further includes calculating a correction to compensate for each deviation; receiving a digital image data in a first data format using a raster image processor; converting the digital image data into machine-specific image data including the position and the tonal value in the form of a bitmap; applying the correction for a predetermined desired printing characteristic curve for the edition print to the machine-specific image data using the raster image processor; and supplying the corrected machine-specific image data to an imagesetting unit.

The present inventive method utilizes a digital imagesetting system for producing a printing plate for a rotary printing press; especially an offset printing cylinder which can be written on digitally and also erased again.
The printing unit may be a customary offset printing press. In such presses three cylinders, the printing-plate carrier cylinder, the blanket cylinders and the impression cylinders, collectively the printing cylinders, cooperate to create a printed image. The data to be printed, i.e. image information, has been transferred on a printing-plate carrier. Using a principle akin to immiscibility of oil and water, the plate is first dampened with water to prevent non-image areas from absorbing oil based inks. The plate is then inked, and an ink impression is transferred from the printing plate to a blanket cylinder. A blanket made of synthetic and/or natural rubbers is secured to the surface of the blanket cylinder and absorbs the ink. A web of paper or other print material is run between the blanket and impression cylinders. As the blanket cylinder revolves, the ink is deposited on the moving web and the image is printed.
The digital imagesetting unit operates on the external drum principle in known systems from the applicant, in which a laser beam uses the stocks of digital data to define the image information on the surface of the printing cylinder with the printing cylinder rotating rapidly. U.S. Pat. No. 6,580,524 from the applicant, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, describes a method of controlling the creation of an image on a printing-plate carrier in a printing press. In that document, the applicant discloses that the image signals that create the printing plate, i.e. set the image on the printing plate, are retrieved from a memory of a computer and supplied to a device for creating the image.
A raster image processor (RIP) sets up the scanned image via a bitmap memory in the known system, because the image may be composed of a series of dots and lines of dots. Thus, the device for setting the image, such as a laser, may interpret the digital image data correctly from a PostScript file and giving each image point of the subsequent overall form its identity (tonal value) and its position.
The conversion of a stock of digital image data into half-tone values is, for example, done as follows: in order to be able to convert 256 grey stages into half-tone values, the laser must be capable of subdividing the half-tone cell (the half-tone dot) at the selected halftone fineness into 16×16 addressable half-tone elements. In the event that a full tone were exposed, all 256 half-tone elements would be blackened, and in the event of a half-tone value of, for example, 15%, about 38 half-tone elements would likewise be blackened. Each exposed half-tone dot would in this case be assembled from a bitmap of 256 half-tone elements. The bitmap therefore contains the control information for the laser which, from this, exposes a half-tone dot comprising a corresponding number of pixels.
Printing cylinders provide constant print quality only when they are correctly set-up, for the printing plate cylinder that means a correct transfer pressure. A set-up where the transfer pressure is too low yields non-uniform transport of ink or damping solution, because of the tolerances of circular running and cylindricity. A setting where the transfer pressure is too high prematurely wears the cylinder surface, because of internal friction and pressure overload.
For the purpose of standardization, that is to say quality assurance in offset printing, a suitable electronic concept is currently used, which comprises the control desk technology, as it is known, which is understood to mean the automatic management and monitoring of many sequences during printing. Microprocessors and extremely small computers process a large number of data for this purpose, their results ultimately being passed on to the respective control and regulating elements via an appropriate data bus. Professional scanners (densitometers) currently offer many and various possibilities for correcting the tonal and color values. The (half-)tone value in the print in this case indicates the percentage area ratio of half-tone dots and paper white.
Each change to a half-tone dot in the print has its effect in the ratio between covered and uncovered area. As is known, as a result of the transfer process in offset printing, the half-tone dots become larger in most cases, and in this case one speaks of a tonal value gain in the print. If the half-tone dots of only one color become greater than desired, then the result is a different hue. Of course, this has an effect in the overprint. The most important precondition for agreement between half-tone motifs in the initial print and in the edition print is, however, agreement between the tonal value gain of all the colors and printing points.
The tonal value gain is given by the difference between the known half-tone value on the plate which, as described above, itself results from the RIP as a bitmap together with the tonal value change of the exposure, and from the half-tone value in the print, measured by means of a densitometer, for example. The tonal value gain as a deviation of the half-tone value in the print from the half-tone value of the plate or based on the input data can be represented in a printing characteristic curve that can be used directly for the reproduction.
To determine the printing characteristic curve, stepped half-tone wedges with at least three, or preferably five or more half-tone steps and a full-tone area are printed. The color density in the full-tone and in the half-tone steps is then usually measured with the densitometer and used to determine the half-tone values. If the values obtained in this way are plotted in a graph against the corresponding desired half-tone values, the result is the appropriate printing or transfer characteristic curve. For different combinations of printing ink, paper, printing plate and so on, different transfer characteristic curves are of course used (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,580,524).
A further problem for quality assurance results from the requirement for higher and higher productivity, for example as a result of attempts to produce the most lightweight and cost-effective cylinders. In particular channel-less printing, as it is known, in particular the sleeve technique, which is distinguished by a rubber blanket fitted in a seam-free manner to a sleeve and a printing plate laser-welded to form a cylindrical shape, permits a reduced stiffness, because of the reduced excitation to oscillation owing to the lack of cylinder channels. The length/thickness ratio of the printing cylinder and its relative stiffness with regard to deflection therefore become less and less favourable. The consequence of this is that during printing operation the shape and position of the printing cylinders in relation to one another may change in an undesirable way, that is to say the printing cylinders deflect.
The positional change changes the printing pressure, specifically the transfer pressure of the printing plate interacting in the printing unit. This pressure becomes non-uniform when viewed over the cylinder width. This printing pressure is generally determined in numerical values by measuring what is known as the imprint width, that is to say the width of the zone which defines the contact area of the cylinders when they are set against each other, that is to say moved so as to exert pressure. This measurement is particularly simple in offset printing, since here one cylinder of a pair of cylinders always has a compressible (soft) surface.
The printing or transfer characteristic curve, that is to say the tonal value gain, then depends directly on this imprint width, an increased imprint width meaning an increased tonal value gain and vice versa. The effect described therefore leads to a printing characteristic curve which changes in an undesired manner as viewed over the cylinder width.
In order to stabilize these printing characteristic curve values that vary over the cylinder width, that is to say to compensate for the difference between the desired and actual characteristic curves, attempts have hitherto been made to avoid this positional change of a printing cylinder, caused by deflection, by means of mechanical measures or measures connected with mechanical construction. Known countermeasures to deflection nowadays are, firstly, cylinder surfaces of crowned (convex) design and, secondly, the use of extremely rigid materials, but also a design construction of a cylinder group which permits maximum mutual support of the cylinders, so that the pressure which leads to the positional change is somewhat reduced. However, these measures are currently viewed as being too complicated and too expensive.

Method of producing a printing plate on a cylindrical printing-plate carrier in a rotary printing press


A system for determining an absolute position of a motor. The system includes first and second multi-polar magnetic rings, first and second processing units, and at least one external sensor. The first multi-polar magnetic ring is concentrically positioned around the motor, and has a plurality of pole pairs. The second multi-polar magnetic ring is concentrically positioned around the first multi-polar magnetic ring, and has at least one pole pair. The first processing unit is positioned near the first multi-polar magnetic ring to determine an angular position over one of the pole pairs of the first multi-polar magnetic ring. The sensor is positioned external to the processing unit and over the second multi-polar magnetic ring to indicate a state of the pole pair of the second multi-polar magnetic ring. The second processing unit generates an absolute position of the motor based on the angular position and the state.

In many motor applications, positions of the motor are sensed. Once motor positions are sensed, power can be applied to operate these motors accordingly. Different applications have different motor phase sensing requirements. For example, the Timken Company's MPS160 can be used to determine an absolute position of a target magnet. However, chips such as the MPS160 typically can only be used to determine the absolute position of the target within each North (N)/South (S) pole pair only. These pole pairs can be up to 6 mm wide in some performance configurations. Furthermore, to cover ⅓, ¼, or ⅕ of a revolution, a very large single absolute position sensor chip may be required. A large single absolute position sensor can be difficult to apply in many applications, such as those that have a space limitation.
There are several application-specific-integrated-circuits ("ASIC's") collectively referred to as motor sensors, that can be used to sense positions of a motor. For example, Timken's MPS32XF produces high resolution signals from a wide range of magnetic pole widths. This motor sensor is programmable and equipped with a Hall sensor array.
In some steering wheel applications, for example, in order to accurately control or activate a steering column, an absolute steering column position is needed over multiple turns of the steering wheel or column. To determine an absolute steering column position, some controllers will combine outputs of a turn counter with a position signal of a steering wheel over one revolution as provided by a sensing device. However, implementing a turn counter can be costly and can increase complexity of the sensing device.

Turning device position sensing system and method


In one embodiment of the invention, a die-level opto-electronic device comprises a semiconductor die having edges and a photonic device exposed on a first surface. The device includes a conductive structure formed in the die and away from the edges of the die, the conductive structure being exposed on a second surface of the die that opposes the first surface, wherein the conductive structure is electrically connected to the photonic device. The device also includes an optically transparent laminate attached to the first surface so as to overlay the photonic device.

Current electronic mechanisms such as digital cameras often employ die-level opto-electronic devices to gather and process optical information. Such devices commonly comprise a single semiconductor die with a photonic device, such as a charge coupled device (CCD) or image sensors like complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) imagers, fabricated on its upper surface. This photonic device is then left optically exposed, where it can sense photonic input. In this manner, photonic devices can read and process visual input, generating digital images without need of lenses or film.
Such opto-electronic devices are, however, not without their drawbacks. The delicate circuitry of a photonic device must be protected from contaminants and damage, yet must also remain optically exposed. It is often preferable to protect these photonic devices from harm by encapsulating them within an optically transparent package. FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a typical leadless chip carrier (LCC) package that is often used to enclose die-level opto-electronic devices. A die 10 containing imaging circuitry is encased within a package 20. The die 10 also contains bond pads 11, and is wirebonded to terminals 21 with wires 12. The package 20 includes an optically transparent panel 22 that protects the die 10 from damage and contamination while still allowing its imaging circuitry to gather photonic input through the panel 22.
While this package 20 has a number of advantages, namely that it protects the die 10 and its delicate imaging circuitry without significantly detracting from its performance, the package 20 also has certain disadvantages. For instance, as the package 20 must leave sufficient space for the wires 12, it can be bulky. Also, because the package 20 offers no protection to the die 10 until the packaging process is complete, the die 10 remains susceptible to damage until then. Specifically, the die 10 and its imaging circuitry can be damaged at any time during wafer handling, dicing, or wirebonding.
It is therefore desirable to fabricate a more compact, die-level opto-electronic device that offers protection to its opto-electronic circuitry prior to encapsulation.

Die-level opto-electronic device and method of making same

Abstract: In another embodiment of the invention, a semiconductor wafer comprises a substrate having a plurality of photonic devices exposed on a first surface. A plurality of conductive structures is formed in the substrate, the plurality of structures being exposed on a second surface of the substrate that opposes the first surface, wherein ones of the plurality of structures are electrically connected to associated ones of the plurality of photonic devices. An optically transparent laminate is attached to the first surface so as to overlay the plurality of photonic devices.

Abstract: Methods of forming the die-level opto-electronic devices and semiconductor wafers of the invention are also described.


A color video printing apparatus includes a first sensor detecting a recording medium and determining whether the recording medium is a thermalsensible one, and a second sensor detecting a color ink ribbon cartridge which accommodates a color ink ribbon therein. The apparatus also includes a system controller which controls driving operations of a thermal head and the color ink ribbon depending upon detection results obtained by the first and second sensors, so that a video image is printed on the recording medium in multicolor or monochromatic printing mode.

The present invention relates to a color video printing apparatus, and particularly to a video printing apparatus capable of selectively performing printing of a video image in multicolor or monochromatic printing mode depending upon a sort of a recording medium.
Color video printers for printing a video image in multicolor on a sheet are well known in the art. Many color video printers include a thermal head for printing the video image, for instance, on a sheet of thermal-transfer type by means of a color ink ribbon. The color ink ribbon includes a substrate film and heat-sublimatable color layer formed on the substrate film. The color layer has a plurality of color blocks arranged in series in spaced relation to each other. Each of the color blocks comprises segments arranged in a predetermined order, for example, yellow, magenta and cyan colors. The segments are in turn printed on the sheet of thermal-transfer type to form a multicolor image thereon.
The monochromatic printing may be performed by transferring the three segments of the color block on the sheet in the predetermined sequence. However, the time required for the monochromatic printing by using the color ink ribbon is longer than that for the monochromatic printing on a sheet of thermalsensible type without using the color ink ribbon. In addition, the sheet of thermal-transfer type is more expensive than that of thermalsensible type.
There is a demand to provide a color video printer capable of selectively performing a monochromatic printing on a sheet of thermalsensible type without using a color ink ribbon in addition to a multicolor printing on a sheet of thermal-transfer type by using the color ink ribbon.
An object of the present invention is to provide a color video printing apparatus capable of shifting from a multicolor printing mode to a monochromatic printing mode and vice versa.

Color video printer having a multicolor printing mode and a monochromatic printing mode


The present invention provides a method and system for providing communication between a number of applications and a number of devices disposed in various relative locations in a data processing system through an interface that is capable of accessing only a single device at a prespecified relative location. The applications are concurrently executing within the data processing system. A device table is established for each of the applications, wherein each device table includes device parameter information and device address information for each of the devices in the data processing system. A particular device is specified for use with a selected application. Device parameter information and device address information for the prespecified relative location within the device table established for the application are overwritten with device parameter information and device address information for the particular device specified. Data is then directed from a particular application to a selected device utilizing the device parameter information and device address information stored within the device table for the particular application.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to a method and system for providing an access to an adapter, and in particular to a method and system for providing an application access to an adapter located in a data processing system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for providing multiple applications access to multiple adapters in a multitasking environment within a data processing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multimedia, the presentation or transfer of information through more than one medium at any time, is a fast growing segment of the computer industry with many applications being developed incorporating various features of multimedia. Additionally, many businesses are utilizing multimedia to present information to consumers. For example, video rental stores may desire to present previews of movies to customers in the store. Previews of movies may be stored in digital format for play back to customers. In multimedia presentations involving the previewing of movies, it is desirable to have the capability to present these previews to as many people as possible. Multiple preview stations utilizing a monitor or remote television may be utilized to provide numerous previews.
Although multimedia presentations may be desirable, the costs of providing multiple preview stations may not be cost effective when each single preview station requires its own data processing system to present a preview. In such a situation, multiple preview stations driven by a single data processing system may be utilized to provide multiple previews to reduce overall system costs.
Many of the presently available multimedia applications, however, do not provide the ability to drive more than one preview station at a time in a multitasking mode. For example, the audio-video software kernel ("AVK") produced through a joint development effort between International Business Machines Corporation ("IBM") Intel Corporation ("Intel"), and the IBM PS/2 ActionMedia II Display Adapter/A ("ActionMedia II") may be utilized in a data processing system such as an IBM PS/2 Ultimedia Model M57 SLC ("Ultimedia") computer to provide real time video presentations at a presentation station. PS/2 is a registered trademark of IBM and ActionMedia is a trademark of Intel. The AVK provides interfaces utilized by an application to access various adapters and perform various function. The AVK, however, is unable to drive multiple preview stations in a multitasking mode. In other words, two applications are unable to provide real time digital video presentations at two different preview stations utilizing two ActionMedia II boards at the same time. Currently, each preview station must have an Ultimedia computer to provide previews.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and system for providing applications executing concurrently in a data processing system access to multiple adapters.

Method and system for supporting multiple adapters in a personal computer data processing system


A printing method according to the present invention includes carrying a medium, and printing, using a nozzle for ejecting ink, a plurality of images each having a section to be detected for detecting an inclination of the image with respect to the carried medium.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to printing methods, storage media, media, printing apparatuses, methods for detecting an end of an image, methods for detecting carrying unevenness of a medium, and devices for detecting carrying unevenness of a medium.
2. Related Art
(1) Inkjet printers (hereinafter, referred to as "printers") are known as printing apparatuses for forming an image by ejecting ink onto paper serving as a medium. These printers repeat in alternation a dot forming operation in which dots are formed on paper by ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles moving in a movement direction of a carriage, and a carrying operation in which a carry unit carries the paper in an intersecting direction (hereinafter, also referred to as "carrying direction") that intersects the movement direction. Thus, a plurality of raster lines constituted by a plurality of dots along the movement direction are formed in the intersecting direction, so that an image is printed (see JP-A-06-166247).
However, in the printers as above, there is a possibility that an image is printed at an angle with respect to paper due to, for example, the characteristics of a paper carry mechanism of the printers. Furthermore, in the printers as above, there is a case in which a predetermined pattern used for adjusting the printers and other purposes is printed in addition to an ordinary image such as letters and sceneries. There is a problem that it may be impossible to perform adjustment well when such a predetermined pattern used for adjustment and other purposes is printed at an angle with respect to paper, and adjustment is performed without noticing that the pattern is at an angle.
(2) Furthermore, there is a case in which it is required to detect the area of an image, that is, an end portion of the image by reading the image that has been printed in the printing apparatuses as above with a reading device and the like.
However, in the printers as above, ink may spread over the area that is to be printed originally at an end portion of the image, for example, because the ink that has been ejected on the paper smudges. Thus, there is a possibility that the area of the printed image is larger than the area of the image that is to be printed originally, so that it is impossible to accurately detect the end portion of the image.
(3) Furthermore, in printing apparatuses such as inkjet printers, a process is performed in which ejection non-uniformity of ink is adjusted by reading the darkness of a test pattern that has been printed by the printing apparatuses (see JP-A-H02-54676). In this process, the darkness of the printed test pattern is read by a darkness reading device such as a scanner, for example.
There is a case in which when a test pattern is printed, paper is carried askew, for example, because the paper slips on a paper sending roller or the paper is excessively pressed by a paper guide. For example, there is a case in which paper is carried in a curve because the carrying amount is uneven between one side and the other side in the width direction of the paper (hereinafter, the phenomenon in which paper is carried in a curve is also referred to as "skew"). When the skew occurs, the test pattern is printed in a deformed state, and thus the accuracy in adjustment is degraded. However, it is difficult to detect this skew by visual observation.

Printing method, storage medium, medium, printing apparatus, method for detecting end of image, method for detecting carrying unevenness of medium, and device for detecting carrying unevenness of medium


According to one embodiment, a maintenance apparatus includes a first suction nozzle having a first suction port facing a first nozzle row through which a first liquid can be ejected, the first nozzle row including nozzles aligned in a first direction on a nozzle plate, and a second suction nozzle having a second suction port facing a second nozzle row through which a second liquid can be ejected, the second nozzle row including nozzles aligned in the first direction on the nozzle plate and parallel to the first nozzle row.

In a known liquid ejection apparatus, nozzles for ejecting liquid onto a recording medium can be selected from a plurality of nozzles arranged on a nozzle plate. In such a liquid ejection apparatus, a maintenance apparatus that suctions and removes residual liquid or dust, such as paper powder, or the like adhered to the periphery of nozzles is provided. In a liquid ejection apparatus having multiple nozzle rows, a suction apparatus moves along the nozzle rows and removes the liquid or the like on the nozzle rows via a common suction port.

Maintenance apparatus and liquid ejection apparatus


A method and apparatus for testing a blowout preventer (BOP) wherein a pressurization unit applies fluid to an isolated portion of the throughbore of the BOP. A signal that is representative of the actual pressure in the isolated portion of the throughbore over successive time points and a pre-determined non-deterministic finite state automaton are used to predict the pressure in the isolated portion of the throughbore as a function of time relative to a pre-determined acceptable leak rate and the time at which stability is achieved. In one embodiment stability is achieved when successive predicted pressures are within a predetermined difference over a predetermined interval of time. Visual indications are provided to depict the progress of testing.

Current subsea Blow Out Preventer (BOP) testing practice (in U.S. "Oil and Gas Drilling Operation," Subpart D, 30 C.F.R. Chapter II, current Edition; and generally worldwide) is to view shut-in test pressures on circular chart recorders and wait until a 5-minute period of reasonably stable pressures is obtained (see FIG. 1). Reasonably stable pressures must be greater than or equal to the required test pressure and allow for temperature-related pressure declines. Tests are initiated well in excess of required pressures. A 5-minute period of reasonably stable pressures is required as proof of non-leaking tests since, absent additional analysis, the periods of overtly declining shut-in pressures could be indicative of leaks in the systems. The basic chart recorder used on a majority of drilling rigs today was patented over one hundred years ago (Wittmer, G. X.: "Recording Apparatus for Fluid Meters," U.S. Pat. No. 716,973).
In the United States under current regulations, subsea BOP tests, recorded on 4-hour 15,000 psi circular charts, are typically ended when pressure decline rates are in the range −4 to −3 psi/min. This is because the pressure trace begins to appear steady once pressure decline rates diminish to the range −4 to −3 psi/min, making this the as-practiced limit of circular chart resolution. Given the subjective nature of visual chart interpretation, tests are sometimes stopped at pressure decline rates as high as −5 psi/min and as low as −2 psi/min. A decline rate of −3 psi/min is representative of a high standard of current testing practice. The pressure at which this occurs is defined as Ps or the "pressure at stabilization."
Industry trends toward deeper water, synthetic oil-based fluids, and subsurface conditions requiring increasingly higher test pressures all contribute to lengthy delays while waiting for pressures to stabilize during subsea BOP testing. Also, subsea BOP stacks with redundancy of components and use of multiple-diameter drill strings leads to greater numbers of tests that must be conducted.
An investigation of the phenomenon of lengthy subsea BOP testing times (see Franklin, C. M., Vargo, R. F., Sathuvalli, U. B. and Payne, M. L.: "Advanced Analysis Identifies Greater Efficiency for Testing BOPs in Deep Water," SPEDC [December 2005] 242-250) conclusively attributed the prolonged decay of pressure with time to heating of the test fluids during pressurization followed by cooling of the fluids during shut-in test periods. They proposed that real time digital analysis of the pressure decay could yield large time and cost savings with safety benefits gained through reduced exposure time of personnel to pressurized lines.
FIG. 2 depicts an example of the basic components involved in testing a subsea BOP stack 8. A drill string tool or test plug 9 is lowered into the interior or throughbore of the BOP and it seats at the lower end of the BOP to seal off the well components further down the wellbore. The system is a pressure vessel comprised of the test line 10 from the Cementing Unit (CU) 12 and the drillpipe 14 from the surface 13 of the rig 16 down to the BOP stack 8 at the mudline 20. In this work, the capacity of the BOP pressure vessel is referred to as the "test volume" (i.e. an isolated portion of the throughbore of the BOP). A choke line 24 and a kill line 26 connect the throughbore at the interior of the BOP to the CU 12. The valves (e.g., annular preventers, pipe rams, shear rams, etc.) 22 in the BOP stack are tested in sequence by closing each valve and then pumping fluid from the CU into the test volume until a "target pressure" is reached (i.e. the "pumping phase"). At the target pressure, pumping stops and the pressure in the test volume is monitored until the test is deemed valid (i.e. the "shut-in phase"). In deepwater wells, the duration of the shut-in phase can be as long as 60 minutes when Synthetic Based Muds (SBM's) are used. Pressure testing a BOP with SBM leads to lengthy testing times as a result of pressure/volume/temperature (PVT) influences associated with the fluid properties of SBM. These influences are especially pronounced in deepwater and high-pressure test environments.
In the example of FIG. 3, eight pipe ram tests averaged 53.5 minutes each, four annular preventer tests averaged 16.8 minutes each, and the total shut-in time was 8.25 hours. In the U.S., the ideal combined shut-in time would be one hour given the U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS) requirement that each of the 12 tests must hold the required pressure for 5 minutes. In this example, an excess of 7.25 hours was expended waiting for pressures to stabilize.
Pressure declines of non-leaking tests may be attributed to cooling of the fluids in the pressurized system:                Surface-temperature fluids are pumped from the CU into the kill and/or choke line(s) to apply elevated pressure to the subsea BOP components being tested (i.e., these fluids are warmer than their surroundings).        Fluids in the kill and/or choke line(s) compress as additional fluids are pumped in (i.e., these fluids are displaced deeper to cooler surroundings).        Fluids in the kill and/or choke line(s) undergo an internal energy rise when they are compressed; this heat of compression causes a slight elevation of fluid temperatures throughout the system.        The pressurized fluids in the kill and/or choke line(s) cool as they lose heat to their surroundings.        Shut-in test pressures decline as the testing fluids cool; the rate of pressure decline is fastest initially when the temperature differences (ΔT) between fluids and surroundings are greatest, and slows as ΔT becomes less.
Subsea BOP tests tend to take longer with synthetic base muds (SBM) than with water base fluids (see FIG. 4) because:                SBM is more compressible than water, hence more SBM (and heat) is pumped-in to attain a given test pressure.        SBM has greater heat of compression (temperature rise) than water.        SBM has lower heat capacity than water so loses heat more slowly and takes longer to cool.
The problem of BOP testing has existed for some time. Considerable time and effort is expended each year to perform BOP tests. In spite of this, and with the exception of the earlier work by Franklin, et al., BOP testing schemes have not progressed in a long time. Actually, the problem has become aggravated with the passage of time because each year more and more testing is conducted at higher pressures using the current time consuming processes.

Blowout preventer testing system and method


A method of forming a MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System), includes forming an ambient port through a MEMS cap which defines a cavity containing a plurality of MEMS actuators therein; and bonding a lid arrangement to the MEMS cap to hermetically seal the ambient port.

The present invention relates generally to the field of bonding of substrates. In particular, the invention relates to methods of fabricating MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) and other devices which enable the operability and/or longevity of the devices.
MEMS and other devices often include two or more substrates either in close proximity or bonded together. For example, in optical systems such as digital projectors, a device may include an interference-based digital light display (DLD) package which includes two or more substrates to direct light to and from the DLD. Similar to a CRT, in a rear-projection television, a DLD can be used in digital projectors for processing or generating an image from a source light.
One such DLD package is illustrated in FIG. 1. The package 100 includes a base substrate 120 with a driving electrode (not shown), a pixel plate 110 which can move vertically, and a thin protective substrate or membrane 130. In this arrangement a reflective coating is provided on the pixel plate 110, and a partial reflective coating 131 is provided on the bottom surface of the membrane 130. The protective membrane 130 encloses a cavity in which the DLD pixel plate 110 is enclosed and allows light to pass therethrough.
To ensure reliability of the DLD package, the cavity must be essentially free of contaminants and, in particular, essentially free of moisture. In this regard, such DLD packages are generally formed in a highly controlled environment so that moisture in the cavity is minimized. However, these methods can substantially increase the manufacturing costs of the DLD package.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a reliable and inexpensive method and system of assembling such packages so that the effect of the contaminants is minimized and the prolonged operation of the DLD package is promoted.

System and method for direct-bonding of substrates

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Disclosed are an active layer ion implantation method and an active layer ion implantation method for thin-film transistor. The active layer ion implantation method comprises: applying a photoresist on the active layer; and implanting ions into the active layer through the photoresist.

LCD panels made of Low Temperature Poly-silicon (LTPS) may reduce the power consumption of display panels. LTPS TFTs has been widely used because of the advantages of high resolution, fast response time, high brightness, high aperture ratio and the like.
When fabricating a LTPS TFT array substrate, active layer ion implantation is a crucial step for improving the TFT characteristics. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a cross section of a currently widely-used LTPS TFT display panel. In a conventional process for fabricating LTPS TFT array substrate, a buffer layer P12 is first deposited on a glass substrate P11, then an amorphous silicon (a-Si) is deposited on the whole surface of the buffer layer P12, and the a-Si layer forms poly-silicon layer through a dehydrogenation process and a low temperature crystallization process. After crystallization, the active layer P13 is formed by the pattern process with a mask, which comprises exposing, developing, etching and peeling. And then the ion is implanted into the active layer P13.
In conventional technologies, when ion implantation is performed on the active layer P13, a gate insulating layer P14 deposited on the surface of the active layer P13 is used to protect the surface of the active layer P14 from damage by impact during the ion implantation. Implanted ions enter the active layer P13 through the gate insulating layer P14 and a final ion implantation effect as shown in FIG. 2 is achieved.
However, the characteristics of the gate insulating layer may be degraded because the doped ions may damage the film structure of the gate insulating layer during implanting process as well as some ions may be residual in the gate insulating layer. Furthermore, the ions in the gate insulating layer may be further diffused in later high temperature processes for the LTPS, which will further degrade the characteristics of the gate insulating layer.

Active layer ion implantation method and active layer ion implantation method for thin-film transistor