A memory voltage generating circuit includes a first control module, a core circuit, and a second control module. The core circuit includes a regulation amplifier, a first MOSFET, a second MOSFET, and a switch. An output terminal and an inverting input terminal of the regulation amplifier are both connected to an output terminal of the core circuit. A non-inverting input terminal of the regulation amplifier is coupled to the second control module. The non-inverting input terminal of the regulation amplifier is also connected to a referenced voltage via one resistor and is grounded via another resistor. A source of the first MOSFET is coupled to the inverting input terminal of the regulation amplifier. A gate of the first MOSFET is connected to the output terminal of the regulation amplifier. Drains of the first MOSFET and the second MOSFET are coupled to an input voltage via the switch. A source of the second MOSFET is connected to another input voltage. A gate of the second MOSFET is connected to the first control module.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a voltage generating circuit for a computer, and more particularly to a memory voltage generating circuit for a computer.
2. General Background
In general, a user can make a computer enter various sleeping modes through a user setting in Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI), in order to protect the computer and save energy.
Typically, an ACPI has various modes as follows: S0, S1, S2, S3, S4, and S5. While a system is in the S0 state, it is in the system working state. That is, all devices, such as processors, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), power resources and etc., are all maintained. The S0 state is further divided into two sub-states, a before (Advanced Technology Extend Power OK) ATXPOK S0 state and an after ATXPOK S0 state. The conversion of the before and after ATXPOK S0 states is instantaneous. While the system is in the S1 sleeping state, which is also called Power on Suspend (POS), processors of the system are not executing instructions. However, the processor-complex context is maintained. The S2 sleeping state is logically lower than the S1 state. And it is assumed to conserve more power. In the S2 sleeping state, the processors are not executing instructions. Meanwhile, the processor-complex context is not maintained. The S3 state, which is familiar to us, is also called Suspend to RAM (STR). It is logically lower than the S2 state. And it is assumed to conserve more power. In the S3 state, all the devices except DRAM are not maintained. Contents of the DRAM can be maintained by hardware. The S3 state is a commonly used power saving state. Then there is the S4 state, which is also called Suspend to Disk (STD), it is logically lower than the S3 state and is assumed to conserve more power. In the S4 state, a system main power is turned off. A copy of memory is saved to a disk. All the devices stop working while the disk has a power supply. The disk is wakened when needed. The S5 state is in the soft off state and requires a complete boot when awakened. In the S5 state, all the devices including the power supply is turned off.
Functions of the commonly used STR state are to save executing information of the system to a memory. In the STR state, a power supply is needed for main devices such as the memory to insure no loss of important data. However, other devices are turned off to save energy. The system is awakened when a power button is pressed, and a previous working state before STR is resumed by the memory.
A memory voltage generating circuit is needed to output a memory voltage in order to obtain the STR state. The memory voltage is 2.6V.
Referring to FIG. 2, a typical memory voltage generating circuit for a motherboard of the computer includes a control module 10, a first voltage generating circuit 12, and a second voltage generating circuit 14. The control module 10 is used to control working states of the first voltage generating circuit 12 as well as the second voltage generating circuit 14. The memory voltage 2.6V is generated by one of the first and second voltage generating circuits under various working states.
The control module 10 includes a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) Q11′ and a BJT Q12′. A base of the BJT Q11′ is coupled to a 3.3V standby voltage (3.3V Vsb) via a resistor R5′. An emitter of the BJT Q11′ is coupled to a terminal 1′ via a resistor R6′ for receiving a first voltage control signal (SLP4_L) from a south bridge chip of the computer. A collector of the BJT Q11′ is coupled to a 5V standby voltage (5V Vsb) via a resistor R7′. A base of the BJT Q12′ is connected to the collector of the BJT Q11′. An emitter of the BJT Q12′ is connected to a terminal 2′ for receiving a second voltage control signal (ATXPOK) from the motherboard power supply of the computer. A collector of the BJT Q12′ is coupled to the 5V Vsb via a resistor R8′. According to power specification of computers, the SLP4_L is a high level voltage when the computer works in the S0, S1, S2, and S3 state. And the SLP4_L is a low level voltage when the computer works either in the S4 or in the S5 state. The ATXPOK is a low level voltage in all the states except the after ATXPOK S0 state. That is, only in the after ATXPOK S0 state the ATXPOK is a high level voltage. In the memory voltage generating circuit, scheduling of working is controlled by voltage control signals of the SLP4_L and ATXPOK.
The first voltage generating circuit 12 includes an integrated circuit (IC) (not shown). The IC outputs a 2.6V standby voltage (2.6V Vsb) as shown in FIG. 2. The first voltage generating circuit 12 further includes a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) Q3′. The MOSFET Q3′ is P-channel-strengthen MOSFET. A drain of the MOSFET Q3′ is a terminal 3′ which outputs the memory voltage 2.6V. The 2.6V Vsb from the IC is input to a source of the MOSFET Q3′. A gate of the MOSFET Q3′ is connected to the collector of the BJT Q12′. Then a reference point A′ is formed between the control module 10 and the first voltage generating circuit 12.
The second voltage generating circuit 14 includes an operation amplifier U′, an N-channel-strengthen MOSFET Q1′, an N-channel-strengthen MOSFET Q5′, a BJT Q13′, and a BJT Q14′. A system voltage 12V Vcc from the motherboard power supply of the computer is provided as a working voltage of the operation amplifier U′. A non-inverting input terminal of the operation amplifier U′ is connected to the 2.6V Vsb as a reference voltage via a resistor R1′. An inverting input terminal of the operation amplifier U′ is coupled to a source of the MOSFET Q1′. An output terminal of the operation amplifier U′ is connected to the source of the MOSFET Q1′ via a resistor R2′. A drain of the MOSFET Q1′ is coupled to the drain of the MOSFET Q3′. A negative-feedback loop is formed between the operation amplifier U′ and the output memory voltage 2.6V via the MOSFET Q1′ to ensure a steady output memory voltage 2.6V. A drain of the MOSFET Q5′ is coupled to a system voltage 3V Vcc. A gate of the MOSFET Q5′ is connected to the output terminal of the operation amplifier U′. A source of the MOSFET Q5′ is connected to the source of the MOSFET Q1′. The second voltage generating circuit 14 works when the MOSFET Q1′ and the MOSFET Q5′ are turned on simultaneously. A base of the BJT Q13′ is connected to the reference point A′ via a resistor R9′. An emitter of the BJT Q13′ is grounded. A collector of the BJT Q13′ is coupled to the 5V Vsb via a resistor R10′. A gate of the BJT Q14′ is connected to the collector of the BJT Q13′. An emitter of the BJT Q14′ is grounded. A collector of the BJT Q14′ is connected to a gate of the MOSFET Q1′. The gate of the MOSFET Q1′ is coupled to the ground via a resistor R4′. The gate of the MOSFET Q1′ is connected to the 12V Vcc via a resistor R3′. The MOSFET Q1′ is turned on when the reference point A′ is a high level voltage.
The 5V Vsb, 3.3V Vsb, and 2.6V Vsb are high level voltages at any state. The 12V Vcc and 3V Vcc are at high level only when the computer is in after ATXPOK S0 state. The 12V Vcc and 3V Vcc are at high levels on condition that the ATXPOK is a high level voltage.
A working process of the typical memory voltage generating circuit is as follows: the memory voltage is not used in the S1, S2, and S4 states. In the S5 state, the 12V Vcc, 3V Vcc, SLP4_L, and ATXPOK are low level voltages. The BJT Q11′ of the control module 10 is turned on. A low level voltage is input to the base of the BJT Q12′. The BJT Q12′ is turned off. Therefore, the reference point A′ is at a high level. The 5V Vsb is input to the gate of the MOSFET Q3′. Because the MOSFET Q3′ is a P-channel-strengthen MOSFET, the MOSFET Q3′ is turned off. Therefore, the first voltage generating circuit 12 does not generate the memory voltage 2.6V. As the 12V Vcc and 3V Vcc are at low level, the operation amplifier U′ can not get the working voltage, so the low level voltage is input to the gate of the MOSFET Q5′. Because the MOSFET Q5′ is an N-channel-strengthen MOSFET, the MOSFET Q5′ is turned off. Therefore, the second voltage generating circuit 14 does not work. That is, in the S5 state, there is no need for the memory voltage 2.6V.
In the before ATXPOK S0 state and the S3 state, the ATXPOK, 12V Vcc, and 3V Vcc are at low levels, however, the SLP4_L is a high level voltage, and the voltage of the SLP4_L is higher than 3.3V Vsb when it is in the high level. Therefore, the second voltage generating circuit 14 does not work. The BJT Q11′ is turned off. The 5V Vsb is inputted to the base of the BJT Q12′. The BJT Q12′ is turned on and the reference point A′ is at a low level. Thus, the first voltage generating circuit 12 outputs the memory voltage 2.6V to the terminal 3′.
In the after ATXPOK S0 state, the 12V Vcc, 3V Vcc, SLP4_L, and ATXPOK are all at high levels, and the voltage of the ATXPOK is higher than 5V Vsb. Therefore, the BJT Q11′ and BJT Q12′ are turned off. Thus, the reference point A′ is at a high level. The MOSFET Q3′ is turned off. The first voltage generating circuit 12 does not output the memory voltage 2.6V. The BJT Q13′ is turned on, and the BJT Q14′ is turned off. So the MOSFET Q1′ is turned on. Meanwhile, the MOSFET Q5′ is turned on because of the high level voltages 12V Vcc and 3V Vcc. So the second voltage generating circuit 14 outputs the memory voltage 2.6V to the terminal 3′.
However, the typical memory voltage generating circuit has some disadvantages. That is, there are so many components in the typical memory voltage generating circuit that connections between them are complex. Thus, cost of the typical memory voltage generating circuit is high.
What is needed is a less complex and less expensive memory voltage generating circuit for a computer.

Bao-an District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.


The machine of the invention includes a cutting device, a first conveyor, a second conveyor, a first moving arm and a second moving arm. The cutting device includes a platform, a lower mold on the platform and an upper mold correspondingly over the lower mold. The first conveyor is disposed near one side of the platform for conveying boxes to be cut. The second conveyor is disposed near the other side of the platform for conveying cut boxes and remnants. The first moving arm includes a first transmission and a first robot hand driven thereby for moving the boxes to be cut to a position between the lower mold and the upper mold. The second moving arm includes a second transmission and a second robot hand driven thereby for moving the cut boxes and remnants to the second conveyor.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to box cutting machines, particularly to automatic box cutting machines.
2. Related Art
In modern society, packing of commercial products is as important as the product itself Currently, packing boxes of products are made by machines, such as injection or extrusion. Although such manufacture methods can achieve the object of mass production, an edge of opening of a packing box tends to be irregular. Thus, machine-manufactured packing boxes are usually needed to be cut for a desired size and removing an irregular edge.
Currently, cutting of packing boxes is performed by manually taking a box to be cut and then putting it in a cutting machine. However, such a process not only costs much labor and time, but also causes a potential risk to an operator which takes a box to put in a cutting machine.

Machine for automatically cutting and sorting boxes and remants


A high-voltage device having a measuring resistor, also called a bleeder, is plunged into an electrical field whose voltage varies in the same way as the voltage along the bleeder. To achieve this, the capacitive elements are distributed in two rows, each row defining a plane. Along each row, the potentials are growing. The space between the two rows is sufficient for the bleeder to be placed therein. The bleeder is formed either by series-connected resistors or by a screen-printed resistor.

An embodiment of the invention is directed to a high-voltage device comprising an internal measuring resistor. The field of the invention is related to generation of high voltages and instruments or an apparatus using these high voltages. In particular, the field of the invention is directed to medical apparatuses for the acquisition of radiological images such as X-ray images.
In the prior art, generation of X-rays for medical image acquisition requires a power supply voltage, between the anode and the cathode of the X-ray tube, ranging from 40 kV (kilo-volts) to more than 160 kV. This voltage is generally obtained with a bipolar device that applies two high voltages that are symmetrical relative to ground. In other words, to have 160 kV between the anode and the cathode, a device that generates +80 kV at the anode and −80 kV at the cathode is used. Controlling the sum of the two high voltages, namely the positive and negative high voltages, applied to the anode and the cathode, generally regulates this high voltage. Two identical devices that divide the voltage measured in a ratio of about 10,000, which is generally 1V for 10 kV, measure the two high voltages. To work well in oil at voltages of about 100 kilo-volts, a measurement device of this kind must have a maximum spacing between two conductive plates of about 40 mm (millimeter).
However, considerations of X-ray image quality have led to the connecting of the anode to the envelope of the tube which is itself ground-connected and to the application of all the voltage to the cathode alone. The power supply for the tube is no longer a bipolar (+ and −80 kV) supply but a one-pole (−160 kV) supply. The high-voltage generator now delivers only one voltage that, however, is twice the value of the voltage in the prior art. This has repercussions on the measurement device. If it were desired to keep the same measurement device, then, to keep the insulation, each of the dimensions would also need to be increased by a factor of two. The volume of the measurement device would then be increased eightfold. This would then raise many problems. One of these problems is related to the space requirement of the measurement device that would become incompatible with the manufacture of a compact apparatus, especially in the case of a mobile apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,818,706 discloses a high-voltage generator can be obtained by the serial association of several voltage rectifier stages. In order to measure the high voltage produced, a bleeder is parallel connected to the series of rectifiers. The bleeder has as many resistors as it has rectifier stages. Each resistor of the bleeder is associated with a rectifier stage. Each resistor also has an associated shielding cover, this shielding cover being connected to a potential existing at the output of the rectifier stage with which the resistor is associated. The device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,818,706 has several drawbacks as a result of the shielding, including space requirement, metal for the shielding giving rise to electrical arcing, and parasitic capacitances.

High-voltage device having a measuring resistor

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC


A bond post configuration for wire bonded semiconductors has bond posts grouped in three posts where two are arranged closely to a side of a die about a first axis and a third is arranged in between and further removed from the side about a second axis. In one form, the bond post configuration is a radial configuration. Additionally, conductive traces which extend from the bond posts and away from the die are placed off-center from the the bond posts about the first axis to provide more placement area for the bond posts arranged about the second axis. The bond post configuration may be utilized in any wire bonded semiconductor.

As integrated circuits continue to evolve, lithography dimensions continue to decrease. Present day lithography is in the range of 0.1-0.2 micron. As a result, the semiconductor die continues to decrease in size. As a result of the decreased size of the semiconductor die, packaging issues are created that heretofore were non-existent. The decrease in semiconductor die size results in bond posts which are external to the die being removed farther and farther from the die in the semiconductor package, which encapsulates the die. As a result, the wires used to connect bond pads on the semiconductor die to bond posts in the package are becoming increasingly longer. Another issue is the high pin count resulting from increased integration afforded by the miniaturization. As a result of increased pin count, more pads per side of a package have to be included. The addition of pads to a side of an integrated circuit further increases the wire length because more bond posts have to be added farther from the side of the integrated circuit die.
Long wire length is problematic for several reasons. As first reason is the fact that long wire lengths result in many integrity problems such as shorting and wire sweep issues. Wire sweeping occurs when the encapsulant used to encapsulate the die is poured into a cavity and causes the wires to be swept in directions not anticipated. Additional issues with increased wire length include the degradation of electrical performance of the integrated circuit package.
As a result of these problems caused by increased wire length, package designers typically have a maximum wire length which cannot be exceeded in connection with implementing a package associated with the integrated circuit die.
Illustrated in FIG. 1 is a known integrated circuit package 10 having a die 12 with a plurality of bond pads, such as bond pads 13 and 14. Each bond pad has a bonding wire, such as bonding wire 16, connected to a respective bond post such as bond post 17. Bond post 17 is part of a conductive trace 18. As shown in FIG. 1, a respective bond pad is connected by a bonding wire to each bond post. From each bond post, a trace continues to the external periphery of the integrated circuit. It should be noted that integrated circuit package 10 has all of its bond posts orthogonal to a side of the integrated circuit die 12. As a result, all of the bonding wires, such as bonding wire 16, are connected substantially at a 90.degree. angle to the side of the integrated circuit die. Additionally, each of the bond posts are made larger than each conductive trace in order to allow more room for automatic wire bonding to the bond post. A disadvantage with the integrated circuit package 10 is that the orthogonal arrangement limits the amount of bonding wires which may be used on a side of an integrated circuit die. Note in particular that bond posts, such as bond post 17, are aligned or stacked essentially one along the other so that the number of bond posts per side of a die is limited by the width of the bond post and the required separation between each of the bond posts.
Illustrated in FIG. 2, is an integrated circuit package 20. Integrated circuit package 20 has a die 22 which has a plurality of bond pads, such as bond pads 24 and 25. From each bond pad is a bonding wire, such as bonding wire 26 or 28, connected to a respective bond post, such as bond post 27 or 29. Integrated circuit package 20 has the same disadvantage of using bond posts which are orthogonal to a side of die 22. As a result, a finite number of bond posts may be placed along the side of die 22 limited in number by the physical dimension of the side of die 22. The orthogonal staggered configuration is desirable only for low pin count packages. However, integrated circuit package 20 has the advantage over integrated circuit package 10 of having staggered bond posts. That is to say that not all of the bond posts are lined up along a same axis. As a result, an equal number of bond posts to the number of bond posts in integrated circuit package 10 may be placed in integrated circuit package 20 in a slightly smaller area. An example of an integrated circuit package such as integrated circuit package 20 is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,999, entitled "Liquid Encapsulated Ball Grid Array Semiconductor Device With Fine Pitch Wire Bonding," by Lin, et al., and assigned to the assignee hereof.
There remains a need for an integrated circuit package which has high pin count and small bond wire length for use with lithography dimensions which are approaching one-tenth of a micron. Existing packaging technologies continue to be limiting with respect to the advances made by integrated circuit integration. As integrated circuit dimensions have continued to decrease, the width required of a bond post in order to make a reliable bond has not decreased. As a result, existing packaging technologies have become inadequate for advanced semiconductor technologies.

Semiconductor package bond post configuration


An encoder encodes an output symbol from input symbols of an input file by determining, for a given output symbol, a list AL that indicates W associated input symbols, within a subset S of the input symbols comprising the input file, to be associated with the output symbol, where W is a positive integer, where at least two output symbols have different values for W associated therewith, where W is greater than one for at least one output symbol, and where the number of possible output symbols is much larger than the number of input symbols in the input file, and generating an output symbol value from a predetermined function of the W associated input symbols indicated by AL. The subset S can be a window that slides over the input file to cover all of the input symbols in a period. The window can be a fixed or variable size. Where the window moves over the file and reaches an edge, the window can wrap around or can cover extended input symbols.

The present invention relates to encoding and decoding data in communications systems and more specifically to communication systems that encode and decode data using a chain reaction coder wherein the associates used to generate an output symbol are selected from a window comprising less than all of the input symbols.
As described in Luby I and Luby II, chain reaction coding is useful in many communications systems. With chain reaction coding, output symbols are generated from a set of input symbols according to associations of input symbols with the output symbols.
In one embodiment, for example, an encoder generates an output symbol from a key, I, of the output symbol, where the number of possible keys, and therefore output symbols, is much larger than the number of input symbols. The encoder determines a list, AL(I), of W(I) input symbols to be associated with the output symbol and calculates a value, B(I), for the output symbol. Luby I and Luby II describe various methods and apparatus for calculating W(I) from I, calculating AL(I) from I and W(I), and generating B(I) from one or more of AL(I), W(I) and I. The decoder receives output symbols, and when sufficient output symbols are received, the decoder can calculate values for input symbols from the values of the output symbols. This process is referred to herein as xe2x80x9cchain reaction codingxe2x80x9d because once a decoder decodes an input symbol, that result can be used in combination with information about other received output symbols to decode more input symbols, which in turn may lead to an ability to decode even more input symbols.
Where the encoder and decoder are optimized, the decoder can entirely recover an input file of K input symbols from a received set of K+a output symbols most of the time. In one decoding process, the decoder waits for receipt of K+a output symbols. In many communications systems, the channel is not perfect, so some output symbols may have been lost. In general, the decoder does not assume that is has received a specific or contiguous K+a output symbols, but instead operates on the assumption that the particular K+a output symbols are arbitrarily distributed among the possible output symbols. In a decoding process, the decoder uses the K+a output symbols to attempt to decode as many of the input symbols as possible. With the proper selection of a, most of the time, the decoder will decode all of the input symbols before using all of the K+a output symbols. In the ideal case, the decoder just finishes recovering all of the input symbols when it runs out of output symbols, so that no output symbols are wasted and no more output symbols are needed. Of course, since the decoder cannot control which of the possible output symbols are going to be received at the decoder, some transmissions of K+a output symbols will include more output symbols than needed and some transmissions of K+a output symbols might not be enough to decode all of the input symbols, in which case the decoder would take additional output symbols from the channel to complete the decoding process.
In a most general case, the xe2x80x9cassociatesxe2x80x9d of an output symbol, i.e., the input symbols that are in the list AL(I) for a given output symbol in the above example, are selected from the entire set of input symbols. Thus, an efficient encoder would likely store all the input symbols in local memory for quick access as needed to generate output symbols. As used herein, memory is considered local or remote, with local memory being differentiated from remote memory not necessarily in its location, but in its response time and ease of access. For example, a computer system might have a 512 kilobyte (KB) processor cache, a 128 megabyte (MB) RAM memory (random access memory), and a 2 gigabyte (GB) disk drive. Assuming that the time the processor needs to access the processor cache is much less than the time it needs to access the RAM and the RAM access time is much less than the time it needs to access the disk drive, the processor cache would be local memory relative to the remote memory of the RAM and the RAM would be local memory relative to the remote memory of the disk drive.
In optimizing a processing system for performance, one considers the use of local memory and remote memory. If a process is changed from one that uses only remote memory or remote and local memory to one that uses only local memory or a higher proportion of local memory over remote memory, the process will end up being more efficient. One constraint that prevents many processes from using local and remote memory more efficiently is the memory needs of the process and the sizes of the memories. For example, where 1 GB is needed to store data, in the above-described processing system, at least some of the data will have to be stored on the disk drive.
In the case of a chain reaction coding system, if the input file requires 1 GB for storage, the above-described processing system would either have to quickly process data from the disk drive, or be modified to include 1 GB of RAM. In many cases, enlarging a more local memory to avoid the use of a more remote memory is not an economical proposition.
In one embodiment of a chain reaction coding system according to the present invention, a window is used in the selection of associates, resulting in localization of activity when generating output symbols and recovering input symbols, thereby allowing for more frequent use of a limited local memory instead of more frequent use of a remote memory.
One advantage of the present invention is that it allows for a more efficient encoder and decoder that can take advantage of the locality of the input symbols. One benefit of locality is that a subset of the input file can be stored in a fast memory, such as a processor cache, and the fast memory can be smaller than the entire file. Another benefit of locality is that a change to a local area of the input file will only affect a local area of output symbols. Locality may be relative, in that the encoding and decoding might be taking place on a subset that comprises a set of input symbols that are not necessarily contiguous in the input file as stored.
A further understanding of the nature and the advantages of the inventions disclosed herein may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the attached drawings.


This invention is directed to a system and method for providing a status notification for a message in a communications network. An embodiment of this invention is a voicemail system, which provides a caller in a telecommunications network with the option of requesting a status notification for a voicemail message when the recording of the message is complete. By requesting status notification, the caller is indicating that the voicemail system should track any actions related to the message that occur within the voicemail system. The caller also specifies a destination identifier, which includes formatting and addressing information that the voicemail system uses for subsequent notification. As actions are taken in relation to the message, the voicemail system creates disposition identifiers and associates these identifiers with the message. When a triggering event occurs, such as the recipient deleting the message, the voicemail system retrieves the disposition identifiers to generate the status notification and sends the status notification in the format and to the address specified by the destination identifier.

Electronic messaging services have become critical to the efficient operation of business. These services have also become an indispensable tool for many individuals. As the importance of electronic messaging services has grown, so has the importance of providing these services in a reliable, robust and cost-effective manner. The markets in which the service providers provide these services have also become highly competitive, and this competitive environment exerts additional pressure on the service providers to continually improve electronic messaging services. Service providers see erosion in their existing subscriber base as competitive service providers continue to make it easier and attractive to migrate to their service offerings. An inability to change service offerings to keep pace with functional requirements causes additional erosion. In order to compete effectively and increase subscriber base, a service provider must endeavor to provide the highest possible level of sought-after services while simultaneously delivering those services at a reasonable price.
Electronic messaging service providers currently provide a plurality of specialized value-added services to both business and individual users. Although the earliest true electronic messaging can be traced back to 1844 and the advent of the first practical electric telegraph system; electronic messaging now principally includes messaging via e-mail, facsimile, interactive paging and voice communications systems, both wired and wireless. However, electronic messaging is by no means limited to these mediums. For example, various video mail solutions are becoming widely available. For example, Pacific Image Communications offers a home or small-office/home-office (SOHO) product, Super Voice® Videomail, that allows the attachment of a video and audio message to a standard e-mail message. (Super Voice® is a registered trademark of Pacific Image Communications, Inc.)
Also, videophones and video conferencing are now ubiquitous in large businesses. High-speed data lines, which were until recently limited to high-cost dedicated lines, have migrated to the home in the form of digital subscriber lines (xDSL) and cable-modems. This increase in available bandwidth enables a higher level of electronic messaging service content in the home, and in combination with readily available video communications equipment will expand the demand for video-based messaging services in the home as well.
Electronic messaging services beyond the basic sending, receiving and storing of messages differ somewhat depending on the medium in which the message is being transmitted. These services include, but are most certainly not limited to, message forwarding, automatic message replies and message blocking. Despite a proliferation of available messaging services, a basic service that is still lacking is a robust and flexible status notification service. Also, although various media types have been integrated successfully within various messaging systems, a recipient has no level of assurance that the originator can receive a reply to the message.
Most widely available e-mail systems adhere to Internet standards as set forth in the Requests for Comment (RFC). Generally, those systems that do not specifically adhere to the Internet standards, such as those systems which adhere to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU-T) X.400 standards, provide interfaces, which in turn provide Internet standards compatibility. Adherence to the Internet standards includes providing a means of status notification to the sender in the form of a message disposition notification (MDN). As those skilled in the art are sure to recognize, disposition in this sense is not limited to a final action taken on a message but rather includes any action directed to the message after successful delivery. Although e-mail systems adhering to the standards do provide MDN, the provision is subject to a variety of limitations. RFC 2298, the draft standard for MDN, defines a Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME) content-type that a messaging system uses to report the disposition of a message after successful delivery. The standard defines disposition event types, which include, but are not limited to, displayed, dispatched, deleted, denied and mailbox-terminated events. Dispatch of a message means to send the message to a destination; dispatch includes forwarding, replying and any other act, which would result in sending the message to a destination. When any of the disposition events occurs, an e-mail system adhering to the standard sends a disposition notification message to a mailbox specified by the original sender in the header of the original message.
Voicemail services and systems function within telecommunications networks, and modern telecommunications networks adhere to a common set of industry-specific standards. However, the actual feature sets included in voicemail and other value-added services are not the subject of these standards. Instead, the service providers and their suppliers are responsible for determining the feature set that they include in a particular service. The provision of status notification in voicemail services is even more limited than in e-mail systems. One exemplary voicemail service is the BellSouth® MemoryCall® service. MemoryCall® provides status notification in the form of a confirmation that a message has been accessed. When the recipient of the voicemail message accesses the message, a confirmation message is created and stored in the voicemail box of the originating caller. The originating caller must be an existing subscriber to the MemoryCall® service, i.e., the voicemail box must be preexisting. (BellSouth® is a registered trademark of BellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation. MemoryCall® is a registered service mark of BellSouth Corporation.)
E-mail and voicemail systems are subject to a number of limitations in the provision of message disposition notification. First, in an e-mail messaging system adhering to RFC 2298, the recipient of the disposition notification must be identified as an attribute in the header of the original message (Disposition-Notification-To). The attribute must specify a valid mailbox to which a disposition is subsequently sent. The mailbox refers to another e-mail address; the sender cannot specify varying mediums within which to reply. The original sender of a message has no flexibility in the manner of status notification and limited flexibility in the return address. Also, as stated above, to utilize voicemail confirmation in the MemoryCall® service, the caller must also be an existing subscriber of the service, i.e., the caller must have a predefined relationship with the voicemail system. Since the telecommunication service provider generally provides this type of service, this requirement limits the availability of this feature to those callers living or working within in a specific region, or perhaps, even within a specific community. Once again, the recipient cannot specify an alternate medium within which to send the confirmation.
Another limitation of current electronic messaging systems is that they identify a message in a disposition notification or confirmation only by attributes of the message such as the recipient, the date created and perhaps a portion of the message. It can be quite difficult for a sender or caller to associate the disposition notification with the correct message. For instance, if a sender or caller using one of these services sends a particular recipient multiple messages on the same day, it is very difficult for the sender to determine to which message the disposition notification applies.
Some of the limitations on disposition notification apply primarily to a specific medium. For example, a limitation of current e-mail systems is that a disposition notification message must be sent for each disposition of the message. Depending on the requirements of the sender, many of the disposition messages provided will be at least valueless and at worst distracting and irritating.
A limitation peculiar to voicemail systems is the inability to monitor a range of disposition event types when the recipient accesses the message. A caller may wish to know whether or not the recipient deleted a message without listening to it, forwarded the message to another party, or if the recipient was deleted from the voicemail system without ever having accessed the message. This information is unavailable in current voicemail services.

System and method for electronic message status notification


A method and electronics circuit for processing very high resolution images or very high frame rate images in real time. Each pixel within a frame of pixels is compared to the neighboring pixels within the frame to determine if the pixel is part of a blob group. If the pixel is part of the blob group, the characteristics of the pixel are added to the statistics for the blob group. When a pixel overlaps two target blob groups, the two blob groups are combined to form one blob group. When the end of the frame is reached information about the blob groups in the frame is made available.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to image processing. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing very high resolution images or very high frame rate images in real time.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A blob (binary large object) is an area of touching pixels with the same logic state. All pixels in an image that belong to a blob are in a foreground state. The remaining pixels in the image are in a background state. In a binary image, pixels in the background have values equal to zero, while every nonzero pixel is part of a binary image. Blob analysis is typically used to detect blobs in an image and make selected measurements of these blobs within the image. Blob analysis consist of a series of processing operations and analysis functions that produce information about 2-dimensional shape in an image.
Image processing generates large quantities of data at very high bandwidths. Currently, it is very difficult to process this data in real time using conventional data processing techniques.
Blob analysis is performed on images using recursive algorithms. This requires the algorithm used for blob analysis to make multiple passes through the image. When multiple passes are required, the whole video frame must be stored in memory. The memory requirements and multiple passes make it difficult to perform the task in real time.

Method for single pass blob image analysis

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A circuit for selectively performing big-endian/little-endian data format conversion based on whether instructions or data are being transferred. The data and instructions are allocated to different regions in memory so that the big-endian/little-endian conversion is based on the source or destination address of the requested operation. Registers are provided to define a lower bound address and an upper bound address. In addition, a separate register is provided which indicates whether the data is stored between the lower bound and upper bound addresses or outside the lower bound and upper bound addresses. The registers are write addressable through the PCI configuration space, the memory space, and the I/O space, which allows the values in the registers to be changed dynamically during computer system operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to transferring data between devices in a computer system, and more particularly, to a circuit that performs data format conversion when data is transferred between devices which utilize different data formats.
2. Description of the Related Art
In computer systems, two types of formats are used for ordering data: little-endian and big-endian. FIG. 6 illustrates the little-endian and big-endian data formats for a 32-bit doubleword. In the doubleword, bit 31 is the most significant data bit and bit 0 is the least significant data bit. In each doubleword, there are 4 bytes each corresponding to a specific address. In the little-endian format, the most significant byte consisting of data bits 31-24 is accessed by the most significant address A+3, and the least significant byte consisting of bits 7-0 is accessed by the least significant address A. Conversely, in the big-endian data format, the least significant byte consisting of bits 7-0 is accessed by the most significant address A+3, and the most significant byte consisting of bits 31-24 is accessed by the least significant address A.
The 80.times.86 processors from Intel Corporation normally use the little-endian method for storing data that are larger than one byte. However, the 80.times.86 processors do include an instruction BSWAP (byte swap) that converts the byte ordering of 32-bit data. The BSWAP instruction converts data having little-endian format into big-endian format and vice versa.
In computer systems where the central processing unit is an Intel 80.times.86 processor, the data format used is typically the little-endian format. Nonetheless, peripheral devices which are based on the big-endian format are sometimes used in the 80.times.86-processor-based computer systems. To function properly, these devices must include circuitry to perform little-endian/big-endian data format conversion.
Certain bus devices fetch both instructions and data from computer system memory. The instructions and data are typically used in the same data format by the bus device. In some applications, however, instructions are always double-word aligned but data are not necessarily double-word aligned, which may require that instructions not be converted but data are. For example, the Tachyon Fibre Channel controller from Hewlett Packard uses all four bytes of double-word aligned instructions, which makes data format conversion unnecessary for the instructions. However, received data may not be double-word aligned, which makes byte accessibility within the four bytes of data important. Thus, data format conversion is not necessary if the transferred information consists of instructions but conversion is needed if the transferred information consists of data. As a result, information received by the Fibre Channel controller is used in the little-endian data format if the information consists of instructions and in the big-endian data format if the information consists of data.

Circuit for selectively performing data format conversion


Ventilator enables operator to enter into the microprocessor estimate of a patient's individual characteristic, such as weight, which the microprocessor uses to control delivered tidal volume and other parameters to match the patient. The operator can select one of several ventilator operational modes (intube, mask, CPR). Sensors input data to the microprocessor to maintain parameter optimizations and accuracy. Visual/audible alarms and tools activate when one or more parameters exceed or fail to exceed predetermined values for patient's weight. Manual over-ride is available. The ventilator has a quick start capability in which the operator turns on power, selects the automatic operating mode, enters patient's characteristic, selects control option starting automatic ventilation of proper volumes inhalation/exhalation periods, pressure, and oxy-air mixture.

The present invention relates to patient breathing assist systems and, more particularly, to such systems that are microprocessor-controlled patient ventilator systems and methods of control and operation therefor.
Designers have improved human patient ventilators in the last ten years by including microprocessors to control various functions of the ventilator equipment. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,692,497 and 6,512,938. Standard microprocessor controlled ventilators operate in two or three different modes, depending upon the nature of the injury or illness giving rise for patient's need for assisted breathing and the operators selection of one or more specific mode settings. In addition, the microprocessor can respond to various sensors to modify air—oxygen mixture, flow rates, and other parameters pursuant to protocols stored in the microprocessor unit.
But these conventional ventilators are not free of technical problems. For example, conventional microprocessor controlled ventilators can force delivery of the wrong tidal volumes, flow rates, gas mixtures, inspiratory pressure, inspiratory/expiratory ratio, or other operating parameters. In addition, if the conventional system delivers the wrong quantity or at the wrong rate, the operator must use visual patient reaction to sense and determine the sufficiency of or incorrect setting of the system. These shortcomings of conventional microprocessor controlled ventilators may cause delay in establishing normal patient breathing which can lead to patient injury or death.
In addition manual ventilation is currently the standard of care in pre-hospital setting. This form of ventilation requires that a rescue operator, usually having low level skill and training, squeeze a self-inflating bag connected to an indwelling tube or simultaneously holds a mask in place to deliver breathing gas to the patient. Studies have shown that in order to minimize breathing has leakage, this process often requires two rescuers, one to hold the mask firmly in place and the other to squeeze the bag. This technique obliges the rescuer to guess: how often to squeeze the bag, how quickly to squeeze the bag, and for how long to squeeze the bag. This process is repeated each time a manual breath is delivered.
In the pre-hospital care setting patients receive ventilations rendered by emergency medical technicians (EMT), paramedics, police officers and firemen. Each of these personnel categories has limited mechanical ventilation skills and is not clinically qualified to make most operator control settings, which are normally dependent upon multiple cycles of in-hospital tests to ascertain. The self-inflating bag, described above, and the automatic transport ventilator (ATV) are the two most popular devices available for breathing gas delivery in the pre-hospital care environment. At the present time, ATV's are automatic only in the sense that they can automatically and repeatedly cycle from off to on. The operator is responsible for making control settings based on his/her perception of what he/she thinks the patient needs and within the gas delivery/functionality limitations of the ATV. Depending upon the clinical expertise of the caregiver, which is generally minimal, these control settings are little more than a "best guess". Furthermore, the ATV has no mechanism for self-correction or ability to provide assurance that the mechanical ventilations delivered to the patient actually represents the ATV settings. Although the literature reports ATV's as being robust devices and superior to the self-inflating bag, most hospital medical directors require their field personnel to manually ventilate patients, because this mode will pose the least threat from pressure related injury due to incorrect ATV settings.
Mechanical ventilation is used in pre-hospital or clinic. In the hospital or clinic, mechanical ventilation is used therapeutically to wean a patient to that point where mechanical breathing support is no longer required. In all clinical environments, there exists a need to have mechanical ventilation capability without the need for significant input and attention from the operator.
In the hospital/clinic environment patients receive ventilations rendered by nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists and anesthesiologists. Each of these personnel categories has some degree of manual and/or mechanical ventilation skills, ranging from minimal to considerable, and traditionally subordinates to that member of the clinical team that is most proficient in ventilating the patient. The self-inflating bag, described earlier and batter-powered critical care ventilators are the two most popular adjuncts available for breathing gas delivery in the hospital/clinic setting. The self-inflating bag is subject to the same limitations described earlier and is typically used during emergency procedures or short intra-hospital transports. The less-rugged critical care ventilator can be used during emergency procedures but is used more typically where longer periods of continuous use in specialized therapeutic care are required. More importantly, the critical care ventilator is dependent upon the availability of a highly skilled operator to assure that its control settings continuously represent the patient's immediate needs, safety and comfort level. Incorrect settings place the patient at risk from hypo or hyperventilation and pressure-related injury to sensitive tissue.
A common need has always existed, in both the pre-hospital care and hospital/clinic environments for a mechanical ventilator that can be quickly and easily deployed and is simple-to-use by low skill level personnel. Thus it should provide emergency ventilatory care intervention to facilitate its use rather than present a therapeutic ventilatory care interface that is impractical for the application and is likely to intimidate the operator or permit patient injury.
In the pre-hospital care setting, such a device would be routinely used by personnel, regardless of their level of training, and allow them to automatically provide safe, consistent and repeatable ventilations. In field settings, it would prove invaluable, as it is commonly known that injuries from mass destruction (fires, explosions, chemical clouds, etc.) specifically involve patients respiratory systems leading to incapacitation and death if emergency ventilatory care is not provided within a short period of time.
In the hospital/clinic setting a similar need exists to provide immediate care to many patients who've become the victims of mass destruction affecting the respiratory system. The problem is the same as that encountered in pre-hospital settings. The location of use is different but the solution remains the same, whereas the use of conventional microprocessor controlled ventilators or manual adjuncts will limit the amount of patients/victims served, cause critical delays in providing needed ventilatory intervention and lend itself to further patient injury or death.

Automatic patient ventilator system and method


A cargo box assembly and method of use thereof, wherein a cargo box is mounted within the bed of a pickup truck, and wherein the cargo box may be moved between a stored position at the forward end of the truck bed and a tailgate position at the rear end of the truck bed. The cargo box is mounted to a pair of rail assemblies, wherein each rail assembly comprises a chain and a pair of gears to facilitate motorized movement of the box within the truck bed.

Vehicle-mounted cargo containers are often mounted within the cargo beds of pickup trucks to facilitate the stowage of luggage, blankets, tools and other selected articles. Indeed, due to the relatively limited amount of covered and/or enclosed space offered by most pickup trucks, such cargo containers are typically necessary to safely transport items without the risk of loss or theft, or damage due to environmental exposure.
However, despite the relative effectiveness of such vehicle-mounted containers, many such devices generally suffer from a common design flaw. More specifically, to permit rear access to the truck bed, cargo containers are typically mounted toward the forward end of the truck bed (i.e., closest to the truck cab), so as to not obstruct or otherwise inhibit rear access to the cargo area via the tailgate. Consequently, individuals wishing to access the cargo container are forced to either reach up and over the sidewalls of the truck bed or climb into the truck bed via the tailgate. This problem is further exacerbated due to the high ground clearance that is commonly associated with most trucks and off-road vehicles.
Accordingly, available wheeled truck boxes enable slidable movement of the cargo box between a stored position toward the forward end of the truck bed, and a tailgate position toward the rear end of the truck bed. Such conventional sliding truck box assemblies typically comprise a storage container having a plurality of wheels that are slidably engaged and supported between a set of tracks, wherein the tracks are installed on opposing inner sidewalls of the truck bed.
Unfortunately, however, despite the ability of wheeled truck boxes to alternate between stored and tailgate positions, wheeled truck boxes also suffer from several structural defects. For instance, wheeled truck boxes disadvantageously have a tendency to unexpectedly roll or shift, such as, for example, when the vehicle is positioned on an incline and/or when the vehicle is accelerated or decelerated abruptly. In addition to the danger imposed on the driver and passengers, uncontrolled rolling or movement of large storage receptacles may lead to damage or destruction of the truck, the cargo and/or surrounding vehicles. As such, locking mechanisms are often required to restrain movement or otherwise secure the truck box in place. Inconveniently, however, such locking mechanisms must be unlocked prior to movement of the truck box and locked prior to transit of the vehicle.
Moreover, without the assistance of external forces, such as gravity or inertia, it may be difficult to slide truck boxes carrying heavy cargo loads. Thus, the arduous task of manually sliding a large and heavy storage bin within a truck bed can impart significant physical strain on an individual, even with the assistance of wheels. Moreover, such a task may compel the individual to climb into the bed of the truck, thereby offsetting one of the intended purposes of the wheeled truck box.
Therefore, it is readily apparent that there is a need for an automated or motorized vehicular cargo box that can be effortlessly moved between stored and tailgate positions. Moreover, there is a need for such a vehicular cargo box that will not uncontrollably and unexpectedly roll or shift within the truck bed.

Cargo box assembly and method of use thereof


An input/output device includes a creating unit that creates a first data pattern that is different from a second data pattern created last time, a writing unit that writes the first data pattern as a written data pattern, and a judging unit that reads out a data pattern written in the input/output device as a read data pattern and judges whether the written data pattern and the read data pattern coincide with each other.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for judging accurately whether there is an abnormality in a head of hard disk.
2) Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a disk array device that divides and writes data in plural hard disks has been known. For example, in a disk array device having first to fourth hard disks, when the disk array device receives data A, B, C, D, E, and F in order from a host computer, the disk array device writes the data A, C, and E in the first hard disk, writes the data B, D, and F in the second hard disk, writes the data A, C, and E in the third disk, and writes the data B, D, and F in the fourth disk.
Since the disk array device divides and writes the data in the first to the fourth hard disks in this way, a data transfer speed can be increased. In addition, since the disk array device writes the data, which are identical with those written in the first and the second hard disks, in the third and the fourth hard disks, even when the first and the second hard disks break down, likelihood of losing the data can be reduced.
In addition, the conventional disk array device checks heads included in hard disks periodically to judge whether data can be recorded in the hard disks accurately.
More specifically, the disk array device writes binary data called a data pattern in areas where the heads of the hard disks are checked. Then, the disk array device reads the data pattern and judges whether the written data pattern and the read data pattern coincide with each other to detect abnormality in the heads.
An input/output control device described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H7-306812 writes data in a disk, executes reading of the written data, and when a reading error occurs, judges that there is an abnormality in the head of the hard disk.
However, with the conventional techniques the abnormality in the head cannot always be detected accurately.
For example, the conventional method detects the abnormality in the head using one kind of data pattern. When abnormality occurs in a write head and the data pattern cannot be written accurately, data written previously is read out when the data pattern is read. In this case, since data pattern written previously is identical with the data pattern attempted to be written, the written pattern and the read pattern coincide with each other, and the disk array device misjudges that the write head is in a normal condition.
In addition, even when the abnormality in the head is detected from occurrence of a reading error, it cannot always be judged that there is an abnormality in the head because the reading error may result from a cause other than the abnormality in the head.

Abnormality detecting device and method of detecting an abnormality in a head of hard disk


A telecommunications system for international routing processes international calls directed to a multi-carrier country. A network control system provides the intelligence needed to weigh all of the applicable information and, based on International Traffic Bid Allocation, returns the routing information to the long distance carrier domestic switch in accordance with an agreement on call allocation between the long distance carrier and the international carrier in the multi-carrier country. Based on the routing information provided by the network control system, the domestic switch subsequently routes the international call to the proper terminating gateway switch and the destination multi-carrier country.

Outbound international telephone traffic is routed from the originating domestic switches to the gateway switches, which route the calls to international carriers in the destination country. If a domestic long distance carrier has agreements with more than one International Telecom Operator (ITO) in that country, the gateway switch routes the appropriate amount of outbound traffic to each ITO. The percentage of traffic sent to each ITO is embodied in the contractual agreement between the ITO and the domestic long distance carrier. These allocation percentages are enforced by the gateway switch, which divides the traffic among the ITOs in each country.
Enforcement of the allocation percentages within the gateway switch tables does not provide the required level of accuracy and flexibility to manage the increasingly complex network, services, and agreements. Currently, the gateway switches can not provide load balancing across the entire network of the domestic carrier. In addition, using the gateway switches does not provide the flexibility to efficiently manage different allocation percentages and/or overflow routing by call type.
Currently, to route international calls, the domestic switches recognize the country by the destination address, and utilize switch-based routing tables to determine the proper terminating trunk group to a gateway switch for this particular destination country. If the destination country is a single carrier country, this type of routing is sufficient. However, when a destination country has more than one service carrier, this type of routing does not provide the needed flexibility for proper allocation of the outbound international traffic.
A need therefore exists for a telecommunications system which allocates and routes international calls in accordance with availability of service provisions of an international carrier and an agreement between the long distance carrier and the international carrier.

Telecommunications system for international call routing using traffic allocation


A novel human cell strain enabling the continuous production of a desired protein with high efficiency, comprising a novel human cell strain established by transforming a human cell strain whose total intracellular protein weight is 0.1 to 1 mg per 1,000,000 cells; with the novel human cell strain being further characterized in that after a gene encoding a desired protein is transfected into it, the transfected cell is subsequently cultured.

In general, a protein production system utilizes microorganisms such as Ecolab to which a gene encoding desired protein is transfected, expressing said protein. However, the production of conjugated proteins (protein with sugar chain) is difficult with a microorganism due to its cellular structure. There are also undertakings for producing conjugated proteins that employ yeast and some animal cells (hamster cells). However, their problem is that the protein that is obtained has a glycosylation that is specific to the cells involved in the production, thus differing from the conjugated proteins originated from humans, which are desired for medical treatment.
At research levels, there are reports of producing protein by transfecting genes to human cells; however, the production period is at the level of approximately one month, thus being a transient result. So far, there is no example of success with a long and stable production period for industrial use.
In the other words, the following problems exist in the above-mentioned conventional methods:
First, a protein producing system utilizing prokaryotic cells such as a microorganism can produce protein with simple structure only, such as a part of the site of action (including the active center) in an enzyme. It is considered that since the intracellular protein synthetic pathways of microorganisms are different from that of higher animal cells, it is difficult to form tertiary structures of large molecular weight proteins.
In addition, in the case of conjugated proteins in which proteins are coupled with a substance other than protein such as sugar chain, since a microorganism itself does not have organs for synthesizing conjugated proteins, it is impossible to synthesize conjugated proteins in principle.
Also, unlike the case of the above-mentioned microorganism, protein production which utilizes yeast, animal cells other than that of humans, or insect cells, possesses organs to synthesize conjugated proteins within cells. Therefore, they can synthesize high levels of proteins. However, said proteins are modified with unique sugar chains derived-yeast or -heterologous cells other than that of humans. Thus it is difficult to obtain human-derived gene products.
Such problems can be solved by employing human cells (a higher animal's cells), to which a gene encoding a desired protein is transfected, and expressed. However, besides some examples of transient expression, problems remain. Such problems include the difficulty of maintaining a long-term protein production over one year, which would allow for industrial production; the loss of protein productivity within 2 months post transfection; and the smallness of expressed protein quantities.
For these problems, a method by the activation of endogenous genes in human cell strains is proposed as a way to produce conjugated protein of human origin (JP-T 2001-511342 specification (patent document 1)). However, because this technique is a production of human protein in a human cell strain by means of activating an endogenous gene, a human cell strain has to be selected according to a target protein. Thus such selection becomes an issue. Moreover, the production efficiency is unstable because it varies according to the protein to be produced. Consequently its efficiency ends up being low, the majority of the time. Furthermore, its applicability is low, because it cannot produce conjugated protein other than that of human origin utilizing the aforementioned human cell strain and due to other reasons.
A conjugated protein production method that addresses the above problems and can realize a long term and stable production of such proteins is therefore highly desired.
Accordingly, this invention aims to offer a novel human cell strain, wherein a transformed human cell strain is used to realize a long term and stable production of protein originated from a gene by means of gene transfection; a method of selecting the novel human cell strain; use of the novel human cell strain; a protein producing method utilizing the novel human cell strain; and a pharmaceutical composition utilizing the novel human cell strain.
In addition, there exist the following prior art literature related to the present invention in addition to the patent document 1 described above: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-51780 (Patent document 1); JP-T 2001-500381 (Patent document 2); Japanese Patent laid-Open No. 8-163982 (Patent document 3); JP-T 2003-509025 (Patent document 4); Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-310795; (Patent document 5); Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-141882 (Patent document 6); JP-T 8-501695 (Patent document 7); Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-78759 (Patent document 8); Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-274963 (Patent document 9); Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-58476 (Patent document 10); JP-T 2000-506379 (Patent document 11). However, none of these prior art disclosures achieve the abovementioned objective of this invention.

Human cell strains for protein production, provided by selecting strains with high intracellular protein and mutating with carcinogens

Kitakyushu Foundation for the Advancement of Industry, Science and Technology


A quantitative PCR method has been developed for the simultaneous detection and quantitation of an agent in samples of biologically derived materials. Unlike conventional quantitative PCR detection methods, this assay allows for the detection of viable agents.

Traditionally, adventitious agent contamination, viability and infectivity has been investigated using in vitro culture methods, cell culture-based infectivity assays, electron microscopy measurements and more recently DNA-specific polymerase chain reaction ("PCR") methods. Cell culture-based infectivity assays are expensive, time consuming and labor intensive. PCR assays on the other hand are fast, accurate and specific, but currently do not distinguish between "viable" and non-viable adventitious agent contamination. European Patent Publication No. 0 464 010 A describes a polymerase chain reaction protocol for detection of bovine viral diarrhea virus in biological specimens. Likewise, World Patent Publication No. WO 96/36735 describes a rapid method for detection of the presence of a specific mycoplasma in a nucleic acid sample. However, neither of the disclosed methods is able to discriminate between infectious and non-infectious viruses or viable or non-viable mycoplasma, respectively. World Patent Publication No. WO 99/23203 discloses a method for detecting the presence of a virus in a sample. However, as set forth in that publication, the method is restricted to viral detection and requires the use of an immortalized cell line. Moreover, as is the case with the assays described in EP 0 464 010 A and WO 96/36735, the method described in WO 99/23203 is incapable of discriminating between of infectious and non-infectious viruses.
Detection of viability, infectivity and contamination is important in process validation and control of therapeutics such as vaccines and biotechnology products. Testing of cell lines, raw materials and manufacturing processes can greatly benefit from development of fast and reliable means of detecting viable and infectious adventitious agents.


A method for determining the angle-of-rotation position of a shaft of an internal combustion engine, particularly of a crankshaft, information regarding at least incremental angles of rotation of the shaft and run times for each incremental angle of rotation being registered and stored at least temporarily, the angle-of-rotation position being determined on the basis of information regarding already stored incremental angles of rotation and run times in the event of an absence of information regarding incremental angles of rotation. In addition, the use of a double Hall sensor for registering information in implementing the method, a device for determining the angle-of-rotation position of a shaft of an internal combustion engine, as well as an automatic start-stop system for a motor vehicle.

Methods for determining the angle-of-rotation position of a shaft of an internal combustion engine are known. Particularly in the case of a crankshaft, the determination of the angle-of-rotation position is of great importance since important processes in the operation of the internal combustion engine, for example fuel injection or the generation of an ignition spark, are usually individually controlled for each cylinder as a function of the crankshaft angle. For determining the angle of rotation, it is known, for example, to arrange incremental sensors on the crankshaft and/or camshaft. These are normally sensor disks or sensor wheels having incremental markers which in interaction with a sensor arranged in a stationary mount with respect to the engine block allow for the angle-of-rotation position of the crankshaft to be determined. These incremental markers on the sensor disk often take the form of a series of teeth and tooth interstices, and the transitions between tooth and interstice or between interstice and tooth, that is the tooth faces, are detected by a sensor. Known in this respect is also the creation of an enlarged tooth interstice, a so-called gap, by eliminating at least one tooth, with the aid of which the absolute angle of the shaft can be ascertained while the engine is rotating.
The knowledge of the angle-of-rotation position can also be used advantageously for improvements in a restart of the internal combustion engine. If the angle-of-rotation position is already immediately known when the engine is started—and not only after determining the absolute angle with the aid of the gap—then the restart of the engine can be significantly accelerated, with positive effects on comfort and exhaust gas emissions. Particularly in the case of motor vehicles that have an automatic start-stop system, optimal engine restarts are very important. An automatic start-stop system is normally used for fuel saving purposes, the internal combustion engine being switched off if there is no power requirement (for example when coasting or stopping) and the engine being automatically turned on again if it is to supply power (for example when driving off again). Since in this context the engine is regularly restarted, the precise knowledge of the angle-of-rotation position has a significant advantage in the operational management of the internal combustion engine.
An added difficulty in determining the angle-of-rotation position is the fact that normally the engine oscillates when it is turned off, that is, there are alternating movements in both directions of rotation until the engine comes to a standstill. This oscillation primarily arises when the inertia of the engine is no longer sufficient to move the piston in a cylinder against the pressure building up in the cylinder and across the top dead center. The pressure in the cylinder pushes the piston back, thereby changing the engine's direction of rotation, until a counterpressure has built up in another cylinder, which again changes the direction of rotation, or until the engine comes to a final standstill. Simple sensors at the crankshaft are unable to register the direction of rotation and are hence also unable to detect an oscillating movement of the engine.
As a solution, the related art, for example German Patent No. DE 199 00 641, provides an absolute angle sensor at the camshaft, with which the absolute position of the crankshaft can be inferred at any time. Disadvantageous in this regard, however, are the higher costs and the increased space requirement as well as the complex signal processing. In addition, tolerances in the toothed belt can result in deviations between the crankshaft position expected on the basis of the camshaft position and the actual crankshaft position. Another solution is the arrangement of two sensors that are offset by an angle difference of a "multiple of a tooth plus half a tooth". Disadvantages, however, are the additionally required space, the costs for integrating the second sensor as well as the required narrow tolerances between the two sensors and the sensor wheel.
The systems according to the related art have the common feature that they are able to ascertain the angle-of-rotation position only by detecting tooth faces. This is disadvantageous particularly if, while the engine is decelerated, the sensor detects the beginning of the gap, yet the engine comes to a standstill before the gap has been traversed. Hence there is now uncertainty as to what extent the gap has been traversed and thus what angle-of-rotation position the shaft finally assumed.

Method for determining the angle-of-rotation position of a shaft


The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device that prevents a decrease in voltage holding ratio (VHR) and an increase in ion density (ID) in a liquid crystal layer and resolves the problems of display defects such as white streaks, alignment nonuniformity, and image sticking. Since the liquid crystal display device of the present invention prevents a decrease in voltage holding ratio (VHR) and an increase in ion density (ID) in the liquid crystal layer and resolves the problems of display defects such as image sticking, the liquid crystal display device is useful as VA-mode and PSVA-mode liquid crystal display devices of an active matrix drive type, and is applicable to liquid crystal display devices of liquid crystal televisions, monitors, cellular phones, smart phones, etc.

Liquid crystal display devices have come to be used in watches, calculators, various home electric appliances, measuring instruments, automobile panels, word processors, electronic organizers, printers, computers, and televisions. Representative examples of liquid crystal display modes include TN (twisted nematic) mode, STN (super twisted nematic) mode, DS (dynamic scattering) mode, GH (guest host) mode, IPS (in-plane switching) mode, OCB (optically compensated birefringence) mode, ECB (electrically controlled birefringence) mode, VA (vertical alignment) mode, CSH (color super homeotropic) mode, and FLC (ferroelectric liquid crystal). The drive mode shifted from static driving to multiplex driving. The mainstream technology is a simple matrix mode and recently an active matrix (AM) mode in which devices are driven with TFTs (thin film transistors) and TFDs (thin film diodes), for example.
Referring to FIG. 1, a typical liquid crystal display device includes two substrates (1) each having an alignment film (4), a transparent electrode layer (3a) serving as a common electrode and a color filter (2) which are disposed between one of the substrates and the alignment film of the one substrate, and a pixel electrode layer (3b) between the other substrate and the alignment film of that other substrate. The substrates are arranged so that the alignment films face each other and a liquid crystal layer (5) is held between the alignment films.
The color filter layer is constituted by a color filter that includes a black matrix, a red color layer (R), a green color layer (G), a blue color layer (B), and, if needed, a yellow color layer (Y).
Liquid crystal materials constituting such liquid crystal layers have been subjected to high levels of impurity control since impurities remaining in the materials significantly affect electrical properties of display devices. Regarding the materials that form alignment films, it has been known that impurities remaining in alignment films migrate to the liquid crystal layer as the alignment films come into direct contact with the liquid crystal layer. Studies are now being made in order to determine the properties of liquid crystal display devices affected by the impurities in the alignment film materials.
Materials, such as organic pigments, used in the color filter layer are also presumed to affect the liquid crystal layer due to impurities contained in the materials as with the case of the alignment film materials. However, since an alignment film and a transparent electrode are interposed between the color filter layer and the liquid crystal layer, the direct effects on the liquid crystal layer have been considered to be significantly low compared to those of the alignment film materials. However, alignment films are usually as thin as 0.1 μm or less in thickness. Transparent electrodes that serve as color-filter-layer-side common electrodes are thick so as to enhance the electrical conductivity; however, the thickness thereof is only as large as 0.5 μm or less. Accordingly, the color filter layer and the liquid crystal layer are not completely separated from each other. There is a possibility that impurities contained in the color filter layer may migrate through the alignment film and the transparent electrode and cause a decrease in voltage holding ratio (VHR) and an increase in ion density (ID) in the liquid crystal layer, thereby leading to display defects such as white streaks, alignment nonuniformity, and image sticking. Studies have been made to find a way to resolve display defects caused by impurities contained in pigments in color filters. For example, a method of controlling elution of impurities into liquid crystals by using a pigment in which the content of extracts obtained with ethyl formate is limited to a particular value or less (PTL 1) and a method of controlling elution of impurities into liquid crystals by specifying the pigment in the blue color layer (PTL 2) have been studied. However, these methods do not differ much from simply decreasing the amounts of impurities in the pigment and fail to provide sufficient improvements that resolve the display defects especially considering the recent progress in pigment purification technologies.
Also disclosed are a method that focuses on the relationship between organic impurities contained in the color filter and a liquid crystal composition, in which insolubility of the organic impurities in the liquid crystal layer is indicated by a hydrophobicity parameter of liquid crystal molecules contained in the liquid crystal layer and the value of this hydrophobicity parameter is controlled to a particular value or higher and a method of preparing a liquid crystal composition that contains a particular fraction or more of a liquid crystal compound having terminal —OCF3 groups since there is a correlation between this hydrophobicity parameter and the —OCF3 groups at termini of liquid crystal molecules (PTL 3).
However, the essence of the invention disclosed in this literature is to suppress effects of impurities in the pigment on the liquid crystal layer and thus a direct relationship between the structure of the liquid crystal material and the structure of the coloring material such as dyes and pigments used in the color filter has not been investigated. This literature does not resolve the problems related to display defects of liquid crystal display devices that have become increasingly complicated.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The invention provides histidine kinase polypeptides and DNA (RNA) encoding histidine kinase polypetides and methods for producing such polypeptides by recombinant techniques. Also provided are methods for utilizing histidine kinase polypeptides to screen for antibacterial compounds.

This invention relates to newly identified polynucleotides and polypeptides, and their production and uses, as well as their variants, agonists and antagonists, and their uses. In particular, in these and in other regards, the invention relates to novel polynucleotides and polypeptides of the histidine kinase family, hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9chistidine kinasexe2x80x9d.
It is particularly preferred to employ Staphylococcal genes and gene products as targets for the development of antibiotics. The Staphylococci make up a medically important genera of microbes. They are known to produce two types of disease, invasive and toxigenic. Invasive infections are characterized generally by abscess formation effecting both skin surfaces and deep tissues. S. aureus is the second leading cause of bacteremia in cancer patients. Osteomyelitis, septic arthritis, septic thrombophlebitis and acute bacterial endocarditis are also relatively common. There are at least three clinical conditions resulting from the toxigenic properties of Staphylococci. The manifestation of these diseases result from the actions of exotoxins as opposed to tissue invasion and bacteremia. These conditions include: Staphylococcal food poisoning, scalded skin syndrome and toxic shock syndrome.
The frequency of Staphylococcus aureus infections has risen dramatically in the past 20 years. This has been attributed to the emergence of multiply antibiotic resistant strains and an increasing population of people with weakened immune systems. It is no longer uncommon to isolate Staphylococcus aureus strains which are resistant to some or all of the standard antibiotics. This has created a demand for both new anti-microbial agents and diagnostic tests for this organism.
Histidine kinases are components of the TCSTS which autophosphorylate a histidine residue. The phosphate group is then transferred to the cognate reponse regulator. The Histidine kinases have five short conserved amino acid sequences (Stock, J. B., Ninfa, A. J.and Stock, A. M.(1989) Microbiol. Rev. 53, 450-490, Swanson, R. V., Alex, L. A. and Simon, M. I.(1994) TIBS 19 485-491). These are the histidine residue, which is phosphorylated, followed after approximately 100 residues by a conserved asparagine residue. After another 15 to 45 residues a DXGXG motif is found, followed by a FXXF motif after another 10-20 residues. 10-20 residues further on another glycine motif, GXG is found. The two glycine motifs are thought to be involved in nucleotide binding. This family of histidine kinases includes UhpB protein from Salmonella typhimurium, which is part of the TCSTS which regulates the uptake of hexose phosphates (Island, M. D., Wei, B. Y. and Kadner, R. J. (1992) J. Bacteriol. 174, 2754-2762). Response regulators are components of the TCSTS. These proteins are phosphorylated by histidine kinases and in turn once phosphorylated effect the response, often through a DNA binding domain becoming activated. The response regulators are characterized by a conserved N-terminal domain of approximately 100 amino acids. The N-terminal domains of response regulators as well as retaining five functionally important residues, corresponding to the residues D12, D13, D57, T87, K109 in CheY (Matsumura, P., Rydel, J. J., Linzmeier, R. and Vacante, D. (1984) J. Bacteriol. 160, 36-41), have conserved structural features (Volz, K. (1993) Biochemistry 32, 11741-11753). The 3-dimensional structures of CheY from Salmonella typhimurium (Stock, A. M., Mottonen, J. M., Stock, J. B.and Schutt, C. E. (1989) Nature, 337, 745-749) and Escherichia coli (Volz, K. and Matsumura, P. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 15511-15519) and the N-terminal domain of nitrogen regulatory protein C from S.typhimurium (Volkman, B. F., Nohaile, M. J., Amy, N. K., Kustu, S. and Wemmer, D. E. (1995) Biochemistry, 34 1413-1424), are available, as well as the secondary structure of SpoOF from Bacillus subtilis (Feher, V. A., Zapf, J. W., Hoch, J. A., Dahlquist, F. W., Whiteley, J. M. and Cavanagh, J. (1995) Protein Science, 4, 1801-1814). These structures have a (a/b)5 fold. Several structural residues are conserved between different response regulator sequences, specifically hydrophobic residues within the xcex2-sheet hydrophobic core and sites from the a-helices.
Among the processes regulated by TCSTS are production of virulence factors, motility, antibiotic resistance and cell replication. Inhibitors of TCSTS proteins would prevent the bacterium from establishing and maintaining infection of the host by preventing it from producing the necessary factors for pathogenesis and thereby have utility in anti-bacterial therapy.
Clearly, there is a need for factors, such as the novel compounds of the invention, having a present benefit of being useful to screen compounds for antibiotic activity. Such factors may also be used to determine their role in pathogenesis of infection, dysfunction and disease. There is also a need for identification and characterization of such factors and their antagonists and agonists which can play a role in preventing, ameliorating or correcting infections, dysfunctions or diseases.
The polypeptides of the invention have amino acid sequence homology to a known UhpB protein from Salmonella typhimurium.
Each patent application to which this invention claims priority is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
It is an object of the invention to provide polypeptides that have been identified as novel histidine kinase polypeptides by homology between the amino acid sequence set out in FIG. 2 [SEQ ID NO: 2] and a known amino acid sequence or sequences of other proteins such as UhpB protein from S. typhimurium.
It is a further object of the invention to provide polynucleotides that encode histidine kinase polypeptides, particularly polynucleotides that encode the polypeptide herein designated histidine kinase.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the polynucleotide comprises a region encoding histidine kinase polypeptides comprising the sequence set out in FIG. 1 [SEQ ID NO:1], or a variant thereof. In particular, the invention provides the open reading frame (nucleotides 38-1126, inclusive) and the sequences that encode the corresponding histidine kinase expressed by Staphylococcal bacteria.
In another particularly preferred embodiment of the invention there is a novel histidine kinase protein from Staphylococcus aureus comprising the amino acid sequence of FIG. 2 [SEQ ID NO:2], or a variant thereof.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is provided an isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding a mature polypeptide expressible by the Staphylococcus aureus WCUH 29 strain contained in NCIMB Deposit No. 40771.
A further aspect of the invention there are provided isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding histidine kinase, particularly Staphylococcus aureus histidine kinase, including mRNAs, cDNAs, genomic DNAs. Further embodiments of the invention include biologically, diagnostically, prophylactically, clinically or therapeutically useful variants thereof, and compositions comprising the same.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided the use of a polynucleotide of the invention for therapeutic or prophylactic purposes, in particular genetic immunization. Among the particularly preferred embodiments of the invention are naturally occurring allelic variants of histidine kinase and polypeptides encoded thereby.
Another aspect of the invention there are provided novel polypeptides of Staphylococcus aureus referred to herein as histidine kinase as well as biologically, diagnostically, prophylactically, clinically or therapeutically useful variants thereof, and compositions comprising the same.
Among the particularly preferred embodiments of the invention are variants of histidine kinase polypeptide encoded by naturally occurring alleles of the histidine kinase gene.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention there are provided methods for producing the aforementioned histidine kinase polypeptides.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, there are provided inhibitors to such polypeptides, useful as antibacterial agents, including, for example, antibodies.
In accordance with certain preferred embodiments of the invention, there are provided products, compositions and methods for (i) assessing histidine kinase expression, (ii) treating disease, for example, disease, such as, infections of the upper respiratory tract (e.g., otitis media, bacterial tracheitis, acute epiglottitis, thyroiditis), lower respiratory (e.g., empyema, lung abscess), cardiac (e.g., infective endocarditis), gastrointestinal (e.g., secretory diarrhoea, splenic absces, retroperitoneal abscess), CNS (e.g., cerebral abscess), eye (e.g., blepharitis, conjunctivitis, keratitis, endophthalmitis, preseptal and orbital cellulitis, darcryocystitis), kidney and urinary tract (e.g., epididymitis, intrarenal and perinephric absces, toxic shock syndrome), skin (e.g., impetigo, folliculitis, cutaneous abscesses, cellulitis, wound infection, bacterial myositis) bone and joint (e.g., septic arthritis, osteomyelitis), (iii) assaying genetic variation, (iv) and administering a histidine kinase polypeptide or polynucleotide to an organism to raise an immunological response against a bacteria, especially a Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.
In accordance with certain preferred embodiments of this and other aspects of the invention there are provided polynucleotides that hybridize to histidine kinase polynucleotide sequences, particularly under stringent conditions.
In certain preferred embodiments of the invention there are provided antibodies against histidine kinase polypeptides.
In other embodiments of the invention there are provided methods for identifying compounds which bind to or otherwise interact with and inhibit or activate an activity of a polypeptide or polynucleotide of the invention comprising: contacting a polypeptide or polynucleotide of the invention with a compound to be screened under conditions to permit binding to or other interaction between the compound and the polypeptide or polynucleotide to assess the binding to or other interaction with the compound, such binding or interaction being associated with a second component capable of providing a detectable signal in response to the binding or interaction of the polypeptide or polynucleotide with the compound; and determining whether the compound binds to or otherwise interacts with and activates or inhibits an activity of the polypetide or polynucleotide by detecting the presence or absence of a signal generated from the binding or interaction of the compound with the polypeptide or polynucleotide.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, there are provided histidine kinase agonists and antagonists, preferably bacteriostatic or bacteriocidal agonists and antagonists.
In a further aspect of the invention there are provided compositions comprising a histidine kinase polynucleotide or a histidine kinase polypeptide for administration to a cell or to a multicellular organism.
Various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the disclosed invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from reading the following descriptions and from reading the other parts of the present disclosure.


The present invention is directed to methods and reagents for performing rapid, detailed analysis of the spatial and temporal expression of genes. The method uses linker tags in a head to tail array in a serial analysis of gene expression.

Three important techniques have been developed for nucleic acid manipulation and analysis of genomic sequences.
The first of these is molecular cloning. In its simplest form, this involves first cutting or breaking the target nucleic acid, i.e. DNA, into smaller fragments (typically by restriction endonuclease digestion) and inserting the fragments into a biological vector. The assortment of DNA fragments is then maintained and amplified by the replication of the vector DNA in vivo. Separation of the copies of cloned DNA in this "library" is accomplished by dilution and subsequent growth of bacterial colonies or phage plaques from single organisms bearing copies of only one of the original DNA fragments. Identification of the clones of interest is done by hybridization of a specific labelled probe with the DNA released from each colony or plaque.
More recently, a second technique was developed called the Polymerase Chain Reaction or PCR. This technique can be used to isolate and amplify sequences of interest. The technique allows the definition of any "target" portion of a nucleic acid sequence by the sequences which lie adjacent to it. Consequently, hybridization of nucleic acid primers at these adjacent sites permits the replication of only the intervening target sequence and the adjacent primer sites. The selective amplification by repeated replication in this way results directly in the separation of the desired fragment (or subset of sequences) by effective dilution of all other unwanted sequences by replicated copies of the target sequence. Identification is then carried out by hybridization against a known probe, or more frequently, by simple size analysis by agarose or polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to confirm that the desired target sequence has been amplified.
A third major technique used for comparative genomic analysis is called Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism, or RFLP, analysis. Insertions, deletions, and some types of single base substitutions can be detected and their inheritance (and the inheritance of other mutations known to be closely linked) determined. Specific individuals can be uniquely identified from a modification of this technique known popularly as "DNA Fingerprinting". This third technique also begins with restriction endonuclease cleavage of genomic, cloned or PCR-amplified DNA, into fragments. The resulting fragments are separated according to size by gel electrophoresis, and certain target fragments or groups of fragments are identified by hybridization with a specific probe. In this case, the sizes of fragments identified by hybridization with the probe provide a measure of whether the target sequence complementary to the probe is part of an identical or analogous fragment from other individuals.
While each of these three techniques, and the many specific variations which have evolved from them, are extremely valuable in investigating various aspects of structure and organization of particular genes, this analysis represents only one level of genetic complexity. The ordered and timely expression of this information represents another level of complexity equally important to the definition and biology of the organism. Techniques based on complementary DNA (cDNA) subtraction or differential display can be quite useful for comparing gene expression differences between two cell types (Hedrick, et al. (1984) Nature 308:149; Liang et al. (1992) Science 257:967), but provide only a partial picture, with no direct information about abundance. The expressed sequence tag (EST) approach is a valuable tool for gene discovery (Adams et al. (1991) Science 252:1651; Adams et al. (1992) Nature 355:632; Okubo et al. (1992) Nature Genet 2:173), but like RNA blotting, ribonuclease (RNase) protection, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis (Alwine et al. (1977) PNAS 74:5350; Zinn et al. (1983) Cell 34:865; Veres et al. (1987) Science 237:415), it evaluates only a limited number of genes at a time.

Analysis of gene expression, methods and reagents therefor