One embodiment of the present invention provides a method and system that determines the optimal preference policy for a market, such as an auction, with respect to a multiplicity of possible evaluation criteria that auction participants or other end users specify. In one embodiment, a method and system that configures the optimal preference policies that can be implemented in any market, particularly an auction, applicable to any auction format a market decision maker may wish to conduct. An embodiment of the present invention estimates bidders' private information and correspondingly identifies exploitable asymmetries to implement a preferential treatment policy. In one embodiment, this method is implemented on a computer system, under the control of software and firmware directing the operation of its processor and other components. In one embodiment, a computer readable medium causes a computer system to execute the method.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computer-based auction design and analysis processes. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method and system for setting an optimal price preference policy for an auction.
2. Related Art
Modern electronic forum based auctions, such as World Wide Web and other Internet based auctions have complex rules with varied and observable characteristics and situations, as well as unobservable structural elements. Auction participants, either sellers or buyers, must make a number of decisions relating to the auction.
Sellers, for example, conducting an auction to sell an item, can improve the auction outcome in their favor by treating bidders with identifiable differences differently. Buyers, correspondingly conducting an auction to buy an item, can also improve the auction outcome in their favor by treating bidders with identifiable differences differently.
Participants entering a market, such as bidders in an auction, differ greatly across a wide spectrum of dimensions. Other market participants, large scale purchasers such as governments or large scale sellers such as major corporations, for example, deal with different bidders entering a market in a variety of differing ways. Illustratively, the United States government offers a 6% price preference for domestically produced U.S. products under legislation mandating what is commonly known as a "Buy-American" policy. Governments of the various states and of other nations have similar policies.
The operation of these price preference policies may be illustrated by the following example. The U.S. Department of Defense offers a 50% price preference to U.S. domestic firms bidding to supply Defense Department purchases. Non-U.S. bidders are at a daunting bidding disadvantage in this situation. Foreign bidders are discriminated in favor of the substantially preferred domestic U.S. firms. If any domestic U.S. supplier's bid is no more than 50% higher than the lowest foreign bid, the domestic bid is accepted. In other words, the preferred domestic U.S. supplier wins in any such auction with the U.S. Department of Defense against a foreign bidder who, without the preference policy in place, would win with a bid of nearly half the sale price.
In business-to-business settings, often less legislatively constrained than governmental market situations, such preferential treatment of some suppliers, with corresponding discrimination against others, is even more prevalent. Similarly, in many business-to-consumer situations, a seller may wish to treat some segment of customers, sharing some particular trait, differently from others. For example, certain customers may be treated preferentially by businesses and other customers discriminatorily.
Illustratively, "loyal" customers, e.g., customers with frequent or repeated significant orders, bidders with better bidder ranking criteria, e.g., higher eBay® ratings, and customers with identifiably more elastic demands, etc., may be treated preferentially by awarding them a price discount. Similarly, mortgage customers or other borrowers with excellent credit ratings may be awarded a lower interest rate. Conversely, new, e.g., unknown customers, inflexibly rigid customers with stringent accommodation demands, or borrowers with lower credit ratings may represent to a business a higher cost or degree of risk in dealing with them. Such riskier or costlier customers may be discriminated against with higher interest rates, requiring premium prices, or in other handicapping ways.
Setting price preference policies in markets, particularly in auctions, can improve the market outcome in favor of the policy setting market participant, and is thus an important, perhaps crucial business consideration. Currently, these decisions are made by auction participants on an ad hoc basis, sometimes with the assistance of consultants operating themselves on a more or less ad hoc basis. A high degree of uncertainty intrinsic in auction price preference policy related decision making often precludes optimal outcomes, because the soundness of a particular decision in a particular situation cannot be ascertained prior to observation of the outcome (e.g., after the transaction has taken place). Inexperienced auction participants often make unsophisticated sub-optimal decisions regarding the setting of a price preference policy. Experience and a host of other human elements may thus effect the soundness of decision making in a given auction price preference situation. Nevertheless, no conventional systematic auction price preference analytical decision making mechanism is available.
Currently, the decisions on the parameters of preference policy are left entirely to the person conducting the auction. There is little systemic data analysis to guide these decisions. Given the multiplicity of items bought/sold through auctions, it is typically too costly to hire expert analysis to configure the price-preference policies for each case. Typically, a given policy, say 10% preference for preferred suppliers, is applied to a large class of procurement situations. Yet bidders' cost distributions vary considerably across procurement items and across time. A fixed preference policy is rarely optimal for every case to which it is applied.
As is known, the outcome of an auction (e.g., who gets what, who pays how much) is determined by bidding behavior of bidders. Bidding behavior depends on, among other factors, the auction rules in that different auction rules induce different behavior on the part of the bidders. A bidder's behavior under a given collection of auction rules in turn is determined by the bidder's private information. The structure of the private information held by the bidders is thus a key factor in evaluating alternative auction rules. This fundamental element of the auction environment is not directly observable and has to be estimated from observable and available data.
There exists a need for an automated estimation and optimization solution for configuring the parameters of preference policies to be implemented in auctions. What is needed is a method and/or system that configures the optimal preference policies that can be combined with any auction format a market decision maker may wish to conduct. What is also needed is a method and/or system that applies to any auction participants, either buyers conducting an auction to procure an item, or a seller, conducting to sell an item, which estimate's bidders private information and correspondingly identifies exploitable asymmetries. Further, what is needed is a method and/or system that achieves the foregoing to implement a preferential treatment policy.

Method and system for setting an optimal preference policy for an auction

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A filter assembly (10) for a floor drain including a strainer (11) adapted to be located in the floor drain and a filter basket (13) detachably secured to the strainer (11) on the underside thereof to extend into the floor drain to filter liquid passing through the strainer (11). The strainer (11) includes an upper set of slots (19) and a lower set of slots (18) and may be secured to the strainer (11) by a fastener (29) or frictionally engaged with the strainer (11).

Showers are conventionally provided with a floor drain through which water is drained from the shower into the plumbing system for passage to waste. Such drains typically include a perforated or grid-like strainer through which liquid flows into the drain for flow to waste however the strainers which are employed have openings of such a size that solid materials particularly hair and skin still pass from the shower recess through the strainer and thus into the drain. This can cause blockages in the drain causing possible internal flooding. Alternatively the plumbing system can become blocked necessitating cleaning or unblocking by skilled persons such as plumbers. This can be expensive particularly if the blockages occur in locations where excavations are required to be carried out to gain access to the plumbing system where blockages have occurred. Similar problems can be encountered with drains which are used in baths, sinks, basins or simply in floors.


Incorporating user insights in predicting, diagnosing and remediating problems that threaten on-time delivery of a project may comprise gathering information. The information may be conveyed to one or more users. A user may be allowed to input a new value associated with the project, the new value assessed based on the information and representing an expert assessment of the information. The user may be allowed to also indicate a period of time the user considers the information to be applicable. The new value and the period of time may be incorporated into data used in a prediction algorithm that predicts probability distribution of completion time of the project as the project is progressing.

Project estimation is an ongoing need in all kinds of development and engineering projects. In many disciplines project estimation techniques are well established and widely successful. The success of these estimation techniques depends on general similarities between projects, such as in the nature and number of tasks to be performed, the standardization of materials and work products, the ability to anticipate resource quantities and costs, reliable expectations about the rate at which work will be performed, and so on.
Standard project estimation methods breakdown when applied to projects that differ from the norm or that vary in ways that are inconsistent with the assumptions of the methods. For such projects, up-front estimation of project characteristics such as total effort required or time to completion are likely to be inaccurate and unrealistic.
Software development is an example field in which a relatively large proportion of projects are not well estimated by traditional approaches. One reason is that once a software product has been developed it can easily be replicated, so there is seldom any need to build the same software product twice. For software development, then, the question is not whether a project will be new but rather how new it will be. Additionally, the nature of software development changes over time, as new programming languages, development methods, programming environments, execution platforms, and application domains arise. Software development thus directly feeds its own evolution. Additionally, the experience, skill level, and productivity of programmers practicing in the field vary widely, and the development methods and practices followed by organizations are often specialized and may be proprietary. A further complication is that the requirements on a software project may change during the project, the resources available to the project may likewise change during the project, and the project may be subject to uncontrolled dependencies on other projects or systems of uncertain characteristics and availability. All of these complications and others undermine the applicability and effectiveness of traditional process estimation techniques to software development, like projects or other projects that have similar characteristics.

Incorporating user insights into predicting, diagnosing and remediating problems that threaten on-time delivery of software and systems

International Business Machines Corporation


There is provided a method comprising, receiving, from a second network node, a request to access data of a user of a user device, forwarding the request to the user device, receiving, from the user device, an acknowledgement indicating that access to the data of the user is granted and transmitting, in response to receiving the acknowledgement, a first indication to a blockchain, the first indication indicating that access to the data of the user is granted.

Privacy and data confidentiality have always been, and still are, one of the major threats for users of communication networks. Data privacy is extremely important for example in case of social networks, because people may upload sensitive data to a social network and believe that nobody can see said sensitive data except the people that they trust. However, there have been cases wherein sensitive data of a user has been leaked without the permission of the user.
Data privacy is essential for other applications as well. For instance, sensitive data of a user, such as location or billing information, may be known for a cellular operator of the user. Thus, it is essential that the user can control access to such sensitive data as well. There is therefore a need to provide improved methods, apparatuses and computer programs which enable user-controlled access to data in communication networks.

User-controlled access to data in a communication network


A non-leaded resin-sealed semiconductor device is manufactured by the steps of providing a metal substrate having a front surface, a rear surface, a chip fixing partition part, partition parts arranged around the chip fixing partition part, and grooves defined between the partition parts; providing a semiconductor chip having a front surface, a rear surface, electrodes formed on the front surface; fixing the semiconductor chip on the chip fixing partition part of the front surface of the metal substrate; electrically connecting the electrodes of the semiconductor chip with the front surface of the partition parts of the metal substrate by conductive wires, respectively; and forming a resin body which seals the semiconductor chip, the conductive wires, and the front surface of the partition parts of the metal substrate. After the resin body forming step, the rear surface of the metal substrate is etched so as to electrically isolate the partition parts of the metal substrate from one another, and after the etching step, the etched surface of the metal substrateis plated with solder by print-plating method.

This invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device such as a resin-sealed LSI (large-scale integrated circuit) using a metal substrate, and in particular to an effective technique which can be applied to the manufacture of a semiconductor device (non-leaded semiconductor device) wherein external electrode terminals are made to project from a mounting surface without deliberately making the external electrode terminals project from the side of the package, such as in a SON (Small Outline Non-Leaded Package) or QFN (Quad Flat Non-Leaded Package).
In the manufacture of resin-sealed semiconductor devices, a lead frame is used. The lead frame is manufactured by forming a predetermined pattern, by stamping a metal plate with a precision press or by etching. The lead frame comprises supporting members known as tabs or diepads for fixing semiconductor elements (semiconductor chips), and plural leads whereof the ends (inner ends) are brought to the periphery of the supporting members. The tabs are supported by hanging leads extending from the frame part of the lead frame.
When a resin-sealed semiconductor device is manufactured using this lead frame, semiconductor chips are fixed to the tabs of the lead frame, the electrodes of the semiconductor chips and ends of the leads are connected by conductive wires, the inner end side including the wires and semiconductor chips is sealed by an insulating resin to fill the gaps and form a sealing package (resin sealing package), unnecessary lead frame parts are removed by cutting, and the leads projecting from the package or hanging from the tabs are cut.
As one type of resin-sealed semiconductor device manufactured by lead frames, a semiconductor device structure (non-leaded semiconductor device) is known wherein one-side molding is performed on one surface (principal surface) of the lead frame to form the package, and the leads which are external electrode terminals are exposed on the surface of the package. Examples of this type of semiconductor device are SON wherein the leads are exposed on both edges of the surface of the package, and QFN wherein the leads are exposed on four sides of the surface of a rectangular package.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-286376, a method is described for manufacturing a non-leaded semiconductor device using a lead frame wherein leads are suspended respectively from the four corners of a rectangular island, adjacent hanging leads are joined to surround the island to form a connecting member, first connecting pieces are made to project at equal intervals towards the island from the inside of the surrounding connecting member, and second connecting pieces are made to project from the connecting member to the outside. The first connecting pieces and second connecting pieces are in a staggered footprint arrangement.
In the manufacture of semiconductor devices using this frame, a semiconductor chip is fixed to the island, a bonding pad on the front surface of the semiconductor chip is fixed to the first connecting pieces and second connecting pieces via metal filaments, the semiconductor chip and metal filaments are covered by a sealing package, the first connecting pieces and second connecting pieces are cut by dicing so as to remove the connecting member along the connecting member, the grooves are filled by resin if necessary, and the frame and sealing package are cut (full cut). This gives a non-leaded semiconductor device. The island may be formed larger or smaller than the chip.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-216280, a technique is disclosed for manufacturing a non-leaded semiconductor device using a terminal land frame the wherein land structures projecting from one side of a frame body are arranged in a checkered pattern. The land structures are formed by forming projections by stamping the frame body, cutout step parts are broken off by applying a shear force in the stamping direction, and the land structures are separated from the frame body.
Groove parts are formed on the front surface of the projecting surface of the land structures, and projecting parts having a flat front surface are formed in the centers of depressions in the land structures. The flat surfaces of these projections form mounting surfaces for external electrode terminals of the semiconductor device. Further, a sealing resin is inlaid into the groove parts to improve the contact between the land structures forming the external electrode terminals and the resin.
In semiconductor devices using this terminal land frame, semiconductor elements are bonded to the projecting surfaces of one or more land structures by a conductive adhesive or insulating paste, the electrodes of the semiconductor elements and the land structures situated around the semiconductor elements are electrically connected by metal filaments, the principal surface of the terminal land frame is sealed by resin (one-side molding) so that the semiconductor elements and metal filaments are covered by a resin layer, resin layer parts are cut at predetermined positions to separate them, and with the terminal land frame fixed, the land structures are pressed out from the rear surface of the terminal land frame to break the land structures in the step parts. This gives a non-leaded semiconductor device.

Manufacturing method of a semiconductor device


A technology described herein is for accurately determining the SOC of a secondary battery. An open-circuit-voltage-to-state-of-charge (OCV-SOC) characteristic has a capacity decrease estimation OCV region in which a relationship between the OCV and the SOC is assumed not to change due to degradation of the secondary battery 1a since a reference time point. Charge currents or discharge currents in the capacity decrease estimation OCV region are accumulated in a process in which the secondary battery SOC changes among OCVs. From the accumulation, an accumulated current is obtained. A secondary battery capacity decrease is estimated based on the accumulated current. An OCV-SOC characteristic is specified based on the estimated secondary battery capacity decrease and a predetermined relationship between the battery capacity decrease of the secondary battery since the reference time point and the OCV-SOC characteristic. A secondary battery SOC is determined based on the OCV and the specified OCV-SOC characteristic.

A secondary battery state of charge determination apparatus and a method of determining a state of charge of a secondary battery are for measuring values related to state of charge required for controlling charging and discharging of the secondary battery. The state of charge may be hereinafter referred to as SOC (state of charge).
The SOC a ratio of a remaining capacity of the secondary battery at a specific time point to a remaining capacity of the secondary battery at full charge (i.e., a capacity of the secondary battery).
A method of determining the SOC of a secondary battery may use open-circuit-voltage-to-charging-condition characteristics to determine the SOC based on an open circuit voltage (may be hereinafter referred to as OCV) as disclosed in Patent Document 1. In another method, charge and discharge currents for a secondary battery are accumulated, and a ratio of the accumulated current to a total capacity is calculated as the SOC.
The latter method in which the charge and discharge currents of the secondary battery are accumulated normally uses an initial total capacity as the total capacity of the secondary battery, which is a denominator used in a calculation of the SOC. If the capacity of the battery decreases due to degradation of the secondary battery, the calculated SOC is more likely to include an error.
The former method is widely used former because open-circuit-voltage-to-charging-condition characteristics (may be hereinafter referred to as OCV-SOC characteristics) are considered not to change even if the total capacity of the secondary battery varies due to the degradation thereof.

Secondary battery state of charge determination apparatus, and method of determining state of charge of secondary battery


An ingot in which generation of crack is sufficiently suppressed is obtained. The ingot includes: a seed substrate formed of silicon carbide; and a silicon carbide layer grown on the seed substrate and containing nitrogen atoms. The silicon carbide layer has a thickness of 15 mm or more in a growth direction. In the silicon carbide layer, a concentration gradient of the nitrogen atoms in the growth direction is 5×1017 atoms/cm4 or less.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ingot, a silicon carbide substrate, and a method for producing the ingot, more particularly, an ingot formed of silicon carbide, an silicon carbide substrate obtained from the ingot, and a method for producing the ingot formed of silicon carbide.
Description of the Background Art
In recent years, in order to achieve high breakdown voltage, low loss, and the like in a semiconductor device, silicon carbide has begun to be adopted as a material for the semiconductor device. Silicon carbide is a wide band gap semiconductor having a band gap larger than that of silicon, which has been conventionally widely used as a material for semiconductor devices. Hence, by adopting silicon carbide as a material for a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device can have a high breakdown voltage, reduced on-resistance, and the like.
A silicon carbide ingot is produced by, for example, growing a silicon carbide single crystal on a seed substrate using a sublimation-recrystallization method. In the grown crystal of this silicon carbide ingot, stress, strain, and the like are generated. They may cause generation of crack in the ingot or a silicon carbide substrate obtained by cutting the ingot. To address this, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2012-250864 discloses to relax stress or strain in a crystal by reducing a concentration gradient of metal atoms in a growth direction of an ingot, for example.
In Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2012-250864 described above, the stress or strain in the crystal can be relaxed to some extent, but it is difficult to sufficiently suppress generation of crack in the ingot and the silicon carbide substrate obtained by cutting the ingot.

Ingot, silicon carbide substrate, and method for producing ingot


An adjustable mattress frame comprises a central body segment and upper and lower body adjustable segments pivotally connected by a hinge to said central body segment, said central body segment being provided with two actuation modules suitable to actuate said upper and lower body segments respectively.

Various forms of beds and mattresses have been used for centuries as a padded surface for supporting a reclining body. It is well known in the field of medicine and hospital beds that a static fully reclined bed and mattress may cause severe health issues, such as infections. The first adjustable bed was introduced in the early 1900's by Dr. Willis Dew Gatch, and to this day Dr. Gatch's basic idea of separating a bed into three segments and tilting each segment separately is practiced in hospitals and medical facilities worldwide.
As it has been realized that besides the health advantages, adjustable beds offer recreational and entertainment solutions, such as reading, watching television and using a laptop computer in bed, adjustable beds have become a common piece of furniture available in household bedrooms.
Typical adjustable beds comprise an adjustable base/frame (which in modern adjustable beds is adjusted electrically) and a regular mattress that doesn't differ from mattresses that are used in non-adjustable beds. However, adjustable beds present several disadvantages, such as the bulky presence of the equipment needed to move the various parts of the bed, the lack of ability to easily move the adjustable system to a different location, and the high cost of the entire system.
It would therefore be highly desirable to be able to provide an adjustable comfort system that is free from the above-mentioned disadvantages. It is an object of the present invention to provide such a comfort system. The term "comfort system", as used herein is meant to encompass adjustable systems suitable for different uses, such as simple sleeping, active resting (such as when reading, watching TV, using a laptop, etc.), as well as for health purposes, such as used in hospitals or at home with infirm or elderly people.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a mattress that can be adjusted without use of an adjustable bed frame. It is another object of the present invention to provide such an adjustable mattress that can be easily serviced. It is a further object of the invention to provide an adjustable mattress that can be easily moved from one location to another, and which is cost effective as compared to adjustable bed frames.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Mattress with an integrated mattress adjustment apparatus


Embodiments relate to systems and methods for dynamic association ordering based on service differentiation in wireless local area networks. A WiFi™ or other access point can broadcast beacon information to surrounding stations, and receive probe requests from those stations seeking to associate with the access point. The access point can determine a classification for each station, depending on station attributes such as subscription status, handoff status, or others. Stations receiving a higher classification can enter the association process sooner than those with lower classifications. The association order can be managed by inserting a delay in the probe response, by broadcasting the classifications which will be processed in the next beacon interval, or by adjusting the order in which association steps will be performed. Stations having higher classifications can be associated more quickly than lower-classification stations, in contrast to conventional association techniques which handle probe requests in the order received.

In WiFi™ and other wireless local area networks (WLANs), a conventional arrangement for the association of a smart phone, computer, or other wireless device to a wireless router or other access point is to configure the access point to listen for all approaching stations wishing to associate themselves with the access point, and process those association requests in the order in which they are received
However, this approach in known WiFi™ can entail some drawbacks. Those drawbacks include the fact that a first-in, first-out (FIFO) model for association requests takes no account of the relative priority of the subscribers or their data traffic. Thus, for instance, in a busy public network environment such as an airport, a user who initiates an association transaction to access a relatively low-priority data service may obtain a successful association with an access point, simply because that user's device was detected before a user having higher-priority service needs. This can be the case even if the time of initial contact between one station or device and the access point differs from the following station or device by only a moment. For instance, a user attempting to access an email account may have their association request serviced before that of a user who is in the middle of a streaming video download, even though interruption of a video or other media download may create greater disruption for that user than for the email user, simply because the email user's device generated a probe request before the video user, if only by a moment.
It may be desirable to provide methods and systems for dynamic association ordering based on service differentiation in wireless local area networks, in which the association event between a station and an access point can be prioritized and ordered according to the nature, priority, or importance of the service needs of the various users approaching or competing for wireless connections, based on a set of prioritization criteria designed to allow the highest-priority users to acquire a network connection at the soonest possible time.

Systems and methods for dynamic association ordering based on service differentiation in wireless local area networks


An encoding system includes: a plurality of encoding devices that each include an encoding processing unit configured to, at a timing in accordance with a vertical synchronization signal included in a moving picture signal, encode divided image data, wherein one encoding device acts as a single master and the remaining one or more encoding devices act as slave. A main synchronization processing unit configured to be provided in the master, in accordance with the vertical synchronization signal, to transmit a setting signal to the slave to perform setting on the encoding processing unit, so that a start timing of encoding processing by each of the encoding processing units is synchronized in frame image units, and to monitor a synchronization state of the encoding devices based on a state signal representing a state of the encoding processing unit of the ancillary encoding device received from the slave.

Various technology is known for transmitting various moving pictures (video images), such as, for example, High Definition (HD) moving pictures and moving pictures of high resolution exceeding that of HD moving pictures.
For example, in order to combine plural display devices for display as a single screen, there is a proposal to divide frame images multiple times, to encode the image data for each of the divided images using respective encoding devices, and to adjust the transmission timing for each of the encoded data.
A method is also known for, when encoding, encoding and transmitting image data for each divided image arising from dividing a frame image multiple times by utilizing plural existing encoding devices. Such cases enable a lower cost system to be configured than developing customized devices, due to being able to employ existing encoding devices.


A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary cell excellent in cycle characteristics is provided. This purpose is achieved by the following structure. A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary cell has a positive electrode having a positive electrode active material, a negative electrode having a negative electrode active material, and a non-aqueous electrolyte having a non-aqueous solvent and an electrolytic salt. The positive electrode active material has a lithium-cobalt compound oxide having added therein at least zirconium. The non-aqueous electrolyte has LiBF4 at from 0.05 to 1.0 mass % of a total mass of the non-aqueous electrolyte and unsaturated cyclic carbonate at from 1.0 to 4.0 mass %. The true density ratio of the positive electrode is 0.72 or greater, the true density ratio being represented by formula 1 shown below: (Formula 1) True density ratio=active material apparent density of electrode active material layer÷true density of active material.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement of non-aqueous electrolyte secondary cells, which improvement is intended to improve cycle characteristics.
2) Description of the Related Art
Today, mobile information terminals such as mobile phones, notebook personal computers, PDAs, and the like are widespread. As the driving sources for them, non-aqueous electrolyte secondary cells, which have high energy density and high capacity, are widely used.
In recent years, the positive electrode active material is filled at high density in an attempt to increase the capacity of cells. However, if the positive electrode active material is pressed with high pressure for the purpose of high-density filling, the active material particles are cracked and there appear on each surface coarse active portions, and because the active portions are easy to react with the electrolytic solution, the electrolytic solution is decomposed, resulting in generation of gas. Because of this, there have been such problems that the cell expands, and that cycle deterioration occurs resulting from a reduction in the amount of the electrolytic solution.
Techniques related to non-aqueous electrolyte secondary cells are proposed in patent documents 1 to 8.
These documents are summarized as follows.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-12025 (Abstract, claims).
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-138063 (Abstract, claims).
Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-164250 (Abstract, claims).
Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-307774 (Abstract, claims).
Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-231307 (Abstract, claims).
Patent Document 6: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-334718 (Abstract, claims).
Patent Document 7: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-64237 (Abstract, claims).
Patent Document 8: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-97626 (Abstract, claims).
The techniques involved in patent documents 1-3 are those using, as the positive electrode active materials, lithium-manganese-based oxides of spinel structure, and LiBF4. It is said that with these techniques, Mn is prevented from being decomposed from the crystal structure of the positive electrode active material, and stability at the time of operation and preservation is improved.
However, lithium-manganese-based oxides of spinel structure are problematic in that the amount of the lithium that contributes to charging and discharging is small, and thus the cell capacity is reduced and the decomposition of the electrolytic solution cannot be prevented when a highly-densely-filled positive electrode is used.
Patent document 4 is a technique that uses an electrolytic solution that contains LiPF6 and LiBF4, and it is said that with this technique, such a cell is obtained that is excellent in stability at the time of overcharging.
Patent document 5 is a technique that uses an electrolytic solution that contains LiBF4 and whose HF density is from 30-1000 ppm, and it is said that with this technique, expansion and capacity reduction encountered when the cell is preserved in the high temperature environment and in the terminal charging state are prevented.
Patent document 6 is a technique that uses an electrolytic solution that contains LiBF4 at from 30-1000 ppm, and it is said that with this technique, expansion and capacity reduction encountered when the cell is preserved under the high temperature environment and in the terminal charging state are prevented.
Patent document 7 is a technique that uses an electrolytic solution that contains LiPF6 and LiBF4, and it is said that with this technique, self-charging encountered when the cell is preserved in the charged state is prevented.
Patent document 8 is a technique that uses an electrolytic solution that contains LiBF4, and it is said that with this technique, preferable discharging characteristics are obtained under the condition of large current, and stable cell performance is obtained under the high temperature environment and under the low temperature environment.
However, the techniques involved in patent documents 4-8 are problematic in that the decomposition of the electrolytic solution cannot be prevented when a highly-densely-filled positive electrode is used.


A balance training device for sports such as skiing and skating uses force sensors located to sense forward pressure between a boot and the wearer thereof and electrical components to generate immediate feedback to the wearer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is an electronic training device for activities where fore and aft foot balance is important and is particularly relevant to such activities where an audible indication of such balance is useful.
2. Discussion of Background and Material Information
Maintaining correct balance in the form of an athletic stance with the weight centered in the fore/aft direction is important in many athletic activities. In skiing, correct longitudinal balance is necessary to drive the forward inside metal edge into the snow in order to steer the ski through a carved turn. By maintaining pressure against the front of the boot, the skier's weight and isometric force from knee flexion is applied to the ski's carving edge. This action generates the pressure necessary to engage the forward metal edge of the ski into hard snow, thereby maintaining control of the ski. Other sports such as snowboarding, ice skating and in-line skating require similar forward balance.
Most novice and some moderately proficient skiers exploit the extended length of a ski behind the boot to successfully negotiate terrain with an incorrect stance, specifically a stance where excessive pressure is applied to the rear of the boot and consequently to the rear of the ski. As described by Witherell and Evrard in The Athletic Skier, this incorrect stance is made possible by the large amount of leverage provided by the rear section of the ski. This so-called "invisible foot" enables skiers to skid down steep slopes by dragging the tails of the skis against the snow. This method, while effective to a limited extent, is both incorrect and dangerous. The method is incorrect because the loss of forward pressure on the ski limits the amount of control available to the skier for steering, negotiating hard snow and for handling sudden increases in the pitch of the slope. The practice of leaning back on the skis is dangerous because loss of control from a rear-weighted position may result in the skier falling over the back of the skis. This form of accident has been known to sever the connection of the anterior cruciate ligament to the tibia, the most common form of injury in skiing.
The ability to apply correct forward pressure to a ski is a difficult skill to learn because it runs counter to the defensive instinct of leaning backward when encountering a steep or icy slope. Beginning skiers have difficulty mastering the concept because much practice is required to develop a feel for correct balance on a ski on slopped terrain. Even advanced racers have difficulty maintaining the skill at high speeds on a difficult race course. The undesirable trait of leaning back on the skis is known in the race community as "riding in the back seat."
Traditional ski instruction methods are not suitable for overcoming this problem. Skiing balance is particularly difficult to observe when a skier is headed downhill because the force vector generated by gravity on a skier's center of mass does not pass through the skier's boots. It is difficult for an athlete or a beginner to know when the correct weight is being applied because no direct measurement exists. Specifically, no device exists to continuously monitor the correct forward pressure of an athlete while skiing down a hill.
Similar advantages accrue to the snowboarder, ice skater or in-line skater who maintains a correct forward stance in these sports. In each case a loss of control and potential hazard exists when the athlete succumbs to the defensive instinct of learning back in a defensive posture.
Various methods of measuring and monitoring the performance of an athlete in a laboratory setting are known in the art These devices use mechanical and electrical means to measure the dynamics of runners, skiers and other athletes. These tend to use force pads, or sensors with wires running from the test subject to static laboratory equipment. The use of video analysis is also extensively documented.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,088 to McTeigue, et al. describes means for measuring weight distribution in sports such as golf or baseball where the athlete engages in a static stance before swinging an object at a ball. Sensors in each shoe produce a signal proportional to the amount of weight placed thereon. The signals are sent to a computer which compares each against a separate predetermined range of values. This predetermined range is a selectable percentage of a maximum value, which is calibrated to a person's weight. Various audio signals are generated in response to the comparison to provide feedback for a variety of training algorithms. The usefulness of this device for measuring weight distribution among different sensors in a single shoe is noted.
Marsh describes in U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,405 a device to record forces applied to garments including shoe soles, shoe liners and gloves. A weight sensor in each shoe is constantly sampled and the data is wirelessly transmitted to a display processor unit Information on the intensity and duration is provided to the user, such as a runner or golfer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,110 issued in May 1985 to Overmyer describes a method of measuring the relative bend of the front and rear portions of a ski by the use of strain gages which are bonded to those portions of a ski. The Overmyer device is self-contained on the athlete, with means to provide continuous feedback during a skiing performance without external observation or equipment.
Static devices applicable to teaching a skiing stance are described in several patents. U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,787 issued to Kaempfen describes a static fixture for practicing ski turns. Campbell, III in U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,684, describes a static fixture for measuring the longitudinal balance point of a specific skier on a specific pair of skis intended for use in refining the location of the binding position.
U.S. Pat. 4,813,436 issued to Au describes a system capable of monitoring the amount of pressure simultaneously exerted on a plurality of sensors by the sole of a person's foot and simultaneously displaying those forces while the person uses a treadmill.
Ratzlaff et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,661 describes a system for measuring forces generated by the plantar surface of a human foot using several piezoelectric transducers located under the foot and including means for displaying the instantaneous forces simultaneously measured.
Several additional patents describe methods for enclosing force measurement instrumentation on a shoe. U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,552 issued to Yukawa describes an electronic pedometer where a step sensor in the sole of a shoe triggers a counter unit mounted on the laces. U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,445 issued to Dassler describes a sensor for measuring the speed of and distance covered by a running shoe. U.S. Patent No. 5,323,650 issued to Fullen et al describes the use of a sensor array embedded in a shoe sole for measuring forces applied to specific locations of the foot with greater resolution. The invention of Thomas et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,654 uses a strain gage mounted in a shoe to monitor the weight applied to a lower extremity for orthopedic purposes.
Several other patents describe sensors applicable to human force measurement. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,734,034 and No. 4,856,993 both issued to Maness et al, means are described to measure points of contact in dental occlusion. Podoloffet al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,291 describes a flexible sensor for uses in applications where shear forces are encountered and sensor thickness is a consideration.


An array of electrode sites are placed in a heart chamber. The shape of the chamber and the location of the electrodes is determined via impedance plethysmography. Electrical measurements taken from the electrode array and referenced to a surface contacting electrode is used to generate a three-dimensional map of electrical activity. A two-dimensional map of the electrical activity within the endocardial surface is also computed.

It is common to measure the electrical potentials present on the interior surface of the heart as a part of an electrophysiologic study of a patient's heart. Typically such measurements are used to form a two-dimensional map of the electrical activity originating from the heart. An electrophysiologist will use the map to locate centers of ectopic electrical activity occurring within cardiac tissue.
One traditional mapping technique involves a sequence of electrical measurements taken from mobile electrodes inserted into the heart chamber. The electrodes are repetitively moved into contact with the endocardial surface.
An alternative mapping technique takes essentially simultaneous measurements from a floating electrode array to generate a two-dimensional map of electrical potentials. This non-contact technique is taught by a number of references including Taccardi U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,924.
The two-dimensional maps of the electrical potentials at the endocardial surface generated by these traditional processes suffer many defects. One defect is related to "spatial averaging". Traditional systems have been limited in resolution by the number of electrodes used. The number of electrodes dictated the number of points for which the electrical activity of the endocardial surface could be mapped. Therefore, progress in endocardial mapping has involved either the introduction of progressively more electrodes on the mapping catheter or improved flexibility for moving a small mapping probe with spot electrodes from place to place on the endocardial surface. Both "ring" shaped and "spot" shaped electrodes are constrained by spatial averaging within the blood volume in the heart chamber. The ring shaped electrode spatially averages the measurement of electrical activity around the circumference of the electrode site. The spot electrode also spatially averages the measurement of electrical activity within the conical view of the electrode site. Direct contact with electrically active tissue is required by most systems in the prior art in order to minimize this limitation of circumferential spatial averaging of the ring electrode or conical spatial averaging of the spot electrode. When a ring shaped electrode is in contact with the electrically active tissue, the local electrical potential at the point of contact is directly coupled to the electrode and the contact potential dominates over the effect of circumferential spatial averaging of the electric field. Thus the problem of spatial averaging is the inability to accurately resolve the location of ectopic tissue masses. In the prior art, iso-potentials are interpolated and plotted on a rectilinear map which can only crudely represent the unfolded interior surface of the heart. Such two-dimensional maps are generated by interpolation processes which "fill in" contours based upon a very limited set of measurements. They are not three-dimensional and thus cannot be used to distinguish a large ectopic center located a long distance from an electrode site, from a smaller ectopic centers located closer to the electrode site. The traditional twodimensional mapping process also cannot locate infarcted tissue which is electrically inactive. The inability to accurately characterize the size and location of ectopic tissue frustrates the delivery of certain therapies such as "ablation".


An adjustable anti-theft security tag includes an engagement member having a first and second end securable within a housing for attachment to an article. The housing supports an electronic article surveillance marker and may include one or more channels for receiving and securing at least one stationary crimping member. The at least one stationary crimping member is sized to receive one end of the engagement member. The one or more crimping members may be disc shaped, including a plurality of fingers for securing one end of the engagement member, or may be tubular. The disc shaped members allow the engagement member to be moved downward, but not upward, so as to make the engagement loop smaller. In one embodiment, a slot is disposed within the housing in alignment with the at least one crimping member, and is sized to receive a crimping tool to crimp the member and secure the line to the article within the housing

It is well known in the art to use electronic article surveillance (EAS) sensors in order to prevent the theft of consumer products. Such electronic sensors trigger an alarm if not detached or disarmed before the product is removed from the store. For many products, electronic sensors have been very effective in deterring theft. However, such sensors can be difficult to attach to certain products, for example jewelry, fishing reels, alcohol and other products, and can often be easily removed from such items even when attached. An example of a higher price item where the difficulty of attaching electronic sensors is prevalent is watches. Often sensors cannot be attached to watch bands because they can be easily slipped off one end, and if the sensors are overly large they can limit the customer's ability to try on the watch before purchasing. Thus, electronic sensors attached to products such as watches must not only be tamper resistant in the hands of the consumer, but should also not interfere with the consumer's ability to try on the product. In addition, it is desirable to have an anti-theft tag which can be readily attached to a variety of products so that a retailer can utilize a single tag with many, different products, which can be attached in a convenient manner, and which are tamper resistant so that the EAS sensor cannot be readily removed by the consumer. A variety of tags containing EAS sensors have been developed over the past years in an attempt to address these and other issues.
One such sensor is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,188,320 to Kolton et al. The '320 patent discloses an article identification and surveillance tag having an article engaging loop (22) which is adjustable by pulling on end member (20b) which is accessible exteriorly of the tag body. The tag (10) includes a body formed of housings (12 and 14) which are joined together during use. A tail (20) includes a first tail end (20a) which is peripherally continuous with a first end of the housing (12) which defines loop (22) exteriorly of the housing. The tail (20) extends from the loop, into and through the housing and terminates in tail end piece (20b), which is accessible exteriorly of the tag (10). Housing (12) defines and interior channel (24), the walls of which are formed with facing ratchets (26 and 28). Secured to tail (20) interiorly of housing (12) is a collar (30) of pawl member (32). The outer walls of pawl member (32) are formed with teeth (34 and 36) which engage respectively with ratchets (26 and 28). The ratchets (26 and 28) and teeth (34 and 36), engage such that the pawl member (32) is moveable only in one direction, i.e., downwardly, so that the loop can only be made smaller. The ratchets and teeth thus from a one way clutch, which precludes upward movement of pawl member (32) while providing for downward movement of the pawl. In one embodiment, the tail (52) defines a loop (53) exteriorly of the housing, the tail extending from the loop and tail parts (52a, 52b), ends of which are joined inside member (52c), and which is accessible exteriorly of tag (42).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,932 to Mainetti et al. discloses an anti-shoplifting device including a housing having a lower half (2) and an upper half (3), and a ferromagnetic plate (4) which is inserted into an internal cavity (5) formed by the upper and lower halves after they have been joined. A flexible and/or elastic cord (8) is supported on an edge of the lower half (2) and includes a spike (9) having flexible tongues (10), the spike (9) being insertable in an irreversible manner into opening (7) of the lower half (2) in order to for a loop which is attachable to a product.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,172 to Lamy et. al. discloses an anti-theft device for eyeglasses including a plate (1) having a link (7) extending therefrom. The plate includes a slot (14) for inserting the free end portion (15) of the link (7) and has fastening means for retaining the end portion (15). The fastening means includes a block (16) supported on the plate (1). The link (7) is connected to the plate (1) by inserting the link into a slot (18) until a bulged portion (17) is in abutment. After the link (7) has been looped around the bridge of the frame of a pair of eyeglasses, it is then inserted into the slot (14) to be locked therein. The link is fastened by a pin (22) which is moveable perpendicularly to the link and which projects into one of the holes (10) of the link under the action of a spring (23).
While generally effective, the aforementioned devices and others available in the art can still be difficult to attach to a variety of products, and can often be tampered with by the consumer. Accordingly, there is continued development in the art in order to further improve anti-theft tags.


A unit dose, gas-filled syringe is provided which is filled with gas and packaged in a gas barrier material prior to use to increase shelf-life, that is, to minimize gas leakage and dilution of the contents of the syringe. The syringe is filled with a selected gas and sealed inside a container made from a high gas barrier material. The container is also filled with the selected gas. The container material is selected to have a gas transmission rate sufficient to prevent the selected gas from diffusing out of the container into the atmosphere. The volume of gas in the container is greater that atmospheric pressure to prevent atmospheric contaminants from entering the container and syringe.

The invention relates generally to a pre-filled package containing a unit dose of medical gas and a method of making same. The invention is further directed to a method of introducing a unit dose for a gas into a patient using the prefilled syringe.
Gas-filled syringes are useful for a number of applications such as surgical procedures involving the injection of a gas bubble into a patient""s body. For example, a retinal tear can be treated using an intraocular surgical procedure during which a gas such as sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) or perfluoropropane (C3F8) is injected into the eye for gas tamponage. Carbon dioxide (CO2) gas can be injected into a blood vessel to facilitate percutaneous angioscopy. Nitric oxide (NO) gas and NO-releasing compounds can also be used to treat a number of medical conditions. For example, NO and NO-releasing compounds can be used for treatment of male impotence, inhibition of DNA synthesis and mitochondrial respiration in tumor cells, and relaxation of vascular smooth muscle for control of hypertension.
Gases used for surgery are often expensive and not available for purchase in ready-to-use form. Currently, gases for surgical procedures are purchased in a pressurized tank. Syringes are filled directly from the tank using a filling line. When a syringe is disconnected from the filling line, the gas in the filling line is released into the atmosphere. Thus, this method of preparing syringes for surgery is disadvantageous because a significant amount of gas is wasted. Due to the busy environment of a hospital, shut-off valves on gas tanks are frequently left open accidentally, causing an even greater amount of gas to be wasted than when gas syringes are being filled.
In addition to the problem of wasting expensive gases, a more serious clinical problem associated with filling syringes from gas tanks is dilution of the gas in the syringe prior to surgery. Syringes are sometimes prepared on the morning of the day they are to be used in surgery. The syringes are then placed in the operating room with other surgical devices until they are needed, which can be several hours later. Experiments have shown that leakage of gas from a syringe over a relatively short period of time can cause clinically significant dilution of the gas dose and therefore increase the risk of surgical complications. For instance, the concentration of sulfur hexafluoride in a plastic syringe has been observed to decrease from 97% at 30 seconds after aspiration to 76% at 60 minutes and 2% at 18 hours past aspiration.
The present invention overcomes the above-described disadvantages associated with known methods for preparing gas-filled syringes, while also realizing a number of advantages. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a unit dose, gas-filled syringe is provided which is filled with gas and packaged in a gas barrier material prior to use to increase shelf-life, that is, minimize gas leakage and dilution of the contents of the syringe. The syringe is initially filled with a selected gas and sealed inside a container made from a high gas barrier material. The container is then also filled with the selected gas. The container material is selected to have a gas transmission rate sufficient to prevent the selected gas from diffusing out of the container into the atmosphere and to prevent atmospheric gas contaminants from entering the container. The gas is a pharmaceutically acceptable gas for injecting into the body of an animal. The gas is substantially free of oxygen and air and is at least 70% pure, and preferably 97% pure by volume.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method of packaging a gas-filled syringe is provided which comprises the steps of forming a container from a gas barrier material to enclose the syringe, placing the gas-filled syringe in the container, filling the container with the same gas as in the pre-filled gas syringe, and sealing the container to retain the gas and the syringe therein.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of packaging a gas-filled syringe is provided which comprises the steps of forming a container from a gas barrier material to enclose the syringe, the container comprising a valve, placing the gas-filled syringe in the container, sealing the container to retain the syringe therein, evacuating the sealed container, and filling the container with the same gas as in the syringe using the valve.
In accordance with still yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of preparing a gas-filled syringe is provided which comprises the step of filling a container with a predetermined volume of a selected gas via an opening therein. The container is formed from a high gas barrier material to prevent gas from escaping from the container once the opening is sealed. The method further comprises the step of puncturing the container with the syringe needle and drawing the gas into the syringe by retracting the syringe-plunger.
A further aspect of the invention is basically attained by providing a method of introducing a gas into the eye during eye surgery, the method comprising the steps of providing a clean and sterile prefilled syringe containing a unit dose of a pharmaceutically acceptable gas and being substantially free of air and oxygen, the syringe having a syringe barrel, a gas delivery outlet, and a plunger. The syringe is completely enclosed in a substantially gas impermeable container, and the container has an internal volume surrounding the syringe filled with the pharmaceutically acceptable gas at a pressure at least substantially equal to atmospheric pressure. The syringe is removed from the container, and the gas delivery outlet is introduced into the eye of a patient and the gas is introduced into the eye.

Pre-filled package containing unit dose of medical gas and method of making same


The present invention provides in a method for providing secure authentication using digital certificates, an improvement to enable the selective transfer of authentication data. The said method comprises presentation of basic authentication data certified by an accepted certifying authority, at the commencement of a secure transaction and transfer of additional individual authentication data units against specific requests, as and when required, thereby eliminating the risks associated with providing any authentication data that is not required for a particular transaction.

Security is one of the prime concerns in internet applications these days. SSL is the most common means of securing communication. For Authentication, SSL and almost all other protocols use Digital Certificates or UserId/Passwords. Other Authentication means include Biometrics etc. Normally, in e-business related applications, the server is authenticated using a Certificate signed by a Certifying Authority. The authentication of the client is mostly dependent on the application. Sometimes it is done via UserId Password, sometimes via Digital Certificates or maybe not done at all.
The authentication, however, is singular and static. There is no means to dynamically authenticate the user. The problem is described in more detail below.
In SSL (Secure Socket Layer), the client needs to have a certificate signed by a Certificate Authority which is listed as trusted in the Servers Trusted Database. This enables it to access the application depending upon the access allowed to the user identified from the certificate. Now often, it is desirable that a user acts as two roles. A typical example would be a manager acting on behalf of his employee who may be on leave etc. In such cases, the server will not accept another certificate unless the session is broken and a new one established. Practically, speaking this means closing the browser or the application or wait for sometime for the timeout.
In SET (Secure Electronic Transaction), the client needs a Digital Credit Card i.e. special Digital Certificate with users' Credit Card information to buy things online. Now, he might wish to use one card for some items while use another card for the other items.
In SET, from the Merchant point of view also, he might wish to offer some certificate to a group of clients and some to other. That is to say, if the client wishes to buy high valued items, the server wishes to present Certificate-A and if the client is buying low priced items, he wishes to present Certificate-B. A typical example would be a merchant who wishes to place his money from Diamond items in one bank and the rest in another. Another example would be a number of merchants selling stuff from a single mall/store. They would like to present their own certificates during payment on the SET protocol.
In Secure Email applications, the client authenticates himself/herself using the Email Certificate i.e. a special Digital Certificate with users' email information. With internet users having more than one email IDs, the requirement to change their Email preferences is all the more relevant even in case of personal desktop. Users may wish to send some mails using their official ID and others using their personal ones (hotmail etc).
In Secure Email applications, if the desktop is shared between users, the next user will have to close and open the application to view his mail i.e. to change the certificate. The equivalent of 'Switch ID' in Notes is not available.
Another major problem comes in applications that are providing all the above. They have some applications that require normal authentication using Digital Certificates. Simultaneously, they might also have a store where users can buy using SET certificates. He might also provide his users with the Secure Mail option. Now each of these would require a different type of X509 Certificate or a combined Certificate with all the 3 extensions.
The problem with 3 different certificates has been discussed above, i.e the user needs to timeout or restart the session to use a different service.
The combined Certificate solves the problem to some extent. However, there are some disadvantages.
1. If a new application is to be added, the certificates need to be reissued and retyped. Example would be: A site implements a SET based store and the client get SET Certificates from CAs, however after some time the site also provides a Secure Email facility. in that case, the users need to have a combined certificate. SO they have to get a new certificate. The certificates being issued by the CA also need to be reformatted to have an additional field related to E-mails. This would lead to number of services increase, with different versions and types of certificates with the clients and the permutations and combinations of fields the CA would have to take care.
2. Combined Certificates also suffer from the disadvantage of disclosing the entire information of the user to the server, even if it is not required. For example, if a site only implements Secure Email, the user with a combined certificate will still send him all the information including the SET Details (Credit information) which is a security risk.

Secure authentication using digital certificates

Abstract: The instant invention also provides a system and configured computer program product for carrying out the above method.


This invention provides tumor metastasis-inhibiting monoclonal antibodies, mAb 41-2, mAb 50-6 and mAb 1A-5. The antigen recognized by mAb 50-6 and mAb 1A-5 has been identified as the PETA-3 antigen. The antigen recognized by mAb 41-2 has been identified as a novel tumor metastasis-associated antigen. Compositions and methods are provided that are useful for treating and diagnosing metastatic tumors.

This invention relates to tumor metastasis-inhibiting monoclonal antibodies as well as antigens that are recognized by such antibodies. Compositions and methods are provided that are useful for treating and diagnosing metastatic tumors.
Malignant tumors shed cells which migrate to new tissues and create secondary tumors; a benign tumor does not generate secondary tumors. The process of generating secondary tumors is called metastasis and is a complex process in which tumor cells colonize sites distant from the primary tumor. Tumor metastasis remains the major cause of deaths in cancer patients, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying tumor cell dissemination are not clearly understood. There is a need to identify new molecules that are functionally involved in cancer cell dissemination in order to gain insights into the basics of metastatic spread, and to identify novel prognostic indicators and/or therapeutic targets.
Metastasis is a multi-step process in which tumor cells must detach from the primary tumor, invade the cellular matrix, penetrate through blood vessels, thus enter the circulatory system (intravasate), arrest at a distant site, exit the blood stream (extravasate), and grow. See, e.g., G. L. Nicolson (1982) Biochim. Biophis. Acta. 695: 113-176; G. L. Nicolson and G. Poste (1983) In. Rev. Exp. Pathol. 25: 77-181; G. Poste and I. J. Fidler (1980) Nature 283: 139-145; and E. Roos (1984) Biochim. Biophis. Acta. 738: 263-284. Given the complexity of the process, it is likely that there are a number of genes which mediate tumor cell metastasis. Indeed, the metastatic phenotype has been correlated with expression of a variety of proteins, including proteases, adhesion molecules, and the like. However, evidence that a given protein is directly involved in dissemination is often lacking, or difficult to prove. L. A. Liotta and W. Stetler-Stevenson (1989) J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 81: 556-557.
The human epidermoid carcinoma, HEp-3, provides a unique model system with which to detect and characterize those genes which effect metastatic dissemination. HEp-3 cells, propagated by serial passage on the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM), are both tumorigenic and spontaneously metastatic (T+M+). L. Ossowski and E. Reich (1980a) Cancer Res. 40: 2300-2309. However, when cells are grown continuously in vitro, they readily form primary tumors, but progressively become non-metastatic (T+Mxe2x88x92) with time. L. Ossowski and E. Reich (1980b) Cancer Res. 40: 2310-2315. With prolonged cultivation in vitro, they eventually become non-tumorigenic also (Txe2x88x92Mxe2x88x92). Loss of metastatic ability is reversible. T+Mxe2x88x92 cells carried on the CAM for two to three passages regain the ability to form spontaneous metastases. Thus, by altering growth conditions, the metastatic potential of these cells can be manipulated by the investigator.
Human urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) was shown to be directly involved in dissemination of HEp-3, as spontaneous metastasis of HEp-3 cells in the chick embryo was inhibited by antibodies that were specific for human uPA. L. Ossowski and E. Reich (1983b) Cell 35: 611-619. Subsequently, it was observed that inhibition of uPA activity blocked infiltration of the CAM mesenchyme by individual HEp-3 cells. L. Ossowski (1988a) Cell 52: 321-328. However, active uPA appeared to be required for tumor cell intravasation but not extravasation. L. Ossowski (1988a). Thus, some other factor(s) must be also involved in HEp-3 dissemination. J. P. Quigley et al. (1988) Ciba Foundation Symposium 141: 22-47 and Brooks et al. (1993) J. Cell Biol. 122 (6): 1351-1359 describe the generation of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), using xe2x80x9csubtractive immunizationxe2x80x9d, which recognize cell surface antigens expressed on HEp-3 cells and inhibit tumor metastasis in the CAM model.
Angiogenesis is the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing vessels. Endothelial cells which line the vessel walls degrade the surrounding basement membrane and migrate into the surrounding connective tissue. The migrating endothelial cells form cords, which eventually develop lumena and become patent vessels. Angiogenesis plays a vital role in normal physiological processes (e.g., would healing, ovulation). Inappropriate angiogenesis is involved in a number of pathological processes, such as cancer metastasis, diabetic retinopathy, etc.
The present invention has generated monoclonal antibodies by subtractive immunization, which inhibit tumor metastasis and/or angiogenesis. The antigens that are recognized by such monoclonal antibodies have been identified as well.
One embodiment of the present invention provides tumor metastasis-inhibiting monoclonal antibodies 41-2 and 50-6. Functional derivatives and fragments of such monoclonal antibodies are also contemplated by the present invention.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides hybridoma cell lines 41-2 (ATCC #PTA-226) and 50-6 (ATCC #PTA-227), which produce mAb 41-2 and mAb 50-6, respectively.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides the antigens recognized by the monoclonal antibodies of the present invention, more particularly, the target antigen of mAb 41-2.
Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to antibodies raised against the target antigen of mAb 41-2, as well as antibodies raised against the target antigen of mAb 50-6.
Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to nucleic acid molecules coding for the target antigen of mAb 41-2 or a portion thereof. Expression vector and host cells are also contemplated by the present invention.
In a further aspect of the present invention, pharmaceutical compositions are provided.
A pharmaceutical composition of the present invention can include the PETA-3 antigen or a portion thereof, or the antigen recognized by mAb 41-2 or a portion thereof.
A pharmaceutical composition of the present invention can also include an antibody directed against PETA-3 or the target antigen of mAb 41-2.
A preferred pharmaceutical composition of the present invention includes a tumor-metastasis-inhibiting antibody. Preferred tumor-metastasis-inhibiting antibodies include mAb 41-2, mAb 50-6 and mAb 1A-5.
A further aspect of the invention provides methods of diagnosing metastatic tumors in a subject by detecting the expression of at least one of the metastasis-associated antigens identified by the present invention, including the PETA-3 antigen or the antigen recognized by mAb 41-2. The detection can be accomplished by using an antibody or a nucleic acid probe.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides methods of treating a metastatic tumor in a subject by administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a tumor metastasis-inhibiting antibody of the present invention.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides methods of treating a metastatic tumor in a subject by administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an antisense molecule of the PETA-3 gene or the gene encoding the target antigen of mAb 41-2.
In still another embodiment, the present invention is directed to methods of treating aberrant PETA-3-dependent angiogenesis in a subject by administering a therapeutically effective amount of an angiogenesis-inhibiting antibody directed against PETA-3 or a functional derivative of such antibody.

Monoclonal antibodies that recognize antigens associated with tumor metastasis

The Research Foundation of State University of NY


A device is provided which is usable to draw at least one web of material or at least one web strand, that includes several webs of material, into a folding apparatus. The folding apparatus includes at least an upper structure, at least one folding funnel and a cross cutting device for separating the web of material, which has been transported in the upper structure and folded on the folding funnel, into individual products. At least one guide rail is provided. A holding part with a guiding end of at least one web of material fixed thereto, is displaceably guided on a path of web travel of the web through the upper structure. At least one guide rail is provided along the folding funnel.

A folding apparatus is known from WO 00/56652 A1. This folding apparatus is comprised of a superstructure, in which paper webs, which are fed in from one or from several printing groups, are brought together, perhaps after having been longitudinally cut and are placed on top of each other. The folding apparatus also consists of at least one former, in which a continuous strand of one web or of several brought-together paper webs is longitudinally folded in the superstructure. A transverse cutting device, in which the longitudinally folded web is cut into individual products, is also provided in the folding apparatus. Often, the transverse cutting device is realized by the provision of a rotating cutter cylinder, whose cutters work together with a thrust element on a gripper or folding blade cylinder, for severing the continuous web. The grippers of this gripper or folding blade cylinder maintain the products, which have been cut apart by the transverse cutting device, fixed to the surface of the cylinder and convey them to a transfer gap between the folding blade cylinder and a folding jaw cylinder. A folding blade then extends out of the folding blade cylinder to introduce the product held on the folding blade cylinder along a center transverse line into a folding jaw of the folding jaw cylinder and to fold it transversely in this way.
To draw a paper web, for the first time, into a printing press, it is known, from EP 0 553 740 B1, to use a holding element in the form of a rail-guided chain link element. A leading edge of the web, which is to be drawn in, and which has been torn off obliquely, is fastened to this chain link element. The guide rail extends next to the intended path of the web through the printing press as far as the superstructure of a folding apparatus.
The web is taken over by a draw-in device which is in the form of two spike-covered belts, as is described in connection with the already mentioned WO 00/56652 A1. The spikes of the belt spear the web along its lateral edges and pull it over an insertion roller at the upper edge of the former, as well as over the former itself.
Since pulling elements, which are independent of the guide rail and of the holding element conducted on it, are provided on the former, it is accomplished that, in accordance with the respective width of the webs to be processed, the former can be displaced in such a way that a web, which was folded on the former, enters the transverse cutting device exactly in the center. This is of importance for an interference-free functioning of the transverse cutting device, and, in particular, for the proper functioning of a downstream-connected transverse folding device.
DE 42 10 190 A1 discloses a cutting device with an integrated shunt. This device is arranged between draw-in rollers and folding cylinders.
DE 101 28 821 shows a device for bringing paper webs together in the course of their being drawn in.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,125,335 discloses a device for drawing in webs of material by the use of of belts.
EP 0 418 903 A2 describes devices which can be used for drawing in a plurality of web into a rotary web-fed printing press. Tapes that draw in the webs extend from the roll changers to the front of the formers.
A device for producing cut items is known from DE 1 611 283A. Two cutting cylinders are arranged one behind the other.

Devices and methods for drawing at least one web of material or at least one web strand into a folding apparatus


An image retrieval system including: a retrieval subject image storing unit storing images corresponding to first and second characteristic information among semantic characteristic information, physical characteristic information and prominence characteristic information; a retrieval key inputting unit inputting the first and second characteristic information as the retrieval key; a characteristic information converting unit obtaining remaining characteristic information, the physical characteristic information and the prominence characteristic information based on the two semantic characteristics, the physical characteristic and the prominence characteristic information; and an image retrieval unit retrieving an image matching or being approximate to third characteristic information other than the first and second characteristic information among the semantic characteristic, the physical characteristic and the prominence characteristic information, from the retrieval subject image storing unit by the characteristic information converting unit based on the first and second characteristic information, which are inputted by the retrieval key inputting unit.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a system, a program and a method for retrieving an image, particularly, an image retrieval system, image retrieval program and storage medium and an image retrieval method, which are capable of satisfying required prominence and preferable to perform layout in accordance with the number and the amount of a layout element.
2. Related Art
In layout operations of a poster, catalog and such, an attractive layout element such as an illustration, a cut, a photograph or an image (referred to as an eye-catching element, hereinafter) are effectively arranged so as to draw attention to a layout result, in many cases.
There is a case, however, that, even when a certain eye-catching element is selected for the purpose of securing prominence expected by a designer, a sufficient area to dispose the eye-catching element cannot be secured in a layout area since there are many layout elements expected to be printed. In such a case, it is required to scale down the eye-catching element to dispose the same or to select another eye-catching element. Contrary to the above, there is also a case that few layout elements expected to be printed cause an area with a blank space to appear even when the eye-catching element is disposed in the layout area. In this case, the eye-catching element is necessary to be enlarged for arrangement or another eye-catching element should be selected. Enlarging or scaling down the eye-catching element is likely to change prominence, and therefore, it is difficult to obtain the prominence expected. On the other hand, in the case of selecting another eye-catching element, it is difficult to properly select another eye-catching element capable of obtaining the prominence equivalent to the expected prominence, and accordingly, the expected prominence is also difficult to be obtained, similarly to the above.
As described above, in layout operations, it is desired to carry out layout in accordance with the number and the amount of a layout element with required prominence being satisfied.
As a technique for supporting layout operations, an image design supporting apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication 10-188023 has been provided, for example.
In an invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication 10-188023, an image analyzing portion and a collage image forming portion are included in a structure. A designer selects a similar impression image group (images having an impression similar to that of an image to be designed) and a contrast impression image group (images having an impression contrary to that of an image to be designed) among an image registration database (the database is simply abbreviated to DB, hereinafter). When the respective images are selected, the image analyzing portion is used for calculating visual characteristic information of the selected images such as an average of brightness, balance between light and shade, an average of chromaticity, balance between a cold color and a warm color, an average of saturation and the like. Then, the collage image forming portion selects two visual characteristics, which have a large difference in the average value of the visual characteristic information between the similar impression image group and the contrast impression image group. The respective images in the similar impression image group and the contrast impression image group are displayed in a display portion as a two-dimensional graph.
This gives a general designer, who has no designing knowledge, a clear and detailed guide to design an image. A general designer can thus design a whole image so as to make an impression of effectively conveying his or her intentions.
As a technique of performing image processing in accordance with the prominence of an image, an image compression method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication 2003-153007 has been provided, for example.
In the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication 2003-153007, an image in a cluster is graded on the basis of the importance of prominence of an image so as to automatically change the compression of the image. In a grading process, one or more amounts related to each image and one or more characteristics of contents of the image are calculated. The one or more characteristics include contents of the image. In the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication 2003-153007, a reasoning algorithm practiced on the basis of an opinion of one or more observers is used for processing the above-mentioned amount to apply the amount to the image for the purpose of grading. The image is then variably compressed on the basis of the grading. A compression amount of a low grade image is more than that of a high grade image.
Japanese Patent Application Publication 10-188023 is an example of related art.
Japanese Patent Application Publication 2003-153007 is another example of the related art.
In the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication 10-188023, it is arrange so that two visual characteristics, which have a large difference in the average value of the visual characteristic information between the similar impression image group and the contrast impression image group, are selected to display respective images in the similar impression image group and the contrast impression image group. Accordingly, even a general designer having no designing knowledge can easily select or collect images close to his or her own image, or contrary to the above, images opposite to his or her own image.
In the case, however, that a sufficient area to dispose the eye-catching element cannot be secured or that there is still an area with a blank space even with the eye-catching element disposed, the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication 10-188023 cannot support the designer in obtaining the prominence expected by the designer. Therefore, there is a problem that layout is difficult to be carried out in accordance with the number and the amount of layout elements with the required prominence being satisfied.
The invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication 2003-153007 is a technique of grading an image in a cluster on the basis of prominence of the image so as to compress the image. The technical field and technical problems thereof are different from those concerning the layout of an image, and therefore, the problems described in the above paragraphs cannot be solved at all.

Image retrieval system, image retrieval program and storage medium and image retrieval method


An image forming apparatus including: a black developing unit accommodating black toner; and at least one color developing unit accommodating color toner. The black toner has a softening point higher than that of the at least one color toner and contains a release agent at a percentage higher than that of the at least one color toner.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus which forms a color image on a recording medium such as paper, particularly to an image forming apparatus which forms a color image by an electrophotographic method, and to an image forming method of the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an electrophotographic color image forming apparatus, a color image is formed by superimposing a plurality of single color images, for example, a yellow image, a magenta image, a cyan image, and a black image, on a recording medium such as paper.
Among color image forming apparatuses, there is one which forms a plurality of images by repeating a plurality of steps of forming a single color image, and one which forms a plurality of images in one step. In most cases, the latter type is employed as a high-speed image forming apparatus, since this type of image forming apparatus is capable of forming a color image and a black-and-white image at substantially the same speed.
The latter type of image forming apparatuses include: one which forms a color image by forming a single color image on each of a plurality of image forming bodies, transferring each of the single color images from the image forming bodies to a recording medium, and superimposing the single color images on the recording medium to form a color image thereon; and one which forms a color image by forming a single color image on each of a plurality of image forming bodies, temporarily transferring each of the single color images to an intermediate transfer body, superimposing the single color images to form a color image thereof, and transferring the color image from the intermediate transfer body to a recording medium.
Meanwhile, in an electrophotographic image forming process, a contact heating method such as heat roller fixing is generally used. In the contact heating method, offset, in which part of toner forming an image on a recording medium is transferred from the recording medium to a fixing member, easily occurs. Moreover, a recording medium easily sticks to a fixing member. Thus, in order to prevent these phenomena, a release agent has been contained in toner.
As described above, a release agent mainly acts to prevent offset and sticking of a recording medium to a fixing member. A release agent also acts in other ways. For example, in JP-Tokukaihei-8-101553A, it is proposed that the containing percentages of release agents are differed between chromatic toner and achromatic toner in order to form a black-and-white image without unnecessary gloss and a color image with appropriate gloss by using the same image forming apparatus.
In the abovementioned latter type of color image forming apparatus, in theory, it is assumed that the amount of heat required for fixing of toner is smaller in a black-and-white image forming, since the amount of the maximum toner load of a color image on a recording medium is larger than that of a black-and-white image, and thus a black-and-white image can be formed at a speed higher than that at which a color image is formed. However, when toner disclosed in JP-Tokukaihei-8-101553A is used, the amount of the release agent which seeps out from the black toner while a recording medium passes through a fixing unit is small, and it has therefore been difficult to allow the speed of forming a black-and-white image to be higher than that of forming a color image. Moreover, when the softening point or the containing percentage of a release agent in chromatic toner is substantially the same as that in achromatic toner, gloss of a black image in a black-and-white image is increased, and thus it has been impossible to finish the black-and-white image with suppressed, desirable gloss.
In addition, disadvantages of a release agent have been known. For example, when a release agent is exposed to a temperature equal to or higher than a glass transition point or to mechanical stress such as stirring, the release agent seeps out from toner particles to the surface thereof, thus causing the toner to easily harden. Moreover, the release agent may be moved to the surface of carriers, thus deteriorating the electrostatic property of the toner.
With regard to how a color image forming apparatus is actually used, in most cases, the apparatus is used for formation of black-and-white images rather than formation of color images.
In view of such situation concerning use of color image forming apparatuses, it is desired that image forming in a black-and-white mode be carried out at a speed higher than that in a color mode.
In order to realize the above, it is necessary that the fixing efficiency in a black-and-white is higher than that in a color mode.

Image forming apparatus and image forming method

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.