A transformer apparatus whose transformer and a plurality of circuit-breakers are individually accommodated in a plurality of different casings. The casings are stacked one above each other in a plurality of stages with gaps between two subsequent casings and between the casing in the lowermost stage and the floor surface on which the apparatus is mounted. When a specific casing among the plurality of casings which is in an intermediate stage is to be dismounted, support columns are disposed on the outside of the specific casing with their respective ends inserted into the relevant gaps in such a manner that the support columns support the upper subsequent casing, thereby enabling the intermediate casing to be dismounted and remounted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transformer apparatus and, more particularly, to a transformer apparatus which may be suitably used as equipment in an electric power substation.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electric power substation generally includes electric equipment such as a gas-blast circuit-breaker, a transformer, a plurality of enclosed switchboards, and circuit-breakers provided on the switchboards. The gas-blast circuit-breaker receives power from a generator, and the transformer lowers the voltage of the received power. The power whose voltage has been lowered is supplied through the enclosed switchboards and the switchboard circuit-breakers to various loads.
In a conventional substation, however, not much consideration has been given to reducing the size of the installation area. Hence, electrical equipment, such as a gas-blast circuit-breaker, a transformer and enclosed switchboards, is installed on a horizontal surface. Such horizontal arrangement of electrical equipment requires a relatively large size installation area, and also requires a support structure to be built for the purpose of introducing power from a generating station to the gas-blast circuit-breaker. Another disadvantage is that electrical equipment, which is heavy, has to be moved or dismounted and remounted with difficulty each time the equipment is to be checked, for example, after a fault has occurred. Such equipment of a substation is described, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-62806.

Power receiving and transforming apparatus


The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a frozen confection comprising providing a frozen confection to be coated, providing a liquid coating composition which comprises less than 25% of saturated fatty acids and which solidifies in a two-step crystallization at a temperature of −15° C., at least partly coating the frozen confection, letting the coating composition perform a first crystallization event, and letting the at least partly coated frozen confection perform a second crystallization event. The invention also relates to a at least partly coated frozen confection obtained by this method of manufacturing.

Coated frozen confections are products which are highly appreciated by consumers. Texture and nutritional profile of the coating is driver for consumer preference.
With the increasing concern for health and wellness there is an increasing need for reducing calories, sugars and fats also in frozen confections and how to manufacture such coatings.
Chocolate-like or compound coatings based on vegetable fats are commonly used for coating frozen confection. The crystallization of the fats in a coating are a key contributor to the physical properties of a coating, in particular its textural properties (brittleness, melting) and setting time. Traditionally compound coatings for frozen confection have been manufactured with high proportions of lauric fats (e.g. coconut oil and palm kernel oil) which have a saturated fatty acid (SFA) level about 90%. With high amounts of lauric fats in the coatings, the SFA levels in the finished coating are typically between 30 and 60%.
Regarding fats the consumers are looking for products which are healthier but provide the same properties to the product. Solutions to this problem exist in the form of coatings blends comprising particular liquid oils which are lower in SFA and fractions of palm oil. The viscosity of these blends is important for achieving the SFA reduction because too viscous coating will result in more coating in the finished product and consequently a bigger quantity of SFA.
EP2099313 (Nestec) discloses an ice confection having an ice confection core and a snappy outer compound coating layer that has a reduced saturated fatty acid content. The fat in the compound coating is a mixture of fractionated palm oil and liquid oil. This compound coating has similar textural characteristics to that of conventional products, particularly 'snappiness'. This coating provides advantages in terms of substantial SFA reduction. Nevertheless, there continue to be a need for further reduction of SFA.
EP2367441 (Unilever) discloses a composition for coating a frozen confection is provided, the composition comprising from 63 to 70 wt % of a fat component comprising: 70 to 925 wt % of a palm oil fraction or blend of fractions which contains at most 8 wt % of S3 triglycerides and has a S2U: SU2 ratio of >2.5; 5 to 15 wt % of a liquid oil; and 0 to 15 wt % of cocoa butter. The terminology S and U denote the fatty acid residue in the triglycerides, wherein S is for saturated fatty acid and U stands for unsaturated fatty acids.
These characteristics refer to a combination of liquid oils and palm mid fraction, as stated in the application, namely Creamelt 900, Creamelt 700; containing >60% solids at 20° C. However, in order to achieve the right physical attributes of the coating, a higher fat content i.e. 63-70 wt % comprising palm oil fraction or blend of fractions of at least 85 wt % and 5-15 wt % of a liquid oil is required. The application requires high amount of fat component necessary to be in a coating which in turn limits the overall SFA content and thickness of the coating.
Several prior art has used interesterified fats as a structuring agent to produce low saturated coating for confectionery products. Interesterification is a process to modify the physico-chemical properties of fats and oils such as, texture, mouthfeel, crystallization and melting behaviour. Interesterification involves an acyl-rearrangement reaction on the glycerol molecule in presence of chemical catalyst or enzymes. Saturated fatty acids are not common in the central "2 position" of natural triglycerides. They are more common in interesterified fats, where the interesterification process has re-arranged the positions of the fatty acids. WO 2014/036557 A1 (Aarhus Karlshamn USA Inc.) discloses a low saturated fat composition for coating confectionery products, the composition comprising 24-35 wt % of fat and 55-75 wt % of non-fat solids, wherein the fat component comprises 35-80 wt % of a structuring agent and 20-65% of liquid oil. The structuring agent comprises an interesterified blend of palm stearin and palm kernel stearin.
US 2011/008499 A1 (Akhane Akira [JP]) discloses a coating composition for confectionery products, the composition comprises an interesterified oil (A) that is non-selectively interesterified and contains 80 wt % or more of a fatty acid having 16 or more carbon atoms and 35 to 60 wt % of a saturated fatty acid having 16 or more carbon atoms in its constituent fatty acids, and an interesterified oil (B) that is non-selectively interesterified and contains 20 to 60 wt % of a saturated fatty acid having 12 to 14 carbon atoms and 40 to 80 wt % of a saturated fatty acid having 16 to 18 carbon atoms in its constituent fatty acids. The composition also included a tri-saturated fatty acid acylglycerol in a content of 10 to 15 wt %.
Further GB 2 297 760 A (Loders Croklaan BV [NL]) discloses a coating composition for confectionery products, the composition comprises at least 40% BOO triacylglycerides and displaying a solid fat content of N30≥10 and having a major peak above 23° C.
The prior art described above requires the use of interesterified fats and oils as well as application of high melting lipid component to achieve physical functionalities (for e.g. crystallization speed and harder texture) of low saturated confectionery coatings. Also the prior art does not show how to further substantially reduce the SFA level in a coating composition for frozen confection.
The prior art does not show how to further substantially reduce the SFA level in a coating composition for frozen confection.
There is a need to have coatings for frozen confections where the physical attributes of the coating meet the requirements of the parameters, e.g. dripping and setting time, pick-up weight, plastic viscosity and yield value without impact on coating breakage or bleeding. These coating should be manufactured in an efficient way. There is therefore a need for an efficient method of manufacturing a frozen confection.

Method of manufacturing a frozen confection with low SFA coating and product obtained


A binder for a marine coating composition comprising the reaction product of a polysiloxane unit A′ and at least one second monomer B′ that undergoes a polymerisation reaction with said polysiloxane unit A′ so as to form a copolymer of structure -[ABAB]- wherein the backbone of said copolymer comprises a plurality of hydrolysable ester functional groups that will hydrolyse in the presence of seawater.

Surfaces that are submerged in seawater are subjected to fouling by marine organisms such as green and brown algae, barnacles, mussels, tube worms and the like. On marine constructions such as vessels, oil platforms, buoys, etc. such fouling is undesired and has economical consequences. The fouling may lead to biological degradation of the surface, increased load and accelerated corrosion. On vessels the fouling will increase the frictional resistance which will cause reduced speed and/or increased fuel consumption. It can also result in reduced manoeuvrability.
Also underwater structures, e.g. industrial plant, pipes and tanks for fresh water storage that are exposed to an aqueous environment, likes rivers, lakes, canals and swimming pools, have the similar problem caused by the attachment and growth of living organisms. This causes severe economic losses because of decreased possible operation time.
To prevent settlement and growth of marine organisms antifouling paints are used. These paints generally comprise a film-forming binder, together with different components such as pigments, fillers, solvents and biologically active substances.
The most successful antifouling coating system on the market until 2003 was a tributyltin (TBT) self-polishing copolymer system. The binder system for these antifouling coatings was a linear acrylic copolymer with tributyltin pendant groups. In seawater the polymer was gradually hydrolysed releasing tributyltin, which is an effective biocide. The remaining acrylic copolymer, now containing carboxylic acid groups, became sufficiently soluble or dispersible in seawater to be washed out or eroded away from the coating surface. This self-polishing effect provided a controlled release of the biologically active compounds in the coating resulting in excellent antifouling efficiency and smooth surfaces and hence reduced frictional resistance.
The IMO Convention "International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships" of 2001 prohibited the application of new TBT containing antifouling coatings from 2003 and TBT containing antifouling coatings are prohibited on ship hulls from 2008.
In recent years new antifouling coating systems have been developed and introduced as a consequence of the TBT ban. One broad group of biocidal antifouling coatings on the market today is the self-polishing antifouling coatings which mimic the TBT self-polishing copolymer coatings. Those antifouling coatings are based on (meth)acrylic copolymers having pendant hydrolysable groups without biocidal properties. The hydrolysis mechanism is the same as in the TBT containing copolymers. This gives the same controlled dissolution of the polymers and thereby the controlled release of antifouling compounds from the coating film, resulting in similar performance as the TBT containing antifouling coating systems. The most successful self-polishing antifouling systems today are based on silyl ester functional (meth)acrylic copolymers. These coating compositions are for example described in, EP 0 646 630, EP 0 802 243, EP 1 342 756, EP 1 479 737, EP 1 641 862, WO 00/77102, WO 03/070832 and WO 03/080747. The hydrolysable binder provides a continuous renewal of the coating film and efficient release of biocides at the coating surface, and thereby keeping the surface free of organisms.
The above mentioned antifouling coating systems degrade by hydrolysis of pendant groups on the polymer backbone, which results in a water erodable polymer. The hydrolysis of the pendant groups on the polymer backbone results in the formation of carboxylic acid salts which make the polymer hydrophilic and thereby erodable. A certain amount of hydrolysable groups are needed to get sufficient hydrophilicity and an erodable polymer after hydrolysis.
Another way of obtaining water erodable polymers is by introducing hydrolysable groups in the polymer backbone, resulting in degradation of the polymer structure, which gives erosion of the polymer film or coating film. Polyanhydrides are a class of polymers that degrade by backbone hydrolysis. The polyanhydrides are well documented for their surface degradation properties. Surface degradation is one of the most important factors for obtaining a successful antifouling coating. The use of specific aromatic polyanhydrides as binders in antifouling coating compositions is, for example, described in WO 2004/096927.
However, the anhydride group is extremely labile in the presence of moisture and it is therefore difficult to design a coating system based on polyanhydrides that exhibits a slow, controlled hydrolysis for use in antifouling coatings. Accordingly, the polyanhydrides used for antifouling coating compositions generally have a high content of aromatic units in order to control the hydrolysis.
In recent years, polyoxalates have emerged as a class of polymers that are well suited for use as binders in antifouling coatings. Backbone hydrolysis in these compounds is more controlled than for the polyanhydrides.
The use of self-polishing binders in which the polymer backbone hydrolyses in sea water makes it possible to obtain erodable cross-linked polymers and high molecular weight polymers.
An alternative to the anti-fouling coatings (which necessarily contain a biocide), are the so called fouling release coatings. These coatings have low surface tension and low modulus of elasticity and work by providing a "non-stick" surface to which sea organisms cannot stick or if they can stick are washed off by the motion of the water against the surface. Coatings are often based on polysiloxane/silicone/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) that generally have very low toxicity. There are disadvantages of the fouling release system. For example, when applied to boat hulls the accumulation of marine organisms is reduced but relatively high vessel speeds are needed to remove all fouling species. Thus, in some instances, it has been shown that for effective release from a hull that has been treated with such a polymer, it is necessary to sail with a speed of at least 14 knots.
Such "non-stick" coatings have however, not shown good resistance to soft fouling such as slime and algae over time. Adding biocides in combination with a hydrophilic modified PDMS oil to such PDMS coatings has been suggested to overcome this problem in WO2011/076856. WO2013/00479 relies on the same principles of addition of biocides, but here hydrophilic modified polysiloxane moieties are covalently bonded to the polysiloxane binder.
These mixed materials have found limited commercial success however, as diffusion of biocides to the surface is too fast at the start of the coating lifetime, and then diffusion stops as the coating ages. More recently, Azemar, in Progress in Organic coatings 87, 2015, 10-19 discusses hybrid coatings based on a triblock copolymer of polycaprolactone and PDMS. A PDMS block is co-polymerized with caprolactone to obtain polycaprolactone polymer blocks on each end of a PDMS block. The polymers therefore contain only one PDMS block with two polyester blocks formed from the caprolactone meaning that any hydrolysis occurs only at the end of the molecule and not in the centre of any chain. Poly(caprolactone units) cannot be used in the manufacture of a copolymer as we claim as it does not contain two identical functional groups.
In WO2004/085560 polysilylesters are disclosed formed by the reaction of a dicarboxylic acid and an acyloxysilyl compound. The resulting polymer is suggested for use as a binder in anti-fouling coatings. The claimed polymer always contains a characteristic silyl-ester Si—O—CO— link in the backbone however. Silyl-esters are known to be very reactive towards moisture with complete degradation occurring within days or weeks. The compounds in '560 are much too labile to be used successfully in long term anti-fouling coating compositions which need to be in service for years. We also observe that the process for the manufacture of these silyl ester polymers is complex. Our solution uses a much simpler process and avoids problems associated with distillation of acids, for example.
In WO2015/082397, a coating composition is taught which contains a binder formed from the reaction of a polysiloxane and a lactone. This gives rise to a polymer chain containing a —CO-alkylene-O— group. This is achieved via the ring opening of a lactone. Moreover, this polymerisation results in a block copolymer as the ring opened lactone can react with other lactones to extend the polymerisation. The polymer is therefore a triblock polymer of structure AAABBBAAA. In order to obtain a curable polymer relatively high organic-to-siloxane ratios are necessary. This process leads to polymers which have much higher glass transitions compared to conventional polysiloxanes. This limits the non-stick character, softness and release potential of the polymers.
There remain problems to be solved, in particular, with regard to fouling release coating performance over time.
The present inventors have appreciated that it would be beneficial to have a fouling release coating surface that is renewable. The use of a renewable surface means that slime/algae and other soft fouling are physically removed with or without the need for biocides. It would therefore be useful if the fouling release coating composition could offer a renewable surface like that of an anti-fouling coating composition. This can be achieved with or without the addition of biocides. Biocides might be employed for example where a substrate, such as a ship's hull might be exposed to low speed or heavy fouling conditions.
The object of the present invention is to provide a new binder for a coating composition that can prevent marine organisms, both animals such as barnacles and algae/slime, adhering to the surface of underwater structures such as ship hulls. The idea of the invention is to combine the benefits of the fouling release type coating and the self-polishing anti-fouling coating, to provide, inter alia, a renewable non-stick surface on a substrate. The binder may or may not be provided with a biocide to potentially prolong the anti-fouling effect of the coating.
The invention therefore combines the benefits of the two technologies to provide a renewable coating with low surface tension optionally with biocides.
The invention achieves this aim using a copolymer made by polymerising polysiloxane units with shorter comonomer molecules which are not polysiloxanes to provide a polymer containing hydrolysable ester units in its backbone. Alternatively, the invention envisages the combination of two (different) polysiloxane reactants that combine together to generate a hydrolysable ester linkage there between.
The inventors have surprisingly found that the polymers designed herein are able to hydrolyse in sea water to renew the surface and, if desired allow leaching of any biocide within the coating. Also, the binders of the invention provide a coating composition that has low VOC, low surface energy and low modulus of elasticity.


A printing unit comprises: a platen unit including a platen roller configured to feed a recording sheet; and a head unit including a thermal head configured to perform printing on the recording sheet, the head unit being separably combined with the platen unit, the head unit including: a head frame; a cutter mechanism mounted to the head frame in a removable manner, the cutter mechanism being configured to cut the recording sheet; a support member provided between the cutter mechanism and the head frame, the support member being movable between a coupled position at which the cutter mechanism is coupled to the head frame and a decoupled position at which the cutter mechanism is detachable from the head frame; and a first urging member interposed between the thermal head and the support member, the first urging member being configured to urge the thermal head toward the platen roller, and to urge the support member toward the coupled position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing unit and a thermal printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, a thermal printer has been known as a printer configured to perform printing on a recording sheet (heat-sensitive paper). The thermal printer includes a printing unit that can be reduced in size and weight, and has a simple configuration without using toner or ink. Therefore, the thermal printer is employed for cash registers or mobile terminal devices to be widely used to print various labels, receipts, and tickets.
As the printing unit described above, a so-called "separate-type" printing unit is known. In the separate-type printing unit, for example, a head frame configured to support a thermal head is mounted to a casing main body configured to receive, for example, a roll sheet therein, whereas a platen frame configured to support a platen roller is mounted to a printer cover that is coupled to the casing main body so that the printer cover can be operated to be opened and closed.
Further, a printing unit including a cutter unit configured to cut a printed recording sheet is known. The cutter unit includes a movable blade incorporated into, for example, the head frame of the above-mentioned frames, and a fixed blade incorporated into, for example, the platen frame of the above-mentioned frames. According to this configuration, the movable blade is slid relative to the fixed blade so as to nip the recording sheet between the movable blade and the fixed blade, to thereby cut the recording sheet.
Incidentally, in the printing unit, the thermal head may be replaced when a failure occurs in the thermal head due to wear between the thermal head and the platen roller or the like. As a method for replacing the thermal head, there is conceivable a method involving removing the movable blade from the head frame first, and removing the thermal head from the head frame thereafter. However, in the above-mentioned related-art configuration, the movable blade is fixed to the head frame with fastening members such as screws. Therefore, tools are necessary for the work of mounting and removing the movable blade, resulting in a problem of low maintainability. Further, in order to mount the movable blade, the above-mentioned fastening members are additionally necessary, resulting in a fear of the increase in number of components and manufacturing cost.
In view of the above-mentioned matters, a printing unit and a thermal printer capable of enhancing the maintainability while suppressing the increase in number of components and achieving cost reduction are demanded in this technical field.


A device for drying food includes a bowl having a bottom wall and a sidewall terminating in a top edge, a cover removably connected to the top edge of the bowl and a perforated basket disposed in the bowl and rotatable relative thereto coaxially therewith, and a drive assembly coupled to the basket for effecting rotation thereof. The drive assembly includes a linearly reciprocating handle structure with a screw shaft engageable with a nut coupled to the basket for converting the reciprocating movement of the handle structure to rotary motion of the basket.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices for drying wet food, such as salad spinners.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various devices for drying food, such as salad spinners, are known. These salad spinners usually include a bowl, a cover connected to the bowl, a perforated basket, and a crank-type actuator coupled to the basket for spinning the same. These prior spinners, however, are not always stable when cranked, often moving laterally during the cranking operation, which can cause the spinner to fall off its support to the floor. These falls may cause the spinner to be damaged or food contents thereof to be spilled. To safely use the spinner, a user must often hold down the spinner with one hand and crank with the other hand.
Additionally, the crank mechanisms of these spinners have a knob or other portion permanently disposed on and projecting laterally from the top of the cover. These projecting knobs can be damaged and take up space when not in use, making storage difficult.


A multi-layered packaging film includes (a) an outer print layer, (b) an inner product-side layer, and (c) a lamination layer interposed between the outer print layer and the inner product-side layer.

Snack food—including but not limited to potato chips, crackers, and cookies—is typically packaged in sealed disposable bags. Conventional bags may include multiple layers of polymeric films that are adhered or laminated together to provide a finished product having a desired combination of strength properties, barrier properties (e.g., with respect to moisture, oxygen, grease, and so forth), and good printability for product packaging graphics.
In the past, most or all of the film layers in conventional snack food bags have been composed primarily of petroleum-based polymers such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). While these polymers may provide good strength, barrier, and/or printability characteristics for the film structure, such polymers do not readily degrade or decompose after disposal—either in landfills or by home composting techniques. Thus, film structures and bags made from such polymers may subsist in landfills for centuries after disposal.


The present invention discloses methods, gantry, and room's infrastructure for maneuvering a portable open-bore magnetic resonance device with no fringing of its magnetic field (MRD) from at least one first location towards at least one static patient placed at at least one second remote location. The gantry comprises a transporting mechanism; and, an open-bore MRD, interconnected to the gantry by at least one maneuverable member. The MRD, by means of the gantry, is transportable from the first location to the second remote location adjacent the static patient. The aperture of the MRD's open-bore, by means of said maneuverable member, is directable towards a defined spatially orientation facing the static patient.

MRI devices are of special importance in the world of medical imaging. Unlike other imaging methods, they present no radiation to the object of which they image. However, together with the benefit of no-radiation, comes the price of very large and complicated machine. In case of patients that are not able to move (e.g. premature baby in an incubator), the option of using an MRI device for scanning is practically impossible.
US patent application US2007/0238950 discloses a maneuverable medical device. However, the constructions of these modules depend on the location of a static patient pallet, and are oriented according to this static pallet location. In addition, the construction and medical device requires the entire room to be designated for the imaging.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,555,578 disclose a movable door element in a door of a multimodality medical suite, the door is part of a wall positioned between a first room and a second room of the suite, with the suite including a flexible raceway configured to extend within the length of the suite between the rooms and selectively extend through a portion of the door.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,118,488 discloses a medical imaging system, comprising: a base having a top surface, a first end and a second end; a pedestal connected to the base and positioned adjacent to the first end of the base, the pedestal extending in a vertical direction above the top surface of the base and configured to accept a plurality of interchangeable procedure-specific tabletop supports, and the pedestal is rotatable about an axis extending generally normal to the top surface of the base; and a gantry ring having a bore and an image collection apparatus, the gantry ring coupled to the base and positioned above the top surface of base, the gantry ring configured to translate along a length of the base between a first position adjacent to the pedestal to a second position adjacent to the second end of the base, the gantry ring further configured to rotate at least about ninety degrees with respect to an axis extending generally normal to the top surface. This device requires that the patient pallet will be located on the system. In addition the system is not and cannot be an integral part of a patient's room. The system needs to be delivered to patient's room, and therefore will occupy needed space. Therefore, the system does not support the needs of easily imaging a non-movable patient.
There is therefore a long unmet need for a system which is integrated to a patient room, and allows in situ and real time imaging of patients without moving them to remote MRI rooms.

Gantry for mobilizing an MRI device towards static patients


The present invention relates to a method of separating antibodies from contaminants in a solution, which method comprises contacting the solution with a chromatography resin comprised of a support to which multi-modal ligands have been immobilised, wherein a multi-modal ligand comprises at least one cation-exchanging group and at least one aromatic or heteroaromatic ring system. In one embodiment, the ring-forming atoms of the aromatic or hereoaromatic entity are selected among C, S or O, and the cation exchanging group is a weak cation exchanger. The present method may be used as a single step procedure or as a polishing step following a capture on a Protein A column.

The immune system is composed of many interdependent cell types that collectively protect the body from bacterial, parasitic, fungal, viral infections and from the growth of tumour cells. The guards of the immune system are macrophages that continually roam the bloodstream of their host. When challenged by infection or immunisation, macrophages respond by engulfing invaders marked with foreign molecules known as antigens. This event, mediated by helper T cells, sets forth a complicated chain of responses that result in the stimulation of B-cells. These B-cells, in turn, produce proteins called antibodies, which bind to the foreign invader. The binding event between antibody and antigen marks the foreign invader for destruction via phagocytosis or activation of the complement system. A number of different classes of antibodies, or immunoglobulins, exist, such as IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG, and IgM. They differ not only in their physiological roles but also in their structures. From a structural point of view, IgG antibodies are a particular class of immunoglobulins that have been extensively studied, perhaps because of the dominant role they play in a mature immune response.
The biological activity, which the immunoglobulins possess, is today exploited in a range of different applications in the human and veterinary diagnostic, health care and therapeutic sector. In fact, in the last few years, monoclonal antibodies and recombinant antibody constructs have become the largest class of proteins currently investigated in clinical trials and receiving FDA approval as therapeutics and diagnostics. Complementary to expression systems and production strategies, purification protocols are designed to obtain highly pure antibodies in a simple and cost-efficient manner.
Traditional methods for isolation of immunoglobulins are based on selective reversible precipitation of the protein fraction comprising the immunoglobulins while leaving other groups of proteins in solution. Typical precipitation agents are ethanol, polyethylene glycol, lyotropic salts such as ammonium sulphate and potassium phosphate, and caprylic acid. Typically, these precipitation methods are giving very impure products while at the same time being time consuming and laborious. Furthermore, the addition of the precipitating agent to the raw material makes it difficult to use the supernatant for other purposes and creates a disposal problem, which is particularly relevant when speaking of large-scale purification of immunoglobulins.
An alternative method for isolation of immunoglobulins is chromatography, which embraces a family of closely related separation methods. The feature distinguishing chromatography from most other physical and chemical methods of separation is that two mutually immiscible phases are brought into contact wherein one phase is stationary and the other mobile. The sample mixture, introduced into the mobile phase, undergoes a series of interactions many times before the stationary and mobile phases as it is being carried through the system by the mobile phase. Interactions exploit differences in the physical or chemical properties of the components in the sample. These differences govern the rate of migration of the individual components under the influence of a mobile phase moving through a column containing the stationary phase. Separated components emerge in the order of increasing interaction with the stationary phase. The least retarded component elutes first, the most strongly retained material elutes last. Separation is obtained when one component is retarded sufficiently to prevent overlap with the zone of an adjacent solute as sample components elute from the column. Efforts are continuously being made to design the optimal stationary phase for each specific separation purpose. Such a stationary phase is commonly comprised of a support or base matrix to which a ligand comprising functional i.e. binding groups has been attached. Reference is commonly made to each kind of chromatography based on the principle of interaction utilised.
Thus, ion exchange chromatography is frequently used for isolation of immunoglobulins. In anion exchange chromatography, negatively charged amino acid side chains of the immunoglobulin will interact with positively charged ligands of a chromatography matrix. In cation exchange chromatography on the other hand, positively charged amino acid side chains of the immunoglobulin will interact with negatively charged ligands of a chromatography matrix.
Hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) is also a method widely described for isolation of immunoglobulins. However, hydrophobic matrices require an addition of lyotropic salts to the raw material to make the immunoglobulin bind efficiently. The bound antibody is released from the matrix by lowering the concentration of lyotropic salt in a continuous or stepwise gradient. If a highly pure product is the object, it is recommended to combine the hydrophobic chromatography with a further step. Thus, a disadvantage of this procedure is the necessity to add lyotropic salt to the raw material as this gives problems and thereby increased cost to the large-scale user. For other raw materials than cell culture supernatants such as whey, plasma, and egg yolk the addition of lyotropic salts to the raw materials would in many instances be prohibitive in large-scale applications as the salt could prevent any economically feasible use of the immunoglobulin depleted raw material. An additional problem in large-scale applications would be the disposal of several thousand litres of waste.
Protein A and Protein G affinity chromatography are popular and widespread methods for isolation and purification of immunoglobulins, particularly for isolation of monoclonal antibodies, mainly due to the ease of use and the high purity obtained. Used in combination with ion exchange, hydrophobic interaction, hydroxyapatite and/or gel filtration steps, especially protein A-based methods have become the antibody purification method of choice for many biopharmaceutical companies, see e.g. WO 8400773 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,350. However, despite their common usage and many advantages, it is well known protein A-based chromatography resins due to the peptidic bonds of the ligands present a certain degree of alkaline sensitivity. In addition, when Protein A-based resins are used to purify antibodies from cell culture media, the presence of proteases therein may result in leakage of Protein A ligands or peptidic fragments thereof. Since most of the leaked Protein A will still tend to form complexes with antibody, the eluent from an affinity column may consequently comprise antibody contaminated with Protein A-antibody complexes as well as Protein A.
An attempt to reduce ligand leakage from affinity chromatography matrices has been presented in WO 03/041859 (Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma KG), wherein it is suggested to pretreat e.g. Protein A matrices with at least one surfactant to reduce ligand leakage. The affinity matrix may be treated e.g. with 5-15 bed volumes of surfactant. The contact time is crucial for the effectiveness of the process. For example, at room temperature, a contact time of at least 16 h is required for a reduction in leakage. At higher temperatures, the contact time may be shorter.
An alternative approach to the problem of ligand leakage is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,983,722 (Miles Inc.), wherein Protein A is selectively isolated from an antibody-Protein A mixture by exposing the mixture to an anion exchange material to adsorb both components and then sequentially eluting the antibodies and Protein A under conditions of increasing ionic strength. An illustrative anion exchanger is diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) Trisacryl M or DEAE Sepharose™.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,746 (SmithKline Beecham Corp.) relates to the application of hydrophobic interaction chromatography as one step in the purification of antibodies. It is disclosed that HIC can be used following affinity chromatography employing e.g. Protein A, optionally with an intermediate cation exchange chromatography step. The cation exchange chromatography is illustrated by a weak cation exchanger (CM Sepharose™ FF), which is adjusted to pH 5.5 for adsorption and eluted with an elution buffer of 40 mM citrate, 100 mM sodium chloride, pH 6. The mixture applied to the HIC column, following affinity and/or cation exchange chromatography, may then contain contaminants such as immunoglobulin aggregates, misfolded species, host cell protein and residue material from the affinity chromatography step. In such a process, antibody is first adsorbed to a Protein A chromatographic support and eluted; then adsorbed to the cation exchange chromatographic support and selectively eluted there from; and finally adsorbed to a HIC support and eluted.
Ceramic hydroxyapatite has also been suggested as useful for immunoglobulin polishing. More specifically, it has been reported (Chromatography, tech note 2849; S. G. Franklin, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., 2000 Alfred Nobel Drive, Hercules, Calif. 94547 USA) that IgG1 can be resolved from an IgG1-Protein A complex in unfractionated media on CHT ceramic hydroxyapatite (Bio-Rad). More specifically, hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2) is a form of calcium phosphate, which has been shown to possess unique separation properties. However, hydroxyapatite-based matrices are also known to involve certain disadvantages. For example, due to Ca-leakage, they are unstable at acidic pH values, and they are sensitive to chelating agents such as EDTA. In addition, it has been shown that it is difficult to develop, and to scale up, a robust and reproducible purification method using hydroxyapatite-based matrices, e.g. because it has been difficult to pack hydroxyapatite, and to maintain the performance, in large columns. Finally, there is a risk of alterations of the resin properties caused by metal ion contamination and exchange of calcium ions, which alterations is a serious concern for regulatory authorities.
In order to avoid the stability problems and leakage from protein-based affinity columns, purely chemical resins with different selectivities have been suggested. For example, multi-modal chromatography, wherein two or more different, but co-operative, sites interact with a target, has been suggested for antibody purification. More specifically, MBI Hypercel® (BioSepra), an adsorbent comprising mercapto-benzimidazole-sulphonic acid ligands, is stated to provide hydrophobic as well as ionic interactions with monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. The hydrophobic interactions are assumed to be due to the aromatic ring system, while the ionic interactions should be due to the SO3− substituent, which is known as a strong cation exchanger. In addition, the nitrogen atoms of the aromatic system of the MBI ligand are chargeable under certain conditions, and can consequently provide ionic interactions with negatively charged groups. MBI Hypercel® has been disclosed as an alternative to protein A-based resins for the capture and purification of therapeutic and diagnostic antibodies.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,498,236 (Upfront Chromatography) discloses a method for the isolation or purification of immunoglobulins from a solution, such as a hybridoma cell culture supernatant, animal plasma or sera. The method is suggested as an alternative to the use of Protein A, Protein G, synthetic peptides and other relatively high molecular weight ligands, which are stated to involve drawbacks due to the small difference between the respective molecular weights of the ligands and the immunoglobulins, as well as to their natural tendency to bind to each other. According to U.S. Pat. No. 6,498,236, it is decisive which substituents are present on a ligand, such as a benzene ring, as to whether the ligand will be binding the immunoglobulins efficiently. More specifically, the solid phase matrices used in the disclosed method are described by the formula M-SP1-X-A-SP2-ACID, wherein M designates the matrix backbone, SP1 designates a spacer, X designates O, S or NH, A designates a mono- or bicyclic optionally substituted aromatic or heteroaromatic moiety, SP2 designates an optional spacer and ACID designates an acidic group. The ligand is preferably derived from compounds selected from the group consisting of benzimidazoles, benzothiazoles, and benzoxazoles.
WO 97/10887 (Novo Nordisk A/S) relates to conjugates of affinity ligand-matrix useful in the purification of proteinaceous materials such as immunoglobulins, insulins, Factor VII or human growth hormone or analogues, derivatives and fragments thereof. The WO 97/10887 invention is based on the notion that the selectivity of hydrophobic ligands may be increased by increasing the complexity and spatial geometry of the hydrophobic component. This notion led to the discovery of a generic group of affinity ligands, which group is limited to structures having a heteroaromatic entity wherein at least one ring-forming atom is nitrogen. The ligands disclosed in WO 97/10887, which were designed by computer modelling techniques and/or screening of mimetic ligand libraries, are suggested for use in place of Protein A or Protein G, which are both well known ligands for capture of immunoglobulins from fermentation liquid.
Further, a method of synthesising multi-modal cationic exchanger media is disclosed in WO 03/024588 (Amersham Biosciences AB). More specifically, a scaffold comprising two functionalities, preferably homocysteine thiolactone, is derivatised and reacted with a solid base matrix. More specifically, one of the two functionalities, preferably sulphur, is used for the coupling to the matrix and the second functionality is one that can be transformed into an ionic group. Thus, the multi-modal media so produced will be capable of ionic interaction as well as a further kind of interaction, such as hydrophobic interaction, depending on the nature of the derivatisation. In the experimental part, the produced cation exchangers are tested using three model proteins, namely Cytochrome C (Cyt C), bovine serum albumin (BSA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG).


A grenade round 10 comprises a projectile 12, a case 14 and a high-low propellant propulsion system 16. The system 16 includes a propellant chamber assembly 30 for holding a propelling charge 32. The assembly 30 comprises a chamber body insert 38 which defines an internal cavity and a base plate insert 42 which closes off the internal cavity. The insert 38 is screwed into the case, while the insert 42 is screwed into the insert 38. The insert 42 defines a circumferential flange 60 which extends beyond and abuts a rim formation of the insert 38. The inserts define a high strength housing for the propelling charge which is able to withstand the high pressures resulting from combustion of the propelling charge. The flange provides a relatively large area for dissipation of energy resulting from combustion of the propelling charge, into the interface between the base plate insert and the case.

The projectile of a 40 mm grenade round weighs approximately 240 g. The projectile of a 40 mm high velocity grenade round is launched by a firing weapon at a velocity of approximately 240 meters per second. A 40 mm grenade round comprises, broadly, a projectile and a case which houses a propulsion system. The propulsion system is typically referred to as a "high-low" system. A high pressure propellant chamber is provided in the base of the case, in which pressures exceed 190 MPa in the case of a 40 mm high velocity grenade round. The propellant chamber has one or more openings at one end, which lead into a low pressure chamber. The openings are closed by means of a burst diaphragm.
An initiating primer is contained in a primer chamber at an opposite end of the propellant chamber. A mechanical striker of a firing weapon is used to initiate the primer which then causes the propellant within the high pressure chamber to combust which in turn generates high pressure gases causing the burst diaphragm to rupture and expanding propellant gases to enter the low pressure chamber. The relatively low pressure gases act on the rear end of the projectile causing it to be propelled along the barrel of a firing weapon.
The applicant is aware of a problem encountered with conventional high velocity 40 mm grenade rounds wherein the primary chambers of such grenade rounds have been known to fail due to the high pressures to which they are subjected when the propellant charge initiates. Such failures can result in damage to, or destruction of the firing weapon and also possibly result in serious injury or fatality of the operator of the weapon.
It is an object of the present invention to ameliorate the problems described hereinabove with conventional grenade rounds.

Atlantis Manufacturing Management Services Proprietary Limited


A speed control apparatus for controlling a change speed device of a bicycle and for displaying speed conditions produced by the change speed device. The speed control apparatus includes a shifting device, and a speed indicator for displaying the speed conditions produced by the change speed device. The shifting device includes a takeup reel rotatable about a first axis to wind a speed control cable, and a shift lever for rotating the takeup reel. The speed indicator includes an indicating element disposed above the takeup reel and at least partly overlapping the takeup reel in plan view. The indicating element is interlocked through engagement to the shifting device to be rotatable about a second axis intersecting the first axis.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a speed control apparatus for controlling a change speed device of a bicycle, and particularly to a speed control apparatus adapted to display speed conditions produced by the change speed device. This speed control apparatus includes a shifting device, and a speed indicator for displaying speed conditions produced by the change speed device. The shifting device includes a takeup reel rotatable about a first axis to wind a speed control cable, and a shift lever for rotating the takeup reel. The shift lever is pivotable about the first axis or an axis extending parallel thereto.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional bicycle speed control apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 48-18761, for example. This apparatus includes a speed indicator having a dial plate and a pointer pivotable about a vertical axis. The speed indicator is disposed laterally of a takeup reel for winding a speed control cable. The pointer is interlocked to the takeup reel through a flexible shaft and a gear mechanism. The apparatus allows the cyclist to change bicycle speed while looking at the speed indicator to readily recognize speed conditions produced by a change speed device.
Such a conventional speed control apparatus has a relatively large overall construction because of the positional relationship between the speed indicator and takeup reel. Further, since the interlocking system between the speed indicator and takeup reel includes the flexible shaft for changing a direction of transmission, the conventional apparatus has the drawbacks not only that the interlocking system is large and complicated, but that the speed indicator has reduced precision and reliability.

Bicycle speed control apparatus having a speed indicator


A nurse call station and system capable of scalable accommodating a plurality of wireless nodes by incorporating a dual band of 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz for use in transmission and repeating an identification signal. The nurse call system is comprised of various components that includes but is not limited to gateway nodes, transmitter nodes, repeaters, end nodes and locators. Transmitter nodes may be comprised of various transmitter styles including wireless check in stations, wireless emergency call stations and resident bed stations.

Hospitals, assisted living, and independent living facilities exist to provide health care for their patients and/or residents. The health care providers must remain vigilant and timely respond to patients under varying conditions. Communication devices common to such facilities are commonly referred to as nurse call or emergency call systems. The call systems provide a convenient and effective method of signaling health care providers when patient assistance is requested in both emergency and non-emergency events.
Nurse call systems are intended for use by residents that are ambulatory, as opposed to those confined to a bed. Current systems are hardwired, wireless and telephone based technologies. In some instances a wireless technology is most advantageous but due to building layout and/or materials of construction may not provide a strong communication signal. Conventional call systems are limited in capacity due to radio frequency limitations.
Common to such systems is the need for the communication system to provide reliable call initiation from resident areas and subsequent annunciation to a central location, such as a staff control room. Equipment in hospitals and other healthcare facilities sometimes communicate the status of the equipment via a network to a computer located at a nurse station or other location in the facility. If an alarm condition is detected, some sort of notification of the condition causing the alarm is shown on the display screen of the computer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,363 discloses a number of different patient care devices provide information to a workstation at a nurse's station. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,561,412 and 5,699,038 discloses how hospital beds can be used to communicate information via a network to a computer at a nurse's station.
Health care employees may also wear or carry pendants that communicate wirelessly with a network within the healthcare facility. Information from the badges, and from receivers with which the badges communicate, can be used to determine the location of an individual in the healthcare facility.
Should a health care provider notice that an alarm condition exists from a master controller, the provider assigned to a patient associated with the alarm condition may attend to the alarm condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,355 discloses a system in which alarm conditions detected by various pieces of equipment are transmitted to a master alarm control which then automatically communicates information about all received alarm conditions carried by designated caregivers.
What is needed in the industry is a call system that will allow multiple connections to a central location without a loss of signal by use of a low power 900 MHz frequency for pendant operation and high power 2.4 GHz from a remote location for advancing of a signal without degradation.


An approach that manages redundant memory in a voltage island is described. In one embodiment there is a design structure embodied in a machine readable medium used in a design process of a semiconductor device. In this embodiment, the design structure includes one or more voltage islands representing a power cycled region. One or more non-power cycled regions are located about the one or more voltage islands. Each of the one or more non-power cycled regions comprises at least one memory using redundancy and a repair register associated with each memory using redundancy. A redundancy initialization component is coupled to the one or more voltage islands and the one or more non-power cycled regions.

This disclosure relates generally to redundant memory and voltage island configurations, and more specifically to a semiconductor device and semiconductor device design structure that manages redundant memory in a voltage island.
Redundant memory involves placing extra rows and columns into memory such as random access memory (RAM). Because RAMs are susceptible to the slightest defects in the underlying silicon during fabrication, the extra rows and columns can be used to aid in the repair of these defects. The redundancy makes these RAMs usable despite having small defects and thus prevents having to discard a device containing several RAMs if one or more has a minor defect that can be repaired.
Although a voltage island can be used in a couple of different capacities, a typical voltage island is a region of an integrated circuit that can be powered on and off independently of the rest of the components of the integrated circuit. One particular area where a voltage island that operates in this capacity is suitable for use is with cellular phones. Generally, when a cellular phone is not in use, approximately 98% of its integrated circuit components are turned off and the remaining 2% of the components are kept powered up, waiting for a call to come in or for a user to press the phone keypad to initiate a call. Receiving a call or pressing the telephone keypad will initialize the rest of the components within the integrated circuit.
The integrated circuit components that are used in a cellular phone can have more than one voltage island containing more than one RAM with redundancy that functions as a region that is power cycled (i.e., turned on and off) and one or more non-power cycled regions (i.e., always on) that has more than one RAM with redundancy. Determining how best to distribute repair data and update the redundant RAMs with the data is a challenge because manufacturers do not want to use configurations that will waste area by increasing integrated circuit components and thus increase costs or increase power usage by needlessly having additional components remain always on.

Managing redundant memory in a voltage island

International Business Machines Corporation


A surface shaping rasp for use in removing material to shape or smooth a substrate such as an animal's hoof. The rasp has a plurality of blades spaced sufficiently apart to provide relatively rigid surface yet providing enough open space to allow passage of removed material and placed in a holding frame. The rasp is especially useful for smoothing rough and irregularly shaped surfaces such as after trimming an animal's hoof.

A rasp is generally considered to be a special type of file. A rasp is typically used to smooth or shape a relatively soft substrate, such as wood or an animal's hoof. A rasp removes a relatively small amount of material. more than a typical file, but less than a saw, knife, or hoof nippers. Shaping and smoothing an animal's hoof presents some difficult challenges. In trimming an animal's hoof material is usually cut off with another tool. Then the hoof must be smoothed out and, if a shoe is to be attached, must also be leveled or flattened. The surface to be smoothed and shaped is fairly rough and includes at least one generally curved surface. A solid rasp has the problem of filling up with removed material preventing it from removing a sufficient amount of material efficiently. In the past some rasps have been designed with blade-like structures that are either too flexible or too closely spaced to allow material to pass therebetween. More traditional rasps use another type of cutting edge. A flat surface has small portions pushed up leaving a divot in the flat surface and a rounded or triangular mound having a flat side that presents a cutting edge when moved in one direction. The present invention overcomes these problems as set forth below.
An early example of a multi-bladed rasp is U.S. Pat. No. 324,389 issued to Judge and Clayton. This rasp teaches the use of a plurality of parallel blades spaced evenly apart and held in position by a threaded fastener. This rasp is unique in that the blades can pivot about one of their ends. Another early example is U.S. Pat. No. 410,809 issued to Snowden. The Snowden plane has a plurality of parallel blades held by novel means in a block. Both of these planes have problems in that while the blades are relatively rigid they are parallel and do not work properly when passed over a curving or angled surface. They tend to want to travel in a straight line and can unevenly gouge a substrate instead of smoothing it out. Since the blades are straight, they also tend to fill up with removed material and become inefficient.

Rasp for smoothing irregularly shaped surfaces


A method and system for adaptive network security using intelligent packet analysis are provided. The method comprises monitoring network data traffic. The network data traffic is analyzed to assess network information. A plurality of analysis tasks are prioritized based upon the network information. The analysis tasks are to be performed on the monitored network data traffic in order to identify attacks upon the network.

The present invention relates in general to computer network security and, more particularly, to a system and method for adaptive network security using intelligent packet analysis.
Network security products such as intrusion detection systems (ID systems) and firewalls can use a passive filtering technique to detect policy violations and patterns of misuse upon networks to which the Security products are coupled. The passive filtering technique usually comprises monitoring traffic upon the network for packets of data. A signature analysis or pattern matching algorithm is used upon the packets, wherein the packets are compared to xe2x80x9cattack signaturesxe2x80x9d, or signatures of known policy violations or patterns of misuse.
In order to properly detect policy violations and patterns of misuse, security products often must place the packets of data in contexts relevant to such connection criteria as space, time, and event. Space is usually defined in terms of a source-destination connection at the port level. Time is defined as the amount of time to continue associating packets for the type of connection defined by the source-destination connection. Event is defined as a type of connection, which in turn defines the types of policy and misuse signatures that can occur with each packet. As the size of a network expands, there are greater numbers of connections which leads to greater numbers of lookups and comparisons that must be performed by the security product.
Two problems are associated with conventional security products. First, conventional security products have insufficient information to self-configure for reliable detection of policy violations and patterns of misuse. For example, conventional security products have no mechanism to reliably ascertain network information of the network to which the security product is coupled. This leads to such disadvantages such as being unable to accurately predict the effect of a particular packet upon a destination device. Furthermore, a conventional security product has no mechanism to ascertain the network topology and thus cannot predict if a certain packet will reach its intended destination. Such a lack of network information compromises the security product""s ability to detect such attacks such as insertion attacks, evasion attacks and denial of service attacks. Some of these problems with conventional security products are documented by Ptacek and Newsham, Insertion, Evasion, and Denial of Service: Eluding Network Intrusion Detection, Secure Networks Incorporated, January 1998.
A second problem associated with conventional security products is the result of scarcity of processor and memory resources. Conventional security products may begin to drop packets and shut down certain tasks in an unpredictable fashion once the system depletes its memory or processor resources. As the size of a network grows, such a failure becomes more likely, as the greater the number of connections onto the network requires a greater number of lookups and comparisons performed by the Security product. Additionally, an increase in number and complexity of the types of misuse the security product is required to detect can further degrade performance. An increase in traffic flow further drains a security product""s resources. As a result, conventional ID systems cannot operate effectively at high network bandwidth utilization.
Some conventional systems have attempted to achieve performance gains by decreasing the number of misuse signatures the security product monitors. Fewer signatures translate into fewer memory comparisons for each packet that flows through the security product. However, such a solution makes a network more vulnerable to attacks.
Other conventional systems rely on the user to enumerate the network information, such as the types of operating systems and applications running on the protected network. These systems then disable certain misuse signatures accordingly.
Such a conventional solution, however, introduces additional problems. For example, if the user provides an inaccurate assessment of the network, then incorrect signatures may be disabled, meaning that undetected policy violations and network attacks are possible. Additionally, networks are rarely stable environments and the addition or deletion of devices or services can make the original network information supplied by the user inaccurate.
A further disadvantage of such conventional security products is that they are not designed to function in an environment wherein the traffic exceeds their memory or processor capacity. Such conventional systems, when confronted with traffic that exceeds their capacity, may start dropping packets and degrade performance in an unpredictable fashion. This can lead to an unknown security posture or profile, which can leave a network more vulnerable to undetected attacks.
In accordance with the present invention, a method and system for network security based upon intelligent packet analysis are disclosed that provide significant advantages over prior developed network security systems.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a method comprises monitoring network data traffic. The network data traffic is analyzed to assess network information. A plurality of analysis tasks are prioritized based upon the network information. The analysis tasks are to be performed on the monitored network data traffic in order to identify attacks upon the network.
In one embodiment, the method further includes monitoring a processor utilization and disabling a particular analysis task based upon an assigned priority of the particular analysis task if the processor utilization exceeds a first defined threshold.
In an additional embodiment, the method further includes re-enabling a disabled analysis task if the processor utilization drops below a second defined threshold.
According to another aspect of the invention, a system for adaptive network security using intelligent packet analysis, comprises an analysis engine coupled to a network. The analysis engine analyzes network data traffic to assess network information. A protocol engine is coupled to the network, and the protocol engine performs a plurality of protocol analyses on the network traffic to identify attacks upon the network. A signature engine is also coupled to the network. The signature engine compares the network traffic to a plurality of attack signatures to identify attacks upon the network. A priority engine is coupled to the analysis engine, the protocol engine, and the signature engine. The priority engine is for prioritizing the plurality of protocol analyses, the plurality of attack signatures based upon the network information.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the priority engine can prioritize a plurality of system services based upon the network information.
It is a technical advantage of the present invention that it can more reliably detect policy violations and patterns of misuse because of the use of the network information.
It is another technical advantage of the present invention that it allows for the maintenance of a network map, which can allow for greater types of misuse patterns to be detected.
It is a further technical advantage of the present invention that it allows for a reliable and predictable prioritized shutdown of analysis tasks and services in the event resources are depleted.
It is another technical advantage of the present invention that effective intrusion detection can be had at higher network bandwidth utilization than conventional security systems.
It is another technical advantage that the present invention provides for adaptive network security, as the invention can adapt to a changing network environment and recalibrate in order to maintain a sufficient level of network security.
It is an additional technical advantage that the present invention can create and maintain network information in a network map without placing additional traffic upon the network.
Other technical advantages should be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the specification, claims, and drawings.

Method and system for adaptive network security using intelligent packet analysis


A binary signal hardware divider and method are described for a high performance computer graphics system. Each bit of an input binary signal to be divided by an integer number of a non-binary power is associated with a predetermined binary weight comprising the traditional binary weight for the bit divided by the integer number. The associated binary weights for each active bit are then summed to arrive at a resultant binary signal equal to the input binary signal divided by the integer number. A wire shifting technique for aligning selected ones of the binary weights without creation of any delay is also presented. Fast hardware divide within today's typical clock cycle is attained.

Computer graphics display systems, e.g., CAD/CAM graphics workstations, are widely used to generate and display two-dimensional images of three-dimensional objects for scientific, engineering, manufacturing and other applications. In such high performance computer graphics systems, digital representations of computer generated images conventionally reside in an array of video RAM, which collectively embody the system frame buffer. The rate at which the frame buffer can be updated/read is a critical parameter in the performance of the entire graphics system. One presently preferred graphics display consists of an array of 1280.times.1024 screen pixels. With such a display monitor, the common practice in industry is to employ five separate video RAMS in the frame buffer for storing variable information corresponding to each pixel of the screen.
By way of a common example, each of the five video RAMs may comprise a 512.times.512, eight bit deep RAM memory. Pixel locations are addressed in the raster engine as X,Y coordinate pairs which must be converted into a corresponding address to one of these five video RAMs of the associated frame buffer. The 1280.times.1024 pixel array of the display monitor is typically subdivided into a plurality of groupings or tiles each of which may, for example, be as basic as a sequence of five pixels in a row. Between each five pixel grouping, column address boundaries are defined. Assuming that there are five pixels in each row grouping of pixels, then the converted Y address for a given X,Y pixel location will be defined as X/5. Similarly, because each video RAM comprises a 512.times.512 array, two rows of screen pixels may be scanned simultaneously. Therefore, the particular row location is defined by Y/2. Finally, the video RAM module (i.e., module 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4) is identified as the remainder portion of the X address divide by five operation definitive of the column address crossing.
Division of a binary number by a binary power (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, etc.) is easily obtained simply by an appropriate shift of the binary number of one bit (divide by two), two bits (divide by 4), three bits (divide by 8), etc. in the direction of less significance. However, division by five, or division by any integer number of a non-binary power, is significantly more complicated and time consuming.
An early attempt at a divide by five operation might have been implemented in software, requiring a significant amount of computing time to complete. Subsequent implementations have typically embodied one of three hardware approaches. A first technique is to use a register coupled with appropriate logic to process the X address in a number of iterations. The approach essentially comprises longhand division implemented in hardware and can be time consuming, typically requiring five clock cycles or more to complete a calculation. A second hardware approach is to implement the divide by five operation in combinatorial logic. For example, multiple levels of appropriately configured NAND gates can be used. However, this technique remains slow in terms of the delay involved to attain the necessary conversion. For example, a fifty nanosecond (50 ns) delay might be experienced in a typical system, which can be significant since today's fast processing systems are clocking at twenty nanoseconds with a fifty MHz clock. The third approach is a hybrid of the second technique wherein the combinatorial logic is pipelined with the addition of appropriate registers so that after a certain period of original latency, a non-binary power divide operation can be accomplished with every clock cycle. The problem with this approach, however, is the original latency period which obviously adds delay to the address conversion operation, as well as any associated tasks dependent thereon.
Thus, a genuine need exists in the computer processing field for a novel hardware approach to dividing a binary number by an integer number of a non-binary power, particularly for improved access time between a raster engine and its associated frame buffer in connection with the updating/reading of pixel variable information within a graphics display system.

Method and hardware for dividing binary signal by non-binary integer number

International Business Machines Corporation


A high-voltage (HV) power supply outputs an output voltage based on a control signal produced by a dual analog/digital feedback loop. The control signal is determined at least in part by an error amplifier that receives a measurement signal, proportionally attenuated from the output voltage, and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) output signal. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) also receives the measurement signal and transmits it in digitized form to a digital processor. The digital processor calculates a digital DAC data signal based on the measurement signal, and on a digital set-point input signal corresponding to a set-point voltage value of the output voltage desired to be outputted from the high-voltage source. A DAC receives the DAC data signal and converts it to the DAC output signal transmitted to the error amplifier.

A high-voltage (HV) power supply, for example outputting a DC voltage in a magnitude range 1 kV or greater, requires a feedback control loop to enable the power supply to output the high voltage with a desired level of precision, i.e. output the voltage at a magnitude that is within an acceptable tolerance range of the desired set-point voltage. In the typical configuration, the HV power supply senses the output voltage and feeds it back to control the operation of the HV power supply through either an analog or a digital loop to achieve low frequency noise and drift of several parts per million (ppm).
The typical HV power supply utilizes a variety of components in its feedback control loop that introduce noise and drift in the output voltage. Many such components are needed to implement the power supply, making it difficult to keep their total degrading effect on the output voltage low enough to achieve the desired level of precision. The performance of certain instruments, such as time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometers and electron microscopes, is degraded by the noise and drift of their internal HV power supplies.
There is an ongoing need to provide an HV power supply capable of reliably supplying an output voltage at a desired level with high precision.

Precision high voltage power supply with dual feedback loop


An engine active motion control system for controlling engine dynamic torque includes an engine that generates a first dynamic torque. A first module selectively initiates generation of a second dynamic torque about an axis of rotation of a crankshaft of the engine in a direction opposite that of the first dynamic torque generated through the crankshaft.

Internal combustion engines create drive torque that is transferred to a drivetrain via a crankshaft. The crankshaft torque and engine block dynamic combustion torque are generally equal in amplitude and opposite in direction. Engines are designed to produce a steady-state (DC) torque. Under certain conditions, a dynamic (AC) torque is generated, and can result in noise and vibration that is noticeable by the vehicle occupants.
Some internal combustion engines include engine control systems that deactivate cylinders under low load situations. For example, an eight cylinder engine can be operated using four cylinders to improve fuel economy by reducing pumping losses. This process is generally referred to as displacement on demand or DOD. Operation using all of the engine cylinders is referred to as an activated mode. A deactivated mode refers to operation using less than all of the cylinders of the engine (one or more cylinders not active).
Vehicles are tuned to reduce noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). For example, vibrations are induced in the engine and the remainder of the powertrain as a result of the combustion process. The engine and structures supporting the engine in the vehicle (e.g., engine mounts) are tuned to attenuate this vibration.
In the deactivated mode, there are less cylinders operating. As a result, the vibration frequency is reduced. For example, in an 8-cylinder engine, the vibration frequency resulting from combustion is approximately 80 Hz. When operating in a deactivated mode, only 4-cylinders are firing. As a result, the vibration frequency is cut in half to 40 Hz. The reduced vibration frequency in the deactivated mode can result in an increase in NVH, which may be noticeable by the vehicle operator.


An improved speed change reproduction recording apparatus for a VCR of an HDTV and a method thereof capable of achieving a better resolution during a speed change reproduction operation which includes a normal reproduction bit stream processing unit for converting an HDTV bit stream into a VCR recording format and for outputting a normal reproduction bit stream; a system decoder for separating a video bit stream from a transmission layer of the HDTV bit stream; a video stream processing unit for extracting a speed change reproduction data from a video bit stream separated by the system decoder and for converting the thusly extracted speed change reproduction data into a format of a video syntax; a system encoder for reformatting a speed change reproduction data outputted from the video bit stream processing unit into a transport packet which is a transmission standard in accordance with a header information outputted from the system decoder; a recording format processing unit for converting a speed change reproduction data outputted from the system encoder to a VCR recording format and for storing the thusly converted into a corresponding frame buffer, and a track recording format unit for selecting a normal reproduction data outputted from the normal reproduction bit stream processing unit and a speed change reproduction data outputted from the recording format processing unit in accordance with a proper timing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a speed change reproduction recording apparatus for a video cassette tape recorder (hereinafter called a "VCR") of a digital high definition television (hereinafter called an "HDTV") and a method thereof capable of achieving a better resolution of picture during a speed change reproduction operation by separating a normal reproduction data and a speed change reproduction data from a digital HDTV signal, storing the thusly separated speed change reproduction data into a plurality of frame buffers, and alternately recording the speed change reproduction data outputted from the frame buffers on a corresponding track.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
Generally, the method of the digital VCR is classified into a method of compressing, recording, and reproducing the analog signal transmitted thereto using a decoder, and a method of recording and reproducing the analog signal without compressing the signal.
The digital type HDTV such as a U.S. Grand Alliance type is characterized to adopting the later method. In this case, a certain interface circuit is necessary instead of a decoder, and there is no distortion, so that a desired resolution can be achieved. However, in case of the transport recording method, a picture resolution decrease takes place during a forward/backward reproduction mode, that is, during a speed change reproduction, which is one of major functions of VCR.
In order to resolve the above-mentioned problems, a certain method of recording a bit stream of an HDTV signal in a transparent method in a digital VCR, was necessary, since a data rate for recording the bit stream transmitted thereto, is smaller than the record rate which denotes that a data can be recorded on a tape, a method of executing a speed change by recording a speed change reproduction data on a tape region by as much as difference was introduced in the industry.
That is, this method is directed to extracting a speed change bit stream from an HDTV bit stream inputted therein, recording the thusly extracted stream on a speed change reproduction region, and implementing a desired speed change picture during a speed change reproduction mode. Therefore, a recording track includes a normal reproduction region (hereinafter called a "normal region"), which is characterized in directly recording a recording track as a bit stream and a speed change region (hereinafter called a "trick region") which is characterized in recording a speed change reproduction bit stream extracted.
In a general azimuth recording method, since the tape in a normal reproduction mode runs at the same speed as in a recording mode, the head, as shown in FIG. 1A, runs along a track of tape, and a trace of the head is formed along the track. However, the head in a speed change reproduction mode in which the running speed of the tape is different from the recording mode, as shown in FIG. 1B, runs across the tracks, and the trace crossing the tracks is executed.
Therefore, a partial data is extracted from each track of the same azimuth in a speed change reproduction mode for a reproduction. In addition, since an HDTV bit stream is a compressed data type, only an intraframe coding bit stream can be decoded independently. Therefore, the data reproduced in a speed change reproduction mode in a VCR, in which an HDTV bit stream is recorded in order, includes a burst characteristic. That is, only a partial part of each track is reproduced. The speed change picture includes a bit stream of the intraframe. Therefore, a reproducing speed change picture has a disadvantage in that a partial picture is reproduced in a mosaic format.
Referring to FIG. 2, a conventional speed change reproduction recording apparatus for a VCR of a digital HDTV includes a syncblock unit 1 for receiving an HDTV bit stream having a video data and an audio data and for converting the thusly received data into a syncblock format which is a basic unit of a VCR record and reproduction, a buffer 2 for temporarily storing the syncblock outputted from the syncblock unit 1, a transport decoder 3 for decoding the HDTV bit stream and for separating a video bit stream from the HDTV bit stream, a video header decoder 4 for separating a bit stream coded for an intraframe from the video bit stream outputted from the transport decoder 3, a variable length decoder 5 for executing a variable length decoding operation so as to recognize a codeword contained in the bit stream separated by the video header decoder 5, a speed change data extractor 6 for separating a direct current voltage component and a low frequency component from a codeword outputted from the video header decoder 5, a transport encoder 7 for packeting a speed change reproduction video bit stream outputted from the speed change data extractor 6 to have the same format as the normal reproduction bit stream, a syncblock unit 8 for converting the bit stream outputted from the transport encoder 7 into a syncblock format, a buffer for temporarily storing the syncblock outputted from the syncblock unit 8, a track record format unit 10 for providing a record timing corresponding to each record format, and a multiplexer 11 for outputting a normal bit stream of the buffer 2 or a speed change reproduction bit stream of the buffer 9 to an error correction coding unit (not shown) in accordance with a record timing outputted from the track record format unit 10.
The operation of a conventional digital VCR recording apparatus will now be explained with reference to accompanying drawings.
To begin with, as shown in FIG. 3, the HDTV bit stream is transmitted to the syncblock unit 1, and the HDTV bit stream is converted into a syncblock format which is a basic unit of a VCR record and reproduction. Thereafter, the HDTV bit stream is stored in the buffer 2 and multiplexed by the multiplexer 11 with a speed change reproduction stream. In addition, the HDTV bit stream becomes a speed change bit stream through a transport encoder 3, a video header decoder 4, a variable length decoder 5, a speed change data extractor 6, a transport encoder 7, a syncblock unit 8, and the buffer 9, in order.
That is, in order to extract the speed change reproduction data, the transport decoder 3 separates a video bit stream by decoding the transport packet of the HDTV bit stream containing a video bit stream, an audio bit stream, and an extra data bit stream and outputs the thusly separated video bit stream to the video header decoder 4. The video header decoder 4 separates a decoding intraframe bit stream from the video bit stream and outputs to the variable length decoder 5.
Since the HDTV bit stream is variable-length-decoded so as to obtain a desired high compression rate, the variable length decoding is executed so that each codeword of bit streams can be recognized. Thereafter, the speed change data extractor 6 separates a direct current voltage and a low frequency component from the codeword contained in the intraframe. That is, since the tape region corresponding to the speed change reproduction region is limited to its size, it is necessary to extract a bigger component which plays a more important role in achieving a desired speed change picture; however, the resolution of the speed change picture decreases compared with the normal reproduction.
The transport encoder 7 changes the speed change reproduction video bit stream to a bit stream corresponding to a syntax of the HDTV bit stream, and changes to a normal reproduction bit stream by transport-packeting it, and the syncblock 8 changes the bit stream to the syncblock and outputs to the buffer 9.
The thusly obtained normal reproduction bit stream and the speed change reproduction bit stream are multiplexed by the multiplexer 11 in accordance with a record timing signal outputted from the track record format unit 10 and outputted to the error correction coding unit (not shown). Here, the record timing signal is a kind of a control signal corresponding to a record format of a normal reproduction bit stream and a speed change reproduction bit stream each recorded on the normal region and the trick region of the tape.
In case that a data is. recorded on the normal region or the trick region, the surface of the trick region is determined by a record rate of the VCR, and the position of the trick region on the track is determined by a speed change algorithm. These surface and position of the trick region are directly related to the quality of the speed change reproduction and affects a two-speed reproduction function and a head tracking unit.
The method of setting the above-mentioned trick region is classified into a trick play track method of separating a trick region along a head reproduction trace in accordance to a certain speed as shown in FIG. 4A and a method of doubly recording the same bit stream by a track unit by separating a beginning part, an intermediate part, and an ending part in each track irrespective of the certain speed.
Two or three speed change reproduction methods can be available in the conventional digital VCR, and FIGS. 4A and 4B show three speed, nine speed and twenty seven speed, respectively.
However, in the conventional speed change method, when recording the speed change data on a track, it is possible to achieve a desired speed change picture by tracking a certain position, and it disadvantageously requires a certain tracking algorithm such as a servo-control.
In addition, in case of the method of separating a trick region along a trace of the head in accordance with a certain speed, since a speed change reproduction data corresponding to each speed is positioned in accordance with a head-limited tracking start position, an additional tracking algorithm for a speed change is disadvantageously necessary since a certain speed data is reproduced after the head is positioned at the starting position corresponding to a certain speed. Moreover, since a certain recording position is given in accordance with a certain speed, a more complicated formatting algorithm and memory configurations are necessary.
In order to remove the conditions that a tracking start position should be positioned at a specific position, in case that decreasing the bit number per picture, allocating the start portion, the intermediate portion, and the end portion of each track irrespective of the speed type without considering the frame rate of the certain speed picture so as to double-recording the bit stream by one track unit in case of the previously defined maximum speed, it is necessary to record the data amount reproducible from a track in every track during a certain period. In addition, even though it is possible to obtain a speed change picture at a predetermined position, the better resolution cannot be achieved because the speed change reproduction data is ineffectively double-recorded on the allocated speed change region because the speed change reproduction data and because a certain resolution determined by the maximum speed type is continuously adopted at a low speed.

Speed change reproduction recording apparatus for VCR of digital HDTV and method thereof


A disposable diaper includes a basic absorbent batt structure and a supplementary absorbent batt structure placed thereon. An elastic member is provided between the two batt structures so as to transversely cross them. Contraction of the elastic member causes opposite side edge regions of the two batt structures to be pulled nearer to a longitudinal center line thereof. This results in a zone of the former batt structure underlying a distal end portion of the latter batt structure to curving downward with respect to a lower surface of the latter batt structure while the distal end portion of the latter batt structure curves upward with respect to a body facing surface of the basic absorbent batt structure. The curving of the batt structures forms a pocket opening from a front waist region toward a crotch region of the disposable diaper.

This invention relates to a disposable diaper for absorption and containment of body wastes and the like.
Japanese Patent Application A No. 1996-196565 discloses a disposable diaper comprising a liquid-pervious topsheet, a liquid-impervious backsheet and a liquid-absorbent core interposed between these sheets. The core consists of an upper layer core and a lower layer core. The upper layer core consists of, in turn, a front core extending from a front waist region toward a crotch region and a rear core extending from a rear waist region toward the crotch region. In this diaper, a rear end of the front core and a front end of the rear core are spaced from each other in a longitudinal direction of the diaper by a given dimension, and the topsheet covering the upper surface of the upper core is folded back along the rear end of the front core and the front end of the rear core toward the lower layer core and tucked between the upper core and lower layer core.
In this diaper of well known art, a pocket is formed between the front core and the lower layer core so as to open from the front waist region toward the crotch region and another pocket is formed between the rear core and the lower layer core so as to open from the rear waist region toward the crotch region. In this way, these pockets can receive feces.
However, the diaper disclosed in the above-cited Application has no arrangement for positively spacing the rear end of the front core and front end of the rear core upward from the lower layer core, so the rear end of the front core as well as the front end of the rear core are apt to come in contact with the lower core. Correspondingly, it is difficult for the pockets to be sufficiently opened. With this diaper of well known art, the quantity of feces cannot be easily received within these pockets. The excessive quantity of feces may cling to a wearer's skin.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A recording paper formed mainly from a fibrous material with a cationic substance applied onto the surface thereof or impregnated therein contains a non-wood fiber at least. An image forming method comprises forming an image on the recording paper by the steps of developing an electrostatic image on a photosensitive member by a developing means with a toner, transferring the developed toner image from the photosensitive member onto the recording paper, and fixing the transferred toner image on the recording paper. An image forming method comprises forming an image on the recording paper by ink-jet recording by applying, onto the recording paper, droplets of an ink containing at least an acid dye and/or a direct dye, water, and a water-soluble solvent.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording paper exhibiting excellent performance as a toner-receiving paper in electrophotographic recording, and an electrophotographic image-forming method employing the recording paper.
The present invention also relates to a recording paper capable of forming sharp images in ink-jet recording, and an ink-jet image-forming method employing the recording paper.
2. Related Background Art
Electrophotographic copying machine, as an example, electrify a photoconductive sensitive member temporarily with an electrifier, form an electrostatic latent image, developing the latent image with a toner of a one-component type or a two-component type; transfer the toner on the sensitive member by a transfer-electrifier onto a recording paper delivered thereto, and fix the toner onto the recording paper by heat and/or pressure by means of a fixing roller, or the like, to obtain a final copied image.
The toner-receiving papers for use in such a copying machine are required to have properties as follows: (1) suitable electric resistivity and smoothness of the surface for satisfactory toner transfer, (2) high toner fixability, (3) less formation of paper dust, causing fewer image defects by adhesion of the formed paper dust onto a photosensitive member or an electrifying roller, (4) causing less abrasion of the photosensitive member, paper-delivering roller, or fixing roller by formed paper dust (e.g., a filler), (5) less occurrence of curling by heat, (6) less change of dimension due to humidity change, (7) high deliverability with low rigidity and an appropriate surface friction coefficient, and so forth.
Ink-jet recording is attracting attention because of its suitableness for high speed printing, color image recording, and high density recording, and the apparatuses for ink-jet recording are widely used. For ink-jet recording, specially designed papers are used, which are exemplified by a coated ink-jet paper disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 59-35977. On the other hand, in single color recording and business color recording, an ink-jet recording method is demanded which is suitable for recording onto inexpensive plain paper for general office use.
However, for electrophotographic recording, toner-receiving papers widely used in offices are not suitable for ink-jet recording, because of the disadvantages of: (1) insufficient ink fixing property, (2) insufficient water-fastness of the recorded images formed thereon with an aqueous ink, (3) insufficient color developing property for the coloring matter of the ink, and insufficient image density of the formed image, (4) occurrence of the feathering and bleeding of ink, resulting in low quality of the recorded images, and so forth.
For improving the water-fastness of the recorded images, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 61-58788 discloses recording paper which contains a polyallylamine salt. However, the recording paper containing a polyallylamine salt without a special coating layer has disadvantages that the formed image has a low density, and tends to cause bleeding.
For improving the ink fixing property, both the recording medium and the ink are investigated. The ink-recording medium is investigated for lowering the sizing degree of the recording medium itself to improve ink penetration, and wetting property. The ink is investigated for lowering the surface tension to improve wetting property and penetrability into the recording medium.
Any of the above improvements causes other problems, namely, cockling of the recording paper due to a large amount of penetration of the ink, and curling of the recording paper after ink drying.

Recording paper, and image forming method employing the same