A method of indicating bit stream subsets in a video bit stream (210) is provided. The method comprises receiving the bit stream, dividing the bit stream into video packets (211-216), wherein each packet comprises either one of video data or supplemental information, and marking each packet with a single subset identifier (stream_id). Each subset identifier is associated with a corresponding bit stream subset (221-223). Further, a method of extracting video packets from a video bit stream is provided. The method comprises providing relevant subset identifiers, receiving video packets from the bit stream, and, for each received packet, inspecting the subset identifier of the packet. The packet is extracted if the subset identifier matches one of the relevant subset identifiers. This allows condensing properties of a bit stream subset into a single identifier, thereby simplifying the processing of video packets in the network and on the client side. Further, devices corresponding to the aforementioned methods are provided.

H.264, also known as MPEG-4/advanced video coding (AVC), is the state of the art video coding standard. It is a hybrid codec which takes advantage of eliminating redundancy both within each video frame and between frames. The output of the encoding process is video coding layer (VCL) data which is further encapsulated into network abstraction layer (NAL) units prior to transmission or storage. Apart from video data, other data that can be carried in NAL units includes parameter sets, such as sequence parameter sets (SPS) and picture parameter sets (PPS), which carry data that is essential for decoding of VCL data, such as video resolution or required decoder capabilities, or supplemental enhancement information (SEI) that carries information that can be useful for decoders or network elements, but is not essential for decoding VCL data.
The NAL is designed in order to enable simple, effective, and flexible use of the VCL for a broad variety of systems for transport and storage of video data, such as transmission over real-time transport protocol (RTP) or hypertext transport protocol (HTTP), or storage in ISO file formats. The NAL unit concept is supposed to provide a means for networks, i.e., transmission and storage systems, to access, group, and manipulate, compressed bit streams by splitting the bit streams into logical units. For instance, a unit corresponding to one compressed picture is augmented with high-level information indicating to the network whether a coded picture can be used as random access point to start decoding of the compressed video.
NAL is the minimum-size functional unit for H.264/AVC video. A NAL unit can be subdivided into NAL unit header and NAL unit payload. The NAL unit header consists of a set of identifiers that can be used by networks to manage the compressed bit streams. For example, in order to reduce the transmission bit rate of a video in case of limited bandwidth, some NAL units can be discarded based on information carried in the NAL unit headers, so as to minimize the quality degradation caused by discarding video data. This process is denoted as "bit stream thinning".
While traditional video services provide video in a single representation, i.e., using fixed camera position and spatial resolution, multi-resolution and multi-view video representations have recently gained importance. A multi-resolution representation represents the video in several different spatial resolutions, so as to serve target devices with different display resolutions. A multi-view representation represents the content from different camera perspectives, a particular case being the stereoscopic video case, where the scene is captured by two cameras with a distance similar to that of the human eye. Using suitable display technologies, perception of depth can be provided to a viewer.
Multi-resolution and multi-view video representations are often referred to as hierarchical or layered representations, where a base layer represents a basic quality of the video, and successive enhancement layers amend the representations towards higher qualities.
Scalable video coding (SVC) and multi-view video coding (MVC) are video coding standards that can be used to compress multi-resolution and multi-view video representations, respectively, where high compression efficiency is achieved by eliminating redundant information between different layers. SVC and MVC are based on the AVC standard, and included as Annexes G and H in the later editions of AVC, and consequently share most of the AVC structure.
The hierarchical dependencies inherent to SVC and MVC bit streams require additional information fields in the NAL unit headers, such as decoding dependencies and view identifiers. However, in order to retain compatibility with existing AVC implementations, the basic AVC NAL unit header was not changed. Instead, the extra information, such as dependencies and view identifiers, was incorporated by introducing two new types of NAL units, namely a prefix NAL unit (type 14) and a coded slice extension NAL unit (type 20), that are defined as "unused" in AVC and thus ignored by AVC decoders which do not support Annex G or H of the specification.
A prefix NAL unit can be associated with a VCL AVC NAL unit which is supposed to follow immediately after the prefix NAL unit in the bit stream, conveying additional information pertaining to the base layer. AVC decoders will ignore the prefix NAL units and can thus decode the base layer.
A coded slice extension NAL unit is used only in SVC or MVC enhancement layers. It represents enhancement information relative to the base layer or other enhancement layers. Besides conveying dependencies and view identifiers as in the prefix NAL unit, a coded slice extension NAL unit consists both of an SVC or an MVC NAL unit header, as well as corresponding VCL data. Thus, it is a combination of a prefix NAL unit and a VCL AVC NAL unit. SVC and MVC enhancement layer NAL units will be ignored by AVC decoders.
SVC and MVC extensions of AVC are defined in a similar way. Their use is mutually exclusive, i.e., the syntax and semantics defined in the standard are partly conflicting and do not allow using SVC and MVC elements simultaneously. Combining features from SVC and MVC would require changes to the standard, and in particular to the definition of the NAL unit header.
HEVC is a next generation video coding standard that is currently undergoing standardization. HEVC aims to substantially improve coding compared to AVC, especially for high-resolution video sequences.
In terms of high-level syntax design, the most straightforward method is to adopt the concept of AVC high-level syntax, in particular the AVC NAL unit concept. However, this may suffer from the following problems.
According to state of the art, SVC and MVC are built up from AVC in a backward compatible manner. The new NAL unit type 20 is designed with header extension that can be used for any enhancement layer. To solve legacy AVC decoder issues, the old NAL units (type 1, type 5, and other types) are kept and a prefix NAL unit association method is used for each normal AVC VCL NAL unit (type 1 and type 5). While this approach could in principle be taken for HEVC and its later extensions, it has the following problems associated with it.                The introduction of new features or functionality requires definition of new NAL unit types, e.g., coded slice extension NAL units. This may be undesirable since the maximum number of NAL unit types is typically limited, e.g., by the defined length of the NAL unit type field.        In order to take legacy decoders into consideration, a base layer must be created with a legacy NAL unit type with a prefix NAL unit which results in a second new NAL unit type that should be designed, thus further increasing the number of NAL unit types.        The signaling of base layer and enhancement layers is not uniform and requires special treatment through the network for each layer, leading to complex implementations. The use of prefix NAL units is unnatural and provides only a weak link between the necessary header information and the corresponding VCL data. This link may easily break down if, e.g., one of the NAL units is lost in the transmissions.        In case of future extensions, nesting of prefix NAL units is complicated.        By extending the high-level interface through additional NAL unit headers, network functionalities that are supposed to process NAL units based on the information conveyed in the NAL unit headers have to be updated each time the NAL unit headers are extended.
Further problems associated with the state of the art AVC concept are related to the layered representation. Currently, in SVC and MVC, all the flags related to with layer properties, such as view_id, dependency_id, and quality_id, are simply put into NAL unit headers without any intellectual selection or categorization. This requires a client that is receiving the bit stream to have detailed knowledge about the definition of the flags, e.g., if the client wants to prune or manipulate the bit stream. Basically, the client is required to fully understand the meaning of each flag and how they interrelate. Erroneous action may easily be taken, e.g., when one view needs to be extracted from a multi-view bit stream, if the views which it depends on are not included, or a low quality version is selected if a client only considers the view_id flag. Even with some assistance from SEI elements there may be cases where it is very complex for the network to find and understand all the necessary information that is needed to extract a certain video representation from the layered bit stream.
Further, with more and more applications and standards covering 3D, new data elements, such as depth maps and occlusion maps, will be transmitted together with texture, allowing for more flexible rendering of output views at the receiving end. Since such elements form layered representations together with the (multi-view or scalable) "texture" video, it may be desirable to transmit all in the same bit stream. Such bundling of different data elements may alternatively be achieved through signaling on higher system levels, such as transport protocol or file format. However, since software and hardware implementations of such higher-level protocols are often separated from implementations of the video decompression, the exact temporal synchronization of different data elements, such as synchronization of texture with depth, may be very complex if not supported on the bit stream level. Note that the synchronization of different video data elements, such as texture and depth, must be much tighter than the synchronization of video and audio, since the different video elements must be frame aligned. Additionally, video elements, such as texture and depth may be compressed together, e.g., by re-using motion information ("motion vectors") among them, which requires tight coupling on the bit stream level.
The initial focus of the HEVC development is on mono video. However, later extensions towards scalable coding and/or multi-view coding are likely. It is also likely that a packetization concept similar to the NAL unit concept in AVC will be used. Thus, in the following, even though the presented methods are applicable primarily to future video coding standards such as HEVC, the term "NAL unit" will be used in the same sense as it is defined in AVC. Also other AVC concepts such as SPS, PPS, and SEI, are expected to be used in HEVC, and their AVC terminology is therefore used in the following, although they may be called differently in HEVC or any other future video coding standard.


A varnish containing a charge-transporting organic material and a solvent is used as a charge-transporting varnish. The charge-transporting organic material is composed of a charge-transporting substance comprising a charge-transporting monomer, or charge-transporting oligomer or polymer having a number average molecular weight of 200 to 500,000, or is composed of such a charge-transporting substance and an electron- or hole-accepting dopant substance. The solvent contains at least one type of high-viscosity solvent having a viscosity of 10 to 200 mPa·s at 20° C. The charge-transporting substance or the charge-transporting organic material is dissolved or uniformly dispersed in the solvent. The varnish has a high uniform film forming capability even in a system using a charge-transporting substance of low molecular weight and a charge-accepting dopant substance. When the varnish is used in, particularly an OLED device or PLED device, excellent EL device characteristics, namely a low drive voltage, a high luminance efficiency, and a long life are realized.

Organic EL elements are broadly classified into low weight molecular type organic EL (OLED for short hereinafter) elements and polymer type organic EL (PLED for short hereinafter) elements.
It has been reported that an OLED element is improved in initial characteristic properties (such as low drive voltage and high luminous efficiency) and life if it is provided with a copper phthalocyanine (CuPC) layer as the hole injection layer. (Refer to Non-Patent Document 1: Applied Physics Letters, US, 1996, vol. 69, pp. 2160-2162)
It has been reported that a PLED element is also improved as in the case of OLED mentioned above if it is provided with a hole transporting layer (buffer layer) made from a polyaniline type material or a polythiophene type material. (For the former, refer to Non-Patent Document 2: Nature, UK, 1992, vol. 357, pp. 477-479, and Non-Patent Document 3: Applied Physics Letters, US, 1994, vol. 64, pp. 1245-1247. For the latter, refer to Non-Patent Document 4: Applied Physics Letters, US, 1998, vol. 72, pp. 2660-2662)
It has been reported that an organic EL element is improved in initial characteristic properties if it is provided (at its cathode side) with an electron injection layer made from any of the following materials. Metal oxide (refer to Non-Patent Document 5: IEEE Transaction on Electron Devices, US, 1997, vol. 44, pp. 1245-1248); metal halide (refer to Non-Patent Document 6: Applied Physics Letters, US, 1997, vol. 70, pp. 152-154); metal complex (refer to Non-Patent Document 7: Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, 1999, vol. 38, pp. 1348-1350)
The hole injection material for OLED elements is mostly a material for deposition. The disadvantage of a material for deposition is that it should meet several requirements. For example, it should be an amorphous solid, it should be sublimable, it should have good heat resistance, and it should have an adequate ionization potential (Ip for short hereinafter). This disadvantage narrows the range of choice for materials for deposition. Another disadvantage of a material for deposition is difficulties with electrically doping. The disadvantage prevents a material for deposition from exhibiting a high charge transporting performance. The result is that the charge injection efficiency remains low. CuPC as a commonly used hole injection material has a highly irregular shape and adversely affects the characteristic properties even when a very small quantity of it enters the other organic layer.
The hole transporting material for PLED elements should meet such requirements as high charge transporting performance, insolubility in a solvent for luminous polymer such as toluene, and adequate Ip. Polyaniline type material and polythiophene type material, which are commonly used at present, suffer several disadvantages as follows. They contain water as a solvent which might accelerate degradation of elements. They have a limited range of choice for solvents because of their low solubility. They are liable to aggregation. They are restricted in methods for forming uniform film.
Meanwhile, there has recently been found a charge transporting varnish (in the form of organic solution) which contains a low-molecular-weight oligoaniline type material as the charge-transporting substance. It has been reported that an organic EL element exhibits outstanding characteristic properties if it is provided with a hole injection layer made from the charge transporting varnish. (Refer to patent document 1: JP 2002-151272A.)
However, the charge-transporting varnish containing the low-molecular-weight charge-transporting substance (which may be incorporated with a charge accepting dopant substance) presents difficulties in forming a highly flat film. In addition, it usually has a low viscosity because the charge-transporting substance has a low molecular weight and hence a low viscosity. The varnish with a low viscosity presents difficulties in various coating process by printing, ink-jet spraying, and the like.
A common way to adjust the viscosity of varnish is by changing the molecular weight of the material or incorporating the material with a thickening agent.
However, change in the molecular weight of the charge-transporting material is accompanied by a great change in physical properties, such as charge transporting performance, Ip, solubility, and morphology. Thus it is difficult to adjust the viscosity without changing other physical properties. On the other hand, incorporation with a thickening agent tends to deteriorate the charge transporting performance.
For reasons mentioned above, it is difficult to adequately adjust the viscosity of the varnish while maintaining other properties such as charge transporting performance.
The present invention was completed in view of the foregoing. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved charge-transporting varnish and its products in the form of charge-transporting thin film, organic EL element, and solar cell. The above-mentioned charge-transporting varnish exhibits highly uniform film-forming performance even in the system containing a low-molecular-weight charge transporting substance and a charge accepting dopant substance. When used in an OLED element or a PLED element, it exhibits outstanding EL characteristics, such as low drive voltage, high luminous efficiency, and long life.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A method and apparatus for tendon repair includes an elongated member of a generally tubular shape having two barbed sections with oppositely directed barbs and a middle portion between the barbed sections. The barbs are cut from the tubular body leaving a mesh-like body of interconnected struts. The middle portion is also formed of interconnected struts. A needle and suture is connected at both opposite ends of the elongated member and used to pull the barbed sections into respective ends of a severed tendon. The barbs bite into the tendon tissue to hold the ends together. The sutures are preferably cut off at the tendon surface at a location spaced from the rejoined ends. One or more of the tendon repair devices may be used to repair each tendon, optionally with perimeter stitching at the rejoined ends.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for repair of tendons and in particular to an elongated apparatus having barbs for insertion into a severed tendon to secure the ends of the severed tendon to one another.
2. Description of the Related Art
Tendons are tough cords or bands of dense white fibrous connective tissue that unite a muscle with some other part of the body (such as a bone) and transmit the force which the muscle exerts to that body part. In general, a tendon is designed to transmit force of a muscle to a bone across a joint. The main constituent of a tendon is type I collagen, although other types of collagen as well as other materials are present in small quantities. Long strands of collagen protein, known as fibrils are bundled with tenocytes into fascicles, which are held together with the endotenon, a loose connective tissue, to form fiber bundles that are collected to form the tendon. Tendons may become damaged and require repair or they may be severed such as by an injury and must be reconnected. Tenorrhaphy is the surgical suture of the divided ends of the tendon, sometimes called tendinosuture or tenosuture.
Much of the tenorrhaphy literature focuses on increasing the tensile strength of the repaired tendon in order to decrease the tendon rupture rate associated with early mobilization of the effected body part. Early mobilization is important to avoid adhesion of the healing tendon to the surrounding tissue by strands of scar tissue. Various techniques of suturing the ends of the tendon together have been proposed, these involving different configurations of suture threading through the tendon and between the severed ends. The techniques include core suturing and peripheral suturing. Multiple strands of suture material extend between the tendon ends in these proposals. Some literature suggests decreasing the number of strands bridging the repair site in order to minimize soft tissue dissection, decrease the operative time and limit handling of the injured tendon. It is still important to repair a tendon with sufficient strength to allow early mobilization, but the achievement of strength at all costs is no longer considered essential. A current preferred method of flexor tendon repair is a four strand technique using four suture strands extending between the ends of the tendon. This number of strands achieves sufficient strength to allow early passive or light active mobilization, however four strand repairs remain relatively complex.
There is a desire to provide a tendon repair that is less complex to perform, reduces handling of the tendon, reduces surface roughness of the repaired tendon, and enables early mobilization of the affected body part.


A digital signature program includes computer-executable instructions for giving a numerical value in a state where header information necessary for playback of each partial data item may be added to the partial data item resulting from the division to a one-way function to generate an output value sequence of the one-way function concerning the multiple partial data items. The program also includes computer-executable instructions for generating binary trees concerning the streaming data, having leaves including only the output values in the output value sequence; and computer-executable instructions for using an output value indicating a root of the generated binary trees to generate a digital signature of a signer for the streaming data.

1. Field
The embodiments discussed herein are directed to a digital signature system and a digital signing method capable of assuring the validity of partially extracted streaming data and allowing a third party to certify the streaming data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Installation of surveillance cameras and installation of drive recorders in business vehicles have become widespread in recent years.
Accordingly, motion pictures captured by such apparatuses are often presented as evidences.
Conversations between clients and operators are recorded and the recorded conversations are held as evidences in order to take measures against troubles in telephone transactions or support businesses.
In use of motion pictures or sounds as evidences, media on which the motion pictures or sounds are recorded are directly presented nowadays. The media include video tapes, image files, audio files.
In addition, apparatuses and recording media are digitized in recent years. It is generally easy to tamper or edit digitized information, compared with analog information. Accordingly, when the digital information is presented as evidences, it is necessary to perform verification by third parties, such as digital signature or time stamping.
In the direct presentation of the media on which motion pictures or sounds are recorded, part of the data on the media, which is not related to the evidences, is also presented.
Use of personal private information is often restricted in recent years, and it is required to indicate or partially delete such information in response to their own requests.
In order to fulfill the requirement, studies of signature technologies are advancing in which the originality (integrity) of part of electronic documents is assured or partially concealed (filled with black).
For example, conventionally a partial integrity assurance technology (PIAT) is disclosed in order to resolve a problem in which partial concealment of a document makes it impossible to verify a signature attached to the document). Application of the PIAT allows signatures attached to electronic documents to be verified even in a state where the electronic documents are partially filled with black and also allows third parties to certify that the documents are not altered excluding the parts filled with black (modification or addition is allowed in the parts).
However, when part of large data, such as motion pictures or sounds for long times, is extracted, the amount of information related to the signature is greatly increased with the conventional technology described above.

Digital signature system and digital signing method


The present invention refers to the separation of cellulose pulp into distinct fractions with different draining and morphological characteristics, as well as the use of part of these fractions for the production of nanocellulose. The process in reference combines the unitary operations of fiber separation, thickening to a certain consistency, draining and drying of the cellulosic pulp with the high drainage ability and production of nanocellulose from high primary fines content pulp. The process may consider any cellulosic pulp fiber derived from short or long fiber woods such as Eucalyptus, Corymbia, Birch, Aspen, Pinus, recycled fibers, etc., their residues such as bark, sawdust, etc.

The production of cellulosic pulp involves several chemical and physical processes that result in the separation of the components of the wood raw material (usually composed of cellulose fibers and fibrils, hemicelluloses, lignin molecules and extractives or resins components).
Originally, there is broad size distribution of cellulosic particles in the above-mentioned raw materials associated with the anatomical structures, and part of it has reduced length.
During the processes, mechanical friction in equipments such as pressure reducers, pumps and stirrers which, in addition to the chemical embrittlement caused by cooking and bleaching liquors, causes the generation or increase of the content of these particles in the total resulting fibers. Those particles are named as primary cellulosic fines, being differentiated to any fine particles produced in papermaking process due to the fact that they never suffered the effect of any kind of refining, which are called secondary fines.
These fines produced in the pulping and bleaching process, along with the content of naturally occurring fines in raw materials, compose the total of particles present in the cellulosic pulp of which approximate dimensions are less than 200 micrometers in length.
The fines are defined as particles capable of linearly traversing sieves of which mesh is less than 200 (apertures of 74 micrometers) or which are less than 200 micrometers in length (TappiT261 cm 10, 2010—Fines fraction by might of paper stock by wet screening).
These particles have high specific area as well as high hydrophilic capacity, wherein their presence makes it difficult to drain the cellulosic paste in pulp and paper machines.
However, their small dimensions showed them to be a good starting material for the production of nanofibrillated cellulose, wherein the application of a cellulose paste enriched with fines for this purpose takes place with lower energy cost and or better quality potential when compared to the use of the standard cellulosic pulp.
The production of nanofibrillated cellulose consists of processing steps, wherein refining is the main treatment. But there are also combinations of refining treatments with chemical and/or enzymatic treatments. The energy consumption, however, is high due to the high refining energy consumption, and the cost of chemicals or enzymes for the production of nanofibrillated cellulose. Due to this problem it is important to develop new alternatives that can reduce energy consumption.
In this new process described herein, it was studied the potential of minimizing refining energy consumption by changing the raw material for the production of nanofibrillated cellulose. While most of the existing processes use regular (non-fractioned or segregated) cellulose pulp for the production of nanofibrillated cellulose, in this new process it is defined a process for fractionating the original cellulose pulp to obtain a fraction rich in primary fines and shorter fibers, which is then the base raw material for the production of nanofibrillated cellulose.
International application WO 2013/188657 A1, published on Dec. 19, 2013, entitled "Energy efficient process for preparing nanocellulose fibers", describes a process that combines mechanical treatment (refining) with chemical (ozone) and/or enzymatic treatment. The described process is directed to increase energy efficiency, which is measured by the depolymerization degree of the pulp and by the refining energy consumption to reach a certain level of secondary fines (reaching a very high level of fines is not a starting pulp material but a way to define the quality of the nanocellulose obtained after the refining process, generating high amount of secondary fines). The described process is based on initiating from an original common cellulosic pulp, winch is composed of fibrous elements and not segregated or fractionated. At no time the raw material for producing nanofibrillated cellulose is a source of primary fines type elements associated with separation of pulp phases, contrary to what is proposed in the process described herein.
Another method of producing nanofibrillated cellulose is described in International application WO 2015/171714, published on Nov. 12, 2015, entitled "High efficiency production of nanofibrillated cellulose". Different from the present invention, this document describes refining treatments of the cellulosic pulp in its original form (and not in the form of primary fines enriched pulp). The method consists of the treatment of the pulp in two steps, wherein the first step is conducted with refining elements different from those used in the second step.
International application WO 2015/171714, published on Nov. 12, 2015, entitled "Cellulose fibers, nanofibrils and microfibrils: the morphological sequence of NFC components from a plant physiology and fiber technology of view", also describes the dimensions of micro and nanofibrillated celluloses produced from original common pulp, and not the benefits from generating a new and unique starting material.
International application PCT/FI2010/050897, published on Nov. 24, 2009, also describes the high refining energy consumption in the production of nanofibrillated cellulose and presents the use of a bleaching agent (as an additive), but it does not describe, at any time, the use of primary fines enriched pulp as raw material in place of non-fractioned cellulose.
International application WO 2014/106684 also discloses the high energy consumption in the production of microfibrillated cellulose and presents a solution with combinations of processes by alternating refining and washing, thus obtaining an increase in consistency to minimize energy consumption.
International application WO 2014/085730, published on Jun. 5, 2014, provides a method of fractionating bi mass into different chemical components and cellulose. The fractionation mentioned herein refers to the separation of the biomass components: cellulose, from lignin and hemicelluloses, and therefore, it does not have any similarity with the present invention. The use of the cellulose extracted is the production of nanocrystalline cellulose, which is not an object of the present invention either.
The research paper published by Osong, S. 2013, et al, titled "An approach to produce nano-ligno-cellulose from mechanical pulp fine materials", published on pages 472-479 from Nordic Pulp & Paper Research Journal (NPPRJ), Volume 28, describes a study in which mechanical pulp is separated and the shorter particles are directed to nano-ligno-cellulose production through homogenization. It totally differs from the present invention considering the initial raw material (mechanical pulp) and even more in the final product produced: nano-lignin-cellulose, due to the high contents of lignin in its composition. Also, the type of processing is different, it being performed through homogenization and not through refining energy application.
The refining mechanical treatment is, in general, the most commonly used process for generation of nanofibrillated cellulose, which results in significant changes in the morphological characteristics. The publications know from the state of the art, although mentioning fines as secondary fines, are only those generated during the refining treatment, whereas in the present invention the fines are in its totality primary fines, fractionated from an original cellulose, thus being the raw material for the production of nanofibrillar cellulose.

Process of producing nanofibrillated cellulose with low energy consumption


An exemplary film-removing device for removing a protecting film from a workpiece includes a main body and a film-removing mechanism. The film-removing mechanism includes a suspending arm and a roller. The suspending arm has a first end rotatably connected to the main body. The roller is rotatably connected to a second end, opposite to the first end, of the suspending arm. The roller is driven to rotate by movement of the workpiece.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to film-removing devices, and particularly to an automatic film-removing device.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Belt-shaped workpieces usually have protecting films made of polyethylene (PE) on a surface. Before machining the belt-shaped workpiece, the protecting film of the belt-shaped workpiece should be removed. Typically, the protecting film is manually removed or removed by a motor. However, since manual labor is inefficient and expensive. When the protecting film is removed by a motor, a series of transmission mechanisms, for example gears, should be applied to between the motor and a film-removing member driven by the motor, so that a linear velocity of the film-removing member is consistent to that of the belt-shaped workpiece. That is because linear velocities of the motor and the belt-shaped workpiece are usually different. Therefore, removing a protecting film with a motor is expensive and difficult.
Therefore, a new film-removing device is desired in order to overcome the above-described shortcomings.

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


The present invention relates to a quencher having a quenching effect on a fluorescent material exhibiting luminescence characteristics at an excited energy level, and various uses thereof.

A quencher means a molecule capable of quenching the fluorescence of a fluorescent molecule, and a dye having a property capable of absorbing light is generally used.
Mechanisms of quenching phenomenon are known to occur through aggregation of dyes such as fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), photo-induced electron transfer and formation of H-dimer.
When a quencher is used to control or quench the fluorescence of the fluorescent dye, it is most important that the range of the absorption wavelength of the quenching dye covers (overlaps) a substantial part or all of the wavelength region of the fluorescent light represented by the fluorescent dye.
In order to obtain a quenching effect, the length between the fluorescent dye and the quencher is also important. For example, the number of bases in the case of DNA and the number of amino acids in the case of peptide/protein are considered. The length of the linker to which the fluorescent dye and the quencher are labeled may be adjusted to achieve a higher quenching effect.
In the case of a quencher used commercially in the field of biotechnology, a combination of fluorescence-fluorescent dyes utilizing FRET phenomenon has been widely used, although a dye structure which cannot emit but only absorb light is generally selected. Such combined fluorescence-extinction and fluorescence-fluorescent dyes are able to impart a kind of on/off function of fluorescence because the original fluorescence thereof is either restored or strengthened when the distances between the fluorescence-extinction and fluorescence-fluorescent dyes recede from each other or biomolecules are separated from each other. These properties have been widely used in designing biosensors or activation probes capable of responding to biomarkers such as specific proteins/enzymes.
Fluorescent or quenching dyes used in the biotechnology field are limited to only FDA-approved dyes, such as indocyanine green or methylene blue, and generally have reactive groups capable of binding to the substituents of biomolecules. Although a variety of the reactive groups have been known, they have been verified for a long time by researchers with respect to a high degree of substituent selectivity, reaction rate, yield, reproducibility and stability. In recent years, the reactive groups introduced into dyes for practical research or commercial purposes have been limited to several types.
For example, the most frequently used reactive groups for binding with amine groups of protein molecules are succinimidyl ester and isothiocyanate, and the most reactive groups for binding with thiol groups of protein molecules are maleimide. Dichlorotriazine is mainly used as the reactive group for binding with a hydroxy group of a protein molecule.
However, most of the reactive groups are difficult to maintain a long-term reaction and storage stability under water-soluble condition or in a substitution reaction.


A folio is comprised of a sheet of flat, expansive panel stock having a backing region and a document retention region that is folded about a laterally-extending fold or folds against the backing region. The sheet is also folded longitudinally perpendicular to the laterally-extending fold in articulated fashion to define a plurality of panels or leaves. Specifically, the longitudinal folds form a pair of mutually-adjacent interior panels and a pair of side panels. A separate one of the side panels is joined to each of the interior panels by longitudinal side panel delineating folds. Each of the side panels has one bound edge and one unbound edge. The bound edges of the side panels are secured to each other, preferably by means of transition webs that are defined between the side panels and the interior panels. The folio may include a jacket within which the sheet of folded stock forming the interior panels and side panels is encompassed. The document retention portion of the structure may take the form of pockets defined onto the various panels or document retention tabs that are punched to receive conventional pronged fasteners for securing papers punched at the top.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a folio in which at least four panels or leaves, at least some of which include extensions for retaining documents, are formed from a single sheet of folded stock.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Office file folders have been used for many years to carry and protect papers and to serve as a means for organizing sheets of paper. One very simple and widely used form of folder is an office folio formed of an expansive sheet of stiff paper or card stock folded longitudinally to bifurcate the sheet into two leaves which fold together. The leaves serve as front and back covers of a file folder. Quite often the single sheet of material forming the folio includes extensions from the leaves. These extensions are folded back and secured to the leaves to form stiffening, marginal strips and sometimes pockets on the inside of either the front cover, the back cover, or on the insides of both covers of the folio.
Conventional folio folders of this type are very economical to manufacture and are widely utilized throughout many different types of offices and businesses. However, conventional folio folders of this type have only a very limited storage and organizing capacity. That is, in forming a folio folder of this type from a single sheet of flat stock the storage and organizing capacity of the folder is limited to a single pocket defined on the inside of the front folio cover and a single pocket defined on the inside of the back folio cover. Thus, if a user wishes to separate papers into more than two categories, additional, separate folio folders must be employed.
Where a user wishes to organize papers into several categories it is often cumbersome to be forced to carry, sort, and refer to a number of different folio folders. Also, it is oftentimes inconvenient to attempt to physically manipulate several different folio folders in order to locate particular papers stored in one of the folders.


A security tag having a strap for securing the tag to an object to be protected and an electronic module connected to the strap for detecting an attempt to defeat the tag by short circuiting and severing the strap. The strap is formed of plural discrete conductors connected to the electronic module, which conductors are insulated from each other at least along a substantial length of the strap. Short circuiting of opposite ends of a single pair of the conductors followed by severance of plural ones of the insulated conductors, or short circuit in between separate conductors can be detected by the electronic module as an alarm condition. Severance or misconnection of only one or a small number of the insulated conductors can be detected by the electronic module as not being an alarm condition.

The location of assets and of persons can be determined by transponders or active transmitters attached to respective assets and persons. The transponder emits an identity signal which can be received by receivers located at various locations, such as adjacent doors, in rooms, halls, etc. The receivers typically report the received signals to a central computer which can draw a map or update a database and thereby display the locations of the assets and persons. Assets which do not report their location, or which are identified to be at an unauthorized location, can cause the central computer to set off an alarm.
The transponder is typically attached to an asset or to a person by means of a strap which contains a conductor. Persons wishing to defeat the transponder will sometimes sever the strap to release the transponder from the asset and try to make off with the asset. However, severance of the strap causes severance of the conductor, which can be detected by the transponder, and which can transmit an alarm signal. A person who understands that severance of the strap will raise an alarm will sometimes short circuit the strap conductor, and then cut the strap, in order to defeat the severance detection circuitry of the transponder.
In addition, sometimes wear and flexing of the strap will cause the conductor or the connection to the conductor to break, which will be interpreted by the severance detection circuitry of the transponder as an attempted theft and therefore it will raise an alarm, even though there is no real threat of theft of the asset or location of a person in an unauthorized location.
In addition, in order to connect the conductor in the strap to the transponder, they must be carefully assembled in order to ensure that solid connections are made to the ends of the conductor. This has been found to be costly and clumsy.


Described herein is an illumination device for projecting light in a predetermined illumination pattern on a surface. The illumination device includes a light module having a light source and a light pipe configured to transmit light in any suitable manner. The illumination device also includes a housing having a cavity, an entrance opening for receiving the light emitted from the light source, and an aperture at a second housing end. Within the housing between the entrance opening and the aperture is a screen at least partially disposed in the cavity, the screen having at least one opening defining a base pattern configuration corresponding to the predetermined illumination pattern. The light pipe is configured to selectively transmit light from the light source to the cavity and may be linear or non-linear such that the light source and the surface to be illuminated do not need to face one another.

Illumination systems for illuminating a surface within an interior of a vehicle are known. Illumination systems to illuminate the surface with a particular pattern or design are also known. Illumination of an interior surface with the particular pattern or design improves visibility within the interior proximate the illuminated interior surface in low-light situations and it is considered aesthetically appealing to viewers.
One system known in the industry is an illumination system having a panel, and the panel itself includes the surface, a portion of which is partially transparent. In these systems, the partially transparent portion of the panel includes the particular pattern or design and a plurality of illumination devices, such as light emitting diodes or optical fibers, are placed behind the panel such that the panel is between the illumination devices and the viewer. In such illumination devices, the light from a light source transmits through the partially transparent portion of the panel, which illuminates the surface of the partially transparent portion such that the viewer sees the illuminated pattern or design.
While these illumination devices and illumination systems generally perform well for their intended purpose, there remains a need for an improved illumination device and illumination system.

Illumination device for projecting light in a predetermined illumination pattern on a surface


A launcher for launching aerial firework shells into the air includes a base and an upright tubular member. The tubular member is constructed of a plastic that resists damage from the explosive force of the fireworks and allows substantial reuse of the launcher for multiple shells. The tubular member is seated in an indentation in the base that snugly receives the sides of the tubular member. The tubular member is preferably secured to the base by stainless steel staples to allow for use of the launcher in a damp environment and over multiple years.

The present invention is directed to a launcher for repetitively launching aerial fireworks shells.
Fireworks of the type that are often referred to as shells are launched from tubular structures. The shells include a long fuse and are each sequentially dropped into the tube and fired. Each shell includes an explosive charge which propels the remainder of the shell out of the tube and into the air where it subsequently explodes and produces a more and/or colorful aerial display. Such shells originally came with individual tubes which are expensive and bulky to ship. Later, as popularity in the shells begin to increase multiple shells were packaged along with a single tube. These original tubes were normally manufactured from paper or a similar substance and were not designed for more than a minimal number of repetitive shots. Consequently, most of the fireworks displays of this type are packaged with a single tube and perhaps six shells.
Because of the popularity of the shells, more and more manufacturers are interested in packaging additional shells in a single package to be sold to the consumer. Because the paper launchers have a limited capacity for the number of shells that can be shot from them, large number of shells require multiple conventional tubes. This causes several potential problems. The first of these problems is that the tubes take up substantially greater space on the shelves and multiple tubes simply are more bulky and costly to ship. The second problem is that a consumer may ignore warnings to only shoot a limited number of shells from a particular tube and try to shoot more than the safe maximum rather than using a new tube. This could result in injury to persons or property, if the tube fail.
Therefore, it has become desirable to provide a shell launcher which can launch numerous shells from the same tube without serious threat of injury or harm. If it were possible, it is desirable for the launcher to even be reusable in subsequent years so a consumer would not have to expend the money for the manufacturing and shipping of a launcher for each set of shells purchased.


A valve mechanism for use with a feeding set includes a reservoir of liquid and a metering device. The valve mechanism includes a valve body including a reservoir port adapted to be fluidly connected to the reservoir, a metering port adapted to be fluidly connected to the metering device, a feeding port adapted to be in fluid communication with the patient, and a priming port in fluid communication with atmosphere. A valve member in the valve body is adapted to selectively fluidly connect the reservoir port to the priming port, to fluidly connect the reservoir port to the metering port, and to fluidly connect the metering port to the feeding port.

There are different ways of enterally administrating liquid nutrient and/or liquid medicine to a patient. One way of enteral feeding is by gravity. A feeding tube, such as a nasogastric feeding tube, running from a container of liquid nutrients and/or medicine is inserted into the stomach of the patient, and the liquid flows, by gravity, into the stomach of the patient. Gravity feeding delivers a large amount of liquid in a short period of time. Another way of enterally feeding is by using a peristaltic pump that delivers the liquid to the patient at a controlled rate of delivery. Peristaltic feeding pumps are well known in the art.
Enterally feeding adults and children by either gravity feeding or using peristaltic pump is typically satisfactory. However, these types of feeding are typically not satisfactory for enterally feeding neonates, such as neonates born prematurely, who may require a feeding rate of 1 mL per hour, or even as low as 0.1 mL per hour. Gravity feeding is not satisfactory typically because the liquid is delivered much too quickly in an uncontrolled manner. Moreover, feeding by a peristaltic pump is not satisfactory typically because the peristaltic pumps also delivery the liquid too quickly and are not precise enough to accurately deliver the small amounts of liquid necessary for neonatal use.
Because of the unsatisfactory results of feeding neonates by gravity and using a peristaltic pump, syringe pumps are currently used for neonatal enteral feeding. Syringe pumps are typically precise and have low flow rates. A common syringe pump suitable for neonatal enteral feeding includes a syringe loaded on a pump device. The pump device includes a piston that engages a plunger of the syringe. The piston is aligned with the plunger and moves linearly to depress the plunger and expel the liquid out the syringe to deliver the liquid to the patient. Typically, the liquid, such as breast milk, may be in a container and an amount of the liquid is loaded into the syringe manually before the syringe is loaded onto the pump device.


A compact and energy efficient projection display can be made by starting with relatively pure red, green, and blue light sources. The output beams of the colored light sources are received by at least one spatial light modulator. The modulated output beams are collimated and combined. A projection lens receives the collimated and combined output beams and directs them towards a projection screen. All of the above may be contained in a housing to provide a compact and lightweight projection display.

Real image displays can be separated into three categories: cathode ray tubes (CRT), flat panel displays, and projection displays. Currently, CRT displays range from 1-40 inches along the image diagonal. These displays have good image quality and can be manufactured economically. The shape of the display requires a depth that can exceed the length of the image diagonal for high resolution graphic displays. The displays are bulky, especially for sizes above 20 inches because the wall thickness of the glass must be increased to withstand the atmospheric pressure. CRTs are popular in the desktop monitor market where the common length of the image diagonal is 14-17 inches.
Flat panel displays are used in many portable applications. They are thin and light in weight but have an image quality that is inferior to the CRT. At this time, the majority of displays are used in applications requiring 2-12 inches along the image diagonal. Flat panel displays are more costly to manufacture than the CRTs.
As a result, display applications that require an image size above 40 inches are dominated by projection displays: either front or rear. Both technologies can create an image by one of two methods: using three small high brightness monochromic CRTs for red, green, and blue (RGB) or creating a color image via a spatial light modulator. These projection systems have low image brightness and are costly to manufacture.
It is not economical to reduce the conventional rear projection display to 17-20 inches along the image diagonal. The cost of the light valve is dominated by the drive circuitry. To illustrate, the drive circuitry of an XGA display (768.times.1024.times.3) is approximately $120 regardless of the screen size. A 70W metal halide arc lamp capable or producing 5000 lumens with its corresponding power supply, ballast, and hot reignition capability are required. The total cost is prohibitive and unattractive compared to the OEM cost of a 17 inch CRT.


In a method for the calibration of a yaw rate measurement in a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle features at least one device for determining the yaw rate, a camera system which is oriented in the forward direction, and, if applicable, a steering angle sensor or a lateral acceleration sensor. At least one initial calibration is carried out at a standstill and at least one second calibration is carried out when the motor vehicle is moving. The second calibration uses image data of the camera system, which detects the environment in front of the motor vehicle, to predict the course of the roadway lane on which the vehicle is driving, from which the yaw rate is estimated.

An accurate determination of the yaw rate in a motor vehicle is of interest e.g. for driver's assistance systems such as ESP (electronic stability program), ABS (antiblock system). Besides, knowledge of the yaw rate and of an angle of roll derivable therefrom is of importance for sensor systems to detect the environment. Short-term changes of the angle of roll of a vehicle, as they appear e.g. when cornering, complicate e.g. an accurate lane prediction. An accurate knowledge of the yaw rate and/or the angle of roll can be used to correct the sensor data.
The output signal of a yaw rate sensor is subject to certain malfunction influences, so e.g. due to the temperature dependency of the sensor the output signal can drift slowly. Thus, for an accurate determination of the yaw rate the calibration of the measurement values is also necessary during operation of the vehicle.

Method for the calibration of a yaw rate measurement

ADC Automotive Distance Control Systems GmbH


A system and method of securing a computing device with a remote computer security service includes: identifying a computing device that is subscribed to a remote computer security service, wherein the computing device comprises an anti-authentication application instance provided by the remote computer security service based on the subscription; identifying an occurrence of an anti-authentication action involving the computing device based on anti-authentication policy set to a subscriber anti-authentication account with the remote computer security service for the computing device; responsively to the anti-authentication action, automatically performing by the remote security service or the anti-authentication application instance one or more anti-authentication protective services by protectively altering the computing device based on the anti-authentication policy, wherein the computing device is altered to a protected state from a normal state based on the performance of the one or more anti-authentication protective services.

Modern devices and digital accounts associated with these modern devices may function to collect significant amounts of various types of data. These modern devices are often mobility devices, such as mobile phones or mobile tablets, and may be carried on one's person. The various types of data collected by such devices may include data that is passively collected by the device, data that is actively collected by the device, personal data, business data, and the like.
As a modern trend involving these devices, an increasing amount of personal data and business data may be stored on these devices or in association with these devices (e.g., via remote storage such as the cloud) and carried by users on their persons. Because these devices may be found on a user's person, the data that is collected by the device may be vulnerable to compelled access by an unauthorized party or malicious actor. In some specific instances, there have been reported increases in a number of requests compelling users to provide access to their devices or online accounts to a third party in order for the data associated with or stored by the device or online account may be accessed or collected by the third party. These instances of compelled device or online account access render a user's data vulnerable to unauthorized inspection and appropriation.
Thus, there is a need in the computer security field to create new and useful methods for mitigating unauthorized access to computing resources and for controlling access to computing resources. The inventions described herein provide such new and useful systems and methods.

Systems and methods for securing and controlling access to electronic data, electronic systems, and digital accounts


A medicament delivery device is presented having a medicament container having an attached medicament delivery member; a housing where the medicament container is movable between a retracted and an extended position in which the medicament delivery member extends from the housing; a drive unit that advances the medicament container from its retracted position to its extended position to expel the contents through the medicament delivery member; and a medicament container holder for carrying the medicament container as it is advanced, the medicament container holder having a proximal end through which the medicament delivery member extends and a holding member releasably connected to the drive unit and attached to the medicament container holder. The holding member has a biasing element having a resilient structure in the form of a tubular wall provided with slots extending in the generally circumferential direction arranged to bias the medicament container in the proximal direction in the medicament container holder.

There are a number of devices on the market that are capable of automatically or semi-automatically delivering doses of medicament, where these devices comprise a number of inter-acting components for obtaining the desired functions.
Some delivery devices are injectors capable of delivering doses of medicament by penetration of the user's skin and a subsequent injection of medicament. One such device is disclosed in the document EP 1349590, which comprises an activation mechanism in the form of a button placed at its distal end. The button may only activate the mechanism if the front end of the device is pressed against an injection site. When activated, the penetration mechanism inside the injector is released whereby a medicament container having a needle is forced forward by a spring such that the needle is pushed into the body of the user, followed by a delivery of medicament through the needle. When the injection is completed, the user withdraws the injector with the needle from the injection site, whereby a needle cover is pushed forward until it surrounds the needle and locks.
Normally, in order to protect the needle and ensure sterility of the needle, a needle shield such as a flexible needle shield (FNS) or a rigid needle shield (RNS) is arranged on the needle. Also, the delivery device comprises a front cap having a shield grabber. The front cap is removably attached to the front shell or housing. The medicament container, typically a glass medicament container, is normally not rigidly mounted within the housing due to tolerance variations between the parts. Especially a container made of glass often exhibits significant tolerance variations, thus creating a certain amount of play between the medicament container and the housing. If the medicament delivery device is accidentally dropped, or otherwise subjected to an impact, especially to a rear end thereof, the medicament container will move inside the medicament delivery device. The distance of movement will correspond to the amount of play between the housing and the medicament container. If the shield grabber is rigidly arranged in the cap, i.e. no play between the two parts, the movement of the medicament container could cause the needle shield to come loose from the needle since the needle is fixedly mounted to the medicament container and will follow the movements thereof, thus compromising the sterility of the needle.


A prebiotic, composition comprising a probiotic and prebiotic, and method of delivering a probiotic, prebiotic or composition directly into the intestinal tract of a mammal are disclosed. The probiotic is any beneficial bacteria and the prebiotic is a substance beneficial to a probiotic. Most preferably, the prebiotic includes a mucopolysaccharide. The method preferably involves delivering the prebiotic, probiotic or composition via a delivery tube, such as an enteral feeding tube, directly to a position downstream of the stomach, most preferably to the jejunum.

For the purpose of this application, the following terms have the following meanings: "Probiotic" means live bacteria (also called microflora or microorganisms) that confer a beneficial effect when an effective amount is introduced into the intestinal tract of a mammal. "Prebiotic" means any substance that can be consumed by a relevant probiotic, or that otherwise assists in keeping the relevant probiotic alive or stimulates its growth, and includes mucopolysaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, amino acids, vitamins, nutrient precursors and proteins. "Compliment" or "complimentary" with respect to a prebiotic means that the prebiotic is consumed by, or otherwise assists in keeping alive or stimulates the growth of, a relevant probiotic. "Beneficial substance" means a prebiotic, probiotic or composition comprising probiotic and prebiotic. "Effective amount" means any non-zero amount of a beneficial substance that is introduced into the intestinal tract of a subject, wherein the beneficial substance is not inherently present in food stuffs being introduced into the subject's gastrointestinal tract. "Intestinal tract" or "gastrointestinal tract" means the tract from the mouth to the anus and includes the stomach and intestines (including the ileum, duodenum, jejunum, caecum, crasum (large intestine), rectum, and tenue (small intestine, which includes the tenue mesenteriale). "Delivery tube" means any passageway or conduit inserted into or otherwise placed in the body for introducing a beneficial substance directly into a part of the intestinal tract, and includes enteral feeding tubes. "Downstream" or "beneath" means any part of the intestinal tract downstream of the organ referenced. "Upstream" means any part of the body upstream of the organ referenced. "Subject" means a mammal to which a beneficial substance is administered.
Certain bacteria (included in the foregoing definition of probiotic) have been shown to be beneficial to human gastrointestinal health. The human gastrointestinal tract contains an estimated 100×109 viable bacteria, representing as many as 100 or more different species. About Probiotics, www.probiohealth.com. While few microorganisms are found in the stomach because of its high acidity, their numbers increase downstream of the stomach. Natasha Trener, Probiotics: The Foundation of Your Health, Now and Forever (Excerpts), www.natren.com. The greatest numbers and variety are found in the large intestine. Id.
Probiotics assist in keeping harmful pathogenic species in check. At least some probiotics attach to the intestinal wall and produce a mildly acidic environment (in part due to the excretion lactic acid) that curbs the growth of certain harmful, disease-causing bacterial species. About Probiotics, supra. Probiotics are also believed to assist in important nutrient assimilation, producing many important enzymes and potentially increasing the bioavailability of, and synthesizing, some vitamins (particularly the Bs and K), fatty acids, lactase, and calcium. Why You Need to Take The Friendly Probiotic Bacteria in Friendly Colonizer, www.elexacom.
Among other benefits conferred by probiotics are believed to be: strengthening of the immune system, neutralization of toxins, normalization of bowel movements, control of cholesterol, countering of allergies and skin problems, and the prevention of yeast and fungal infections. About Probiotics, supra; Probiotics: The Foundation of Your Health, Now and Forever, supra; Why You Need to Take the Friendly Probiotic Bacteria for Friendly Colonizer, supra.
The major bacteria in the intestines can be roughly divided into three groups: (a) lactic acid bacteria, including Lactobacilli, Bifidobacteria, and streptococci; (b) anaerobic bacteria; and (c) aerobic bacteria. At least Lactobacilli, Streptococci, and Bifidobacteria confer beneficial effects to mammals, particularly humans, and are included in the definition of probiotic herein.
Lactobacilli (i.e., bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus, abbreviated as "L.") have been used for several hundred years as food presentations and for promoting human health. About Probiotics. supra Lactobacilli found in the human intestinal tract include L. acidophilus, L. casei, L. fermentum, L. saliva roes, L. brevis, L. leichmannii, L. plantarum, and L. cellobiosus.
L. acidophilus has been shown to be useful in treating conditions such as antibiotic-induced imbalances in the gastrointestinal microflora, hypercholesterolemia, vaginal infections, E. coli infection, depressed immunity, cancerous tumors, chronic granulomatous disease, and lactose indigestion. A. G. Shauss, Method of Action, Clinical Application, and Toxicity Data, 3 J. Advancement Med. 163 (1990). It has also been shown that the activities of fecal bacterial enzymes thought to play a role in conversion of procarcinogens to carcinogens, such as betaglucuronidase, glucuronidase, nitroreductase, and azoreductase, were reduced 2- to 4-fold in persons taking L. acidophilus supplements. B. R. Goldin & L. S. Gorbach, "The Effect of Milk and Lactobacillus Feeding on Human Intestinal Bacterial Enzyme Activity," 39 Amer. J. Chin. Nutr. 756 (1984). These results suggest that dietary supplementation with L. acidophilus may reduce the risk of developing colon cancer.
Lactobacilli also produce organic acids that reduce intestinal pH thereby inhibiting the growth of acid-sensitive undesirable bacteria. Why You Need to Take the Friendly Probiotic Bacteria for Friendly Colonizer, supra. Lactobacilli produce lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and possibly acetic and benzoic acids. In vitro studies have shown L. acidophilus to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria such as Campylobacter pylori, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Sarcina lutea. K. M. Shahani et al., "Natural Antibiotic Activity of Lactobacillus Acidophilus and Bulgaricus," 11Cultured Dairy Products J. 14(1976).
Bifidobacteria are also known to exert a beneficial influence on human health. These bacteria exert antimicrobial activity in the human intestine by producing short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as acetic, propionic, and butyric acids, as well as lactic and formic acids, as a result of carbohydrate metabolism. The most plentiful SCFA produced by Bifidobacteria is acetic acid, which is an antimicrobial to gastrointestinal pathogens such as yeasts, molds, and certain other bacteria. Further, both Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria may produce other antimicrobial substances, such as bacteriocins, that also inhibit the growth and proliferation of certain harmful bacteria.
Additionally, SCFAs are believed to support normal gastrointestinal function by increasing colonic blood flow, stimulating pancreatic enzyme secretion, promoting sodium and water absorption and intestinal mucosal growth. Bifidobacteria are also believed to deconjugate bile salts to free bile acids, which are more inhibitory to susceptible bacteria than are the conjugated forms.
Therapeutic applications of Bifidobacteria are used to treat diarrhea, constipation, and hepatic encephalopathy with hyperammonemia. Additional benefits are believed to include the production of B vitamins and breakdown of carcinogenic N-nitrosamines.
Bifidobacteria constitute the predominant microorganisms in the fecal microflora of week-old breast-fed infants, making up 85-99% of the bacterial population. Upon weaning or upon an event such as an infection, vaccination, or a sudden change in diet, the balance of microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract of these babies can be upset. The Bifidobacterial population in adults is generally stable. However, changes in diet, administration of antibiotics, exposure to gamma radiation or X-rays, disease, pollutants, stress, or other disturbances can result in an overgrowth of potentially pathogenic bacteria and/or a decrease in beneficial bacteria (e.p., Lactobacilli and/or Bifidobacteria). About Probiotics, supra. Bifidobacteria numbers can be significantly reduced in elderly people for other reasons, for example, due to a reduction of secreted gastric juices.
Without sufficient numbers of probiotics, intestinal ecology may be thrown off balance, which can potentially result in health problems. Probiotic supplements may be used to increase the number of probiotics in the intestinal tract. About Probiotics, supra. As mentioned in "Probiotics, Prebiotics & Synbiotics: Harnessing Enormous Potential," Nutraceuticals World (September 2001), a trend regarding probiotics is finding novel delivery systems, particularly because acidity in the stomach is detrimental to many probiotics and may destroy as much as 90-95% of such probiotics during their passage through the stomach. To date, improving the protection of probiotics from stomach acid has included using enteric coated capsules and microencapsulation. Such types of microencapsulation include technology known as Probiocap™ by Institut Rosell.
Known prebiotics include dietary fibers, such as polysaccharides and oligosaccharides, that have the ability to increase the number of probiotic, which leads to the benefit(s) conferred by the probiotic. For example, an increase of beneficial Bifidobacteria is likely to change the intestinal pH to support an increase of Bifidobacteria, and which decreases pathogenic organisms. A prebiotic may also provide one or more of the following benefits: (1) indirectly produce short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that in turn have a trophic (nourishing) effect on the intestinal epithelium, supporting its integrity as a defense barrier against invading organisms; (2) indirectly produce immune stimulants, by the promotion of Bifidobacteria that excrete an end product inhibitory to pathogenic bacteria; (3) promote a host-mediated attack against tumor sites and promote certain strains of Lactobacilli that have immune-modulating activity, enhancing phagocyte activity in the blood; and (4) indirectly provide any of the benefits of an increased number of probiotic whose number increased due at least in part to the presence of the prebiotic. A prebiotic may also affect the production of certain bacteria enzymes, such as decreasing glucosidase that is associated with the absorption of intestinal cholesterol, associated with the formation of secondary bile acid that is considered a co-carcinogen.
However, while known prebiotics break down to provide carbohydrates for probiotics, some probiotics also require amino acids for nourishment.
It would therefore be desirable to have a prebiotic that was resistant to stomach acids and that provided carbohydrates and amino acids to support probiotic growth. It would also be desirable to introduce a probiotic into the intestinal tract in a manner that alleviates the destruction caused by stomach acid and enables the probiotic to quickly enter the intestines, where it can be of most benefit.

Probiotic/prebiotic composition and delivery method


This disclosure provides example methods, devices, and systems for an ultra-miniature, multi-hole flow angle probe. The construction, packaging of a multitude of absolute and or differential pressure transducers or sensors are invented for the purpose of providing highly accurate measurement of flow properties, flow angle in particular. The unique placement of sensors leads to further miniaturization relative to current state of the art. Further the use of closely coupled, differential transducer or transducers achieves higher accuracy measurement of small pressure variations coupled with large mean or average baseline pressures, as is demanded in modern aerodynamic or turbo-machinery devices. The use and installation of ultra-miniature sensors insider the device invented herein achieves higher frequency response than allowable via previous state of the part.

The use of multi-hole pressure probes is a longstanding approach for measuring flow angles, stagnation and static pressures. Orthogonal flow angles as well as stagnation and static pressure may all be deduced from pressures measured at, for instance, several well chosen locations on the probe. Since the Mach number is a unique function of the ratio of stagnation to static pressure, the Mach number may also be derived from the pressures measured by a multi-hole pressure probe. A larger number of measurement locations on a multi-hole pressure probe may generally improve measurement accuracy but in exchange for an increased probe size. Probe size may be important for reducing disturbances in the flow field. However, a reduction in probe size typically leads to reducing the number of measurements, which may result in fewer flow variables. Furthermore, to enable fabrication of small probes, the static pressure ports on these steady state probes are usually connected to remote pressure transducers over long lengths of small diameter tubing, which may restrict their time response to several seconds or longer. The need to obtain higher frequency measurements leads to the development of high frequency probes. The high frequency response of these probes may be set by three factors: a frequency response of the transducer, which is generally higher than other factors and may not be limiting; a resonant frequency of any cavity between the surface of the probe and a diaphragm of a transducer; and a vortex shedding frequency of the body of the probe, which may scale with the size of the probe and fluid velocity. The latter two factors may scale with the size of the probe, resulting in smaller probes yielding a higher usable frequency response. Using silicon-on-insulator (SOI) sensor fabrication techniques as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,671, "FUSION BONDING TECHNIQUE FOR USE IN FABRICATING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES," provides small multi-hole probes with improved high frequency operation, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,069,732, entitled "ULTRA-MINIATURE MULTI-HOLE PROBES HAVING HIGH FREQUENCY, HIGH TEMPERATURE RESPONSES," and U.S. Pat. No. 7,484,418, entitled "ULTRA MINIATURE MULTI-HOLE PROBES HAVING HIGH FREQUENCY RESPONSE," all of which are assigned to Kulite Semiconductor Products, Inc. These tubular probes have a front probe surface that includes four or five apertures, wherein each aperture is associated with a separate high frequency transducer exposed to the pressure media. However, the use of absolute transducers in the probes to perform measurements of very small changes in pressure may introduce errors. Such errors may be associated with the use of separate high pressure absolute transducers for measuring very small changes in pressure riding on top of the stagnation pressure, which is a typical occurrence with low speed turbo-machinery. Accordingly, there is a need for improved techniques for ultra-miniature multi-hole flow angle probes. In addition, other desirable features and characteristics of the present disclosure will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures and the foregoing technical field and background.

Ultra-miniature multi-hole flow angle probes


The invention uses a new process called dynamic pin reassignment (DPR) to alter the circuitry. The system assigns input and output signals to buses that lead to a central distribution point, the crossbar, in the circuit. At the crossbar, signals are routed to the appropriate destination over one of the bus wires to the correct chip from the crossbar. At irregular intervals, the signal mapping for each in/out function is changed. The assignments or mappings, comprise the state of the circuit at any time. The period that a state is valid is determined by applying a reseeding function to a portion of a randomized stream that calculates the next state and the duration of validity. Multiple seeds or keys are used to create the states. Because each key changes independently of the other keys and without notice, the time interval for a valid state is greatly reduced, complicating any effort to reveal the internal states of chips.

Today's modern lifestyle depends on digital computer systems and those systems are vulnerable to attacks that disrupt communications, alter/access data or issue false commands/data. Disrupting communications hampers the ability of the system to react to changing conditions. If that reaction is delayed too long the asset or facility may not be able to alter its operation in time to prevent a service outage or damage to the equipment. Altering and accessing data allows the system to react correctly but changes the situation to one which should not exist or simply supplies the intruder with sensitive information. Finally, issuing false commands tells the system to alter its state to react the wrong way, potentially resulting in damage to the system, or loss of service or loss of life. For example one type of attack that issues false commands is the "replay" attack in which an intruder or hacker records commands sent by the network and then replays it on the network. This attack is very effective because the attacker does not have to decrypt the message; he merely observes the effect of the traffic. Replay attacks can be used over and over until the system rejects those messages.
All of the attacks can be foiled using a single counter measure—polymorphism. Polymorphism or "mutating" is defined as the ability to change (perhaps an encryption from one method to another or hardware functionality) on the fly. Polymorphism has two components which when combined make up what the inventors herein call CipherLoc®. The two components are                (1) a polymorphic cipher engine (the software) and        (2) a polymorphic hardware engine.
The polymorphic cipher engine and the polymorphic hardware engine platforms are designed to work together but are mutually exclusive of each other and can be used separately in a multitude of divergent ways.
The present invention is directed to the second component—the polymorphic hardware engine.


A flowable substance dispenser for use with at least one flexible bag, each bag capable of holding one or more flowable substances, the dispenser comprising a hollow tubular body, adapted to receive the flexible bag, and a plunger assembly. The tubular body includes a proximal end, a distal end, an inner periphery, an outer periphery, one or more longitudinal slots, and at least one transverse exit port disposed near the distal end of the tubular body. The plunger assembly includes a piston adapted to slide within the tubular body, a ring member having an inner periphery adapted to fit around the outer periphery of the tubular body, and a transverse bar attached to the inner periphery of the ring member. The bar is adapted to slide within the one or more slots and is capable of engaging the piston.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a dispenser used with flexible bags which can be filled with one or more flowable substances, in particular such flowable substances as pastes, toothpastes, dental preparations, gels, putties, glues, caulks, soaps, shampoos, foodstuffs, doughs, and other flowable substances.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of dispensers for flowable substances are known. However, it is desirable to provide a dispenser which uses flexible bags, preferably a "chub" style flexible bag. The chubs are usually relatively thin and flexible and fabricated of plastic or foil laminate material. Chubs are typically sealed on one end in preparation for filling with the desired contents. Typically the end of the flexible bag is sealed by folding or crimping, then stapling or clipping the end of the bag with a clip or staple made of metal, plastic, or other suitable material. The bags are then filled with one or more substances, and sealed on the opposite end in similar fashion. Chubs may also be pre-fabricated with one open end and one contiguous closed end, wherein each chub is filled through the open end, then sealed with a clip or staple. Chubs may be sealed by a heat seal process. The chub is usually sausage-shaped, although other shapes are possible.
When in an unfilled or empty state, the flexible bags occupy minimal space and have minimal weight. Thus, overhead costs related to storage and production floor management can be minimized. Moreover, chubs may be filled in an economical fashion by using automated machinery and mass production methods.
In the toothpaste or dentrifice field, dispensers have been made from metal or plastics. In recent years, at least one manufacturer has produced a toothpaste dispenser capable of delivering dual dentrifice components, such as a paste having baking soda and a gel having hydrogen peroxide, wherein the dispenser and its refill portion are made of a relatively hard plastic. Such devices are somewhat difficult to use because of the force and balance necessary to dispense the contents. For example, users may dispense more gel than paste, or vice versa, if the proper balance is not achieved while attempting to dispense the contents. Furthermore, the dispenser and its refill portion are bulky and, after use and disposal, contribute to increased volumes of solid waste from disposal after use. Typically, when such containers are prepare, shipped and sold as fall containers, the containers may be only half full, when accounting for the unused dead volume inside the container.
Among the objects of the present invention is to provide a dispenser for use with one or more flexible bags, such as a chub, for delivering desired amounts of the contents of the chub or chubs with relative ease.
It is another object to provide a dispenser which includes a dispensing actuation means which can be gripped by a user's hand and/or fingers.
It is yet another object to provide a dispenser which includes a dispensing actuation means which can be gripped by a user's hand and/or fingers.
It is another object to provide a dispenser which is economical to fill.
It is another object to provide a dispenser which is economical to refill.
It is still another object to provide a dispenser which is economical to manufacture.
It is yet another object to provide a dispenser having a reduced number of parts.
It is another object to provide a dispenser which is easy to use.
It is yet another object to provide a dispenser which is well-balanced and ergonomically suited for dispensing one or more flowable substances.
It is a further object to provide a dispenser which is either disposable or refillable.
It is a still further object to provide a dispenser which is capable of standing upright on a stable base.
It is another object to provide a dispenser which is lightweight.
It is yet another object to provide a dispenser which maximizes the usable volume for holding the contents.


The invention relates to a lift, comprising:. a stand, comprising a substantially upright and hollow profile with an opening along at least one longitudinal side thereof and a safety device; PA1 a carriage arranged in said profile with a support extending through said opening in said longitudinal side and a row of protrusions co-acting with said safety device, said carriage having smaller dimensions than said opening; PA1 a drive connected to said carriage and said stand to respectively raise and lower said carriage through said stand; and PA1 a plurality of first guides connected to said lower part of said carriage, maintaining said carriage inside said stand, where said safety device is arranged near the top side of said carriage in a lowered position and at least one second guide is connected to said carriage in a lowered position near the top side thereof in stiffening contact with said profile.

Such a lift, which can be used in the field to raise cars, busses and similar objects is generally known, for instance the "car lifts" sold by Stertil B. V. from Kootstertille of the Netherlands. In these lifts, in order to limit the quantity of material needed for the stand, the guides connected to the carriage are arranged along exclusively the lower part of the carriage, and as a result the height of the stand, required for a predetermined range of movement by the carriage, is limited, without diminishing the aforementioned range. Also a limitation on the height of the stand is desired to provide a lift with a centre of gravity as low as possible to enhance stability thereof, especially to comply with the requirement, that even on a 10.degree. slope the lift should be stable enough for transport without the risk of it falling over. However, the stand needs to be provided with safety means to prevent the carriage from dropping or falling down in case of a malfunction of a drive of the carriage, from any height within the range.
Thus the lift is also equipped with a safety device, such as a safety catch, which is arranged on said stand near the top of said carriage in the lowered position thereof. Usually this safety device is arranged opposite the longitudinal side of the stand with an opening, through which the carriage is connected to a support, which actually serves to engage the object to be lifted.
Especially near the fully lowered position of the carriage in relation to the stand with a load resting on the support, when the distance between the uppermost of the guides and the safety device is greatest, the top of the carriage tends to bend out of the stand as a result of a number of factors. Among these are the elasticity of the carriage, the wheels and the stand under influence of the weight resting on the support. If this occurs while the carriage is resting on the safety device, which is most effective in a purely vertical direction, the carriage may bend to such an extent, that the safety device becomes unreliable and loses grip on the protrusion, which at this point is supposed to be engaged by the safety device. Thus the carriage may at least deform or even fall, taking the support and the load resting thereon with it, causing damage to the car-lift as well as the load resting thereon.


Systems and method for implementing anti-aliasing with image stabilizing subsystems for cameras are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment the method may comprise characterizing motion of a camera, characterizing aliasing for an image being photographed by the camera, and moving at least one optical element in the camera during exposure of the image for both stabilizing and anti-aliasing the image.

Conventional film and more recently, digital cameras, are widely commercially available, ranging both in price and in operation from sophisticated single lens reflex (SLR) cameras used by professional photographers to inexpensive "point-and-shoot" cameras that nearly anyone can use with relative ease. Unlike conventional film cameras, however, digital cameras include image capture electronics that convert light (or photons) into electrical charge. The electrical charge accumulated on each photo-cell (or pixel) is read out and used to generate a digital image of the scene being photographed.
Generally, the resolution of digital cameras is limited by the number of pixels. If the camera does not have enough pixels to represent smooth lines, individual lines may appear jagged (e.g., as "stair-steps") and/or the image as a whole may appear grainy. In addition, the color of individual pixels in areas of high-contrast and/or fine detail may be erroneously represented as the primary colors registered by the individual pixels and appear as "color artifacts" in the photograph. These undesired effects are known in the digital photography arts as aliasing (and color aliasing).
Aliasing may be reduced by providing more pixels in the camera. For example, the resolution of conventional 35 mm film is estimated to be the equivalent of about 20 million pixels (or mega-pixels). However, most digital cameras in the marketplace today have about 5 mega-pixels. Although cameras having more than 5 mega-pixels are available, these tend to be expensive and bulky.
Cameras are also available with anti-aliasing filters. Anti-aliasing filters shift the light being exposed on the pixels to slightly "blur" the image and thereby reduce aliasing, e.g., by making jagged lines appear smooth or colors blend together. However, the degree of blur cannot be controlled by the use, and therefore may not provide the image sharpness the user desires for certain photographs.

Systems and methods of anti-aliasing with image stabilizing subsystems for cameras

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A printed solenoid inductor delay line system comprises discrete delay sections, where the inductor is implemented in the form of a printed, spiraling solenoid, with the solenoid axis in the plane of the multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB).

Signal skew is a well-known characteristic in high speed communications and video signal transmission. Signal skew also occurs in multiple twisted-pair cables that are prevalent today in computer networking. Generally speaking, skew is the mismatch in arrival times of data on different signal lines where the data was originally transmitted at the same time. Skew is caused by different propagation rates through different pairs of cable. This, in turn, in the case of twisted-pair cables, is typically caused by different twist rates for the pairs of signal lines. Paired signal wires that have a tighter twist rate cause the signals to propagate over a greater distance. Cables containing twisted pair wires are intentionally designed so that different pairs have different twist rates in order to reduce the cross talk between signal wire pairs.
Details of specifying delay lines are described in "Specifying Delay Lines," by Lester Jacobson, Allen Avionics, Electronic Products Magazine, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,377,629, titled "Twisted Pair Communications Line System," to Stewart et al., issued Apr. 23, 2002, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, illustrates a delay line formed by serpentine arrangements formed on two sides of a printed circuit board, e.g., FIG. 3 and column 9, line 24 to column 10, line 50 therein.

Printed multilayer solenoid delay line having at least two sub-sets with different patterns