In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of communicating trade orders in a marketplace for financial instruments through an on-line trading account with a financial institution. The method includes receiving trade trigger criteria and market data for use by market analysis software. The method further includes accessing the market analysis software to generate a trade decision using the trade trigger criteria and the market data. The method further includes automatically communicating a trade order, based upon the trade decision, to the marketplace via the on-line trading account.

The present invention relates generally to the trading of financial instruments, and more particularly to a method and system for automatically communicating trade orders for financial instruments through an on-line trading account with a financial institution.
Over recent years, two particular topics have been the focus of substantial attention. One of these topics is the trading of various types of financial instruments, such as securities, stocks, bonds, currencies, options, futures and derivatives thereof. As used herein the terms trade and/or trading generally refers to transactions such as buying and/or selling. The successful trading of such financial instruments often involves the research, development and historical testing of a system or methodology ("Trading Plan"). Such a Trading Plan is used by a trader for exploiting anticipated price change opportunities, and also for controlling risk because prices often move contrary to the direction anticipated by the trader. Thus, the trader's function is to attempt to develop a Trading Plan which strikes a fine balance between profit seeking and risk control, for creating risk-adjusted profits in excess of the return on market indexes. Once the trader has developed an objective Trading Plan, the actual execution of the Plan requires market price monitoring and responsive order entry/cancellation activity. It is known that even brief lapses in trader attentiveness and immediate reaction to market changes will often result in violation of the Trading Plan, and thereby upset the Trading Plan's fine balance between profit seeking and risk control. In this regard, active traders often have limited opportunities to invest their time in other important activities, such as research.
The other topic of attention is the rapid growth of the global computer network (i.e., the Internet) and the increasing level of influence it is having on virtually every facet of everyday life. A cursory scan of television programming, magazines or newspapers on almost any given day demonstrates how the Internet is becoming a tool of steadily increasing importance for both business and personal activities. This has included using the Internet to facilitate the trading of financial instruments on-line.
In this regard, the financial institutions, including brokerages, which make up and/or provide access to the various financial instruments marketplaces, have implemented "on-line" services which allow customers to engage in trading over data communications networks, including the Internet. As a result, nearly any investor having access to the Internet may more directly engage in trading activity without being forced to speak to a broker to enter their orders in the marketplace for execution.
While that development has significantly reduced order entry labor for the on-line brokerages, their trader/customers' order entry labor burden remains largely unchanged, merely converted from dialing the telephone to tapping the computer keyboard keys and clicking the mouse. Therefore, those who are not ready, willing or able to make themselves constantly available to monitor the markets and immediately manually enter their orders in response to changes in market conditions, are still precluded from the benefits to be derived from the consistent and disciplined conformance with an objective Trading Plan.
It is therefore evident that there exists a need in the art for a more efficient method and system for trade order entry in comparison to the prior art.

Method and system for the automated trading of financial instruments


A bone implant holding and shaping tray is provided. The tray includes a first segment having a distal end and a first surface sized to hold and shape at least a portion of the bone implant with bone material. The tray includes a second segment having a second surface sized to hold and shape at least a portion of the bone implant with bone material, the second segment having a proximal end configured to be coupled to the distal end of the first segment so as to extend the first surface to hold and shape the bone implant. Methods of making and using the bone implant holding and shaping tray are also provided.

The use of bone grafts and bone substitute materials in orthopedic medicine is known. While bone wounds can regenerate without the formation of scar tissue, fractures and other orthopedic injuries take a long time to heal, during which time the bone is unable to support physiologic loading unaided. Metal pins, screws, rods, plates and meshes are frequently required to replace the mechanical functions of injured bone. However, metal is significantly stiffer than bone. Use of metal implants may result in decreased bone density around the implant site due to stress shielding. Physiologic stresses and corrosion may cause metal implants to fracture. Unlike bone, which can heal small damage cracks through remodeling to prevent more extensive damage and failure, damaged metal implants can only be replaced or removed. The natural cellular healing and remodeling mechanisms of the body coordinate removal of bone and bone grafts by osteoclast cells and formation of bone by osteoblast cells.
Conventionally, bone tissue regeneration is achieved by treating a bone repair site with a bone graft. Over time, the bone graft is incorporated by the host and new bone remodels the bone graft. In order to place the bone graft, it is common to use a monolithic bone pre-formed graft or to form an osteoimplant comprising particulated bone in a carrier. Generally, the formed implant, whether monolithic or particulated and in a carrier is substantially solid at the time of implantation and thus does not conform to the implant site. The implant is also substantially complete at the time of implantation and thus provides little ability for customization, for example by the addition of autograft or alteration of the shape of the implant.
The use of bone grafts is generally limited by the available shape and size of grafts. Further, bone grafts using cortical bone remodel slowly because of their limited porosity. Traditional bone substitute materials are more quickly remodeled but cannot immediately provide mechanical support. In addition, while bone substitute materials can be used to fill and/or treat oddly shaped bone defects by themselves, such materials are not as well suited for wrapping or resurfacing bone.
Moreover, in operating rooms the size of an aseptic, sterile environment is frequently limited. Bone grafting kits used by surgeons to place a bone graft often include disposable instruments. These need to be packaged in sterile barriers. If the kits are too big, they will not fit well on hospital shelves. Because of their size, large instruments can cause problems in surgery as they take up extra space and have a large footprint storage in the sterile field.
Therefore, it would be beneficial and desirable to provide bone implants that can be shaped with bone material (e.g., natural bone particles and/or synthetic bone particles) on a forming tray that can vary in length but is stackable or nestable into a small footprint storage area but slidable or unnested to open into a longer and larger tray during surgery.


An internal combustion engine is provided with a top hat piston disposed in a cylinder having first and second portions of different diameters. The piston, with first and second portions of different diameters, is disposed within the cylinder and defines a compression chamber between a cylinder step and a piston step created by the different diameters. The compression chamber is connected in fluid communication with a fuel supply, such as a carburetor or fuel injector, which provides a fuel/air mixture into the compression chamber during the downstroke of the piston. When the piston is moving upward, it compresses the fuel/air mixture within the compression chamber until a second end of a transfer passage is moved into fluid communication with a transfer port formed in the wall of the first portion of the cylinder. This occurs after the exhaust port is closed by the piston and therefore significantly diminishes the chance for unburned fuel to pass directly out the exhaust port from the combustion chamber.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to internal combustion engines and, more particularly, to an engine which utilizes a piston having two diameters that define a step therebetween which is disposed in a cylinder with two diameters.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Many different types of internal combustion engines are well known to those skilled in the art. One particular type of engine is a two cycle engine. A common problem that occurs with two cycle engines is that, at low speeds, unburned fuel can be emitted in the exhaust stream. Naturally it is not desirable to exhaust hydrocarbons, in the form of unburned fuel, into the atmosphere for ecological reasons.
The emission of fuel in the exhaust stream can be caused at low speeds by the fact that a fuel/air mixture enters the combustion chamber prior to the exhaust port being closed. Under certain circumstances, the fuel/air mixture can propagate through the combustion chamber and pass out the exhaust port prior to the ignition of the fuel within the combustion chamber.
In certain applications of two cycle engines, fuel injection is used to alleviate this problem. Fuel injectors can be disposed in fluid communication with the combustion chamber, either through a cylinder wall or through the end of the cylinder. One of the goals of these types of solutions is to provide a stratified charge of fuel at one portion of the combustion chamber a distance away from the exhaust port.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,629, which issued to Hooper on Jan. 17, 1978, discloses a stepped piston two stroke engine which includes at least two cylinders. Each cylinder has a working part of smaller diameter and a pumping part of larger diameter. The main inlet ports are arranged symmetrically about and spaced from a plane which contains a longitudinal access of the cylinder and which passes through the center of the exhaust port. The auxiliary inlet port is provided in the cylinder wall opposite the exhaust port. Main and auxiliary transfer passages are provided for the main and auxiliary inlet ports. The auxiliary inlet ports and auxiliary transfer passages lie wholly on one side of an axial plane which contains the axes of the two cylinders of the set. The exhaust ports of both cylinders on the other side of this plane. Only air may be supplied to the working part of each cylinder through the main inlet ports, while fuel is injected into the air passing through the auxiliary transfer passages so that a mixture of fuel and air enters the working parts of the cylinders through the auxiliary inlet ports. By this means charge stratification in the working parts of the cylinders can be achieved.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,138,971, which issued to Fujikawa et al on Feb. 13, 1939, describes a crank chamber precompression type two-cycle internal combustion engine which includes a pair of stepped cylinders and a pair of stepped pistons slidably disposed in the cylinders. These define annular spaces of variable volume in the cylinders. The pistons are interconnected to each other with 180 degrees phase difference. An air-fuel mixture is introduced into the annular space in one cylinder and forced into the crank chamber of the other cylinder during the upward stroke of the associated piston, so that an additional charge is provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,434, which issued to Guenther on Oct. 2, 1979, describes an internal combustion engine with a stepped piston supercharger. A reciprocating piston four cycle internal combustion engine utilizes a stepped piston. The stepped portion of the piston works in an enlarged bore in the block of the engine, and serves as a compressor to provide a supercharged fuel-air mixture into the combustion chamber. The compressor delivers two compression strokes per engine cycle. The compressed fuel-air mixture travels from the compressor via a bypass manifold which also serves as an accumulator. It then passes to the main cylinder via an intake valve. The fuel-air mixture is admitted to the compressor cylinder through the crankcase and valved passages through the stepped portion of the piston.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,108, which issued to Hooper on Jul. 1, 1980, discloses a stepped piston two stroke engine which has a stepped piston in which the cylinder casting has a bore of greater diameter to form a pumping part, a bore of lesser diameter to form a working part, exhaust port means in the working part and opposed transfer part means on opposite sides of the working part disposed symmetrically about a plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the cylinder. The plane also passes through the center of the exhaust port means. The transfer port means is of a form to be produced in the casting process by non-separate cores introduced lineally towards the plane.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,163, which issued to Hooper on Jun. 11, 1985, describes a stepped piston and a stepped piston engine. The engine has one or more cylinders and each cylinder contains a stepped piston having a pumping part of larger diameter and a working part of smaller diameter. The working part of the piston is slidably in and associated with a working part of the cylinder in which a combustion of a fuel-air mixture takes place. The pumping part of the piston is slidably in and associated with a pumping part of the cylinder. The piston has a body with an interial hollow opening to the outside toward the lower end of the piston. The body comprises a smaller diameter working part which extends from the top of the piston to a step and a larger diameter pumping part extending from the step to a lower end of the piston. At least one piston ring groove is formed in an outer surface of the smaller diameter part and at least one piston ring groove is formed in the outer surface of the large diameter part.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,189,995, which issued to Hooper on Mar. 2, 1983, describes a stepped piston engine that comprises first, second and third step cylinders with each cylinder having a large diameter pumping part and a small diameter working part. A piston is slidable in the cylinder and each piston is coupled to an output shaft of the engine. A first transfer passage transfers the precompressed charge from the large diameter pumping part of the first cylinder to the smaller diameter pumping part of the second cylinder. A second transfer passage transfers precompressed charge from the large pumping part of the second cylinder to the smaller diameter working part of the third cylinder. A third transfer passage transfers precompressed charge from the large diameter pumping part of the third cylinder to the smaller diameter working part of the first cylinder.
One of the many designs for pistons for internal combustion engines is described in an article titled "Hooper's Hope" which was written by Dave Searle and Doug Jackson in the Oct., 1996 issue of Motorcycle Consumer News. This article describes a piston which comprises two portions, one with a diameter that is less than the other. The configuration, because of its physical appearance, is sometimes referred to as "Top Hat" piston. The configuration described in this article utilizes two cylinders, as a cooperative pair, with one cylinder providing an air flow into the combustion chamber of the other cylinder. The design described in this reference requires cylinders to be arranged in such a way that they are able to cooperate with each other in an associated pair.
It would therefore be significantly beneficial if a two cycle engine could be developed which is able to provide a stratified charge into the combustion chamber of the cylinder without the need for complex fuel injection systems.

Low emission two cycle engine using two segment piston


There is provided a drive control method for a motor including multiple sets of coils and drive circuits in an electric power steering system. In order to reduce computational load when sensorless control is executed, an electrical angle estimator includes an α-axis voltage component adder and a β-axis voltage component adder that add together voltage vectors of a first coil and a second coil expressed in a two-phase fixed coordinate system, an α-axis current component adder and a β-axis current component adder that add together current vectors of the first coil and the second coil expressed in a two-phase fixed coordinate system, and an induced voltage computing unit that computes an induced voltage based on an added voltage vector and an added current vector.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electric power steering system that generates steering assist torque by executing drive control of an electric motor based on a driver's steering operation.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, an electric power steering system detects a steering torque applied to a steering wheel by a driver, and assists a driver's steering operation by driving an electric motor according to a controlled variable set based on the detected steering torque. There is also known an electric power steering system that drives an electric motor using two drive systems that are independent of each other. For example, an electric power steering system described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-78230 (JP 2011-78230 A) is configured such that a stator of a three-phase brushless motor has two sets of three-phase coils of two respective systems, and the two sets of three-phase coils are energized independently of each other by two respective inverters. When such a brushless motor is driven, a rotation angle sensor that detects a rotation angle of the motor is used to control the three phases. An electrical angle of the motor is derived based on the rotation angle detected by the rotation angle sensor.
When the rotation angle sensor malfunctions, it is not possible to control the phases of the brushless motor. Therefore, there is also known an electric power steering system that estimates an electrical angle based on an induced voltage (counter-electromotive force) generated at a brushless motor and executes drive control of the brushless motor using the estimated electrical angle when a rotation angle sensor malfunctions. Such control of the brushless motor executed with the use of an estimated electrical angle is called "sensorless control". This control method is described, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-87756 (JP 2008-87756 A).
However, when sensorless control is executed in an electric power steering system in which a brushless motor is driven with the use of two drive systems that are independent of each other, the computation of the induced voltage is doubled and thus the computational load on a microcomputer increases.


A chip package for a computer system includes a substrate having a first region and a second region on a first surface, at least one die coupled to the first region on the first surface of the substrate and a main logic board coupled to the second region on the first surface of the substrate. By coupling the die and the main logic board on the first surface of the substrate, an overall thickness of the chip package is reduced.

Typically a computer chip package in a mid-plane includes a substrate sandwiched between a die, which houses a central processing unit (CPU) or other ASIC chip, and a main logic board, such as a printed circuit board (PCB). Layering the substrate between the die and main logic board allows a manufacturer to use less expensive materials to form the main logic board, thereby saving costs.
The overall thickness of the die/substrate/PCB package is known as the package's "Z dimension," which refers to the height of the package along the "z-axis" perpendicular to the x-y plane. In a typical arrangement, the die is approximately 0.9 mm in thickness, the substrate is approximately 1.2 mm thick, and the PCB is approximately 1.2 mm in thickness. In addition, at least one ball grid array (BGA) is provided within the package that facilitates coupling and communication between the die and substrate and, in some instances, between the substrate and main logic board. Accordingly, the Z dimension of the package and PCB is typically between about 3.3 mm (LGA) and 4.2 mm (BGA).
As computer devices become smaller and thinner, the need to minimize the Z dimension of the chip package becomes more important. Accordingly, a need exists for an improved mid-plane chip package design and/or arrangement that reduces the Z dimension of the chip package.

Mid-plane arrangement for components in a computer system


A method for designing a roller cone drill bit having a plurality of cutting elements in a row. The method includes defining a pitch pattern for the plurality of cutting elements such that a first group of adjacent cutting elements are arranged in a first pitch and a second group of adjacent cutting elements are arranged in a second pitch in the row, wherein the first group of adjacent cutting elements have a different extension length than the second group of adjacent cutting elements, evaluating the pitch pattern of the plurality of cutting elements in the row, and modifying at least one of the plurality of cutting elements based on the evaluating of the pitch pattern of the plurality of cutting elements.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to drill bits for drilling boreholes in subsurface formations. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to designing drill bits, evaluating cutting structures, and designing cutting elements in view of the evaluating of the cutting structure.
2. Background Art
FIG. 1 shows one example of a conventional drilling system used in the oil and gas industry for drilling wells in earth formations. The drilling system includes a drilling rig (10) used to turn a drill string (12), which extends downward into a well bore (14). Connected to the end of the drill string (12) is a drill bit (20). The drill bit (20) is designed to break up and gouge earth formations (16) when rotated on the formations (16) tinder an applied force. Formation (16) broken up by the drill bit (20) during drilling is removed from the well bore (14) by drilling fluid typically pumped through the drill string (12) and drill bit (20) and up the annulus between the drill string (12) and the well bore (14).
One example of a conventional drill bit is shown in FIG. 2. This type of drill bit is typically referred to as a roller cone drill bit. A roller cone drill bit (20) includes a bit body (22) having a threaded section (24) at its upper end for securing to the drill string (12 in FIG. 1) and a plurality of legs (25) extending downwardly at its lower end. A frusto-conical rolling cone cutter (hereafter referred to as roller cone 26) is rotatably mounted on each leg (25) by a bearing shaft pin, which extends downwardly and inwardly from each leg (25). Each of the roller cones (26) has a cutting structure comprising a plurality of cutting elements (28) arranged on the conical surface of the cones (26). The cutting elements (28) project from the cone body and act to break up earth formations at the bottom of the borehole when the bit (20) is rotated under an applied axial load. The cutting elements (28) may comprise teeth formed on the conical surface of the cone (26) (typically referred to as milled teeth) or inserts press-fitted into holes in the conical surface of the cone (26) (such as tungsten carbide inserts).
Many prior art roller cone drill bits have been found to provide poor drilling performance due to problems such as "tracking" and "slipping." Tracking occurs when cutting elements on a drill bit fall into previous impressions formed in the formation by cutting elements at a preceding moment in time during revolution of the drill bit. Slipping is related to tracking and occurs when cutting elements strike a portion of previous impressions and slides into the previous impressions.
In the case of roller cone drill bits, the cones of the bit typically do not exhibit true rolling during drilling due to action on the bottom of the borehole (hereafter referred to as "the bottomhole"), such as slipping. Because cutting elements do not cut effectively when they fall or slide into previous impressions made by other cutting elements, tracking and slipping should be avoided. In particular, tracking is inefficient since there is no fresh rock cut, and thus constitutes a waste of energy. Ideally, every contact of a cutting element on a bottomhole cuts fresh rock. Additionally, slipping should also be avoided because it can result in uneven wear on the cutting elements, which can result in premature failure.
In prior art bits, preventing premature failure due to tracking and slipping is typically accomplished by increasing the hardness of the cutting inserts. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,099 discloses a rotary drill bit having a plurality of cutters (i.e., roller cones) with rows of cutting inserts. Particularly, certain cutting inserts in a row have cutting surfaces formed with a wear-resistant material having a hardness higher than the hardness of a wear-resistant material on the remaining cutting inserts in the row. In this case, the cutting inserts are positioned in a predetermined pattern intermingled in a generally uniformly spaced pattern with the softer cutting inserts.
However, it has been found that tracking and slipping often occur due to a less than optimum spacing of cutting elements on the bit. Typically, the less than optimum spacing of cutting elements is a generally uniform spaced pattern. In many cases, by making proper adjustments to the arrangement of cutting elements on a bit, problems such as tracking and slipping can be significantly reduced. This is especially true for cutting elements on a drive row of a cone on a roller cone drill bit because the drive row is the row that generally governs the rotation speed of the cones.
Currently, cutting arrangements, such as the arrangement of cutting elements on rows of a roller cone drill bit are designed either by "gut feel," in reaction to field performance, such as the addition of odd pitches to alleviate tracking and slipping, or by trial and error in conjunction with other programs used to predict drilling performance. The problem in these design approaches is that the resulting arrangements are often arrived at somewhat arbitrarily, which can be time consuming in the evolution of the bit design and may or may not lead to drill bits producing desired drilling characteristics.
Therefore, methods for predicting drilling characteristics prior to the manufacturing of drill bits are desired to reduce costs associated with designing bits and to enhance the development of longer lasting bits and/or bits which more aggressively drill through earth formations. Methods are also desired to minimize or eliminate the design and manufacturing of ineffective drill bits which exhibit significant tracking or slipping problems during drilling. Methods are also desired to reduce the time required for designing effective drill bits. Additionally, drill bit designs that exhibit reduced tracking and slipping over prior art bit designs are also desired.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Multiple inserts of different geometry in a single row of a bit


An input device includes: a receiving section configured to receive a plurality of characters input by a user's operation, a confirming section allowing the display control section to confirm the plurality of characters received by the receiving section; a display section configured to display the plurality of characters allowed to be confirmed by the confirming section; a touch sensor configured to detect a touch point on the display section; and a display control section configured to identify, based on the touch point detected by the touch sensor through a user's double tap, at least one conversion target character among the plurality of confirmed characters, convert a character style of the conversion target character, allow the display section to display the conversion target character converted in character style, confirm the input of the conversion target character converted in character style.

The present disclosure relates to input devices, image forming apparatuses, and electronic apparatuses.
There is provided, as an input device mounted on a mobile information terminal or an image forming apparatus, an input device configured so that a text is input thereinto using a pen or a keyboard displayed on a display (for example, a software keyboard). As is often the case with such an input device, after confirming an edit of the text consisting of characters input through the input device, the user may find a literal error and correct it. In order to correct a confirmed character, the user needs to perform complicated operations, including a redisplay of the character, a deletion thereof, and a re-entry of a correct character.
For example, there is disclosed a pen input device which can reduce the complication of operations for correcting a character. With this pen input device, an editing process, such as a correction, insertion or deletion of a character input with a pen, can be performed in the same manner as in an input process.

Input device capable of converting character style of input character, image forming apparatus having the input device, and electronic apparatus having the input device


An ice rink installation having polymer plastic heat transfer piping imbedded in a substrate, such as concrete. The polymer plastic heat transfer piping extends throughout an ice rink and includes a tubular body having an exterior surface and an interior surface. The tubular body has a wall thickness of less than 8.5% of its inner diameter. In order for the tubular body to remain sufficiently robust with such thin walls, a plurality of vanes are positioned on either the exterior surface, the interior surface or on both surfaces.

An ice rink has a top surface, usually manufactured of concrete or sand, in which hundreds of feet of refrigerant piping or tubing is embedded. When the top surface of the ice rink is applied with water, either initially to form a layer of ice or to resurface the ice of the ice rink, a coolant from the cooling source is circulated through the refrigerant piping or tubing to effect a heat transfer to the water as the water lies on the exposed upper surface of the ice rink, thereby causing the applied water to form into ice.
For a number of years refrigerant piping or tubing has been made from a polymer plastic. When polymer plastic was first introduced, piping with an inner diameter of one inch (2.54 cm) had a wall thickness of approximately 0.125 inches (0.32 cm). In order to increase the efficiency of the heat transfer, experiments were attempted concerning a wall thickness of 0.085 inches (0.22 cm). It was found that this wall thickness was not sufficiently robust enough for refrigeration piping in ice rink applications. The piping or tubing tended to collapse when being covered with concrete and was easily punctured. As a result of such experiments, a minimum wall thickness of 0.100 inches (0.25 cm) was adopted as a standard for piping which had an inner diameter of one inch (2.54 cm). This standard remains recognized in the industry.
It is to be appreciated that if a robust refrigeration piping could be made with a thinner wall thickness, more efficient heat transfer would be obtained from the same.

Ice rink installation having a polymer plastic heat transfer piping imbedded in a substrate


A method and apparatus for storing and reading an entry having one of a plurality of entry types and storing order information about stored entries, using a single addressable storage array. An index pipe maintains first in, first out order of the entries stored in the addressable storage array. Stages in the index pipe store a value representing the address of the stored entry in the storage array, the type of the stored entry, and the validity of the stored entry. Additional control logic implements order rules between entry types.

Buffers are temporary storage areas, usually in random access memory (RAM). Typically, buffers operate as a holding area, enabling a central processing unit (CPU) to manipulate data before transferring the data held in the buffer to a device. A particular type of buffer is a first in, first out (FIFO) queue. A FIFO queue is a buffer in which the first entry written to the buffer is the first entry read from the buffer. The entry which has been in the FIFO queue for the longest period of time is the first entry read from the queue.
When multiple entry types are stored in a FIFO queue in RAM, a separate buffer is required for each entry type stored in order to maintain FIFO ordering within the multiple entry types. Entries can have differing priorities depending on the entry type.
One prior solution for handling multiple entry types is to use one standard FIFO queue for each entry type. For example, assume that there are two different entry types, type A and type B. The prior solution required one FIFO queue for type A and another FIFO queue for type B.
Although strict FIFO rules are followed within any one entry type, frequently multiple entry types follow different ordering rules between them. For example, ordering rules for the two example entry types A and B are as follows:                1) Within each entry type, all entries must be read from the queue in the order in which they are written to the queue;        2) One or more type A entries may be read from the queue ahead of type B entries which were written to the queue ahead of the type A entries, but type B entries may not be read from the queue ahead of type A entries which were written to the queue ahead of the type B entries.
To handle such ordering rules in addition to storing the type B entries, FIFO queue B also stores an extra "index" field with each entry corresponding to the write index, e.g. a pointer, to FIFO queue A at the time that the entry was placed in FIFO queue B. Then, in the prior solution, when attempting to remove an entry from FIFO queue B, i.e. the first entry (also referred to as the head entry) of the queue, the index field of the FIFO B entry is compared with the index field of the head entry of FIFO A. The FIFO B entry is not removed from the queue unless the index field of the head FIFO B entry is older than the index field of the head FIFO A entry.
According to the prior art, if the FIFO queue was implemented using a single unordered buffer, then (1) a read pointer pointing to the memory location, i.e. memory address, of the oldest entry in the queue and (2) a write pointer pointing to one entry behind the youngest entry in the queue must be maintained. In this case, the head and the tail of the queue (the oldest and youngest entries, respectively) can be anywhere in memory. Typically, the buffer will be considered empty when the read and write pointers point to the same address, and will be considered full when the write pointer points to one address in memory before the address pointed to by the read pointer. A "roll-over" case occurs when entries are continuously placed in the queue until the write pointer is advanced to the end of the buffer and an attempt is made to place further entries in the queue. If the read pointer is at the very start of the buffer, the buffer will be considered full, and the further entries are not placed in the queue. However, if the read pointer is not at the start of the buffer, the write pointer will "roll-over" the end of the buffer and return to the beginning. This arrangement is very complex and introduces a high potential for error.
The primary disadvantage of the prior art solution is that multiple FIFO buffer structures (such as a register array, RAM, etc.) of the same depth are required, because an entry stream could consist entirely of one entry type, or a mixture of entry types. This results in only a fraction of the storage space being used at any time while requiring the maximum allocation of memory space for each entry type. Another disadvantage is that the logic for handling the address roll-over case is complex and therefore increases the chance of errors.

Method and apparatus for storing multiple entry types and ordering information using a single addressable storage array

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


(1) A cylinder lubricating oil composition for a crosshead diesel engine, the composition having: a sulfated ash content of 2.0 to 5.5 mass %; a base number of 15 to 45 mgKOH/g; and an autoignition temperature of no less than 262° C. (2) A cylinder lubricating oil composition for a crosshead diesel engine, comprising: a lubricant base oil; (B) a Ca sulfonate detergent having a base number of no less than 10 mgKOH/g and less than 60 mgKOH/g; (C) a Ca phenate detergent having a base number of 55 to 200 mgKOH/g; (D′) an amine antioxidant; and (E′) a zinc dithiophosphate, wherein the composition has a base number of no less than 15 mgKOH/g and less than 120 mgKOH/g.

Low-speed two-stroke crosshead diesel engines (hereinafter may be referred to as "two-stroke crosshead diesel engine", "crosshead diesel engine", or "crosshead engine") are widely used as main engines of marine vessels, especially of large marine vessels, because of their high thermal efficiency. Emissions from crosshead diesel engines thus have a great impact on environmental effects of operation of marine vessels.
As regards environmental effects of operation of marine vessels, IMO (International Maritime Organization) has decided to introduce stricter emission controls. For example, it is obliged to use a fuel having a sulfur content of no more than 0.1 mass % (ULSFO) in the controlled sea areas named ECA (Emission Control Area) from 2015. Further, introduction of further regulation to make it mandatory for marine vessels without exhaust gas desulfurization equipment to use a fuel having a sulfur content of no more than 0.5 mass % even in general sea areas from 2020 (or 2025), is under consideration.
So as to comply with such regulations, low-sulfur fuels (sulfur content: 0.1 mass % or less) prepared from distillate oils or hydrocracked bottoms as raw materials, are on the market. And also, crosshead engines which can use fuels such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), ethylene, methanol, ethanol, and dimethyl ether (hereinafter may be referred to as "specific fuels"), have been developed. These specific fuels comprise C1-4 hydrocarbons, and have low boiling points and low flash points. Further, these specific fuels are advantageous in that they are sulfur-free (having a sulfur content of 10 mass ppm or less) and therefore they do not cause catalyst poisoning by sulfur in exhaust gas purifiers. Especially LNG is also advantageous in view of fuel efficiency because of their lower CO2 emission per unit heat compared to petroleum fuels such as distillate oils and heavy oils, and is expected to be stably supplied at a lower cost than petroleum fuels in the future, owing to development of shale gags fields.

Cylinder lubricating oil composition for crosshead diesel engine


A system for supplying energy to a microrobot disposed within a piping system for inspection or repair. The system comprises a microwave transmission section for transmitting as energy a microwave to the robot within the piping system. The microwave transmission section is arranged to transmit the microwave having a frequency equal to or higher than a frequency determined in correspondence with an inner diameter of a pipe of the piping system in which the microrobot is disposed. The microrobot receives the transmitted microwave to convert it into an electric power for operation. This arrangement can ensure a smooth operation of the microrobot within a small-sized pipe because the microrobot is not connected to the transmission section through an electric connection.

The present invention relates generally to an energy supply system to an object within a pipe, and more particularly to an energy supply system which supplies energy, using a microwave, to a microrobot disposed in a metallic pipe of a heat exchanger or the like that performs operations such as an inspection and repair.
For inspection and repair of a metallic pipe, particularly, a pipe having a small inner diameter (for example, about several millimeters), a microrobot is required for inspection and repair without disassembly. An important problem arising in the realization of such a microrobot relates to the supply of energy for driving the microrobot. That is, since a general wireless energy supply is effected by means of the electromagnetic induction (low frequency), the transmission distance of the energy is limited to some degree (several centimeters) and hence, according to the method of connection between pipes, it is difficult to drive a microrobot when the moving distance from the microwave generating source is beyond several meters. Further, according to a method of coupling the energy generating source through an electric connection to the microrobot, the microrobot is arranged to have a size which allows the movement within a pipe having a diameter of about several millimeters to perform the inspection, repair and the like. On the other hand, in this case, there is a problem that the electric connection is an obstacle to the movement of the microrobot.

Energy supply system to robot within pipe


A charge detection mass spectrometer may include an ion source, an electrostatic linear ion trap (ELIT) including a charge detection cylinder disposed between a pair of coaxially aligned ion mirrors, means for selectively establishing electric fields within the ion mirrors configured to cause the trapped ions in the ELIT to oscillate back and forth between the ion mirrors each time passing through the charge detection cylinder, and means for controlling a trajectory of the beam of ions entering the ELIT to cause the subsequently trapped ions to oscillate with different planar ion oscillation trajectories angularly offset from one another about the longitudinal axis with each extending along and crossing the longitudinal axis in each of the ion mirrors or with different cylindrical ion oscillation trajectories radially offset from one another about the longitudinal axis to form nested cylindrical trajectories each extending along the longitudinal axis.

Mass Spectrometry provides for the identification of chemical components of a substance by separating gaseous ions of the substance according to ion mass and charge. Various instruments have been developed for determining the masses of such separated ions, and one such instrument is a charge detection mass spectrometer (CDMS). CDMS is conventionally a single-particle instrument and technique in which ion mass is determined for each ion individually as a function of measured ion mass-to-charge ratio, typically referred to as "m/z," and measured ion charge. Some such CDMS instruments employ an electrostatic linear ion trap (ELIT) detector in which ions are made to oscillate back and forth through a charge detection cylinder. Multiple passes of ions through such a charge detection cylinder provides for multiple measurements for each ion, and such multiple measurements are then processed to determine ion m/z and charge from which the ion mass can be calculated.
Single particle CDMS is a time consuming process which typically requires several hours to measure and obtain a mass spectrum. It is desirable to develop CDMS instruments and techniques which decrease sample analysis durations.

Apparatus and method for simultaneously analyzing multiple ions with an electrostatic linear ion trap


To provide a curable composition which has a high curing rate and can provide a cured product having good durability.

Heretofore, a polymer has been known which has at least one silicon atom-containing group containing a silicon atom having a hydroxyl group or a hydrolyzable group bonded thereto, and which is crosslinkable by forming a siloxane bond.
As a curing catalyst to cure such a polymer, various ones are known, and for examples, Patent Document 1 describes use of an organic metal compound such as dibutyltin dilaurate, tin octylate or lead octylate.
Further, Patent Document 2 describes use of a carboxylic acid and an amine or an amine derivative in combination.    Patent Document 1: JP-A-63-112642    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 3,122,775

Abstract: A curable composition comprising an oxyalkylene polymer (A) having a reactive silicon group represented by the following formula (1), and a quaternary ammonium salt (B):—SiX1aR13-a  (1)wherein R1 is a C1-20 monovalent organic group which may have a substituent, X1 is a hydroxyl group or a hydrolyzable group, and a is an integer of from 1 to 3; provided that when plural R1s are present, they may be the same or different from one another, and when plural X1s are present, they may be the same or different from one another.


A method of handling data packets in a network device and an apparatus for handling data packets in a network device are disclosed. The method includes receiving an incoming data packet and the incoming data packet is parsed to obtain a portion of the incoming data packet. That portion is compared with rules stored in a rule table, where each rule specifies a set of actions. A match between the portion and a particular rule of the rules is selected and a particular set of actions, specified by that particular rule is executed. Each rule includes a mask, a selection flag and a validity check that are used in the comparison of the portion with each rule. The rules may be compared with the packet portion serially or in a parallel fashion and if more than one rule matches the portion, the highest priority is selected as the matching rule.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the handling of data arriving at a communications device, such as a network switch that directs the flow of that data. More specifically, the method and apparatus allow for the application of rules to the data to be handled such that the data can be classified, filtered and processed.
2. Description of Related Art
A high speed network utilizes network devices to control data flowing through a network, where the network devices receive incoming data and pass the data on to other network devices. The passage of the data through the network is accomplished by examination of at least a portion of the incoming data. These network devices are often required to perform many functions, including packet or frame classification, packet processing or filtering, quality of service (QoS) or class of service (CoS) enforcement, application server load balancing, and statistics data gathering for packet traffic and processing.
Classification of frames or packets is an important process in many network device systems such as routers, switches, bridges, hubs, and aggregators. Packets may be identified as being in certain classes based on their source, destination, bandwidth requirements, and application types. Different classes of packets can receive differentiated processes such as different latencies, transmission rate, and routing paths to provide most desirable services to all packets. Filtering of packets is a crucial process of ensuring network security such as with a firewall or a way of forwarding packets only to intended destinations. Packet filtering performs the granting of access or the blocking of packets for certain application types and protocols. It can also allow or block packets' access to a network based on their subnet, group of hosts, or individual host information. The information of QoS (Quality of Service) or CoS (Class of Service) is usually embedded in the header of packets such as VLANID (Virtual Bridged Local Area Network Identification), TOS (type of service), DiffServ (Differentiated Service) field information.
The prior art network devices can provide such classification of frames or packets, but those classification processes employed by the devices are often cumbersome and difficult to make changes thereto. The prior art devices are also limited in how they can be customized and provide limited options for how data should be handled once a classification match is made. Also, because of the processes applied by the prior art network devices in classification, the throughput of a network can be negatively affected.
Thus, there is a need for a processing and classification engine that allows the engine to be customized without underutilizing the processing abilities of the switch. Additionally, there is also a need for a switch architecture that allows for expandability and continued customization after the sale of the initial switch configuration.

Method and apparatus for flexible frame processing and classification engine


The device includes a tubular fitting (6) that is part of a bicycle frame and able to accommodate a saddle post (7), elements (19,20) for locking the saddle post (7) in rotation, and members (8) for holding the saddle post (7) in a longitudinal position that is determined relative to the tubular fitting (6). The holding members comprise a stop surface (7a) that is provided on the saddle post (7) and able to work with a stop (8) that is provided on the fitting (6) so as to delimit the insertion length of the saddle post (7) in the latter. The holding members also include at least one annular crosspiece (9, 10) that can be arranged between the stop surface and the stop so as to allow the adjustment of the insertion length.

The attaching of a saddle to a bicycle frame is done using a saddle post that holds means for attaching the saddle to one of its ends, whereas its opposite end is suitable for working with a supporting device by being inserted into a tubular fitting of the latter.
This fitting can consist directly of the top end of a saddle tube of the bicycle frame or a tubular element that is arranged in the saddle tube, in the intersection of the latter and the upper tube of the bicycle frame. The fitting has an inside dimension that is adapted to the outside dimension of the post so as to make it possible for the post to slide inside the fitting in the vertical direction to allow the vertical adjustment of the saddle relative to the crankset shaft for adaptation to the size of the bicyclist.
The supporting device comprises means for locking the saddle post in rotation, as well as means for holding the saddle post in a longitudinal position that is determined relative to the tubular fitting to adjust the height of the saddle. In general, a single tightening device acts as means for locking in rotation, as well as means for holding the saddle post by securing the latter after a certain length of it, which in general should not be less than about 60 mm, is inserted into the fitting.
To achieve the tightening of the saddle post inside the fitting, the latter, at its upper end, generally is slotted, and the tightening device can quite simply consist of a bolt that extends crosswise to bring together the two opposite edges of the fitting until sufficient tightening is exerted on the saddle post relative to the weight of the bicyclist, under all conditions of use.
According to a very common variant, the tightening device comprises a separate tightening collar that is arranged at the top end of the slotted fitting.


A cup holder, especially for a motor vehicle, has a box-like pedestal (12) that has a placement surface (14) on its top, and a box-like cover (16) that is arranged over the pedestal. The side surfaces of the pedestal (12) serve as a guide for the cover (16), the cover having a recess (18) that is concentric with the placement surface (14).

Such a cup holder has to fulfill a multitude of requirements. First of all, it has to be able to securely accommodate and hold a large variety of different containers. Secondly, it has to be possible to move it from an operational position, in which it can accommodate the containers, into a stand-by position requiring a minimum of space, and vice versa. In the stand-by position, the cup holder should preferably not be visible, for example, it should be concealed behind a cover, or integrated in some other manner into a lining surrounding it so as to give an overall harmonious visual impression.
The cup holders known so far have not always successfully fulfilled these requirements.

TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH


The complete nucleotide sequence of the genome of porcine adenovirus type 3 (PAV-3) is provided. Methods for construction of infectious PAV genomes by homologous recombination in procaryotic cells are provided. Recombinant PAV viruses are obtained by transfection of mammalian cells with recombinant PAV genomes. The PAV-3 genome can be used as a vector for the expression of heterologous nucleotide sequences, for example, for the preparation and administration of subunit vaccines to swine or other mammals. In addition, PAV-3 vectors can be used for gene therapy and expression of heterologous polypeptides. PAV-3 genome sequences can also be used for diagnostic purposes, to detect the presence of PAV-3 DNA in a subject or biological sample.

The present invention is in the field of recombinant mammalian viral vectors. More particularly, it concerns recombinant porcine adenovirus vectors for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, such as vaccines and expression systems.
Adenoviruses are double-stranded DNA viruses that have been isolated from a wide variety of avian and mammalian species, including swine. While the majority of adenovirus infections in swine are subclinical, porcine adenovirus (PAV) infection has been associated with encephalitis, pneumonia, kidney lesions and diarrhea. Derbyshire (1992) In: xe2x80x9cDiseases of Swinexe2x80x9d (ed. Leman et al.), 7th edition, Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa. pp. 225-227. Thus, there is a need for vaccines that will provide protection against PAV infection.
In addition to their potential ability to provide protection against PAV infection, PAVs could also be used as viral vaccine vectors, if insertion capacity can be determined, and appropriate insertion sites can be defined and characterized. It has been shown that PAV is capable of stimulating both humoral response and a mucosal antibody responses in the intestine of infected piglets. Tuboly et al. (1993) Res. in Vet. Sci. 54:345-350. Thus, recombinant PAV vaccine vectors would be especially useful, as they would be likely to be capable of providing both systemic and mucosal immunity to antigens encoded by native and/or recombinant PAV genomes.
Cross-neutralization studies have indicated the existence of at least five serotypes of PAV. Derbyshire et al. (1975) J. Comp. Pathol. 85:437-443; and Hirahara et al. (1990) Jpn. J. Vet. Sci. 52:407-409. Previous studies of the PAV genome have included the determination of restriction maps for PAV Type 3 (PAV-3) and cloning of restriction fragments representing the complete genome of PAV-3. Reddy et al. (1993) Intervirology 36:161-168. In addition, restriction maps for PAV-1 and PAV-2 have been determined. Reddy et al. (1995b) Arch. Virol. 140:195-200.
Nucleotide sequences have been determined for segments of the genome of various PAV serotypes. Sequences of the E3, pVIII and fiber genes of PAV-3 were determined by Reddy et al. (1995a) Virus Res. 36:97-106. The E3, pVIII and fiber genes of PAV-1 and PAV-2 were sequenced by Reddy et al. (1996) Virus Res. 43:99-109; while the PAV-4 E3, pVIII and fiber gene sequences were determined by Kleiboeker (1994) Virus Res. 31:17-25. The PAV-4 fiber gene sequence was determined by Kleiboeker (1995b) Virus Res. 39:299-309. Inverted terminal repeat (ITR) sequences for all five PAV serotypes (PAV-1 through PAV-5) were determined by Reddy et al. (1995c) Virology 212:237-239. The PAV-3 penton sequence was determined by McCoy et al. (1996a) Arch. Virol. 141:1367-1375. The nucleotide sequence of the E1 region of PAV-4 was determined by Kleiboeker (1995a) Virus Res. 36:259-268. The sequence of the protease (23K) gene of PAV-3 was determined by McCoy et al. (1996b) DNA Seq. 6:251-254. The unpublished sequence of the PAV-3 hexon gene (and the 14 N-terminal codons of the 23K protease gene) has been deposited in the GenBank database under accession No. U34592. The unpublished sequence of the PAV-3 100K gene has been deposited in the GenBank database under accession No. U82628. The sequence of the PAV-3 E4 region has been determined by Reddy et al. (1997) Virus Genes 15:87-90.
Adenoviruses have proven to be effective vectors for the delivery and expression of foreign genes in a number of specific applications, and have a number of advantages as potential gene transfer and vaccine vectors. See Gerard et al (1993) Trends Cardiovasc. Med 3:171-177; Imler et al. (1995) Hum. Gene Ther. 6:711-721. The ability of these vectors to mediate the efficient expression of candidate therapeutic or vaccine genes in a variety of cell types, including post mitotic cells, is considered an advantage over other gene transfer vectors. Adenoviral vectors are divided into helper-independent and helper-dependent groups based on the region of the adenoviral genome used for the insertion of transgenes. Helper-dependent vectors are usually made by deletion of E1 sequences and substitution of foreign DNA, and are produced in complementing human cell lines that constitutively express E1 proteins. Graham et al. (1977) J. Gen. Virol. 36:59-74; Fallaux et al. (1996) Hum. Gene Ther. 7:215-222; Fallaux et al. (1998) Hum. Gene Ther. 9:1909-1917. However, porcine adenoviruses do not replicate in human cell lines; hence these lines are unsuitable for the propagation of E1-deleted PAV vectors.
Though E1-deleted viruses do not replicate in cells that do not express E1 proteins, the viruses can express foreign proteins in these cells, provided the genes are placed under the control of a constitutive promoter. Xiang et al. (1996) Virology 219:220-227. Vaccination of animals with adenovirus recombinants containing inserts in the E1 region induced a systemic immune response and provided protection against subsequent challenge. Imler et al (1995) Hum. Gene Ther. 6:711-721; Imler et al. (1996) Gene Therap 3:75-84.. This type of expression vector provides a significant safety profile to the vaccine as it eliminates the potential for dissemination of the vector within the vaccinee and therefore, the spread of the vector to nonvaccinated contacts or to the general environment. However, the currently used human adenovirus (HAV) based vectors are endemic in most populations, which provides an opportunity for recombination between the helper-dependent viral vectors and wild type viruses. To circumvent some of the problems associated with the use of human adenoviruses, non human adenoviruses have been explored as possible expression vectors. All vectors developed to date, except one (Klonjkowski et al (1997) Hum. Gene Ther. 8:2103-2115), contain an intact E1 region. Use of such vectors for gene therapy in humans and vaccination in animals is unsafe because they have the ability to replicate in normal cells, and they retain the oncogenic potential of the E1 region.
Recombinant PAV genomes containing heterologous nucleotide sequences have not yet been described. Similarly, sites where insertion of heterologous sequence would not interfere with the ability of a PAV vector to stimulate an immune response against a determinant encoded by an inserted sequence have not been identified. Consequently, the development of effective recombinant PAV vectors for use in immunization, expression systems and gene therapy, awaits resolution of these issues. Similarly, there is a need for improved adenoviral vectors lacking E1 replication and oncogenic functions, for expression of transgenes in mammalian cells.
The present invention provides the complete nucleotide sequence of the porcine adenovirus type 3 (PAV-3) genome. Nucleic acid sequences that are substantially homologous to those comprising a PAV genome are also encompassed by the invention. Substantially homologous sequences include those capable of duplex and/or triplex formation with a nucleic acid comprising all or part of a PAV genome (or with its complement). As is known to those of skill in the art, duplex formation is influcenced by hybridization conditions, particularly hybridization stringency. Factors affecting hybridization stringency are well-known to those of skill in the art. See, for example, Sambrook et al. (1989) Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual; Hames et al. 1985) Nucleic Acid Hybridisation: A Practical Approach, IRL Press Ltd., Oxford Accordingly, it is within the skill of the art to identify a sequence that is substantially homologous to a sequence from a PAV genome.
In addition, novel porcine adenovirus (PAV) expression vector systems comprising PAV genome sequences are disclosed herein. The PAV-3 sequence includes regions into which heterologous sequences can be inserted including, but not limited to, the E1, E3 and E4 regions, and the region between E4 and the right end of the genome. The invention also provides non-essential regions which can be deleted to increase the capacity of a PAV vector for inserted heterologous sequences. These include, but are not limited to, the E3 and E4 regions, and the region between E4 and the right end of the genome. Essential regions, such as E1, can also be deleted, if virus bearing such deletions are propagated in helper cell lines supplying the deleted essential function. Thus, PAV genome sequences can be replaced by one or more foreign genes to generate recombinant PAV vectors expressing heterologous antigenic polypeptides (or antigenic fragments thereof) for the purposes of producing live recombinant virus, subunit vaccines, nucleic acid immunization, or other types of therapy. Multiple heterologous sequences can be inserted into the same, or different, locations in the genome, limited only by the capacity of the virus to accept heterologous sequences. This capacity can be expanded by deletion of viral sequences.
In addition, the invention provides PAV transcriptional and translational regulatory sequences which can be used for expression of heterologous genes that have been inserted into the vectors of the invention. Furthermore, the novel sequences of the present invention can be used for diagnostic purposes, to determine the presence of PAV antigens and/or PAV nucleic acids in a subject or biological sample.
In additional embodiments, the invention provides compositions providing immunity to PAV infection, through expression of antigenic PAV polypeptides. The invention also provides vectors comprising PAV genome sequences, including sequences encoding various PAV genes as well as PAV regulatory sequences, which are useful for controlling the expression of heterologous genes inserted into PAV vectors.
The invention provides defective recombinant PAV vectors that are deleted in their E1 region, as well as helper cell lines providing E1 function, in which such defective vectors can be propagated. Because these defective vectors replicate inefficiently in cells other than the helper cells, they are less likely to stimulate an immune response in a mammalian host. This makes them particularly suitable for use as vaccine vectors. In addition, since the amount of nucleic acid that can be packaged into an adenovirus virion is limited, deletion of the E1 region expands the capacity of these defective vectors, enabling them to accept larger inserts of heterologous sequence. Additional deletions in other regions of the genome can be used to expand the capacity of these defective vectors still further.
The invention further provides methods for obtaining recombinant PAV vectors. In a preferred embodiment, heterologous nucleotide sequences are introduced, through recombinant DNA techniques, into a bacterial plasmid comprising a defined portion of the PAV genome. The recombinant plasmid, containing heterologous sequences flanked by PAV sequences, is introduced into a host cell in combination with a full-length PAV genome or a plasmid containing a full-length or nearly full-length PAV genome. Within the host cell, recombination between the plasmid and the PAV genome generates a recombinant PAV genome. Alternatively, recombinant PAV genomes can be constructed in vitro, using standard techniques in molecular biology and biotechnology.
The invention also provides methods for preparing live recombinant virus and subunit vaccines for inducing protective immune responses to an infectious organism in a mammalian subject. Protective immune responses include humoral (antibody) responses, cell-mediated responses, mucosal responses, or any combination of these. The methods involve insertion, into the porcine adenovirus genome, of heterologous nucleotide sequences encoding one or more protective antigenic determinants of a pathogen. The heterologous sequences are inserted in such a way as to come under the regulatory control of a PAV promoter, or the heterologous sequences are inserted in operative linkage to a eukaryotic transcriptional regulatory sequence. Translation of transcribed heterologous sequences can be controlled by PAV translational regulatory elements, or the heterologous sequence can include non-PAV sequences which regulate its translation.
In another aspect, the invention includes the use of recombinant porcine adenoviruses and recombinant PAV vectors for the expression of a nucleotide or amino acid sequence of interest in a cell system, such as, for example, production of antigen to be used in the preparation of antibodies, or production of antisense RNA.
The invention also includes an expression system comprising a porcine adenovirus expression vector wherein heterologous nucleotide sequences are inserted. The inserted heterologous sequences can comprise one or more regulatory elements for transcription and/or translation, or can be inserted so as to come under the control of PAV regulatory elements. Inserted regulatory elements can be those that are normally associated with the heterologous sequence, or a heterologous sequence can be juxtaposed to and placed in operative linkage with a regulatory element with which it is not normally associated, using standard recombinant DNA techniques. Heterologous sequences can be inserted into a full-length PAV genome, or into a PAV genome which has been deleted in one or more regions. A deletion in the PAV genome can be made to provide a site for insertion of a heterologous sequence, or simply to increase the capacity of the PAV vector to accommodate heterologous sequences inserted at another location.
The invention also provides recombinant PAV polypeptides including, but not limited to, those encoded by the following genes: E1A, E1B, E4, pIX, DBP, pTP, pol, IVa2, 52K, IIIA, pIII, pVII, pV, pX, pVI, and 33K. Such recombinant PAV polypeptides are produced in any eukaryotic expression vector known in the art, into which is inserted a PAV nucleotide sequence according to the invention. Also provided are methods and compositions for recombinant production of heterologous polypeptides and RNAs in a PAV vector. Expression of heterologous polypeptides and RNAs in a PAV vector can be regulated by endogenous PAV regulatory sequences, or by non-PAV sequences. Non-PAV regulatory sequences can be those which normally regulate the heterologous sequence, or they can be sequences that are not normally associated with the heterologous sequence in a regulatory capacity.
Thus, in one embodiment, the invention includes an expression system in which one or more regions of the PAV genome are deleted and replaced with heterologous sequences. In another embodiment, the invention includes a PAV expression system in which heterologous sequences are introduced into the PAV genome without the removal of any PAV sequences. Intergenic regions of the PAV genome comprising regulatory sequences are useful in the practice of the invention for controlling the expression of homologous and heterologous sequences.
The invention also includes recombinant vector systems comprising two or more nucleic acid molecules. In one embodiment, the vector system comprises two plasmids, the first containing a full-length or nearly full-length PAV genome and the second containing a segment of the PAV genome, such as the left end (including the E1 region) or the right end (including the E3 and/or E4 regions). Introduction of heterologous nucleotide sequences into the second plasmid, followed by co-transfection of both plasmids into a suitable host cell, will allow homologous recombination between the two plasmids to generate a viral genome containing inserted heterologous sequences. In another embodiment, the vector system comprises a full-length or nearly full-length PAV genome and a plasmid containing a segment of the PAV genome. Insertion of heterologous sequences into the plasmid, followed by co-transfection and homologous recombination, will generate recombinant PAV genomes as above.
Additional aspects of the invention provide a recombinant PAV comprising a heterologous sequence wherein the heterologous sequence encodes an antigenic determinant of a disease-causing organism; and a recombinant PAV comprising a heterologous sequence wherein the heterologous sequence encodes a foreign gene or fragment thereof. In further embodiments, the invention provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising recombinant PAV for producing an immune response in a mammalian host, the recombinant PAV comprising a heterologous nucleotide sequence encoding a protective determinant of a pathogenic organism. The heterologous sequence is expressed in quantities sufficient for induction of a protective immune response, either through operative linkage to one or more non-PAV regulatory sequences, or through control by endogenous PAV regulatory sequences. The protective immune response can be humoral, cell-mediated and/or mucosal.
The recombinant PAV vectors of the invention will also allow the expression of various therapeutic polypeptides in a wide range of mammalian hosts and are thus useful in the practices of nucleic acid immunization and gene therapy. Exemplary hosts include, but are not limited to, human, equine, bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine, avian, and murine. Those of skill in the art are aware of various therapeutic polypeptides which can be usefully expressed in mammalian hosts. Such therapeutic polypeptides include, but are not limited to, coagulation factors, growth hormones, cytokines, lymphokines, tumor-suppressing polypeptides, cell receptors, ligands for cell receptors, protease inhibitors, antibodies, toxins, immunotoxins, dystrophins, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and immunogenic polypeptides.
The invention also provides diagnostic methods and compositions for the detection of PAV nucleic acids and proteins in a cell or biological sample. The PAV nucleotide sequences disclosed herein can be used as hybridization probes to detect PAV nucleic acids. In addition, the PAV nucleotide sequences disclosed herein encode PAV polypeptides, which can be used for the production of antibodies reactive with various PAV antigens. Such antibodies can be used to detect PAV antigens by immunoassay. Alternatively, PAV polypeptides themselves can be used in competitive immunoassays to detect the presence of PAV antigens in a cell or biological sample. PAV polypeptides can be produced by the PAV vectors of the invention, or can be produced in any mammalian expression vector known in the art.


A language information processing apparatus for translating a model phrase in a first language into a corresponding second language and outputting the translated phrase. The apparatus includes a display that displays the phrase, an input device for inputting a character or a word to be added in the first language to the phrase displayed by the display, a first voice information storage device that stores voice information in the second language corresponding to the phrase, and a second voice information storage device that prepares and stores voice information concerning the character or word in the first language with an intonation in the first language, which character or word is input by the input device. The apparatus further includes a translation instruction device for instructing the translation of the phrase containing the character or the word in the first language, which character or word has been added by the input device, and a voice information reading device that reads the voice information in the second language corresponding to the phrase from the first voice information storage device under instruction from the translation instruction device, and reads the added character or word in the first language from the second voice information storage device.

The present invention relates to a language information processing apparatus fit for use as a portable translation apparatus or an electronic translation apparatus, for example.
Language information processing apparatus have heretofore been devised to translate into another predetermined language (e.g., into English) a model phrase that a user has chosen from among fixed forms of model phrases (e.g., in Japanese) prepared in advance and to display the translated phrase on a display unit and/or voice the phrase in the target language as in the case of a portable or electronic translation apparatus. In order to make compliant translation possible, further, a certain type of language information processing apparatus is adapted so that the user may register any characters in a predetermined portion (portion with * * * ) of a model phrase like `My name is * * * ` and `I live in * * * ,` for example.
However, such a conventional language information processing apparatus has the following problems concerning the displaying and voicing of characters or a word thus registered by the user.
(1) In a case where a registered character string is pronounced in a way peculiar to the source translation language, a problem arising therefrom is that the registered portion may not be properly pronounced in a target translation language when it is attempted to have the registered character string translated and pronounced.
(2) In a case where a registered character string consists of characters peculiar to the source translation language such as kana characters or Hangul alphabets, the registered portion may not be properly displayed in a target translation language when a model phrase is translated and displayed. When `Tom` is converted into roman letters, for example, it may be displayed as `Tomu` instead of `Tom` as a correct display.
Therefore, the result of translation of the registered portion is displayed in special characters like `* * * ` without unreasonably translating that portion into a target translation language in the conventional language information processing apparatus. In the case of a model phrase like `My name is "Tom" (the registered portion is shown by double quotation marks),` for example, it becomes `My name is * * * .` In this case, however, the problem is that what has been registered in the registered portion is left unknown as viewed from the target translation language (English).
(3) A certain combination of registered character string like `ayu` and `kya` in Japanese, for example, may not be pronounced; when they are registered, a line boundary character check can be considered so that such a character string is prevented from being input. Notwithstanding, the line boundary character check for use in placing input restrictions requires extremely complicated programs and this would result in raising a problem in that satisfactory input speed is unobtainable because the processing speed of the CPU used in a microcomputer or the like is low.

Language information processing apparatus and method


Computerized testing of a system to identify combinations of input values that expose failures in the system's operation. Attributes are applied to fields in a source code version of a test case template corresponding to the object. Applied attributes can indicate fields that are to be used when generating test cases for the object. The source code version of the test case template is subsequently compiled or interpreted into a binary test case template. Metadata in the binary test case template is inspected (e.g., through reflection) to identify the fields, data types, and attributes that are to be used when generating test cases. Based on possible input values for the identified fields and generation rules, a plurality of test cases is generated. The generated test cases are executed to identify combinations of input values that expose failures in the system's operation.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to software development technology. More specifically, the present invention relates to mechanisms for testing an object to identify combinations of input values that expose failures in the object's output.
2. Background and Related Art
Computers have revolutionized the way we work and play. There are an enormous variety of functions and applications that may be implemented by a general purpose computing system in response to the execution of a software application. The utility and functionality of the computing system does, however, rely on the proper coding of the source code that was compiled or interpreted into the binary instructions that are actually executed by the processor. If there is a coding error, this will often result in a deviation from expected functionality.
Extraordinary efforts are currently in place to reduce the number of unexpected performance deviations in many software programs before and after the software application are shipped to market. However, the creativity of software programmers and designers has led to increasingly complex and powerful software applications. As the complexity of the software application increases, so often does the number of lines of source code needed to generate the software application.
One way of drafting source code in a more organized manner, is to use object-oriented programming to cause run-time objects to be generated in memory. These objects have associated methods (which are potentially also objects) that can be invoked to manipulate (e.g., create, destroy, perform operations on) the object associated with the method or even other objects. A method is typically invoked by supplying an appropriate input value to each input field (also viewed as objects) of the method (commonly referred to as "calling" the method). Accordingly, a method can also manipulate the objects that are passed to a method when the method is invoked. For example, to create a "FileStream" object, a File Stream creation method can be called with appropriate input values for a File Mode input field, a File Access input field, and a File Share input field. Depending on the input values supplied to these input fields, a FileStream object with particular characteristics can be created.
Unfortunately, even when a method is properly invoked, the method may encounter a situation that it cannot address. For example, some combinations of supplied input values may cause a method to generate inappropriate output or even cause the method to fail to generate any output at all. Failure in a method's output can result, for example, when a supplied input value is incompatible with an operating system (e.g., supplying a filename including unsupported characters or an invalid path), is of an inappropriate data type (e.g., supplying a floating point number to a Boolean input field), or when a first input value is inconsistent with a second input value. Referring back to the File Stream creation method, it would be inconsistent to supply an input value of "READ" to the File Access input field (indicating read-only access) and an input value of "APPEND" to the File Mode input field (thereby implying the file stream will be created for writing). When a method is supplied inconsistent input values the method will typically fail and return an error message, or "throw an exception."
Accordingly, methods (as well as other objects) in a software application are often tested to attempt to identify combinations of input values that will cause output failures. One conventional method of testing software is to have a human tester (which may or may not be the programmer) manually analyze a method (or specification for the method) to identify input fields for the method. The tester may also be required to manually generate rules associated with the input fields, such as, for example, a rule restricting combinations of input values that would result in creating (or opening) a File Stream object in append mode with read-only access. Manually analyzing a method (or specification) and manually generating rules is time consuming and can introduce human error into the testing process. For example, if a tester identifies an inappropriate input field or misspells text included in a rule, the validity of test results can be affected. Further, the time consumed to analyze and generate rules for a number of interrelated methods, such as, for example, those of a software module or application, can be quite significant as each method must be individually analyzed and different rules manually generated for each method.
After identifying input fields and generating associated rules, the tester converts the identified input fields and associated rules into an appropriate format (e.g., a text-based format) that is compatible with a test case generator (potentially introducing additional human error into the testing process). The appropriately formatted input fields and associated rules are then used as input to the test case generator. Based on the input fields and associated rules, the test case generator outputs a number of text-based test cases, each text-based test case representing a possible combination of input values that can be supplied to invoke the method.
Unfortunately, even when the number of input fields is relatively small and each input field has a finite number of input values, the number of possible combinations of input values can be relatively large. For example, a method with five input fields, each having five possible input values would have 3,125 (55) different possible combinations of input values. Methods having additional input fields and/or having input fields with more possible input values can have significantly more (potentially millions of) possible combinations of input values. As a result, it may take days or even weeks to execute test cases for every possible combination of input values for a method.
For example, in a testing environment that can execute one test case per second it would take approximately 11 days to execute 1 million test cases. Some testing environments can execute test cases more efficiently (e.g., one test case per millisecond) thereby reducing the overall time needed to test a method. However, when testing a software module or application that includes hundreds or even thousands of methods (as well as potentially thousands of other objects) the time requirements can still be quite large. Thus for efficiency purposes, a tester may limit the number of test cases generated for each method based on generation time and execution time constraints Accordingly, it would not be uncommon for even an experienced tester to miss some of the combinations of input values likely to cause output failure in a method.
After text-based test cases for a method are generated, the tester supplies the text-based test cases as input to a testing framework for the method. For each text-based test case, the testing framework reads in the text-based test case and converts input values from text-based test case into typed input values (of the input field data types in the method being tested). For example, if an input field of the method being tested is to receive an integer value, the test framework converts a text-based representation of an input value for the input field into an integer value. After converting input values, the testing framework executes the text-based test case by invoking the method with the combination of input values read from the text-based test case.
Thus for each method in a software module that is to be tested, the tester (or programmer) must develop a testing framework that can read text-based test cases, convert input values to appropriate input field data types, and properly invoke the method. Since many methods in a software module or application will have different combinations of data types and possible input values, a tester (or programmer) may be required to develop a separate testing framework for each method in a software module or application. Developing separate testing frameworks for each method in a software module or application is time consuming and potentially consumes tester (or programmer) resources that could otherwise be used to correct identified output failures (or develop new software). Accordingly, what would be advantageous are mechanisms for testing software in a more automated manner.

Automatic identification of input values that expose output failures in a software object


An ultrasonic suture device is provided for drilling arc shaped holes through hard materials, such as metals, glass, or bone. The ultrasonic suture device includes a transducer, horn and probe. The probe is constructed of three sections including a stem section, extension section and arc section. The stem section extends along the longitudinal axis of the ultrasonic suture device, while the arc section is constructed in the shape of an arc of a circle and is positioned concentrically with the stem""s axis. At the distal extremity of the probe is a tip constructed for drilling into hard materials.

The present invention relates to ultrasonic drilling apparatus for highly efficient and precision use, such as medical and dental surgery. The present invention also relates to suturing devices for the medical field.
Dental and surgical procedures involving the use of an ultrasonic probe for removing tissue or for drilling are well known. For example, in dentistry various ultrasonic probes having operative tips that are caused to vibrate at a frequency of about 30,000 Hz are applied to the teeth and vibrated to remove scale and plaque from tooth surfaces. Ultrasonic probes are also used during cataract lens eye surgery to efficiently remove the cataract lens from the eye. Moreover, various surgical procedures make use of a ultrasonic probe for use in drilling holes through bone. Surgical procedures typically make use of various ultrasonic probes having operative tips that are caused to vibrate at frequencies between 20,000 Hz and 60,000 Hz with a stroke of about 20 xcexcm to 150 xcexcm depending on the medical purpose.
Meanwhile, health practitioners frequently use sutures to close various openings such as cuts, punctures, and incisions in various places in the human body. Sutures are also used to join two body parts together by attaching a suture to a first internal body part and then securing the suture to another body part. For example, reattachment of a rotator-cup tendon requires that a suture be passed through a detached tendon and then secured to a hole or anchor in a bone.
Sewing of sutures has been done previously by physicians with devices such as mandibular awls and J-hooks. A J-hook is a suture tool having a longitudinally extending handle, a stem projecting from the handle, and a hook projecting in the plane perpendicular to the axis of the handle and stem. The hook is rotated to push or pull the suture through a hole in the body tissue. Unfortunately, a J-hook tool cannot be used in connection with suturing through holes drilled in bone by prior art ultrasonic probes as the arc shaped end of the J-hook is incapable of projecting through the straight bore drilled by an ultrasonic probe.
It would thus be desirable to have an ultrasonic drilling device that drilled arced shapes through hard materials such as bone for medical procedures. It would also be desirable to provide an ultrasonic drill which was capable of drilling arced shapes through other hard materials such as boron carbide, glass, titanium carbide, steel and the like.
Briefly, in accordance with the invention, we provide an xe2x80x9cultrasonic suture devicexe2x80x9d capable of drilling arc shapes through hard materials. The ultrasonic suture device includes a piezoelectric transducer for converting an externally supplied electrical wave to an ultrasonic mechanical wave producing a mechanical longitudinal stroke. The ultrasonic suture device further includes a horn adjacent to the piezoelectric transducer. Either an exponential horn or stepped horn can be used depending on the device""s purpose. The elongate horn has a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end is positioned adjacent to the transducer, while the distal end forms an operative tip. The length of the elongate horn is determined by the equation (xcex/2)n, where xcex=wavelength and n=1, 2, 3, 4 . . . , to bring a nodal point to the distal end of the horn.
Attached to the distal end of the elongate horn is a probe. The probe includes a stem section which extends along a first axis. The probe further includes an extension section and an arc section. The arc section is semicircular in construction and positioned in the plane perpendicular to the stem""s axis. Meanwhile, the extension section connects the stem section of the probe with the arc section of the probe. Preferably, the extension section first projects outwardly from the stem section""s axis to define a first segment. Thereafter, the extension section transitions so as to have a small spiral segment in the plane perpendicular to the stem section""s axis. Extending from the distal extremity of the extension section""s spiral segment is the probe""s arc section. Preferably, the arc section of the probe is semicircular in construction and also constructed in the plane perpendicular to the stem""s axis. The length of the probe is determined by the equation xcex(2n+1)/4, where xcex=wavelength, and n=1, 2, 3 . . . to bring the maximum amplitude of the stroke to the distal end of probe.
In a preferred embodiment, the length of the ultrasonic suture device""s elements are constructed dependant upon the wavelength (xcex) produced by the transducer so that the sum of the lengths of the horn and probe is evenly divisible by xc2xcxcex., but not evenly divisible by xc2xdxcex according to the equation (xcex/2)n+xcex(2n+1)/4 so that the maximum amplitude of the wave produced by the transducer is provided at the distal end of the probe. For example, in a preferred embodiment, the horn is one-half(xc2xd) xcex in length, the stem section is one-half(xc2xd) xcex in length, the first segment of the extension section is one-eighth (xe2x85x9) xcex in length, the second spiral segment of the extension section is one-eighth (xe2x85x9) xcex in length, and the length of the arc section is one-half (xe2x85x9) xcex. As described, the sum of the lengths of the horn and probe is {fraction (7/4)}xcex, and thus evenly divisible by xc2xcxcex but not xc2xdxcex. As understood by those skilled in the art the length is constructed to produce maximum vibration at the tip of the probe as maximum vibration is found at increments of one-half (xc2xd) xcex along the length of the probe from the point xc2xcxcex after the first nodal point after the transducer.
The wavelength is dependent on the frequency of the transducer and the velocity of the wave through the horn and probe. The transducer may produce any frequency for purposes of the present invention, though common ultrasonic frequencies of 20-60 kHz are considered preferable. The speed that the wave travels through the ultrasonic suture device will vary depending on the construction and materials used for the horn and probe. However, it has been found that if medical grade stainless steel is used, the wave speed through the device is approximately 5-6,000 m/second, and stainless steel SS316 has a velocity of 6,000 m/second. By using relatively simple mathematics, one skilled in the art can determine the wave length of the ultrasonic suture device by knowing the frequency of the device""s transducer. For example, where a preferred ultrasonic suture device employs a stainless steel SS316 horn and probe, and a transducer producing 40 kHz, the wave length is equal to 6,000 m/second÷40 kHz (waves/second)=150 mm. Thus, the preferred ultrasonic suture device described above, having a transducer producing 40 kHz and having a horn and probe constructed of stainless steel SS316, has a horn length of 75 mm, and a probe having a stem length of 75 mm, a first extension segment of 18.75 mm, a second spiral extension segment of 18.75 mm, and an arc section having a length of 75 mm. Of course, the frequency of the transducer, material and the lengths of individual components may be altered by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
In operation, a person attempting to create an arc shaped bore in a hard material places the probe""s tip adjacent to the hard material""s exterior surface. The probe is then rotated about the stem section""s axis so that the tip projects into the hard material along the arced path created by the arced construction of the arc section of the probe. The energy produced by the transducer is amplified by the horn and transmitted to the device""s tip causing an arc shaped bore to be formed in the hard material as the probe is rotated.
The probe and arc section of the probe may be rotated by manually rotating the transducer, horn and probe with one""s hands. Alternatively, the ultrasonic suture device of the present invention may include a construction wherein the transducer and horn are rotatably affixed within a housing as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,204,592 which is incorporated by reference herein. The housing includes a separate electrical motor electrically coupled to a control system for controllably rotating the transducer and horn within the housing. Selective activation of the motor causes the transducer and horn to rotate within the housing, thereby causing the probe to rotate relative to the stem""s axis.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an ultrasonic device capable of producing arc shaped bores through hard materials.
It is still another object of the invention to provide an ultrasonic suture device for producing arc shaped bores through bone capable of being used in connection with suturing procedures.
These and other, further and more specific objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings.

Ultrasonic drilling device with arc-shaped probe


Techniques disclosed herein relate to generating a hierarchical classification model that includes a plurality of classification models. The hierarchical classification model is configured to classify an input into a class in a plurality of classes and includes a tree structure. The tree structure includes leaf nodes and non-leaf nodes. Each non-leaf node has two child nodes associated with two respective sets of classes in the plurality of classes, where a difference between numbers of classes in the two sets of classes is zero or one. Each leaf node is associated with at least two but fewer than a first threshold number of classes. Each of the leaf nodes and non-leaf nodes is associated with a classification model in the plurality of classification models of the hierarchical classification model. The classification model associated with each respective node in the tree structure can be trained independently.

Many users around the world are on instant messaging or chat apps in order to get instant reaction. Organizations often use instant messaging or chat platforms to engage with customers or end users intelligently and contextually in live conversation. However, it can be very costly for organizations to employ service people to engage in live communication with customers or end users. A chatbot or bot is a computer program designed to simulate conversations with human users, especially over the Internet. End users can communicate with bots through many messaging apps that the end users have already installed and used, without the need to individually download and install new apps from, for example, an App store. An intelligent bot, generally powered by artificial intelligence (AI), can improve the conversational experience, allowing a more natural conversation between the bot and the end user. Instead of the end user learning a fixed set of keywords or commands that the bot knows how to respond to, an intelligent bot may be able to understand the end user's intention based on user utterances in natural language and respond accordingly. In many cases, determining the end user's intent in order to respond properly is a challenging task in part due to the subtleties and ambiguity of natural languages.

Techniques for generating a hierarchical model to identify a class among a plurality of classes