Each pixel electrode of a liquid crystal display device is divided into a plurality of subpixel electrodes, which are separated by a gap from each other, and a control capacitor electrode is provided opposite at least one of the subpixel electrodes through a first insulating film. The control capacitor electrode has a region extending the entire length of the gap so that a drive voltage can be applied to liquid crystal in the gap. The control capacitor electrode forms a control capacitor connected in series with a liquid crystal capacitor formed by the at least one subpixel electrode between it and a common electrode corresponding thereto. An additional capacitor electrode, which is opposite the at least one subpixel electrode through a second insulating film, is formed, by which is formed an additional capacitor equivalently in parallel to the liquid crystal capacitor.

The present invention relates to a pixel structure for a liquid crystal display device which employs pixels each composed of a plurality of subpixels and permits a multi-gradation display. More particularly, the invention concerns a pixel structure which provides for improved multi-gradation display quality and aperture ratio.
A prior art example of such a pixel structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,460. As depicted in FIG. 1A which is a perspective view showing one pixel region of a liquid crystal display panel cut out perpendicularly thereto, a control capacitor electrode 2 is formed on the interior surface of a transparent base plate 1 as of glass and an insulating film 3 is deposited over the entire area of the interior surface of the transparent base plate 1 including the control capacitor electrode 2. On the insulating film 3 there are formed four equally divided square subpixel electrodes 4.sub.1 to 4.sub.4. On the interior surface of a transparent base plate 5 as of glass, disposed in adjacent but spaced relation to the subpixel electrodes 4.sub.1 to 4.sub.4, there is deposited a common electrode 6 to define between it and the subpixel electrodes 4.sub.i (where i=1 to 4) a space in which liquid crystal 7 is sealed. The control capacitor electrode 2, the subpixel electrodes 4.sub.i and the common electrode 6 are transparent electrodes formed of ITO or similar material. Thus, one pixel is divided into four subpixels F.sub.1 to F.sub.4 corresponding to the subpixel electrodes 4.sub.1 to 4.sub.4, respectively. As shown in FIG. 1B, a control capacitor C.sub.Ci using the insulating film 3 as a dielectric is formed between each subpixel electrode 4.sub.i and the control capacitor electrode 2, and a liquid crystal capacitor C.sub.LCi using the liquid crystal 7 as a dielectric is formed between the subpixel electrode 4.sub.i and the common electrode 6. FIG. 2 shows an electric equivalent circuit of the pixel depicted in FIG. 1A. Letting electrostatic capacitances of the control capacitor C.sub.Ci and the liquid crystal capacitor C.sub.LCi be represented by C.sub.Ci and C.sub.LCi for convenience sake, the partial area of the control capacitor electrode 2 overlapping each subpixel electrode 4.sub.i is so adjusted as to satisfy the following condition: EQU C.sub.C1 >C.sub.C2 >C.sub.C3 >C.sub.C4 ( 1)
The control capacitor electrode 2 is connected as shown in FIG. 1B to a drain electrode D of a thin film transistor (hereinafter referred to as a TFT) 8 formed on the transparent base plate 1 adjacent the pixel in FIG. 1A. A predetermined voltage Va is applied across the control capacitor electrode 2 and the common electrode 6 via the TFT 8. When the TFT 8 is turned ON, the applied voltage Va is divided, for each subpixel F.sub.i, into a voltage V.sub.Ci across the control capacitor C.sub.Ci and a voltage V.sub.LCi across the liquid crystal capacitor C.sub.LCi. The voltage V.sub.LCi is expressed as follows: ##EQU1## By setting the capacitance of each control capacitor C.sub.Ci to such a value as in Eq. (1), the voltage V.sub.LCi across each liquid crystal capacitor C.sub.LCi can be set to satisfy the following condition: EQU V.sub.LC1 >V.sub.LC2 >V.sub.LC3 >V.sub.LC4 ( 3)
Letting a voltage at which the transmission of light through the liquid crystal is saturated be represented by V.sub.U and a threshold voltage by V.sub.L, the voltage V.sub.LCi across the liquid crystal Capacitor C.sub.LCi can assume the following cases according to the value of the voltage Va applied to the pixel, as shown in FIG. 3.
(a) V.sub.LCi =0 for Va=0. PA1 (b) V.sub.LC1 =V.sub.U and V.sub.LC2 =V.sub.L : In this case V.sub.LC3 and V.sub.LC4 are lower than V.sub.L. The applied voltage Va in this instance is indicated by Val. PA1 (c) V.sub.LC2 =V.sub.U and V.sub.LC3 =V.sub.L : The applied voltage Va in this instance is indicated by Va2. PA1 (d) V.sub.LC3 =V.sub.U and V.sub.LC4 =V.sub.L : The applied voltage in this instance is indicated by Va3. PA1 (e) V.sub.LC4 =V.sub.U : The applied voltage Va in this instance is indicated by Va4.
The applied voltage Vai is as follows: EQU Val>Va2>Va3>Va4>0 (4)
A multi-gradation display is produced by changing the value of the applied voltage Va.
In the prior art, the voltage V.sub.LCi across the liquid crystal capacitor C.sub.LCi is set so that when the applied voltage Va is Vai, the voltage V.sub.LCi becomes equal to the voltage V.sub.U at which the transmission of light through the liquid crystal becomes saturated. That is, ##EQU2## The partial area of the control capacitor C.sub.Ci overlapping the subpixel electrode 4.sub.i is selected so that its capacitance satisfies Eq. (5). As will be seen from Eq. (5), the reduction of the voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal capacitor V.sub.LCi of the subpixel electrode 4.sub.i calls for a decrease in the capacitance of the corresponding control capacitor C.sub.Ci. In other words, the partial area of the control capacitor electrode 2 overlapping the subpixel electrode 4.sub.i must be decreased. However, as the overlapping area decreases (the overlapping area of the control capacitor C.sub.C4 is the smallest in the above example), an error of the capacitance value C.sub.Ci increases owing to variations in the partial areas of the control capacitor electrode 2 overlapping the subpixel electrodes 4.sub.1 to 4.sub.4 which are caused by pattern misalignments. If the liquid crystal capacitor electrode voltage V.sub.LCi greatly deviates from the transmission saturating voltage V.sub.U, an error in the multi-gradation display increases, seriously impairing the display quality.
Moreover, the adjoining subpixel electrodes 4.sub.i of each pixel must be separated by certain gaps defined therebetween, but in the prior art, since the control capacitor electrode 2 is shaped so that it does not overlap most of such gaps, no voltage can be applied to the liquid crystal layer corresponding to the gaps not overlapping the control capacitor electrode 2--this reduces the effective pixel area and hence decreases the aperture ratio of the pixel.
Besides, since the subpixel electrodes 4.sub.i are formed simply by dividing one pixel electrode in row and column directions, the center of an ON region of each pixel varies with the number of subpixels which are turned ON. Consequently, the quality of a display image is not good.

Liquid crystal display device with control capacitors for gray scale


The multidimensional data management system for speedily registering and searching multidimensional data includes: a central processing unit and a storage device that stores the multidimensional data including the respective values of plural dimensions, and multidimensional management data associating the ranges of the respective values of plural dimensions with character strings. The central processing unit obtains the respective values of a plurality of dimensions included in each multidimensional data; obtains the ranges of the respective values of a plurality of dimensions defined in the multidimensional management data within which the obtained respective values of the plurality of dimensions fall respectively; obtains character strings associated with the obtained ranges of the respective values of the plurality of dimensions in the multidimensional management data; couples the obtained character strings; and associates the coupled character strings with each multidimensional data, and stores each multidimensional data with the coupled character strings.

The present invention relates to multidimensional data management systems and multidimensional data management methods.
In recent years, various approaches for achieving effective developments in material engineering have been made, and increasing attention has been paid to material informatics. Simulation technologies such as first-principles calculation have been introduced into the field of material engineering so far. Along with high attention paid to big data and artificial intelligence technologies in recent years, researchers have been utilizing data of experiment results and simulation results obtained at their research fields in order to verify their hypotheses. Therefore needs for analyzing these vast data have been increasingly growing.
Generally speaking, data of experiment results and simulation results obtained at research fields are multidimensional data including one or more physical quantities associated with one or more dimensions. Researchers extract multidimensional data within one or more dimensions and within the ranges of the values of those dimensions, and visualize the physical quantities of the extracted multidimensional data in order to verify their hypotheses. Processing of extracting multidimensional data within one or more dimensions and within the ranges of the values of those dimensions is range searching.
In addition, researchers accumulate the results of experiments carried out in the past and refer to the results of experiments obtained in the past the characteristics of which are similar to those of the newly obtained results of experiments, or the researchers carry out simulations in advance, accumulate the results of the simulations, and refer to the results of simulations the characteristics of which are similar to the characteristic of newly obtained experiment data in order to verify their hypotheses. Processing of extracting similar multidimensional data in this way is similarity searching.
In order for researchers to speedily repeat the cycles of hypothesis verification, it is very important to analyze experiment results and simulation results in short times. Since experiment results and simulation results include a large number of records and they are multidimensional data, a technology using which range searching and similarity searching are speedily carried out becomes indispensable.
Japanese Patent Application Publication (Translation of PCT Application) No. 2007-521565 discloses a technology in which "each dimension in a characteristic space is divided into several partitions", "a single partition is selected by each dimension", "a reduced data object set that includes only data objects overlapping a selected partition is selected", and "a match corresponding to a query is determined" using "this reduced data object set" (refer to Abstract).

Multidimensional data management system and multidimensional data management method


Disclosed is a method and apparatus for measuring a distance to a target object by using a radar signal in an environment where an obstacle is present. The disclosed method of measuring a distance by using a radar includes: receiving a radar signal reflected from a target object by passing through a target obstacle; estimating material of the target obstacle by using an obstacle material learning result which uses a waveform of a reference radar signal, and by using a waveform of the reflected radar signal; estimating a thickness of the target obstacle by using an obstacle thickness learning result which uses a frequency feature of the reference radar signal, and by using a frequency feature of the reflected radar signal; and calculating a distance to the target object by using a permittivity according to the material of the target obstacle, and the thickness of the target obstacle.

Generally, conventional radio frequency (RF) signal based obstacle transmission studies are based on a damping ratio of received signals. The above method is a method of estimating a permittivity and a thickness of an obstacle by using an energy difference between an energy when a signal transmitted from a transmitter is received by passing through an environment where an obstacle is present, and an energy when a signal is transmitted in vacuum, and time information of how long the signal has been delayed and received is required. In addition, in the through-wall imaging field, which has been actively studied recently, an array antenna is used to overcome effects of obstacles by processing signals received from each antenna.
Accordingly, recently, research is underway to detect targets in an environment where an obstacle is present by using radar signals.
In conventional researches of obstacle transmission techniques using a radar signal, a feature of the obstacle is provided or a distance to a target object is provided. In a general communication system where information is exchanged between a transmitter and a receiver, information of how long a signal is delayed is provided, and the feature of the obstacle is classified. Accordingly, the entire system has to be large and a damping modeling has to be accurate. A method of using an array antenna consumes a great deal of money in constituting the system, and processing received signals.

Method and apparatus for measuring distance by means of radar


Compositions comprising therapeutically effective amounts of lamellar bodies for the modification of linear macromolecules are disclosed. These lamellar compositions are useful in the treatment of conditions or diseases characterized by a preponderance of heavy mucous secretions, such as otitis media, cystic fibrosis, bronchitis, sinusitis and nasal congestion. Methods of treating these diseases and conditions by administering a therapeutically effective amount of a composition to a patient requiring such treatment are also disclosed.

There are a number of occasions and sites where it would be beneficial to modify linear biological macromolecules, such as in disease states and during surgery. Examples where linear macromolecules are problematic are acute and chronic otitis media and sinusitis, acute and chronic inflammatory disorders of the respiratory tract (including cystic fibrosis), disorders of the alimentary and genito-urinary tracts, and during surgical procedures on ducts and surfaces of body cavities filled or covered by thickened secretions or exudates. There are no biologically efficacious substances or methods typically used for alteration or removal of these species of macromolecules, which in pathological situations can result in acute and chronic morbidity and mortality.
On the simple basis of observed viscosity or lubricity, older physiology texts classified secretions into thick or thin. Thick secretions were described as "mucoid", whereas thin secretions were considered "serous" in nature. These ill-defined archaic terms are still in use and have not been accurately defined and categorized. The term "serous" is applied to the sparse, thin secretions encountered universally in the large body cavities, pleura, pericardium, peritoneum, joints and tendon sheaths. This thin secretion is termed "serous" in that, like serum, it does not clot. In the last decade however, serous fluid in body cavities, was for the first time accurately defined as a secretion of mesothelium in which phospholipid microbodies were the predominant element in conferring high lubricity and non-stick properties (Dobbie J W, (1988) Ultrastructural similarities between mesothelium and Type II pneumocytes and their relevance to phospholipid surfactant production by the peritoneum In: Khanna R, Nolph K D, Prowant B, Eds: Advances in Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, pp 32-41; Dobbie J W, Pavlina T, Lloyd J, Johnson R C. (1988); Am J Kid Dis., 12:31-36; Dobbie J W, Lloyd J K. (1989), Perit Dial Int, 9:215-221). Subsequently it has been shown that not only mesothelium but many other tissues in respiratory, alimentary and reproductive tracts contain varying densities of "serous" cells, which secrete a similar substance.
Invisible to light and electron microscopy for so long, these findings have recently been responsible for the concept that the secretory system for these phospholipid microbodies constitutes a hitherto unrecognized major biological system throughout the animal kingdom (Dobbie J W. (1996) Perit Dial Int. 16:574-581).
Widespread throughout the animal kingdom, the secretion of mucus from body surfaces, in association with underlying motile projections of cell surfaces, cilia, together constitutes an important mechanical system for automatic clearance of potentially noxious substances. In lung, the mucociliary clearance system is the first line of defense against inhaled particulates, aerosols and pathogens, into its airways. Such materials are adsorbed out of the air stream onto the mucous gel contained within the airway surface liquid, which coats the ciliated epithelium. Despite the focus of intensive research in recent years, particularly in relation to the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis, there remain unsolved biophysical problems in understanding the function of mucociliary clearance in all body surfaces. It is with respect to the identification of compositions for the treatment of diseases and conditions characterized by the preponderance of thick mucous secretions that the present application is directed.

Compositions and methods of using lamellar bodies for modifying linear biological macromolecules


5.5 Angstrom resolution x-ray crystallographic structures of 70S ribosome complexes containing messenger RNA and tranfer RNA (tRNA), or tRNA analogs, are provided. The resolution has been enhanced by fitting atomic resolution structures of 30S and 50S subunits onto the 5.5 anstrong electron density map. The enhanced structure reveals regions of structural differences between the 70S complex and the structures of the individual 30S and 50S components. Pharmacophore design to discover novel inhibitors or activators may be carried out using the enhanced 5.5 Angstrom 70S structure.

Translation of the RNA-encoded genetic message into the polypeptide chain of a protein links genotype to phenotype. It is carried out by the ribosome, an ancient ribonucleoprotein particle whose structural core and fundamental mechanism of action are conserved among all forms of life (C. R. Woese, et al. Microbiol. Rev. 47, 621 (1983); W. E. Hill, et al. Eds., The Ribosome. Structure, Function and Evolution (American Society for Microbiology, Washington D.C., (1990)). The smallest and best-studied examples are bacterial ribosomes, which have a molecular size of ˜2.5 MD and are made up of a small (30S) and a large (50S) subunit. The 30S subunit is composed of 16S rRNA (˜1500 nucleotides (nt)) and about 20 different proteins, whereas the large subunit contains 23S rRNA (˜2900 nt), 5S rRNA (120 nt), and more than 30 different proteins. This degree of structural complexity is in keeping with that of its biological role.
The substrate of the ribosome is tRNA, which is commonly considered to bind to the ribosome at three different sites: A, P, and E (aminoacyl, peptidyl, and exit, respectively) (Watson 1964; Rheinberger et al. 1981). Each tRNA binding site is partitioned between the two ribosomal subunits, resulting in as many as six different sites of interaction between tRNA and the ribosome. The anticodon ends of the tRNAs bind to the 30S subunit, which also carries messenger RNA (mRNA); the 3′-acceptor, or CCA ends of the tRNAs interact with the 50S subunit, which contains the catalytic site for peptide bond formation, peptidyl transferase (Monro 1967). Thus, the tRNAs span the interface between the 30S and 50S subunits.
The translational elongation cycle depends on three fundamental processes: (i) aminoacyl-tRNA selection, (ii) peptide bond formation, and (iii) translocation of tRNAs from one site to the next within the ribosome. Although in vivo, the steps of tRNA selection and translocation involve the elongation factors EF-Tu and EF-G, respectively, in guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-dependent reactions, both steps can be carried out by the ribosome in a factor-independent manner, under appropriate ionic conditions in vitro (Pestka 1969; Gavrilova et al. 1972). Thus, all three of the fundamental steps of the translation elongation cycle must be based on the properties of the ribosome itself, and most likely on its RNA components (Green et al. 1997). The molecular mechanisms by which the ribosome accomplishes these functional processes remain largely mysterious, as does its molecular structure. While knowledge of ribosome structure may not provide immediate explanations for the complexities of translation, it is clear that deeper mechanistic insights will depend on it.
Structures of ribosomal proteins and rRNA fragments, determined by x-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, have provided atomic-resolution detail of individual components of the ribosome (Ramakrishnan et al. 1998; Moore et al. 1998; Nikonov et al. 1988; Szewcazk et al. 1995; Dallas et al. 1997; Correll et al. 1997). In recent years, great progress has been made in determining the structures of complete ribosomes, ribosomal subunits, and functional complexes of the ribosome by cryoelectron microscopy (Frank et al. 1995a; Stark et al. 1997a; reviewed in Agrawal et al. 1999a). Two major advances toward x-ray crystallography of the ribosome were the crystallization of 50S subunits (Yonath et al. 1980; von Bohlen et al. 1991) and the recent determination of their crystal structure at 9 Å resolution (Ban et al. 1998). Even more recently, two papers describing the structures of the T. thermophilus 30S ribosomal subunit at 5.5 Å resolution (Clemons et al. 1999) and the Haloarcula marismortui 50S ribosomal subunit at 5 Å resolution (Ban et al. 1999) were published. Although many of the details of the rRNA and ribosomal protein components are more clearly resolved in the subunit structures, some features seen in the 70S ribosome structure, such as protein L1 in the 50S subunit and part of the head of the 30S subunit, appear to be absent in the subunit maps, possibly because of local disorder that is not present in the 70S ribosome crystals. A 2.4 Angstrom structure of the 50S ribosomal subunit from Haloarcula marismortui was recently reported (Ban et at. 2000), as was a 3 Angstrom structure of the 30S ribosome subunit from T. thermophilus (Wimberly et al. 2000). Again, aspects of structure not visible, even in these atomic resolution structures of the subunits (such as L11, see Wimberly et al. 2000) are visible for the first time in the 5.5 Angstrom 70S structure we describe below. In addition, certain features of the 30S subunit, such as the orientation of the head and platform, differ between the isolated subunits and 70S ribosome.
Crystallization of Thermus thermophilus 70S ribosomes and ribosome complexes (Trakhanov et al. 1987; Trakhanov et al. 1989; Hansen et al. 1990; Yusupova et al. 1991; Yusupov et al. 1991) has provided the possibility for solving the structure of the complete ribosome in different functional states. In an earlier work, we reported the crystallization of functional complexes of the complete T. thermophilus 70S ribosome, containing mRNA and tRNA or tRNA analogs, and the solution of their structures by x-ray crystallography at up to 7.8 Å resolution (Cate et al. 1999). Many specific features of the rRNA were identified, and in many instances, elements of protein structure were also recognizable. The interactions of tRNA with the ribosome in the A, P, and E sites were seen in the greatest detail so far obtained, providing new insights into the mechanism of translation.
Despite these improvements in structure determination of 70S ribosome structure, certain details of the molecular interactions such as those in the interface between the 30S and 50S subunits were not clearly resolved in prior art structure determinations of the 70S ribosome. Knowledge of the details of this and other structural features of the 70S ribosome provides deeper insight into the ribosome function, as well as a structural basis for rational design of novel compounds to alter ribosome function. Thus there exists a need in the art for a higher resolution structure of the 70S ribosome. The present invention provides for these and other advantages by extending the resolution of the 70S ribosome structure to 5.5 Angstroms. Using methods described below, the 5.5 Angstrom structure provides a basis for obtaining high-resolution structural details of the 70S ribosome structure, including determination of many features not previously resolved in prior art structure determinations of the 70S ribosome or its subunits.

X-ray crystal structures of functional ribosome complexes containing transfer RNA and model messenger RNAs and methods of use

The Regents of the University of California


A fastening clip with a flexible tether for use with a vehicle includes a first fastener attached to a component such as a vehicle body, and a second fastener attached to a removable component such as a vehicle trim panel. The first and second fasteners may be connected by generally rigid arms joined by an integral hinge and by at least one flexible tether capable of elongating and contracting. The hinged arms and tether provide multiple means to prevent the trim section from freely detaching from the vehicle body and becoming a projectile following deployment of an air bag from behind the trim panel. In addition, the rigid arms cause the trim panel to move in a controlled arc. A further aspect of the invention provides a tether that is capable of stretching to allow unimpeded air bag deployment followed by contracting to pull the trim panel back towards its original position on the vehicle body.

It is known that air bags are used within vehicles for passenger safety in the event of an accident or collision. The known vehicle air bags are generally positioned within vehicle body components in the passenger area, typically behind detachable trim sections of the vehicle. When an air bag is activated or deployed, the associated trim within the vehicle pops off or otherwise separates from the body or sheet metal of the vehicle to allow full deployment of the air bag. It is desirable to prevent the trim from flying freely around the occupant compartment of the vehicle and potentially creating a safety hazard. To prevent this from happening, fasteners may be used that provide one or more generally flexible tethers that are attached to the vehicle trim. However, these fasteners with tethers offer little control over the movement and direction of the vehicle trim during and after an air bag is deployed.
The present invention addresses these and other drawbacks with known fastening clips and in particular fastening clips that may be used with vehicle air bag release systems.


A heater and a method of its use are configured for use at cold operating temperatures. The heater has a supply line for transporting a volume of fuel between a fuel tank and burner. An inline heater is supplied in a supply line for the burner. The heater also has a return line that normally returns unused fuel from the burner to the heater, hence reducing the volume of fuel that needs to be heated by the heater and reducing system power requirements. The heater may be thermostatically controlled to maintain the temperature of the heated fuel to a value that is at or above a temperature required for good fuel atomization but below a flashpoint of the fuel. A valve is provided in the return line to permit diversion of the returned fuel to the fuel tank during a purge operation at initial startup.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to fuel burning heaters, more particularly, relates to a fuel burning heater having an inline heater for heating fuel that is bound for the burner. The invention additionally relates to a method of operating such a machine.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Performing construction work in cold weather climates faces many challenges that are not confronted in warmer climates. In the context of excavation and earth-moving, frozen soil, as is typically confronted in arctic environments, requires substantially more energy, time and resources to move and manipulate. Also, the curing of concrete and other paving materials may be negatively impacted by such extreme cold temperature as required water evaporation and drying are particularly challenging when the liquid components freeze prior to evaporation.
These difficulties can be mitigated through the use of heaters to warm the work site area. One commonly used type of heater is a so-called indirect fired (IDF) heater that heats air and directs the hot-air to the area to be heated by blowing the air through large hoses. The air is heated by a burner that may be fueled by any of a variety of fuels including diesel fuel, kerosene, natural gas, or propane. Heaters that burn a liquid fuel, such as diesel fuel, typically use an atomizing burner supplied with the liquid fuel from a fuel tank via a pump. Atomizing burners operate by pressurizing a fuel oil and forcing it through a nozzle. The nozzle causes the fuel oil to atomize into fine droplets that are readily burned. The atomized fuel is exposed to an electric arc to begin the combustion reaction. When the reaction has stabilized, it is self-sustaining, and the electrode is no longer needed to maintain a flame. The fuel may be supplied in either a "one-pipe system", in which a pump is sized to deliver only as much fuel to the burner as is needed at any given time, or a "two-pipe" system in which the pump delivers much more fuel than is typically required for combustion and the unused fuel is recycled back to the fuel tank. As much as 70-90% of the fuel pumped by a two-pipe system may be returned as unused fuel. Two-pipe systems typically are considered to be preferable to one-pipe systems because they are self-purging after an out-of-fuel condition. That is, air trapped in the fuel lines is automatically purged back to the tank as opposed to having to be manually bled from the fuel lines in a one-pipe system.
Most atomizing burners are designed for indoor use at near room temperature conditions. Several are designed to withstand temperatures now lower than 0° C., and no commercially available burner known to the inventors is capable of starting and operating at temperatures of −40° C. without some degree of modification to either the burner or the fuel supply. The limiting factor preventing operation below these temperatures is the fact that fuel viscosity increases as temperature decreases, resulting in the ejection of larger fuel droplets from the burner's nozzles at low temperatures. At low temperatures of on the order of −20° C. and lower, the larger atomized droplets are difficult to ignite and may not ignite at all. Even if ignition is established, the burner will run with excessive smoke because of ineffective precombustion mixing of the fuel and air.
After-market heaters are available for heating fuel as it is being ejected from the burner's nozzle, but such heaters are minimally effective, even for start up, at extremely low temperatures of on the order of −30° C. Even if these small heaters are effective at improving burner start-up, they are insufficient for maintaining a stable flame over prolonged use. Furthermore, installation of the after-market inline heater requires modification to the heater, and may compromise manufacturer warranties.
In addition, at extremely low temperatures, such fuel may form a solid wax precipitate which can clog both the fuel filter and the burner nozzle. Nozzle heaters are completely ineffective at preventing the formation of such a precipitate in a fuel filter.
Various tank-based or inline heaters have been proposed in an effort to alleviate these problems, but all such heaters have disadvantages. Some are supplied with energy with heat from the burner and, as such, are completely ineffective at start-up when the heater's components are at or near ambient temperature and heating is most critical. Other, electrically powered heaters, require so much energy to operate that they dramatically increase the electrical power draw of the heater.
Despite these prior attempts to design a heater for use in cold weather climates, there remains need for improvement. In light of the foregoing, a heater configured to recirculate and effectively pre-warm fuel is desired.

Indirect fired heater with inline fuel heater


A method for focus control and a mobile terminal are disclosed. The method includes recognizing whether a face region appears in a preview window in a photographing preview mode; acquiring a preset travel path of the lens that matches with the face region in response to an area of the face region being less than a first preset value, wherein a start point of the preset travel path is a first position, an end point of the preset travel path is a second position close to the far focus position, and the first position is not coincident with the second position; and focusing on the face region following the movement between the first position and the second position along the optical axis according to the preset travel path.

With development of the ever-changing technology of mobile terminals, the photograph function of a mobile terminal is used more and more frequently, and there are more and more photos of people. There are lots of people taking group photos and selfies at shopping malls, scenic spots, places of interest and historical sites. Therefore, the photograph of the mobile terminal currently supports the face focusing function. The face focusing means that the focusing is mainly triggered by the detected area of the face, which means that the face is the best clear point to achieve focus photography.
However, when the object is farther away from the mobile terminal (two to three meters), the face region detected by the mobile terminal will be small, and the focus area will be correspondingly small. During the focusing, the Focus Value (FV) calculated in the focus area will be flat without strong downward trend. During the search-focus, an extreme point of the focus point cannot be determined, and the motor drives the lens to move to the far focus position which means that a position corresponding to the infinity is focused. Thus, the object cannot be accurately focused, making it blurred and unclear.

Method for focusing control, mobile terminal and non-transitory storage medium

GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.


Systems and methods for generating and surfacing augmented reality cues associated with physical items for presentation to users during augmented reality experiences are described. In order to provide a more immersive augmented reality experience, physical items that a user may touch, taste, smell, see, and/or hear may be provided to a user within compartments of a container as part of the experience. During the augmented reality experience, particular locations along a path may be recognized using image recognition techniques, and augmented reality cues associated with particular physical items related to the recognized locations may be presented to the user.

Our world and universe is full of wonderful places, history, and natural wonders that people enjoy learning about and experiencing. People even plan special vacations, save money, and take time off from work to physically travel from their home location to a destination, often just to learn about and experience that destination location. However, physically visiting different locations is often cost and/or time prohibitive for many people. Others experience and learn about different places in the world by reading about those places, watching videos, and/or watching live presentations about those locations. However, those types of experiences require that the individual be a passive observer, watching, listening, and learning based on the information that is provided, and such experiences are typically limited to two of the senses: sight and hearing. Thus, the individuals do not have the ability to fully participate in the experience.
While implementations are described herein by way of example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the implementations are not limited to the examples or drawings described. It should be understood that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit implementations to the particular form disclosed but, on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims. The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words "include," "including," and "includes" mean including, but not limited to.

Generating and surfacing augmented reality signals for associated physical items


A hydrogen supply system is provided for a fuel cell that can increase the cooling water temperature without hydrogen consumption at ignition by increasing the temperature of the cooling water by using heat from a reaction between a hydride and water.

A fuel cell is like a battery that converts chemical energy originating from fuel oxidation to electric energy. In a hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell system, the hydrogen can be replaced with a gas fuel including methane and liquefied natural gas, or replaced with a liquid fuel including methanol.
In order to obtain power from a fuel cell stack of the fuel cell system, the temperature of the fuel cell stack must be more than a predetermined temperature, for example 50° C. If the temperature of the fuel cell stack is lower than the predetermined temperature, a membrane or a separating board of the fuel cell can be damaged, i.e. the temperature of the fuel cell increases rapidly so that thermal shock can occur. Accordingly, the efficiency of the fuel cell deteriorates.
Furthermore, although the relative humidity of the hydrogen, which is supplied at ambient temperature, is controlled to be 100%, as the reaction temperature inside of the fuel cell stack increases, the relative humidity of the hydrogen decreases, again deteriorating the efficiency of the fuel cell.
In a fuel cell system, methods for increasing reaction temperature and cooling water temperature are suggested as follows.
(1) Increasing the cooling water temperature by hydrogen combustion
(2) Increasing the cooling water temperature by methanol combustion
(3) Using an EHC (Electric Heated Catalyst)
(4) Increasing the reaction temperature by a reaction of hydrogen with oxygen near the MEA (Membrane Electrode Assembly)
The method of hydrogen or methanol combustion can easily increase the cooling water temperature by the heat of combustion. However, the methods of hydrogen or methanol combustion necessitate fuel consumption, so that the fuel consumption rate increases considerably. Furthermore, this method of hydrogen combustion has an associated danger of explosion.
The method of using an EHC (Electric Heated Catalyst) has a simple construction, but it has a defect in that a large quantity of electricity is consumed.
Finally, the method of using the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen near the MEA (Membrane Electrode Assembly) increases the reaction temperature rapidly so that the power is generated quickly, but an electrode catalyst can be damaged by thermal shock.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art that is already known to a person skilled in the art.


The present invention relates to a cell culturing method and kit. More specifically, it relates to a cell culturing method and kit using a support that is exposed to the air. It further relates to a method of culturing cells by allowing them to migrate onto a porous polyimide film.

Cell Culturing
Cells generally exist as three-dimensional aggregates in the body, but in classical plate culturing, cells are cultured in a monolayer fashion with the cells attached to a vessel. Numerous reports have indicated significant differences in cell properties with different culturing environments. An alternative is suspension culturing in which cells are cultured in a liquid culturing medium, but some cells are suited for suspension culture while others are not.
In recent years, with increasing interest being directed toward cultured cell-based production of vaccines, and in vivo proteins such as enzymes, hormones, antibodies and cytokines, as well as cell grafts for use in regenerative medicine, greater focus has been placed on efficient and convenient methodologies for mass cell culturing. In cell culturing, regardless of whether or not a cell culture support is used and regardless of whether suspended cells or adherent cells are used, supply of oxygen is an essential issue for achieving healthy growth of the cells, with the exception of anaerobic bacteria. For example, when adherent cells are plate cultured using a dish, a plate or a chamber, there are restrictions on the proper range for the medium volume with respect to the area of the culturing vessel. Therefore, when an excessive amount of medium has been used, it is often the case that oxygen may be insufficiently supplied to the cells and the low oxygen condition may lead to inhibition or even cell death. Moreover, with spheroid-forming cell population, an excessively large size is known to result in oxygen deficiency for the cells in the interior (NPL 1). As a solution for the issue of oxygen supply, it has been attempted to increase the oxygen concentration by utilizing microbubbles (PTL 1) or to employ methods for uniformly supplying oxygen in microcarrier culturing (PTL 2).
Methods of culturing while exposing the cell culture support to a gas phase have also been attempted. For example, for hollow fiber culturing, a liquid phase/gas phase exposure bioreactor has been proposed (PTL 3), as a system wherein hollow fibers inhabited by cells are rotated for alternate exposure to a gas phase and a liquid phase. There has also been proposed a system for cell culturing wherein a support sheet with an excellent handling property is entirely exposed to a gas phase (PTL 4), although no particular embodiment has been specified.
If a support can be exposed to a gas phase during cell culturing, then the issue of oxygen supply for cell culturing will be greatly improved and a very attractive methodology will be provided toward establishing a more efficient culturing method. However, since it is impossible to avoid drying out of fibrous materials that are used as known cell culture supports, a demand exists for establishing a novel "culturing method that allows the support to be exposed to a gas phase", and that includes such materials.
Cells are largely classified into two types, suspended cells and adherent cells, based on the feature of their living form. For culturing of adherent cells, a range is limited within a scaffold in which the cells grow during the course of their division and proliferation, and therefore with continued proliferation it is unavoidable that they eventually reach the limit of proliferation in the scaffold. This is a fact common to both culturing on flat surfaces such as standard plates, and three-dimensional culturing using a substrate.
Subculturing is absolutely indispensable to promote cell growth and is an important process regardless of the purpose and method, but the operations of treating the cells with trypsin or collagenase to remove them from the scaffold, and reseeding them via a cell suspension, not only run the risk of contamination but are also time consuming, while stress exerted on the cells is another factor that cannot be overlooked.
In microcarrier culturing, which may be considered a typical culturing method in which medium is employed, it has been possible to achieve exchanging the cells between the carriers, but since their handling is carried out by microcarrier culturing, the method is still limited by the form of the microcarrier and subject to restrictions on the shape and size of the microcarrier.
In recent years, inventions by Kyoto University, Nissan Chemical Industries, Ltd. and Nipro Corp. relating to microcarrier culturing have provided methods for mass culturing of ES and iPS cells using gellan gum, and methods for subculturing of cells without cell suspensions have been discovered. Such methods are carried out while suspending formed cell cluster (called "spheroids") in liquid, wherein repeated enlargement and division of the spheroids allows the cell culturing to be achieved without suspension, but because these are limited to spheroid-forming cells, while many time consuming aspects are also involved including detailed timing control required to prevent aggregation of the spheroids, such methods are not very efficient and the morphological restrictions associated with microcarrier culturing still essentially have not been solved.
For common culturing methods, on the other hand, there is known a methodology in which a portion of the culturing surface of the cultured cells is covered using a removable rubber material, which is removed each time the cells are transferred and transported to a plate or the like for culturing, but while this essentially allows them to be temporarily transportable, from the viewpoint of expanding the method for continuous mass cell culturing, the aforementioned issues have not been dealt with and remain unsolved.
In order to culture and grow cells in mass quantities and efficiently prepare them for the intended purpose, it is desirable to subculture the cells using a highly adaptable system suited for convenience and automation in a manner without using a cell suspension, regardless of their form or sizes. In addition, it is a highly desirable goal to establish a novel system whereby the methodology can be directly implemented in constant cell culturing.
Porous Polyimide Film
The term "polyimide" is a general term for polymers including imide bonds in the repeating unit. An "aromatic polyimide" is a polymer in which aromatic compounds are directly linked by imide bonds. An aromatic polyimide has an aromatic-aromatic conjugated structure via an imide bond, and therefore has a strong rigid molecular structure, and since the imide bonds provide powerful intermolecular force, it has very high levels of thermal, mechanical and chemical properties.
Porous polyimide films have been utilized in the prior art for filters and low permittivity films, and especially for battery-related purposes, such as fuel cell electrolyte membranes and the like. PTLs 8 to 10 describe porous polyimide films with numerous macro-voids, having excellent permeability for gases and the like, high porosity, excellent smoothness on both surfaces, relatively high strength and, despite high porosity, also excellent resistance against compression stress in the film thickness direction. All of these are porous polyimide films formed via amic acid.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A timepiece includes a case (2), a crystal (10) fixedly mounted on the case (2) and a rotatable bezel (16) guided in rotation relative to the crystal (10) and said case (2), said bezel (16) furthermore being associated with a ratchet mechanism (M) and is characterized in that said bezel (16) includes sealing means (36, 40) against solid impurities, such means being intended to isolate at least the ratchet mechanism (M) from the exterior and to prevent solid impurities from becoming embedded at least between said bezel (16) and the crystal (10) and in that it additionally includes means (24, 44) enabling the driving of such impurities towards the exterior of the timepiece.

Wristwatches provided with such a bezel are generally intended to be used for underwater diving and enable indication of a time period which has elapsed or remains to elapse. To this effect, the bezel cooperates with ratchet means which are mounted on the crystal and/or on the case and which permit a unidirectional rotational movement of the bezel as well as indexing of the latter into predetermined angular positions relative to the time-of-day display means of the watch.
The employment sphere of this type of wristwatch leads to the latter being frequently used in marine environments where are to be found numerous solid impurities, such as sand.
It has thus been determined that such solid impurities were very readily embedded between the bezel and the crystal as well as possibly between the bezel and the case, and could cause blocking of the rotating movement of the bezel or seriously damage the ratchet means.
The present invention thus has as purpose to overcome this drawback in providing a timepiece including a rotatable bezel which can be employed in every type of environment without having the presence of solid impurities come to hinder the operation of such bezel.


An inductance device comprises: an EE type ferrite core with an air gap at a center leg portion; a bobbin having at least three chambers wound by coils, said ferrite core being placed on said bobbin; and a shield coil formed by a first part and a second part of the coil, in which the first part is wound a chamber surrounding a peripheral portion of the air gap and the second part is wound the chamber in a reverse direction of the first part, the ends of the shield coil being short-circuited. In the inductance device with gap, the first and second parts of the coil are wound in the chamber surrounding the peripheral portion of the air gap in opposite direction each other, and the ends of the coil are shorted circuited. Thus, it is formed the shield coil for a leak magnetic flux from the air gap containing a component perpendicular to the main magnetic flux.

The present invention relates to a transformer with a gap for switching power supply used in a switching regulator and an inductor with a gap, and more particularly to the transformer and the inductor which use divided bobbins.
Various transformers for switching power supply and inductors have been known. In those transformer and inductors, a measure has been taken for adjusting an inductance and preventing a magnetic saturation of the core. In the case of the EE type core, an air gap is formed at the abutting portion of the center leg of the core. When the transformer and inductor are operated, a magnetic flux leaks through the gap and couples with the coil located near the gap. The leaking magnetic flux causes an eddy current in the coil to heat the coil and possibly interferes with components located outside the transformer. Some measures to reduce the heat generated in the coil by the eddy current loss have been proposed. As shown in FIG. 7, a technique to locate the coil apart from the air gap 15 is proposed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication 2-44704. As shown in FIG. 8, a technique to eliminate the coil at a location near the air gap by providing a protruded portion at the location near the coil is proposed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication 7-302720. To shield the leaking magnetic flux, the outer peripheral surface of the core is usually covered with a shield ring of a copper plate as shown in FIG. 9. In some devices, a wire is used in place of the copper plate for the same purpose (Japanese Utility Model Nos. 2518250 (FIG. 10A) and 2518241 (FIG. 10B)).
Problems of the prior devices described above will be described.
The automization of the manufacturing of the transformer and the inductor is generally realized. In the manufacturing method in which the shield ring of a copper plate is provided on the side walls of the transformer or the inductor as shown in FIG. 9, the mounting and soldering by manual still occupy a major part of the manufacturing work. Such manual work requires a number of steps for its manufacturing, and hinders simplification and automization of the manufacturing process.
According to FIG. 7 (Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication 2-44704), the whole coil and the core are excessively large in size since the thick bobbin is used, and the coil is put on the thick bobbin.
According to FIG. 8 (Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication 7-302720), the protruded portion is provided at the location near the coil, and no coil is present at a location near the air gap. Therefore, the eddy current loss by the leaking magnetic flux is extremely reduced, but the magnetic flux leaked through the air gap propagates into the air to interfere with other components. To avoid the interference by the leaking magnetic flux, it is necessary to entirely cover the core with an additional shielding means, for example, a copper plate as shown in FIG. 9.
In the case of FIG. 10A, the chamber is provided around the upper collar portion 70 of the bobbin, and the shield coil 74 of a wire is wound therearound. That is, the wire shield coil 74 is used in place of the copper plate shield ring. The winding beginning and ending ends of the shield coil are connected to the terminal 71 buried in the upper collar portion 70 of the bobbin in a shortcircuiting manner. To this connection, soldering is required for the terminal 71. Therefore, to complete the transformer, two steps of soldering are exercised, one for the connection of the terminal 71 and the other for the connection of the terminal 79 located on the side opposite to the side having the terminal 71 located. This leads to increase of the number of manufacturing steps. In the transformer of FIG. 10B, the shield coil 84 is formed like a short ring by use of a wire, the core and the bobbin are combined, and the shield coil is attached to on two shield coil receiving portions 81 provided on the upper collar portion 80 of the bobbin. Therefore, the fixing of the shield coil 84 is instable.
Further, the step of manufacturing the shield coil is additionally provided. The shielding method by use of the wire is effective in shielding the magnetic flux component of the transformer or the inductor which develops in parallel with the main magnetic flux, but is ineffective for the magnetic flux component perpendicular to the main magnetic flux and the magnetic flux leaking through the air gap.


A method and system is provided that enables OLE DB (Object Linking and Embedded Database) applications to access embedded table-structured relationships in hierarchical databases as Normalized relational tables.

A Database Management System consists of a set of tools used to develop and manage a database. The present system utilizes a DMSII which is a Database Management System available on a Unisys Corporation's ClearPath HMP NX, and the Unisys A-Series systems. A background for the Unisys DMSII systems is available in a publication of the Unisys Corporation, Document 8807 6625 000, entitled "Getting Started With DMSII" and published in September 1997 by the Unisys Corporation. The DMSII Utilities provide database back-up and recovery capability for the entire database or for partial databases. The background operations of the DMSII utility enhancements are published in a Unisys Corporation publication Document 98037/4 and entitled "DMSII Utility Enhancements" published on Mar. 31, 1999.
Database Management Systems are used by many large and small businesses such as airline reservation systems, financial institutions, retail chains, insurance companies, utility companies and government agencies. The present Database Management System (DMS) in its form as DMSII is used to build database structures for items of data according to some appropriate logical model, such as relational, hierarchical, or network. Further, the Database Management System is used to manage the database structures and keep the structures in some other stable order while various application programs may be retrieving or changing the data. The present embodiment of DMSII has a data definition language designated as Data And Structure Definition Language (DASDL).
There are various tasks that are performed in database management and these involve (i) monitoring and optimizing database performance; (ii) the use of database control for monitoring multi-program database access; (iii) the function of the data integrity and safety done by integrity checking and preventing access to the same data by multiple applications occurring at the same time; (iv) the function of defining data structures and the data fields within them, including the function of modifying data structures; (v) data access operations and developing an application program to retrieve data or to change data; (vi) the function of data shareability to provide multi-program access without conflicts and provide database definitions to the application program; (vii) in database and data security, to prevent unauthorized database access; (viii) ensuring independence of application programs from certain data changes and preventing the revision of application programs every time a structure changes; (ix) in database and data recovery, performing the resumption of database operations after an interruption; (x) tracking data changes by keeping a record of every change made to the data; (xi) for data change integrity, ensuring that update changes are applied to, or removed from, the database in their entirety; (xii) providing a recent copy of the database as a reserve by backing-up the database and storing copies of audit files and all other database files; (xiii) providing for database scalability by growing or shrinking the database according to the ongoing needs at the time.
The DMSII provides standard software files that perform services and operations for all the databases connected to the system's Enterprise Server. This enables a viewing of a list of all these files on the user terminal.
In the ordinary course of operations, the application program user will submit changes to data or retrieve data while running a particular application program. Then, changes can be made which add, modify and delete data. A Database Administrator (DBA) keeps the database running smoothly and enforces the rules for data integrity and security. Users access the database through a given application program which itself does not access the data directly. Instead, the program interacts with the DMSII software and the database tailored software, which is directed by the access routines of the Data Management System to provide accesses, retrievals and the storage of data in the physical database file.
In regard to access, an application user will access the data in order to (i) make an inquiry to get a Read of data in the database, or (ii) to provide an update by doing a Write to the database thus, adding, deleting or changing data. The access for either purpose contributes to an operation on the database which is called a "transaction".
A transaction is a sequence of operations grouped by a user program because the operations constitute a single logical change to the database, At the end and finality of the transaction point, the transaction is complete and without error, and it is considered as being committed to the database.
Actual real world data goes into special logical structures that are used by the Data Management System to store data. The database is designed to map categories of data into suitable structures. For example, the real world data would have a character with a structure called a "data set". An example of this would be a particular person's name. Then, real world data that can serve as an index of a whole data set has a structured name called a "set". This, for example, might be the social security number of any employee. Then there is data that can serve as an index of a data set under a certain condition, and this is called a "subset". This might be an employee's work number, for example. Then, there is data about each instance of a particular category and the structure name for this is "data item". An example of this might be the name and address of the category (person). Then, there is data related to the database as a whole, and this involves a structure called "global data item". An example of this might be the total number of employees in a company. Once there has been identification of the real-world data which is to be stored in the database, it is then necessary to define that data in relationship to the data structures of the data management system that holds data. When this data is defined within "structures", then the data management system and the system software programs an application program that can then understand how to make this data accessible for various inquiries and/or changes. This is done with the Data and Structure Definition Language (DASDL).
The Data Management System structures are the building blocks of the Data Management System database. Here, the "data set" has the purpose of storing data pertaining to a data category in a collection of records. A "set" has the purpose of indexing all records in a data set. A "subset" serves the purpose to index some records in a data set according to some given criteria. The "data item" is a structured name which defines a unit of information about a category in a given field (column) of a data set record. A "global data item" serves the purpose of storing a unit of information about the entire database or any of its involved structures.
In general discussion about the types of data and the names of data structures, it is often seen that in a relational database, a "data set" is called a "table". A "set" or "subset" is frequently called an "index". A "data item" is often called a "field" or a "column", or is often called by its data name, for example, a project number. "Structures" are made of common file components designated as records and fields.
A record is a group of logically-related data items in a file. Often, a record is called a row. Data items reside in different fields in the records. For example, a record might involve a series of data such as an employee's name, the employee's I.D., the employee's social security number and years of employment. A group of such records would constitute a file.
The operating system which is used by the data management system will treat the record as a unit. The system makes data available to users in records and not in individual single items of data. In programming languages, the record is the unit of data that the system reads from or writes to a file in one execution cycle of a Read or Write statement in a program.
If the application program wants to change a data item in a given record, the Data Management System brings a copy of the record from the physical storage over to memory, then enables that data item to be changed, and then writes the changed record back to the file.
A "field" is a consecutive group of bits or bytes within a particular component of a record which will represent a logical piece of data. A field or column is defined by the description of the data item it is to hold. For example, if one field carries the name of an employee, this field in the record could be called the name field.
The "data set" is a physical file, that is to say, a collection of related data records stored on a random-access storage device, such as a disk in which the data resides.
A data set is kept up-to-date in several ways: (i) here, application programs add, change, or delete individual pieces of data or records stored in the data set; (ii) the Database Administrator (DBA) maintains the structure of the data set by keeping the data set within certain maximized limits, by adding, deleting or changing the definition of a data item, creating new sets or subsets, monitoring automatic processes that guard data integrity and creating guard files to enhance the security of the data.
A "set" is a separate stored file that indexes all the records of a single data set. The Data Management System uses sets in order to locate records in a data set. A set has no meaning apart from its related data set. The set structure enables an application program to access all records of a data set in some logical sequence.
A "subset" can be considered identical to a set, except that the subset need not contain a record for every record of the data set. A subset is a file that indexes none, one, several, or all of the records in a data set. The subset structure enables an application program to access only records of a data set that meet a particularly required condition.
For example, an application program may compile a list of people who are "managers". Thus, it is seen that the database designer created the "manager" subset. Thus, in order to retrieve a record of managers, the data management system can use the smaller file, that is, the subset, to quickly point to the corresponding records in the larger file which is the data set. As with the set, the subset must also be kept up-to-date.
A "data item" is an element of data. In the Data Management System, a data item can also be the field (column) in the database record. For example, the social security number could be considered as a data item in the sample data set designated "person". The purpose of the data item is to describe the data to be stored. The data item provides the identity—type, size, location, and attributes—of one element of data for a database entity. When an application submits an update to a data item, the Data Management System will accept the update if it corresponds to the definition of a data item. Otherwise, the change is rejected and reported as an exception. The Database Administrator will add, delete or change the data item definitions.
There are a number of data items that are used by the Data Management System. These include the type called "alpha-numeric" which include words and characters, names, addresses, dates and titles. Then, there are data items designated as "numeric" which involve integers and decimals with or without signs. Then, there are data items designated as "real" which involve single precision floating point numbers that occupy one word. An example of this would be, for example, an employee's salary. Then, there are data items which are called "Boolean" which involve TRUE and FALSE values.
The "global data item" is a data item, a group item, or a population item that is not part of any data set but still pertains to the database as a whole. Such global data items are stored in one special record called the "global record" in the DASDL declaration which is outside the structured definitions. Sometimes the global record is placed just before the structured definitions in the DASDL file. The global data item has the purpose of holding permanent information about the database as a whole or about a particular data set. It also acts as a place holder for information that can be derived from the database.
One of the most significant options in DASDL (Data And Structure Definition Language) is that it is possible to define the database as to whether the database is to be audited. The data management system supports both logging changes to a database (auditing the database) or not logging changes (maintaining an unaudited database). There are advantages in auditing a database since this assures the user that if a database failure occurs, there will be a record of database changes with which one can restore the database to a completely integral state and thus avoid loss of information and corruption of information.

Method for exposing hierarchical table structures and relationships to OLE DB applications


A new and distinct cultivar of Lobelia plant named ‘Kielowasky’, characterized by its low-mounding and trailing plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy plant form; vigorous growth habit; freely and continuous flowering habit; and intense violet blue-colored flowers.

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lobelia plant, botanically known as Lobelia×hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Kielowasky.
The new Lobelia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Mariahout-Laarbeek, The Netherlands. The objective of the program is to create new trailing Lobelia cultivars that flower continuously during the flowering season.
The new Lobelia originated from a self-pollination made by the Inventor during the summer of 1998 of a proprietary selection of Lobelia×hybrida identified as code number KB-00-4/6, not patented. The new Lobelia was discovered and selected by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Mariahout-Laarbeek, The Netherlands, during the summer of 1999 from the resultant progeny of the above-mentioned self-pollination.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings since 2003 at Steenbergen, The Netherlands, has shown that the unique features of this new Lobelia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


An in-depth review of a product line is conducted, including customer interviews, in order to identify customer specifications that are more complex than customer needs. Customer needs are quantified, and a reduced set of standard product configuration classes are selected so that about 80% of customer orders based on actual customer needs can be satisfied by the standard product configuration classes, and the remaining orders can be satisfied by custom design. Major components in the standard products are themselves standardized. Manufacture of the standard product is optimized for a one-day manufacturing cycle and separated from the manufacture of the custom designed product. A sales office and manufacturing plant roll-out schedule is implemented and managed by computer-based spreadsheet tools. A product configuration computer program module is interfaced between a product selector and a materials management (MRP) system in order to automate the process of entering orders, designing the standard product, ordering parts, and scheduling assembly of standard product.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to products that are assembled in various configurations to satisfy customer orders.
2. Description of the Related Art
Custom design and assembly has been a traditional way of satisfying individual customer orders for complex products. A switchboard is an example of such a complex product. A switchboard is a kind of electrical power distribution unit. Electrical power to a building flows from high voltage utility lines to step-down transformers, from the transformers to one or more switchboards, and from the switchboards to branch or distribution circuits for lighting, heating and air conditioning, elevators, pumps, and electrical outlets. The switchboards include utility metering devices, mains protection devices, and branch or distribution protection devices. Each switchboard may have only utility metering devices, only mains protection devices and only branch or distribution protection devices, or various combinations of these devices. Each switchboard includes a metal box typically mounted as a free standing unit on the floor of a utility room in the building. A switchboard typically has a current rating of 600 to 4000 amperes. A very large building or installation such as an airport will typically have a number of switchboards.
Traditionally, a customer through a sales person provided specifications for a switchboard to an order engineer. The order engineer custom designed the entire switchboard using a software tool. There are millions of possible switchboard configurations, about 3,000 of which were designed annually. About 30% of the time, the order engineer would use an existing standard switchboard configuration. The other 70% of the time, the order engineer would custom engineer a new configuration. Custom designs were almost never re-used. The components were then fabricated, purchased, or taken from inventory, and then assembled according the desired switchboard configuration.
The software tool used by the order engineer was a kind of order entry computer system. An example of such an order entry system is described in Geier et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,155 entitled "Order Entry System Having Catalog Assistance," incorporated herein by reference, and Phillips et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,959 entitled "Flexible Data Display," incorporated herein by reference. Once the order engineer chose the components to be custom assembled into a switchboard, the software tool generated a bill of materials to be used by a materials management (MRP) computer system. The software tool was automatically linked to the MRP system. The MRP system managed inventory, ordered parts, and managed production capacity. The MRP system ensured that all of the components needed for assembling the switchboard were available at or delivered to an assembly location by the time when the switchboard would be scheduled for assembly.
The switchboard market is rather mature. It is a very competitive market. The complexity of the product has traditionally had a strong impact on the profitability of the switchboard business. Computer-based tools and modern management techniques, such as flexible manufacturing, just-in-time inventory, component count and cost reduction programs, and a total customer satisfaction objective, have been applied over the years with some success to deliver a quality product at a reasonable price. Small players have survived in the market due to their flexibility, short lead-times, low labor costs, and close customer relationships.

Methodology and computer-based tools for re-engineering a custom-engineered product line


A mobile divider for an aircraft or an aircraft cabin with a first wall section, a second wall section that is essentially arranged parallel to the first wall section and a cable duct that is arranged between the first wall section and the second wall section. The cable duct protrudes over an edge of the first wall section and an edge of the second wall section in at least one location. This makes it possible to route a supply line such as, for example, an electric line in the cable duct within the divider and also in the transition region between the divider and, for example, a cabin supply channel such that the supply line is not visible to a passenger traveling in the cabin, particularly in the transition region from the mobile divider into the supply channel.

The present invention pertains to a mobile divider, especially a mobile divider for an aircraft, particularly for an aircraft cabin.
In aircraft, particularly in modern commercial aircraft, the different classes such as, for example, First Class, Business Class and Economy Class are separated from one another by dividers. The demand for seats in the different classes in a commercial aircraft depends on the booked number of seats in the corresponding class such that it may become necessary, for example, to position a divider between two classes at a different location between two flights. This is the reason why mobile dividers are provided that can be used according to the desired position. It frequently occurs that electrical devices are arranged in the region of the divider and, for example, need to be supplied with electric energy such that the divider also needs to be designed for the installation of corresponding lines. In this respect, one encounters the particular problems of how a line should be routed in or on the divider and, in particular, how the transition to a cabin supply channel can be realized.


The present invention provides unique prepared immunogens, site-specific polyclonal antisera and monoclonal antibodies against the DNA-binding domain of estrogen receptor protein, and immunoassay to determine the functional status of estrogen receptors in a cellular sample. Collectively or individually the component parts of the invention provide the ability not only to identify accurately the presence of human estrogen receptor but also the capability of determining whether the estrogen receptor exists in a functional or non-functional state.

Estrogens are a class of naturally occurring steroid hormones which are produced in the ovaries and other tissues in the body and which directly influence the growth and function of specific target tissues and organs in humans and animals. These specific tissues and organs include the mammary gland, uterus, pituitary, brain, and liver. Although a variety of naturally occurring and chemically synthesized estrogens have been identified and characterized, perhaps the best known is the endogenous estrogen estradiol-17.beta. (also known as E.sub.2).
Estrogens as a class of hormones mediate their action by binding to an intracellular protein identified as "estrogen receptor" (also termed "ER"). The presence of this intracellular ER both provides and accounts for both cell proliferation and protein synthesis by estrogen dependent cells. The estrogen receptor in the absence of the estrogen hormone is biologically inactive both in vivo and in vitro; and, if the cells or tissues are homogenized and fractionated into cytosol and nuclear fractions, the estrogen receptor is found as a soluble protein in the cytosol. Although the precise interactions remain poorly understood, the generally accepted mechanism of action and sequence of events is believed to be as follows: When an estrogen such as estradiol is introduced to the target cells and tissues, there is specific binding between the estrogen and the ER protein which results in the formation of an estrogen/receptor protein complex. Also, at a time subsequent to hormone binding, a process termed activation and/or transformation ensues which leads to the formation of functional estrogen/hormone receptor complexes having a high affinity for the nuclear components, the DNA, of the target cell. Once the hormone/receptor protein complex is physically formed, it is said to translocate as a complex into the nucleus of the cell where it binds to the chromatin at specific binding sites on the chromosomes and initiates messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) transcription. New messenger RNA is then synthesized, chemically modified, and exported from the nucleus into the cytoplasm of the cell where ribosomes translate the mRNA into new proteins. This is the well recognized estrogenic effect on the cell--that is, the initiation of new protein synthesis and concomitant new cell growth/proliferation. The theoretical premise and the generally accepted, though poorly understood, mechanism of action regarding estrogen and estrogen receptor proteins and their interactions are described in greater detail by the following publications which are merely representative of the ongoing investigations in this field. These are: Mester et al., Exp. Cell. Res. 81:447-452 (1973); King and Greene, Nature 307:745-747 (1984); Welshons et al., Nature 307:747-749 (1984); Gorski and Gannon, Annu. Rev. Physiol. 38:425-450 (1976); Gorski et al., Recent Prog. Horm. Res. 24:45-72 (1968); Jordan, V., Pharmacological Reviews 36:245-276 (1984).
In order to truly appreciate the background of the present invention, it is useful to summarize in depth the major details and sequential events believed to be in effect regarding the intracellular protein referred to as "estrogen receptor". In the unbound state, and in the absence of an estrogen, the estrogen receptor protein can be located in vitro within the cytosol and is a single protein composed of 595 amino acids. The molecular weight of ER determined from gel electrophoresis and other physical methods is approximately 67,000 daltons. In soluble systems and under set conditions, the ER protein can be found in various molecular forms which sediment at either 8S, 5S, or 4S values as determined by sucrose density gradient analysis. The 8S form of ER is believed to be the unactivated, untransformed form of the ER protein associated with the unbound, inactive state of estrogen receptor in the absence of estrogens. The 8S ER form is a large molecular weight complex, presumably associated with heat shock proteins, that does not bind efficiently to nuclei or DNA in vitro and is stabilized as a macromolecule by sodium molybdate.
In comparison, the 4S ER protein form is a monomeric protein molecule that can be generated from the 8S form in vitro by treatment with high ionic strength buffers or by increasing salt concentrations (KCl or NaCl). The 4S ER form binds to both nuclei and DNA-cellulose in vitro; it is generally termed the "activated but untransformed" estrogen receptor protein. From the published reports, it appears that the dissociation of the 8S ER form into the 4S form initiates either a major change in the sterochemical conformation of the protein or a direct exposure of the previously hidden DNA binding domain of the molecule.
Alternatively, the 5S form of ER is a dimeric protein molecule which is created by the conversion of the 4S ER protein via a bimolecular reaction which is facilitated by elevated temperatures and/or dilution after KCl activation. The 5S form of ER can be generated in vitro by incubation of either the 8S or 4S forms at 28.degree.-30.degree. C. for 30-45 minutes in the absence of transformation inhibitors. It is generally believed that the 5S form of ER is both "activated and transformed" and therefore is the biologically active entity which binds to the DNA within the nuclei. Moreover, it is also this 5S form which is found associated with the nuclei subsequent to the administration of estradiol in vivo.
It will be appreciated that the present state of knowledge regarding the various forms of estrogen receptor protein have been obtained and characterized via many different investigations employing physical and chemical forms of analysis. Merely representative of these various investigations and reports are the following: Muller et al., Endocrinology 116:337-345 (1985); Muller et al., J. Biol. Chem. 258:11582-11589 (1983); Endocrinology Of The Breast: Basic And Clinical Aspects, Volume 464, Annals Of The New York Academy Of Sciences, pages 202-217, 1986; Parmar et al., J. Steroid Biochem. 31:359-364 (1988); Traish et al., J. Biol. Chem. 255:4068-4072 (1980); and Muller et al., J. Biol. Chem. 257:1295-1300 (1982).
It is essential also to recognize that estrogen receptor protein, particularly from human sources, has been investigated and evaluated in terms of functional domains which provide and are responsible for the characteristic biological and physiological properties individually. The complementary DNA (cDNA) of human estrogen receptor has been cloned which, in turn, has lead directly to the elucidation of the human ER protein primary sequence. Subsequent studies have further defined the various functional domains of human ER protein as comparing six different regions, each of which functionally provides different properties and characteristics. Each of the six functional domains have been designated as a region "A-E" respectively. Regions A and B span the first 180 amino acids within ER proteins and have yet to be assigned a precise function in gene expression, although it is postulated that they are required for full functional activity in certain types of cells or for interaction with specific kinds of genes. Region C, which encompasses the amino acid segment 185-263 of human ER protein, is a critical region for biological activity because it is this amino acid segment which is necessary for binding of the ER protein to genomic DNA to occur. This functional domain and its DNA-binding ability is essential for eliciting the estrogen mediated biological response in vivo. Region D is believed to be the hinge area of the protein with as yet an undefined function. Region E is believed to be the steroid binding domain because this region comprises an amino acid sequence which is generally shared between different classes of receptors for steroids. Region F has yet to be assigned a specific function. It is important to note that regions C and E are said to be conserved among all the steroid receptor family members throughout the different classes--thereby indicating that these specific regions are critical for hormone receptor function generally within steroids as a family. Specific publications describing these investigations, data, and conclusions in greater detail are represented by the following: Kumar et al., Cell 51:941-951 (1987); Hill et al., Cancer Res. 49:145-148 (1989); Greene et al., Nature 320:134-139 ( 1986); and Greene et al., Science 231:1150-1153 (1986).
Overall, it will be noted and appreciated that many investigations of ER protein and the characterization of hormone/ER complexes involve immunological methods and assays. A variety of different polyclonal antisera have been prepared against estrogen receptor protein; and against the nuclear binding estradiol-receptor complex typically identified as "estrophilin" [Raam et al., Mol. Immunol. 18:143-156 (1981); Greene et al., J. Ster. Biochem. 11:333-341 (1979); Greene et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 74:3681-3685 (1977)]. Similarly, a large variety of monoclonal antibodies against human and animal estrogen receptor proteins and estrophilins have been prepared for many different investigational purposes [Greene et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 74:3681 (1977); Greene et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 77:157-161 (1980); Greene et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 77:5515 (1980); Borgna et al., Biochem. 23:2162-2168 (1984); Fauque et al., J. Biol. Chem. 260:15547-15553 (1985); and Moncharmont et al., Biochemistry 23:3907-3912 (1984)].
The common flaw and recurring problem of these known polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies is their uniform and consistent failure to be site specific. This failure, in turn, produces erroneous empirical results and unreliable information--not only for investigational purposes but also in clinical applications of such antibodies for therapeutic purposes. As a major example, the measurement of estrogen receptors in human breast carcinomas has been the primary tool and favored diagnostic method for choosing between hormonal and cytotoxic chemotherapy when treating breast cancer patients. A variety of different immunoassays employing anti-ER antibodies are presently known and used for this purpose. These are exemplified by the following publications: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,232,001; 4,293,536; 4,215,102; and 4,711,856. See also European Patent Application Publication No. A2-0129669 published Jan. 2, 1985. Unfortunately, the immunoassays employing conventionally obtained monoclonal antibodies for these measurements have been found to be frequently unreliable and often non-specific. The nature and variety of problems of these unreliable and non-specific monoclonal antibodies are illustrated by the following publications: Raam, S. and D.M. Vrabel, Clin. Chem. 32:1496-1502 (1986); Raam, S. and D.M. Vrabel, Clin. Chem. 34:2053-2057 (1988); Raam, S., Steroids 47:337-340 (1986); and Raam, S., Clin. Chem. 33:1107-1108 (1987). Clearly, therefore, given all the presently known antibodies, assays, and immunological techniques, one still cannot accurately predict which of these estrogen receptor positive tumors will respond to hormonal treatment.
The causes of the present dilemma are in fact two fold: First is the failure of the monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal antisera to be sufficiently site-specific in order to demonstrate the presence of estrogen receptor in its various forms. Second is the failure (in so far as is presently known) to be able to identify functional status of this receptor protein using immunoassay systems. It is now clearly apparent to practitioners and clinicians ordinarily skilled in this art that so long as these insufficiently specific antibodies remain in clinical use, many repetitive failures in the known immunoassay systems will occur; and the ability to identify that proportion of breast cancer patients which would be sensitive and responsive to estrogen hormonal treatment will remain plagued with uncertainty and inaccuracy. For these reasons, the development of site-specific antibodies which could be employed within conventionally known diagnostic immunoassays would therefore be recognized generally as a major advance and fundamental improvement in antibody materials, assay reliability, and therapeutic benefit.

Specific antibodies against the DNA-binding domain of and immunoassays to determine the presence and functional status of estrogen receptor proteins


Adaptive bit swapping method and device are provided. The method includes the steps of (a) initializing the DMT system to transmit the data via the channel in a steady state; (b) selecting a frame having an inserted sync block from a frame structure of the transmitted data; (c) calculating the signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of respective sub-channels of the selected frame; (d) calculating first difference value between the present representative SNRs calculated in step (c) and the previous representative SNRs of each sub-channel; (e) selecting a maximum value and minimum value among the first difference values of the respective sub-channels; (f) obtaining the second difference value between the maximum value and the minimum value; (g) determining whether the second difference value is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value; and (h) correcting bit and power assigning tables of a transmitter and a receiver if the second difference value is greater than or equal to the threshold value. In addition, the bit and power assigning tables can be accurately corrected since bits and power are swapped using an actually measured SNR.

The present invention relates to a discrete multitone (DMT) system, and more particularly, to an adaptive bit swapping method and device for a DMT system, which adjust the number of bits and power assigned to each sub-channel according to channel characteristics varied during a data transmission.
A multicarrier is generally used in a DMT system to efficiently use a channel for transmitting data. Basically in multicarrier modulation, several carrier-modulated waveforms are overlapped to represent an input bit stream. A multicarrier transmission signal is the composite of M independent sub-signals or sub-channels, each having the same bandwidth of 4.3125 KHz and the respective main frequencies of f.sub.i (i=1, 2, 3,. . .M). These sub-signals are Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) signals. When data is transmitted at a high speed via an inferior transmission path such as a copper line, the DMT system enables the data to be transmitted at 6 Mbps or above, thus offering a good service. In this DMT system using several carriers, the number of bits and power of each channel depending on its signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are assigned to each sub-channel in the initialization of the system.
Changing the number of bits and power assigned to each sub-channel according to its SNR, which is varied without an interruption in a data stream in a data transmission mode, is referred to as bit swapping. The bit swapping is used in an Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) service employing the DMT system to reduce an error probability of transmission data.
Channel characteristics gradually vary with time in most systems, and frequency response characteristics of an ADSL loop gradually vary with temperature. Therefore, a channel model determined in the initialization of a system should be changed according to the frequency response characteristics.
A conventional method for allocating bits to a sub-channel will be described as follows.
A transmitter terminal as well as a receiver terminal adaptively can operate according to the essential concept of a bit allocating method which is proposed in a dissertation submitted to the department of electrical engineering and the committee on graduate studies of STANFORD University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of doctor of philosophy, May. 1993, entitled "BANDWIDTH OPTIMIZED DIGITAL TRANSMISSION TECHNIQUES FOR SPECTRALLY SHAPED CHANNELS WITH IMPULSE NOISE", by Ronald R, Hunt and P.S. Chow. Details of the bit allocating method are as follows:
1. the steady state mean square errors(MSE)'s of all used sub-channels are monitored, where these error values are differences between inputs and outputs of a slicer; PA1 2. it is continuously determined whether the difference between a maximum error value and a minimum error value is a predetermined threshold value (generally 3 dB) or above, and if the difference is the threshold value or above, the procedure goes to the subsequent step; PA1 3. the bit number of a value in a bit allocation table for a sub-channel having the maximum error value is decreased by 1, while the bit number of a value in a bit allocation table for a sub-channel having the minimum error value is increased by 1; PA1 4. the minimum error is doubled, while the maximum error is halved; PA1 5. the slicer settings for two sub-channels whose bit values are changed are adjusted; and PA1 6. the bit swapping information is sent back to a transmission part.
The initial number of bits allocated to a sub-channel is determined according to an SNR measured during an initialization in an ADSL DMT system. However, the above bit allocation method exhibits the drawback that a wrong bit swapping may be performed, since an MSE value may be increased due to an error such as a burst error when data is examined in a reception part, and a frequency-domain equalizer (FEQ) error can affect MSE in a steady state.

Adaptive bit swapping method and device for discrete multitone system


Video display apparatuses and display methods thereof. The apparatus includes a first buffer, a second buffer, a third buffer, a blending engine and a display engine. The first buffer stores a video source. The second buffer stores on screen display (OSD) source data. The third buffer stores a parameter for a transparent effect, and position information corresponding to at least one partition, in which the parameter determines the transparency of the video source in the partition. The blending engine performs the transparent effect on the video source and the OSD source data according to the parameter and the position information, thus generating blended source data. The display engine fetches and displays the blended source data from the blending engine on a display device.

The present disclosure relates generally to video displays, and, more particularly, to video display apparatuses and display methods thereof.
Digitized video data can be easily edited, and conveniently stored. In recent years, the popularization of processor-based devices has made common use of applications for digitized data feasible. In addition to conventional computer provided functions, most current computer systems have integrated additional function for the purpose of entertainment, such as VCD/DVD players, and others.
Computer systems typically play video content in a media player. Video played in full screen may offer the optimal visual effect. A computer system, however, may have several applications running simultaneously. For example, an email system and a messenger can be executed while video is playing. If the video is played in full screen mode, other applications and the computer desktop will be obscured thereby. FIG. 1 shows a computer desktop 100, including 5 icons A, B, C, D, and E. When the video 200 is played in full screen, the computer desktop 100 is covered with the video 200, as shown in FIG. 2.
Typically, when an email message or instant message is received, a window 300 is popped up over the top of the video 200 to notify users, as shown in FIG. 3. This pop-up behavior is unexpected and interrupts the video, and requiring user interaction as it blocks the video.