The invention encompasses a novel transcription factor from Candida albicans, TFIIB, a nucleic acid sequence encoding TFIIB, and methods of screening for inhibitors of Candida albicans growth by targeting TFIIB.

The yeast Candida albicans (C. albicans) is one of the most pervasive fungal pathogens in humans. It has the capacity to opportunistically infect a diverse spectrum of compromised hosts, and to invade many diverse tissues in the human body. It can in many instances evade antibiotic treatment and the immune system. Although Candida albicans is a member of the normal flora of the mucous membranes in the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and female genital tracts, in such locations, it may gain dominance and be associated with pathologic conditions. Sometimes it produces progressive systemic disease in debilitated or immunosuppressed patients, particularly if cell-mediated immunity is impaired. Sepsis may occur in patients with compromised cellular immunity, e.g., those undergoing cancer chemotherapy or those with lymphoma, AIDS, or other conditions. Candida may produce bloodstream invasion, thrombophlebitis, endocarditis, or infection of the eyes and virtually any organ or tissue when introduced intravenously, e.g., via tubing, needles, narcotics abuse, etc.
Candida albicans has been shown to be diploid with balanced lethals, and therefore probably does not go through a sexual phase or meiotic cycle. This yeast appears to be able to spontaneously and reversibly switch at high frequency between at least seven general phenotypes. Switching has been shown to occur not only in standard laboratory strains, but also in strains isolated from the mouths of healthy individuals.
Nystatin, ketoconazole, and amphotericin B are drugs which have been used to treat oral and systemic Candida infections. However, orally administered nystatin is limited to treatment within the gut and is not applicable to systemic treatment. Some systemic infections are susceptible to treatment with ketoconazole or amphotericin B, but these drugs may not be effective in such treatment unless combined with additional drugs. Amphotericin B has a relatively narrow therapeutic index and numerous undesireable side effects and toxicities occur even at therapeutic concentrations. While ketoconazole and other azole antifungals exhibit significantly lower toxicity, their mechanism of action, inactivation of cytochrome P.sub.450 prosthetic group in certain enzymes, some of which are found in humans, precludes use in patients that are simultaneously receiving other drugs that are metabolized by the body's cytochrome P.sub.450 enzymes. In addition, resistance to these compounds is emerging and may pose a serious problem in the future.
There is a need in the art for an effective treatment of opportunistic infections caused by Candida albicans. Therefore, one object of the invention is to provide screening assays for identifying potential inhibitors of Candida albicans growth. Another object of the invention is to provide screening assays and to identify potential inhibitors of Candida albicans growth that are based on inhibition of transcription in this organism.
Synthesis of mRNA in eukaryotes requires RNA polymerase II and accessory transcription factors, some of which are general and act at most, if not all, promoters, and others of which confer specificity and control. Five general factors, a, b, d, e, and g, have been purified to homogeneity from the yeast S. cerevisiae, and have been identified as counterparts of human or rat factors, TFIIE, TFIIH, TFIID, TFIIB and TFIIF, respectively. These factors assemble at a promoter in a complex with RNA polymerase II to initiate transcription. Binding studies have shown that the order of assembly of the initiation complex on promoter DNA begins with factor d (TFIID), is followed by factor e (TFIIB), and then by polymerase and the remaining factors. Factors b (TFIIH), e (TFIIB) and g (TFIIF), however, bind directly to polymerase II, and as many as four of the five factors may assemble with the polymerase in a holoenzyme before promoter binding. The functional significance of interactions revealed by binding studies is not clear in that only a few percent of initiation complexes may give rise to transcripts.
Many aspects of transcription by RNA polymerase II are conserved between yeast and higher eukaryotes. For example, there is extensive amino acid sequence similarity among the largest subunits of the yeast, Drosophila and mammalian polymerase. Other components of the transcription apparatus, such as TATA-binding and enhancer binding factors, are in some instances interchangeable between yeast and mammalian in vitro binding or transcription systems. There are, nonetheless, significant differences between the two systems. TATA elements are located from 40 to 120 or more base pairs upstream of the initiation site of an S. cerevisiase promoter, and where these elements occur, they are required for gene expression. The fact that C. albicans genes function in S. cerevisiase suggests that it also uses the 40 to 120 base pair spacing between the TATA element and initiation site. In contrast, mammalian (as well as S. pombe) TATA elements and transcription start sites are only 25 to 30 bp apart, and deletion of a TATA element does not always reduce the frequency of transcription initiation, although it may alter the initiation site. There are also varying degrees of homology between transcription factor sequences from yeast and mammalian sources. Human and S. cerevisiae TFIIB's have 50-60% amino acid sequence identity, and also are not species interchangeable in supporting cell growth. Some of the multisubunit factors, such as RNA polymerase II, TFIIF and TFIID, contain different numbers of subunits in humans and yeast. The molecular weights of corresponding polypeptides differ in humans and yeast with sequences being present in a given yeast factor that are not present in its human counterpart, and vice versa.
Operative substitution of the same transcription factor in transcription systems of different yeast strains is not predictable. This is true despite a high degree of amino acid sequence identity among some transcription factors from different yeast strains. For example, the ability of a given transcription factor to support efficient and accurate transcription in a heterologous yeast strain is not predictable. Li et al. (1994, Science 263:805) tested the interchangeability of S. cerevisiae and S. pombe transcription factors in vitro, and report that many S. cerevisiae components cannot substitute individually for S. pombe transcription factors a, e, or RNA polymerase II, but combinations of these components were effective. In one instance, active transcription could not be reconstituted when S. cerevisiae-derived TFIIB was the sole substitution into a TFIIB-depleted set of factors from S. pombe. A TFIIB-RNA polymerase II combination from S. cerevisiae was able to substitute, indicating that the functional interaction of these two components is not only important, but also that the activity may be dependent on species-specific determinants that cannot be complemented by either component derived from a different organism. The unpredictability in making substitutions of a given factor among different yeast strains is also evident in that such substitutions are not reciprocal; that is, substitutions of S. pombe fractions into an S. cerevisiae transcription system are less effective than the reverse substitutions (Li et al., supra).
The yeast Candida albicans differs from most yeast strains in that it does not use the same genetic code that most organisms, whether mammalian or yeast, utilize. Santos et al. (1995, Nucleic Acids Research, 23:1481) report that the codon CUG, which in the universal code is read as a leucine, is decoded as a serine in Candida. Therefore, any CUG codon that is decoded in Candida albicans as a serine, would be decoded as a leucine in the transformed S. cerevisiae. Any gene containing a CUG codon would therefore be translated as different amino acid sequences in Candida albicans and S. cerevisiae. Such mistranslation may produce an inactive protein, since the amino acids serine and leucine have markedly different chemical properties and serine is known to be an essential residue in the active site of some enzymes. Replacement of leucine by serine at CUG encoded residues is a serious problem in the use of many reporter systems (e.g., .beta.-galactosidase, Chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, Flux) in Candida albicans. Previous experiments have shown that translation by Candida of CUG as serine instead of leucine often resulted in the production of inactive reporter proteins.
Another object of the invention is to provide an assay for screening for selective inhibition of Candida albicans growth and/or viability.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a molecular target for inhibition of Candida albicans transcription or transcription initiation.

Nucleic acids encoding TFIIB transcription factor from candida albicans


In certain embodiments, execution traces for a program definition of an application are accessed. Probability information for components of the program definition is computed based at least in part upon the execution traces. Program definition slices are determined based at least in part upon the probability information. The program definition slices comprises a baseline slice and at least one supplemental slice. The baseline slice is communicated to a client in response to a request for the application. At least one supplemental slice is communicated to the client to allow the patching of the baseline slice with the at least one supplemental slice to recreate at least a portion of the program definition.

A website may have a complex interactive web application. The application may be downloaded to a client to run inside of a web browser. In certain situations, while pages and images of the website are downloading, resources to support the application are also downloading. The downloads may compete for limited bandwidth, yielding a delayed startup time for the application and the website.


A slot mechanism having an accommodation space into which an insertion object is inserted through a slot. The slot mechanism includes a shutter located in the accommodation space. The shutter is movable along an insertion direction of the insertion object. When the insertion object is inserted into the accommodation space, the shutter is pressed by the insertion object and moved toward the back of the accommodation space. When the insertion object is removed from the accommodation space, the shutter is moved toward the slot to close the slot. The shutter has a guiding portion that stabilizes the attitude of the insertion object when the insertion object is pressed against the shutter.

The present invention relates to a slot mechanism for a portable device (an electronic key) used in a vehicle such as an automobile, and to a smart ignition system. Specifically, the present invention relates to a slot mechanism that has a shutter for closing a slot when no object is inserted in the slot, and to a smart ignition system that has such a slot mechanism.
In recent years, engine start permitting mechanisms having a smart ignition function have been known in the art (for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-295089). Such an engine start permitting mechanism allows a user, who carries a portable device, to start the engine of a car by manipulating a switch on the car. This engine start permitting mechanism relieves the user of the chore of inserting a mechanical key portion of the portable device into the key cylinder.
An engine start permitting mechanism includes a portable device and a communication controller installed in a vehicle. The communication controller establishes mutual communication with the portable device, and checks an ID code transmitted from the portable device against an ID code of its own. When the ID codes match, the communication controller permits the engine to be started. The portable device has a battery as a power source enabling the mutual communication. When the battery is exhausted, the portable device is unable to transmit the ID code, and the communication controller is unable to permit the engine to be started. In such a case, the portable device is inserted into a slot provided in a instrument panel. Then, the communication controller transmits transponder driving radio waves to drive a transponder incorporated in the portable device, which generates a magnetic field in the slot. The magnetic field generates electromotive force at an immobilizer antenna of the transponder. The electromotive force activates the transponder, which, in turn, sends its own ID code to the communication controller. This enables the user to start the engine even if the battery of the portable device is exhausted. The slot mechanism of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-295089 has a shutter for closing the slot. The shutter is rotatably supported by a case.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Slot mechanism and smart ignition system

Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho


A part holder for immersion ultrasonic testing having a solid buffer material with acoustic properties that match the immersion fluid is disclosed. Test systems and methods are also disclosed.

This disclosure relates generally to test equipment for nondestructive evaluation systems, and more specifically to wet-coupled ultrasonic evaluation systems for the inspection of parts.
As new materials, such as composite materials, are used in more applications throughout the aircraft industry and other industries, the use of nondestructive test equipment, such as ultrasonic test equipment, to inspect fabricated parts prior to use has become widespread. Ultrasonic test equipment allows an operator to nondestructively inspect the interior of parts, such as fuselage or wing components, for areas of discontinuity such as structural inconsistencies, imperfections, delaminations, foreign objects introduced during fabrication, etc.
Ultrasonic test equipment utilizes a high frequency sound wave generated by an ultrasonic transducer, sometimes referred to as a probe, that is located near the surface of the part being tested. The ultrasonic transducer is oriented such that the high frequency sound wave travels through the part, usually in the height or thickness direction. When the sound wave encounters a discontinuity, such as a delamination, or a change in the stiffness of the material, part of the sound energy is reflected. The reflected sound energy travels back through the part and is received by the same ultrasonic transducer, which acts as both a transmitter and receiver in what is commonly referred to as a "pulse echo" ultrasonic test system. Alternatively, the high frequency sound wave generated by the ultrasonic transmitter passes through the entire thickness of the part and is received on the opposite side of the part by a separate receiver in what is commonly known as "through transmission" ultrasonic testing. Pulse echo ultrasonic testing is the most common technique in use because access to only one side of a part is required.
The waveform of the received RF signal from an ultrasonic test is recorded by the test equipment and/or displayed on a monitor or other display device. The data contained in the RF signal can be displayed in a number of different formats for review by technicians. Any distortion in received signals can be an impediment to effective use of the test system to identify potential unwanted discontinuities in the part being tested. Distortion and/or interference in the received signals is particularly problematic when it leads an operator or technician to falsely believe that a discontinuity is present.
The production of a large variety of relatively small, low volume parts produces an extra set of challenges for nondestructive inspection. Conventionally, custom designed part holders unique to each part that is to be inspected are utilized. Such customized part holders may typically support the ends of the part, leaving the center free from obstruction, such that only a very small portion of the part will be in actual contact with the fixture. Such customized part holders are undesirable, however, when many different parts are being ultrasonically scanned for inspection purposes. For example, in an aircraft assembly, as many as 80 different structural parts of varying shape and size are assembled to define a portion of an aircraft. Preferably, each of the 80 structural parts needs to be scanned and inspected to ensure the structural integrity thereof. Creating a specialized part holder for each of the 80 parts would be costly, time consuming, and generally impractical for the relatively low volume of parts involved to produce a limited number of aircraft.
It would be desirable to form a more universally usable part holder for ultrasonic testing that may be reliably used with a variety of parts without adversely affecting the test results.

Immersion ultrasonic test part holder, system and method for nondestructive evaluation


A computer-readable storage medium containing software that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement a basic input/output system (BIOS). The BIOS comprises instructions that implement a BIOS core, instructions that implement a user authentication and enforcement engine (AEE), and instructions that implement an extensible interface to a preboot authentication module.

Some computers permit the computer to perform a process during boot by which the computer authenticates a user of the computer prior to completion of the boot process. Authenticating a user prior to completion of the boot process is referred to as "preboot authentication." Preboot authentication may be performed by the computer's basic input/output system (BIOS) code. Modifying the BIOS code to add new types of authentication mechanisms (e.g., retinal scan) unfortunately is time-consuming and expensive.

Extensible bios interface to a preboot authentication module

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A lead structure adapted for attachment to a metal disk drive head suspension of the type having a mounting region on a proximal end, a head-receiving flexure on a distal end, a rigid region and a spring region between the rigid region and the mounting region. The lead structure is formed from a laminated sheet of material and includes a copper conductor layer and a stainless steel base layer bonded together by a polyimide insulating layer. The conductor layer includes a plurality of transversely spaced, elongate electrical conductors adapted to extend between the flexure and mounting region of the head suspension. The metal base layer includes flexure mounting, rigid region mounting and mounting region mounting sections having tabs which are adapted to be welded to the head suspension. At least portions of the conductor layer which traverse the flexure and spring regions of the head suspension are free from the metal base layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to head suspensions for rigid magnetic disk drives. In particular, the present invention is a lead structure with a stainless steel base which is manufactured separately from and configured for subsequent attachment to the head suspension.
2. Description of the Related Art
Head suspensions for supporting read/write head sliders above the rotating media in magnetic disk drives are in widespread use and disclosed generally in the Christianson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,525. Head suspensions of this type typically include a stainless steel (spring material) load beam having a mounting region on a proximal end, a rigid region having stiffening rails on its opposite sides, and a radius or spring region between the rigid region and mounting region. A gimbal or flexure is located on the distal end of the load beam. In the embodiment shown in the Christianson et al. Patent, the flexure is manufactured and formed separately from the load beam and subsequently mounted to the load beam. Other types of head suspensions such as those shown in the Blaeser et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,198,945 include what is known as an integral gimbal which is formed directly on the distal end of the load beam. The mounting region of the head suspension is adapted to be mounted to a rotary actuator in the disk drive, and typically has a base plate welded thereto for added rigidity.
A read/write head slider is mounted, usually by adhesive, to the flexure of the head suspension. The read/write head sliders are commonly electrically connected to electronic circuitry in the disk drive by lead wires. The lead wires are ultrasonically bonded, soldered or otherwise attached to terminals on the read/write head slider and extend along the length of the head suspension to the mounting region. Tabs are often included on the rigid region and mounting region to secure the wire leads to the suspension.
Alternatives to head suspensions with conventional wire leads are known as integrated lead or "wireless" suspensions. A number of different types of integrated lead suspensions are commercially available. One such type of integrated lead suspension is disclosed generally in the Bennin U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,307. The suspension shown in this patent is fabricated from a laminated sheet of material including a stainless steel spring material layer and a copper conductor layer which are bonded together by a dielectric insulating layer. The load beam and flexure are formed from the stainless steel layer by a photolithographic chemical etching process. The integrated leads are formed from the conductor and insulating layers by a similar process.
The Bennin et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,597 discloses a head suspension which is assembled from a load beam and a gimbal-interconnect assembly. The gimbal-interconnect assembly is etched from a layer of conductive spring material, coated with an insulating dielectric and mounted to the load beam.
Another wireless suspension design makes use of a flex circuit mounted to a load beam. The flex circuit structure includes electrical leads encapsulated in a flexible and insulating film. The flex circuit is mounted, typically by adhesive, to the load beam. A flex circuit suspension is disclosed, for example, in PCT Publication No. WO 96/37883.
There remains, however, a continuing need for improved integrated lead suspension technologies. To be commercially viable, any such technology should enable the efficient manufacture of head suspensions having high quality mechanical and electrical characteristics.

Lead structure with stainless steel base for attachment to a suspension


The present disclosure discloses a mood recognition method, a device, an electronic device and a computer-readable storage medium. The method includes: obtaining a sample text; obtaining a plurality of recordings corresponding to the sample text, in which the plurality of recordings are speech obtained by reading the sample text using a plurality of mood types; extracting a mood feature from each of the plurality of recordings, and determining a mood type corresponding to the mood feature; establishing a mood recognition model based on the sample text, mood features extracted from the plurality of recordings, and mood types corresponding to the mood features; and performing mood recognition on a speech data of a user based on the mood recognition model to obtain a corresponding mood meaning.

At present, user's intention may be greatly different because a user reads a text in different moods. For example, for a text "really", the user may read the text in an affirmative mood or in a rhetorical mood. Since the user uses two different moods, corresponding intention of the user may be different. However, in traditional speech recognition technology, only content of the speech of the user can be recognized, but interrogative mood in the speech of the user cannot be recognized.

Mood recognition method, electronic device and computer-readable storage medium

BEIJING BAIDU NETCOM SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


A method, apparatus and computer program product facilitate the viewing of a storyline defined in a video. In regards to a method, viewing by a user of different sequential areas of a video over time is monitored. The different sequential areas of the video over time define a storyline. If the storyline is followed, the video continues to be presented. However, if the storyline is not followed in that a next sequential area of the video is not viewed, a portion of the video prior to the next sequential area is caused to be repeatedly replayed in a loop. Following this repeated replay of the portion of the video, the repeated replay of the portion of the video is ceased and the presentation of the video is resumed if the storyline is followed and the next sequential area of the video in the storyline is viewed.

Video, such as large field of view video, may be viewed for a variety of purposes including, for example, in conjunction with virtual reality applications. As a result of the large field of view which may extend beyond the portion of the video presented at any one point in time by a display device, a viewer may find it challenging to fully explore the scene and to identify the portions of the video upon which to focus. As such, a viewer may miss portions of the video that are generally considered more interesting or more significant for any of various reasons.
As such, storylines have been developed. A storyline defines a sequence of spatial locations within a video over time, which are recommended to the viewer. Thus, a storyline may include a first location at a first time, a second location at a second time and so on. The sequence of spatial locations generally includes those portions of the video over time that are considered more interesting or more significant. Storylines may be crafted by the creator of the video content or by someone else involved in the creation and/or editing of the video. Upon playing of the video, suggestions may be provided to the viewer of the different spatial locations over time that would be interesting for the viewer to watch.
The suggestions may be provided to the viewer regarding the sequence of spatial locations that define the storyline in various manners. For example, the video may be automatically panned to each spatial location in sequence to ensure that the viewer watches the portions of the video that comprise the storyline. In conjunction with a virtual reality application, the automatic panning of the video does not require the viewer to move around the scene, such as by turning their head or re-orientating their gaze. Instead, the scene is automatically moved so that each spatial location of the storyline is, in turn, placed in the field of view of the viewer. However, this automatic panning to the different spatial locations over time reduces the freedom that a viewer otherwise enjoys to explore the scene and to repeatedly view areas of the scene that are of particular interest.
Another technique for encouraging a viewer to follow a storyline includes the display of arrows or other directions upon the video that provide an indication to the viewer as to the direction in which their attention should be relocated in order to view the next spatial location of the video in the storyline. The inclusion of arrows or other directions in the video, however, may detract from the viewer's enjoyment of and immersion into the scene and may be considered intrusive.

Method and apparatus for presenting a video loop during a storyline


Provided is a data driver configured to drive a display unit that includes a two-dimensional matrix of pixels, the data driver including: a resistance circuit to which a plurality of reference voltages with different values are applied, the resistance circuit including a plurality of output nodes configured to output the reference voltages and voltages obtained by dividing the reference voltages; a selector unit configured to select one of the plurality of output nodes in accordance with a value of an input gradation signal, and cause a voltage corresponding to the value of the gradation signal to be output; and a phase difference control unit configured to perform control to delay an output node selection operation by the selector unit in the case where an input gradation signal is included in a predetermined high tonal range or a predetermined low tonal range.

In a display device including a display unit such as an electroluminescent display panel, a data driver that generates voltages corresponding to gradation of an image is used to display images. A known data driver has a configuration in which a voltage corresponding to a value of a gradation signal is selected as appropriate to be output, from among a plurality of reference voltages and voltages obtained by dividing the reference voltages by using a resistance circuit configured with ladder resistors (gamma resistors) or the like.
Higher-definition display panels and the like require high-speed operation of data drivers. However, high-speed operation increases unnecessary radiation (electro-magnetic interference (EMI)). An increase in EMI causes malfunction of electronic circuits, and therefore needs to be suppressed. For example, JP 2009-251524A (Patent Literature 1) describes that, in a plurality of source drivers constituting a data driver, operation timing is intentionally shifted for each source driver to cause interference of radiation noise that accompanies the operation of the source drivers.

Data driver, display device, and electronic apparatus


An electric frying pot includes an outer pot body. and an inner pot. The outer pot body is provided with plural support members and a socket on its bottom base having a. micro-switch fixed under to connect the socket. The socket has two notches and an inserting groove on top and a sliding cover inside, a ring electric-heating tube fixed at the bottom of the inner pot, having two thirds embedded therein and two pins protruding at two opposite ends, with an actuating rod longer then the pins fixed between. Thus, when the inner pot is placed in the outer pot body, the actuating rod pushes the sliding cover to move away to let the actuating rod and the pins respectively inserting in the inserting grooves and the notches, synchronously with the bottom of the inner pot pressing the lug of the micro-switch to turn on power.

This invention relates to an electric frying pot, particularly to one possible to elevate heat conductive efficiency, preventing its components from carbonizing and accordingly possible to lower manufacturing cost.
A conventional electric frying pot consists of an outer pot body with a cover pivotally mounted around its top and an inner pot placed in a hollow interior of the outer the pot body. A socket is provided inside the outer pot body connected with both a power supply and a temperature controlling button, and a ring electric-heating tube 220 is fixed at the bottom of the inner pot 20, as shown in FIG. 1, with one third of the tube body of the electric-heating tube embedded fixedly within the bottom of the inner pot and the rest portion exposing under the inner pot. Besides, the electric-heating tube 220 has two pins protruding downward at two opposite ends to be inserted in the socket of the outer pot body, and the outer pot body has a heatproof plate made of heatproof material provided around its inner wall. Thus, after the inner pot is placed in the outer pot body and the pins of the electric-heating tube are inserted in the socket, the electric-heating tube is powered to generate heat and render the inner pot hot enough to fry food and high temperature produced in the process of heating is isolated by the heatproof plate, impossible to transmit to the outer pot body.
However, such conventional electric frying pot has been found to have some defects described below.
1. The pins of the electric-heating tube are inserted in the socket of the outer pot body to make the electric-heating tube transmit electricity and generate heat, but the conventional socket is generally positioned in open state with its contact point exposing directly, liable to give rise to accident in case of cleaning.
2. When the pins of the electric-heating tube are inserted in or pulled off the socket, it is liable to result in sparks due to instant conducting and cutting off electricity, thus easily to make the pins carbonized after a long-term use.
3. Only one third of the electric-heating tube is embedded in the bottom of the inner pot, and in other words, only one third of the heat is directly transmitted to the inner pot and the other two thirds of the electric-heating tube is exposed between the heatproof plate and the inner pot, thus resulting in poor efficiency of heat conducting. Besides, in order to prevent the heat given out by the exposed electric-heat tube from transmitting to the outer pot body, a large heatproof plate has to be provided around the inner wall of the pot body, thus increasing its manufacturing cost.
The objective of the invention is to offer an electric frying pot possible to enhance efficiency of heat transmitting, preventing its components from carbonizing and accordingly possible to lower its manufacturing cost.
To achieve such a goal, an electric frying pot in this invention is designed in particular, including an outer pot body having a cover pivotally provided on top and an inner pot placed in the outer pot body. A bottom base made of heatproof material is fixedly provided inside the pot body, having plural protruding-up support members and a socket connecting with a power supply, and a heatproof plate is fitted in the inner wall of the outer pot body. A metallic net basket is placed in the inner pot and a ring electric-heating tube is fixedly disposed at the bottom of the interior pot, having two pins protruding downward from two opposite ends to be received in the socket of the bottom base.
The feature of the invention is the outer pot body having plural support members inside and one of them having a press rod protruding downward to contact with a micro-switch, which is connected to the socket and a temperature controller. The socket is a recessed casing with its opening facing downward, having three connecting feet provided inside, and two notches corresponding to the three feet for receiving two pins of the electric-heating tube and an inserting groove positioned between two notches. The socket is further provided inside with a sliding cover pushed against by a spring to close up its notches and inserting groove. The sliding cover has two notches and an inserting groove conforming to the two notches and the inserting groove of the socket and a push-stop block is formed integral on top extending in the inserting groove of the socket. An electric-heating tube has its two thirds embedded in the bottom of the inner pot and an actuating rod protruding downward, facing the inserting groove of the socket. Thus, when the inner pot is put into the outer pot body, the actuating rod at the bottom of the interior pot will rest on the push-stop block and then apply force to push the slide cover to move horizontally and press the spring to shrink back to let the notches and the inserting groove of the sliding cover face exactly the notches and the inserting groove of the socket, thus, the actuating rod and the pins of the electric-heating tube will pass through the notches and the inserting grooves of both the socket and the sliding cover and contact with the connecting feet in the socket. Synchronously the bottom of the inner pot will touch the press rod of the support member and let the press rod rest against the lug of the micro-switch to turn on power. According to such a design, the pins of the electric-heating tube are first combined with the socket and subsequently the micro-switch controls the pins of the electric-heating tube and the socket to have power on, thus avoiding producing sparks, preventing the pins from carbonizing and elevating heat transmitting efficiency as well as reducing the size of a heatproof plate.

No. 35, Zsha Lun, Jon Zsha Village, Antin Shiang


An ink containing a phthalocyanine compound represented by the formula (I):

In recent years, especially materials for forming a color image are the main current as image recording materials. Concretely, recording materials of the inkjet mode, recording materials of the thermal transfer mode, recording materials of the electrophotographic mode, transfer type silver halide photosensitive materials, printing inks, recording pens, and others are extensively utilized. Also, color filters for recording and reproducing a color image are used in imagers such as CCD in photographing instruments and in LCD and PDP in displays.
In these color image recording materials and color filters, for the sake of reproducing or recording a full color image, dyes or pigments of three primary colors of the so-called additive color mixing method or subtractive color mixing method are used. However, it is the present state that fast pigments that have an absorption characteristic such that a preferred color reproduction region can be realized and that are durable against various conditions for use are not available yet, and hence, improvements are eagerly demanded.
The inkjet recording method becomes widespread rapidly and is further developing because the material costs are cheap, high-speed recording is possible, a noise upon recording is small, and color recording is easy.
The inkjet recording method includes the continuous mode of continuously flying droplets and the on-demand mode of flying droplets corresponding to an image information signal; and the ejection mode thereof includes a mode of ejecting droplets upon application of pressure by piezoelectric devices, a mode of ejecting droplets upon generation of bubbles in the ink by heat, a mode of using ultrasonic waves, and a mode of sucking and ejecting droplets by electrostatic force.
Also, as the inkjet recording ink, aqueous inks, oily inks, or solid (melt type) inks are employed.
Pigments that are used for such inkjet recording inks are required such that solubility or dispersibility in solvent is good; high-density recording is possible; hue is good; they are fast to light, heat or active gases in the environment (such as NOx, oxidizing gases such as ozone, and SOx); fastness to water or chemicals is excellent; fixability to image receiving materials is good so that bleeding hardly occurs; preservability as the ink is excellent; they are not toxic; purity is high; and they are cheaply available.
However, it is extremely difficult to seek pigments that meet these requirements at high levels. In particular, it is strongly desired that pigments have good cyan hue and are fast to light, humidity and heat, and especially, pigments are fast to oxidizing gases such as ozone in the environment upon printing on an image receiving material having an ink receiving layer containing porous white inorganic pigment particles. Also, it is strongly desired that the pigments have good ink storage stability as described later.
As a pigment skeleton of cyan to be used for such an inkjet recording ink, those of a phthalocyanine base, an anthraquinone base, and a triphenylmethane base are enumerated, and phthalocyanine compounds having excellent hue and light fastness are used. However, the phthalocyanine compounds do not have sufficient fastness to oxidizing gases, especially ozone and cannot be satisfied with ink stability. Accordingly, improvements are demanded.
As representative phthalocyanine pigments that are most widely reported and utilized, phthalocyanine derivatives classified into the following (1) to (6) groups are enumerated.    (1) Copper phthalocyanine based pigments [for example, Cu-Pc-(SO3Na)m: a mixture of m=1 to 4] such as Direct Blue 86 and Direct Blue 87. Incidentally, the term "Pc" as used in the foregoing formula and the present specification means a phthalocyanine skeleton.    (2) Phthalocyanine based pigments [for example, Cu-Pc-(SO3Na)m(SO2NH2)n: a mixture of (m+N)=1 to 4] such as Direct Blue 199 and those described in JP-A-62-190273, JP-A-63-28690, JP-A-63-306075, JP-A-63-306076, JP-A-2-131983, JP-A-3-122171, JP-A-3-200883, and JP-A-7-138511.    (3) Phthalocyanine based pigments [for example, Cu-Pc-(CO2H)m(CONR1R2)n: (m+n)=a number of from 0 to 4] such as those described in JP-A-63-210175, JP-A-63-37176, JP-A-63-304071, JP-A-5-171085, and WO 00/08102.    (4) Phthalocyanine based pigments [for example, Cu-Pc-(SO3H)m(SO2NR1R2)n: (m+N)=a number of from 0 to 4, and m≠0] such as those described in JP-A-59-30874, JP-A-1-126381, JP-A-1-190770, JP-A-6-16982, JP-A-7-82499, JP-A-8-34942, JP-A-8-60053, JP-A-8-113745, JP-A-8-310116, JP-A-10-140063, JP-A-10-298463, JP-A-11-29729, JP-A-11-320921, EP173476A2, EP468649A1, EP559309A2, EP596383A1, DE3411476, U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,955, WO 99/13009, and GB2341868A.    (5) Phthalocyanine based pigments [for example, Cu-Pc-(SO3H)l(SO2NH2)m(SO2NR1R2)n: (l+m+N)=a number of from 0 to 4] such as those described in JP-A-60-208365, JP-A-61-2772, JP-A-6-57653, JP-A-8-60052, JP-A-8-295819, JP-A-10-130517, JP-A-11-72614, JP-T-11-515047, JP-T-11-515048, EP196901A2, WO 95/29208, WP 98/49239, WO 98/49240, WO 99/50363, and WO 99/67334.    (6) Phthalocyanine based pigments [for example, Cu-Pc-(SO2NR1R2)n: n=a number of from 1 to 5] such as those described in JP-A-59-22967, JP-A-61-185576, JP-A-1-95093, JP-A-3-195783, EP649881A1, WO 00/08101, and WO 00/08103.
Though the phthalocyanine dyes that are generally used widely at present and described in the above cited patent documents, represented by Direct Blue 87 and Direct Blue 199, are characterized in that they are excellent in light fastness as compared with magenta dyes and yellow dyes, they are liable to generate a problem caused by their solubility. For example, poor solubility is generated at the time of manufacture to cause a manufacture trouble, and a problem caused by deposition of insoluble matters at the time of product storage or use is often generated. In particular, in the inkjet recording as described previously, poor storage stability of inks such as deposition of a dye causes problems inclusive of clogging and poor ejection of printing heads, resulting in marked degradation of a printed image.
Also, these phthalocyanine dyes likely cause color fading by oxidizing gases such as ozone, the matter of which is often taken up as an environmental problem nowadays, leading a serious problem that the printing density greatly lowers.
At present, the inkjet recording is rapidly expanding in its use field. In the future, if it is widely used more and more in general homes, SOHO, business field, etc., it should be exposed to various use conditions or use environment. As a result, there will be often generated problems such that a trouble in the ink storage stability caused by poor solubility of a cyanine dye occurs and that a printed image causes color fading upon exposure to light or active gases in the environment. Accordingly, in particular, realization of pigments and ink compositions having good hue, excellent light fastness or fastness to active gases (such as NOx, oxidizing gases such as ozone, and SOx) in the environment, and high solubility is eagerly demanded more and more.
Up to date, phthalocyanine pigments to which resistance to ozone gas is given have been disclosed in, for example, JP-A-3-103484, JP-A-4-39365, and JP-A-2000-303009. However, it is the present state that any of them cannot satisfy the hue and the fastness to light and oxidizing gases at the same time. In particular, with respect to the resistance to ozone gas, nothing has been reported as to the nature of a pigment as an index thereof. Further, EP1243626A1 and EP1243627A1 report the use of phthalocyanine based pigments. However, it is the present state that since the fastness largely depends upon the density (only high-density areas are made fast), and light is reflected in the high-density areas due to occurrence of a bronze phenomenon, not only the optical density of the recorded image lowers, but also the hue of the recorded image largely differs from the desired hue, so that the required performance cannot be achieved at the satisfactory level.
Also, in the case where an azaphthalocyanine compound described in WO 02/34844 is used as an ink (especially a cyan dye), the hue of the azaphthalocyanine compound is remarkably shifted to short wavelengths. As a result, it cannot satisfy an absorption characteristic upon which a preferred color reproduction region can be realized. Further, when the central metal of a metallic phthalocyanine compound is changed (for example, to Ni), there is an effect of improving the hue (shifting to long wavelengths) to some extent. However, an absorption characteristic upon which a preferred color reproduction region can be realized cannot be satisfied yet, and a further problem occurs with respect to the material safety due to the use of Ni.
On the other hand, as an ink of the inkjet recording mode (the ink will be sometimes referred to as "inkjet recording ink"), aqueous inks are mainly used. The aqueous inks are basically constituted of a pigment, water, and an organic solvent, and from the standpoints of odors and safety to human beings and the circumferential environment, water is the main solvent. Also, as the pigment, water-soluble dyes such as acid dyes, basic dyes, reactive dyes, and direct dyes are generally used.
Such inkjet recording inks (and dyes) are required to have various characteristics described below.    (1) Physical property values of the ink in viscosity, surface tension, specific electric conductivity, density, pH, etc. are proper.    (2) Long-term storage stability of the ink is good.    (3) Dissolution components have high dissolution stability so that clogging of nozzles does not occur.    (4) The ink is quickly dried on a material to be recorded.    (5) The recorded image is clear and good in resistance to light and resistance to water.
However, the conventional inks have not satisfied all of these characteristics yet.
In the case of usually used aqueous inks, water-soluble dyes are used. For that reason, in the case where water splashes on the recorded image, there is generated a big problem in resistance to water such that the dye elutes or the recorded image bleeds or disappears. In particular, occurrence of clogging of heads in the inkjet recording mode is problematic, and at present, various investigations on the ink storage stability as the main purpose are being made.
For example, a method in which an organic solvent or resin is added to an ink using a pigment or an oil-soluble dye as a pigment or an aqueous ink using a water-soluble dye is being investigated. However, the ink using a pigment involves problems such that it is poor in dispersion stability and inferior in storage stability and that it causes clogging of nozzles. Also, since the ink using an oil-soluble dye uses an organic solvent, it involved a problem in environmental hygiene such as odors and a problem such that bleeding of the ink is large, leading to a lowering in image quality. Also, even in the case of inks to which additives have been added, there were involved problems such that the storage stability is inferior, clogging of nozzles occurs, and the inks becomes viscous so that flying of the ink is poor.
The inks disclosed in JP-A-2000-303014 and JP-A-2000-313837 are concerned with phthalocyanine pigments having improved dispersion stability and exhibiting excellent storage stability but cannot meet the hue and the fastness to light and oxidizing gases at the same time. As a result, these inks have not yet become a product that can satisfy the requirements in the market.
Recently, JP-A-6-340835, JP-A-12-239584, and WO 00/08102 describe inks using an aqueous dispersion comprising, as a dispersoid, a polyester resin colored with a dye or a pigment. However, even by utilizing this method, the foregoing problems have not been sufficiently solved yet. On the other hand, it is described that the dye is problematic in affinity with the resin, the matter of which is directly related to a lowering in image density, a lower in resistance to water, storage stability, clogging in nozzles, etc., and control in mean particle size of the colored resin finer particles.
Also, in general, as described in WO 00/17275, WO 00/08103, WO 00/08101, WO 98/41853, and JP-A-10-36471, an unsubstituted phthalocyanine compound is sulfonated, and in the case where it is used as a water-soluble dye, the sulfonated compound is used as an alkali metal salt (such as a sodium slat) thereof as it is. In the case where the sulfonated compound is derived into an oil-soluble dye, those synthesized by subjecting the sulfonated compound to sulfonyl chlorination and then amidation can be used.
In aqueous cyan inks that have hitherto been used for inkjet printing, water-soluble dyes such as copper phthalocyanine compounds comprising a sulfonated copper phthalocyanine compound having a sulfo group or a salt of a sulfo group as a substituent are used.
In that case, not only sulfonation can occur at any position on the phthalocyanine nucleus, but also control of the number of positions to be sulfonated is difficult. Accordingly, in the case of introducing a sulfo group under such reaction conditions, the position and the number of the sulfo group introduced into the product cannot be specified so that a mixture of products that are different in the number and substitution position of a substituent from each other is always obtained.
And the resulting mixture is mingled with a component having low solubility, for example, a component in which the phthalocyanine nucleus is not sulfonated or sulfonated only at one position thereof. As a result, in the case where the product is used as a water-soluble dye, its solubility is insufficient. Thus, improvements in solubility are desired.
On the other hand, phthalocyanine compounds having an ammonium salt of sulfonic acid containing an ion pair of a sulfamoyl group and/or a sulfo group and an amine compound are known as an oil-soluble dye. Such phthalocyanine compounds are produced by chlorosulfonating a metallic phthalocyanine compound with chlorosulfonic acid and reacting the resulting chlorosulfonated compound of the phthalocyanine compound with an amine compound (see, for example, Yutaka Hosoda, Riron Seizo Senryo Kagaku (Theoretical Manufacturing Dye Chemistry), 5th Edition, published on Jul. 15, 1968, Gihodo, pp. 798–799). According to this production process, in the reaction of the chlorosulfonated compound of the phthalocyanine compound with the amine compound, not only a sulfonic acid amide group is formed, but also a part of the chlorosulfonyl group is hydrolyzed and remains as a sulfo group, or a phthalocyanine compound containing an ammonium salt of sulfonic acid in wherein a pair ion of the sulfo group and the amine compound is formed is obtained.
In the case where the thus obtained phthalocyanine compound is used as an inkjet recording pigment, there are generated problems such that an ink cannot be prepared because of low solubility of the ink in a solvent and that an ink having a necessary concentration cannot be prepared. Also, due to influences of the residual sulfo group, bleeding occurred when printed on plain paper, resistance to water of the recorded image became worse, or adverse influences in other various characteristics were caused.
In the light of the above, various characteristics of inks, especially inks to be used in the inkjet recording mode largely depend upon characteristics inherent to the pigment, and it is extremely important to select a pigment that meets the foregoing various conditions.
JP-A-2003-34758 discloses a phthalocyanine compound (mixture) containing a pyridine ring, a pyrazine ring and a benzene ring. But, a phthalocyanine compound having more improved fatness (especially, to ozone gas) in which substituents and portions having substituents are limited has been needed.

Phthalocyanine compound, ink, inkjet recording method, and image forming method

Abstract: wherein X1 to X4, Y1 to Y4, A1 to A4, and M are defined herein.


In one embodiment, a node comprises a plurality of processor cores, coherency control circuitry coupled to the plurality of processor cores, and at least one coherence unit coupled to the coherency control circuitry. Each processor core is configured to have a plurality of threads active and each processor core includes at least one first level cache. The coherency control circuitry is configured to manage intranode coherency among the plurality of processor cores. The coherency unit is configured to couple to an external interface of the node, and is configured to transmit and receive coherence messages on the external interface to maintain coherency with at least one other node having one or processor cores and a coherence unit. In another embodiment, a system comprises an interconnect and a plurality of nodes coupled to the interconnect.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to the field of SMP and CMT, and particularly to a system for implementing SMP with CMTs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Chip multithreading (CMT) has been proposed as one way to utilize the transistors that can now be integrated on the same semiconductor substrate, or integrated circuit chip. Particularly, one or more processor cores may be included on a chip, and each processor core is multithreaded. That is, the processor core includes hardware to have multiple threads active. Software can activate the threads for execution, and the hardware handles executing the threads, interleaving access among the instructions from different threads to shared processor core hardware, etc.
Prior to the advent of multithreading, executing more than one thread concurrently required multiple single-threaded processors. Each processor is a separate chip, and the processors are connected in some fashion to memory. For example, in the symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) model, processors are considered equals and any processor can execute any thread (or process). Typically, cache coherency (or more briefly, coherency) is maintained to ensure that memory accesses from different processors occur in a coherent fashion (e.g. the most recently updates to bytes at a given address are delivered in response to a read of the given address).
One SMP implementation is a multidrop bus to which each single-threaded processor chip is connected. An address transmitted on the bus (e.g. by one of the processors) is snooped by the other processors, which check their caches for a copy of the data being accessed. In other implementations, explicit probe transactions (or inquire transactions) are transmitted on the bus and only the probe addresses are snooped against the cache.
The multidrop SMP bus is generally not suitable for handling multiple CMTs. The multidrop bus is highly capacitive, which generally means that the bus clock cycle is relatively long. The bandwidth and latency on the bus is thus limited. CMTs, executing multiple threads/processes and thus generating numerous memory accesses to many different addresses, would exceed the available bandwidth and the latency would reduce performance. Additionally, CMTs that include multiple processor cores would not be able to maintain coherency using the multidrop bus. Another method used to interconnect single-threaded processors is the point-to-point interconnect of Hypertranspor™ and the like.

Multi-socket symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) system for chip multi-threaded (CMT) processors


The present invention discloses methods for preparing a processed peanut product containing high levels of peanut hearts material, with the peanut heart material being substantially stripped of bitter taste so as to provide debittered peanut hearts of comparable taste to actual peanuts or as being flavorless without adversely affecting the taste of a foodstuff end product. The processed product includes whole or fragmented peanut hearts and peanut heart powder processed using alkaline wash, neutralization, and drying for inactivating enzymes and removing bitter flavoring components. The peanut heart materials are debittered by adjusting the pH to about 8 to about 12 with an alkali material (e.g., sodium hydroxide) to solubilize the protein content and release the bitter flavor compounds making it possible to separate such compounds by ultrafiltration. The alkali treated peanut heart material is neutralized with an acidic aqueous solution.

Peanuts constitute an important foodstuff and are often employed as a material ingredient in end products for their substantial food value (e.g., substantial protein and oil content). However, peanut hearts or germs have an extremely bitter taste. Thus, peanut heart material is normally discarded in commercial food processing so as to limit or eliminate significant levels of peanut heart materials in end products because of consumers' preferences for non-bitter food products. Moreover, a bitter tasting substance can often be sensed even when it is present in extremely small amounts as compared to other materials present in the end product. Accordingly, the presence of an unpleasant bitter taste is of serious concern in the food industry, and further may be problematic in other industries such as the medicinal and pharmaceutical industries. See, e.g., Dieckert et al., "Bitter Principles of the Peanut. Isolation, General Properties, and Distribution in the Seed," Agric. & Food Chem., 6, 930–933 (1958); Dieckert et al., "Saponins of the Peanut: Isloation of Some Peanut Sapogenins and Their Comparison with the Soya Sapogenois by Glass-Paper Chromatography," Arch. Biochem & Biophy, 82, 220–228 (1959); Price et al., "The Chemistry and Biological Significance of Saponins in Foods and Feedingstuffs," Crit. Rev. Food Sce & Nutrit., 26, 27–49 (1987). The desire for improved palatability has prompted the development of numerous approaches for inhibiting, masking, or otherwise reducing bitterness so as to not affect the overall flavor in the resulting foodstuff. Such problems have been recognized for many years.
An example of previously employed methods to purify organic materials is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,480 to Seidel et al. for "Method Of Preparing A Clean Flavored Cereal Starch" issued Oct. 16, 1984, in which starch is treated with an alkali to remove objectionable flavor components. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,186 to Schara et al. for "Method Of Purifying Starches And Products Produced Therefrom" issued Aug. 2, 1988, ultrafiltration is used to purify starch. In both cases, flavor components are removed from the starch, in the '480 patent by solubilizing the flavor components so that they can be washed out of the relatively insoluble starch. In the '186 patent, ultrafiltration was used to remove the flavor components as permeate while the insoluble starch remained in an aqueous slurry.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,197,356 B1 to Girsh for "Process For Preparing Hypoallergenic Foods" issued Mar. 6, 2001, provides for a method for rendering common allergenic foods, including peanuts, hypoallergenic by heat treatment with a super critical fluid or gas (e.g., super critical carbon dioxide or liquid nitrogen). U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,984 to Kurihara et al. for "Taste-Modifying Method And Bittemess-Decreasing Method" issued Jul. 28, 1998, provides for a protein-lipid complex which, when added to food (including peanuts) or other compositions, decreases bitterness. The complex appears to mask the bitterness rather than eliminate it from the product. U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,622 to Nelson for "Inhibiting Undesirable Taste In Oral Compositions" issued Jun. 16, 1998, provides for a method of inhibiting an undesirable taste in food (including peanuts) and other compositions by the addition of a phosphorylated amino acid. U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,543 to Katsuragi et al. for "Bittemess-Relieving Agent" issued May 26, 1998, provides for a bitterness-relieving agent which can be added to food (including peanuts) and other compositions. The agent is an ester of a mono-or diglyceride with a polycarboxylic acid or a salt thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,694 to Youngquist for "Deflavoring Vegetable Seed Materials" issued Jul. 8, 1980, provides for a method for deflavoring vegetable seed materials (including peanuts) using a ternary single-phase solution of water, electrolyte, and carbohydrate. The solution has a water activity of less than about 0.9. The process can be carried out by suspending the seed material in the solution and mixing for about 10 minutes to about 24 hours at a temperature of about 0 to about 120° C. U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,800 to Youngquist for "Deflavoring Oleaginous Seed Protein Materials" issued Dec. 21, 1976, provides for a method for deflavoring oleaginous seed materials (including peanuts) using a single phase composition containing a non-polar oxygen-containing organic solvent (e.g., alcohol) and water. U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,599 to Mitchell, Jr. for "Process For Making Flavorless Food Extenders Derived From Peanuts, And A Method Of Recovering Peanut Oil" issued Mar. 30, 1976, provides for a method for preparing flavorless peanut flakes. This method comprises coarsely grinding blanched unroasted peanuts, mixing with water, forming a suspension of finely divided peanut particles and emulsified oil, drying the emulsion-suspension to form flakes, extracting oil from the flakes using an organic solvent (e.g., hydrocarbon), and removing residual solvent from the flakes.
As can be seen from the above summary, the problem of debittering peanut hearts has not been adequately addressed in the food processing arts. Moreover, none of the prior art specifically provides for debittering processes that take advantage of a water-based process for processing peanut hearts for human consumption. Inasmuch as peanut hearts generally are associated with an extremely bitter flavor, much more so than many other foodstuffs, it is not readily apparent that any known prior art processes could produce debittered peanut hearts.


A computer bus includes a set of computer bus input nodes to receive a set of computer bus input signals generated by system cards attached to the computer bus. The computer bus input signals are processed by a set of bus bit processors. Each of the bus bit processors includes a digital gate logic circuit to perform a logical OR operation on a subset of the set of computer bus input signals. The subset of computer bus input signals corresponds to the signals carried by a single line of a traditional computer bus. Each bus bit processor generates a bus bit processor output signal. The set of bus bit processors thereby form a set of bus bit processor output signals. The bus bit processor output signals are applied to computer bus output nodes for processing by the system cards in a conventional manner. Thus, the digital gate logic circuits of the bus bit processors execute the function performed by traditional hardwired computer bus structures. Consequently, the disclosed computer bus avoids the speed limitations and complicated transmission line design considerations associated with traditional computer bus structures.

A computer bus is a communication link used to connect multiple computer subsystems. For example, a computer bus is used to link the memory and processor, and to link the processor with input/output (I/O) devices. Computer buses are traditionally classified as follows: processor-memory buses, I/O buses, or backplane buses. Processor-memory buses are short, generally high speed, and matched to the memory system so as to maximize memory-processor bandwidth. I/O buses, by contrast, can be lengthy, can have many types of devices connected to them, and often have a wide range in the data bandwidth of the devices connected to them. Backplane buses are designed to allow processors, memory, and I/O devices to coexist on a single bus. Backplane buses balance the demands of processor-memory communication with the demands of I/O device-memory communication. Backplane buses received their name from the fact that they are typically built into a computer backplane--the fundamental interconnection structure within the computer chassis. Processor, memory, and I/O boards plug into a backplane and then use the backplane bus to communicate.
Processor-memory buses are often design-specific, while both I/O buses and backplane buses are frequently standard buses with parameters established by industry standards. The distinction between bus types is becoming increasingly difficult to specify. Thus, the present application generically refers to computer buses to encompass all processor-memory buses, I/O buses, and backplane buses.
The problem with computer buses is that they create a communication bottleneck since all input/output must pass through a single bus. Thus, the bandwidth of the bus limits the throughput of the computer. Physical constraints associated with existing computer buses are beginning to limit the available performance improvements generally available in computers.
The physical operation and constraints of existing computer bus designs are most fully appreciated with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 illustrates a computer bus 20 positioned on a backplane 22. The computer bus 20 is a set of wires, effectively forming a transmission line. A random number of system cards (or cards) 24A-24N are attached to the computer bus 20. By way of example, the cards 24 may include a video processing card, a memory controller card, an I/O controller card, and a network card. Each card 24 is connected to the computer bus 20 through a connector 26. Thus, each card 24 is electrically connected to the set of wires forming the computer bus 20. As a result, one card, say card 24A, can communicate with another card, say 24N, by writing information onto the computer bus 20. Only one card 24 can write information onto the computer bus 20 at a time, thus a computer bus 20 can generate a performance bottleneck as different cards 24 wait to write information onto the bus 20.
Another problem associated with a traditional computer bus 20, as shown in FIG. 1, is that its performance is constrained by complicated electrical phenomenon. For example, the connectors 26 effectively divide the bus into transmission line segments, resulting in complicated transmission line effects. Note that the transmission line segments will vary depending upon the number of cards 26 connected to the bus 20. This periodic loading of the bus 20 makes it difficult to optimize bus performance. In addition, each connector 26 produces a lumped discontinuity with parallel capacitance and series inductance, thereby complicating the electrical characteristics of the bus 20. Note also that "T-connections" are formed between the wires of a computer bus 20 and the wires to a connector 26. The T-connections complicate the electrical characteristics of the computer bus 20.
Each card 24 includes a transceiver circuit 28 connected to a card logic circuit 30, which performs the functional operations associated with the card 24. The transceiver circuit 28 is used to read and write information on the bus 20. That is, the transceiver circuit 28 reads information from the bus 20, the card logic circuit 30 processes the information, and then the transceiver circuit 28 writes processed information to the bus 20. Additional electrical complications arise with the transceiver circuits 28. For example, transmission line segments are formed between each connector 26 and each bus transceiver 28 circuit. In addition, the transceiver circuits 28 present an impedance at their package pins that depends upon the circuit design, the electrical state of the transceiver, and the packaging.
In sum, the computer bus 20 constitutes a transmission line with complicated electrical interactions caused by such factors as transmission line segments and connectors forming lumped discontinuities with parallel capacitance and series inductance. The bus 20 may be terminated with termination resistors (R) to reduce transmission line effects, such as reflections and mismatches. Nevertheless, solutions of this sort do not overcome all transmission line problems associated with a computer bus 20.
Given these complicated electrical interactions, signals on the bus 20 do not experience a uniform rise. That is, if the bus 20 was a perfect transmission line, then high signals (digital ONES) written to the bus 20 would experience a uniform rise. However, in view of the complicated electrical interactions on the bus 20, high signals frequently experience one or more spurious signal transitions before reaching a final peak value that can be processed. Waiting for signals to settle causes delays.
Another problem is that the complicated electrical interactions on the computer bus 20 require higher powered drive signals, and thus more power dissipation.
It is difficult to avoid these problems by changing the electrical characteristics of the bus 20. That is, it is difficult to design a bus with improved transmission line properties in view of the complicated factors that establish bus 20 performance. Thus, it would be highly desirable to design a new type of bus whose performance is not contingent upon complicated transmission line effects associated with prior art buses.


A method of erosive cutting of a hard material such as rock utilizes two spaced clusters of jets for high-pressure discharge of fluid in the course of their movement along the same longitudinal path over the hard material. One of the jet clusters has a fixed orientation for multiple-jet discharge at the hard material, while the other cluster of jets is subjected to oscillating excursions transverse to the direction of the path that both clusters are caused to follow. A cooling medium is directed at the working site between the two clusters. The result is a faster working rate and a more cleanly defined groove in the hard material, along the path of movement.

The present invention is directed to a method of and to apparatus for cutting, drilling and similar erosive working of a rock, ore, coal, concrete or other hard object, using multiple-jet discharges of a pressure-fluid medium.
Methods and apparatus of the character indicated are known from German patents 3,739,825 and 3,915,933. In this connection, it is also known from German patents 3,410,981 and 3,516,572 to provide nozzle heads with a plurality of nozzles. And it is further known from German patents 3,422,311 and 2,607,097 to mount nozzle heads so as to enable them to be pivoted on a crankshaft.
The above-mentioned methods and apparatus have already proven their worth since it is possible thereby also to work elongate and narrow slots, boreholes and similar holes, for instance from hard rock, and the known apparatus is of relatively narrow and elongate configuration.

Method and apparatus for using multiple jets


Systems and methods are described for better assessing risk associated with cashing second-party checks and other negotiable instruments by using biometric information obtained from an individual who presents a check or other negotiable instrument in a check-cashing transaction. In various embodiments, the obtained biometric information may be compared with stored biometric information in order to enhance confidence in the accurate identification of the check presenter. In various embodiments, a gradated biometric risk score, based at least in part on the comparison, may be generated for the check-cashing transaction. In various embodiments, the biometric risk score may be combined with risk scores that are descriptive of other aspects of the check-cashing transaction to calculate a risk score for the transaction as a whole. In some embodiments, the risk scores may be used to generate an accept/decline recommendation for the transaction as a whole.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to risk assessment, and, more particularly, to systems and methods for evaluating risk variables associated with financial transactions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Checks continue to be a popular medium of financial exchange. Many individuals who receive paychecks from their employers or checks from other check issuers may not have a demand deposit account (DDA), such as a checking account in which to deposit their checks, or may prefer to cash their checks rather than depositing them in a bank account before withdrawing the funds. For example, many people prefer to cash their paychecks at a grocery store or check-cashing establishment.
The Financial Service Centers of America (FiSCA), the professional organization for the check cashing industry estimates that 6,000 neighborhood financial service centers cash 180 million checks annually, with the aggregate face value of checks cashed over $55 billion. Furthermore, Dove Consulting estimated that in 2000 there were 9,500 check cashing outlets with an additional 1,300 businesses that offered check cashing as a secondary line of business. A large portion of the clientele at these locations are individuals who do not themselves have bank accounts, a segment of the population sometimes referred to as being "unbanked."
Businesses that cash checks for their customers take a risk that they may not be able to successfully cash the checks they have accepted. Forged checks, stolen checks, checks that have been fraudulently altered, and checks written on accounts with insufficient funds or on accounts that have been closed may contribute to losses sustained by entities that agree to cash checks for individuals.
A check that is written by one party for cashing by another party is often known as a "second-party check." For example, a payroll check issued by an employer to an employee and presented by the employee for cashing at a supermarket, other retailer, or non-bank financial institution (NBFI) may be classified as a second-party check. Businesses that cash second-party checks face extra difficulties in assessing the risk of such transactions because they often wish to assess the trustworthiness of the person presenting the check for cashing as well as the party that wrote the check, the payor, who is not typically present.
Assessing the "unbanked" may be additionally difficult because historical information about their check-related activities may be sparse or unobtainable. Thus, unbanked individuals may have their check-cashing requests, and especially their second-party check-cashing requests, denied more frequently than do individuals with known bank accounts.
Various measures may be implemented by check-cashing entities to reduce the incidence of fraud. For example, check-cashing entities may consult positive pay files before agreeing to cash a check. Positive pay files are lists provided by check issuers, such as employers, of information about checks that they have issued. Finding a record in a positive pay file that matches a check presented to a check-cashing entity and that indicates that the check has not yet been cashed may serve to increase confidence in the legitimacy and "cashability" of the check. Finding a record in a positive pay file that matches a check presented to a check-cashing entity and that indicates that the check has already been cashed may serve to increase suspicion in the fraudulent nature of the check and may decrease confidence in the "cashability" of the check. Thus, positive pay information can, in some circumstances, be useful for check-cashing entities. However, positive pay information is not always available for a presented check and is not always accessible to a check-cashing entity that is considering cashing the check.
As another example of measures that may be implemented to reduce the incidence of fraud, biometric input for identifying the individual presenting a check may be used as a basis for accepting or declining a proposed check-cashing transaction.
Various methods for assessing risk associated with aspects of a check-cashing transaction exist that can be used in a binary fashion to accept or to decline a proposed transaction, but are not useful for expressing intermediate levels of uncertainty regarding risk associated with aspects of the transaction or for generating a risk assessment that is able to integrate a wide variety of relevant, but sometimes contradictory, risk assessment information.
In spite of currently available measures to avoid fraudulent transactions, businesses that cash second-party checks and other non-cash financial instruments continue to sustain losses that could be avoided with enhanced risk assessment.

Systems and methods for assessing the risk of a financial transaction using biometric information


A vise jaw combination used with a milling machine vise to hold a work-piece having either parallel edges or non-parallel edges. Wherein, the milling machine vise in this application disposes at least one movable member having threaded holes cooperating with fasteners to join the movable member and the vise jaw combination comprising a vertical axis tool post and a rotatable vise jaw. Wherein, the vertical axis tool post comprises a detachable wall disposing correlative thru holes for cooperating with the threaded holes and fasteners disposed at the movable member, whereby the vertical axis tool post is joined to the movable member disposed at the milling machine vise. Wherein, the rotatable vise jaw consists of a one-piece structure disposing a thru hole for receiving a vertical shaft disposed at the vertical axis tool post, whereby the rotatable vise jaw is joined to the vertical axis tool post.

This invention relates to milling machine vises and particularly to the clamping jaws used in combination with these vises. At present, the opposing jaws remain parallel at their clamping faces so that they provide adequate clamping pressure for holding a work-piece having parallel edges. However, the present jaws do not provide adequate clamping pressure for holding a work-piece having a beveled edge, whereas the parallel clamping faces cannot align with the non-parallel edges of a beveled work-piece.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a vise jaw combination used with a milling machine vise to hold a work-piece having either parallel edges or non-parallel edges. Wherein, the milling machine vise in this application disposes at least one movable member having threaded holes cooperating with fasteners to join the movable member and the vise jaw combination comprising a vertical axis tool post and a rotatable vise jaw. Wherein, the vertical axis tool post comprises a detachable wall disposing correlative thru holes for cooperating with the threaded holes and fasteners disposed at the movable member, whereby the vertical axis tool post is joined to the movable member disposed at the milling machine vise. Wherein, the rotatable vise jaw consists of a one-piece structure disposing a thru hole for receiving a vertical shaft disposed at the vertical axis tool post, whereby the rotatable vise jaw is joined to the vertical axis tool post.


A method and apparatus for looking up a key associated with a packet to determine a route through a routing device, the method including, upon receipt of a key, forward traversing one or more nodes which make up a trie stored in a memory by evaluating at each node traversed a bit in the key as indicated by a bit-to-test indicator associated with each node. A value of the bit in the key determining the path traversed along the trie. The method includes locating an end node having a route and comparing the route to the key. If they match, destination information associated with the end node is outputted to guide the transfer of the packet through the routing device. If they do not match, the trie is traversed backwards to locate a best match for the key.

The present invention relates generally to data routing systems, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for routing packets through a high speed data switch.
In packet switched communication systems, a router (switch or packet forwarding engine) is a switching device which receives packets on one port, and based on destination information contained within the packet, routes the packet to the destination (or intermediary destination) via another port. Prior art routers perform this routing function by evaluating header information associated with a first data block in the packet in order to determine the proper output port for a particular packet. The evaluation process involves two basic steps performed sequentially: key extraction and route look-up.
Each packet contains a header and data field. The header field contains control information associated with the routing of the packet, including source and destination information. The data field contains information which may include embedded headers for higher level protocols. The first step of the routing process is the identification of the key. The key contains the information that is used to look-up the route for an incoming packet. Upon identifying the key associated with an incoming packet, the router next must determine which port provides the best path to the destination.
Associated with the router is a route table. The route table includes entries having a route and destination associated therewith. After a key for a packet has been determined, the router performs a look-up in the route table for the destination associated with that key to determine the output port for the packet. The key may match multiple routes in the route table. Assuming the router located a match of the key in the route table, the entire packet is thereafter routed to the destination via the indicated output port.
In the prior art, the process of performing the look-up in a large route table was a very time consuming process. In order to speed the look-up process, caching of the most recent route matches was often performed. However, caching is minimally effective, providing an advantage only if the same key patterns are repeated.
In addition, the process of changing a route in an existing route table was difficult in prior art systems, often requiring the disruption of the look-up process.
Finally, prior art route tables typically provide only route and destination information. The size of the route tables were often minimized to include only minimal information for route look-up. Typically, separate tables were required for unicast and multicast routing. Pejorative information relating to flow identification, packet routing or accounting was not stored in the route tables so as not to slow down the already under-performing look-up engines.

High speed variable length best match look-up in a switching device


An integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes a parent terrain; and a hierarchical order of nested voltage islands within the parent terrain, each higher-order voltage island nested within a lower-order voltage island, each nested voltage island having the same hierarchical structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of integrated circuits; more specifically, it relates to architecture for integrated circuits containing voltage islands.
2. Background of the Invention
Designing application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and system-on-chips (SOCs) entails selecting several different designs selected from a library of designs and inserting them in a basic framework of inputs, output and power supplies. However, integrated circuit manufacturing techniques have progressed to the point where advanced ASIC and SOC integration complexity create serious problems related to the distribution of power to the cores of ASIC or SOC devices.
Some cores may be selectively powered up or down or even powered at voltages that are different from other core voltages. For example, analog cores, embedded field programmable gate arrays (eFPGA) and embedded dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cores require higher minimum voltages to function than, for example, digital complementary metal-oxide-silicon (CMOS) logic cores. In some cases, it might be advantageous to run a core at a higher voltage to increase performance. Also, some applications (e.g. battery power supplies) are sensitive to the power consumed by leakage currents in non-switching circuits within a core.
However, as orders of integration of ASIC and SOC devices becomes ever more complex, even cores themselves have internal power consumption and power distribution problems that hereto have remained un-resolved. Therefore, there is a need for a technique to resolve intra-core power consumption and power distribution problems.

International Business Machines Corporation


Machines for sorting objects having a series of carriages fixed at a given interval (P) to two drive belts configured to move along closed-loop paths in two parallel vertical planes are provided. Each path may include a top horizontal section and a bottom horizontal section joined together by two curved connecting end sections. Two end assemblies may be arranged at the curved end sections of the path. Each assembly may include crown gears which are configured to engage with the belts and a series of sliders which are configured to retain the carriages along a semicircular section close to the crown gears. The carriages are thus able to perform a rotary/translational movement along the end connecting sections and keep their support surface horizontally oriented.

The sector for the automatic sorting of objects such as luggage, packages, letters, flat items, envelopes, dispatch parcels and containers of a varying nature is conventionally divided into two main types of systems: "letter-type" systems, where unloading of the object is performed in a direction coinciding with the direction of advancement of the conveyor, and "cross-belt" systems, where unloading is performed transversely with respect to the direction of advancement.
The latter systems are arranged mainly in a horizontal plane, the advantage of having a flexible sorting apparatus being offset by the problems associated with the large dimensions of the system.
In order to overcome the aforementioned problems, sorting machines of the so-called "cross-belt" type provided with carriages which are self-propelled along a vertical closed-loop path have been developed. In this case also, the system suffers from a drawback associated with overturning of the carriages along the bottom section of the path, which substantially reduces the loading capacity of the system.
In fact, along the semi-circular sections which join together the straight sections of the path, the conveying units undergo a rotation, through 180°, of the surface on which the transported objects are loaded (FIG. 2 of patent publication U.S. Pat. No. 3,662,874 illustrates schematically the overturning movement). This drawback, as can be understood, has a significant adverse effect on the loading capacity of the sorting machine since only half of the overall travel of the conveying units is exploited from an operational point of view.


A method of designing an integrated circuit where a clock circuit is preformed and a clock connection is determined in a placement process is disclosed. The method includes calculating clock skew between sequential circuits based on clock skew information correlating placement positions of sequential circuits and clock skew between the placement positions, and performing placement in consideration of the calculated clock skew.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to integrated circuit (IC) design methods and systems and, particularly, to IC design method and system by timing-driven block placement that imposes timing conditions such as line delay and signal transmission synchronous as constraints and designs IC in consideration of these constraints.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, as the product-life cycle of electronic equipment using an IC shortens and the product performance improves, reduction in design time and improvement in design quality are required for design automation technology.
However, in IC design automation systems with a top-down approach, path delay expected by the logic design in the upstream of the design process, and path delay of the layout result in the layout design in the downstream of the design process differ in some cases. The path delay in the layout result can be longer than the expected path delay.
If the layout results do not satisfy timing constraints, the circuit configuration should be changed. Thus, it is necessary to repeat the circuit composition, layout, and so on until the layout result that meets the timing constraints is obtained. This increases the IC development period and costs.
To overcome the above problem, a timing-driven technique has been proposed recently. The timing driven technique associates the logic design process in the upstream and the layout design process in the downstream, and imposes the constraint to satisfy the path delay expected in the logic design in the upstream on the layout design in the downstream. This eliminates the difference between the path delay of the layout result and the expected path delay in the upstream.
The timing driven technique is explained hereinafter with reference the drawings. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing information input or output in a conventional timing-driven placement process.
Generally in conventional timing-driven placement processes, a placement processor 205 receives layout information 201, timing constraint 202, and clock skew information 203. The layout information 201 includes net list, block information, background information, I/O buffer placement information, and hard macro placement information. The timing constraint 202 defines delay on all sequential circuit paths so as to satisfy expected delay calculated in the logic design. The clock skew information 203 includes clock skew information of all sequential circuits The placement processor 205 determines optimal placement position of each block in such a way that path delay Tr between specific sequential circuits satisfies the setup and hold time requirements represented by the following expressions (1) and (2), and outputs a placement result 204.Tr<Ti−Si−St  (1)Tr>Si+Ht  (2)where Ti is an operating period of a specific sequential circuit path extracted from the timing constraint 202, Si is clock skew between sequential circuits extracted from the clock skew information 203, St is a setup time at an end point sequential circuit, and Ht is a hold time at the endpoint sequential circuit. At this time, a fixed value which is uniform in clock domains is defined to the clock skew information 203 of all sequential circuits.
A technique that is widely used recently to reduce a layout time uses a data chip with a preformed clock circuit having a tree structure with equal load and equal line length. This technique can eliminate the need for clock distribution in the layout process.
FIG. 2 shows the chip structure with a preformed clock circuit having a tree structure with equal load and equal line length. In this chip, the clock circuit having clock buffers 206 to 228 and a clock line 229 is preformed. The clock circuit includes the output line from the final-stage clock buffer 218 connected to a sequential circuit. The area including the end of the output line from the final-stage clock buffer 218 is a sequential circuit placement area 231. It is thereby possible to connect a sequential circuit to a clock simply by placing the sequential circuit in any position within the sequential circuit placement area 231 in the placement process. The area other than the sequential circuit placement area 231 is a combinational circuit placement area 230.
However, the present invention has recognized that use of the above structure for the conventional timing-driven placement process causes clock skew to vary widely by the position of the sequential circuit. This causes a wide difference between a clock skew value expected for the placement process and an actual clock skew value calculated from the placement result.
For example, FIG. 3 shows data transmission between sequential circuits 232 and 233 to which a clock is supplied from the final-stage clock buffers 214 and 217, respectively, of FIG. 2. In this case, a branch point of the clock is at the output terminal of a root clock buffer 206. Thus, the clock path from the root of the clock to each of the sequential circuits is totally different. The clock is thereby greatly affected by variation in chip, which increases clock skew.
On the other hand, FIG. 4 shows data transmission between the sequential circuits 232 and 233 to which a clock is supplied from the final-stage clock buffer 214 of FIG. 2. In this case, a branch point of the clock is at the output terminal of the final-stage clock buffer 214. Thus, the clock path from the root of the clock to each of start and end point sequential circuits is substantially the same. The influence of the variation in chip is thereby very low, causing substantially no clock skew.
If the clock skew widely varies by the position of the sequential circuit, it is difficult to obtain the placement result that meets the setup and hold time requirements. For example, when an actual clock skew value between sequential circuits calculated from the placement result is greater than a clock skew value preset to the timing-driven placement process, even if the placement processor 205 controls the placement to satisfy the expressions (1) and (2), timing analysis based on the actual clock skew after the placement is likely to show failure to meet the setup and hold time requirements.
An approach for the path that satisfies the setup and hold time requirements in the placement processor 205 to completely avoid the problem which is not given by the timing analysis based on the actual clock skew value after the placement is to set the value of the clock skew between sequential circuits applied to the timing-driven placement process to a maximum value of the clock skew calculated from the preformed clock circuit. However, the present invention has recognized that, since the value of clock skew is estimated to be greater than an actual value for most sequential circuit paths in this case, it is difficult to satisfy the expressions (1) and (2) in all the sequential circuit paths within the timing-driven placement processor.

Integrated circuit design method and system