A pulp heating apparatus has a heater main body 1 which has a pulp introduction port for introducing pulp, a vapor introduction port for introducing vapor, a disperser for dispersing the pulp introduced via the pulp introduction port under a high temperature and a pulp exhaust port for exhausting the pulp dispersed by the disperser and is arranged in a horizontal direction. The disperser has a spiral vane section which continues spirally around a rotational shaft and discontinuous vane sections around the rotational shaft. The pulp introduction port is provided at a bottom section of the heater main body and is connected to an introduction passage. A screw conveyor is provided on the introduction passage. A forward end of the introduction passage faces towards the spiral vane section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pulp heating apparatus and particularly relates to a pulp heating apparatus in which an arrangement of components is improved.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, Japanese Patent No. 2811489 (U.S. Pat. No.5,176,793) discloses a processing apparatus for heating pulp.
In this processing apparatus, as shown in FIG. 1 of Japanese Patent No. 2811489 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,793), a vertical conveyor screw (6) is provided between a plug screw (5) and a pulp shredder (7), and pulp carried by the plug screw (5) is led to the pulp shredder (7) positioned in a heating section by the vertical conveyor screw (6).
In this processing apparatus, in the case where the pulp is led to the pulp shredder (7), if the vertical conveyor screw (6) does not exist, a block of the pulp exhausted by the plug screw (5) drops towards the pulp shredder (7) due to gravity because the pulp shredder (7) is positioned below the plug screw (5). Thereafter, the block is supplied to the pulp shredder (7) and the shredding of the pulp is occasionally interfered, namely, the pulp is not shredded sufficiently.
In order to prevent the above case, there arises a problem that the vertical conveyor screw (6) is required as a pulp breaking machine between the plug screw (5) and the
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pulp heating apparatus which removes the above problem.
In order to achieve the above object, a pulp heating apparatus of a first aspect is constituted so as to include a heater main body having a pulp introduction port for introducing pulp, a vapor introduction port for introducing vapor, a disperser for dispersing the pulp introduced via the pulp introduction port under a high temperature and a pulp exhaust port for exhausting the pulp dispersed by the disperser, and the heater main body being arranged in horizontal is direction, and so that the disperser has a spiral vane section which continues spirally around a rotational shaft and discontinuous vane sections around the rotational shaft, the pulp introduction port is provided at a bottom section of said heater main body and is connected with an introduction passage and a screw conveyor is provided on the introduction passage and a forward end of the introduction passage faces towards the spiral vane section.
In addition, a pulp heating apparatus of a second aspect is constituted so as to include: a heater main body having a pulp introduction port for introducing pulp, a vapor introduction port for introducing vapor, a disperser for dispersing the pulp introduced via the pulp introduction port under a high temperature and a pulp exhaust port for exhausting the pulp dispersed by the disperser, and the heater main body being arranged in horizontal direction, and so that the disperser has a spiral vane section which continues spirally around a rotational shaft and discontinuous vane sections around the rotational shaft, the pulp introduction port is provided at a bottom section of said heater main body and is connected with an introduction passage and a screw conveyor is provided on the introduction passage, a forward end of the introduction passage faces towards the spiral vane section and convex sections are provided on an outer periphery of the spiral vane section facing towards the forward end of the introduction passage.


A nonaqueous secondary battery comprising a positive electrode active material, a negative electrode active material, and a lithium salt is disclosed, in which the negative electrode active material contains (1) a compound capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium comprising an atom of the group IIIB, IVB or VB of the periodic table, (2) an amorphous compound containing at least two atoms selected from the elements of the groups IIIB, IVB, and VB of the periodic table, (3) a compound capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium containing at least one of the atoms of the group IIIB, IVB, and VB of the periodic table and fluorine, or (4) a compound of the metal of the group IIIB, IVB or VB of the periodic table, Zn, or Mg which is capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium. The nonaqueous secondary battery of the invention exhibits improved charge and discharge characteristics and improved safety.

Negative electrode active materials for nonaqueous secondary batteries typically include metallic lithium and lithium alloys. The problem associated with these active materials is that metallic lithium grows dendritically during charging and discharging to cause an internal short circuit, involving a danger of ignition because of high activity of the dendritical metal per se. To solve the problem, a calcined carbonaceous material capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium has recently been put to practical use. However, since the carbonaceous material has electrical conductivity by itself, metallic lithium is sometimes precipitated on the carbonaceous material at the time of an overcharge or a rapid charge. It eventually follows that lithium grows dendritically thereon. This problem has been dealt with by altering a charger or reducing the amount of the positive electrode active material to prevent an overcharge. Where the latter solution is adopted, however, the limited amount of the active material leads to a limited discharge capacity. Further, the carbonaceous material has a relatively low density and therefore a low capacity per unit volume. Thus, the discharge capacity is limited by both the amount of the active material and the capacity per unit volume.
In addition to metallic lithium, lithium alloys and the above-mentioned carbonaceous material, negative electrode active materials so far proposed include TiS.sub.2 and LiTiS.sub.2 which are capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium (U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,476); transition metal oxides having a rutile structure, such as WO.sub.2 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,476), spinel compounds, such as Li.sub.x Fe(Fe.sub.2)O.sub.4 (JP-A-58-220362, the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application"); a electrochemically synthesized lithium compound of Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,447); a lithium compound of Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 (JP-A-3-112070); Nb.sub.2 O.sub.5 (JP-B-62-59412 (the term "JP-B" as used herein means an "examined published Japanese patent application") and JP-A-2-82447); FeO, Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3, Fe.sub.3 O.sub.4, CoO, Co.sub.2 O.sub.3, and Co.sub.3 O.sub.4 (JP-A-3-291862); amorphous V.sub.2 O.sub.5 (JP-A-4-223061); and transition metal oxides having their basic crystal structure changed by intercalation of a lithium ion (EP 567149). Any of these known compounds has a high oxidation-reduction potential, failing to provide a nonaqueous secondary battery having a discharge potential as high as 3 V and a high capacity.
SnO.sub.2 or Sn compounds are used as an active material of lithium batteries as in Li.sub.1.03 Co.sub.0.95 Sn.sub.0.04 O.sub.2 as a secondary battery positive electrode active material (EP 86-106301); SnO.sub.2 -added V.sub.2 O.sub.5 as a secondary battery positive electrode active material (JP-A-2-158056); SnO.sub.2 -added .alpha.-Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 (preferred SnO.sub.2 content: 0.5 to 10 mol %) as a secondary battery negative electrode active material (JP-A-62-219465); and SnO.sub.2 as a primary battery positive electrode active material (Denki Kagaku oyobi Kogyo Butsuri Kagaku, Vol. 46, No. 7, p. 407 (1978)). With reference to the use of SnO.sub.2 or Sn compounds as an electrochromic electrode, it is known that SnO.sub.2 is capable of reversible intercalation of an Li ion (see Journal of Electrochemical Society, Vol. 140, No. 5, L81 (1993) and that a film comprising InO.sub.2 doped with 8 mol % of Sn (i.e., ITO) is capable of reversible intercalation of an Li ion (see Solid State Ionics, Vols. 28-30, p. 1733 (1988)). However, the electrode useful in an electrochromic system should be transparent, the active material is used in the form of a thin film formed by, for example, vacuum evaporation, and the electrode usually works at a considerably low current differing from the practical range of batteries. For example, Solid State Ionics, supra, shows a working current of 1 .mu.A to 30 .mu.A/cm.sup.2 as an experimental example.
Known positive electrode active materials include spinel compounds disclosed in JP-B-4-30146 and cobalt oxide disclosed in JP-B-63-59507.
It is possible to combine these positive electrode active materials with an oxide mainly comprising Sn as a negative electrode active material to provide a nonaqueous secondary battery having a high discharge potential, a high capacity, improved charge and discharge cycle characteristics, and increased safety. Yet, the charge and discharge cycle characteristics are still unsatisfactory as described above, and it has been keenly demanded to further improved charge and discharge cycle characteristics.


An apparatus includes a controller and a comparator. The controller generates pulse width modulation (PWM) signals to drive stator windings of a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor in a commutation sequence such that one of the stator windings at a given time is open; and generates a tracking signal synchronized to the PWM signals and indicative of times when a leakage current is present in the open stator winding. The comparator senses when a back electromotive force of the open stator winding has an associated zero crossing. The sensing by the comparator is selectively enabled and disabled by the tracking signal.

A direct current (DC) motor is a machine that uses DC power to produce a torque force on a rotating member, or rotor, of the machine. In a typical DC motor, currents are applied to and removed from wire windings of the motor in accordance with a phase, or commutation, sequence; and this interaction of the currents with a magnetic field of the DC motor produces the torque force to rotate the rotor.
The ways in which the currents are commutated to the DC motor's winding vary among different DC motor topologies. One type of DC motor is a brushed DC motor, in which brushes mechanically commutate currents to wire windings of the rotor, and the stator of the brushed DC motor has permanent magnets or electromagnets that produce a stationary magnetic field. In a typical brushless DC motor (BLDC), permanent magnets are mounted to the rotor to produce a magnetic field; and semiconductor devices control the switching of currents with wire windings of the stator according the commutation sequence.

Sensing a back electromotive force of a motor


The present invention describes the isolation and nucleic acid sequence of genes associated with cyptokine induced cell death. As long as these genes function normally, cytokines induce cell death; once the expression of these genes is inhibited, cytokine induced cell death is inhibited One aspect of the invention comprises expressing or the use of expression vectors to promote cell death in abnormal, pathological, cell growth such as cancer and psoriasis and another aspect of the invention is the protection of cells from programmed cell death in abnormal conditions such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. The invention can also be used as a screening device for predisportion to cancer or other uncontrolled cell growth diseases.

One of the factors which determines the proliferation state of cells is the balance between the growth-promoting effects of proto-oncogenes, and the growth-constraining effects of tumor-suppressor genes.
One mechanism by which these tumor-suppressor genes exert their growth-constraining effect is by inducing the cell to undergo a physiological type of death. Such a controlled cell death is evident in a multitude of physiological conditions including metamorphosis, synaptogenesis of neurons, death of lymphocytes during receptor repertoire selection, controlled homeostasis in the bone-marrow and other proliferative tissues, and others. Such cell death is regulated by the interaction of the cell with other cells or with cell products, for example through the activity of suitable cytokines.
Genetic mutation that inactivates the suppressor genes, liberate the cell from normal growth constraint imposed by other cells, resulting in an uncontrolled growth of the cell without any relation to external signals. This uncontrolled growth is a step in tumorigenesis.
To date, only a few tumor-suppressor genes have been fully characterized including the retinoblastoma (Rb) gene, p53, DCC, NM23 WT-1, NF-1, APC, and ras suppressor genes. A mutation in either of the above genes, probably in both alleles, which leads to either blockage of expression, or production of a faulty protein, hampers the normal control of growth and viability of cells and may thus give rise to cancer.
Growth-inhibiting cytokines have a double effect on the target cell. They can either inhibit the proliferation of the cell, and/or give rise to cell death. To date, blockage or activation of expression of known tumor-suppressor genes was shown to counteract or enhance, respectively, cytokines' inhibition of cells' growth (reviewed by A. Kimchi, 1992, J. Cell Biochem., 50: 1-9) but did not have any effect on the death promoting action of cytokines. For example, the growth inhibitory response to cytokines such as TGF-.beta., was markedly reduced by the inactivation of the Rb gene, or the response to IL-6 was enhanced by introducing activated p53 genes (Pietenpol et al., 1990, Cell, 61:777-785; Levy et al., 1993, Mol. Cell. Biol., 13:7942-7952).
Thioredoxin, a small hydrogen carrier protein, has previously been implicated in the IFN-.gamma.-mediated growth arrest of HeLa cells (Deiss, L. P. and Kimchi, A. (1991) Science 234:117-120).

Tumor suppressor genes, proteins encoded thereby and use of said genes and proteins

Yeda Research and Development Company Ltd.


According to an embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprises a memory cell array and a control circuit. The memory cell array includes a plurality of memory cell layers that are stacked. Each memory cell layer comprises a plurality of memory cells formed on a semiconductor layer. The plurality of memory cell layers include: a first memory cell layer where the semiconductor layer is configured of monocrystalline silicon; and a second memory cell layer where the semiconductor layer is configured of polycrystalline silicon. The control circuit, when controlling write or read of data to/from a memory cell belonging to the first memory cell layer, performs control based on a first parameter, and when controlling write or read of data to/from a memory cell belonging to the second memory cell layer, performs control based on a second parameter that differs from the first parameter.

1. Field
Embodiments described herein relate to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A memory cell configuring a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device such as a NAND type flash memory or a NOR type flash memory includes a control gate and a charge accumulation layer. The memory cell changes its threshold voltage based on a charge accumulated in the charge accumulation layer, and stores a magnitude of this threshold voltage as data. In recent years, raising of density of the memory cells in such nonvolatile semiconductor memory devices has been proceeding.

Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device having stacked memory cell layers and a control circuit controlling write or read based on parameters according to a selected memory cell layer


A memory cell device includes a bottom electrode, pipe shaped member comprising phase change material and a top electrode in contact with the pipe-shaped member. An electrically and thermally insulating material is inside the pipe-shaped member. An integrated circuit including an array of pipe-shaped phase change memory cells is described.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to high density memory devices based on programmable resistive material, like phase change based memory materials, and to methods for manufacturing such devices.
2. Description of Related Art
Chalcogenide materials are widely used in read-write optical disks. These materials have at least two solid phases, generally amorphous and generally crystalline. Laser pulses are used in read-write optical disks to switch between phases and to read the optical properties of the material after the phase change.
Chalcogenide materials also can be caused to change phase by application of electrical current. This property has generated interest in using programmable resistive material to form nonvolatile memory circuits.
One direction of development has been toward using small quantities of programmable resistive material, particularly in small pores. Patents illustrating development toward small pores include: Ovshinsky, "Multibit Single Cell Memory Element Having Tapered Contact," U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,112, issued Nov. 11, 1997; Zahorik et al., "Method of Making Chalogenide [sic] Memory Device," U.S. Pat. No. 5,789,277, issued Aug. 4, 1998; Doan et al., "Controllable Ovonic Phase-Change Semiconductor Memory Device and Methods of Fabricating the Same," U.S. Pat. No. 6,150,253, issued Nov. 21, 2000.
My U.S. Patent application Publication No. US-2004-0026686-A1 describes a phase change memory cell in which the phase change element comprises a side wall on an electrode/dielectric/electrode stack. Data is stored by causing transitions in the phase change material between amorphous and crystalline states using current. Current heats the material and causes transitions between the states. The change from the amorphous to the crystalline state is generally a lower current operation. The change from crystalline to amorphous, referred to as reset herein, is generally a higher current operation. It is desirable to minimize the magnitude of the reset current used to cause transition of phase change material from crystalline state to amorphous state. The magnitude of the reset current needed for reset can be reduced by reducing the size of the active phase change material element in the cell. One problem associated with phase change memory devices arises because the magnitude of the current required for reset operations depends on the volume of phase change material that must change phase. Thus, cells made using standard integrated circuit manufacturing processes have been limited by the minimum feature size of manufacturing equipment. Thus, techniques to provide sublithographic dimensions for the memory cells must be developed, which can lack uniformity or reliability needed for large scale, high density memory devices.
Accordingly, an opportunity arises to devise methods and structures that form memory cells with structures that use small quantities of programmable resistive material using reliable and repeatable manufacturing techniques.


Provided is a microfluidic control chip, which includes a filter section having a filter to which anti-immunoglobulin antibodies, which are bound to endogenous antibodies in blood to thereby remove the endogenous antibodies, are immobilized, a first reaction section to which detection antibodies immobilized to fluorescent nano-particles are adsorbed, the detection antibodies being bound to proteins to be detected in blood which is introduced from the filter section with the endogenous antibodies removed therefrom, and a second reaction and detection section including capture antibodies immobilized thereto, binding the capture antibodies to the proteins, which are bound to the detection antibodies introduced from the first reaction section, and detecting a concentration of the proteins based on an intensity of fluorescent light. Thus, the microfluidic control chip can minimize interference of an immune response to maximize the immune response.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microfluidic control chip and, more particularly, to a microfluidic control chip capable of maximizing an immune response.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Recently, microfluidic control chips having a lab-on-a-chip type in which biochemical reactions such as biomarker detection of a specified disease from blood are integrally processed on a chip with minimum intervention of a tester have been frequently studied. Endogenous antibodies, such as heterophile antibodies, antianimal antibodies, autoantibodies, and therapeutic antibodies, which are present in the blood, hinder a sandwich immune response using specific binding between an antigen and an antibody, so that it is difficult to make an accurate diagnosis.
These endogenous antibodies which are present in the blood interfere with the immune response, thereby leading to a wrong diagnosis such as a false positive or negative diagnosis. To reduce the immune response intervention caused by these endogenous antibodies in the blood, a method of diluting a sample, removing interfering antibodies, or performing pre-treatment using a heterophilic blocking agent is used prior to testing. This method has a drawback in that a tester must make several tests, and it cannot be applied to all tests using the blood. In this process, there may occur a problem such as contamination of the blood.

Microfluidic control chip and method of detecting protein using the same

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


An object of the invention is to control the yarn length as appropriate in a tubular knitted fabric including a drop loop, regardless of the presence of crossover. For front and back needle beds, ones of those indicated by capitals ABC . . . among odd-numbered or even-numbered ones are allocated to a front portion thereof and the other portions indicated by lower cases abc . . . are allocated to a back portion thereof. At knitting needles ABC . . . which actually form stitch loops perform knitting operation, and knitting needles abc . . . between the knitting needles ABC perform hooking operation. A hung stitch is shook off, and the knitting yarn used for the hanging is absorbed in stitch loops at the knitting needles ABC . . . at both ends as shown in dotted lines. As shown in (b) by solid lines, the loop lengths of back stitches are shortened and the lengths of the knitting yarn at crossing portions are absorbed by the stitch loops of the back stitches. Thus, the drop loops matching the set yarn lengths can be knitted without differentiating the lengths of yarn between the face stitches and back stitches.

Conventionally, in a flat knitting machine, a knitted fabric is produced in such a manner that a carriage travels back and forth along the longitudinal direction of the front and the back needle beds opposing each other at a needle bed gap, knitting needles are moved forward to and backward from the needle bed gap by a knitting lock mounted on the carriage, and yarn is supplied to the knitting needles from a yarn carrier brought by the carriage. By measuring the length of the yarn absorbed into the knitted fabric during knitting and by correcting the stitch density positions of stitch cams pulling down the knitting needles on a knitting lock, it is possible to control the length of the yarn so that the yarn in a knitting stitch loop has a predetermined length (refer to Japanese Patent No. 3085638 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A-8-120548 (1996), for example). Such yarn length control can be performed also with a yarn feeding apparatus for supplying yarn (see JP-A-2002-227064, for example).
Conventionally, the length of a yarn is controlled in different manners between a plain knitted texture knitted using adjacent knitting needles in the same needle bed and a rib stitch texture knitted using knitting needles alternately in needle beds opposing each other. This is because in the case of a rib texture, it is necessary to include yarn crossing the needle bed gap between the needle beds. Yarn used for knitting is selected among those from a plurality of yarn carriers and supplied. For each of the yarn carriers, yarn itself is different, or a route on which yarn is supplied is different, and thus the length of the yarn is controlled based on correction data that is different for each of the yarn carriers. Furthermore, in a carriage, at least with respect to each of the front and the back needle beds, a stitch cam for performing knitting in a travel to one side in the longitudinal direction and a stitch cam for performing knitting in a travel to the other side in the longitudinal direction are provided. Thus, each of the stitch density positions of the four stitch cams in total is corrected and adjusted so that the constant length of yarn in a knitting stitch loop can be obtained when performing knitting using any stitch cam. In some cases, a plurality of sets of knitting locks are mounted on the carriage so that a plurality of knitting operations can be performed in one travel in the longitudinal direction of the needle beds. In such cases, the stitch density positions of the four stitch cams are corrected for each of the sets of the knitting locks.
Knitted articles that are subjected to be produced in a flat knitting machine are garments such as sweaters and have a tubular form covering the body three-dimensionally. A method has been developed by which in a flat knitting machine provided with the front and the back needle beds, a knitted article that will have a tubular form in the completed state is produced by knitting main portions of the knitted fabric such as a front body and a back body separately from each other so that the portions have various textures and patterns. However, a final tubular knitted article cannot be obtained unless the partial knitted fabrics knitted separately are joined by sewing. A tubular knitted article can be produced also in one piece, for example, when while knitting a front knitted fabric of the tubular knitted article at the front needle bed and a back knitted fabric of the tubular knitted article at the back needle bed respectively, the knitted fabrics are joined together on both of the end sides in the knitting width and the knitting yarns are led to go around. In this case, only front stitches are formed on the knitted fabric texture. A knitted fabric texture that is produced using the front and the back needle beds and that is substantially similar to a texture obtained by producing each of the knitted fabric portions separately can be knitted by a method by which a front portion and a back portion of the tubular knitted fabric are allocated to the knitting needles in each of the needle beds alternately (see JP-B2-3-75656 (1991), for example).
FIG. 8 shows an example in which in a flat knitting machine provided with the front and the back needle beds, knitting needles are alternately allocated to a front portion and a back portion of a tubular knitted fabric. Each of the needle beds is provided with a plurality of knitting needles arranged with an equal pitch along the longitudinal direction. The knitting needles are sequentially numbered from one side in the longitudinal direction and divided into needles with odd numbers and needles with even numbers, and one side shown by capital letters is allocated to knitting of the front portion of the knitted fabric and the other side shown by lower-case letters is allocated to the back portion. With this allocation of the knitting needles, when each of the front knitted fabric shown by the solid line and the back knitted fabric shown by the broken line is knitted by drawn off stitching, a knitting needle on the back needle bed can be used for knitting the front portion at any position such as the position C. Also with respect to the back portion, any knitting needle on the front needle bed can be used in a similar manner.
In this manner, although the front and the back portions are knitted in one piece in the flat knitting machine provided with the needle beds on which the knitting needles are arranged with a pitch of AaBbCc . . . , each of the portions is equivalent to a portion knitted separately in a flat knitting machine provided with needle beds on which the knitting needles are arranged in pitches of ABC . . . and abc . . . . In a flat knitting machine, an arrangement pitch of knitting needles is typically expressed in gauge, which is the number of needles in 25.4 mm (1 inch). Thus, in a method such as shown in FIG. 8, using a flat knitting machine with a gauge of 5, it is possible to knit, in one piece, a tubular knitted fabric that is similar to a fabric obtained when each of the portions is knitted in a flat knitting machine with a gauge of about 2.5 to 3.
Referring to FIG. 9, FIG. 9(a) shows yarn pulled down by the knitting needles in drawn off stitching in which the knitting needles in every second line are used, and FIG. 9(b) shows yarn pulled down by the knitting needles with a pitch having the equivalent effect to that realized by the drawn off stitching in FIG. 9(a), in whole needle knitting in which all of the knitting needles are used. More specifically, in knitting as shown in FIG. 9(a), knitting is performed using the needle bed as a needle bed with a gauge that is different from the gauge expected when whole needle knitting is performed in the needle bed. Herein, in drawn off stitching using every second needles as shown in FIG. 9(a), substantially, knit and miss are performed alternately. In a knit knitting operation, yarn is pulled down between sinkers shown by the dashed dotted lines on both sides of each of the knitting needles. The width between the sinkers arranged on both sides of each of the knitting needles in each of the needle beds in FIG. 9(a) is smaller than the width between the sinkers arranged on both sides of each of the knitting needles in the needle bed with a different gauge in which the pitch is double, as shown in FIG. 9(b), due to the existence of the adjacent knitting needles. For example, in a case in which knit knitting is performed with the knitting needle B, adjacent knitting needles thereof are not the knitting needles A and C, but the knitting needles a and b, so that the width between the sinkers is narrow. Thus, when the same amount of the knitting needles pulled down is set, the length of the yarn in knitting stitch loops is short in the case of drawn off stitching. The difference in the lengths of the yarns in the knitting stitch loops results in the difference in the feelings of the knitted articles. In drawn off stitching, in order to realize the knitting stitch loops that are equivalent to the loops obtained in knitting with a different gauge having the equivalent effect, a method is conceivable by which the amount of the knitting needles pulled down by the stitch cams on the knitting lock is increased, but it is difficult to pull down sufficiently due to restrictions regarding the strength of the knitting yarn and the shape of the cams.
FIG. 10 shows the manner of a drop loop, in drawn off stitching using every second needles, which can realize a yarn length that is similar to the length of a knitting stitch loop obtained by whole needle knitting in a flat knitting machine having a different gauge as shown in FIG. 9(b). For example, when knitting stitch loops of a back knitted fabric are held by the knitting needles abc . . . on the front needle bed, first, the knitting stitch loops are transferred to the back needle bed side so as not to be held by the knitting needles abc . . . , a front knitted fabric is produced by the knitting needles ABC . . . , and the knitting yarn is pulled down by the knitting needles abc . . . on the front needle bed, as shown in FIG. 10(a). By letting the knitting needles abc . . . perform a knitting operation again, the knitting yarn pulled down by the knitting needles abc . . . is shook off from the knitting needles abc . . . and absorbed into knitting stitch loops formed by the adjacent knitting needles ABC . . . , as shown in FIG. 10(b). With this drop knitting in which a hung stitch is formed and then the stitch is shook off, the length of yarn in a knitting stitch loop can be made long more easily than repeating knit and miss alternately.
By performing knitting in which a drop loop is used as shown in FIG. 10, in a case in which a tubular knitted fabric is produced by drawn off stitching, the feeling of the produced knitted fabric can be made equivalent or similar to the feeling of a knitted fabric produced with a different gauge. However, by the amount of the knitting yarn absorbed after shaking of the hung stitch, the formed drop loop has a longer length than a knitting stitch loop formed by a simple knit knitting, and thus it is impossible to perform knitting so that the length of the yarn is uniform with a sufficient precision in conventional yarn length control intended for a stockinette texture and a rib texture. Furthermore, when adjacent knitting needles are separated between the front and the back needle beds in drawn off stitching, the knitting yarn is necessary for an extra portion crossing the needle bed gap from the hung stitch to a knitting needle in the other needle bed. This extra yarn is absorbed into the drop loop after shaking off the hung stitch, and thus in knitting under the same condition, the length of the yarn in the drop loop with a crossing portion is longer than that without a crossing portion.

Method and device for controlling length of yarn of weft knitting machine


Transport star for containers with a basic body which can rotate, on whose circumference several gripper arms, in the form of double levers, are attached in bearings, which can be locked by selflocking in the closed position by means of spreader bodies which are arranged in the basic body so they can rotate. Each gripper arm consists of two parts which are connected to each other by articulation, between which a spring element is inserted, which can be elastically deformed in the closed position. As a result the duration of use of the gripper arms is increased and the range of diameters for the containers to be processed is considerably increased.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a transport star for containers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such a transport star is already known, in which the gripper arms consist of a tough elastic plastic and are formed as a single-part double lever (DE-GM 295 01 897.6). The fact that the gripper arms can thus be completely bent, elastically, is required, on the one hand, in order to build up the necessary clamping force during the grabbing of the containers and, on the other hand, in order to stabilize, in a self-locking manner, the spreader bodies that are in the form of rotating cams in connection with notch-like recesses in the counter surfaces in the closed positions. Due to the manufacture in the form of a one-piece plastic part, the gripper arms of the known transport system can be manufactured in an extremely cost-effective manner. The drawback is that the elasticity decreases over time and, because of the limited deformability, it can be used only for a precisely defined container diameter with narrow tolerances.
The invention is based on the problem of achieving, using a transport star of the type mentioned in the introduction, and employing simple means, a considerable increase in the life-span of the gripper arms and in the range of diameters of the containers to be processed.


An object is to provide a turbo-refrigeration-unit control device capable of achieving stable operation and reducing the amount of refrigerant. Provided is a control device for controlling a turbo refrigeration unit that includes a centrifugal compressor, a first-non-refrigerant pump for supplying a first non-refrigerant, a condenser that performs heat exchange between the first non-refrigerant and a refrigerant, an expansion valve that expands the refrigerant, a second-non-refrigerant pump for supplying a second non-refrigerant, an evaporator that performs heat exchange between the second non-refrigerant and the refrigerant, a bypass circuit that is used to inject part of the refrigerant from a discharge port of the centrifugal compressor into a suction port of the centrifugal compressor, and a bypass-circuit control valve that controls the flow rate of the refrigerant.

As shown in FIG. 10, a conventional turbo refrigeration unit 100 includes a centrifugal compressor 103, an oil-mist separation tank 102 that separates oil from a high-pressure gas refrigerant compressed by the centrifugal compressor 103, a condenser 105 that condenses the high-pressure gas refrigerant from which oil has been separated by the oil-mist separation tank 102, a high-stage expansion valve 107 that expands a high-pressure liquid refrigerant condensed by the condenser 105, an intercooler 106 that cools the liquid refrigerant expanded by the high-stage expansion valve 107, a low-stage expansion valve 108 that expands the liquid refrigerant cooled by the intercooler 106, an evaporator 109 that evaporates the low-pressure liquid refrigerant expanded by the low-stage expansion valve 108, and a gas-liquid separator 110 that separates the evaporated refrigerant into a gas refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant.
The centrifugal compressor 103 is rotationally driven by an electric motor 111 via a gear 101 to suction and compress the refrigerant. The high-pressure gas refrigerant compressed by the centrifugal compressor 103 reaches about 100° C., for example, and is guided to the oil-mist separation tank 102. From the high-pressure gas refrigerant guided to the oil-mist separation tank 102, oil is separated through centrifugal separation (for example, see PTLs (Patent Literatures) 1 to 4). The high-pressure gas refrigerant from which oil has been separated is guided to the shell-and-tube condenser 105, where it is subjected to heat exchange with heated water of 90° C., for example.
The high-pressure liquid refrigerant condensed in the condenser 105 through heat exchange with the heated water is expanded by passing through the high-stage expansion valve 107, which is provided at a downstream side of the condenser 105. The liquid refrigerant expanded by the high-stage expansion valve 107 is guided to the self-expansion-type intercooler 106.
Furthermore, a gas-phase part of the refrigerant guided to the intercooler 106 is guided to an intermediate stage of the centrifugal compressor 103.
The liquid refrigerant self-expanded in the intercooler 106 is guided to the low-stage expansion valve 108, where it is expanded. The expanded low-pressure liquid refrigerant is guided to the shell-and-tube evaporator 109, where it is evaporated through heat exchange with heat-source water of 40° C., for example. The refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator 109 is guided to the gas-liquid separator 110 and is separated into a gas refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 110. The gas refrigerant obtained in the gas-liquid separator 110 is guided to the centrifugal compressor 103, where it is compressed.
Furthermore, part of the high-pressure gas refrigerant from which oil has been separated is guided from the oil-mist separation tank 102 to the gas-liquid separator 110 via a hot-gas bypass valve 112. The hot-gas bypass valve 112 controls the flow rate of the high-pressure gas refrigerant to be guided to the gas-liquid separator 110. The liquid refrigerant guided from a portion between the intercooler 106 and the low-stage expansion valve 108 merges at the downstream side of the hot-gas bypass valve 112 via a liquid injection valve 113. The liquid injection valve 113 controls the flow rate of the liquid refrigerant.
The high-pressure gas refrigerant that has passed through the hot-gas bypass valve 112 and the liquid refrigerant from the liquid injection valve 113 are injected into the gas-liquid separator 110. Thus, in the gas-liquid separator 110, the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant whose temperatures are reduced to 40° C. to 50° C., for example, are separately obtained. In this way, by guiding the reduced-temperature gas refrigerant to an inlet of the centrifugal compressor 103, the load on the centrifugal compressor 103 is controlled.

Turbo refrigeration unit, control device therefor, and control method therefor


A GaN based three layer buffer on a sapphire substrate provides a template for growth of a high quality I GaN layer as a substitute substrate for growth of a Nitride based LED.

This invention relates to GaN compound Light Emitting Diodes.
A semiconductor light-emitting diode (LED) comprises: a substrate; a light emitting structure; and a pair of electrodes for powering the diode. The substrate may be opaque or transparent. Light Emitting Diodes which are based on Gallium Nitride compounds generally comprise: a transparent, insulating substrate, e.g. a sapphire substrate. Because of the substantial lattice mismatch between an insulating substrate, e.g., a sapphire substrate, and GaN compounds, it is common practice to provide a thin buffer or nucleation layer on the sapphire which is followed by a layer on which an LED structure is grown. Growth of single crystals on insulating substrates has been studied for over 30 years. Early work included growth of both silicon and IIIxe2x80x94Vcompounds on a variety of insulating substrates including sapphire and spinel. In these studies it was determined that use of nucleation or buffer layers reduces the occurrences of imperfections and the tendency towards twinning in the thicker layer grown thereon.
In accordance with one aspect of our present invention, we provide a new and novel structure for overcoming the mismatch of the lattices of a sapphire substrate and the nitride layer that follow. We provide three buffer layers on which we grow a high quality I Gallium Nitride layer as a substrate for growth of the light structure. Our first buffer layer is formed of Indium Gallium Nitride. The addition of Indium to the GaN compound provides a soft material with a superior surface diffusion coefficient. These factors facilitate the formation of high quality materials at the beginning of crystal growth. Since InGaN has a larger lattice constant than the target GaN, our second layer is formed of AlGaN to migrate to the lattice constant of GaN. The final buffer layer is formed of GaN to provide a template for the growth of our high quality I GaN layer which serves as a platform for growth of our light emitting structure 12.

InGaN/AlGaN/GaN multilayer buffer for growth of GaN on sapphire


This is a device which will sanitize toilet water in one device. The sanitizer is placed over the existing toilet seat and securely fastened to the toilet bowl.

A. Field of the Invention
This relates to toilet seats in general and in particular a way to automatically sanitize and/or dry a toilet seat.
B. Prior Art
There are many other references to the prior art related to toilet seats and toilet seat sanitization as well as drying a toilet seat.
An example of this prior art is contained in Sadegh et al U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,159. Another example is Pellati publication US 2003/0046754.
However, none of the prior art combines the multiple functions of this particular device into one application.


Techniques are described for dynamic automatic exposure compensation within image capture devices. The techniques include dynamically adjusting a default target brightness for a scene to compensate an exposure value (EV) selected by an automatic exposure process. A sensor array obtains light information from the scene at a default target brightness and an image capture controller calculates brightness values of a plurality of regions in the scene based on the light information. An automatic exposure compensation module dynamically adjusts the default target brightness based on the brightness values for the plurality of regions in the scene and threshold values set for the sensor array to set an adjusted target brightness. The sensor array may then capture an image frame of the scene using an EV for the adjusted target brightness. The techniques also include building a hysteresis zone to substantially stabilize the adjusted target brightness over a sequence of image scenes.

Image capture devices, such as digital video cameras or digital still cameras, are used in different applications and environments. An image capture device should be capable of producing high quality imagery under a variety of lighting conditions. For example, image capture devices should be capable of operating effectively in environments that include large amounts of reflected or saturated light, as well as in environments that include high levels of contrast. A typical image capture device performs automatic exposure to select an exposure value (EV) that achieves a certain target brightness for a scene. For example, an image capture device may select an EV that produces an image frame of the scene with an average brightness value equivalent to approximately 18% gray.
An automatic exposure process may adjust aperture size and shutter speed of the image capture device to correspond to the selected EV. In this way, the automatic exposure process controls an amount of light that reaches a sensor array within the image capture device to produce an image frame of a scene at the target brightness. However, some scenes may require a higher average brightness value while other scenes may require a lower average brightness value. For example, a snow scene includes a large amount of reflected light, for which the automatic exposure process may overcompensate, causing the image frame to look unnaturally dark. On the other hand, a scene containing a white document next to a black laptop includes a high contrast level, for which the automatic exposure process may also overcompensate, causing the white document to appear totally saturated in the image frame.
Exposure compensation is common in digital still cameras, but may also be utilized in digital video camera and other types of image capture devices. When the automatic exposure process does not provide the appropriate brightness for a scene, a user of the image capture device may perform exposure compensation by manually adjusting the EV selected by the automatic exposure process for the scene. The user may adjust the EV by manually setting the aperture size and shutter speed of the image capture device to let more or less light reach the sensor array within the image capture device to produce an appropriate brightness for the scene.

Dynamic automatic exposure compensation for image capture devices


A fast start-up oscillator has an oscillator for generating a signal having a desired frequency. A prestress biasing circuit is coupled to the oscillator. The prestress biasing circuit is used for prestressing a piezoelectric resonator of the oscillator and for placing a bias voltage on the oscillator after the piezoelectric resonator of the oscillator has been prestressed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to oscillators and, more specifically, to a fast start-up piezoelectric resonator based oscillator which uses a circuit which will prestress the piezoelectric resonator and which will bias the oscillator into a linear operating region after the piezoelectric resonator has been prestressed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The start-up time of an oscillator is defined as the time required for the oscillator to reach a steady state. Presently, for most oscillators, the start-up time can be several seconds depending on the crystal frequency and amplifier design of the oscillator. The start-up time may be even longer when the temperature of the device using the oscillator increases. This creates the problem since the start-up times may be fairly long and unpredictable.
Therefore, a need existed to provide an improved oscillator. The improved oscillator must have faster start-up times than present oscillators. The improved oscillator must further have faster and more predictable start-up times even though operating conditions may fluctuate and change.

Crystal oscillator having prestressing bias circuit to provide fast start-up


Assays for the detection of diabetes and prediabetic status rely on exposing patient serum samples to purified ligand capable of binding autoantibodies specific for a 64kD autoantigen present on pancreatic β-cells. The purified ligand is usually purified glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) or a fragment or analog thereof. Preferably, the assays will detect the presence of antibodies to both lower molecular weight GAD and higher molecular weight GAD since diabetic and prediabetic status may be associated with only one of these two forms. The assays can be performed using conventional protocols, such as radioimmunoassay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and enzyme assay. Methods for treating diabetes comprise administering pharmaceutical compositions including the purified ligand, particularly when coupled to an immunoglobulin or lymphoid cell to induce tolerance. Alternatively, tolerance may be induced by administering attenuated T-helper cells, or isolated T-cell receptors, where the T-helper cells have been isolated based on their reactivity with GAD or equivalent ligand.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to improved methods for identifying and treating individuals who suffer from or are susceptible to diabetes. More particularly, the present invention relates to the use of glutamic acid decarboxylase to detect pancreatic β-cell specific autoantibodies in sera of diabetic or prediabetic individuals and inhibit the immune response which causes β-cell destruction.
Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) primarily afflicts young people. Although insulin is available for treatment, the several fold increased morbidity and mortality associated with this disease urge the development of early diagnostic and preventive methods. The destruction of pancreatic β-cells, which precedes the clinical onset of IDDM, is mediated by autoimmune mechanisms. Among the most thoroughly studied autoimmune abnormalities associated with the disease is the high incidence of circulating β-cell specific autoantibodies at the time of diagnosis. Family studies have shown that the autoantibodies appear prior to overt IDDM by a number of years, suggesting a long prodromal period of humoral autoimmunity before clinical symptoms emerge. The family studies have also documented a slow, progressive loss of insulin response to intravenous glucose in the years preceding diagnosis. The presence of β-cell specific autoantibodies in the prediabetic period is likely to reflect the ongoing autoimmune process, one that eventually leads to critical β-cell depletion and insulin dependency. It has been estimated that only 10% of the total β-cell mass remains at the time of clinical onset.
A major goal of diabetes research has been to develop immune interventions that block or inhibit the destruction of β-cells and development of IDDM. Since immune interventions will probably always confer some risk of untoward side effects, highly sensitive, specific and easily applicable markers for the prediabetic stage are needed if such a treatment is to become an acceptable alternative to replacement therapy with insulin.
In addition to preventative treatment, methods for early and accurate identification of susceptible individuals are needed. Assays that can detect autoantibodies associated with early humoral autoimmunity accompanying β-cell destruction are particularly desirable. The classical method for detecting islet cell autoantibodies is by immunohistology using frozen pancreatic sections. Family studies, however, have shown that the β-cell cytoplasmic antibodies (ICCA) measured by this method are of insufficient specificity to serve as a single marker of susceptibility. Moreover, ICCA are very difficult to standardize and interpretation of the stained section is subject to observer bias. Thus, there has been no way to define what is a "positive" specimen. More accurate assays may be achieved by employing more specific markers, either alone or in combination with ICCA. Alternative markers include 64 k autoantibodies, insulin autoantibodies, and MHC class II DR/Dβ haplotype.
Assays for the early detection of humoral responses in IDDM should provide a rapid and quantitative measurement of the particular marker, preferably by conventional serum assay protocols, such as enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and/or a radioimmunoassay (RIA). Such assays should detect a primary β-cell target antigen characteristic of humoral autoimmunity and should have improved sensitivity and specificity relative to the ICCA assay in predicting IDDM. Insulin and the 64 k β-cell autoantigen are currently the only known potential primary target antigens of humoral autoimmunity in IDDM, if β-cell expression and specificity are applied as criteria for such an antigen. Insulin autoantibodies have an incidence of only 30-40% in young children, and much lower in older children and adults, who develop IDDM. The 64 k autoantibodies have an incidence of about 80% both at the time of clinical onset and in the prediabetic period and have been shown to precede overt IDDM by several years in familial studies and to be detected concomitantly with and sometimes before, but never later than ICCA and IAA. Thus, the detection of 64 k autoantibodies promises to be a useful approach for early detection of IDDM.
Detection of the 64 kD autoantigen, however, has been problematic. The 64 kD autoantigen was heretofore only identified in the pancreatic β-cell, and has not been purified in sufficient quantities to allow sequencing, cloning, or other identification which would have permitted large scale preparation of reagents necessary for detection or therapy. For these reasons, detection of the 64 k autoantibody has been by immunoprecipitation with detergent lysates of rat and human islets. Such assays are expensive, time consuming and not easily adapted to clinical laboratory settings. Therefore, they would not be suitable for widespread screening of human populations to identify individuals at risk for developing IDDM.
For these reasons, it would be desirable to identify the nature of the 64 kD autoantigen so that large quantities of the autoantigen or analogs thereof could be obtained for use as reagents in detection and therapy of IDDM.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
The 64 kD autoantigen in pancreatic β-cells was identified originally as a target of autoantibodies in IDDM by immunoprecipitation experiments using detergent lysates of human islets (Baekkeskov et al. (1982) Nature 298:167-169). Antibodies to the 64 kD autoantigen precede the clinical onset of IDDM and have been shown to have an incidence of about 80% at clinical onset and during the prediabetic period (Baekkeskov et al. (1987) J. Clin. Invest. 79:926-934; Atkinson et al. (1990) Lancet 335:1357-1360; and Christie et al. (1988) Diabetologia 31:597-602). The rat and human 64 kD protein are highly homologous with regard to autoantigenic epitopes (Christie et al. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265:376-381). The 64 kD autoantigen in islets of Langerhans is detected in three different forms with regard to hydrophobicity and compartmentalization: a hydrophilic soluble form of 65 kD and pI of approximately 7.1; a 64 kD hydrophobic form, which is soluble or of a low membrane avidity and has a pI of approximately 6.7; and a hydrophobic firmly membrane anchored form of the same electrophoretic mobility and pI. Both the membrane bound and the soluble hydrophobic 64 kD forms exist as two isoforms, α and β, which have identical pI and hydrophobic properties but differ by approximately 1 kD (Baekkeskov et al. (1989) Diabetes 38:1133-1141). The 64 kD autoantigen was found to be β-cell specific in an analysis of a number of tissues, which did not include the brain (Christie et al., supra.).
Patients with a rare but severe neurological disease, Stiff Man Syndrome (SMS), have autoantibodies to GABA-ergic neurons. Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), the enzyme that synthesizes GABA from glutamic acid, was found to be the predominant autoantigen (Solimena et al. (1988) N. Engl. J. Med. 318:1012-1020 and Solimena et al. (1990) N. Engl. J. Med. 322:1555-1560). Almost all the GABA-ergic neuron autoantibody positive patients were also positive for islet cell cytoplasmic antibodies, as demonstrated by immunofluorescence of pancreatic sections, and one third had IDDM. In addition, autoantibodies to GABA-ergic neurons, detectable by immunocytochemistry, were detected in 3 of 74 IDDM patients without SMS (Solimena et al. (1988) supra. and Solimena et al. (1990) supra.). Other studies have also reported a high incidence of IDDM in SMS patients (Lorish et al. (1989) Mayo Clin. Proc. 64:629-636). GAD is found at high levels in islets of Langerhans (Okada et al. (1976) Science 194:620-622). Within the islet, GAD is selectively localized to β-cells and absent in the other three endocrine cell types, the α, δ, and PP cells (Garry et al. (1988) J. Histochem. & Cytochem. 36:573-580 and Vincent (1983) Neuroendocrinol. 36:197-204). While little is known about the biochemical properties of pancreatic GAD, the brain protein has been partially characterized. In the rat brain, 60% of the protein was found to be membrane bound and 40% was soluble following homogenization (Chang and Gottlieb (1988) J. Neurosci. 8:2123-2130). GAD in brain consists of at least two isomers resolved by differences in electrophoretic mobility in SDS-PAGE. Their molecular weights have been described as 59-66 kD (Chang and Gottlieb, supra.). Immunogenic epitopes of both isoforms are highly conserved from rodents to humans (Legay et al. (1986) J. Neurochem. 46:1478-1486). The mRNA of the larger form has been cloned and sequenced (Kaufman et al. (1986) Science 232:1138-1140 and Julien et al. (1990) J. Neurochem. 54:703-705. The protein is detected in a dimer form under non-reducing conditions (Legay (1987) J. Neurochem. 48:1022-1026). Erlander et al. (1991) Neuron 7:91-100 describes the cloning and sequencing of both the higher and lower molecular weight forms of rat CNS GAD. Cram et al. (1991) describes the partial sequencing of the brain and pancreatic forms of human GAD and reports seven amino acid substitutions over a 180 amino acid sequence. The sequence of the gene encoding the higher molecular weight form of rat CNS GAD is reported in Julien et al. (1990) J. Neurochem. 54:703-705. Portions of the experimental work underlying the present invention were reported in Baekkeskov et al. (1990) Nature 347:151-156.

The Regents of the University of California


A method of in-line sign in that allows a user to sign into a first server based on a sign-in methodology of a second server is disclosed. The method uses, among other things, a nonce and approved URL list to prevent spoofing and replay attack. Additionally, the method allows error messages that occur during the authentication process to be displayed to the user having the look and feel of the first server, despite using the authentication process of the second server. A method of dual or distributed authentication is also disclosed wherein the user need only to input the login id and password once and wherein the two authentication processes need not exchange the user's password.

With the increasing popularity of the Internet, more network servers require users to sign in thereto. Signing in has numerous benefits for both the user and the network server. The network server benefits by gaining information about the user. Such information may include the user's email address, name, geographical region, and commercial and/or personal preferences, etc. Accordingly, the network server may use such information in a variety of commercially beneficial ways.
The user benefits by having a more dynamic and personalized user experience. In this sense, the network server, as presented to the user in the form of a web page, may have a different 'look and feel' or different advertising based on the user's preferences, past experiences, etc. Thus, the site displays information more relevant to the user.
At least in some instances, a network server (first network server), when signing in a user, chooses to use another network server's (second network server) sign in methodology. This alleviates the first network server from creating and maintaining its own sign in process and allows the second network server to generate revenue through licensing its sign in methodology. However, a user attempting to sign into the first network server which is using the sign in methodology of the second network server, has heretofore been presented with a sign in screen that has the look and feel of the second network server and not of the first network server. This unexpected and potentially misleading situation may be upsetting to the user and detracts from the first network server's user experience. As a result, such situation can deter the first network server from using the second network server's sign in methodology.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and an apparatus for allowing a first network server to use the functionality of a second server's sign in methodology yet still maintain the look and feel of the first server during such sign in. That is, a need exists for an 'in-line' sign in method.
To further such user experience, there is also a need for a method that allows any error messages to be displayed having the look and feel of the first server despite the error being generated in the second server.
Additionally, to facilitate the transition of a first server adopting the authentication methodology of the second server, there is a need for a dual authentication process that allows users to be authenticated at two servers yet only having to enter the user's login id and password once.


A gelatinous reagent containing chloride ions, aliphatic alcohol, Fe.sup.3+ and trace amounts of selected agents is useful for detecting the pathologies of atherogenic metabolism and bilirubinemia by observation of a color change when the reagent is brought into contact with a body fluid. The reagent can be carried on a diagnostic strip or can be used for spectrometric analysis in liquid form. The reagent can be used with a second reagent containing oxammonium sulfate to identify the pathologies by measurement of the electropotential generated when a body fluid is brought into contact with both of the reagents.

Atherogenic metabolism leads to atherosclerosis and is characteristic of a cellular energy deficiency, by blocked oxidative phosphorylation, negative nitrogen balance and increased proteolysis. Atherogenic metabolism accompanies diabetes mellitus type I and II, essential hypertension (linked to diabetes), chronic sublethal cyanide poisoning, such as by heavy cigarette smoking, acute cyanide poisoning, from fire smoke inhalation, and syndrome X, which is an insulin resistant state that precedes the disorders of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, certain dislipidemias, and premature atherosclerotic vascular disease.
There are two important alternatives to glucose as a fuel: amino acids (from functional protein) and triglycerides (from the body's fat stores). In the disturbed metabolism of diabetes and cyanide toxicity, selective proteolysis of functional intracellular proteins occurs to provide the amino acid precursors for the Krebs cycle, in an attempt to restore energy production which has been incorrectly perceived by the body as starvation.
This proteolytic state is highly atherogenic due to excessive sulphur metabolism (with increased methionine, homocysteine, and cysteine metabolism), and the presence of oxidants and free radicals. It is also associated with the transportation of increased amounts of triglyceride from fat stores. It is precisely this atherogenic proteolytic state which is responsible for 75% of diabetic deaths. It also causes 80% of deaths in individuals with chronic sub-lethal cyanide toxicity and Syndrome-X.
This energy depleted atherogenic, proteolytic state causes activation of the important enzyme glutamine synthetase (GS). GS activity is associated with the disturbed metabolism of diabetes mellitus, heavy smoke inhalation, and essential hypertension where it is linked to non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and lipid disturbances such as Syndrome-X. These states share equal importance as major risk factors for atherosclerosis.
When the body is able to metabolize glucose (the diabetic metabolism is adequately corrected, cyanide levels are low and the body is not starved) GS will be substantially inactive. The atherogenic proteolytic state is not present. When the body is unable to metabolize the preferred fuel, glucose, the proteolytic metabolic shift will occur and this will necessitate activation of GS and degradation of thiocyanate.
It is known that normalizing glycemic levels will reduce atherosclerosis in diabetics. It is predicted that better control of the disordered, atherogenic diabetic metabolism earlier in the course of an illness will reduce diabetic deaths caused by atherosclerosis.
Reagents are known for screening and for monitoring such abnormal metabolic conditions. Most reagents focus directly upon the function of the pancreas by monitoring the levels of pancreatic products, such as insulin, within body fluids. Others measure the level of glucose within body fluids. However, these tests can be invasive and are often inadequate to determine atherogenesis. In particular, in these atherogenic disorders it is the energy deficiency of the cells which is of concern. The levels of, for example, glucose and insulin are not directly indicative of this cellular state since these levels can vary in relation to various effects, such as exercise, glucose consumption, insulin antibodies and insulin resistance.
The earliest methods for monitoring cellular energy deficiencies by abnormal glucose and/or lipid metabolism measured protein metabolism by means of a whole body nitrogen balance. However, many problems were associated with these methods as set out in Joslin's Diabetes Mellitus, 1994, p. 118.
A reagent is known as described in published Canadian patent application s.n. 2,072,423 which allows screening for atherogenic metabolic abnormal conditions by observing a color change when the reagent is introduced to saliva. However, this reagent has some disadvantages. For example, a specific ratio of saliva to reagent is required to obtain reproducible and accurate results and there has been difficulty in differentiating between color changes in some lighting conditions. In addition, it has been found that there is not a clear color distinction between a moderate risk condition and an actual pathology.
A test-strip is required which will enable early discovery of atherogenic metabolism. As well, a test is required which can be conducted by untrained, as well as trained, persons.


A method of producing a spherical joint (1) with a spherical sleeve (3) having a spherical bearing area (16) and provided with a through-going assembly opening that extends, in an axial direction (4), which by virtue of the bearing area (16) is mounted and able to move by sliding in a spherical shell (2). The spherical sleeve (3) is arranged in an outer sleeve (7) in such a manner that the spherical sleeve (3) extends outwardly, in an axial direction (4), from both sides of the outer sleeve (7). A material, which hardens, is injected into an intermediate space (17), located between the spherical shell (2) and the outer sleeve (7), such that when the material hardens, the assembly of the spherical sleeve (3) and the spherical shell (2) is joined to the outer sleeve (7).

The structure and assembly of sleeve joints are based on the production and joining of individual components (spherical sleeve, spherical shell, housing, sealing bellows, etc.) in individual processes and production steps. The overall function and characteristics of the sleeve joint are determined by the respective tolerance characteristics of the individual components and are optimized by follow-up processes (tempering, grinding etc) in order to meet customer requirements.
DE 10 2004 040 412 A1 discloses a spherical sleeve joint for chassis assemblies and steering assemblies of motor vehicles, which consists of a joint housing comprising two housing halves and a spherical sleeve provided with a rounded bearing surface, wherein the bearing surface is held in a bearing shell made of an elastic plastic material fixed in a recess of the joint housing. The two housing halves are pressed together in the direction of the central longitudinal axis with defined pressing forces during the assembly of the spherical sleeve joint and held, with the fitting length determined by the pressing forces, by means of at least one material-cohesive connection between the housing halves.
When a spherical sleeve joint of the type mentioned at the start is inserted into a holding receptacle, as a rule the diameter of the outer sleeve is reduced so the pressure exerted by the spherical shell on the bearing area is increased. This can result in an undesired increase of the friction between the spherical shell and the bearing area of the spherical sleeve.

Method for producing a spherical sleeve joint


Noise adding unit 700 reads the downloaded target JPEG image from memory and adds designated noise to that JPEG image. Reverse DCT transformation unit 710 performs reverse discrete cosine transformation on the noise-added JPEG image, and transforms it from space frequency to spatial coordinates. Binarization unit 720 binarizes the image that has been expanded to spatial coordinates.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image processing technology which performs designated processing on normal orthogonally transformed images such as JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) images.
2. Description of the Related Art
Printers and the like are well known as output devices for things such as images downloaded from a network, images shot using a digital camera, and image created using a computer. Printers print images by forming dots on a print medium using ink, etc., so normally, only two gradations are expressed, dot on or off, for each pixel. Thus, to express the gradation that an image has using dot dispersion, so-called half-tone processing is used on the image to be printed.
Meanwhile, in recent years, most image such as images downloaded from a network or images shot using a digital camera are data compressed images, and most of these are JPEG images. JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is a still image compression method determined by ISO (International Standardization Organization) and ITU-TS (International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication Standardization Sector) and used for full color or gray scale, and a key feature is that despite the high level of compression, the decrease in image quality is minimal.
Therefore, for example, when printing a JPEG image downloaded from a network using a printer, it is necessary to use half-tone processing. In such a case, in the past, first the downloaded JPEG image would be expanded on a computer, and then half-tone processing of the expanded image would be done, after which it would be sent to the printer.
Specifically, JPEG images are images that have undergone discrete cosine transformation, so when a JPEG image is expanded, reverse discrete cosine transformation is done on that image, and after expanding to spatial coordinates, half-tone processing is done on that expanded image. As half-tone processing, for example, when using the dither method, a dither matrix is introduced for the organizational dither method, and as a threshold value for each matrix, a comparison is made with the corresponding coordinate point pixel value (pixel concentration), and this is binarized.
However, when the conventional type of method is used, with half-tone processing, in comparison to a huge data volume image being expanded to the spatial coordinates, binarization is done while controlling the coordinate position and corresponding matrix value for each pixel successively, leading to the problem of an excessive burden being placed on the CPU, and processing time being very long.
Also, by performing half-tone processing, the image data volume is again increased, and to print using the printer, when a print control command is added to that image, the data volume increases yet again. Therefore, for example, when the printer is connected to a computer via a network or a public line, etc., it is necessary to send this huge data volume image to the printer from the computer via a network or public line, which causes the problem of having the communication time being long, and leading to traffic problems.

Image processing technology performing designated processing on normal orthogonally transformed images

Abstract: This makes it possible to achieve the same processing as half-tone processing on images that have undergone normal orthogonal transformation without putting a large burden on the CPU, etc. and with a small data volume even when transferring via a communication path.


A PDP driving circuit for a stable operation of a ramp pulse. A capacitor having a temperature characteristic opposite to a temperature characteristic of a part coupled to a switch that operates as a constant current source for generation of a ramp pulse is arranged in the driving circuit for generating a ramp pulse. The ramp pulse linearly increases or decreases a panel voltage of the PDP with respect to time. Parts having opposite temperature characteristics are coupled in parallel to control variation of a gradient of the ramp pulse so that values of the parts may not be varied depending on the temperature changes. Thus, stable operation of the ramp pulse is obtained.

(a) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a PDP (plasma display panel) driving circuit for generating ramp pulses. More specifically, the invention relates to a PDP driving circuit for compensating for temperature variation of parts installed for generating ramp pulses, and allowing stable operation of the ramp pulses.
(b) Description of the Related Art
A PDP has a plurality of discharge tubes in a matrix pattern, and selectively has them emit to restore image data input as electrical signals.
FIG. 1 shows a PDP electrode arrangement diagram.
As shown, the PDP electrodes have an (m x n) matrix pattern. Generally, the m address electrodes A1 through Am are arranged in columns and the n scan electrodes Y1 through Yn and then sustain electrodes X1 through Xn are alternately arranged in rows. Hereinafter, the scan electrodes will be referred to as Y electrodes and the sustain electrodes as X electrodes. The reference numeral 12 in FIG. 1 represents a discharge cell.
In this instance, a number of respective electrodes on the PDP is determined according to its resolution. The PDP realizes gradation so as to output color display performance.
Realization of gradation on the PDP is executed, for example, by dividing one TV field into six subfields and performing time-division control on each of the subfields.
FIG. 2 shows a method for realizing gray sales in a PDP. As shown, the PDP divides a single TV field into six subfields to represent 6-bit grays, and each single subfield has an address interval and a sustain interval.
Current commercial PDPs generally have ten to twelve or more subfields in a single TV field rather than six subfields. Since an increase in the number of subfields in a PDP reduces the contour noise, which is an important factor of image quality, studies for increasing the number of subfields using various methods have been undertaken.
PDPs can use a ramp reset to obtain operational margins. When using a ramp reset to drive a PDP, wall charges are erased except the amount of wall charges that will be used for a subsequent address operation. Wall charges for a subsequent address are accumulated on the panel because of weak discharging, thereby allowing a low-voltage address operation.
FIG. 3 shows a PDP driving waveform using a ramp pulse, and FIG. 4 shows a PDP driving circuit for the driving waveform of FIG. 3. Dotted parts in FIGS. 3 and 4 respectively indicate a ramp pulse waveform and a simple ramp pulse generation part.
One of the methods for generating ramp pulses is by operating a switch of a driving circuit as a static current source so as to output ramp waveforms in the PDP modeled as a capacitive load.
When the voltage at the panel is set to be Vc, the voltage linearly increases with respect to the time axis in the case of a ramp pulse according to Equation 1. Accordingly, a differential value of Vc is a constant.
                                                                        V                c                            =                                                1                  C                                                                  ∫                                      i                                                              ⅆ                      t                                                                                ⅆ                                      V                    c                                                                    ⅆ                  t                                            =                                                                    1                    C                                    ·                  i                                =                Constant                                                                        Equation                                                  1
In Equation 1, C is a capacitance of the panel. Because the capacitance value C is constant, in order to output a ramp pulse, the current (i) applied to the panel also needs to be constant.
FIG. 5 shows a ramp pulse generation circuit using a capacitor. As shown in FIG. 5, a capacitor C1 is arranged between a gate and a drain of an FET (field-effect transistor) to generate a ramp pulse. That is, in order to completely turn on the FET, it is required to charge a parasitic capacitance Cgs between the gate and the source of the FET, and to charge a parasitic capacitance Cgd between the gate and the drain thereof.
In this instance, when the capacitor C1 is added to the parasitic capacitance Cgd to charge the parasitic capacitance Cgs, a time frame from a time when the FET having a voltage greater than a threshold value starts being turned on to a time when the FET is completely turned on can be extended to some degree.
Accordingly, the parasitic capacitance Cgs is charged through a path {circle around (1)} to slightly open the FET, the gate current is applied to the panel through a path {circle around (2)}, and the charged parasitic capacitance Cgs is discharged to close the FET. In this instance, path {circle around (1)} and path {circle around (2)} cause a negative feedback effect to each other to allow the FET to operate as a constant current source.
FIG. 6 shows a ramp pulse generation circuit using a resistor. As shown in FIG. 6, a resistor R2 is arranged between a source of the FET and a terminal Vs of a FET drive IC to generate a constant current source.
As shown in FIG. 5, when the gate current charges the parasitic capacitance Cgs to open the FET, the current Id starts flowing. The current Id charges the parasitic capacitance Cgd and steeply rises, but it generates a voltage drop of Vr at the resistor R2 to reduce the intensity of the voltage charged to the parasitic capacitance Cgs, because the potential difference between the terminal Vs of the FET drive IC and a terminal HO for outputting a gate signal has a constant voltage Vcc (generally about 12 to 18V).
When the voltage at Cgs reduces, the FET is closed to reduce the current Id. When the current Id reduces, the voltage drop Vr also reduces, and the voltage at Cgs increases to open the FET again.
The above-noted operation is a negative feedback effect to allow the FET to operate as a constant current source.
FIG. 7 shows gradients of the ramp pulse generated by the ramp pulse generation circuits in FIGS. 5 and 6.
When a switch on the PDP modeled as a capacitance load is operated using the constant current source, the ramp pulse shown in FIG. 7 is obtained.
In this instance, the gradients of the ramp pulse can be adjusted in the direction of arrow {circle around (1)} and arrow {circle around (2)} using resistor R1 and capacitor C1 of FIG. 5, and resistor R1 and resistor R2 of FIG. 6. The gradients of the ramp pulse increase or decrease depending on the time constants of parts and the surrounding temperatures, because the gradients depend on the temperature characteristics of the parts.
Application of the ramp pulse for execution of weak discharging in the PDP closely relates to the operational margin of the panel. When the gradient of the ramp pulse varies according to the surrounding temperature of the PDP, the discharging of the panel becomes unstable, and bad discharging occurs.
Therefore, it is required to maintain the gradient of the ramp pulse regardless of the surrounding temperature and other conditions so as to acquire stable discharging on the PDP.


An improved tweezers, particularly adapted for grasping small parts, has a first arm and a second flexible arm joined together at first ends to form a pair of tweezer jaws at second ends. A flexing of the flexible arm is accommodated as by incorporation of an arcuate portion of the first arm such that, when the arm is flexed by the application of a force, the jaw end of the flexible arm is displaced from jaw end of the first arm to open the tweezer jaws. When the force is removed, the flexible jaw returns to a rest position to apply a gripping force to an object between the jaws.

Numerous tweezers or grasping tool constructions are known. A conventional tweezer-like device comprises a pair of flexible arms joined at their first ends, with the second, opposed ends assuming a spaced-apart rest position. The arms are manually held and squeezed by the user in order to grasp an object oriented between the open ends. When it is desired to release the grasped object the grip on the arms is released.
Such tweezers allow for increased flexibility and precision in the manipulation of small objects and thus have wide use potential. In the crafts arts, for example, mosaic construction projects often utilize a plurality of small, peg-like elements, which are assembled in a desired manner in a grid-like matrix. The manipulation and insertion of individual pegs can require a fair amount of manual dexterity. The use of a tweezer-like device to grip and manipulate the pegs can be of great assistance.
Conventional tweezers, however, remain of limited applicability. It is often difficult to grip a peg in an appropriate manner to be inserted into the matrix without manual intervention to reorient the grip of the tweezers on the peg. In addition, conventional tweezers require that pressure be maintained on the tweezer arms on a continual basis to maintain grip of the peg. This may be difficult and uncomfortable, particularly for a child. In addition, pegs of arts and craft sets often are provided in an initially massed or connected arrangement, requiring the pegs to be individually separated for use. It would be of benefit to have a tool which can assist in this separation and subsequently be used to grip the pegs.
Further, because of the necessity for exerting an insertion force upon a peg while placing it in a matrix, it can be impractical or difficult to exert such an insertion force on a peg when gripped by a conventional pair of tweezers in which an inward gripping force to hold the peg by the tweezers must be maintained.
It is accordingly a purpose of the present invention to provide a tweezer-like tool which has increased convenience in connection with the maintenance of a continuing grip on a small item, such as a peg.
A further purpose of the present invention is to provide a tweezer-like tool in which continued finger pressure is not required to maintain the tweezers' grip upon a held item.
Another purpose of the present invention it is to provide a new and improved tweezer-like tool which can incorporate additional tool functions therein.
A still further purpose of the present invention is to provide a tweezer-like tool which is of economical manufacture and construction.


The invention relates to the field of anti-virus protection. The technical result of the invention lies in providing possibility for unblocking the computer with no data loss and computer resetting, for increasing the antivirus systems operation efficiency and consequently improving the computer systems security. A method for neutralizing malicious software blocking computer operation, the method being performed by means of a separate antivirus activation device developed for the antimalware procedure activation to be run by a PC user, the device comprising connectors for connection to a control bus, a controller and an activation unit. Computer unblocking and malware neutralizing procedure is activated after receiving an activation signal from the antivirus activation device. Whereby said unblocking and malware neutralizing procedure includes: examining OS graphics subsystem state, searching for all the created windows and desktops viewed by the user; analyzing all the processes and flows executed with the PC at the time of infection; creating bindings on the collected data basis for each said window and desktop to a particular process and/or process hierarchy; analyzing the obtained data on the processes and identifying in each of them loaded modules involved in the process running; searching for the software automatically run in the course of OS start-up; compiling a list of the objects considered as malicious; isolating each malicious object, deleting its links out of OS configuration files, and aborting the malicious process produced by the object.

Presently existing systems of protection against malicious software allow for detecting it in the two ways:                by the characteristic data previously obtained from the malicious files content (signatures, patterns, checksums, etc.);        by the malware behaviour (heuristic and behavioural analyzers).
These methods are classic and effective against known types of malicious software. Yet, unfortunately, these methods are often powerless against new, recent malicious SW. The first reason for this is that their characteristic data (signatures, checksums) have not been entered yet into the virus database of an antivirus. The second reason lies in that heuristic and behavioural analyzers do not detect any danger, as the malware has been intentionally developed by hackers with its behaviour changed in order not to arouse the antivirus behavioural analyzer's suspicions. Whereby this malware being still unfamiliar to antiviruses often demonstrates itself revealing its presence to the user operating the infected computer at that moment. Ransomware may provide an example of such behaviour blocking computer operation and setting up, for example through display messages, their criminal claims to be executed by the user (usually concerning payments to be made in one way or another). Thus, it is obvious to a user that his/her computer is malware infected (as a malicious program requires certain actions to be performed by him/her), the computer is blocked, not allowing the user to work properly or even start procedures against the malicious program. Furthermore, the antivirus system does not detect and neutralize the infection, as it does not define any new threat, neither by the typical signs nor by the behaviour.

Method for neutralizing PC blocking malware using a separate device for an antimalware procedure activated by user


An Information and Application Distribution System (IADS) is disclosed. The IADS operates, in one embodiment, to distribute, initiate and allow interaction and communication within like-minded communities. Application distribution occurs through the transmission and receipt of an xe2x80x9cinvitation applicationxe2x80x9d which contains both a message component and an executable component to enable multiple users to connect within a specific community. The application object includes functionality which allows the user""s local computer to automatically set up a user interface to connect with a central controller which facilitates interaction and introduction between and among users.

This invention relates generally to software and information distribution and control. More particularly, this invention relates to the use of various communications protocols in order to distribute and enable community applications and information through a public or private network to enable users to interact and communicate with like-minded communities.
The recent explosion of the Internet is due to many factors. One primary factor is the availability of practically unlimited information. Users can access data about companies, news events, sports, organizations and almost anything else under the sun. Another benefit of the Internet is its inherent ability to permit communication among users. Various standard protocols allow for information and resource exchange through email, chat rooms, as well as Usenet and other bulletin boards. A third major reason for the Internet""s growth is the large number of free or low cost software applications which can be accessed through an Internet connection. There is a vast amount of software available on Internet servers which can be downloaded to the user""s local computer and executed later. In addition, through on-line stores and other electronic commerce applications, it is possible for Internet users to purchase software and pay for it without ever placing a call or otherwise communicating with the software vendor.
In most cases, including interaction through the Internet, it is generally required that each user have an executable copy of a client software program locally at his or her computer. This may be accomplished by downloading the conventional computer executable code from a server prior to interaction. Additionally, it is possible to download code, such as Java code, through a user""s browser application. Once each user has a local copy of the software, there are various methods through which users can xe2x80x9cmeetxe2x80x9d other users and interact.
Users can enter public or private chat rooms where users with similar interests may be located. For example, in the context of a gaming environment, once all specific users are identified, interaction may be commenced via a game server which controls the interaction of play between and among the users. The server communicates with each of the player""s local computers through an Internet connection. It is the server""s responsibility to, for example, ensure that rules are complied with and that actions and reactions initiated by one player are communicated to other players. In the context of a community chat room, such as, for example, a chat room devoted to sailing, the server may be responsible for enabling users to communicate. News groups may allow a user to view and interact with postings governed by the server. In the context of a photo album application, a server may govern posting and viewing of applicable pictures.
While interaction which is established and implemented in the above described manner is generally acceptable, there are various drawbacks. For example, prior to establishing service, a user must locate the desired application on-line or, alternatively, purchase it in the store. Once the application has been downloaded or purchased, the user must manually complete the often detailed, frustrating and time consuming process of installing the application on the user""s local computer. Following this, if the user wishes to initiate network (i.e. Internet) interaction, he or she must establish an Internet connection. Then the user must locate a suitable interaction user. In order to do this, the user is typically required to install a browser, find and xe2x80x9csurfxe2x80x9d to a web site which allows the user to locate other suitable users and then follow the steps on that site to find those users. These steps may include installing additional software plugins or applets, entering a chat room, and waiting for one or more suitable users to enter the same room. Alternatively, users may locate each other through pre-arranged bulletin boards or through email exchanges. Once the users have been located, various methods exist for establishing a connection between all users through a central or distributed game or communications server. Unfortunately, users with varying interests often have a difficult time locating each other. Additionally, many steps and a significant amount of time are required prior to commencing the actual interaction.
Creating communities of people with similar interests may also suffer drawbacks and difficulties. It may be time consuming and difficult to create a community of interest for users that permits interaction. Communities of interest may be difficult to create, especially for neophyte computer users with little experience in the field. If separate software, applets, or plugins are needed to access the community, it may be difficult to convince prospective community members to find a copy of or go to the website location for downloading the necessary software, download the software, install and configure it, and use the software to communicate with the community. Additionally, it may be difficult to publicize the existence of such a community to others.
Finding such a community may require familiarity with a computer and the Internet. Individual creators of applications or interactive communities may lack the resources to publicize these items.
Further, current interaction on the Internet may suffer from the drawback of technical complexity for users to operate. Communication and interaction may require knowledge of the location of bulletin boards or chat rooms, as well as knowledge to install and use communication applications. The technical complexities and lack of knowledge may create a significant barrier for adoption by new users.
In addition to user interaction, there are various other applications which inherently require communication among multiple individuals and which lend themselves well to establishing and maintaining that communication through the Internet or another flexible communications network. For example, commerce conducted over the Internet (sometimes known as xe2x80x9cElectronic Commercexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cE-commercexe2x80x9d), requires a user to locate an appropriate xe2x80x9con-line storexe2x80x9d and then, within that store, locate an appropriate product prior to purchasing it. Searching the entire Internet for a store and then searching within that store can be a daunting task for the neophyte or even an experienced Internet user who has not previously purchased a product through an xe2x80x9con-line storexe2x80x9d. Further, finding a store that the user trusts may be difficult, as a user often searches the internet on their own, without a referral.
Nor do interactive applications allow administrators to publish or subscribe to information and select customer functionality applications, particularly information located on another application. Current methods of xe2x80x9ccutting and postingxe2x80x9d information from one area to another often require editing and reformatting the information. These efforts may be time consuming and deter users from publishing such information.
It is therefore an object of the invention to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method and system which simplifies processes for interaction among individuals and/or entities which occur through a communications network.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a system and method for multi-user interaction and communication through a network which is directed to a specific transaction, interaction and/or interest.
It is another object of the invention to provide a system and method which enables creation and distribution of application objects which direct a user to specific information.
It is another object of the invention to provide a system and methodology for invoking an invitation application to simplify the creation of and allow the widespread and rapid distribution ofan electronic connection between a plurality of users through an on-line community associated with a user interest.
These and other objects are achieved through the present invention which provides a system and method for information and application distribution and delivery. The system described herein may be referred to as an Information and Application Distribution System (IADS) and may be preferably embodied as a communication network which may be used for a variety of purposes. In one embodiment, the IADS is employed to distribute, initiate and allow user interaction and communication within communities of users with similar interests. An IADS of the present invention may employ a communication application to distribute and initiate invitation applications having an executable component and a message component. The IADS of the present invention may include access to one or more customized communities which are designed to allow users to interact within a community with various community applications. The delivery methodology of the present invention may circumvent many of the drawbacks encountered in matching or users of applications through prior art techniques.

System and method for information and application distribution