In vitro incubation of all-trans-retinol (atROL) with kidney homogenate from vitamin A deficient and retinoic acid supplemented (VAD-RAS) female rats produced a new retinol metabolite. The metabolite has the structure ##STR1## and is believed useful for the treatment of skin disorders such as acne, psoriasis, and ultraviolet light skin damage, as well as for promoting female fertility and the maintenance of pregnancy.

The present invention relates to a metabolite of all-trans-retinol, and more particularly to such a metabolite possessing a thiophene ring.
Retinol and its metabolites participate in many physiological processes, such as growth and development, reproduction, cellular differentiation and proliferation, and vision. Except in the visual system where the functional forms of a vitamin A have been well characterized (Wald, Science 162, 230-239, 1968), other biological functions of vitamin A are thought to be mediated by the action of retinoic acids (RAs) which interact with retinoic acid receptor (RAR) and retinoic acid X receptor (RXR) heterodimers or RXR homodimers and, therefore, regulate gene expression (Allenby et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90, 30-34, 1993; Nagpal et al, EMBO J. 12, 2349-2360, 1993). The discovery of RARs (Petkovich et al, Nature (London) 330, 444-450, 1987; Brand et al, Nature (London) 332, 850-353, 1988; Giguere et al, Nature (London) 330, 624-629, 1987; Benbrook et al, Nature, 333, 669-672, 1988; Krust et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86, 5310-5314, 1989; Zelent et al, Nature (London) 339, 714-717, 1989) and RXRs (Mangelsdorf et al, Nature (London) 345, 224-229, 1990; Mangelsdorf et al, Genes Dev. 6, 329-344 1992; Yu et al, Cell 67, 1251-1266, 1991) leads people to understand the mechanisms of RA action on the molecular level.
However, overwhelming data demonstrate that rats fed retinol free and all-trans-retinoic acid (atRA) supplemented diet fail to reproduce (Thompson et al, Proc. R. Soc. Lond B. Biol. Sci., 159, 510-535, 1964; Takahashi et al, J. Nutr. 105, 1299-1310, 1975; Wellik and DeLuca, Biol. Rep. 53, 1392-1397, 1995; Wellik et al, Am. J. Physiol. 292 (Endocrinol. Metab. 35), E25-E29, 1997). Although vitamin A-deficient, atRA supplemented (VAD-RAS) female rats can become pregnant after mating with healthy males, they invariably resorb their fetuses at approximately day 15 of gestation. Work by Wellik and DeLuca, Biol. Rep. 53, 1392-1397, 1995, showed that retinol is required no later than day 10 of gestation in order to prevent fatal resorption in the VAD-RAS female rats, and administration of a dose as little as 2 .mu.g on day 10 of gestation could prevent the resorption and allow parturition to complete.
Wellik and DeLuca, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 330, 355-362, 1996 studied atROL metabolites in day 10 conceptuses of VAD-RAS rats. After administration of a dose of 2 .mu.g atROL into the 10-day pregnant female rats, an unknown metabolite was found in the conceptuses. The concentration of this metabolite increases through 6 hour post-dose. It did not react with phosphatase, glucuronidase or sulfatase, therefore, it was unlikely to be an excretion product. Further study showed that the metabolite was also found in several other tissues collected from the VAD-RAS female rats. Kidneys from the VAD-RAS female rats contained 70 times the amount of the metabolite found in the conceptuses. However, the small quantity of the metabolite produced in vivo was not sufficient for determination of the structure of the compound.
Based on the previous data by Wellik and DeLuca, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 330, 355-362, 1996, the present study was focused on establishing an in vitro generation method which would obtain the unknown atROL metabolite in quantities required for its structural identification. The structure of this unknown metabolite was studied by ultraviolet (UV), infrared (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (.sup.1 H NMR) spectroscopy as well as mass spectrometry.


Method and apparatus for improving ease of use, customizability, and functionality of computing devices via chatbots may be realized by processing a natural language query, by a first chatbot, to identify a monitored device in a computing environment that relates to the natural language query; transmitting the query to a second chatbot provided by the monitored device; receiving a response from the second chatbot identifying an anomaly observed on the monitored device; and outputting an user interface for display, the user interface comprising a natural language summary of the response.

The present invention relates to automated natural language agents (also referred to as "chatbots"), and more specifically, to specialized agents linked to specific systems in a computing environment. Chatbots may be used to process natural language queries addressed thereto to output natural language responses. A user may converse with the chatbot using the language patterns employed by humans, rather than submitting machine-formatted queries to a database. A user may converse with the chatbot via text or via spoken language that is parsed by the chatbot for intended meaning and for potential responses applicable to the determined meaning of the user's queries. Chatbots, to determine the intended meaning of a user's queries, are trained in specific fields of knowledge to provide relevant responses. When a user has broad questions, questions that have ambiguous meanings, or questions that may be answered differently by different chatbots, receiving a relevant or encompassing response may require the user to repeatedly resubmit narrowed questions to specific chatbots.

International Business Machines Corporation


A harvesting machine includes a self-propelled vehicle adapted for separating grain from non-grain material, a cleaning shoe and a fan for controlling air flow. The fan is positioned downstream of the cleaning shoe and the fan having an air inlet for providing air to the fan and an aspiration outlet for providing air from the fan. The fan assists in reducing static air pressure within the harvesting machine. The fan may be a centrifugal fan. The harvesting machine may further include a chopper operatively connected to the vehicle and adapted for receiving the non-grain material and chopping the non-grain material and a blower adapted for assisting in conveying the non-grain material from the chopper such as for collection in a collection container.

The present invention relates to air flow separation associated with a harvesting machine, more particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to air flow separation of a harvesting machine which is adapted to harvest grain as well as biomass material also sometimes referred to as crop residue, cellulosic material, stover, or material other than grain (MOG) which may include leaves, stalks, husks, chaff, or any other material that passes through a combine but is not removed in the grain stream.
Harvesting machines or combines are self-propelled machines which harvest, thresh, separate, and clean an agricultural crop. The resulting clean grain is stored in a grain tank located on the harvesting machine and can be transported from the grain tank to a wagon, cart, truck, or other container by an unloading auger. In a typical process, after separation and threshing of the grain, it is directed to a cleaning system that typically includes a cleaning shoe having a chaffer and a sieve. A cleaning fan directs aspirated air through the chaffer and sieve blowing the lighter chaff and straw out the rear of the combine. The clean grain, being heavier falls through the chaffer and sieve and may be collected by a clean grain auger which directs it to a clean grain elevator which conveys the clean grain to the grain tank.
One of the problems with combines is providing sufficient airflow out of the cleaning shoe, particularly in a manner which does not add increased complexity to the design or operation of the combine. Another seemingly unrelated problem to one not having the benefit of this disclosure involves biomass collection and the addition air flow related problems introduced by biomass collections. Thus, what is needed is a combine with an air movement unit that assists in biomass conveyance or enhances combine performance.
Therefore, it is a primary object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to improve over the state of the art.

Air movement unit for biomass conveyance, separation, or combine performance enhancement

Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.


An image-forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photoreceptor including a photosensitive layer, an exposure unit for irradiating the electrophotographic photoreceptor with light, a pressing member pressed against the photosensitive layer of the electrophotographic photoreceptor to remove a deposit from the photosensitive layer, and a static eliminating unit for eliminating the static electricity of the deposit to be removed by the pressing member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image-forming device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, image-forming devices, such as electrophotographic copying machines or printers, perform the following processes during image formation. First, the surface of a latent image formation region of an electrophotographic photoreceptor is electrically charged uniformly by a charging member while the electrophotographic photoreceptor is rotated. Then, the latent image formation region is irradiated with a laser beam according to an image pattern to form a latent image on the electrophotographic photoreceptor. Toner is deposited on the electrophotographic photoreceptor according to the latent image. Then, the toner is transferred to a recording medium. Then, the electrophotographic photoreceptor is wiped with a cleaning blade to remove a deposit including residual toner.
The cleaning blade is a plate having almost the same length as the electrophotographic photoreceptor. An edge of the cleaning blade is pressed against the electrophotographic photoreceptor to remove a deposit including residual toner from the electrophotographic photoreceptor.
When a deposit is removed with the cleaning blade, the friction between residual toner particles or between the cleaning blade and residual toner can generate static electricity. Electrostatically charged toner stays in upstream region of the cleaning blade in the rotation direction of the electrophotographic photoreceptor.
The static electricity built up on the residual toner may be discharged to the electrophotographic photoreceptor substrate. Thus, a photoconductive layer or a surface layer of the electrophotographic photoreceptor may be damaged (discharge breakdown). Accordingly, there is a need for a high-quality image-forming device that can prevent the discharge breakdown.

Image-forming apparatus which can eliminate static electricity


An exemplary automatic focusing system adopted in a camera includes a brightness detecting unit, a recording unit, a correcting unit, and a selecting unit. The brightness detecting unit is configured for detecting a general brightness value of an environment of a subject prior to a focusing operation of the camera and outputting a correction factor associated with the general brightness value. The recording unit is configured for storing a first set of brightness values and the first set of contrast values. The correcting unit stores a preset brightness value and a preset contrast value. The correcting unit is configured for calculating a number of second contrast values according to the correction factor, the first set of brightness values, a preset brightness value, and a preset contrast value. The selecting unit is configured for choosing a maximum contrast value from the number of second contrast values of the subject.

In a camera, a typical passive automatic focusing method can be used by evaluating contrast values within a consecutive range near a focus point of a subject located at a center area of a scene. An automatic focusing operation is performed by precisely moving the lens group of the camera within the consecutive range to determine the focus point where the subject has a maximum contrast. During the automatic focusing operation, a number of brightness values of the environment of the subject are also determined.
However, when a digital camera takes pictures of the subject in an environment lit by discharge lamps (e.g., fluorescent lamps which operate directly from AC power supplies), there is a possibility for the digital camera to detect a low brightness value of the environment during the automatic focusing operation due to flickering of the fluorescent lamp at a certain frequency. As a result, the maximum contrast value of the subject may not be reliable found during the automatic focusing operation. Accordingly, the automatic focusing operation is affected.

Automatic focusing system and method thereof


A steering system of automobiles for absorbing impact force, which comprises a steering tube, connected to a steering handle, having a plurality of fixing openings for fixing balls therein; a steering shaft partially inserted into the steering tube and having a plurality of multi-stepped guide grooves for guiding the balls; and the balls positioned in the fixing openings of the steering tube. The guide grooves are adjacent to the fixing openings at one end and extended longitudinally for a predetermined distance, and the balls travel from the fixing openings into the multi-stepped guide grooves between the steering tube and the steering shaft, generating frictional force and absorbing impact force. Hence, the impact force is absorbed by the multi-stepped portions of the guide grooves and gradually transmitted to the driver from the beginning to the end of a collision to ensure the driver with enough time to react to the collision, thereby minimizing injury to the driver.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steering system for automobiles and, more particularly, to a steering system of automobiles for absorbing impact energy when force is generated from the collision in order to lessen the impact force to the driver.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
In general, the steering by the driver is transmitted to a steering tube and a steering shaft in the conventional steering systems for automobiles.
During the collision, the driver collides with the steering wheel caused by the inertia. In response to the collision, there is a reaction force in which the driver is more severely injured.
In order to absorb the impact energy and lessen the impact to the driver, the steering shaft that slides into the steering tube that is connected to the steering wheel has been developed.
FIG. 1 shows the structure of a conventional steering system which has been developed to lessen the impact to the driver during the collision.
In FIG. 1, the steering system comprises an outer tube 12, an inner tube 14, and balls 22, 24 which are inserted between the outer tube 12 and the inner tube 14. Further, grooves 26 are formed on the outer surface of the inner tube 14 for guiding the balls 22 and 24.
In the above structure, the number of the grooves 26 is less than the number of the balls 22 and 24 so that the impact force is absorbed by the remaining balls which are not introduced into the grooves. When the inner tube 14 slides into the outer tube 12 by the impact force applied to a steering wheel(not shown) at the time of the collision, the balls 22 and 24 located between the outer tube 12 and the inner tube 14 move and absorb the impact force by frictional force generated by the movement of the balls.
In FIG. 1, number 20 indicates a sleeve, and number 28 indicates a slanted wall.
However, the conventional steering system described above has disadvantages that the steering system absorbs the impact force uniformly regardless of the magnitude of the impact force, so that it is difficult to disperse the repulsive force to the driver.
The balls 24 absorb the impact force uniformly from the beginning to the end of the collision, hence the repulsive force can not be dispersed effectively and the driver would not have enough time to react to the collision. Hence, it is difficult to prevent the driver from being injured from the repulsive force generated by the impact.

Energy absorbing steering system for automobiles


A method and apparatus adapted to calibrate a signal path of a signal analysis system such that digital samples acquired by the system are processed for representing an arbitrary impedance loading of the device under test. The method and apparatus calibrates the signal path to characterize transfer parameters of the device under test within a spectral domain. A reflection coefficient (ΓL) is defined representative of an arbitrary impedance load coupled to the device under test and an equalization filter is computed to represent the loading of the device under test by the arbitrary impedance. Additional digital samples are acquired using the equalization filter to effect thereby a representation of the arbitrary impedance loading of the device under test.

Typical probes used for signal acquisition and analysis devices such as digital storage oscilloscopes (DSOs) and the like have an impedance associated with them which varies with frequency. For example, a typical probe may have an impedance of 100K to 200K Ohms at DC, which impedance drops towards 200 ohms at 1.5 GHz. Higher bandwidth probes drop to even lower impedance values. This drop in impedance as frequency increases, coupled with the fact that many circuits being probed have a relatively low output impedance in the range of 25-150 ohms, results in a significant loading of the circuit under test by the probe. As such, an acquired waveform received via a probe loading such a circuit may not accurately represent the voltage of the circuit prior to the introduction of the probe.
There is also a further need to process acquired samples of a signal from a device under test to produce digital samples representing an arbitrary load on the device under test. Such a capability in a signal analysis system would allow a user to observe the effects of various loads on an output signal from the device under test.

Signal analysis system and calibration method for processing acquires signal samples with an arbitrary load


A non-volatile memory cell includes a plurality of rows of memory cells, a plurality of bit lines coupled to the plurality of rows of memory cells for accessing data to the plurality of rows of memory cells, a plurality of word lines each coupled to a corresponding row of memory cells, and a decoder coupled to the plurality of word lines for enabling at least one row of memory cells of the plurality of rows of memory cells.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention illustrates non-volatile memory (NVM), and more particularly, non-volatile memory using a multi-cells selection method to increase the operation window.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Memory is widely used in various electronic devices for data storage in recent years. Like memory cards in digital cameras, random access memory (RAM) and flash memory in computers, memory is manufactured in the form of an integrated circuit for electronic applications. Generally, memory can be classified into two types, named volatile memory (VM) and non-volatile memory (NVM). As it is well known in the art, non-volatile memory has an electronic property that data stored in the non-volatile memory will not volatilize after power is turned off. This electronic property makes non-volatile memory receive more attention in the use of hard disk (HD) drives, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and flash memory.
As aforementioned, non-volatile memory is manufactured as an integrated circuit, where the circuit includes a plurality of bit lines, a plurality of word lines, and a plurality of memory cells. Specifically, the plurality of bit lines are coupled to the plurality of rows of memory cells. The plurality of word lines each coupled to a corresponding row of memory cells. When the word line enables the corresponding row of memory cells, the data can be accessed (erased/written) to the corresponding row of memory cells through the bit line. With enabling the memory cells row by row, data can be sequentially accessed to all the memory cells.
Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 illustrates the layout structure of a conventional non-volatile memory. In FIG. 1, each word line controls the floating gates of a corresponding row of memory cells. For example, the word line WL1 controls the first row of floating gates FG11 to FG15 with respect to the first row of memory cells. The word line WL2 controls the second row of floating gates FG21 to FG25 with respect to the second row of memory cells. The word line WL3 controls the third row of floating gates FG31 to FG35 with respect to the third row of memory cells. The word line WL4 controls the fourth row of floating gates FG41 to FG45 with respect to the fourth row of memory cells. Since the floating gate controls the input current of the corresponding memory cell, the word lines WL1 to WL4 respectively control the first to the fourth row of memory cells for accessing data by operating on the corresponding floating gates.
Particularly, in conventional non-volatile memory, since the input current for accessing data in each memory cell is small, as time passes by, the voltage offset (i.e., the offset of threshold voltage in each memory cell for data accessing) increases and results in narrowing the operation window of memory, lowering endurance of memory.
Please refer to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 depicts the current distribution of the conventional non-volatile memory in one operation instance. The Y-axis (vertical axis) denotes the number of memory cell and the X-axis (horizontal axis) denotes the un-normalized current intensity of each memory cell. In FIG. 2, the current distribution is presented as a line with circular markers. Specifically, the current distribution has two peak regions P1 and P2. Each peak region locates the local maximum of the distribution curve. The first peak region P1 denotes the number of memory cell used for accessing the low voltage data. The second peak region P2 denotes the number of memory cell used for accessing the high voltage data. The difference of the current of the memory cell between a first value within the first peak region P1 (i.e., within the current intensity interval 1 to 6 in X-axis) and a second value within the second peak region P2 (i.e., within the current intensity interval 26 to 31 in X-axis) is defined as the operation window. In FIG. 2, the first value is chosen to be about 4. The second value is chosen to be about 30. Apparently, Since the word lines enables the conventional non-volatile memory cells row by row, the operation window in FIG. 1 has a narrow width and thus results in low tolerance of the voltage offset through the use of time, leading to low endurance of the non-volatile memory.
To improve the endurance of memory, a prior art method has been developed. The main idea is to use a metal jumper to connect the ends of some of the bit lines together, causing the connection of bit lines to be fixed.

Non-volatile memory which can increase the operation window


A method for at least slowing a vehicle moving along a surface, the method comprising: providing first and second panels rotatably disposed on the surface and capable of extending above the surface, wherein each of the first and second panels rotate in a different and opposite direction; providing at least one center panel disposed between the first and second panels, the center panel being capable of being deployed into a position extended from the surface; detecting at least one of a vehicle speed, vehicle type, and vehicle weight; and controlling one or more of the first, second, and center panels based on the detecting.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to vehicle barriers and speed bumps, and more particularly, to an adaptive security and protective barrier and traffic control speed bumps.
2. Prior Art
Concrete blocks of various designs have long been used as security barriers to barricade sensitive areas and buildings or to provide the means to slow down and control traffic for inspection and/or identification checking or other similar security reasons. Such barriers are also used on a segment of a road to form a maze to force vehicles to slow down; to provide the means to prevent vehicles from passing a checkpoint at high speed; and to make it easier for the security personnel to intercept those who refuse to stop for inspection.
The concrete and water filled plastic barriers rely on their weight to generate enough friction force to slow down and eventually stop even a heavily loaded truck. The barriers are also large enough so that in case that the wheels go over them, the bottom surfaces (chassis or other components) of the vehicle would land over the barriers, making it impossible for the vehicle to proceed any further.
Concrete barriers used for traffic control at checkpoints, however, can only be used to slow down the traffic by forming a maze but not to completely close the roadway. This is obviously the case since the concrete barriers are very heavy and can only be moved by cranes. As a result, such security barriers must still allow passage of vehicles, but at lower speeds, and the security personnel must rely on their own speed and firepower to disable the vehicle or its driver, or to drive one of their own vehicles to a position to block the barrier's outlet. Thus, concrete barriers do not provide effective means to control the traffic at checkpoints. Such security barriers are also not safe for the security personnel, relies on their very rapid reaction and proper use of firepower to disable the car or its driver or block its passage by another vehicle. Other shortcomings of such checkpoints include the requirement of a considerable number of security personnel to operate the checkpoint; that the security personnel have to get close to the vehicle for its inspection without the opportunity of utilizing (at least initially) a remotely operated visual inspection tool; and the barriers cannot be used to trap a suspect vehicle for further action. Concrete barriers are also very unsightly and require a considerable amount of time to remove from the site and transport to a storage site.
As barriers to barricade sensitive areas and buildings, concrete blocks are very unsightly; require a considerable amount of time to be transported from storage sites, and require cranes to place them at the desired locations and to remove them once the threat level has been reduced. In addition, access to the building or the area to be protected cannot be completely blocked by concrete barriers since materials and equipment may have to be at times delivered to the barricaded buildings or other vehicles may have to have access to the barricaded buildings.
Speed bumps are also known in the art. Generally, speed bumps are formed with the roadway or placed on top of the roadway to regulate the speed of vehicles crossing over them. The speedbumps are generally low enough for vehicles to safely cross yet high enough to force a vehicle to slow down while crossing. However, different types of vehicles have different thresholds for crossing speedbumps. For example a sports car that is low to the ground can tolerate a much lower speedbump than a utility vehicle or truck can. Also, the height of a speedbump may be sufficient for an intended purpose, such as regulating a speed in front of a school during school hours. However, when such intended purpose changes, such as in front of the school when school is not in session (e.g., at night and on the weekends), the speedbumps continue to regulate the speed for the originally intended purpose.


Disclosed is a method of treating a wart in a subject by administering to the subject a composition containing (1) a heat shock protein or an immunostimulatory fragment thereof, and (2) a protein of a human papilloma virus or an antigenic fragment thereof. Also disclosed is a method of treating a human papilloma virus infection in a subject infected or suspected of being infected with a human papilloma virus of a first type by administering to the subject a composition containing (1) a heat shock protein or an antigenic fragment thereof, and (2) a protein of a human papilloma virus of a second type or an antigenic fragment thereof, where the first type and second type are different.

Infection with human papilloma virus (HPV) is common. BPV can be transmitted sexually, and it is estimated that 20–80% of sexually active adults have been infected. While a majority of infections are asymptomatic, infection can lead to the development of genital warts (which have a prevalence of about 1–5% among adults) and cancer of the anogenital tract. Another type of cancer, cervical cancer, is strongly associated with HPV (Frazer, Genitourin. Med. 72:398–403, 1996). HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, and 33 are often associated with an increased risk of cancer, with types 16 and/or 18 being detected in more than 90% of cervical carcinomas (van Driel et al., Ann. Med. 28:471–477, 1996). Types 6 and 11 are also associated with anogenital warts. For reviews of papilloma viruses and their associated pathologies, see Shah et al., "Chapter 66: Papillomaviruses," In: Virology, 3rd Edition, Fields et al., Eds., Raven Press, Philadelphia, pp 2077–2109, 1996, and zur Hausen, J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 92:690–698, 2000.
There is currently no safe and effective way to treat or prevent warts or the diseases described above by targeting the immune system. Efforts to develop such therapies have been hampered for several reasons, one of which is the dogma that antigens from a single HPV type elicit a limited, type-specific immune response. Consequently, it has been suggested that a cocktail containing antigens from several different HPV types is necessary for a broadly effective HPV therapy (Caine et al., Science 288:1753, 2000).


Tracking hand or body pose from image data is described, for example, to control a game system, natural user interface or for augmented reality. In various examples a prediction engine takes a single frame of image data and predicts a distribution over a pose of a hand or body depicted in the image data. In examples, a stochastic optimizer has a pool of candidate poses of the hand or body which it iteratively refines, and samples from the predicted distribution are used to replace some candidate poses in the pool. In some examples a best candidate pose from the pool is selected as the current tracked pose and the selection processes uses a 3D model of the hand or body.

Real-time articulated hand tracking from image data has the potential to open up new human-computer interaction scenarios. However, the dexterity and degrees-of-freedom of human hands makes visual tracking of a fully articulated hand challenging. This also applies to real-time articulated body tracking.
The embodiments described below are not limited to implementations which solve any or all of the disadvantages of known hand/body pose trackers.


Compositions and methods of treating anemia, cancer, AIDS, or severs .beta.-chain hemoglobinopathies by administering a therapeutically effective amount of phenylacetate or pharmaceutically acceptable derivatives thereof or derivatives thereof alone or in combination or in conjunction with other therapeutic agents. Pharmacologically-acceptable salts alone or in combinations and methods of preventing AIDS and malignant conditions, and inducing cell differentiation are also aspects of this invention.

Some of the most dreadful epidemics, inherited diseases and cancerous infections in the history of mankind are afflicting the world's people at a rapid and discomforting rate. These maladies are being caused in many instances by the increasing cases of cancer, of viral infections, such as human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) or HTLV and of severe beta-chain hemoglobinopathies. When one pauses to reflect upon the devastating pain, suffering and ultimately death experienced by persons afflicted, these moments of reflection underscore the tremendous importance which must be accorded medical research. In response to the need to alleviate suffering and add comfort to human life, the scientific community throught the world is searching for effective treatments to prevent or ameliorate diseases.
In order to present the enormous scope of this unitary invention in a comprehensive form while preserving the essential need for clarity in presentment, this invention focusing on phenylacetate and its derivatives will be described in the following three (3) subsections, designated herein as A. Phenylacetate In Cancer prevention and maintenance therapy; B. Phenylacetate and its derivatives in the Treatment and Prevention of AIDS; and C. Induction of fetal hemoglobin synthesis in .beta.-chain hemoglobinopathies by phenylacetate and its derivatives.
Description of related disclosures
Phenylacetic acid (PAA) is a protein decomposition product found throughout the phylogenetic spectrum, ranging from bacteria to man. Highly conserved in evolution, PAA may play a fundamental role in growth control and differentiation. In plants, PAA serves as a growth hormone (auxin) promoting cell proliferation and enlargement at low doses (10-5-10-7 M), while inhibiting growth at higher concentrations. The effect on animal and human cells is less well characterized. In humans, PAA acid is known to conjugate glutamine with subsequent renal excretion of phenylacetylglutamine (PAG). The latter, leading to waste nitrogen excretion, has been the basis for using PAA or preferably its salt sodium phenylacetate (NaPA) in the treatment of hyperammonemia associated with inborn errors of ureagenesis. Clinical experience indicates that acute or long-term treatment with high NaPa doses is well tolerated, essentially free of adverse effects, and effective in removing excess glutamine. Brusilow, S. W., Horwich, A. L. Urea cycle enzymes. Metabolic Basis of Inherited Diseases, Vol. 6:629-633 (1989)!. These characteristics should be of value in cancer intervention, treatments to inhibit virus replication and treatment of severe beta-chain hemoglobinopathies.
Glutamine is the major nitrogen source for nucleic acid and protein synthesis, and substrate for energy in rapidly dividing normal and tumor cells. Compared with normal tissues, most tumors, due to decreased synthesis of glutamine along with accelerated utilization and catabolism, operate at limiting levels of glutamine availability, and consequently are sensitive to further glutamine depletion. Considering the imbalance in glutamine metabolism in tumor cells and the ability of PAA to remove glutamine, PAA has been proposed as a potential antitumor agent, however, no data was provided to substantiate this proposal. Neish, W. J. P. "Phenylacetic Acid as a Potential Therapeutic Agent for the Treatment of Human Cancer", Experentia, Vol. 27, pp. 860-861 (1971)!.
Despite efforts to fight cancer, many malignant diseases that are of interest in this application still present a major challenge to clinical oncology. Prostate cancer, for example, is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in men. Current treatment protocols rely primarily on hormonal manipulations, however, in spite of initial high response rates, patients often develop hormone-refractory tumors, leading to rapid disease progression with poor prognosis. Overall, the results of cytotoxic chemotherapy have been disappointing, indicating a long felt need for new approaches to treatment of advanced prostatic cancer. Other diseases resulting from abnormal cell replication for example, metastatic melanomas, brain tumors of glial origin (e.g., astrocytomas), and lung adenocarcinoma, are all highly aggressive malignancies with poor prognosis. The incidence of melanoma and lung adenocarcinoma has been increasing significantly in recent years. Surgical treatment of brain tumors often fails to remove all tumor tissues, resulting in recurrences. Systemic chemotherapy is hindered by blood barriers. Therefore there is an urgent need for new approaches to the treatment of human malignancies such as advanced prostatic cancer, melanoma, brain tumors, and others.
The development of the methods of the present invention was guided by the hypothesis that metabolic traits that distinguish tumors from normal cells could potentially serve as targets for therapeutic intervention. Tumor cells show unique requirements for specific amino acids, of which glutamine would be the desired choice because of its major contribution to energy metabolism and to synthesis of purines, pyrimidines, and proteins. Along this line, promising antineoplastic activities have been demonstrated with glutamine-depleting enzymes such as glutaminase, and various glutamine antimetabolites, unfortunately, the clinical usefulness of these drugs has been limited by unacceptable toxicities. Consequently, the present invention focuses on PAA, a plasma component known to conjugate glutamine in vivo.
In addition to its effect on glutamine phenylacetate can induce tumor cells to undergo differentiation. (See examples 1-5, 8 and 9 herein) Differentiation therapy is a known desirable approach to cancer intervention. The underlying hypothesis is that neoplastic transformation results from defects in cellular differentiation. Inducing tumor cells to differentiate would prevent tumor progression and bring about reversal of malignancy. Several differentiation agents are known, but their clinical applications have been hindered by unacceptable toxicities and/or deleterious side effects.
Accordingly, a major object of the present invention is to provide a method for treating various cancerous conditions with PAA and its pharmaceutically acceptable salts and derivatives.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for the prevention of tumor progression and the development of malignant conditions in high risk individuals by administering prophylactically effective amounts of nontoxic agents such as phenylacetate and its pharmaceutically acceptable derivatives.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for the amelioration of and prophlactic treatment against viral infections. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for the amelioration of and prophylactic treatment against severe anemia associated with beta-chain hemoglobinopathies.
It is yet a further object to provide a method of treating or preventing the onset of malignancies, viral infections associated with AIDS or severe beta-chain hemoglobinopathies with a combination of Phenylacetate (or its pharmaceutically acceptable derivatives) and various other therapeutic or preventive agents alone or in conjunction with conventional therapies.
A further object of the invention is to provide effective pharmaceutical formulations of PAA and its pharmaceutically acceptable derivatives for carrying out the above methods.

Compositions and methods for therapy and prevention of cancer, AIDS, and anemia

The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services


A suspended ceiling system comprising metal grid members and rectangular composite acoustical panels, the panels having edges at their peripheries, the grid members having a cross section generally like an inverted T such that they provide oppositely extending flanges adapted to support the panels at their edges, a resilient element at a juncture between a support on the grid member flanges and at least one edge of each panel, the resilient element being arranged to temporarily deflect to permit a panel to be raised from below the grid member into an installed position and to extend itself to hold such panel in position on the grid.

Suspended ceilings ordinarily comprise a rectangular metal grid and panels or tiles that are set in the grid spaces from the plenum above the plane of the grid. While this installation technique allows the grid elements and panels to take simple forms, it requires some minimum overhead clearance and usually leaves the lower face of the grid elements fully exposed. These characteristics can limit the places where these ordinary systems can be used as well as the aesthetics of such installations.

Concealed suspension ceiling with downward removable panels


A method of describing intrusion signatures, which are used by an intrusion detection system to detect attacks on a local network. The signatures are described using a xe2x80x9chigh levelxe2x80x9d syntax having features in common with regular expression and logical expression methodology. These high level signatures may then be compiled, or otherwise analyzed, to provide a process executable by a sensor or other processor-based signature detector.

This invention relates to computer networks, and more particularly to prevention of unauthorized access to a local network from computers external to the local network.
Prevention of unauthorized access by outsiders to a computer network is a part of any network management program. This security problem has been complicated by recent trends in internetworking of a previously isolated private networks with value added networks, public networks (such as the internet), and with the networks of other enterprises.
Firewalls are one approach to preventing unauthorized access. Essentially, a firewall is a control layer inserted between an enterprise""s network and the outside. It permits only some traffic to pass through. The firewall is configured by the administrator of the local network based on the enterprise""s security policy. For example, the firewall may block traffic of a certain type, traffic from certain addresses, or traffic from all but a predetermined set of addresses.
Techniques used by network intruders for penetrating network system security have evolved in pace with sophisticated methods for detecting the intruders. Detection methods include software solutions, specifically, software intrusion detection systems, which continually monitor network traffic and look for known patterns of attack.
When an intrusion detection system detects inappropriate activity, it generates appropriate alarms and provides other responses while the attack is occurring. For example, the intrusion detection system might report the attack, log the attack, and terminate the misused connection.
One approach to intrusion detection relies on known patterns of unauthorized activity, referred to as xe2x80x9csignaturesxe2x80x9d. These signatures are stored, and, in real time, compared to the packet flow incoming to the network. If a match is found, the incoming datastream is assumed to be misused.
Many existing intrusion detection systems are host-based rather than network based. A host-based system resides on a particular host computer and detects only attacks to that host. A network-based system is connected at some point on a local network and detects attacks across the entire local network.
As an example of network-based intrusion detection, one known pattern of unauthorized access is associated with xe2x80x9cIP spoofingxe2x80x9d, whereby an intruder sends messages to a computer with an IP address indicating that the message is from a trusted port. To engage in IP spoofing, the intruder must first use a variety of techniques to find an IP address of a trusted port and must then modify the packet headers so that it appears that the packets are coming from that port. This activity results in a signature that can be detected when matched to a previously stored signature of the same activity.
For signature indicated by a single packet, the detection process can be as simple as matching a binary string of an incoming packet to a stored binary string. However, for composite signatures, the detection process often requires the use of procedural code, involving loops, counts, comparisons and other processing mechanisms. For this reason, it necessary for a skilled programmer to write the signatures.
One aspect of the invention is a method of describing signatures used for detecting intrusion to a local network. The method combines features of both regular expression methodology and logical expression methodology. A set of regular expression identifiers is used to represent a set of xe2x80x9csignature eventsxe2x80x9d. A xe2x80x9csignature eventxe2x80x9d may be a packet type, a sequence of packet types, or any one of a number of signature-related events, such as a count or a time period. Logical operators are used to describe relationships between the signature events, such as whether a count exceeds a certain value. For each signature, one or more of these identifiers and operators are combined to provide a regular expression describing that signature.
An advantage of the invention is that it provides an abstraction for describing intrusion signatures. The signatures are written in a descriptive language rather than in procedural computer code. Security technicians who work with local networks need not learn a programming language in order to describe signatures.

Intrusion detection signature analysis using regular expressions and logical operators


Isolated peptides and polypeptides exhibiting the antigenicity of the 70 kD mitochondrial autoantigen of primary biliary cirrhosis are provided. The peptides, polypeptides and antigenic fragments thereof are useful in the diagnosis and treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis.

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a chronic disease characterised by progressive inflammatory obliteration of the intrahepatic bile ducts. The disease is marked by an autoantibody response to mitochondria.sup.1-4, originally identified using immunofluorescence.sup.5. With the recent use of immunoblotting, specific proteins have been recognized as targets of the anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMA) of PBC.sup.2,6,7. In particular, serum antibodies to a 70 kilodalton (kd) protein have been found in greater than 95% of patients with PBC but not in patients with other autoimmune liver diseases,.sup.2,8 ; two other proteins of 45 and 39 kd are less frequently detected in PBC sera.sup.1,2,9. The identity of each of these autoantigens has been unknown, as is the relationship of these antigens to the pathogenesis of the disease. However, the 70 kd antigen is highly conserved in evolution, being present in mammals, yeast and bacteria.sup.10 and it is therefore believed to have an important structural or biological function.sup.2.
Despite the paucity of data on mechanisms of anti-mitochondrial antibody formation, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), clinically more than 95% of patients with PBC can be found to have such anti-mitochondrial antibodies.sup.2,6. When crude mitochondrial antigen preparations are used, subjects with a variety of diseases, including patients with liver diseases other than PBC, certain connective tissue diseases, and drug reactions, and occasionally even healthy individuals, can also be demonstrated to have antibodies to mitochondria. Accordingly, assays using such crude preparations are unable to provide specific diagnosis of PBC. By way of example, German Patent Publication No. 3,237,602 discloses an ELISA for detection and determination of antimitochondrial antibodies in serum using a crude mitochondrial antigen preparation. The lack of specificity of the assay is evident from the suggested use of the assay in the specific diagnosis of disorders such as PBC as well as the cholestatic form of chronic active hepatitis, syphilis (II), drug-induced pseudo lupus erythematodes syndrome, certain primary non-hepatic immunopathies, iproniazid-induced hepatis and side effects of certain medicaments such as beta-receptor blockers. By more vigorous isolation of mitochondrial membranes, the problem of antigenic heterogeneity becomes clearer and has led to definitions of specific mitochondrial antigens based on trypsin sensitivity and location of antigens within inner vs outer mitochondrial membranes. Notwithstanding this, however, the diagnosis of PBC still relies heavily on the demonstration of anti-mitochondrial antibodies by the relatively insensitive procedure of immunofluorescence or by more sensitive, but still relatively nonspecific, methods, including complement fixation, ELISA, and immunoprecipitation.sup.23-28.

Primary biliary cirrhosis autoantigen and method of use


An illumination system, particularly for wavelengths ≦100 nm, with an object plane and a field plane, comprises a grating element and a physical diaphragm in a diaphragm plane, which is arranged downstream to the grating element in the beam path from the object plane to the field plane.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns an illumination system for wavelengths ≦100 nm, wherein the illumination system has an object plane and a field plane. In illumination systems ≦100 nm, the problem exists that light sources of such illumination systems emit radiation that can lead to an undesired exposure of the light-sensitive object in the wafer plane. Furthermore optical components of the exposure system, such as, for example, the multilayer mirror, can be heated up in this way.
In order to filter out the undesired radiation, transmission filters are used in illumination systems for wavelengths ≦100 nm. Such filters have the disadvantage of high light losses. In addition, they can be disrupted very easily by heat stress.
The object of the invention is to provide an illumination system for wavelengths ≦100 nm, particularly in the EUV range, in which the above-named disadvantages can be avoided.
According to the invention, this object is solved by an illumination system that has at least one grating element and at least one physical diaphragm in a diaphragm plane. The physical diaphragm is situated in the beam path from the object plane to the field plane after the grating element.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Grating elements, for example, reflection gratings, particularly echelette gratings, which are also known as blazed gratings, have been known for a long time from monochromator construction for synchrotron radiation sources. For these elements good experiences, particularly with very high fluxes, were made.
With respect to the use of diffraction gratings in monochromators, reference is made to the following publications, whose disclosure content is incorporated to the full extent in the present Application:                H. Petersen, C. Jung, C. Hellwig, W. B. Peatman, W. Gudat: "Review of plane grating focusing for soft x-ray monochromators", Rev. Sci. Instrum. 66(1), January 1996.        M. V. R. K. Murty: "Use of convergent and divergent illumination with plane gratings", Journal of the Optical Society of America, Vol. 52, No. 7, July 1962, pp. 768–773.        T. Oshio, E. Ishiguro, R. Iwanaga: "A theory of new astigmatism and coma-free spectrometer", Nuclear Instruments and Methods 208 (1993) 297–301.

Illumination system with a grating element


A method and apparatus for hazard prevention. A vehicle has a hazard prevention system. The hazard prevention system includes a plurality of hazard cause controls, a health monitor system, and a vehicle control system. The plurality hazard cause controls are associated with a hazardous conditions and each hazard cause control in the plurality of hazard cause controls is associated with a system in the vehicle to prevent a hazardous condition from occurring during operation of the vehicle. The health monitor system monitors the hazard cause controls to determine if each of these hazard cause controls is operating properly and generates an alert if a hazard cause control is operating improperly. The control system is in communication with the health monitor system, wherein the control system receives alerts and provides a corrective action to avoid the hazardous condition.

1. Field
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system and in particular to a method and apparatus for a monitoring system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for designing a health monitor system for a vehicle.
2. Background
Safety and reliability of a system, such as is employed in the design and implementation of an aircraft or spacecraft, is important to operating and using that system with a minimal risk of loss. With respect to vehicles, a safe vehicle is a vehicle that can be operated in a manner that mitigates the potential for loss of personnel or assets, or the potential for a failure to accomplish a mission. A vehicle is not very valuable regardless of its capabilities if the vehicle injures or kills an operator or other individual during operation. Additionally, a vehicle is not very valuable if the vehicle damages itself, cannot be maintained within specifications for extended periods, or does not have the capability to complete a mission due to failures of different systems or components.
To avoid these types of situations, a health monitor system is employed to monitor the operation of a complicated system, such as a vehicle, and determine when the vehicle is operating as designed and in a manner that minimizes potential loss. An example of a health monitor is an electronic unit that tracks a real physical parameter such as the behavior of a single sub-system or line replaceable unit within the vehicle. This health monitor system operates in a manner that does not affect the operation of the vehicle while tracking this parameter. In more sophisticated cases, sensors may be distributed throughout the vehicle as a network that may be used to obtain a complete picture of the state of the entire vehicle.
An aircraft contains a health monitor system that monitors various sub-systems in the aircraft. Current health monitor systems focus on monitoring components in an aircraft. This type of system monitors for component failures or indications that component failures may occur. The monitoring is performed by gathering data from these components or sensors associated with the components. For example, a health monitor system may be implemented for monitoring hydraulic pumps and motors used in aircraft hydraulic systems. These types of sub-systems are typically used to actuate flight control surfaces, thrust vectoring and reverse mechanisms, landing gear, cargo doors, and in some cases, weapon systems.
For example, an aileron control is a sub-system in an aircraft that controls ailerons, which are hinged control surfaces attached to the trailing edge of an aircraft wing used to control lift for a wing. A loss of a single aileron control in an aircraft may pose a potential safety hazard to the crew, passengers, and any other structures or people in the vicinity of the aircraft. However, a single aileron loss has a limited impact on the vehicle because the aircraft has redundant operational techniques for controlling the aircraft. The health monitor system in an aircraft generates an alert to indicate that the aileron needs to be replaced to avoid a potential hazardous condition.

Health monitoring system for preventing a hazardous condition


A signal receiving circuit comprising a first P-channel MOSFET amplifier and a first N-channel MOSFET amplifier having gates supplied with positive signals from a pair of signal transmission lines; and a second P-channel MOSFET amplifier and a second N-channel MOSFET amplifier having gates supplied with negative signals from said pair of signal transmission lines; wherein a first output signal is formed by so adjusting the gains of the first P-channel MOSFET amplifier and of the second N-channel MOSFET amplifier that the resultant signals have an intermediate amplitude between the operation voltages, and a second output signal is formed by so adjusting the gains of the second P-channel MOSFET amplifier and of the first N-channel MOSFET amplifier that the resultant signals have an intermediate amplitude between the operation voltages. This makes it possible to receive various small signals lying over a wide range even by using a sense amplifier which has only a fixed operation range in the signal receiving circuit as well as to constitute a novel and optimum system by combining semiconductor integrated circuit devices having different low-amplitude interfaces.

In some digital integrated circuits, small signals such as of the ECL level are transmitted based upon a power source voltage VCC such as GTL (gunning transceiver logic) or +5 V in order to transmit signals at high speeds over a signal transmission line and to decrease the consumption of electric power. The GTL has been disclosed in ISSCC, International Solid State Circuit Conference, Feb. 19, 1992, pp. 58-59.

Signal receiving circuit and digital signal processing system


Provided herein are methods and products for detecting analytes in a sample. The analytes may be rare analytes such as biomarkers in a biological sample. These methods make use of nucleic acid nanoswitches that adopt a particular conformation and have a particular length in the presence of an analyte.

Many advances in research, clinical practice and biosecurity depend on the ability to detect and quantify molecules in biological samples. While numerous detection techniques exist, they suffer trade-offs between speed, sensitivity, and ease of use. The demand for an accessible platform with a fast and sensitive detection capability is ever increasing, especially for proteins, for which the most accurate tests require large, expensive laboratory instruments.
The recent outbreaks of infectious diseases, such as Zika and Ebola, demonstrate the need for sensitive protein detection techniques that can be performed in non-laboratory settings. While small amounts of infectious agents can be identified through genetic materials such as DNA or RNA, nucleic-acid based detection requires a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) step to amplify the gene of interest. PCR can be time-consuming and requires specialized instrumentation, which creates a significant hurdle to bringing genetic-based detections outside the laboratory into settings where they are needed. An alternative approach is to detect the proteins related to the infectious agents. However, insufficient sensitivity of most point-of-care and even laboratory assays prevents detection of proteins present at low concentrations during the early stages of an infection.
The current gold-standard method for protein detection is enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) which was introduced nearly five decades ago. One common variant called sandwich-ELISA was developed to have high-specificity when analyzing complex biological fluid. The sandwich-ELISA uses two antibodies to detect the protein analyte by binding to two different regions (epitopes). The sensitivity limit of ELISAs often just reaches the picomolar (pM, 10-12 M) range which is insufficient for many applications.
Mechano(bio)chemical sensing is a central concept for biological systems to sense and respond to their environment [1, 2]. A force signal is transduced into a biochemical response or vice versa, often based on conformational changes of the involved molecules. The mechanical changes can be monitored using single-molecule techniques [1]. The potential for single-molecule resolution and the high selectivity of biochemical sensing makes them interesting for medical detection applications [3]. While AFM, optical or magnetic tweezers and other standard single-molecule techniques were successful in monitoring the change in mechanical properties of a single molecule, they suffer from low throughput and unspecific adhesive forces [4]. Moreover, the distinction between single and multiple interactions as well as gaining sufficient statistics is a challenge when using standard single-molecule methods.
Recently, DNA constructs were shown to multiply the number of available probes in optical tweezer experiments enabling the detection of biologically relevant biomarker concentrations at picomolar levels [3]. Additional studies in solution demonstrated DNA origami constructs as promising approach for ultra-sensitive detection caused by their fast reaction kinetics in solution [5]. However, purely solution-based methods often lack a way to distinguish between specific and nonspecific adhesive forces leading to high false positive rates or significant cross-reactivity. Using these methods, detection in complex bodily fluids such as serum or whole blood will be very challenging due to the large variety of proteins species and their potential nonspecific adhesion.

Force-controlled nanoswitch assays for single-molecule detection in complex biological fluids


A key is an indispensable component parts of an acoustic or electronic keyboard musical instrument, and key balancers are embedded in the key for varying the moment exerted on the key; the key balancers are fastened to the key by means of an anchor so that the key balancers are neither chattered in nor dropped out from the key.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a keyboard musical instrument and, more particularly, to a keyboard musical instrument having keys regulated with key balance pieces.
2. Description of the Related Art
The keyboard musical instruments are categorized in three groups. The first group is an electric or electronic keyboard musical instrument, and the second group is an acoustic keyboard musical instrument. Acoustic pianos, i.e., grand pianos and upright pianos are typical examples of the acoustic keyboard musical instrument. The third group is a compromise between the electric/electronic keyboard musical instrument and the acoustic keyboard musical instrument. A silent piano is an example of the composite keyboard musical instrument between an acoustic piano and an electronic keyboard. The user has an option between acoustic piano tones and electronic tones. This means that the user can perform a passage through the acoustic piano tones or electronic tones.
In any sort of keyboard musical instrument, keys are indispensable component parts of the keyboard musical instrument, and serves as an interface between the keyboard musical instrument and users. The users specify the pitches of the tones to be produced through the keys. The acoustic keyboard musical instruments such as pianos give unique key-touch to the players, and the key-touch on the electronic keyboards is different from that of the acoustic keyboard musical instrument. Since the players are familiar with the key-touch on their keyboard musical instruments, the players, who usually play on the acoustic pianos, feel the keys of the electronic keyboards unfamiliar, and the players, who finger pieces of music on the electronic keyboard, feel the keys of the acoustic pianos strange. Professional pianists discriminate the key-touch of their own pianos from the key-touch of other pianos.
One of the factors of the key-touch is the appropriate difference between moment of force and the counter moment of force exerted on the respective keys. Another factor of the key-touch is the largeness of inertial of the respective keys. The keys are put on the balance rail so that the balance rail gives the fulcrums to the keys. Each key supports the action unit at the rear portion thereof, and exerts moment on the key. On the other hand, key balance pieces are, by way of example, embedded in the front portions of the keys in grand pianos, and exert the counter moment on the key. The key balance pieces are usually embedded in the rear portions of the keys in upright pianos. The moment is larger than the counter moment at the rest position so that the front portion floats over the key bed. When a pianist depresses the front portion, the front portion is sunk. The heavier the key balance pieces, the lighter the static key-touch. On the contrary, the heavier the key balance pieces, the heavier the dynamic key-touch. Thus, both of the differences between the moment and the counter moment and the largeness of moment of inertial have the influence on the key-touch.
FIG. 1 shows a typical example of the essential parts of the acoustic piano. In the following description term "front" is indicative of a position closer to a pianist, who sits on a stool for fingering, than a "rear" position. Term "fore-and-aft" direction is indicative of a virtual line between a front position and a corresponding rear position, and term "lateral" modifies the direction perpendicular to the fore-and-aft direction.
A keyboard 1 is mounted on a key bed 2, and a front rail 3a, a balance rail 3b and a back rail laterally extend on a key frame 4. Black and white keys 5a and 5b are put in parallel on the balance rail 3b, and extend in the fore-and-aft direction. The balance rail 3b gives the fulcrums 3d to the black and white keys 5a/5b so that the black and white keys 5a/5b are rotatable about the balance rail 3b. The front portions of the white keys 5b are covered with thin decorative plates 5c made of synthetic resin.
Capstan buttons 6 project from the rear portions of the black/white keys 5a/5b, and is held in contact with action units 7. The action units 7 are rotatably connected to a whippen rail 8, which laterally extends over the rear portions of the arrays of black and white keys 5a/5b. The whippen rail 8 is supported by action brackets 9 on the key frame 4. A shank flange rail 10 is further supported by the action brackets 9, and laterally extends over the array of black and white keys 5a/5b. Hammers 11 are rotatably connected to the shank flange rail 10. The action units 7 are functionally connected to the hammers 11, and receive the weight of the associated hammers 11. When a pianist depresses a black/white key 5a/5b, the associated action unit 7 is actuated so as to drive the hammer 11 for rotation. The jack of the action unit 7 escapes from the hammer 11, and the hammer starts the free ration. The hammer 11 strikes an associated string 12 at the end of the free rotation, and returns onto the action unit 7.
The weight of the hammer 11 and action unit 7 is applied through the capstan screw 6 to the rear portion of the associated black/white key 5a/5b, and, accordingly, the moment is exerted on the black/white key 5b in the clockwise direction. In order to partially cancel the moment, counter moment is exerted on the black/white key 5a/5b, and key balance pieces 5d are embedded in the front portion of the black/white key 5a/5b for the counter moment. The counter moment is smaller than the moment so that the front portion floats over the front rail 3a.
The key balance pieces 5d have a generally cylindrical shape, and both ends are exposed to the side surfaces of the black/white key 5a/5b. The key balance pieces 5d are of the order of 10 millimeters in diameter. The key balance pieces 5d are also embedded in the other black/white keys 5a/5b. The key balance pieces 5d are made of lead. The key balance pieces 5d are embedded in the black/white keys 5a/5b as follows. First, through-holes 5e are formed in the front portions of the black and white keys 5a/5b (see FIG. 2). Cylindrical lead pieces are prepared, and have a diameter less than the diameter of the through-holes 5e. The cylindrical lead pieces are smoothly inserted into the through-holes 5e. A pair of bits 12 is pressed against the exposed surfaces of each cylindrical lead piece. The cylindrical lead piece is plastically deformed, and both end portions are radially spread. As a result, the deformed end portions 5f are tightly fit to the inner surfaces of the black/white key 5a/5b. Thus, the key lead pieces 5d are anchored to the associated black/white key 5a/5b by means of the deformed end portions 5f.
The first reason why the lead is used is that the lead has the large specific gravity. The specific gravity of the lead is 11.34, and is one of the heaviest industrial metals. This means that small lead pieces give rise to large moment, and small space such as the narrow through-holes 5e are merely required for the small lead pieces. The key balance pieces 5d of lead can exert large counter moment on the black and white keys 5a/5b. In other words, a tuner can adjust the black/white key 5a/5b to the most desirable key-touch between the light key-touch and the heavy key-touch.
Another reason why the lead is used is that the lead is rich in plasticity. As described hereinbefore, the key balance pieces 5d are anchored to the associated black/white key 5a/5b through the plastically deforming process. If the cylindrical balance pieces are made of hard metal, large force is to be exerted on the both end portions, and the deformed end portions are strongly pressed against the inner surfaces. The black/white keys 5a/5b are made of wood so that the wooden key 5a/5b are liable to be broken. Moreover, the hard metal pieces are less fit to the inner surfaces of the black/white key 5a/5b, and tend to be dropped out.
Yet another reason is that the lead is economical. Although gold and platinum are large in specific gravity and rich in plasticity, they are so expensive that the people can not purchase the acoustic piano. The lead is not expensive, and the manufacturer reduces the production cost of the acoustic piano.
Thus, the key balance pieces 5d of lead are preferable for the wooden keys 5a/5b. However, the lead is detrimental to health, and contaminates the environment. Several alternate materials have been proposed.
One of the alternate materials is disclosed in Japan Patent Application laid-open 2001-142454. The key balance pieces disclosed in the Japan Patent Application laid-open are made of a sort of composite material. The composite material contains resilient material and non-lead metal. The resilient material is mixed with the non-lead metal, and the composite material is shaped in the cylindrical configuration. The resilient material enhances the elasticity of the composite material.
The key balance pieces of the composite material are embedded in the key as follows. First, the through-holes are formed in the wooded key, and cylindrical pieces are tightly inserted into the through-holes. The cylindrical pieces are pressed against the inner surfaces of the through-holes by virtue of the elasticity, the key balance pieces are anchored to the wooden key. Namely, the key balance pieces of the composite material are embedded in the wooden key as similar to the above-described prior art keys 5a/5b.
Thus, the black/white keys 5a/5b only rely on the elasticity of the composite material. However, the through-holes are not always the adjusted to the target diameters, and the wooded keys tend to be shrunk for a long service time. In case where the through-holes have narrow through-holes, the wooden keys are liable to be cracked. On the other hand, if the through-holes are too wide, the elastic force is insufficient to keep the cylindrical pieces in the through-holes. When a pianist depresses the key, the key balance pieces chatter in the holes. If the looseness is serious, the key balance piece is dripped out. Thus, a problem is encountered in the key balance pieces disclosed in Japan Patent Application laid-open No. 2001-142454 in that the key balance pieces are not tightly fit into the keys.
Another key balance piece is disclosed in Japan Patent Application laid-open No. 2001-147685. The key balance piece disclosed in the Japan Patent Application laid-open is a combination between a tubular member and a rigid column. The tubular member is made of resilient material, and the rigid column is made of composite material. Plural sorts of non-lead material, which are different in specific gravity, are mixed in such a manner that the composite material is adjusted to a target value of the specific gravity. The rigid columns are received in the resilient tubular members, and the resilient tubular members are inserted into the holes formed in the key through a press fitting.
The resilient tubular members are well fit in the holes. However, the rigid columns are merely held in the resilient tubular members by the agency of the resiliency of the resilient tubular members. In case where the rigid columns are finished smaller than the design drawing, the rigid columns are liable to be dropped out from the resilient tubular members.
Yet another key balance pieces are disclosed in Japan Patent Application laid-open No. 2001-154661. The key balance pieces disclosed in the Japan Patent Application laid-open is made of composite material, and small semi-spherical projections are formed on the outer surface of the key balance pieces. The composite material consists of plural sorts of non-lead metal and synthetic resin. The key balance pieces are inserted into the holes formed in the key through a press fitting, and the small projections are caught on the inner surfaces. Although most of the small projections are held in contact with the inner surfaces of the key, the semi-spherical projections have round contact surfaces, and are liable to slide on the inner surfaces of the key. In other words, the semi-spherical projections are hardly caught on the inner surfaces of the key. For this reason, the key balance pieces are liable to be dropped out.
Still another key balance piece is disclosed in Japan Patent Application laid-open No. 2001-175248. The key balance piece disclosed in the Japan Patent Application laid-open is made of composite material. Metal or alloy such as copper, brass iron and tungsten are mixed with fluid material such as thermosetting synthetic resin, thermoplastic synthetic resin, fusible alloy and adhesive compound in organic compound series. The metal or alloy is mixed with the fluid material, and the mixture is poured into cavities formed in a key. The mixture is solidified so that the key balance pieces are embedded in the key. However, it is not easy to fill the cavities with the mixture. If the mixture is too much, the key is contaminated with the residue. On the other hand, if the mixture is short, the key balance pieces are liable to be dropped out after the solidification.
Yet another key balance piece is disclosed in Japan Patent Application laid-open No. 2001-195056. The key balance piece disclosed in the Japan Patent Application laid-open consists of a tubular member and a rigid column. The tubular member is made of heat contracting synthetic resin, and the rigid column is made of non-lead metal. The rigid column is received in the tubular member, and the tubular member is inserted into the holes formed in the key through the press fitting. Although the tubular member are made of the heat contracting synthetic resin, the key balance piece consists of the combination of the tubular member and the rigid column as similar to the key balance piece disclosed in Japan Patent Application laid-open No. 2001-142454. For this reason, the key balance pieces are also unstable, and are liable to be dropped out.
The key balance pieces disclosed in those documents are embedded in the keys through the press fitting or solidification of fluid material. However, the key balance pieces are held in the holes or cavities by the agency of friction. For this reason, the key balance pieces are liable to be dropped out from the keys.
Key balancers are also used for the keys incorporated in the electronic keyboards, and are similar to those for the keys of the acoustic pianos. This means that the key balancers are liable to be dropped out from the keys.

Keyboard musical instrument having keys regulated with stable key balance pieces and process for fabricating keys


In a database system, a query to perforin an ordered analytic function is received. The query contains a clause specifying creation of dynamic partitions, where the clause contains a partitioning condition to specify the dynamic partitions. During processing of the query, the dynamic partitions are identified based on evaluating the partitioning condition.

A database is a collection of logically related data arranged in a predetermined format, such as in tables that contain rows and columns. To access the content of a table in the database, queries according to a standard database query language (such as the Structured Query Language or SQL) are submitted to the database. A query can be issued to insert new entries into a table of a database (such as to insert a row into the table), modify the content of the table, or to delete entries from the table. Examples of SQL statements include INSERT, SELECT, UPDATE, and DELETE.
In a relational database management system, ordered analytic functions are often used, where an ordered analytic function refers to a function that contains an order specification (specifying an order based on one or more attributes, e.g., sorting based on the one or more attributes) or an expression that performs some predetermined analysis, such as ranking, computing a moving average within some window size, calculating a cumulative total, calculating a percentile, and so forth.
SQL defines a PARTITION BY clause that allows such ordered analytic functions to be computed on multiple distinct partitions of the data determined by the value of one or more columns contained in the PARTITION BY clause. However, the partitions defined by the PARTITION BY clause are static partitions, which provide relatively limited flexibility.

Dynamic partitioning for an ordered analytic function


A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a liquid ejecting section in which a nozzle capable of ejecting liquid is provided; a supply flow path that supplies the liquid to the nozzle; a pressurizing mechanism that discharges the liquid from the nozzle by pressurizing the liquid inside the supply flow path; and a pressure reducing mechanism that discharges the liquid from the nozzle by reducing a pressure of a space communicating with a side opposite to a side of the supply flow path of the nozzle. In a maintenance operation discharging the liquid from the nozzle by driving at least one of the pressurizing mechanism and the pressure reducing mechanism, the last discharging operation of the maintenance operation is performed by driving the pressurizing mechanism from a state where the negative pressure is caused to act on the inside of the nozzle by driving the pressure reducing mechanism.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus and a maintenance method of, for example, a printer and the like.
2. Related Art
In the related art, as an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus, there is an ink jet type printer including a recording head ejecting ink droplets from a nozzle opening and a capping unit performing a cleaning operation that sucks and discharges ink from the nozzle opening. In such a printer, a technique is known for discharging air bubbles with liquid from the nozzle opening by sucking the air bubbles, after expanding the air bubbles present in an ink flow path inside the recording head by maintaining for a predetermined time a state where a negative pressure is accumulated in an internal space of the capping unit that seals the nozzle opening (for example, JP-A-2001-1554).
However, in the above technique, in the recording head, it is possible to efficiently discharge the air bubbles in a downstream portion of the ink flow path close to the nozzle opening, but the cleaning operation may be completed while the air bubbles in an upstream portion of the ink flow path have not reached the nozzle opening. Then, there is a problem that the air bubbles expanded by maintaining a state where the negative pressure is accumulated remain in the ink flow path and discharge failure of the ink occurs despite completion of the cleaning operation.

Liquid ejecting apparatus and maintenance method


An automatic frequency control circuit including wideband and distortion automatic frequency control circuits for a digital transmitter-receiver circuit. The distortion automatic frequency control circuit performs a compensation function for a slight frequency variation in a frequency offset range allowed by the specification of the system to which the circuit is applied. In this case, accordingly, it is possible to maintain a stable call conversation. When a signal having a frequency being beyond a frequency tolerance of the system is generated, the wideband automatic frequency control circuit operates to perform a rapid automatic frequency tracing function. That is, the wideband automatic frequency control circuit determines whether or not the automatic frequency control signal emerging from the distortion automatic frequency control circuit has a frequency included in an automatic frequency control range and outputs a new automatic frequency control signal based on the result of the determination. Accordingly, a frequency distortion phenomenon caused by a variation in frequency is effectively prevented.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic frequency control circuit for a digital transmitter-receiver unit in a digital communication system, and more particularly to an automatic frequency control circuit capable of inhibiting a distortion phenomenon caused by a variation in frequency involved in a time division duplex (TDD) communication system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The presently available digital cordless telephone systems adopt, as a transfer technique, a TTD system or time division multiple access (TDMA)-TDD system in which signal transmitting and receiving operations are carried out in a ping-pong manner using a single frequency.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a digital transmitter-receiver circuit which adopts a conventional continuous automatic frequency control method. Such a transmitter-receiver circuit is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,429 invented by Kuno Fukuda, assigned to Sony Corporation and issued on May 3, 1994. This transmitter-receiver circuit includes an automatic frequency control circuit which serves to control a local oscillator included in the receiver part of the transmitter-receiver circuit. When an input signal exhibiting a high frequency offset is received at the receiver part of the transmitter-receiver circuit, the automatic frequency control circuit feeds back a voltage signal corresponding to the frequency offset, thereby varying the frequency of an output signal from the local oscillator. The automatic frequency control circuit includes a frequency discriminator 72 and a lowpass filter 73. An output signal from the frequency discriminator 72 is accumulated as a reference voltage in a memory internally included in the lowpass filter 73. Based on the reference voltage, the automatic frequency control circuit controls the frequency of a carrier signal Si sent to a modulator 84 included in the transmitter part of the transmitter-receiver circuit and the frequency of a signal Sj sent to the local oscillator of the receiver part. In this way, the automatic frequency control circuit carries out an automatic frequency control function.
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of a part of the digital transmitter-receiver circuit shown in FIG. 1. Since a frequency drift may occur while the transmitter-receiver circuit receives incoming calls, the automatic frequency control circuit included in the transmitter-receiver circuit performs an automatic frequency control for each incoming call.
In a transmitting interval, a switch 733 of the low-pass filter 73 is switched on by a control signal S.sub.37 output from a system control unit 31. Accordingly, the output voltage V.sub.72 of the frequency discriminator 72 becomes smooth through capacitors 732 and 734. As a result, the output voltage of the frequency discriminator 72 is averaged and then accumulated in the system control unit 31 as a reference voltage.
In a receiving interval, the same automatic frequency control operation, as in the transmitting interval, is carried out. That is, the switch 733 of the low-pass filter 73 is switched on by the control signal S.sub.37 output from the system control unit 31 in the transmitting interval. Accordingly, the output voltage V.sub.72 of the frequency discriminator 72 becomes smooth through the capacitors 732 and 734. As a result, the output voltage of the frequency discriminator 72 is averaged and then transmitted to the system control unit 31.
Then, the system control unit 31 compares the output from the low-pass filter 73 received therein in the receiving interval with the reference voltage accumulated in the transmitting interval, thereby detecting a difference between the compared voltages. Based on the voltage difference, the system control unit 31 adjusts the oscillating frequency of the voltage-controlling local oscillator in such a manner that the voltage difference becomes zero.
However, the above-mentioned conventional automatic frequency control system may have the following problems where it is applied to a frequency division multiple access-time division duplex (FDMA-TDD) communication system.
First, the FDMA-TDD communication system carries out transmitting and receiving operations at different time intervals, respectively. Although the local oscillator generates a normal frequency having no frequency deviation (.DELTA.f=0) from a central frequency in a transmitting interval of the communication system, a variation in frequency may occur within a tolerance from the central frequency (namely, a 50% range from .+-.10 KHz defined in accordance with the CT-2 CAI Standard) in a receiving interval of the communication system. In this case, the communication system performs an automatic frequency control, thereby tracing the output signal from a demodulation unit in the form shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, the phantom line indicates an ideal reference signal which is constant in amplitude depending on time. However, a variation in amplitude occurs in a practical case, as shown by the solid line of FIG. 3. In the receiver circuit of a digital cordless telephone, it is essentially necessary to generate a reference signal for shaping the digital waveform of digital data radio-received in the receiver circuit in the form of a signal suited for a base-band signal processing unit upon recovering the digital data. As a result, the reference signal may vary continuously in amplitude due to a continuous small variation in the received frequency. In this case, a frequency distortion may occur. Furthermore, a degradation in signal to noise (S/N) ratio also occurs. As a result, the sensitivity of the practical system to incoming data may be degraded.
Second, where the conventional continuous automatic frequency circuit is applied to the signaling hierarchy of a second generation digital cordless telephone (CT-2), it is difficult to appropriately carry out a frequency control for each signaling layer. For this reason, it is impossible to achieve an efficient automatic frequency control. This results in a degradation in the performance of the whole system. Of course, it is possible to satisfy the demand of each signaling layer using the continuous automatic frequency circuit. In this case, however, the configuration of the circuit is considerably complicated.

Automatic frequency control circuit for digital radio communication system


A projectile is provided that includes a body having a front tip portion and a rear end portion. A combustion chamber base plate is operatively arranged with the rear end portion of the body and defines a combustion chamber. At least one radial discharge aperture is partially defined by the combustion chamber base plate and is arranged in fluid communication with the combustion chamber. A gas generated by igniting a combustible material is discharged through the at least one radial discharge aperture. The discharged gas impinges against a wall of a cavity formed by the moving projectile to form a reactive force that stabilizes the projectile thereby reducing the occurrence of tail-slap.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present teachings relate to an underwater projectile for neutralizing undersea targets from a relatively long range. More particularly, the present teachings relate to the tail or end portion of a supercavitating projectile and to arrangements and methods for emitting gases from the end portion to stabilize the projectile and reduce viscous drag.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Projectiles fired from underwater guns can effectively travel large distances by making use of supercavitation. Supercavitation occurs when a body, such as a projectile, travels through water at a relatively high-speed and a vaporous cavity begins to form at its tip. With proper projectile design, a vaporous cavity envelops the entire projectile.
In FIG. 1, a known supercavitating projectile 10 is shown in which a vaporous cavity 12 surrounds the projectile 10. The projectile 10 is shown with a flared afterbody 16 emitted from its tail portion. As the projectile 10 attains relatively high-speeds, the projectile does not contact water except at a cavitator tip 14 and during occasional collisions with the walls of the vaporous cavity 12, referred to as tail-slap. As a result of the formation of the vaporous cavity 12, a viscous drag on the projectile can be significantly reduced compared to a fully-wetted operation.
Tail-slap is relevant both to the stabilization of projectiles and to the minimization of drag. When traveling at relatively small angles of attack, supercavitating projectiles generally do not contact the vaporous cavity except at the tip of the projectile, as shown in FIG. 1. Forces produced by the tip are generally aligned with the major axis of the projectile and no significant yaw forces are produced. However, if the body of the projectile is perturbed and begins to yaw, substantially no restoring forces are experienced until the flared afterbody comes into contact with the cavity wall. When this occurs, a restoring force substantially proportional to the angle of the emitted flare can be produced. This restoring force can push the projectile back in the opposite direction and the projectile will then yaw in the other direction until the cavity wall on the opposite side is impacted. This rattling back and forth is the basic stabilization mechanism of non-finned projectiles. Every time the projectile impacts the cavity wall it experiences a drag force and a bending moment. If the bending moment is large enough, the projectile can break in flight.
Another related concern with the operation of projectiles is the issue of depth and speed with respect to the generation to form and the size of the cavity is a function of the speed of the projectile and the size of the cavitator tip. As the projectile begins to travel down-range, it begins to slow due to drag generated at the tip, resulting in the size of the cavity shrinking. The cavity continues to shrink as the projectile decelerates until the cavity can no longer envelop the entire projectile. The water pressure surrounding the projectile can also influence the operation of the projectile. The size of the cavity is inversely proportional to the ambient pressure. Consequently, projectiles are incapable of traveling the same distance at a greater depth compared to a shallower depth.
It is known that enlarging the cavitation bubble surrounding an underwater projectile reduces hydrodynamic drag. In Miskelly (U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,653) a projectile is disclosed that includes an internal ventilation system for venting propellant combustion gases to an exterior of the projectile near the front or nose portion thereof. The vented combustion gases emitted from the nose portion serve to expand the naturally occurring cavitation bubble formed as the projectile travels through the water with the result of reducing hydrodynamic drag. However, the Miskelly reference does not disclose a way of eliminating the occurrence of tail-slap during travel of the projectile.
As such, a need continues to exist for eliminating or reducing the occurrence of tail-slap in projectiles. There also exists a need to achieve improved accuracy and stability and to extend the range of projectiles.

Projectile with tail-mounted gas generator assembly

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A communication device employs a method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving information in a time slot. When transmitting, the communication device generates user information symbols and positions the symbols in a first portion of the time slot. The first portion of the time slot occupies less time than the time slot. The communication device then transmits the user information symbols during the first portion of the time slot only. When receiving, a communication device decodes and then encodes a received time slot, presuming the received time slot is not a truncated time slot. The communication device determines an error metric for the encoded time slot and, based on the error metric, determines whether the encoded time slot is a truncated time slot. When the encoded time slot is a truncated time slot, the communication device processes the user information symbols in the received time slot.

The present invention relates generally to wireless communication systems and, in particular, to transmitting and receiving information in a time slot of a time division multiplexed wireless communication system.
Economics play an important role in the design of wireless communication systems. Bandwidth is limited and equipment is expensive, and therefore many schemes have been developed for multiplexing many different users over the same physical channel. One such scheme is time division multiple access (TDMA). In a TDMA system, the radio frequency (RF) signal carrying the information is segmented into intervals called time frames. Each frame is further partitioned into assignable user blocks of time called time slots. During each time slot, the assigned user of that slot is entitled to use the full spectrum of the RF signal. Each time slot within a frame might have a different user assigned to it, or one user might be assigned several time slots within a frame. The user of a communication unit, such as a mobile or portable radio or a cellular telephone, continues to occupy the same slot or slots in succeeding time frames until the user terminates his communication, is transferred to another base site, or is transferred to another sector within a base site.
During voice calls in a TDMA system, voice information is included in time slots in a discontinuous fashion. That is, voice information is not typically included in the time slots allocated to the user in every time frame because there are occasional lulls in voice activity when there is no voice information to be transmitted. However, leaving those time slots completely empty of information is undesirable. Providers of wireless communication services feel that a blank transmission during lulls in user activity would be discomforting for the recipient of the transmission, who might wonder as to whether the communication had been terminated. Therefore, background noise is transmitted during the lulls, which background noise indicates to the recipient a continuing connection to the user and a continuing active communication link. In addition, in the xe2x80x9ciDENxe2x80x9d system available from Motorola, Inc. of Schaumburg, Ill., system information is also transmitted during the lulls. The system information comprises information that allows the communication infrastructure to monitor the communication unit""s continuing presence, timing synchronization, and transmit signal quality. So, although there may not be any voice information to be conveyed, time slots transmitted during the voice activity lulls are nonetheless filled with background noise information and system information.
The drawback with respect to transmitting a completely filled time slot during the voice activity lulls is that the communication unit is transmitting information and consuming power, even though there is no voice information in the contents of the time slot (i.e., the contents of the time slot are of little value to the user of the communication unit). Since the power for operating the communication unit is a limited resource (i.e., the batteries providing the power have a limited life between recharges), minimization of the amount of power consumed by the communication unit in transmitting information during the lulls is a desirable goal. Battery size, rechargeable battery life, and the length of time of communication unit usage between each need to recharge the battery are visible areas of competition among manufacturers of communication units and improvements are constantly being sought that will extend battery life without increasing battery size.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving information in a time slot at a reduced level of power consumption by the transmitting communication device.

Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving information in a time slot


A semiconductor device including: a die pad, a die on the die pad, and resin encapsulating the die and forming an isolation thickness over the die pad, the resin including a mounting aperture and a major surface configured for mounting to an external device, the major surface having a non warpage compensation portion adjacent the die and a warpage compensation portion in a relatively thermally inactive zone with an approximate discontinuity and/or abrupt change in gradient between the non warpage compensation portion and the warpage compensation portion.

Embodiments of this invention relate to a semiconductor device, a method of packaging a semiconductor device, a method of mounting a semiconductor device, and refers particularly, though not exclusively, to packaging of a semiconductor device possessing thermal dissipation structure.
Various types of semiconductor packages exist where the semiconductor is encapsulated in resin. In some types of encapsulated devices the semiconductor die is located on a die pad. The die pad is part of the metal leadframe. The die pad may be exposed on one face to allow better thermal dissipation. In other cases the die pad may be covered by a portion of the resin encapsulate known as an isolation thickness.
For high power applications, for example, a Transistor Outline ("TO") package, it may be necessary to attach the TO package to an external heat sink to dissipate the heat generated by the transistor. Some TO packages include a screw hole for mounting the TO package to an external heat sink.

Semiconductor devices having a resin with warpage compensated surfaces