A shift register has a first switch, a pull-up circuit, and a pull-down circuit. The first switch receives a first clock signal. The pull-up circuit is configured to turn on the first switch to pull up a voltage level of an output terminal of the shift register. The pull-up circuit has a second switch and a first control circuit. The first control circuit is coupled to a first system power terminal to avoid an excessive voltage difference between two nodes of the first control circuit. The pull-down circuit is configured to pull down the voltage level of the output terminal of the shift register when the first switch is turned off, and further configured to keep a voltage level of a control node of a switch coupled between the output terminal and a second system power terminal at a low voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a shift register and a method for controlling the same, and more particularly to a low power consumption shift register and a method for controlling the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, a display panel has a plurality of pixels, a gate driver and a source driver. The source driver is configured to write data signals into turned-on pixels. The gate driver has a plurality of shift register stages which are employed to generate plural gate signals for controlling operations of turning on/off the pixels. However, the shift register according to the prior art uses both P-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (PMOSFETs) and N-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (NMOSFETs), such that the number of transistors of the shift register according to the prior art is excessive, and that that it is difficult to achieve a narrow bezel design of the display panel.

Shift register and control method thereof


A single-poly EEPROM memory device comprises source and drain regions in a semiconductor body, a floating gate overlying a portion of the source and drain regions, which defines a source-to-floating gate capacitance and a drain-to-floating gate capacitance, wherein the source-to-floating gate capacitance is substantially greater than the drain-to-floating gate capacitance. The source-to-floating gate capacitance is, for example, at least about three times greater than the drain-to-floating gate capacitance to enable the memory device to be electrically programmed or erased by applying a potential between a source electrode and a drain electrode without using a control gate. A current path between the source and drain electrodes generally defines current carrying portions of the source and drain regions, and a non-current carrying portion of the source region residing outside the current carrying portion, wherein substantially more of the floating gate overlies the non-current carrying portion than the current carrying portions.

One time programmable (OTP) electrically programmable read only memory (EPROM) can be an effective, low cost mechanism for providing non-volatile memory in a variety of computer related applications, such as in small handheld digital devices like cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDA's), etc.
The OTP EPROM has the advantage of only requiring a small area, for example, about 4 μm2, but can be programmed only once. In addition, OTP EPROM is not electrically erasable without utilizing the expensive and very inconvenient UV erasure technologies.
Single-polysilicon electrically erasable programmable read only memory, herein, (single-poly EEPROM) utilize another simple fabrication process and can be programmed multiple times, but require a large area, for example, of about 50 μm2. This large area is generally needed because of the spacing requirements to accommodate the relatively high voltage requirements of electrically programming and erasing single-poly EEPROM.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a relatively small memory device that can be electrically programmed and erased, while utilizing the simpler and lower cost fabrication technology of a single-poly device.

Single poly EEPROM without separate control gate nor erase regions


In some embodiments, a method receives a message that identifies an asset being viewed on a video service at a timestamp. The message is associated with a profile identifier and a plurality of messages are received for the profile identifier while using the video service. The method determines a channel identifier for a channel in which the asset is offered during the timestamp and determines whether a channel change occurred based on the channel identifier and a prior channel identifier determined from a prior message in the plurality of messages. When the channel change has occurred, the method stores the channel identifier and timestamp for the profile identifier in a data structure, wherein a list of channels is generated by querying the data structure to determine a set of channel identifiers and timestamps for the profile identifier.

When using a live television (TV) service, the user may watch different live TV channels. For example, the user may typically watch a Channel X and a Channel Y because the user's favorite shows are on those channels. To navigate to those channels, the user can type the identifier for the TV channel into a remote control and navigate to that channel directly. However, typing in the identifier for the channel may be inconvenient for the user. Also, the TV service may provide an electronic program guide (EPG) that lists all the live TV channels that are available on the service. The user may page through the channels to find the TV channels the user typically watches. Paging through a large number of TV channels on the EPG may also be inconvenient for the user and time-consuming if many pages of the EPG need to be paged through to get to the user's desired channel.

Recent channels pre-calculation in video delivery


A turbocharger impeller includes: a cylindrical boss portion disposed around a rotary axis; a hub portion connected to the boss portion and extends in a radial direction of the rotary axis; and a blade portion protruding from the boss portion and the hub portion toward a tip end side in the direction of the rotary axis and the radial direction. At least a part of an outer peripheral part of the hub portion in the radial direction or a part of the blade portion is provided with a resin second section and the second section is bonded to an aluminum first section. The turbocharger impeller includes the aluminum first section and the resin second section.

As a turbocharger impeller, for example, aluminum impeller is known. In general, a resin impeller is also known as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2. The resin impeller can be employed for a decrease in weight. A material of the compressor impeller disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a carbon fiber reinforced resin or the like which is a resin containing a polymer material or a polymer-based composite material. A shaft of the impeller is fastened at an elastic limit load or less of the impeller at a maximum use temperature. In the impeller disclosed in Patent Document 2, special engineering plastics such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK) are used. On the rear surface side of the impeller, a reinforcing fiber sheet knitted with a carbon fiber and a glass fiber is integrally molded. The reinforcing fiber sheet reinforces the rear surface side of the impeller.


The disclosure relates to a system and method for maintaining stability during a scan shift operation on multiple embedded memories in an integrated circuit. Examples disclosed herein include an integrated circuit comprising a plurality of memory modules and a built-in self-test controller, wherein the BIST controller and memory modules are arranged and configured to reduce toggling of cells in the memory modules during a scan shift operation.

An integrated circuit (IC) may include embedded memory. In some cases, particularly where a larger memory capacity is required, the memory may be divided into multiple smaller memory modules distributed throughout the IC. This can result in a reduced power consumption. Using multiple memory modules does, however, require the use of more boundary logic such as a test multiplexer for each memory address. In a scan shift operation, the normal operation mode of the IC is suspended and multiple flip-flops in the IC are connected as a long shift register. This enables a single input pin to be used to load a serial input test pattern to the scan chain formed by the flip-flops. The result is shifted out of the scan chain and compared with an expected result to verify that the IC is operating correctly. When performing such a scan shift operation in an IC with multiple memory modules, the greater amount of boundary logic may result in a higher toggle rate than during a normal operation mode. This can result in a larger IR drop and may lead to incorrect results during the scan shift operation unless the scan shift operation is slowed down to prevent this happening. Various techniques may be used to reduce this IR drop effect. Alternative test patterns may be used to reduce the number of flip-flops simultaneously switching during the scan shift operation. The design of the IC may be modified by gating off flip-flop outputs during the scan shift operation so that circuit elements driven by the flip-flop outputs do not see any changes. Flip-flops in the scan chain may be designed to have separate output pins for functional and scan connections. Such solutions, however, may require additional hardware or may degrade performance of the IC, and may affect the function of the scan test timing path.

Integrated circuit with embedded memory modules


The present invention is an x-ray arrangement for examining patients, having an x-ray source and a digital flat panel detector characterized by a processing unit with a converter with an input possibility for a whole data record of system parameters as input parameters which can be easily adjusted and input by the user for conversion into a whole data record of image chain parameters as output parameters.

X-ray systems are nowadays mostly to be assigned in a dedicated fashion to a clinical application. A distinction is thus made between angiography systems, fluoroscopy systems and radiography systems. The two system groups mentioned first can in such cases cover both dynamic applications as well as single image recording (single shot), whereas single image recordings were previously only possible with radiography systems. Radiography systems are used if single shots are to be taken with a very high resolution, for instance images with fine cracks. With fluoroscopy, up to 60 images per second can be recorded, with it being possible however for only approximately ⅓ of the resolution of images from radiography systems to be achieved. Currently combination systems are used, which combine the fluoroscopy functionality and the single frame shooting function as analog apparatuses into one device. Fluoroscopy uses a camera with a light amplifier, single image recording uses a film.
Separate systems have to be used for fluoroscopy, radiography or Digital Fluoroscopic Radiography (mixture of fluoroscopy and radiography). As mentioned above, image amplification systems with a camera were previously used for fluoroscopy and image recording, whereas analog systems with film or digital systems with flat panel detectors are used for radiography.
Changes to the system operating modes such as image frequency, zoom variables or acquisition mode (fluoroscopy, Digital Fluoroscopic Radiography, radiography) mostly require a change in the operating mode in the flat-panel detector and in the image processing. The system parameters accessible to the user must be translated into image chain parameters in each instance.
The problem thus consists in having to use different x-ray systems with completely different parameterization depending on the desired x-ray method.

X-ray arrangement with a converter and associated X-ray method


A system that provides a sharable language interface for implementing automated assistants in new domains and applications. A dialogue assistant that is trained in a first domain can receive a specification in a second domain. The specification can include language structure data such as schemas, recognizers, resolvers, constraints and invariants, actions, language hints, generation template, and other data. The specification data is applied to the automated assistant to enable the automated assistant to provide interactive dialogue with a user in a second domain associated with the received specification. In some instances, portions of the specification may be automatically mapped to portions of the first domain. By having the ability to learn new domains and applications through receipt of objects and properties rather than retooling the interface entirely, the present system is much more efficient at learning how to provide interactive dialogue in new domains than previous systems.

Voice interfaces are catching the attention of consumers the world over. Siri is available on Apple devices, Cortana is a Microsoft assistant, VIV offers a platform for developers which is like a chatbot, and Facebook offers support for chatbots of all kinds. These interfaces share the problem that each new application requires retooling the interface essentially from scratch, recording not only the application details, but also the language-dependent elements which have occurred in prior applications.
In the context of an automated assistant, which is a conversational system that allows person-to-machine communications in natural language, early technologies required large data or substantial hand tuning for each task that the system might accomplish. That is, the system for travel planning required its own rules and planning, independent of the application for banking or for finding restaurants and planning dinner.
What is needed is an improved automated assistant that is more easily configured for new domains and applications.

Developer platform for providing automated assistant in new domains


A reinforcing cord of the present invention is a reinforcing cord for rubber reinforcement. The reinforcing cord includes a carbon fiber strand (11) and a plurality of glass fiber strands (12) arranged around the carbon fiber strand (11). The present invention makes it possible to obtain a reinforcing cord having sufficient tensile strength for reinforcing rubber products as well as high dimensional stability and bending fatigue resistance.

Reinforcing fibers such as glass fibers and aramid fibers have been used as reinforcing materials of rubber products such as rubber belts and tires. These rubber products, however, are subjected to bending stress repeatedly and thereby the performance thereof tends to deteriorate due to bending fatigue. As a result, exfoliation tends to occur between the reinforcing fibers and a rubber matrix, or a deterioration in strength tends to occur due to fraying of the reinforcing fibers. Accordingly, the reinforcing fibers to be used for such rubber products are required to have high bending fatigue resistance.
On the other hand, a timing belt that is used for driving a camshaft of an internal combustion engine of an automobile is required to have high dimensional stability to keep suitable timing. Furthermore, rubber belts that are used for auxiliary drive of an injection pump or power transmission in industrial machines are required to have high strength and high elasticity.
In order to fulfill the above-mentioned requirements, reinforcing cords including specific reinforcing fibers have been used conventionally. For instance, high-strength glass fibers and polyparaphenylene terephthalamide fibers (aramid fibers) have been used as the reinforcing fibers. Recently, carbon fibers and fibers made of polyparaphenylene benzobisoxazole also are used. For example, JP8(1996)-174708A proposes carbon fibers to be used as a tension member of a toothed belt. Cords for rubber reinforcement are required to have various characteristics such as high strength, high elasticity, as well as bending flexibility and fraying resistance. However, conventional reinforcing materials including one type of reinforcing fibers used therein have difficulties in achieving a balance between strength and bending resistance. For instance, a reinforcing cord including carbon fibers used as reinforcing fibers has high strength and high elasticity but low bending resistance and therefore has a problem in that its strength tends to deteriorate through bending.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Reinforcing cord for rubber reinforcement and rubber product including the same


The present invention provides a method for forming compounds of FormulaHO—C(═O)R1—X—R2—X—R1—C(═O)—O—Hwherein compound (I) can be polymerized to provide a polymer that contains therapeutically active compounds. In the compounds of the invention, each R1 is group that will provide the therapeutically active compound upon hydrolysis of the polymer; each X is independently an ester linkage or an amide linkage; and R2 is a linking group.

Polymers comprising aromatic or aliphatic anhydrides have been studied extensively over the years for a variety of uses. For example, in the 1930s fibers comprising aliphatic polyanhydrides were prepared for use in the textile industry. In the mid 1950s, aromatic polyanhydrides were prepared with improved film and fiber forming properties. More recently, attempts have been made to synthesize polyanhydrides with greater thermal and hydrolytic stability and sustained drug release properties. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,757,128 and 4,997,904 disclose the preparation of aromatic polyanhydrides with improved sustained drug release properties from pure, isolated prepolymers of diacids and acetic anhydride. A bioerodible controlled release device produced as a homogenous polymeric matrix from polyanhydrides with aliphatic bonds having weight average molecular weights greater than 20,000 and an intrinsic velocity greater than 0.3 dL/g and a biologically active substance is also described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,176. Another bioerodible matrix material for controlled delivery of bioactive compounds comprising polyanhydride polymers with a uniform distribution of aliphatic and aromatic residues is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,857,311.
Biocompatible and biodegradable aromatic polyanhydrides prepared from para-substituted bis-aromatic dicarboxylic acids for use in wound closure devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,264,540. However, these compounds exhibit high melt and glass transition temperatures and decreased solubility, thus making them difficult to process.
Polyanhydride polymeric matrices have also been described for use in orthopedic and dental applications. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,870 discloses a bioerodible article useful for prosthesis and implantation, which comprises a biocompatible, hydrophobic polyanhydride matrix. U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,599 also discloses biodegradable polymer networks for use in a variety of dental and orthopedic applications which are formed by polymerizing anhydride or diacid prepolymers. These polymers or matrices are useful for medical applications, either with or without an active agent as part of the diacid compound.

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey


A system for controlling starting and stopping of an engine that prevents a user from erroneously determining that the system is not functioning properly. The system includes an electronic key that may be inserted in a socket. The key selectively transmits a key ID code and a key transponder code to the vehicle. A microcomputer installed in the vehicle checks whether the key ID code matches a vehicle ID code when the key is arranged in the vehicle and checks whether the key transponder code matches a vehicle transponder code when the key is inserted in the socket. The microcomputer enables the starting of the engine and selectively interlocks the key inserted in the socket in accordance with the checking results. First and second display lamps notify the user whether the key is removable from the socket in accordance with the operation of the microcomputer.

The present invention relates to an engine start/stop system for controlling starting and stopping of a vehicle engine, and more particularly, to an engine start/stop system including an electronic key that communicates with a vehicle.
In addition to improving basic performance and safety, vehicles such as automobiles are now also required to improve operating convenience. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 2001-289142 and 2001-311333 each describe a system for controlling the starting and stopping of an engine provided with a smart ignition function to improve operating convenience. In such a type of an engine control system, when a user (driver) carrying an electronic key enters the vehicle, the electronic key automatically communicates with a controller, which is arranged in the vehicle. During the communication, the electronic key transmits an ID code to the vehicle. The controller in the vehicle then determines whether the ID code of the electronic key matches an ID code that is unique to the vehicle (smart ID authentication). When the ID code of the electronic key matches the ID code of the vehicle, the controller enables the starting and stopping of the engine. The user then operates a push button, which is located in the passenger compartment, to start or stop the engine. In other words, the user may start or stop the engine just by entering the vehicle and operating the push button.
In the above engine control system, the smart ID authentication is not performed when, for example, the battery of the electronic key is drained or when a communication anomaly occurs. To cope with such problems, the engine control system performs transponder ID authentication instead of smart ID authentication. More specifically, the electronic key includes a transponder. When the user inserts the electronic key into a key socket located in the instrument panel, induced electromotive force is generated in the transponder. The transponder uses the induced electromotive force to transmit a transponder signal, which includes a transponder code, to the controller in the vehicle. The controller then determines whether the transponder code of the electronic key matches a transponder code that is unique to the vehicle (transponder ID authentication). When the transponder code of the electronic key matches the transponder code of the vehicle, the controller enables the starting of the engine and validates the operation of the push button.
In the prior art system described above, when transponder ID authentication is performed, an interlock device interlocks the electronic key so that it cannot be removed from the key socket. However, when smart ID authentication is performed, the interlock device does not interlock the electronic key even when the user inserts the electronic key in the key socket for one reason or another. Thus, the user can remove the electronic key from the socket. In this manner, the electronic key is removable from the key socket in some cases and not removable from the key socket in other cases. This may result in the user erroneously determining that the system is not functioning properly.

System for controlling starting and stopping of engine

Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho


An apparatus and method for setting up a satellite dish to receive satellite signals, including television satellite signals, with precise positioning and aiming of the satellite dish, including determination of a clear line of sight, azimuth orientation, elevation angle and skew or tilt angle. The apparatus includes a line of sight mechanism removably attachable to a satellite dish.

1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates to an apparatus, system and method for sighting, setting up and aligning a satellite dish to receive satellite signals, including but not limited to television satellite signals.
2. Description of Related Art
Note that the following discussion refers to a number of publications by author(s) and year of publication, and that due to recent publication dates certain publications are not to be considered as prior art vis-a-vis the present invention. Discussion of such publications herein is given for more complete background and is not to be construed as an admission that such publications are prior art for patentability determination purposes.
Setting up a satellite dish to receive television or other satellite signals requires the precise positioning and aiming of the satellite dish. The satellites are "parked" in geosynchronous orbit, typically 22,300 miles above the equator, and travel at the exact same rate as the earth's rotational speed so they appear stationary. To obtain a good signal, the satellite dish must be pointed precisely (within 2 degrees in all directions) and directly at the satellite (the "look angle"), with no obstructions between the two. This means that no trees, buildings, mountains, hills, wood, brick, metal, leaves, or other obstructions can be positioned within the line of sight between the dish and the satellite.
In addition to the difficulty of finding a clear line of sight, a level spot must also be found to place the dish stand or dish mount, and the mounting pole must also be level. If the dish mounting pole is not perfectly level, not only are the molded or stamped alignment markings on the dish inaccurate, but as one axis of the dish alignment is adjusted, the alignment of the other axis, if it was previously set, becomes misaligned. The conventional process for aligning a satellite dish can become an extremely aggravating process. The current dual low noise block down converter satellite dishes which employ a single feed horn (LNB) to pick up waves from two satellites placed close to each other in space in geosynchronous orbit and newer modern multi-satellite dishes (which can pick up waves from three satellites) are even more difficult as they require an additional axis of the satellite dish (generally referred to as "skew", "tilt" or "polarization") to also be accurately aligned in order to receive signals from either two or three satellites at the same time.
Because the satellite signal is a digital signal, the person who is setting up the dish must wait from 5 to 10 seconds between adjustments of the dish for the receiver to "catch up" with the signal and show up on the television. This process of adjustment, waiting, and analysis of the results on the television must be repeated multiple times in order to obtain an acceptable satellite signal. Thus it is a time-consuming and difficult procedure to align a dish for optimal reception from a given satellite.
A number of patents and patent applications disclose devices and methods for aligning satellite dishes. However, all devices and methods heretofore described have significant limitations. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,706 discloses an alignment gage that determines azimuth and altitude, but does not provide for a third skew axis. It also lacks a method or structure for determining obstructions in the line of sight. This device also requires that the dish stand or mount be level. U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,972 discloses a gage that allows verification of a clear line of sight; however, it is only for site selection, and is not employed in aiming of a satellite dish. It also does not provide for a third skew axis. U.S. Pat. No. 5,274,926 discloses a complex sphere assembly, requiring a map of the earth's surface served by the satellite, and utilizing spherical trigonometry to determine reference points. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,647,134, 5,734,356, 5,894,674, 5,977,922, and 6,081,240 provide a gage mounted to a satellite dish, but do not provide for a third skew axis, lack a method or structure for determining obstructions in the line of sight, and require that the dish stand or mount be level. Other devices, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,296,862, 5,585,804, 5,471,210, 6,538,612, 6,710,749 and Patent Application Nos. 2003/0214449 and 2004/0160375, incorporate complex electronic systems, as well as lacking means for determining a third skew axis and lacking methods or structure for determining obstructions in the line of sight. U.S. Pat. No. 6,683,581 and Patent Application Nos. 2002/0084941 and 2002/0083574 disclose electronic gages which include a third skew axis determination, but lack methods or structure for determining obstructions in the line of sight.
Thus while a number of devices and methods provide partial solutions to the problems of aligning satellite dishes, each prior art device and method has significant limitations. An ideal device is mechanical, can be used to determine a suitable line of sight both prior to placement of the satellite dish and after placement of the satellite dish, permits orientation in three dimensions (altitude, azimuth and skew), can be removably mounted on the satellite dish, and can be set to the appropriate dimensions for a given satellite (again altitude, azimuth and skew) prior to alignment of a dish, such that only two variables, magnetic north on a compass and level, such as by means of bubble levels, need to be ascertained in order to have the dish properly aligned. Additionally, a device is preferably non-ferrous, so as to not interfere with compass orientation, and is a sufficient distance from a metal structure of a dish so as to not interfere with compass orientation. It is against this background, and in order to provide a device addressing these parameters, that the present invention was developed.

Satellite dish sighting apparatus and alignment system


A communicator (10) includes a plurality of reconfigurable resource units (13) that can each be dynamically altered to perform any of a multitude of processing tasks. A controller (16) determines a plurality of processing tasks to be supported by the communicator (10) and configures the plurality of reconfigurable resource units (13) accordingly. A memory (18) stores a library of configuration files for use by the controller (16) in configuring the plurality of reconfigurable resource units (13). In one embodiment, the controller (16) continuously adapts the plurality of reconfigurable resource units (13) according to present system requirements.

Communications systems of the past generally use communications equipment that is designed to perform one or a small number of preassigned tasks for effecting communication between users. Such equipment generally works well within a narrow range of designed operation, but is unable to adapt to changing system requirements. Systems including this equipment, therefore, have a limited range of uses and are prone to become obsolete before the associated hardware has reached a projected useful lifetime. This leads to a situation where costly system redesigns are common and functional hardware units are being prematurely discarded.
Therefore, there is a need for communications equipment that is adaptable to changing system requirements.

Communicator having reconfigurable resources


Provided in one embodiment is a device, comprising: a substrate; and a layer disposed over the substrate, wherein the layer comprises a monolayer of crystals comprising a Group IV element.

Controllable non-magnetic spintronic devices are desirable in the development of spintronics applications, which is an area of intense current interest. While the spin-polarization is generated by spin-orbit coupling ("SOC"), the entanglement between spin and orbital degrees of freedom due to the SOC may significantly reduce the degree of spin-polarization of spin-split states in most non-magnetic semiconductors including the topological insulators.


A method for regulating a signal level in a power supply for a microchannel plate in a radiation detector is provided. The method includes receiving an input signal at a signal multiplier. The signal multiplier has an output terminal and a return terminal. An output signal is produced at the output terminal. The output signal is provided to the microchannel plate. A regulation signal is provided from the output terminal to the return terminal. A signal level of the output signal is regulated with the regulation signal.

This invention relates generally to vision systems and more particularly to a method and system for regulating a signal level in a power supply for a radiation detector.
There are numerous radiation detectors. One type of detector employs an image intensifier tube and is used in night vision devices to amplify light and allow a user to see images in very dark conditions. Night vision devices typically include a lens to focus light onto the light receiving end of an image intensifier tube and an eyepiece at the other end to view the enhanced imaged produced by the image intensifier tube.
Modern image intensifier tubes use photocathodes. Photocathodes emit electrons in response to photons impinging on the photocathodes. The electrons are produced in a pattern that replicates the original scene. The electrons from the photocathode are accelerated towards a microchannel plate. A microchannel plate is typically manufactured from lead glass and has a multitude of microchannels, each one operable to produce a cascade of secondary electrons in response to an incident electron.
Therefore, photons impinge on the photocathode producing electrons which are then accelerated to a microchannel plate where a cascade of secondary electrons are produced. These electrons impinge on a phosphorous screen, producing an image of the scene.
The electrons are accelerated from the photocathode to the microchannel plate and from the microchannel plate to the phosphorous screen by electrostatic fields in the image intensifier. These electrostatic fields are established by power supplies to the photocathode, the microchannel plate and the screen. A conventional power supply for a microchannel plate has a relatively high output impedance. In addition, the current drawn by the microchannel plate varies strongly as a function of temperature and as a function of the average brightness of the image. Thus, the voltage across the microchannel plate varies strongly as a function of temperature and as a function of average image intensity if the voltage to the microchannel plate is unregulated.
A conventional power supply to a microchannel plate generates an oscillating signal that is fed into a transformer, with the output of the transformer being applied to a voltage multiplier. The output of the voltage multiplier is then applied to the microchannel plate. This voltage applied to the microchannel plate is generally regulated through the use of a feedback signal generated by a separate winding of the transformer. This feedback signal is scaled down and compared to a reference voltage, generating an error signal which is used to modify the oscillator amplifier that drives the transformer.
This conventional method of regulating the voltage has several drawbacks. One drawback is that a separate transformer is generally required to generate and control the voltage applied to the microchannel plate. A separate transformer increases cost, reduces reliability and reduces power supply efficiency for the image intensifier. A second drawback is that load regulation is very poor due to the relatively high output impedance of the voltage multiplier coupled with the fact that a separate transformer winding is used for feedback, with its independently associated temperature drift.
Recently, an improved voltage regulator was described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,883,381. This voltage regulator utilizes high-side control whereby the voltage is regulated with a variable impedance element in series with the output of a voltage multiplier. However, this high-side series voltage regulator is cumbersome, requiring relatively large components and a high parts count.
In accordance with the present invention, the disadvantages and problems associated with previous microchannel plate power supplies have been substantially reduced or eliminated. In particular, the present invention provides an improved method and system for regulating a signal level in an image intensification power supply.
In one embodiment, a method is provided for regulating a signal level in a power supply for a microchannel plate in a radiation detector. The method includes receiving an input signal at a signal multiplier. The signal multiplier has an output terminal and a return terminal. An output signal is produced at the output terminal. The output signal is provided to the microchannel plate. A regulation signal is provided from the output terminal to the return terminal. A signal level of the output signal is regulated with the regulation signal.
In accordance with another embodiment, a signal regulator for regulating a signal level in a power supply for a microchannel plate in a radiation detector is provided. The signal regulator includes a signal multiplier. The signal multiplier has a first input terminal, a second input terminal, an output terminal, and a return terminal. A transformer has a first terminal coupled to the first input terminal of the signal multiplier and a second terminal coupled to the second input terminal of the signal multiplier. The transformer is operable to drive an input signal into the signal multiplier. An error integrator is coupled to the output terminal of the signal multiplier. A reference circuit and a drive are coupled to the error integrator. A variable impedance is coupled to the return terminal of the signal multiplier and is coupled to the drive. The drive is operable to adjust a level of the variable impedance. The variable impedance is operable to regulate an output signal produced at the output terminal of the signal multiplier.
Technical advantages of the present invention include providing an image intensification power supply with an improved regulator for a signal level. In particular, the voltage across the microchannel plate is regulated without requiring a separate transformer. In addition, fewer components, including a reduced number of high voltage components, are required in comparison with existing voltage regulators. As a result, cost and size are reduced, reliability and response time are improved, and the image intensifier power supply is made more efficient.
Other technical advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to the those skilled in the art from the following figures, description and claims.

Method and system for regulating a high voltage level in a power supply for a radiation detector


A system and method for computerized grading of the cut of a gemstone. The system includes a gemstone model and an illumination model. The gemstone model defines the cut of the gemstone in three dimensions with reference to the facets of the gemstone. The illumination model defines light projected onto the gemstone. The method includes the steps of determining a beam of light refracted into the gemstone from the illumination model for at least one of the facets, tracing reflections of the beam of light within the gemstone, and measuring at least one light beam refracted out of the gemstone model. The measurements of the refracted light are used to evaluate the gemstone.

1.0 Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to gemstones, and more particularly to a computer-based system and method for evaluation of a gemstone by modeling light propagating through the gemstone.
2.0 Related Art
Very few subjects have plagued the diamond industry more than the subject of cut. The basis for conventional cut grading of gemstones was established in 1919 by Marcel Tolkowsky, an industrious Antwerp diamond cutter. In his mathematical dissertation entitled "Diamond Design, A Study of the Reflection and Refraction of Light in a Diamond," Tolkowsky established mathematically an optimal brilliant cut for a diamond that is still widely used today. The Tolkowsky cut defined certain dimensions (that is, table diameter, crown height and pavilion depth) of the diamond as percentages of its girdle diameter. Thus, the Tolkowsky cut is scalable, and so can be used for a different sizes of this style of cut.
Although Tolkowsky's cut represented a milestone in the industry, it is based upon a two-dimensional profile, and so does not account for three-dimensional reflective and refractive effects. Furthermore, the Tokowsky model doesn't account for differences or variations in facet types, sizes or positions, or assymetries present in some cuts.
Further, Tolkowsky apparently relied upon a single incident light ray to create the Tolkowski cut. This lighting model, therefore, has some shorfalls due to the fact that an actual gemstone is normally illuminated from a myriad of directions. Despite the shortcomings of the Tolkowsky cut, it is still in use today. Many gemstone cut grades continue to be based on deviations from the proportions of the Tolkowsky cut.

System and method for computerized evaluation of gemstones


An ink jet recording device comprises: an ink jet recording head for discharging an ink droplet; and a recording control part for outputting a drive signal to cause the ink jet recording head to discharge an ink droplet, wherein the recording control part includes a current amplifier circuit for amplifying a drive signal by active elements connected in multi-stages, and the current amplifier circuit includes a current interruption element connected to an input side of the active element of the current amplifier circuit on a power source side, the current interruption element being for preventing damage of the active element due to an overcurrent from occurring when a short circuit of the drive signal is generated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording device and a short circuit protection method for an ink jet recording device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ink jet recording devices are being used in various applications as image forming devices such as copiers, printers, and fax machines. In an ink jet recording device, a recording operation is performed by discharging minute ink droplets onto a recording medium from an ink jet recording head corresponding to each color ink. In the discharge operation of ink droplets, a drive signal is inputted to a drive element such as a piezoelectric element provided in an ink flow path communicated with a discharge port so as to cause a pressure fluctuation in the ink inside the ink flow path and thereby cause the ink to be discharged from the discharge port, for example.
When a high-definition color image is formed, an ink jet recording head having a large number of densely-arranged discharge ports is used. In such an ink jet recording head, a large number of drive elements are densely arranged so as to correspond to the respective discharge ports. Head drive circuits are densely provided to the respective drive elements via wiring.
When an electric short circuit is generated in the head drive circuit, an overcurrent is applied thereto, thereby damaging the circuit or a component thereof. Thus, the head drive circuit is provided with a protection circuit for preventing such a trouble.
For example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 10-128965 (1998-128965) describes an ink jet printer that detects impedances of a data line and an address line associated with a nozzle and interrupts the data line or the address line in order to prevent the damage of a driver circuit in the thermal ink jet printer.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2010-76312 describes a liquid discharge head drive circuit that monitors a current applied to a common line and restricts a common current when the common current which increases along with a reduction in an insulation resistance of a piezoelectric element exceeds a reference value in order to protect the liquid discharge head drive circuit, etc.
The ink jet printer described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 10-128965 (1998-28965) and the liquid discharge had drive circuit, etc. described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No 2010-76312 are each provided with a circuit for protecting the head drive circuit of the ink jet recording e. However, there is a risk that the waveform of a drive signal may be changed due to the application of a drive current to the protection circuit and this is undesirable in performing the drive control of the drive element. Moreover, regarding a circuit component used in the protection circuit, there is a problem such as increasing in size and cost of the protection circuit as a result of the use of a large-size component and an expensive component.
In view of such problems in conventional techniques, there is a need to configure a current interruption element for protecting a current amplifier circuit from a short circuit of a drive signal by employing a small and inexpensive circuit component in an ink jet recording device.

Ink jet recording device and short circuit protection method for ink jet recording device


A vector for the integration of a gene into the genetic material of a mammalian host cell such that the gene may be expressed by the host cell. The vector comprises a promoter and the gene and an immunoglobulin dominant control region derived from the mouse .lambda. immunoglobulin gene locus capable of eliciting host cell-type restricted, integration site independent, copy number dependent expression of the said gene. The DNaseI super hypersensitive site exemplified are i) about 2.35 kb upstream of the CAP site of the rearranged .lambda..sub.1 gene, ii) about 2.5 kb upstream of the genomic V.lambda..sub.2 segment or iii) about 30 kb downstream of the rearranged .lambda..sub.1 gene. Mammalian host cells transformed with the vector are disclosed as are transgenic mammals transformed with the vector and a method of producing a polypeptide comprising culturing a transformed mammalian cell. A method of gene therapy comprising the steps of i) removing stem cells from the body of a mammal, ii) optionally killing stem cells remaining in the body, iii) transforming the removed stem cells with the containing a gene deficient or absent in the body, and iv) replacing the transformed stem cells in the body is also disclosed. Also disclosed is functional mouse immunoglobulin .lambda..sub.1 enhancer consisting of a DNA sequence comprising all or a functional part of the DNA sequence between the EcoRI site 3.8 kb downstream of the Xho I site in the rearranged mouse .lambda..sub.1 gene and the SnaBI site 10 kb downstream of this Xho I site. The functional mouse immunoglobulin .lambda..sub.1 enhancer may comprise all or a functional part of i) the 1.3 kb first HindIII to HindII DNA fragment downstream of the EcoRI site 3.8 kb downstream of the Xho I site in the rearranged mouse .lambda..sub.1 gene, ii) the 3.3 kb HindII to HindII DNA fragment downstream of the EcoRI site 3.8 kb downstream of the Xho I site in the rearranged mouse .lambda..sub.1 gene and spanning the SnaBI site 10 kb downstream of this Xho I site.

There is a continuing need for improved expression vectors exhibiting high levels of expression. In particular, expression vectors for use in mammalian cell lines are of increasing importance both for the industrial production of desired polypeptides and for the development of therapies for genetic disorders.
There are many known examples of characterised structural genes, which together with appropriate control sequences may be inserted into suitable vectors and used to transform host cells. A significant problem with the integration of such a structural gene and control regions into the genome of a mammalian cell is that expression has been shown to be highly dependent upon the position of the inserted sequence in the genome. This results in a wide variation in the expression level and only very rarely in a high expression level. The problem of integration site dependence is solved by the present invention and arises from the discovery of specific sequences referred to herein as dominant control regions (DCRs) derived from immunoglobulin genes which have the property of conferring a cell-type restricted, integration site independent, copy number dependent expression characteristic on a linked gene system.
Two mammalian gene systems have been shown to possess DCRS, namely the .beta.-like globin genes (Grosveld, F. G. et al, Cell, 51, (1987), 975; International patent application PCT/GB 88/00655), and the human CD2 T-cell marker gene (Lang, G., et al, EMBO J, 7, (1988), 1675; International patent application PCT/GB 88/00655).
When a mammalian gene such as .beta.-globin containing all the usual control regions is introduced into transgenic mice, the gene is not expressed at the same level as the mouse .beta.-globin gene and exhibits integration site position effects. This is characterized by a highly variable expression of the transgene that is not correlated with the copy number of the injected gene in the mouse genome. The same phenomenon has been observed in almost all the genes that have been studied in transgenic mice (Palmiter et al, Ann. Rev. Genet., (1986), 20, 465-499). Moreover, the level of expression of each injected gene in the case of .beta.-globin is, at best, an order of magnitude below that of the endogenous mouse gene (Magram et al., Nature, (1985), 3, 338-340; Townes et al., EMBO J., (1985), 4 1715-1723; Kollias et al, Cell, (1986), 46, 89-94). A similar problem is observed when the .beta.-globin or other genes are introduced into cultured cells by transfection or retroviral infection. This poses a big problem when considering gene therapy by gene addition in stem cells. It is also a major problem for the expression of recombinant DNA products in cultured cells. Extensive screening for highly producing clones is necessary to identify cell-lines in which the vector is optimally expressed and selection for vector amplification or use of multicopy viral vectors is generally required to achieve expression levels comparable to those of the naturally occurring genes, such as for example .beta.-globin genes in erythroleukaemic cell-lines.
In a chromosome, the genetic material is packaged into a DNA/protein complex called chromatin, one effect of which may be to limit the availability of DNA for functional purposes. It has been established that many gene systems (including the .beta.-globin system) possess so-called DNaseI hypersensitive sites. Such sites represent putative regulatory regions, where the normal chromatin structure is altered, for instance by interaction with regulatory proteins or to allow such interaction.
Regions flanking the .beta.-like globin gene locus which contain a number of "super" hypersensitive sites have been identified. These sites are more sensitive to DNase I digestion in nuclei than the sites found in and around the individual genes when they are expressed (Tuan et al PNAS USA, (1985), 2, 6384-6388; Groudine et al, PNAS USA, (1983), 80, 7551-7555). In addition, they are erythroid cell specific and they are present when any one of the globin genes is expressed.
Tuan et al describe the broad mapping of four major DNase I hypersensitive sites in the 5' boundary area of the ".beta.-like" globin gene. The authors note that certain sequence features of these sites are also found in many transcriptional enhancers and suggest that the sites might also possess enhancer functions and be recognised by erythroid specific cellular factors.
It has been discovered that the complete .beta.-globin gene with intact 5' and 3' boundary regions does not exhibit an integration site position dependence (see copending International patent application PCT/GB 88/00655). The regions of the locus responsible for this significant characteristic have been determined and shown to be associated with DNase I super hypersensitive sites. These dominant control regions are quite distinct from enhancers, exhibiting properties such as-integration site independence not exhibited by the known enhancers. The dominant control region used in conjunction with the known promoter/enhancer elements reconstitute the full transcription rate of the natural gene. immunoglobulin genes have been extensively studied in order to identify sequences regulating gene expression. An immunoglobulin molecule consists of two identical heavy polypeptide chains and two identical light polypeptide chains. The light chains may be either of the .kappa. or .lambda. type. The genes encoding the heavy chain, the .kappa. light chain and the .lambda. light chain are each located on separate chromosomes in the mouse and man.
Unlike most genes which are transcribed from continuous genomic DNA sequences, immunoglobulin genes are assembled from gene segments which may be widely separated in the germ line.
Functionally, heavy chain genes are formed by recombination of three genomic segments encoding the variable (V), diversity (D) and joining (J)/constant (C) regions of the molecule (FIG. 1). Functional light chain genes are formed by joining of two segments, one encoding the V region and the other the J/C region. Both the heavy chain and .kappa. light chain loci contain many V gene segments (estimates vary between 100s and 1000s) estimated to span well over 1000 kb (FIG. 1). The .lambda. locus is, by contrast, much smaller and has recently been shown to span approximately 300 kb on chromosome 16 in the mouse. It consists of four joining/constant region gene segments and two variable gene segments (FIG. 1). Recombination resulting in functional genes occurs predominantly between V.sub.1 and either J.sub.1 /C.sub.1 or J.sub.3 /C.sub.3 elements or between V.sub.2 and J.sub.2 /C.sub.2 elements (J.sub.4 /C.sub.4 is a pseudogene) although recombinations between V.sub.2 and J.sub.3 /C.sub.3 or J.sub.1 /C.sub.1 are seen very rarely.
Control of transcription of both rearranged heavy and .kappa. light chain genes depends both on the activity of a tissue specific promoter upstream of the V region (Mason, J. O. et al, Cell, (1985), 41, 479; Bergman, Y. et al, PNAS USA, (1984), 81, 7041) and a tissue specific enhancer located in the J-C intron (Gillies, S. D. et al, Cell, (1983), 33, 717; Banerji, J. et al, Cell, (1983), 3, 729; Picard, D. et al, Nature, 307, 80). These elements act synergistically (Garcia, J. V. et al, Nature, (1986), 3, 383). Recently a second B-cell specific enhancer has been identified in the .kappa. light chain locus (Meyer, K. B. et al, EMBO J., (1989), 8, No. 7,1959-1964). This further enhancer is located 9 kb downstream of C.sub..kappa..
More recently Bich-Thuy and Queen (1989 NAR 17:5307) described an enhancer activity immediately downstream of the rearranged .lambda..sub.1 gene. Sequences downstream of the .lambda..sub.1 gene increased expression of a chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) reporter gene linked to the .lambda..sub.1 promoter in a myeloma cell line which made lambda light chains (J558L) but not in two myeloma cell lines which make .kappa. light chains.
This enhancer activity differs in several ways from that of the heavy chain and .kappa. light chain enhancers. Firstly, it displayed a marked orientation preference. Secondly, it consists of several segments which can independently stimulate transcription and which are spread over about 4 kb of DNA immediately downstream of the .lambda..sub.1 coding sequence. Thirdly, it is apparently only expressed in .lambda. chain producing myeloma cells and not in cells producing .kappa. light chains.
Spandidos and Anderson (1984 FEBS Lett. 175: 152) describe an 8 kb fragment (containing 2 constant region gene segments) from the human .lambda. locus which increases the number of G418 resistant colonies obtained after transfection of myeloma cells with a plasmid containing the 8 kb fragment linked to the aminoglycoside-phosphotransferase (aph) gene under the control of an .epsilon.-globin promoter. Levels of aph specific mRNA were reported to be increased following transient transfection of this construct when compared with a construct lacking the 8 kb sequence. However, no controls were presented for transfection efficiency in the transient assays and no further reports relating to enhancer activity in the human I locus have been published.
DNA fragments carrying rearranged heavy or .kappa. light chain genes are expressed when transfected into lymphoid cells although generally at least 10 times less efficiently than endogenous immunoglobulin genes (Oi, V. T. et al, PNAS USA, (1983), 80, 825; Neuberger, M. S., EMBO J., (1983), 2, 1373). Expression of a similar DNA fragment containing a rearranged .lambda.1 gene however is not detectable in transfected lymphoid cells and expression is only observed when an SV40 enhancer is added (Picard, D. et al, Nature, (1984), 307, 80; Cone, R. D. et al, Science, (1987), 236, 954). This is apparently due to the absence of a functional enhancer such as that present in the J-C intron of the .kappa. gene.
Although promoter and enhancer elements associated with .kappa. and heavy chain genes are sufficient to confer lymphoid cell specific expression of antibody genes, the level of expression is reduced compared with expression of endogenous antibody genes and genes are subject to position effects such that no clear relation exists between the level of expression and the copy number of the introduced gene (Oi, V. T. et al, PNAS USA, (1983), 80, 825; Neuberger, M. S., EMBO J., (1983), A, 1373). Similar results are obtained when .kappa. and heavy chain genes are introduced into transgenic mice (Storb U., et al, Ann. Rev. Immunol., 5, (1987), 151).
Sequences required for full regulation of antibody gene expression are therefore lacking from constructs used to date in expression studies (Grosschedl, R. et al, Cell, (1985), 55, 645).
We have now identified super hypersensitive sites in the rearranged .lambda..sub.1 mouse immunoglobulin gene outside of the region previously suggested to be involved in expression of the .lambda..sub.1 gene. The strong implication of our finding is that immunoglobulin gene expression shares a common feature with .beta.-globin and CD2 expression, namely the existence of dominant control regions.
Many active genes have hypersensitive sites associated with their promoters. For example, a tissue specific DNaseI hypersensitive site is observed 300 bp upstream from the start of the coding region of the rearranged .kappa. immunoglobulin gene (Chung, S-Y et al, PNAS USA, 80, 2427). No such site was identified in the rearranged .lambda..sub.1 gene which was studied in the present work nor was any site identified in the J-C intron where hypersensitive sites associated with immunoglobulin enhancers have been identified in both the heavy chain (Mills, F. et al., (1984), Nature, 306, 807) and light chain genes (Chung, S-Y et al, PNAS USA, 80, 2427; Parslow, T. G. et al, NAR, (1983), 11, 4775); Weischet et al, NAR, (1982), 10, 3627).
The hypersensitive sites characteristic of the dominant control regions of the .beta.-globin locus identified by Grosveld et al. (Grosveld, F. G. et al, Cell, (1987), 51, 957-985) are referred to as "super hypersensitive". The designation "super" hypersensitive refers to the fact that these sites are much more sensitive to DNaseI that the "normal" hypersensitive site associated with the .beta.-globin promoter (Groudine, M. et al, PNAS USA, (1983), 80, 7551). In the mouse .lambda. locus, promoter hypersensitive sites are not detectable and the only DNaseI hypersensitive sites which are seen, map at larger distances from the gene.
The hypersensitive sites in the mouse .lambda. locus indicate locations of sequences which, according to the present invention confer dominant control of immunoglobulin genes. On the basis of this mapping, DNA sequences flanking the rearranged gene in J558L have been cloned.
The present invention is applicable to the production of transgenic animals and the techniques for producing such are now widely known. For a review, see Jaenisch, Science, (1988), 240, 1468-1474.
The present invention provides a solution to the problem of integration site dependence of expression making possible the insertion of functionally active gene systems into mammalian genomes both in vitro and in vivo. Specifically, the present invention provides a vector capable of expressing homologous and heterologous genes after their introduction into immunoglobulin producing cells, whether in vivo or in vitro, in an integration-site independent cell specific manner.
We have found also that certain of the hypersensitive sites in the mouse .lambda. locus correspond to new useful .lambda. immunoglobulin enhancer elements. Thus the present invention further provides these new enhancer elements and vectors containing these elements, useful for the expression of heterologous genes.

Vector for integration site independent gene expression in mammalian host cells


A vaporizer includes a vaporizing chamber configured to vaporize a liquid material and thereby form a gas material. A spray portion is configured to spray the liquid material in the vaporizing chamber. A delivery part is configured to deliver the gas material from the vaporizing chamber to a gas outlet. A heating portion is configured to heat the vaporizer. The delivery part includes a filter member covering the gas outlet and configured to allow the gas material to pass therethrough. A shield plate is disposed to cover the filter member on a side farther from the gas outlet.

As exemplary techniques for forming thin films of semiconductor devices, CVD (chemical vapor deposition) methods are known. Where a capacitor is fabricated in a process of manufacturing a semiconductor device, it is required to form a dielectric thin film with a high dielectric constant and a low leakage current, which facilitates high integration of the device. In order to achieve this, a film formation technique employing an organic metal material as a source material is used to form the dielectric thin film.
In such a film formation technique, an organic metal material used as a source material is normally in a liquid state or liquefied by a suitable solvent. The source material is turned into mist and vaporized in a vaporizer (source material vaporizer), and is then supplied into the reaction chamber of a film formation apparatus. In the vaporizer, the organic metal material needs to be sufficiently vaporized at a temperature that does not cause decomposition of the material. However, in practice, non-vaporized residual mist may be generated, and/or decomposition products of the organic metal material may be generated as particles. Accordingly, a problem arises in that the mist and particles degrade the quality of a thin film formed within the reaction chamber.
In light of this problem, conventionally, such a vaporizer is known that includes a filter disposed at the outlet to remove mist and particles (for example, see Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publications No. 7-94426 and No. 8-186103 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,485). Further, such a vaporizer is known that includes a vaporizing plate disposed at an angle perpendicular to or interfering with the flow path of a gas material, and a heater disposed in the vaporizing plate to promote vaporization (for example, see Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 6-310444).
Furthermore, such a vaporizer is known that includes a vaporizing surface disposed at a position opposite the spray direction of a source material within a vaporizing chamber and configured to be controlled in temperature independently of the other inner surface portions of the vaporizing chamber (for example, see Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-110546, and particularly a structure shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 thereof). The vaporizing surface is set at a temperature higher than that of the other inner surface portions. In this respect, conventionally, when a source material is intensively sprayed on an inner surface portion opposite the spray direction of the source material, non-vaporized residuals may be generated due to a temperature decrease of the inner surface portion. In contrast, the improved vaporizer described above can reduce such non-vaporized residuals and thereby increase the vaporization rate.
However, in the conventional gas material supply system described above, a filter may be clogged with mist and particles. In this case, the conductance is decreased in a short time, and the pressure inside a vaporizer is thereby increased. This decreases the gas material feed rate and vaporization efficiency at the vaporizer. Accordingly, in order to maintain the gas material feed rate and vaporization efficiency, the filter requires frequent cleaning or replacement, which in return decreases the operation rate of the apparatus.
According to a conventional system employing the vaporizing plate with a heater disposed therein described above, the vaporizing plate needs to widely expand in a gas passage to increase the trapping rate of mist. In this case, the vaporization efficiency at a vaporizer is decreased. Further, it can be hardly expected that particles are trapped by the vaporizing plate.
Further, according to a conventional vaporizer with the vaporizing surface independently controllable in temperature described above, the temperature of an inner surface portion opposite the spray direction of a source material is independently controlled. With this arrangement, the vaporization efficiency of the source material is increased within a vaporizing chamber. However, this arrangement can hardly work on the mist out of contact with the vaporizing surface. Accordingly, when non-vaporized residuals and particles do not come into contact with the vaporizing surface, but flow directly to the outlet or gas lead-out port of the vaporizing chamber, they can be discharged as they are.

Vaporizer and semiconductor processing apparatus


An aid for teaching mathematical concepts looks like a multiplication table but has separable rows of numbers. In the first row, cardinal numbers 1-n are displayed and second-N rows have cardinal numbers 2-n displayed along side one edge on the face. The remainder of the rows have the multiplication products of the cardinal numbers on the first row and the cardinal numbers of the rest of the rows arranged at the intersections of the cardinal numbers at the top and along side the edge. The rows are separable so they may be arranged in a multiplicity of pairs of fractional equivalents.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an aid for teaching mathematics and more particularly multiplication, division and fractions.
2. Prior Art Statement
Currently, the most widely used approach to teaching mathematics involves having students watch a teacher explain concepts and solve sample problems on a chalkboard, a whiteboard, or via a TV screen (through videos or some kind of a PowerPoint presentation); and then the students are expected to be able to remember, reproduce, and generalize what they have seen. This highly visual method does not succeed with every student. According to recently published results in National Center for Education Statistics, National Report Card, Mathematics 2011, NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS AT GRADES 4 AND 8, NCES 2012-458, 2011, Figure C, page 2, only about thirty percent of eighth grade students (in the United States) score at a proficient level (or higher) on mathematics standardized tests. Therefore, some seventy percent of U.S. students could use a new approach, or many new approaches, to help them attain proficiency. Additionally, simple research conducted by Gordon Dryden and Jeannette Vos as detailed in chapter 3 and more particularly on page 130 in their book "UNLIMITED, The New Learning Revolution and the Seven Keys to Unlock It," November 2008 available from International Sales Office, The Learning Web Limited, P.O. Box 87209, Meadowbank, Auckland, New Zealand, finds that some twenty-five percent to forty percent of students are kinesthetic learners (as opposed to visual learners or auditory learners). Kinesthetic learners do not learn as well from straight visual methods, such as a PowerPoint presentation or the lectures mentioned above, but instead learn better by using something they can touch, feel, move with their hands, or get physically involved with. Critical to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is a thorough understanding of the basics of mathematics. Therefore, there is an unfulfilled need for a simple mathematics teaching aid to advance STEM wherein a student may easily learn fractions, fractional equivalents and multiplication products.
It is known to provide a pair of concentric cylinders disposed over a pencil. The outer cylinder has a longitudinal slot with the series of numbers 1-9 immediately above the slot and has an aperture to the left of the series of numbers. The inner cylinder has a plurality of lines of numbers disposed longitudinally along the exterior surface that are products of multiplication, these lines aligned for display through the slot of the outer cylinder. Aligned in circumferential arrangement with the lines of numbers is an annular row of numbers 1-9. By rotating the inner cylinder with respect to the outer cylinder, the number appearing in the aperture will display all the products of that number multiplied by the series of numbers above the slot. For instance, see the U.S. Pat. No. 1,720,499 issued on Jul. 1, 1926 to William Walker. Though the device of Walker shows a multiplier and a series of multiplicands, a complete multiplication table is not present nor can a plurality of fractional equivalents of various sets be instantly displayed. Furthermore, the cylinders of the pencil of Walker can easily be lost rendering the device unusable. Thus, there is a need for an aid for teaching mathematical concepts comprising a plurality of elongated elements provided with numbers on at least one face thereof, the plurality of elements adapted to be arranged in a multiplicity of sets wherein the sets present ordered pairs of fractions, multiplication products and division products.
It is known to provide a rod that has a plurality of identical shapes slidable but non rotatable upon the rod. Every facet of each shape has the same number but may have a different color. For instance, see the U.S. Pat. No. 7,828,553 issued on Nov. 9, 2010 to Carla Berg. The device is said to teach students counting by sets however, there is no means of placing pairs of rods together to teach fractions or to present a complete multiplication table. Additionally, the separate rods do not lend themselves to be instantly configured into varied sets and may also be misplaced. Accordingly, there is a need for an aid for teaching mathematical concepts comprising a plurality of elongated elements provided with numbers on at least one face thereof wherein the plurality of elements are joined together and adapted to be arranged in a multiplicity of sets to readily present ordered pairs of fractions, multiplication products and division products.
It is also known to provide a plurality of equal sized weights used on a balance beam to teach math concepts. By using fractional sized weights, fractional math may be taught. For instance, see the U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,491 issued on Apr. 13, 1976 to James Richard Harte. It is readily apparent that the plurality of parts may easily be lost and thus render the device unfit for continued use. Furthermore, no complete fractional table or plurality of fractional equivalents may be shown nor can the balance beam be utilized to display varied sets of fractions. Therefore, the need for a mathematics teaching aid that comprises a plurality of elongated elements flexibly joined together wherein each element is placeable adjacent any other element thus presenting a plurality of fractional units to a learner manipulating said plurality of elongated elements.
It is further known to provide an abacus frame carrying polygonal blocks having letters and numerals rotatably disposed upon the wires of the frame. Math principles may be taught by properly rotating the blocks to present sums, remainders, products and quotients. For instance, see the U.S. Pat. No. 422,612 issued on Mar. 4, 1890 to Christiana Neuhaus. Though fractions are shown on some blocks, showing fractions comprised of whole numbers is difficult and beyond the scope of the invention. Furthermore, a complete multiplication table is not available nor can the device be instantly reconfigured into fractional sets. Therefore, there has long been a need for a tool for teaching multiplication, division and fractions comprised of a plurality of elongated bars of specific cross sectional shape, at least one longitudinal face of each elongated bar provided with a first number adjacent one end and multiples of the first number disposed at spaced intervals along the longitudinal face where the elongated bars may be joined together in any sequence.
Likewise, it is known to provide a flat case with a multiplication table printed on one half of a base wherein the multiplication table may be observed through slots in a cover plate. Numbers from 1-10 are printed along the left side and across the top of the one half of the cover plate. Opaque slides are provided to slide within the slots of the cover plate. For instance, see the U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,914 B2 issued on Aug. 3, 2004 to Kalyani Sundararajan. Though equivalent fractions of adjacent sets of numbers may be displayed, there is no means to display equivalent fractions of non-adjacent sets as the device may not be reconfigured to place any number row adjacent any other number row. Obviously, there is still a great need for an aid for teaching mathematical concepts comprising a plurality of elongated elements provided with numbers on at least one face thereof with the plurality of elements adapted to be arranged in a multiplicity of sets thus presenting ordered pairs of fractions, multiplication products and division products to a student manipulating the elements into the different sets.
Yet another known teaching device is a flat case with a plurality of square channels disposed through one edge. The opposed edge is blocked. Numbers 1-9 are printed on the face of the case aligned with each channel. Adjacent each number are two apertures through the face of the case. Next to the second aperture is the equality sign. In the first channel, a third aperture is disposed through the case and diagonally from the third aperture in the first channel are third apertures in each of the remaining channels. Each bar is provided with one of the four math symbols that appears in the first aperture and adjacent the math symbol is a number. Each bar has a different number in the second position such that any bar may be inserted into any channel For instance, see the U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,750 issued on Jul. 3, 1973 to Motoi Hurue. As the blocks need to inserted into and removed from the channels, the likelihood of loss is great. Additionally, fractions and fractional equivalents may not be taught using this device. Apparently, the need for a flexible tool table that may be readily manipulated into multiple configurations showing various fractions and fractional equivalents is still great.
Fractional strips have long been used, and are still being used to show how many fractional units of a given size make up a whole. For instance, see the U.S. Pat. No. 1,174,689 issued on Mar. 7, 1916 to Frank J. Coleman. Equivalent fractions cannot be taught with this device. Additionally, the multiple parts may easily be misplaced. Furthermore, there is no multiplication table so the need for an integrated teaching aid showing a complete multiplication table with equivalent fractions on adjacent pairs of elements which can also be reconfigured to show equivalent fractions ofnon adjacent pairs of elements.


The present invention provides a method for screening drugs for suppressing inflammasome activity, using macrophages derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) having mutant NLRP3 gene.

The innate immune response, in which a signal such as amyloid β, asbestos, urate crystals, cholesterol crystals, or oligomers of islet amyloid polypeptides triggers formation of complexes called inflammasomes containing NLRP3, an adaptor protein ASC and caspase-1, followed by activation of caspase-1, leading to production of IL-1β, is considered to be one of the causes of Alzheimer's disease, asbestosis, gout, arteriosclerosis, type 2 diabetes and the like (Halle A, et al., Nat Immunol. 9:857-65, 2008; Dostert C, et al., Science vol. 320, pp. 674-677, 2008; Peter D, et al., Nature 464: 1357-1361, 2010; Martinon F, et al., Nature 440:237-41, 2006; Masters SL, et al., Nat Immunol. 11:897-904, 2010).
On the other hand, CINCA (Chronic Infantile Neurologic Cutaneous and Articular) syndrome is one of autoinflammatory syndromes and about a half of patients suffering from this syndrome have a heterozygous mutation in the NLRP3 gene. This mutant NLRP3 gene is said to cause systemic inflammation by constantly activating the above-described inflammasomes.
However, a screening system suitable for developing drugs for suppressing an activity of inflammasome containing NLRP3, which is common among these diseases, has not yet been developed.

Method for screening drugs for suppressing inflammasome activity


A speech-based system for assessing the psychological, physiological, or other characteristics of a test subject is described. The system includes a knowledge base that stores one or more speech models, where each speech model corresponds to a characteristic of a group of reference subjects. Signal processing circuitry, which may be implemented in hardware, software and/or firmware, compares the test speech parameters of a test subject with the speech models. In one embodiment, each speech model is represented by a statistical time-ordered series of frequency representations of the speech of the reference subjects. The speech model is independent of a priori knowledge of style parameters associated with the voice or speech. The system includes speech parameterization circuitry for generating the test parameters in response to the test subject's speech. This circuitry includes speech acquisition circuitry, which may be located remotely from the knowledge base. The system further includes output circuitry for outputting at least one indicator of a characteristic in response to the comparison performed by the signal processing circuitry. The characteristic may be time-varying, in which case the output circuitry outputs the characteristic in a time-varying manner. The output circuitry also may output a ranking of each output characteristic. In one embodiment, one or more characteristics may indicate the degree of sincerity of the test subject, where the degree of sincerity may vary with time. The system may also be employed to determine the effectiveness of treatment for a psychological or physiological disorder by comparing psychological or physiological characteristics, respectively, before and after treatment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of speech analysis, and in particular to the analysis of an individual's speech to determine psychological, physiological or other characteristics.
2. Description of the Related Art
Scientists have long known that qualities of the human voice may indicate the emotions of the speaker. Speech is the acoustic response to motion of the vocal cords and the vocal tract, and to the resonances of openings and cavities of the human head. Air pressure from the lungs is modulated by muscular tension of the vocal cords, among other influences. Human emotions, as well as certain physiological conditions not typically associated with the voice, affect this muscular tension, and thereby affect voice modulation. Further, speech may also be affected by certain physiological conditions, such as dementia, learning disabilities, and various organically-based speech and language disorders.
Others have attempted to associate emotional qualities quantitatively with physical speech characteristics. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,417, issued to Fuller, the normalized peak energy ratio from two frequency bands of a subject's voice is used to determine whether the subject is telling the truth. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,416, issued to Fuller, a skilled interrogator asks the subject questions designed to elicit a true or false response. Fuller's system weighs a measure of the vibrato content of the subject's speech with the peak amplitude from a selected frequency band. The interrogator derives the veracity of the subject's statement through a comparison of the resulting quantity with a known truthful response.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,093,821, issued to Williamson, a speech analyzer operates on the frequency components within the first formant band of a subject's speech. The analyzer examines occurrence patterns in differential first formant pitch, rate of change of pitch, duration, and time distribution. The analyzer produces three outputs. The first output indicates the frequency of nulls or "flat" spots in a FM-demodulated first-formant speech signal. Williamson discloses that small differences in frequency between short adjacent nulls indicate stress, and that large differences in frequency between adjacent nulls indicate relaxation. The second output indicates the duration of the nulls. According to Williamson, the longer the nulls, the higher the stress level. The third output is proportional to (1) the ratio of the total duration of nulls during a word period to (2) the total length of the word period. According to Williamson, an operator can determine the emotional state of an individual based upon these three outputs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,483, issued to Silverman, describes a method for detecting suicidal predisposition based upon speech. The voice analyzer examines the signal amplitude decay at the conclusion of an utterance by a test subject, and the degree of amplitude modulation of the utterance. The subject's speech is filtered and displayed on a time-domain strip chart recording. A strip chart recording of a similarly filtered speech signal from a mentally healthy person is obtained. A skilled operator compares the parameters of interest from these two strip charts to determine whether the test subject is predisposed to suicide.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,840, issued to Jones, is based upon a relationship between so-called "perceptual dimensions" and seven "vocal profile dimensions." The seven vocal dimensions include two voice and five speech dimensions, namely: resonance, quality, variability-monotone, choppy-smooth, staccato-sustain, attack-soft, and affectivity-control. The voice, speech and perceptual dimensions require assembly from 14 specific properties representative of the voice signal in the frequency domain, plus four arithmetic relationships among those properties, plus the average differences between several hundred consecutive samples in the time domain. To arrive at voice style "quality" elements, the system relies upon relationships between the lower set and the upper set of frequencies in the vocal utterance. The speech style elements, on the other hand, are determined by a combination of measurements relating to the pattern of vocal energy occurrences such as pauses and decay rates. The voice style "quality" elements emerge from three spectral analysis functions, whereas the speech style elements result from four other analysis functions. The voice style quality analysis elements include spectrum spread, spectrum energy balance, and spectrum envelope flatness. The speech style elements are spectrum variability, utterance pause ratio analysis, syllable change approximation, and high frequency analysis.
Jones relates the seven vocal dimensions and seven perceptual style dimensions only to the above-described sound style elements. Each dimension is described as a function of these selected sound style elements. According to Jones's theory, the seven perceptual style dimensions or even different perceptual, personality or cognitive dimensions can be described as a function of the seven sound style elements.
The limitation in the Jones system to seven speech elements apparently constrains the psychological characteristics that can be measured by the system. Jones states that "[t]he presence of specific emotional content such as fear, stress, or anxiety, or the probability of lying on specific words, is not of interest to the invention disclosed herein." Col. 5, lines 42-45.
Each prior art voice analyzer generally relies upon one or more highly specific frequency or time characteristics, or a combination thereof, in order to derive the emotional state of the speaker. None of the references provides flexibility in the frequency or time domain qualities that are analyzed. Jones allows a variation in the weighting of the seven sound style elements, but does not permit variation of the elements themselves. Further, all the known prior art characterizations of speech rely upon a priori knowledge of speech patterns, such as knowledge of vibrato content, properties of speech within the first formant, amplitude decay properties, staccato-sustain and attack-soft. The prior art does not contemplate allowing a flexible variation of the disclosed specific time and frequency qualities even though such a variation may enable a speech-based assessment to correlate strongly with traditional psychological assessments, such as the Myers Briggs test and MMPI. Such flexibility is highly desirable given that the psychological profile of an individual is already difficult to quantify. Further, it is desirable to provide a speech analysis system that can also be easily adapted to assessing physiological traits of an individual.

Speech signal processing for determining psychological or physiological characteristics using a knowledge base


Smart image enhancements are disclosed, including: obtaining a representation of a user's face associated with a set of images associated with the user's face; obtaining a set of extrinsic information corresponding to an image of the set of images; determining a modified smoothing map by modifying a model smoothing map to correspond to the representation of the user's face; and determining an enhanced image based at least in part on the set of extrinsic information corresponding to the image, the modified model smoothing map, and the image.

Typical filters apply uniformly to an entire image. As such, typical filters are not effective in differentiating between features of an image that should remain sharp and features of the image that should be altered. For example, in applying a filter to an image of a person's face, it may not be desirable to apply the filter to certain facial features, such as the eyes and lips.


A cleaning brush kit includes a bottle brush and a straw brush. The bottle-cleaning brush and the straw-cleaning brush are designed to be stored together with each other, but separable such that each can be used without the other. The bottle brush includes storage compartment in its handle to store the straw brush. The bottle brush head includes an upper ring and a lower ring of appendages designed to clean hard-to-reach areas of bottles. The straw brush includes a shaft and helical blade wrapped around the shaft.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that various liquid dispensing containers in various sizes and shapes have been fabricated and sold over many decades. For many years, these liquid dispensing containers have been designed to meet the particular needs of the users during their various activities. For example, liquid dispensing containers have been specifically designed for assorted events such as running, bicycle riding, hiking, rock climbing, driving an automobile, attendance at sporting events, and the like. Much attention has been directed in these designs to providing a liquid dispensing vessel which permits a user to consume or dispense liquid from the container in a reliable manner during the activity, and which further prevents accidental spilling of the liquid from the container in the event that the drinking vessel is accidentally overturned.
With regard to the various shapes and configurations of drinking containers, one known and recurring problem is how to clean them after use so that they can be safe for reuse. Often, the neck or opening of the container is narrower than other components of the drinking container. Many examples of drinking containers include a shoulder, sides, and/or base or bottom that are wider than the neck or opening. Such configurations and shapes make it difficult to reach with a typical dish-cleaning brush. Several specialized tools have been developed to clean containers of specific shapes. Moreover, conventional bristles are rounded filaments that make contact with the surface to be cleaned at no more than one single linear edge, and often not even one linear edge. Often, the conventional rounded bristle makes contact with the cleaning surface at a small, round, non-linear edge and scrubbing the cleaning surface requires considerable agitation to remove debris and clean the entire cleaning surface.
Drinking straws have similar problems. Because drinking straws are often very narrow, it can be difficult to thoroughly clean the straw's interior. Debris can become lodged inside the straw, blocking or partially blocking fluid flow. Many straws are too narrow for ordinary dish-cleaning brushes to effectively clean. Some specialized straw-cleaning brushes have been developed.
Thus, to appropriately clean any drinking container that includes a straw, a user is faced with using multiple, separate, specialized cleaning tools. Providing a different option for such cleaning without the limitations of known tools would be beneficial.


There is provided a movement support apparatus including a lower limb coupling portion configured to be coupled to a lower limb, an elastic member, a ground contact unit configured to include a ground contact plate coming into contact with a surface and a transmission portion transmitting force generated by the elastic member, and an ankle portion configured to be installed between the lower limb coupling portion and the ground contact unit. The ground contact unit is installed to be displaceable between a position at which the transmission portion comes into contact with the ankle portion and a position at which the transmission portion is uncoupled from the ankle portion.

The present disclosure relates to a movement support apparatus.
In recent years, biomechanics, in which structures and movement functions of living things are mechanically analyzed, has been actively studied. Further, development of products reducing burdens on human bodies or products to which the structures and movements of living things using such biomechanics are applied has been advanced.
In particular, many studies of erect bipedalism which is a basic human action have been made, and technologies for supporting human walking and running more efficiently based on erect bipedalism mechanisms analyzed using biomechanics have been examined.
For example, JP 2012-501739T discloses an artificial foot and lower limb equipment or the like that supports human walking by applying torque to an ankle joint using an elastic member and a motor.


An apparatus having a first portion including a first front wall, a first rear wall, and a bottom wall integrally coupled to the first front wall and the first rear wall, and pivotal pin structures integrally coupled to and extending from the first rear wall. The apparatus includes a second portion having a second front wall, a second rear wall, and a top wall integrally coupled to the second front wall and the second rear wall, and pin holders integrally coupled to and extending from the second rear wall and at an offset angle with reference to the top wall. The pivotal pin structure includes a base support connected to the first rear wall and a shaft connected to the base support, and the pin holder defines an opening sized and shaped to accept the shaft. The first and second portions are sized and shaped to be pivotally movable between open and closed configurations.

Semiconductor samples undergo numerous processing operations during fabrication process in an integrated circuit (IC) fabrication facility. Such semiconductor samples are generally packed in a container for storing, transporting, and/or shipping. Containers whose interior offers a clean room climate are therefore necessary for storing the semiconductor wafers and for transporting the semiconductor samples to various processing locations.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.