A method, computer program product, and a data processing system for transferring request prioritizations in a data processing system network is provided. A first data processing system receives a transaction request and identifies a priority of the transaction request. The first data processing system processes and conveys the transaction request to a second data processing system according to the priority, and the second data processing system processes the transaction request according to the priority.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system and, in particular, to a mechanism for prioritization in a multi-tier environment. Still more particularly, the present invention provides a mechanism for transferring request priorities across related nodes, that is nodes required in processing a given transaction, job, or the like, in a multi-tier data processing system network.
2. Description of Related Art
Various networked data processing system traffic control schemes for queuing and filtering network traffic are used for providing service level agreement (SLA) traffic prioritization. For example, the Linux network stack has infrastructure for traffic control that has queuing disciplines (qdisc) and filters. A hierarchy of qdiscs can be constructed jointly with a class hierarchy to support Quality of Service (QoS) features. Traffic can be routed to different classes by employing filters that are matched against packet header fields. However this is available only for the transmit side of the network protocol stack.
For the receive side, that is the server side in a client-server network or receive side of any one of the server systems in the multi-tier environment, prioritization is provided on a connection basis. For example, when an incoming connection is established, the connection may be prioritized based on one or more priority filters to queue the connection in one of a plurality of queues allocated to different priority classes. Based on this, priority connections are established. This priority assignment is referred to as connection queuing and is implemented as part of the three-phase connection process in the TCP/lP protocol. In such systems, client prioritization is enforced only at connection time. As a result, the processing of requests from a higher priority client is started before a lower priority client request is processed. However, this does not guarantee that processing of data from higher priority clients is performed before data from a lower priority client as the priority is not enforced at the data frame level.
It would be advantageous to provide a mechanism for frame-level prioritization for providing SLA prioritization queuing of inbound traffic at a server providing not only connection time priority but also data processing priority to clients of different priorities. It would be further advantageous to provide a mechanism for providing frame-level prioritization in a multi-processor environment for priority queuing of incoming traffic on a per-processor basis.
Moreover, processing of a transaction may span across a plurality of systems in a multi-tier data processing system network. For example, a client may start a transaction with a web server, and the webserver, in turn, may be required to access a backend database server, route the request to another webserver, or access a web application server to complete the transaction request. Therefore, the first tier web server, in turn, may require connection with a web application server, which eventually may end up connecting to a database server to complete the processing. No mechanisms exist for transferring a network priority across multiple systems involved in processing of a transaction for network layer processing.
It would be advantageous to provide a mechanism to transfer a priority class across multiple nodes that are involved in processing a single transaction or job in a data processing system network. It would further be advantageous to provide a mechanism to transfer a priority class that includes the priority at the connection level and at the inbound data frame level in a multi-tier data processing system network.

System and method for request priority transfer across nodes in a multi-tier data processing system network

International Business Machines Corporation


Glycolipid mimics which include a rigid hydrophobic moiety are disclosed. Methods of using the glycolipid mimics are also disclosed.

Glycosphingolipids (GSL) form a unique amphipathic subclass of glycoconjugates present on the external leaflet of the eukaryote plasma membrane. A variety of functions have been ascribed to glycolipids including intercellular recognition (1), growth regulation (2), differentiation (3) and microbial adhesion.
GSLs have been studied by isolation of purified GSLs and subsequent chemical modifications. An example of such a chemical transformation is the synthesis of deacylGSLs, in which GSL function has been investigated by coupling the free amine functionality of the sphingosine to various molecular units, including fatty acids (4-7), cross linkers (7) or fluorescent probes (8, 9). Similarly, although to a lesser extent, some effort has been directed towards the oxidative cleavage of the internal double bond of the sphingosine (10), where the allylic alcohol component of the ceramide is transformed into a .alpha.-hydroxycarboxylate function.
It has been recognized, however, that isolated soluble GSLs do not always retain the binding characteristics of the membrane-bound glycolipid. In fact, solubilized GSLs may have little or no binding affinity for compounds which bind strongly to the membrane-bound GSL. For example, verotoxin, a toxin produced by certain pathogenic bacteria, binds to globotriaosyl ceramide (Gb.sub.3), a GSL which is anchored in the cell membrane by two long, hydrophobic hydrocarbon chains. However, the binding of verotoxin to Gb.sub.3 which has been freed from the membrane is much weaker.
The ability to study interactions between GSLs and compounds or pathogens which bind to GSLs, in the solution phase, therefore requires glycolipid mimics which are soluble, yet retain the binding affinity of membrane-bound naturally-occurring GSLs for toxins and pathogens.

Glycolipid mimics and methods of use thereof

The Hospital for Sick Children Research and Development LP


Physical storage is replaced online in a data integrity storage system comprising RAID groups of physical disks in separate enclosures (shelves). All disks of a RAID group are located on a corresponding shelf, and each shelf is mapped by an internal file system to a separate independent logical address space partitioned into a plurality of blocks forming a blockset containing data and metadata. Source shelf disk data is moved online to disks of a target shelf using invulnerable data movement that ensures the integrity of the data, and source shelf blockset metadata is migrated to a corresponding target shelf blockset. After verifying the correctness of the target data and metadata, the source shelf and blockset are removed.

This invention relates generally to data integrity systems used for backup and archiving comprising multiple groups of physical storage devices, e.g., RAID groups, abstracted as virtual storage devices, and more particularly to a method of migrating data and replacing a physical storage device online in such a data integrity system.
Storage systems used for backup and archive of data have architectures that ensure the long term integrity and recoverability of the data. Typically, the storage systems use groups or arrays of physical storage disks organized as RAID groups where data is striped across different physical disks of a RAID group with parity for fault detection and correction. The RAID groups are virtualized by the file system as logical storage devices. The system architecture may also employ data integrity techniques such as only writing to new data blocks and never overwriting data that changes since this can result in accidentally overwriting existing good data and produce data corruption. As a result the storage system size grows continually as new data is written, ultimately necessitating that the storage capacity of the system be increased. Capacity may be increased either by adding additional storage disks to the system, or by increasing the capacity of existing disks through data compression, e.g., data deduplication, and/or disk hardware upgrades. Moreover, sometimes certain types or models of physical disks exhibit reliability problems and need to be replaced.
Disk arrays comprising a collection of physical disks that form a RAID group are generally housed within an enclosure referred to as a "shelf" and associated with a disk controller. The number of physical disks on a shelf depends, in part, upon the level of RAID used in the storage system and the size of the data blocks striped across the disks. RAID 6, for example, is advantageous because it uses block level striping with double distributed parity, and permits data recovery with the loss of two disks. A RAID 6 array may comprise, for instance, twelve to sixteen disks, including two parity disks, and a shelf may have one or more spare disks that can be swapped in place of a failed disk. In the event of a disk upgrade within a disk group, an entire shelf of disks must be replaced with a new shelf, which requires that all data on the disks of the shelf being replaced be migrated to a new shelf, the file system upgraded for the new shelf, and the old shelf physically removed. Many storage systems map disk groups into a single contiguous linear address space. In order to remove and replace a shelf in such systems requires that the system be shut down, the data be moved to a new shelf and the old shelf be removed, and the file system be rebuilt. This can be a complex error prone task. Furthermore, the data migration to the new shelf must be handled in ways which insure data integrity, i.e., that the data is accurately migrated and that data may be recovered in the event of a crash during migration so that no data loss occurs.
It is desirable to provide systems and methods that address the foregoing and other problems with online replacement of physical storage devices in a virtual storage system, including online data migration and data recovery upon a crash, and it is to these ends that the present invention is directed.

Online replacement of physical storage in a virtual storage system


A method of treating fabric comprising:. i) applying a composition comprising a polycarboxylic acid or derivative thereof; and ii) curing the composition using a domestic process, is described herein. The invention also relates to compositions for use in said method.

When articles are purchased the fabrics from which they are made are crease free. During laundering or wear/use the fabrics crease, the consumer then removes these creases to a lesser extent by tumble drying and to a greater extent by ironing. During use or wear of the articles the fabric crease again, further laundering exacerbates the problem and so the cycle continues.
In order to prevent fabrics creasing there are a number of industrial processes available which are used to treat the fabrics. These industrial processes are reviewed in "Textile Chemist and Colourist" November 1992 vol 24, No 11. However these industrial processes change the nature and feel of the fabric and so have not been used domestically.
The present invention describes compositions that can be used to reduce creasing of the fabrics during wear and in the subsequent laundering of the fabric. It has been found that the drape and/or tactile properties are not adversely affected.
A secondary advantage of the methods and compositions described herein is to improve wrinkle performance in combination with improved colour durability of the textile. It is believed that lower surface nap and pill formation lead to reduced light scattering and better colour perception.

Lever Brothers Company, Division of Conopco,Inc.


A circuit for controlling a matrix display formed of light-emitting diodes, capable of successively selecting lines of the screen and, for each line from a set of selected lines, of selecting columns, the voltage of each selected column settling at an operating voltage. The circuit is capable, before selection of each line from said set of lines, of precharging at least the columns to be selected to a precharge voltage. The circuit includes a device for adjusting the precharge voltage including a measurement circuit capable, on each selection of a line from said set of lines, of measuring the maximum operating voltage from among the operating voltages of the selected columns; a circuit capable of storing the maximum measured operating voltage; and a circuit capable of adjusting the precharge voltage based on the maximum stored operating voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electroluminescent display matrix screens formed of a set of light-emitting diodes. These are for example screens formed of organic diodes ("OLED", for Organic Light Emitting Display) or polymer diodes ("PLED" for Polymer Light Emitting Display). The present invention more specifically relates to the regulation of the precharge voltage of the control circuits of the light-emitting diodes of such screens.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows an example of a matrix screen 10 with light-emitting diodes. Each pixel of screen 10 is formed of a light-emitting diode 12. Diodes 12 are arranged in Y lines and X columns. The cathodes of diodes 12 of a same line are connected to a line electrode 14, and the anodes of diodes 12 of a same column are connected to a column electrode 16.
The display of an image on screen 10, according to currently-used standards, is obtained by the display of a frame or of two successive frames. On display of a frame, the addressing of matrix screen 10 is performed line after line via a circuit for controlling lines 18 (commonly called a line driver). The electrode of line 14 of the selected or active line is connected to ground while the line electrodes of the inactive lines are left at high impedance or are connected to a high voltage. Simultaneously, the information corresponding to the activation or to the non-activation of diodes 12 of the active line will be transmitted by column electrodes 16 via a circuit for controlling columns 20 (commonly called a column driver) which injects a current into column electrodes 16 connected to diodes 12 to be activated.
FIG. 2 shows a more specific modeling of a pixel of matrix screen 10 of FIG. 1. Each pixel is formed of a non-resistive and non-capacitive light-emitting diode 12 in parallel with a stray capacitor 22. For a 300-μm2 pixel formed of an organic or polymer light-emitting diode, such a stray capacitor may have a capacitance on the order of 25 picofarads. A first resistor 24 in series with diode 12 represents the resistance of the portion of column electrode 16 connected to the pixel. A second resistor 25 in series with diode 12 represents the resistance of the portion of line electrode 14 connected to the pixel.
Due to the very capacitive character of the pixels, part of the current in the activation of a pixel will first be necessary to charge stray capacitor 22 to the voltage at which diode 12 must operate. A portion only of the current is thus used for the light emission. The luminance of diode 12 will be proportional to the average time during which diode 12 carries a current and to the average value of this current. As an example, the power consumption of an activated pixel of a matrix display with organic light-emitting diodes can be broken out into a power consumption for the light emission of diode 12 of the pixel, which amounts to approximately 57% of the total power consumption, a parasitic power consumption, of approximately 40%, linked to the capacitive character of the pixel, and a resistive power consumption, of approximately 3%, linked to series resistors 24, 25 of the pixel.
The time required to charge the stray capacitance 22 associated with the pixel defines the turn-on duration of the pixel and reduces the duration of the active phase corresponding to the light emission of the pixel. The turn-on duration especially depends on the intensity of the current provided to the pixel to be activated. The global duration of a pixel addressing phase being constant, the longer the turn-on duration, the lower the achieved luminance will be for a same current flowing through diode 12.
To solve such a disadvantage, a precharge of all the pixels of a matrix display 10 can be performed before selection of a screen line. The addressing with precharge enables biasing each pixel of screen 10 to a voltage close to that that it would have if it was active so that the current injected into a diode 12 to be activated is only used for the light emission and not for charging stray capacitance 22 of the pixel.
FIGS. 3A to 3C describe successive steps of an addressing with precharge of the pixels.
In FIGS. 3A to 3C, a single column electrode 16 of screen 10 of FIG. 1 has been shown and a single pixel 26, connected to column electrode 16, which is desired to be activated, has been isolated. Pixel 26 is represented by a diode 12 and an associated stray capacitance 22 (parasitic resistors 24, 25 are not shown). Line electrode 14 connected to pixel 26 has been shown and the other line electrodes of screen 10 have been symbolized by a single branch 14′ connected to the anode of diode 12. A capacitor 22′ is shown on branch 14′ and is equivalent to the assembly of the stray capacitors in parallel of the pixels connected to column electrode 16 and to the other line electrodes of screen 10. The capacitance of capacitor 22′ is substantially equal to (Y−1) times the capacitance of a stray capacitor 22.
Only the specific elements of the column control circuit 20 associated with the considered column electrode 16 have been shown, knowing that such elements are identical for each column electrode of screen 10.
Line control circuit 18 comprises two switches 27, 28 enabling connecting line electrode 14 alternately to ground GND or to a high voltage VOFF. Only line electrode 14 being activated, for the other screen lines, the line control circuit has been symbolized by two switches 27′, 28′ enabling connection of branch 14′ alternately to ground GND or to high voltage VOFF.
Column control circuit 20 comprises three switches 31, 32, 33 enabling connection of column electrode 16 alternately to ground GND, to a precharge voltage VPRE, or to a first terminal of a current source ILUM. The second terminal of current source ILUM is connected to a bias voltage source VPOL.
FIG. 3A shows a first step of an addressing with precharge consisting, between the successive selection of two lines of screen 10, of discharging all the pixels of screen 10. All the screen lines are then inactive, which means that all line electrodes 14, 14′ of screen 10 are connected to high voltage VOFF. Each column electrode 16 is then connected to ground GND, via switch 31, to discharge stray capacitors 22, 22′ of all the pixels connected to column electrode 16.
FIG. 3B shows a second step consisting, before selection of a line, of charging all the pixels of screen 10. All line electrodes 14, 14′ remain connected to high voltage VOFF. Each column electrode 16 is brought to a precharge voltage VPRE via switch 32. Stray capacitor 22 of each pixel is then precharged to voltage VPRE-VOFF. Precharge voltage VPRE is close to the voltage at which column electrode 16 may operate on activation of pixels at the next step.
FIG. 3C show a third step, or active phase, corresponding to the activation of pixel 26. Line electrode 14 connected to pixel 26 to be activated is connected to ground GND via switch 27. Line electrodes 14′ of the inactive lines remain connected to high voltage VOFF. Current source ILUM is connected to pixel 26 via switch 33. A current can thus flow through diode 12 which emits light. Current source ILUM only has to charge capacitor 22 having a capacitance which is (Y−1) times as small as the capacitance of capacitor 22′, which very slightly affects the turn-on time of diode 12. The voltage on the anode of diode 12 settles at an operating voltage VCOL.
The first discharge step aims at discharging the stray capacitors 22 of all the screen pixels to erase the residual charges of the pixels which might result from the activation of pixels of screen 10 at previous steps.
The second precharge step enables reducing the turn-on duration of the pixel to obtain an active phase duration which is substantially independent from the intensity of the lighting, that is, from the intensity of the current flowing through the diodes in active phase.
It is also possible to only perform a precharge of the screen columns to be activated, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,468.
The light-emitting diodes of a screen are not identical and, for a same luminance current, the voltage across activated diodes may be different. However, since such differences are generally relatively small, the same precharge voltage is applied to each selected column to simplify the column control circuit.
Conventionally, the precharge voltage is predefined, for example, empirically, and remains constant during the screen operation. However, a predefined precharge voltage is generally not optimal. Indeed, the operating voltage of a selected column may significantly vary according to luminance current ILUM that can change for each selected line. Further, for a same luminance current flowing through a light-emitting diode, the voltage across the diode tends to increase along with the diode aging. For a same luminance, corresponding to a given luminance current, the operating voltage of the column thus varies along time.
Upon selection of a column, the voltage applied onto the selected column switches from the precharge voltage to the operating voltage. The precharge voltage can thus not be too distant from the operating voltage of the column to avoid modifying the luminosity of the activated light-emitting diode. Indeed, if the precharge voltage is too high, too high a current must temporarily be conducted by the activated light-emitting diode, the active line then appearing with a light intensity greater than the desired light intensity. Conversely, if the precharge voltage is too small, the voltage of each selected column must rise from the precharge voltage up to the operating voltage. The current flowing through the active light-emitting diode may be temporarily smaller than the desired value, the active line then appearing with a light intensity smaller than the desired light intensity.

Automatic adaptation of the precharge voltage of an electroluminescent display


An arrangement for dispersing light comprises a blazed diffraction grating and a mirror. The blazed diffraction grating comprises a grating plane and a multiplicity of blazed facets. Each blazed facet is oriented at a blaze angle to the grating plane. The mirror couples to the blazed diffraction grating and is oriented parallel to the blazed facets. The arrangement permits a highly dispersive optical function in a very compact structure with low polarization dependent loss.

Diffraction gratings disperse light. A blazed diffraction grating disperses light into a single order. The diffraction gratings are used in devices such as spectrometers and scanning monochromators. The diffraction gratings are also used in WDM (wavelength division multiplex) optical communication. In the WDM optical communication, multiple wavelengths of light each carry a communication signal. Each of the multiple wavelengths of light forms a WDM channel. In DWDM (dense WDM) optical communication, a subset of the WDM optical communication, the WDM channels are spaced close together. A typical DWDM application operates at a wavelength band about 1,550 nm, has 90 channels, and has spacing of about 0.4 nm between adjacent channels. In the WDM optical communication, the diffraction gratings are used to demultiplex and to multiplex the WDM channels.
The diffraction gratings used in the WDM optical communication suffer from several deficiencies. A first deficiency is that the diffraction gratings produce a relatively small angular dispersion for adjacent WDM channels. In order to distinctly separate the WDM channels, the relatively small angular dispersion leads to a need for a long optical path. A second deficiency is that reflective diffraction gratings having a fine ruling density tend to exhibit polarization dependent loss, which can exceed 1 dB.
What is needed is a method of dispersing light that disperses light with a dispersion which is greater than what is available with a blazed diffraction grating.
What is needed is a method of dispersing light that disperses light with a dispersion which is greater than what is available with a blazed diffraction grating and which also reduces polarization dependent loss.

Arrangement for WDM multiplexing and demultiplexing


First and second optical fibers are spliced by a mechanical splice-based connecting device having a portion whereby light leaked from the splice can leave the connecting device. A reference power level (PREF) of light leaked while only the first fiber is inserted into the connecting device, and a measured power level (PM) light leaked while both fibers are inserted are measured. Insertion loss of the splice is derived from the measured power level (PM), the measured reference power level (PREF) and a calibration factor (C) previously obtained by using the same or substantially identical measuring apparatus and connecting device to measure a corresponding calibration input power level (P′IN) and calibration reference power level (P′REF) with only the first fiber inserted, and a calibration measured power level (P′M) and output power level (P′F) of light coupled into a second fiber after the second fiber has been inserted.

It is often necessary to connect optical fibers end-to-end and various techniques have been developed for doing so while maintaining precise coaxial alignment of the fiber cores so as to keep connection (insertion) losses low. When the connection is to be made "in the field", for example between two previously-installed "field" fibers, a mechanical splice often is preferred, since it is generally much easier to perform a mechanical splice than a "fusion splice" in the field. Known such mechanical splices normally abut opposed ends of the optical fibers coaxially within the device, usually with index-matching material, e.g., a gel, between the opposed ends so as to improve matching. The fibers are retained in position by locking means at opposite ends of the body of the mechanical splice.
Where a fiber is to be "connectorized" by adding a connector to one end, a mechanical splice-based connector may be used which, in effect, constitutes one half of a mechanical splice device. Generally, such a mechanical splice-based connector comprises a ferrule through which one end portion of a fiber stub extends. The other end of the fiber stub is mechanically-spliced to the end of the fiber to be "connectorized". The term "mechanical splice-based connecting device" used herein embraces both mechanical splices and mechanical splice-based connectors.
When such a mechanical splice-based connecting device has been installed, it is desirable to be able to verify the quality of the splice, specifically by estimating the insertion loss attributable to the splice. Typically, the insertion loss must be measured to within 0.2 dB of actual measured insertion loss, preferably to within 0.1 dB average error, with a certainty of 95 percent. It is also desirable to be able to measure such insertion loss in a simple manner that can be used to check the integrity of field-installed mechanical splice-based connecting devices.
In one known type of field-installable mechanical splice-based connecting device, the connector body around the splice is translucent so that light leaking from the splice can emerge from the connecting device. It is known, when using such a connecting device that comprises a mechanical splice-based connector, to check the integrity of the splice after the fibers are "locked" into place by launching visible light into the splice by means of a jumper fiber attached to the ferrule of the connector, and observing the glow around the translucent body portion caused by light leaking from the splice. If the level of the glow is deemed to be excessive, the user may unlock and withdraw the fiber, and then repeat the steps to attempt to reduce the glow. If the glow is still excessive, the user will normally change the mechanical splice-based connector, re-cleave the fiber, and repeat the above steps. For more information about such connectors and the method of installing them, the reader is directed to U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,816,661 and 6,931,193, both of which name Barnes et al. as inventors. The contents of these patents are incorporated herein by reference.
A limitation of this "glow-observing" approach is that the determination of what is "dark" is very subjective, and its efficacy varies according to user experience and judgement and to ambient lighting conditions. Also, when connecting two field fibers by means of a mechanical splice, it may not be possible to inject light into the splice from a local light source, so it may be desirable to estimate the insertion loss using the "in-line" light signal propagating in the fiber(s). This light is not visible, however, and it is not straightforward to replace the human operator with an optical system which would capture and quantify the leaked light accurately, yet be simple and robust enough to use in the field.
Hereinafter, reference will be made to splices between first and second fibers, it being understood that the first and second fibers may be regular fibers, for example two field fibers, being spliced together by a mechanical splice, or a regular (e.g., field) fiber and a fiber stub of a mechanical-splice-based connector.

Estimating loss of mechanical splices interconnecting optical fibers, and connector installation tool


The invention enables processing of a time-varying video image in a manner that blurs (or "smears") the time-varying portion or portions of the video image as successive frames of video data are processed. Such smearing is particularly useful in reducing the choppiness and jerkiness that degrades the viewability of the time-varying portions of a displayed video image when the frame rate is low. The invention blends corresponding video data components from a current video frame and a previous video frame to achieve the smearing effect. The invention enables the degree to which the video data from each of the frames affects the processed video data to be varied. The exact blending can be based upon, for example, the magnitude of the frame rate. Further, in processing each video frame, each of a set of related video data components can be processed serially to enable the invention to be implemented more compactly and inexpensively. The invention can be implemented in a video data capture part of a video system, a video data display part of a video system, or in both a video data capture and video data display parts. In addition to producing smearing, the invention reduces noise in the video image.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the processing of video data and, in particular, to video data processing systems and methods, for use with low frame rate video systems, that are flexible, that can be implemented compactly and inexpensively, and that result in improved display of motion and reduced noise in the processed video data.
2. Related Art
Generally, a video display of an image including motion must be updated with new video data at or above a particular frequency in order to produce an acceptable video display. A variety of real-time video applications, such as remote surveillance and identification systems and teleconferencing systems, require real-time transmission of digital video data from one location to another and display of the data at the new location. In such systems, it has been difficult to transmit the video data (or, "image data") over conventional transmission lines (e.g., conventional telephone lines) at a rate that is fast enough to enable the video display to be updated with new video data at a rate that produces an acceptable display of moving images. The problem has been exacerbated by the representation of video images with increasingly larger amounts of data (in an effort to produce higher quality displays), since such increased amounts of video data require increased data transmission rates to update the video display with new video data at a given rate.
High speed data transmission systems, such as T1, T3 and ISDN, may be employed to address the above problem. However, high speed data transmission systems are expensive, are not available in some areas, and can be inefficient.
Data compression techniques have also been used to address the above problem by decreasing the amount of data required to represent each video image, thereby reducing the amount of video data transmitted over the transmission line and effectively increasing the data transmission rate. However, to the extent that data compression techniques are useful in solving the problem, these techniques also introduce other problems which affect the quality of the display, such as spurious random image variations that appear as noise in the displayed image. Additionally, as the incidence of motion in the image increases, the utility of data compression decreases, since the increasing presence of motion reduces the degree to which it is possible to compress the data.
Thus, notwithstanding these and other attempts to address the problem of transmitting data for real-time, full motion, remote video applications, there still exists a conflict between achievable data transmission rates and the information content required per unit of time for satisfactory video display. The problem is particularly severe when the data is transmitted over a conventional telephone line or when color video data is transmitted.

Frame averaging for use in processing video data


A method and apparatus for controlling two or more non-volatile memory devices includes activating a read enable signal or a write enable signal, which is input to the first and second non-volatile memory devices, using a controller. A first chip enable signal is alternately activated for selecting the first non-volatile memory device and a second chip enable signal is activated for selecting the second non-volatile memory device using the controller. This is done while the read enable signal or the write enable signal is input to the first and second non-volatile memory devices being activated. Accordingly, even when the minimum cycle of the controller is longer than that of a memory device read/write time is reduced, thereby improving read/write performance.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate to a semiconductor device. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to a method and apparatus for controlling two or more non-volatile memory devices.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Read and write speeds associated with semiconductor memory devices influence overall system speeds. Non-volatile memory devices include read-only memories (ROM), electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM), and erasable and programmable ROM (EPROM) devices. Because EEPROMs can electrically erase and program data, they have been used for system programming applications requiring continuous updates or auxiliary memory devices. In particular, flash EEPROM devices (hereinafter, referred to as flash memory devices) have a higher degree of integration than existing EEPROM devices and may be used for large-capacity auxiliary memory devices.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a memory system 10 including a plurality of conventional semiconductor memory devices 11, 12, 13, and 14. Each of the semiconductor memory devices 11-14 is a NAND flash memory device which includes an input/output (I/O) pin for inputting/outputting 8-bit I/O data I/O[7:0], a plurality of pins (i.e., nCEi pins, nRE pins, and nWE pins) for receiving a plurality of control signals nCEi (where i=1, 2, 3, or 4), nRE, and nWE, and a ready/busy (R/B) pin. A chip enable signal nCEi selects one of the semiconductor memory devices 11-14. Different chip enable signals nCEi are used to select different semiconductor memory devices 11-14, respectively. When the chip enable signal nCEi is at a high logic level, the semiconductor memory device receiving the chip enable signal nCEi is in standby mode. When the chip enable signal nCEi is at a low logic level, the selected semiconductor memory device is in an active mode. Read enable signal nRE controls data output. After a predetermined period of time after the falling edge of read enable signal nRE, data I/O[7:0] is sequentially output. Write enable signal nWE controls the input of an address, command or data signal. The command, address or data signal is latched in response to a rising edge of write enable signal nWE. The I/O pin is also used to input the address and command signals.
NAND flash memory devices can use input pins in common for an address, command and data signals because a data I/O period and an address/command input period are separated in the time domain. When a chip (or a memory device) is not selected or when outputting is impossible, the I/O pin is floated with high impedance. The R/B pin is an output pin for reporting the operating state of a memory device to a controller. The R/B pin is at a low level while the memory device is performing a program, erase or read operation and returns to the high level when the operation is completed.
FIG. 2 is a timing diagram of signals when data is output from the memory system 10 illustrated in FIG. 1. Generally, data read and program operations are performed in units of pages in NAND flash memory devices. Accordingly, when one-data page is read from each of the NAND flash memory devices 11-14, first memory device 11 is selected and one-page of data is read from the first memory device 11 and then the second memory device 12 is selected and one-page of data is read from the second memory device 12. In a state where first memory device 11 is selected by activating the first chip enable signal nCE1 for a predetermined period of time (e.g., time needed to read one-page data), the read enable signal nRE is toggled so that the one-page of data is read from first memory device 11. In a state where second memory device 12 is selected by activating the second chip enable signal nCE2 for the predetermined period of time, read enable signal nRE is toggled so that the one-page of data is read from second memory device 12. The same procedure is performed with respect to the third and fourth memory devices 13 and 14.
As described above, in conventional memory systems a read enable signal is toggled repeatedly while a chip enable signal is activated so that the read or write operation is performed in units of pages. Data I/Ox is output after an access time determined based on a falling edge of the read enable signal nRE. A cycle of the read enable signal nRE may be determined by a minimum cycle of a controller (not shown) for controlling memory devices 11-14 or test equipment (not shown). When the minimum cycle of the controller or the test equipment is 80 ns, the cycle of the read enable signal nRE cannot be shorter than 80 ns as illustrated in FIG. 2. Thus, the read cycle is also 80 ns. Accordingly, it takes 655,360 ns (=80 ns×2048×4 (the number of chips)) to read one-page of data from all of the memory devices 11-14.
FIG. 3 is a timing diagram of signals when data is written (or input) to the memory system 10 illustrated in FIG. 1. This timing diagram is similar to that illustrated in FIG. 2, with the exception that the write enable signal nWE is toggled instead of the read enable signal nRE. Input data I/Ox is latched in response to a rising edge of the write enable signal nWE. A write cycle is determined based on the operating cycle of a controller or test equipment. When the write cycle is 80 ns, it takes 655,360 ns (=80 ns×2048×4 (the number of chips)) to write one-page of data to all of the memory devices 11 through 14. According to the above-described conventional memory devices, even when the operating cycle of a memory device is shorter than that of a controller or test equipment, the read/write speed is determined by the operating cycle of the controller or the test equipment. As a result, read/write performance may be degraded.

Method and apparatus for controlling two or more non-volatile memory devices


The quality of both a gate oxide and a tunnel oxide in a P-well of a CMOS EEPROM process is improved by growing and subsequently annealing in-situ a gate oxide. A photoresist layer is then applied and defined to expose regions of the gate oxide which are then etched to expose the surface of the semiconductor, and after which the photoresist layer is removed. Subsequently, the remaining gate oxide is partially etched to reduce the thickness of the gate oxide and to remove any native oxide which may have formed over the exposed semiconductor surface. Finally, a tunnel oxide is grown upon the exposed semiconductor surface. The quality of this tunnel oxide is dramatically improved due to the in-situ anneal of the gate oxide, even though the gate oxide (in the region of the tunnel oxide) is totally removed before tunnel oxide growth. Furthermore, the re-oxidized gate oxide which was not entirely removed before tunnel oxide growth also exhibits higher breakdown voltages.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the fabrication of semiconductor devices, and more specifically, to methods for achieving a high quality oxide on the surface of a semiconductor substrate.
2. Description of Related Art
The importance of high quality oxides in the fabrication of semiconductor devices cannot be overemphasized. Many broad categories of commercial devices, such as Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memories (EEPROMS), Dynamic Random Access Memories (DRAMs), and more recently, even high-speed basic logic functions, owe their commercialization to the reproducibility of high quality, very thin oxide layers.
Major improvements in gate oxide quality have been achieved by improved cleaning techniques, the addition of HCL/TCA to the gate oxidation process, and higher purity gasses and chemicals. RCA cleaning techniques are described in "Dependence of Thin Oxide Quality on Surface Micro-Roughness" by T. Ohmi, et. al., IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol. 39, Number 3, March 1992. Other techniques have incorporated different gas (NH.sub.3, ONO, WET O.sub.2) schemes in the gate oxidation cycle other than the conventional O.sub.2 with HCL or TCA. Also considerable progress has been made with single wafer RTA gate processing, as is described in "Effect of Rapid Thermal Reoxidation on the Electrical Properties of Rapid Thermally Nitrided Thin-Gate Oxides", by A. Joshi, et. al., IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol. 39, Number 4, April 1992.
These techniques refer to "gate oxides" as in the gate of an MOS transistor, but are usually applicable to any thin (usually less than 300 .ANG.) oxide. The "tunnel" oxide of an EEPROM process technology is a very thin gate oxide (usually less than 100 .ANG.), with the somewhat unusual requirement that it be grown above a very heavily doped N+ layer. Oxides grown from heavily doped substrate surfaces are generally considered to be lower in quality than those grown from more lightly doped surfaces, as would be the case for most MOS transistor processes.
In some processes, the growth of a gate or tunnel oxide is preceeded by the growth and removal of one or more sacrificial oxide layers for purposes not directly related to thin oxide quality. Sacrificial oxides have been used for years in semiconductor processing for a variety of purposes. They can be useful in removing surface contaminants from a wafer, and thus many fabrication processes begin with the growth and immediate removal of an oxide layer. Etch stops can be fashioned effectively using oxides, as in the use of an oxide layer grown before the deposition of nitride in a LOCOS process. The oxide layer provides an etch stop for the removal of the nitride. Without the oxide layer between the nitride and the silicon substrate, the etchant used to remove the nitride would attack the silicon substrate as well.
In each such case the sacrificial oxide has a definite purpose not directly related to thin oxide quality, after which it is usually removed. The process sequences usually include no superfluous steps, as each unnecessary step increases the manufacturing time, increases the cost, and potentially lowers the yield of the resulting circuits. Despite the care taken in forming thin oxides, further quality improvement is desirable.

Method for achieving a high quality thin oxide using a sacrificial oxide anneal


A measurement arrangement includes four electrically heated resistors which are arranged in gas paths and are connected to form a Wheatstone bridge, where each of two resistors which are diagonally opposite each other in the Wheatstone bridge are contained in a respective component arranged on a common heated carrier, each respective component is assigned to one heating resistor arranged near the component on the carrier, and where an unbalanced state of the Wheatstone bridge is compensated for by variably energizing the heating resistors.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a measurement arrangement having electrically heated resistors that are arranged in gas paths.
2. Description of the Related Art
DE 10 2009 014 618 A1 discloses a heat-conducting detector for use in gas analysis, where two electrically heatable heating filaments that comprise gold or platinum are mounted one behind the other in the middle of a channel such that gas can flow over the heating filaments, and for this purpose are each held at their ends on an electrically-conducting carrier that transverses the channel. In practice, the four heating filaments of two heat-conducting detectors of this type are connected to a Wheatstone bridge, where a measuring gas flows over one heat-conducting detector and a comparison gas or zero gas flows over the other heat-conducting detector and the heating filaments, over which in each case the same gas flows, lie diagonally opposite each other in the Wheatstone bridge.
WO 2009/153099 A1 discloses a microflow sensor, likewise for use in gas analysis, where two electrically heatable grid structures are arranged one behind the other in a gas path. The grid structures can comprise silicon or metal and are connected together with supplementary resistors to a Wheatstone bridge. The supplementary resistors can comprise the grid structures of a further microflow sensor.
In the case of a measurement arrangement disclosed in DE 102 30 198 A1, two electrically heated resistors together with two supplementary resistors are connected in a Wheatstone bridge, where the electrically heated resistors lie diagonally opposite each other and one of the supplementary resistors can be modified for the purpose of balancing the bridge. In order to eliminate offset voltages and slow signal drifts caused by temperature changes, the measuring voltage that is ascertained at the bridge is band-pass filtered.
EP 0 348 245 A2 illustrates a measurement arrangement having an externally-heated temperature-measuring resistor and three supplementary resistors in a Wheatstone bridge, where one of the supplementary resistors can be modified to balance the bridge.
DE 14 73 303 A discloses a measurement arrangement having two heating resistors for heating a measuring substance and a reference substance. The amount of heat absorbed by the respective substance is ascertained using two temperature-measuring resistors in a Wheatstone bridge. The energy supply for the heating resistors is controlled via the measuring voltage ascertained at the bridge.
For accurate measurements, it is important that the ratio of the resistance values of the resistors is identical in each of the two bridge halves. Otherwise, the bridge is out of balance. However, it is difficult to handle micromechanical measurement arrangements such as the known heat-conducting detector or microflow sensor during manufacture. The number of suitable resistors available for selection is limited by manufacturing tolerances and, owing to the sizes of the production batches, by a comparatively small number of available options.
It has been shown to be particularly problematic that the four resistors of the bridge can more or less greatly change over time. In addition, the changes, at least at the beginning, also occur in random directions. In other words, the values of some resistors reduce during the first operating days or weeks, others on the other hand increase. After a comparatively long running-in time, the values of all resistors then start to increase extremely slowly but in a monotone manner, until the resistors are destroyed at the end of their serviceable life. The direction of the changes that occur at the beginning cannot be forecast and therefore in the individual case can lead to the bridge being greatly out of balance for an extremely long period of time even if the bridge is comprised of selected high cost elements.

Measurement arrangement having electrically heated resistors arranged in gas paths


A method and a device for implementing a method for ascertaining the load condition with an exhaust-gas component of a component arranged in an exhaust-gas region of an internal combustion engine is provided in which an increase in the exhaust-mass flow of the internal combustion engine and a detection of a pressure change in the exhaust-gas region in front of the component is specified. The load condition of the component is determined from the pressure change.

In German Patent Application No. DE 101 12 138, a method and a device for monitoring a differential-pressure signal occurring at a diesel particle filter are described. The pressure occurring in front of the diesel particle filter or the pressure differential occurring at the diesel particle filter may be utilized as a measure for the load condition of the diesel particle filter. The diagnosis of the signal is based on the evaluation of a signal change with respect to a change in the exhaust-volume flow or the exhaust-mass flow. A change in the exhaust-volume flow is derived from corresponding changes in the performance characteristics of the internal combustion engine. A change takes place in a load change, for example, and/or when the engine speed is modified.
The present invention is based on the objective of providing a method and a device for ascertaining the load condition of a component arranged in an exhaust-gas region of an internal combustion engine, which take the pressure in front of the component into account.

Method and device for implementing a method for ascertaining the load condition of a component arranged in an exhaust-gas region of an internal combustion engine


In a method of supplying hydrous fuel in which water mixed with fuel is positively burned to thereby remarkably economize the fuel consumption. Oil and water which are supplied from an oil tank and a water tank by way of an oil supply pipe and a water supply pipe respectively are mixed with each other and thereafter the mixture of the oil and water is supplied to a combustion chamber by way of a hydrous fuel supply pipe, wherein a low frequency, low voltage and low current signal is applied to a conductive coil wound around the water supply pipe coupled to the water tank so as to apply an electromagnetic induction field to the water and reduce the specific gravity of water, and thereafter the water is mixed with the oil from the oil tank, and subsequently the low frequency, low voltage and low current signal is further applied to a conductive coil wound around the hydrous fuel supply pipe so as to apply the electromagnetic induction field to the hydrous fuel.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method of supplying a hydrous fuel, i.e., a fuel such as gasoline, gas oil or heavy oil used in an engine of an automobile, a boiler, etc, to which water is added for combustion.
2. Prior Art
Some automobile engines improve the atomization of fuel by adding pressurized water to fuel injection devices.
A device for improving fuel by applying an electromagnetic induction field thereto generated by a low frequency, low voltage and low current signal is disclosed in the preceding present applicant's U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/893391.
The prior arts set forth above, however, are only intended to atomize the fuel and do not contribute to the economy of consumption of fuel so much since they are not intended to burn the water positively.


A method of performing work on a communication system in accordance with a work assignment includes a step of identifying a data file associated with the work assignment, the data file including subscription information and network location information. The method also includes a step of preparing at least a first set of test parameters for performing a network test, the first set of parameters based on, at least in part, the subscription information and the network location information. The test parameters are then communicated to a test device. Thereafter, the test device performs a first test using the first set of test parameters.

Community Antenna Television ("CATV") systems are communication systems that transmit and distribute television signals to end users, or subscribers. In general, CATV systems comprise a headend facility and a distribution network. The headend facility obtains television signals associated with a plurality of CATV channels and generates a broadband CATV signal therefrom. The distribution network then delivers the CATV broadband signal to television receivers located within the residences and business establishments of subscribers.
In addition, two-way CATV networks that allow reverse path communications are in common use. Reverse path communications involve the transmission of information from the subscribers upstream over the distribution network to the headend. Consumer demand is currently high for various two-way services such as broadband Internet access, interactive TV, and telephony.
The operation and maintenance of CATV networks requires a significant amount of field work, or in other words, operations performed in portions of the distribution network, away from the headend facility. Examples of field operations include installation of new cable service, installation of new network components, troubleshooting subscriber complaints, and general maintenance of the network. Many field operations are performed by technicians that travel from network location to network location performing various of the above described tasks.
In general, a centralized facility registers or defines the tasks to be performed, and then allocates the various field tasks, referred to herein as work assignments, to the various technicians. A work assignment may be a new subscriber installation, an upgrade to a subscriber installation, or a trouble ticket. A work assignment may also be an instruction to perform general measurements at select areas of the distribution network. Systems that perform allocation of work assignments to technicians are known. Each technician then performs the work assignments allocated to him or her during the course of the work day.
Work assignments typically require testing and measurement of at least one network location related to the work assignment. For example, for work assignments involving poor network performance, comparative measurements provide indications regarding the severity and location of faults, as well as general information regarding the state of the network and network components. In addition, installation of new or upgraded cable service at a subscriber location also requires testing and measurement to ensure that the subscriber has adequate signal levels.
To this end, it is advantageous to perform measurements on a CATV network in conjunction with a work assignment.
Presently, work assignments are provided to CATV technicians as paper forms. The technician travels to the location at which the work is to be done and uses a measurement device or meter to perform the required measurements. In a new service installation, the technician will first execute the connection of the subscriber's internal wiring to the CATV distribution network. Thereafter, the technician will typically perform a measurement of many or all of the channels relevant to the subscriber to ensure that appropriate signal levels are present on each channel.
In connection with a trouble ticket, the technician will typically perform a measurement on one or more channels prior to performing any maintenance. The technician may then use information from the measurement to attempt to identify and remedy the problem that caused the generation of the trouble ticket.
One issue that arises in connection with the performance of measurements in connection with work assignments relates to the increasing complexity of the CATV network. In the past, most subscribers of a given CATV system received all analog channels, all on the same channel frequencies, with perhaps a few optional pay channels. Thus, the measurements used for each subscriber could remain relatively identical. For example, the measurement device could be configured to measure all of the same channels for all of the subscribers, with perhaps a small variation for the optional pay channels.
In recent times, however, the advent of digital channels that use differing modulation schemes, and the increase in pay channels and in levels of service have greatly varied the number and types of channels received by various subscribers. Moreover, as CATV service providers either expand into new territory or consolidate with other service providers, the channel allocations may vary from place to place on a single distribution network. Accordingly, the technician must either obtain information regarding the configuration of channels for each work assignment, or in the alternative, the technician must deduce the configuration by performing several tests or by other means. Obtaining configuration information is often impracticable. The deduction techniques, on the other hand, are inefficient and inconvenient.
Accordingly, the increasing complexity of CATV service has generated a need for a more efficient manner in which to perform work assignments that involve measurement and testing in a CATV network in which different locations have different channel plans.

Communication system work order performance method and system


An optical coherence tomography system having real-time artifact and saturation correction includes an optical coherence tomography unit, and a signal processing and display system adapted to communicate with the optical coherence tomography unit to receive imaging signals therefrom. The optical coherence tomography system is a Fourier Domain optical coherence tomography system. The signal processing and display system includes a parallel processor configured to correct the imaging signals, in real time, to at least partially remove image artifacts and saturation based on a subset of image data within an image frame.

1. Field of Invention
The field of the currently claimed embodiments of this invention relates to optical coherence tomography systems, and more particularly to Fourier domain optical coherence tomography systems that have real-time artifact and saturation correction.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been viewed as an "optical analogy" of ultrasound sonogram (US) imaging since its invention in early 1990's (D. Huang, E. A. Swanson, C. P. Lin, J. S. Schuman, W. G. Stinson, W. Chang, M. R. Hee, T. Flotte, K. Gregory, C. A. Puliafito, and J. G. Fujimoto, "Optical coherence tomography," Science, vol. 254, pp. 1178-1181, 1991). Compared to the conventional image-guided interventions (IGI) using modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound (US) (T. Peters and K. Cleary, Image-Guided Interventions: Technology and Applications, Springer, 2008), OCT has much higher spatial resolution and therefore possesses great potential for applications in a wide range of microsurgeries, such as vitreo-retinal surgery, neurological surgery and otolaryngologic surgery.
As early as the late 1990's, interventional OCT for surgical guidance using time domain OCT (TD-OCT) at a slow imaging speed of hundreds of A-scans/s has been demonstrated (S. A. Boppart, B. E. Bouma, C. Pitris, G. J. Tearney, J. F. Southern, M. E. Brezinski, J. G. Fujimoto, "Intraoperative assessment of microsurgery with three-dimensional optical coherence tomography," Radiology, vol. 208, pp. 81-86, 1998). Due to the technological breakthroughs in Fourier domain OCT (FD-OCT) during the last decade, ultrahigh-speed OCT is now available at >100,000 A-scan/s. For example, see the following:                B. Potsaid, I. Gorczynska, V. J. Srinivasan, Y. Chen, J. Jiang, A. Cable, and J. G. Fujimoto, "Ultrahigh speed Spectral/Fourier domain OCT ophthalmic imaging at 70,000 to 312,500 axial scans per second," Opt. Express, vol. 16, pp. 15149-15169, 2008.        R. Huber, D. C. Adler, and J. G. Fujimoto, "Buffered Fourier domain mode locking: unidirectional swept laser sources for optical coherence tomography imaging at 370,000 lines/s," Opt. Lett., vol. 31, pp. 2975-2977, 2006.        W-Y. Oh, B. J. Vakoc, M. Shishkov, G. J. Tearney, and B. E. Bouma, ">400 kHz repetition rate wavelength-swept laser and application to high-speed optical frequency domain imaging," Opt. Lett., vol. 35, pp. 2919-2921, 2010.        B. Potsaid, B. Baumann, D. Huang, S. Barry, A. E. Cable, J. S. Schuman, J. S. Duker, and J. G. Fujimoto, "Ultrahigh speed 1050 nm swept source/Fourier domain OCT retinal and anterior segment imaging at 100,000 to 400,000 axial scans per second," Opt. Express, vol. 18, pp. 20029-20048, 2010.        W. Wieser, B. R. Biedermann, T. Klein, C. M. Eigenwillig, and R. Huber, "Multi-Megahertz OCT: High quality 3D imaging at 20 million A-scans and 4.5 GVoxels per second," Opt. Express, vol. 18, pp. 14685-14704, 2010.        T. Klein, W. Wieser, C. M. Eigenwillig, B. R. Biedermann, and R. Huber, "Megahertz OCT for ultrawide-field retinal imaging with a 1050 nm Fourier domain mode-locked laser," Opt. Express, vol. 19, pp. 3044-3062, 2011.
For a spectrometer-based SD-OCT, an ultrahigh speed CMOS line scan camera based system has achieved up to 312,500 line/s in 2008 (Potsaid et al.); while for a swept laser type OCT, >20,000,000 line/s rate was achieved by multi-channel FD-OCT using a Fourier Domain Mode Locking (FDML) laser in 2010 (Wieser et al.).
Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) is a high-speed high-resolution three-dimensional imaging modality widely used in biomedical imaging. For OCT to find applications in the interventional imaging area, real-time image processing and display are required. The presence of the fixed-pattern-noise artifact that forms strong erroneous horizontal lines laying over the image is among the most common types of noise in FD-OCT systems (R. A. Leitgeb and M. Wojtkowski, "Complex and coherent noise free Fourier domain optical coherence tomography," in Optical Coherence Tomography, Technology and Applications, Wolfgang Drexler, and James G. Fujimoto, eds, 177-207 (Springer, 2008)). The fixed-pattern-noise artifact can be removed if the reference spectrum of that imaging frame is known. Therefore, in the case of high-resolution OCT imaging of a fixed site, simple subtraction of the reference spectrum from the OCT signal spectra works very effectively. However, the source spectrum shape varies over time; the OCT signal level and the spectra vary frame by frame; the optical phase and polarization can also vary frame to frame. Therefore, an effective signal processing method that can remove the DC levels due to these changes in real-time from the image data and thus remove the fixed pattern noise is of great importance in improving the quality of OCT images (Sucbei Moon, Sang-won Lee and Zhongping Chen, 'Reference spectrum extraction and fixed-pattern noise removal in optical coherence tomography', Opt. Express 18, 24395-24404 (2010); Bernd Hofer, Boris Pova{hacek over (z)}ay, Boris Hermann, Sara M. Rey, Vedran Kajić, Alexandre Tumlinson, Kate Powell, Gerald Matz, and Wolfgang Drexler, "Artefact reduction for cell migration visualization using spectral domain optical coherence tomography," J. Biophotonics 4, 355-367 (2011)). However, periodically measuring and verifying the reference spectrum for OCT video imaging is highly inconvenient and impractical.
Saturation artifacts occur when light reflected back from a highly specular surface, generating signals that are over the dynamic range of the data acquisition system (Hiram G. Bezerra, Marco A. Costa, Giulio Guagliumi, Andrew M. Rollins and Daniel I. Simon, "Intracoronary optical coherence tomography: a comprehensive review," JACC: Cardiovascular interventions 2, 1035-1046 (2009)). It is not uncommon to see optical coherence tomography images that are corrupted by saturations artifacts, for example in cornea imaging (Sanjay Asrani, Marinko Sarunic, Cecilia Santiago, Joseph Izatt, "Detailed visualization of the anterior segment using Fourier-Domain optical coherence tomography," Arch Ophthalmol 126, 765-771 (2008); Francesco LaRocca, Stephanie J. Chiu, Ryan P. MeNabb, Anthony, N. Kuo, Joseph A. Izatt, and Sina Farsiu, "Robust automatic segmentation of corneal layer boundaries in SDOCT images using graph theory and dynamic programming," Biomedical Optics Express 2(6), 1524-1538 (2011)), intracoronary imaging (Bezerra et al.), and finger pad imaging (Michael A. Choma, Kevin Hsu and Joseph A. Izatt, "Swept source optical coherence tomography using an all-fiber 1300-nm ring laser source," Journal of Biomedical Optics 10(4), 044009 (2005)). Real-time removal of the saturation artifacts can increase the diagnostic and interventional accuracy. There thus remains a need for improved Fourier domain optical coherence tomography systems that have real-time artifact and saturation correction.

Optical coherence tomography system having real-time artifact and saturation correction


An ejector cycle device includes a compressor, a refrigerant radiator, an ejector having a nozzle part and a refrigerant suction port, and a branch passage for introducing refrigerant branched on an upstream side of the nozzle part of the ejector in a refrigerant flow into the refrigerant suction port. Furthermore, a first evaporator is arranged on a downstream side of the ejector in the refrigerant flow, and a second evaporator is arranged in the branch passage. In addition, in the ejector cycle device, a refrigerant flow rate ratio (α) of a flow rate of refrigerant flowing in the second evaporator to a flow rate of refrigerant discharged from the compressor is set within a range from 0.07 or more to 0.93 or less.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ejector cycle device including an ejector for drawing refrigerant and a plurality of evaporators. The ejector cycle device can be effectively used for, for example, an air conditioner or a freezing device for freezing or/and refrigeration.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known ejector cycle device of this type is disclosed in JP Patent No. 3322263 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,477,857, and 6,574,987). In this ejector cycle device, a first evaporator is arranged between a vapor/liquid separator and a downstream side in a flow of refrigerant of an ejector acting as the pressure of refrigerant and means for circulating refrigerant, and a second evaporator is arranged between the outlet of liquid refrigerant of the vapor/liquid separator and the suction port of refrigerant of the ejector.
According to this ejector cycle device, vapor-phase refrigerant discharged from the second evaporator is drawn into the ejector by the use of a pressure drop caused by a high-velocity flow of refrigerant at the time of expansion, and the velocity energy of refrigerant in expansion is converted to pressure energy in a diffuser part (pressure increasing part) so as to increase the pressure of refrigerant to be drawn into the compressor. Hence, the driving power of a compressor can be reduced.
These two evaporators can exert the action of absorbing heat (cooling action) in separate spaces or in the same space. Further, the JP Patent No. 3322263 describes that these two evaporators may cool a room.
However, in this ejector cycle device, the mass flow rate (hereinafter, mass flow rate is simply referred to as "flow rate") of refrigerant branched to the second evaporator depends on the refrigerant drawing function of the ejector and hence the flow rate of refrigerant branched to the second evaporator cannot be independently adjusted.


A camera system having a pole, camera mount assembly and an actuator. The camera mount assembly mounts to the pole and includes a pole base, camera base, link, tendon and spring. The pole base connects to the pole and the camera base connects to the camera. The link connects the pole base and the camera base and allows rotation of the camera base. The tendon pulls on the camera base and rotates the camera base about the pole base. The spring interconnects the pole base and the camera base. The spring also acts as a return. The spring stretches when the tendon pulls on the camera base and recoils to pull the camera base back to an original position when the tendon is released from pulling on the camera base. The actuator mounts to an actuator end of the pole and is used pull the tendon in order to move the camera.

The present invention generally relates to camera systems used for looking into rubble of a disaster area and other hard to reach places which are not easily accessed by humans. More specifically, the present invention relates to a camera system with a telescopic pole and camera actuator to aid in looking in areas not easily accessed by humans.
There are many different types of camera systems which are available to look through rubble of a disaster area. Most of these devices lack ease of use when trying to move a camera support through the rubble, while at the same time allowing the user to manipulate the camera in other directions in order to obtain an accurate view of what is covered by the rubble.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a camera support and actuator that allows the user to easily rotate a camera while moving the camera support pass an object.


A media master apparatus (10) comprising an adjustable stand (12) placed upon a floor (14) in a building (16). An electronics communication unit (18) is provided. A facility (20) is for attaching the electronics communication unit (18) to a top end of the adjustable stand (12). A person (22) using an exercise device (24) on the floor (14) adjacent the apparatus (10) can conveniently operate the electronics communication unit (18) from the exercise device (24).

1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates generally to electronic audio equipment and upright support structures and more specifically it relates to a media master apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous electronic audio equipment and upright support structures have been provided in prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 669,480 to Havell; 4,070,546 to Hirots; 4,993,061 to Hsieh and 5,072,910 to May all are illustrative of such prior art. While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.


The invention features methods and compositions for diagnosis and treatment of conditions associated with decreased nitric oxide bioavailability, such as a condition associated with elevated arginase activity, using an arginine- and/or arginase-inhibitor based therapy, which therapies include administration of arginine or an arginase inhibitor, either alone or in combination. The invention also contemplates administration of magnesium with arginine, an arginase inhibitor, or with arginine-arginase inhibitor combination therapy. The invention also features methods and compositions for diagnosis, including prognosis, of conditions associated with arginase activity by assessing the ratio of arginine to ornithine in samples from a subject.

L-Arginine (Arg) is a conditionally essential amino acid, naturally found in dietary protein. It is converted to nitric oxide (NO) (Palmer et al. Nat Med 1987; 327:524-526; Moncada et al. N Engl J Med 1993; 329:2002-2012; Kam et al. Anaesthesia 1994; 49:515-521) and bronchodilator (Zoritch et al. Arch Dis Child 1995; 72:259-262; Gaston et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1994; 149:538-551), a potent vasodilator, by a family of enzymes known as nitric oxide synthase (NOS). NO is an essential molecule that plays a role in a broad range of functions from vascular regulation, neurotransmission (Moncada et al. 1993, supra), host defense, and cytotoxicity (Nathan et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci 2000; 97:8841-8848) to physiologic control of airways (Gaston et al. 1994, supra). Under conditions of low L-arginine concentration, nitric oxide synthase is uncoupled and reduces oxygen (O2) to superoxide (O2−) instead of generating nitric oxide (Xia et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci 1996; 93:6770-6774; Dias-Da-Motta et al. Brit J Haematol 1996; 93:333-340). Nitric oxide reacts rapidly with superoxide to form reactive nitric oxide species (RNOS) that could lead to worsening inflammation, oxidative stress and cellular damage (Demiryurek et al. Pharm Toxicology 1998; 82:113-117).
Recently, expression of inducible NO synthase, the enzyme that catalyzes the production of NO from L-Arg, has been found in the epithelium of asthmatic patients but not in healthy non-asthmatic patients (Hamid et al. Lancet 1993; 342:1510-1513: Nijkamp et al. Arch Int Pharmoocodyn 1995; 329:81-96). Asthmatics have exhaled air NO levels that are 3.5 times higher than non-asthmatics, which are correlated with decrease in FEV1 and are affected by therapy Kharitonov et al. Eur Respir J 1995; 8:295-7). Blocking of NO production by L-Arg analogues results in an increase in allergen-induced bronchoconstriction (Ricciardolo et al. Lancet 1996; 348:374-377). A deficiency of NO is involved in airway hyperreactivity (Meurs et al. Br J Pharmacol 1999; 126:559-562). Although asthma is clearly a multifactorial disease, there is some evidence that NO may play an important role in disease pathogenesis (Sanders et al. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 1999; 21:147-149). For reviews, see, e.g., Dweik Cleve Clin J Med. 2001 June; 68(6):486, 488, 490, 493; Gianetti et al. Eur J Clin Invest. 2002 August; 32(8):628-35.
Arginase is an enzyme that hydrolyzes Arg to produce ornithine and urea, (Boucher et al. Cell Mol Life Sci 1999; 55:1015-1028) however, in the presence of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), arginine is converted to nitric oxide (NO) and citrulline (Moncada et al. 1993, supra). The expression of arginase can be induced by a variety of cytokines involved in the inflammatory process (Solomons et al. Pediatr 1972; 49:933), particularly the Th2 cytokines. (Mori et al. 2000. Relationship between arginase activity and nitric oxide production. In L. Ignarro, editor. Nitric Oxide. Biology and Pathology. Academic Press, San Diego. 199-208.).
Increased serum arginase activities have been reported in patients with SCD at steady-state (Waugh et al. Nutritional Research 1999; 19:501-518.), as well as in an asthma animal model (Meurs et al. Br J Pharmacol 2002; 136:391-398). Arginase activity is elevated in SCD patients with pulmonary disease (Morris et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2003; 168:63-69; Morris et al. 2002. Elevated serum arginase activity in patients with sickle cell disease and pulmonary hypertension. The 30th Anniversary of the National Sickle Cell Program, Washington, D.C.). Plasma arginase activity appears to be related to hemolysis, associated with several markers of hemolytic severity, including LDH (r=0.44, p<0.001), AST (r=0.39, p<0.002), reticulocyte count (r=0.25, p<0.001), and Hct (r=−0.25, p<0.001) (Morris et al, Erythrocyte arginase release during hemolysis contributes to endothelial dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension, 27th Annual Meeting of the National Sickle Cell Disease Program, Los Angeles, Calif.; April 2004).
Arginase controls the metabolism of arginine into ornithine, which in turn gives rise to proline and polyamines (Mori et al. 2000, supra; Morris Annu Rev Nutr 2002; 22:87-105; Morris 2000. Regulation of arginine availability and its impact on NO synthesis. Nitric Oxide. Biology and Pathobiology. Academic Press, San Diego. 187-197; Mori et al. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2000; 275:715-719). These downstream products of arginase activity may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of asthma, pulmonary hypertension and other inflammatory conditions, since proline is involved in collagen formation (Kershenobich et al. J Clin Invest 1970; 49:2246-2249; Albina et al. J Surg Res 1993; 55:97-102) and lung fibrosis (Endo et al. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2003; 285:L313-L321), processes that occur in airway wall thickening and airway remodeling (Tanaka et al. Inflamm Res 2001; 50:616-624: Elias et al. J Clin Invest 1999; 104:1001-1006; Elias et al. J Clin Invest 2003; 111:291-297; Busse et al. N Engl J Med 2001; 344:350-362).
Arginine, a safe dietary supplement, has already demonstrated potential for therapeutic utility in several disease processes. (Pieper Hypertension 1998; 31:1047-1060; Lerman et al. Circulation 1998; 97:2123-2128 Perrine et al. N Engl J Med 1993; 328:81-6; Maxwell et al. Current Opinion in Nephrology and Hypertension. 133; Creager et al. J Clin Invest 1992; 90:1248-53; Drexler et al. Lancet 1991; 338:1546-50). In animal studies, inhalation of low doses of L-Arg has completely blocked hyperresponsiveness of reactive airways (Nijkamp et al. 1995, supra; Folkerts et al. J Clin Invest 1995; 94:26-30), and inhaled L-Arg also improves pulmonary functions of cystic fibrosis patients (CF) (Solomons et al. Pediatr 1971; 47:384-390; Solomons et al. Pediatr 1972; 49:933). When tested in a mouse model of allergic asthma, oral administration of L-Arg was reported to aggravate allergen-induced eosinophilic airway inflammation (Takano et al. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1998 August; 286(2):767-71).
Use of L-Arg is suggested for treatment of cystic fibrosis (Busch-Petersen et al. Z Erkr Atmungsorgane 143:140-7 (1975)); treatment of exercise induced pulmonary hemorrhage in horses (U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,713); and treatment of pulmonary hypertension (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,217,997; 6,127,421; Nagaya et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 163:887-81 (2001); Cheng et al. Hua Xi Yi Ke Da Xue Xue Bao 27:68-70 (1996)).
Use of NO to treat asthma is discussed in Nakagawa et al. J Pediatr. 2000 July; 137(1):119-22; and Rossaint et al. Eur Heart J 1993 November; 14 Suppl I:133-40). The arginase inhibitor N-hydroxy-L-arginine (NOHA) has been tested in a model of asthma (see, e.g., Meurs et al., Br J Pharmacol June 2002, 136(3):391-8, describing administration of an arginase inhibitor in a guinea pig model of allergic asthma; and Meurs et al. Br J Pharmacol 130:1793-8 (2000, describing arginase inhibitors in a perfused guinea pig trachea model)). Use of NO to treat pneumonia has been discussed (see, e.g., Kimura et al. Pediatr Int 2002 August; 44(4):451-2; Ho et al. J R Soc Med 2002 January; 95(1):35-7; Bugge et al. Eur J Anaesthesiol 2000 April; 17(4):269-72; Hoehn et al. Respiration 1998; 65(6):477-80; Blomqvist et al. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 1993 January; 37(1):110-4; Jean et al. Crit Care Med 2002 February; 30(2):442-7 and Kannan et al. Indian J Pediatr 1998 May-June; 65(3):333-45).
Although early investigators warned of the deleterious impact of nitric oxide in sickle cell disease (SCD) (Knight et al. Pediatr Pulmonol 1999; 28:205-216), more recent studies support its protective function (Gladwin et al. Semin Hematol 2001; 38:333-342). Similar to asthmatic patients (Lopez da Mata et al. 1998. How does nitrates in blood correlated to exhaled levels in asthma? European Respiratory Conference, Geneva, Switzerland.), SCD patients also have elevated NOx levels at baseline (Rees et al. Br J Haematol 1995; 91:834-7). Serum L-Arg and NOx levels fall, however, during the vaso-occlusive complications of SCD, (Morris et al. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2000; 22:515-520) with lowest levels found during acute chest syndrome (pneumonia). Most SCD patients with pulmonary disease have a component of reactive airways that respond to bronchodilators, even though they often do not demonstrate the classical wheezing on physical exam that is usually associated with asthma. Asthma in SCD is often unrecognized and undertreated, and occurs in 30-60% of patients (Minter et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2001; 164:2016-2019). Clinical trials of arginine therapy are now underway for SCD (Morris et al. Brit J Haematol 2000; 111:498-500; Morris et al. 2003, supra).
Magnesium, which can be a dietary supplement, has been described as an adjuvant in combination therapy of asthma with salbumatol (Hughes et al, Lancet 2003; 361:2114-7) or as an asthma intravenous monotherapy (Gurkan et al, Eur J Emerg Med 1999; 6:201-5). Magnesium has also been suggested in infusion therapy of neonatal pulmonary hypertension (Patole et al. Magnes Res 1995; 8:373-88). The effects of oral magnesium in an animal model of pre-eclampsia has been reported (Pandhi et al, Indian J Exp Biol 2002; 40:349-51) and other disease processes that involve endothelial dysfunction (Volpe et al, Scand Cardiovasc J 2003; 37:288-96). Magnesium-induced vasodilation has been reported in animal models of other conditions that involve endothelial-derived nitric oxide (Teragawa et al, Magnes Res 2002; 15:241-6, describing the effects of magnesium in an in vitro canine coronary artery model of endothelial dysfunction). Combined therapy of magnesium and inhaled nitric oxide has shown some promise in an animal model of pulmonary hypertension (Haas et al, Pediatr Int 2002; 44:670-4).
Despite the advances in the field with respect to therapies for conditions such as asthma and sickle cell disease, new therapies are of considerable interest and importance. Furthermore, diagnosis and therapies based upon a more insightful understanding of the underlying mechanisms of these diseases is needed so as to provide a more rationale approach to therapy.
There is a need in the field for improved or alternative therapies for treatment of conditions such as asthma. The present invention addresses these needs.

Treatment and diagnosis of conditions associated with elevated arginase activity

Children's Hospital & Research Center at Oakland


Compositions and methods which are useful for the treatment of solid tumors in a host and which are also useful for increasing the therapeutic index of mitoxantrone in a host. The pharmaceutical compositions are liposomal formulations of mitoxantrone in which the liposomes comprise a mixture of cholesterol and a diacylphosphatidylcholine, preferably 1,2-sn-dimyristoyl-phosphatidylcholine.

Mitoxantrone is an anthracenedione derivative used in chemotherapy. It has demonstrated anti-tumor activity in a wide variety of experimental and human tumor models (Shenkenberg, T. D., et al., Annals of Internal Medicine, 105:67-81 (1986)). Phase III studies indicate activity in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, myeloma, advanced breast cancer, bladder, ovarian and hepatocellular carcinomas in combination with other agents or as a single agent (Shenkenberg, T. D. et al., Annals of Internal Medicine, 105:67-81 (1986)). The toxic side effect of mitoxantrone is myelosuppression versus another related anthracycline such as doxorubicin which has a dose limiting cardiotoxicity (Saleton, S., Cancer Treatment Reviews, 14:297-303 (1987)). In addition to this, mitoxantrone proved to have a lower short and long term toxicity than doxorubicin. (Ehninger, G., et al., Clin. Phamacokinet, 18:365-380 (1990)). The precise mechanism of action for mitoxantrone is still under investigation, but it has been shown to be a DNA interchelator. As a result, it is thought that the main antitumor activity is conferred by inducing DNA strand breaks and by forming a complex with topoisomerase II (Ehninger, G., et al., Clin. Pharmacokinet, 18:365-380 (1990)).
It is well established in preclinical animal models that the therapeutic activity of anticancer agents can be improved through the use of liposome formulations. In general terms, liposomes engender pharmacokinetic and pharmacodistribution characteristics that give rise to increased therapeutic activity or reduced drug-related toxicity. Although the mechanism of therapeutic activity for liposomal anticancer agents is not well understood, studies have suggested that increased drug exposure at the site of tumor growth in an important attribute. Increases of tumor drug levels are a consequence of preferential accumulation of the liposome carrier within tumors. It is important to note that there is no evidence suggesting that the encapsulated form of the drug is therapeutically active, though it is postulated that antitumor activity is mediated by drug release from regionally localized liposomes.
The emphasis of investigators developing liposomal anticancer agents has, for the reasons cited above, been on using liposomal lipid compositions that: i) are less permeable to the encapsulated agent and ii) exhibit increased circulation lifetimes. Liposomes that are retained in the plasma compartment for extended periods exhibit a greater tendency to accumulate in regions of tumor growth. However, the kinetics of this extravasation process, where liposomes leave the blood compartment and enter an extravascular site, is slow. For this reason, efficient drug delivery can only be achieved with liposomes that effectively retain the drug.
Studies with liposomal formulation of the anthracycline doxorubicin suggest that properties which promote efficient delivery of drug to tumors also compromise therapeutic activity. A balance between doxorubicin retention (to maximize drug accumulation in a site of tumor growth) and release (to effect therapy) has not been achieved. Additionally, liposomal formulation of doxorubicin that release the drug following intravenous administration exhibited enhanced toxicity and increased doxorubicin accumulation in cardiac tissue.
What is needed in the art are new liposomal formulations of chemotherapeutic agents which do not suffer the drawbacks noted above. Surprisingly, the present invention provides such compositions.


A beverage cooling and carrying apparatus is described. The beverage cooling and carrying apparatus includes a first compartment and a second compartment. The first compartment includes an area constructed for receiving a beverage and a heat sink, a door for selective access to the first compartment, and insulation for decreasing the rate of heat transfer into the first compartment. The second compartment is provided for receiving drinking containers, and includes cushioning material. The apparatus includes a strap for carrying the apparatus. The beverage cooling and carrying apparatus preferably includes a bottle of wine in the first compartment, and a pair of wine glasses in the second compartment. A method for cooling and carrying beverage is provided by the present invention.

Various insulated beverage containers for holding beverages and keeping them cool are known. Exemplary types of containers are described by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,570,588 to Lowe; 5,421,172 to Jones; 5,241,835 to Ascome; 4,812,054 to Kirkendall; 3,998,072 to Shaw; 4,383,422 to Gordon et al.; 4,388,813 to Gardner et al.; 5,005,374 to Spitler; 4,393,665 to Gardner et al.; 3,974,658 to Starratt; and 4,019,340 to Conklin.

Beverage cooling and carrying apparatus and method for cooling and carrying beverage