A pull-up P-channel MOS transistor is connected between an output node and a VPP power supply terminal, while a pull-down N-channel MOS transistor is connected between the output node and a VSS power supply terminal. The output node has been electrically charged to VPP in an initial state. When a control signal SAEN has been made to be the "L" level, the change in the output node is gradually discharged. Since the output from the differential amplifying circuit is at the "H" level, the voltage at the output node is rapidly lowered. When the voltage at the output node has been made to be lower than a predetermined level, output voltage VOUT having a predetermined level is output.

The present invention relates to an intermediate voltage generating circuit for supplying voltage having various levels to the gate and drain of a memory cell.
Hitherto, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, such as an EPROM or EEPROM, requires voltage having various levels when it performs read, program, erase and verify operations, as shown in
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ GATE DRAIN SOURCE MODE VOLTAGE Vg VOLTAGE Vd VOLTAGE Vs ______________________________________ READ 5 V 0.8 V 0 V PROGRAM 10 V 5 V 0 V ERASE -10 V 0 V 5 V VERIFY 3.5 V, 5 V, 7.5 V 0.8 V 0 V ______________________________________
For example, voltage Vg of a control gate of a memory cell is set to be 10 V when a program operation is performed, the same is set to be -10 V when an erase operation is performed, and the same is set to be 3.5 V, 5 V or 7.5 V when a verify operation is performed.
On the other hand, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, such as a NOR flush memory developed recently, has been enabled to be operated with a single power source set to be 3.3 V in place of the conventional method using two power sources consisting of 5 V and 12 V power sources. If the single power source set to be 3.3 V is used, the various voltage levels shown in Table 1 are generated in a charge pump circuit in the LSI.
That is, the nonvolatile semiconductor memory using the single power source set to be 3.3 V is required to perform the program operation, the verify operation and so forth by quickly and accurately generating voltage having a predetermined level with respect to 3.3 V.
An automatic program mode will now be discussed as an example of a mode which must quickly switch the voltage.
FIGS. 1A and 1B are flow charts of the automatic program mode.
In the automatic program mode, the address is set initially, and then the program and verify operations are performed. If the verify operation has been performed successfully, the program operation is again performed. If the verify operation has been performed unsuccessfully, a recovery operation is performed to restore the original state.
At this time, for example, the voltage Vg of the word line is continuously changed as 5 V (when the address is set).fwdarw.{10 V (when the program operation is performed).rarw..fwdarw.7.5 V (when the verify operation is performed): a predetermined number of times is repeated}.fwdarw.5 V (when the recovery operation is performed).
To perform the automatic program mode in a short time, the foregoing transition of the voltage levels must quickly be completed.
FIG. 2 shows a voltage generating system for generating voltage of various levels.
A charge pump circuit 11 generates boosted voltage VPP. A reference voltage generating circuit 12 generates reference voltage VREF. An intermediate voltage generating circuit 13 generates output voltage VOUT having various levels from the boosted voltage VPP with respect to the reference voltage VREF.
Hitherto, the reference voltage generating circuit 12 is classified into a zener diode type reference circuit, a widlar type BGR (Band Gap Reference Circuit), and the like.
FIG. 3 shows the zener diode type reference voltage generating circuit. The foregoing reference voltage generating circuit comprises a current source 14 and a zener diode 15. However, the reference voltage generating circuit required high voltage has a problem in that the voltage level required for the LSI cannot be lowered.
FIG. 4 shows the widlar BGR. The reference voltage generating circuit comprises bipolar transistors 16 to 19, resistors 20 to 22 and a current source 23. However, the foregoing reference voltage generating circuit having the bipolar transistors 16 to 19 encounters a difficulty in including a process for manufacturing the bipolar transistors in a process for manufacturing a MOS transistor. Thus, the foregoing reference voltage generating circuit has a problem in that it cannot widely be used. Although a parasitic bipolar transistor, which can be manufactured by the CMOS manufacturing process, may be employed, the characteristics of the parasitic bipolar transistor are changed excessively attributable to the density of the well to be employed practically.
FIG. 5 shows an example of the structure of the conventional intermediate voltage generating circuit.
Reference voltage VREF is supplied to a negative input terminal of a current mirror differential amplifying circuit 31. The gate of a pull-up P-channel MOS transistor TP1 is connected to an output terminal of the current mirror differential amplifying circuit 31. An N-channel MOS transistor TN1 is connected between the gate of the MOS transistor TP1 and the grounded point.
Boosted voltage VPP of the charge pump circuit is applied to the source of the MOS transistor TP1, while output voltage VOUT is output from the drain of the same. Resistors R1 and R2 and MOS transistors TP2 and TN2 connected in parallel to each other are, in series, connected between the drain of the MOS transistor TP1 and the grounded point.
Junction B between the resistors R1 and R2 is connected to the positive input terminal of the differential amplifying circuit 31.
An N-channel MOS transistor TN3 and a depression type N-channel MOS transistor DN1 are, in series, connected between the drain of the MOS transistor TP1 and the grounded point. The gate and source of the MOS transistor DN1 are connected to each other.
Control signal SEAN is supplied to the gate of each of the MOS transistors TN1 and TP2, while control signal SEAN is supplied to the gate of each of the MOS transistors TN2 and TN3.
In the intermediate voltage generating circuit having the above-mentioned structure, the current mirror differential amplifying circuit 31 detects and amplifies the difference between the reference voltage VREF and the voltage VB at the junction B. In accordance with the output from the differential amplifying circuit 31, the pull-up P-channel MOS transistor TP1 is driven so as to maintain the output voltage VOUT at a constant level.
The output voltage VOUT of the intermediate voltage generating circuit and the voltage VB at the junction B have the relationship expressed by the following Equation (1): EQU (R2.times.VOUT)/(R1+R2)=B (1)
where R1 and R2 are resistance levels of the resistors R1 and R2.
That is, when VB=VREF, the output voltage VOUT has a constant value. Even if the level of the boosted voltage VPP is deflected and thus the output voltage VOUT is somewhat varied, the amount of variation is fed back to the differential amplifying circuit 31. As a result, the output voltage VOUT can immediately be stabilized.
Rise of the output voltage VOUT occurring when a sub-threshold leak current in the pull-up P-channel MOS transistor TP1 is allowed to flow is prevented by the depression type N-channel MOS transistor DN1. The reason for this is that the depression type MOS transistor DN1 serves as a constant current source for allowing a constant current to flow such that it does not depend upon the boosted voltage VPP.
When the intermediate voltage generating circuit is not operated, the control signal SAEN is set to be the "H" level.
When the control signal SAEN is at the "H" level, the MOS transistor TN1 is turned on. On the other hand, the MOS transistors (the transfer gates) TP2 and TN2 and the MOS transistor TN3 are turned off. That is, output node A of the current mirror differential amplifying circuit 31 is made to be ground voltage VSS so that the MOS transistor TP1 is brought to a state where it is always operated. Since the MOS transistors TP2, TN2 and TN3 have been turned off, the output voltage VOUT is made to be the boosted voltage VPP.
When the intermediate voltage generating circuit is operated to obtain the predetermined output voltage VOUT, the control signal SAEN is required to be set to the "L" level.
When the control signal SAEN is made to be the "L" level, the MOS transistor TN1 is turned off and the MOS transistors (the transfer gates) TP2 and TN2 and the MOS transistor TN3 are turned on.
Since output node C has been electrically charged to the boosted voltage VPP at this time, an electric current flows from the output node C to the grounded point through the MOS transistors TP2 and TN2 and the resistors R1 and R2.
Since the voltage VB at the junction B is higher than the reference voltage VREF immediately after the control signal SAEN has been made to be the "L" level, the current mirror differential amplifying circuit 31 outputs voltage having the "H" level to retain the pull-up MOS transistor TP1 to be turned off.
Therefore, the charge in the output node C is gradually discharged. When the voltage VB at the junction B has been made to be the same as the reference voltage VREF, the intermediate voltage generating circuit outputs the constant output voltage VOUT.
However, the conventional intermediate voltage generating circuit mainly uses the passage which is allowed to pass through the resistors R1 and R2 to discharge the charge in the output node C.
That is, if the levels of the resistors R1 and R2 are raised to reduce electric power consumption, there arises a problem in that an excessively long time is required to realize the predetermined output voltage VOUT after the output node C has been electrically charged to the boosted voltage VPP.
If the levels of the resistors R1 and R2 are lowered to quickly obtain the predetermined output voltage VOUT, there arises a problem in that the electric current consumption is enlarged.
As described above, the conventional intermediate voltage generating circuit involves that the requirement for the reduction of the power consumption and the requirement for raise the operation speed have the trade-off relationship. Therefore, the two requirements cannot simultaneously be satisfied.
FIG. 6 shows another example of the structure of the conventional intermediate voltage generating circuit.
Reference voltage VREF is supplied to the negative input terminal of the current mirror differential amplifying circuit 31. The gate of a pull-up P-channel MOS transistor TP1 is connected to an output terminal of the current mirror differential amplifying circuit 31. The differential amplifying circuit 31 is controlled in response to enable signal ENA such that the differential amplifying circuit 31 is made to be operable when the enable signal ENA is "H" level.
Boosted voltage VPP of the charge pump circuit is applied to the source of the MOS transistor TP1, while output voltage VOUT is output from the drain of the same. Resistors R1 and R2 are, in series, connected between the drain of the MOS transistor TP1 and the grounded point. Junction B of the resistors R1 and R2 is connected to the positive input terminal of the differential amplifying circuit 31.
An N-channel MOS transistor TN4 is connected between the drain of the MOS transistor TP1 and the grounded point. The gate of the MOS transistor TN4 is supplied with inverted signal ENA of the enable signal.
An N-channel MOS transistor TN5 is connected between the drain of the MOS transistor TP1 and the grounded point. The MOS transistor TN5 has relatively small size to prevent rise of the output voltage VOUT occurring due to overshoot, sub-threshold leak current, charge coupling or the like.
A capacitor C1 is connected between the drain of the MOS transistor TP1 and the grounded point. The capacitor C1 is provided for the purpose of compensating phase delay for the feedback loop of the differential amplifying circuit 31 so as to stabilize the output voltage VOUT.
In the intermediate voltage generating circuit having the above-mentioned structure, the current mirror differential amplifying circuit 31 detects and amplifies the difference between the reference voltage VREF and the voltage VB at the junction B. In accordance with the output from the differential amplifying circuit 31, the pull-up P-channel MOS transistor TP1 is driven so that the output voltage VOUT is retained at a constant level.
The output voltage VOUT from the intermediate voltage generating circuit and the voltage VB at the junction B have the relationship expressed by the above-mentioned Equation (1).
That is, when VB=VREF, the output voltage VOUT has a constant value. Even if the level of the boosted voltage VPP is deflected and thus the output voltage VOUT is somewhat varied, the amount of variation is fed back to the current mirror differential amplifying circuit 31. Thus, the output voltage VOUT can immediately be stabilized.
Rise of the output voltage VOUT occurring due to overshoot, capacity coupling with the power source, the sub-threshold leak current of the pull-up P-channel MOS transistor TP1 or the like is prevented by the N-channel MOS transistor TN5 having the relatively small size. That is, the MOS transistor TN5 always lowers the level of the output voltage VOUT.
The differential amplifying circuit 31 has a current mirror circuit composed of a P-channel MOS transistor which has excellent consistency with the MOS transistor TP1 in order to drive the P-channel MOS transistor TP1. That is, the current mirror circuit of the differential amplifying circuit 31 is composed of a MOS transistor having the same conduction type as that of the MOS transistor which is driven by the differential amplifying circuit 31.
As a result, the cut off characteristics of the intermediate voltage generating circuit can be improved and an error occurring when the stable state has been realized can be prevented.
The capacitor C1 compensates phase delay for the feedback loop of the differential amplifying circuit 31 so as to stabilize the output voltage VOUT.
When the intermediate voltage generating circuit is not operated, the enable signal ENA must be set to be "L" level.
When the enable signal ENA is "L" level, the voltage level of the output node A of the differential amplifying circuit 31 is made to be the same as the power supply voltage VDD. Thus, the P-channel MOS transistor TP1 is turned off. Moreover, the N-channel MOS transistor TN4 having the gate to which the inverted signal ENA of the enable signal is supplied is turned on. Therefore, the output voltage VOUT is made to be the level of the ground voltage VSS.
When the intermediate voltage generating circuit is operated to obtain the predetermined output voltage VOUT, the enable signal ENA must be set to be "H" level.
When the enable signal ENA is made to be "H" level, the P-channel MOS transistor TP1 is turned on and the N-channel MOS transistor TN4 is turned off.
At this time, an electric current is supplied from the charge pump circuit to the output node C so that the voltage level of the output node C is made to be the constant output voltage VOUT.
However, the conventional intermediate voltage generating circuit having the above-mentioned structure, as shown in FIG. 7, has a problem in that the output voltage VOUT is oscillated and an excessively long time is required for the output voltage VOUT to be stabilized to a constant level.
As described above, the requirement for reducing the power consumption and that for raising the operation speed of the intermediate voltage generating circuit have not simultaneously been satisfied. Moreover, the output voltage cannot quickly be stabilized to a constant voltage level because of the oscillation of the output voltage.

Intermediate voltage generating circuit and nonvolatile semiconductor memory having the same


A thread cutting device for a sewing machine with a hook rotatable in a vertical plane includes a drive motor, a fixed knife which has a working-side wall extending towards a thread fetching zone of the sewing machine to terminate at a first cutting edge, and a movable knife which is driven by the drive motor to angularly move between fetching and thread cutting positions in a vertical plane. The movable knife has a lateral edge surface defining a cavity in an intermediate segment thereof to engage lower and upper threads when the movable knife reaches the fetching position. The movable knife has a second cutting edge disposed to press the first cutting edge so as to complete a cutting action.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sewing machine, more particularly to a sewing machine with a thread cutting device for cutting both upper and lower threads in a sewing machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional sewing machines either include hooks rotating in a horizontal plane, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,964,170 and 6,276,289 B1, or have hooks rotating in a vertical plane, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,152,058 and 5,771,828.
The sewing machine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,058 includes a thread cutting device extending in a horizontal direction, and including a fixed knife and a movable knife which cooperate with each other to cut either one or both of upper and lower threads. The movable knife is operable to cut the upper thread at a first timing and to cut the lower thread at a second timing. In order to permit selective cutting of both the upper and lower threads or only the upper thread, the thread cutting device has a complicated construction, thereby resulting in high manufacturing costs and complicated operation.

Thread cutting device for a sewing machine


The entire FCoE fabric is a single virtual domain, even though there may be multiple FCFs and FDFs. The virtual domain is a different Domain_ID than any of the FCFs. In certain embodiments there are multiple FCFs, of which one is selected as the master or designated FCF. The master FCF performs normal fabric configuration in conjunction with the Fiber Channel fabric. The master FCF assigns the virtual domain FC node IDs and controls development of subdomain IDs. Virtual links are instantiated between the master FCF and other FCFs, between top level FDFs and the FCFs and between the FDFs at each of various levels. FDFs connected to ENodes proxy the master FCF for most FIP operations. FIP FLOGI and FDISC operations are handled by the master FDF, but the FDFs convert the FIP FLOGI requests to VD_FLOGI requests, which include information about the FDF handling the transaction.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to networking fabrics, and more particularly to Fibre Channel over Ethernet fabrics.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) is a developing standard to enable Fibre Channel operations over an Ethernet network. Many uses of an FCoE fabric will be to connect to existing Fibre Channel fabrics. The interface between the Fibre Channel over Ethernet fabric and the Fibre Channel fabric is a device called the FCoE Forwarder (FCF).
One restriction of Fibre Channel is a 239 Domain_ID limitation. In conventional Fibre Channel operation each switch consumes a Domain_ID. Many of the perceived implementations of FCoE networks have each FCF assigned a unique Domain_ID. The concern is that the sheer number of these devices when installed both top of rack (TOR) and end of row (EOR) will result in Domain_ID exhaustion. This Domain_ID exhaustion could create difficulties in both the existing Fibre Channel fabric and in the FCoE fabric. Therefore a solution to the potential large number of Domain_IDs in an FCoE environment is desirable.
One proposed solution was the creation of switches in the FCoE fabric that have capabilities beyond that of a simple Ethernet switch. These switches are called FCoE data forwarders (FDF). The proposed solution had FDFs connecting between the nodes, referred to as ENodes in FCoE, and an FCF. The ENodes would be connected to FDFs, which in turn connected to an FCF. The proposed solution had the FCoE fabric that resulted being a part of the domain of the FCF. While this did address the Domain_ID exhaustion issue, it resulted in other issues relating to failover, multipathing and the like. A solution that alleviates Domain_ID exhaustion while also providing failover, multipathing, and other characteristics common in an FC SAN is desired.

Single virtual domain fibre channel over ethernet fabric


A Mach-Zehnder interferometer type optical modulator includes a first end facet and a reflecting portion opposing the first end facet; a single optical coupler including input and output ports, the optical coupler being disposed between the first end facet and the reflecting portion; first and second optical waveguides that are connected to the input ports of the optical coupler; third and fourth optical waveguides that are connected to the output ports of the optical coupler; and a phase shifting section disposed between the optical coupler and the reflecting portion. The phase shifting section includes a first optical waveguide structure constituting part of the third optical waveguide; a first upper electrode on the first optical waveguide structure; a second optical waveguide structure constituting part of the fourth optical waveguide; and a second upper electrode on the second optical waveguide structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to Mach-Zehnder interferometer type optical modulators.
2. Description of the Related Art
Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 62-183406) describes a waveguide-type optical interferometer. This waveguide-type optical interferometer includes a substrate, two optical guides composed of glass or a plastic formed on the substrate, two optical couplers that connect the optical waveguides to each other at different positions, and phase shifters disposed in the optical waveguides between the optical couplers. Each phase shifter includes a heater disposed on the optical waveguide. The optical path length of the optical waveguide is changed by controlling the temperature of the optical waveguide by heating the heater of the phase shifter.
In recent years, optical modulators that modulate light in response to electric signals from outside have become one of the essential components in configuring optical fiber communication systems and optical information processing systems. In particular, a Mach-Zehnder interferometer type optical modulator that uses a waveguide-type optical interferometer described in Patent Document 1 enables high-speed modulation of 40 Gbps or higher. Since Mach-Zehnder interferometer type optical modulators have a low wavelength chirp under high-speed modulation, Mach-Zehnder interferometer type optical modulators can be used for future ultra high-speed, high-capacity optical communication systems. In particular, Mach-Zehnder interferometer type optical modulators composed of semiconductors are small in size, have low power consumption, and can be monolithically integrated with other semiconductor optical devices such as a laser diode through to achieve wider versatility.
A Mach-Zehnder interferometer type optical modulator has an optical waveguide structure constituted by an upper cladding layer, a lower cladding layer, and a core layer between these cladding layers. The core layer is composed of a material having a refractive index higher than those of the upper cladding layer and the lower cladding layer. In particular, an optical waveguide structure of a semiconductor optical device has a pin structure in which one of the upper and lower cladding layers is composed of an n-type semiconductor, the other of the upper and lower cladding layers is composed of a p-type semiconductor, and the core layer is composed of an undoped semiconductor.
FIGS. 17, 18A and 18B show a Mach-Zehnder interferometer type optical modulator 100 having a pin structure. FIG. 17 is a plan view of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer type optical modulator 100. FIG. 18A is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVIIIa-XVIIIa in FIG. 17. FIG. 18B is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVIIIb-XVIIIb in FIG. 17.
As shown in FIG. 17, the Mach-Zehnder interferometer type optical modulator 100 includes a phase shifting section 110, an input optical coupler 120, an output optical coupler 130, and six optical waveguides 140a, 140b, 140c, 150a, 150b, and 150c. These components are formed on an n-type semiconductor substrate 101 (refer to FIGS. 18A and 18B). Each of the waveguides 140b and 150b has one end connected to the input optical coupler 120 and the other end connected to the output optical coupler 130. The phase shifting section 110 is interposed between the input optical coupler 120 and the output optical coupler 130. Upper electrodes 111a and 111b are respectively disposed on the optical waveguides 140b and 150b in the phase shifting section 110.
The optical waveguides 140a and 150a each extend from one end 100a of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer type optical modulator 100 to the input optical coupler 120. The optical waveguides 140c and 150c each extend from output optical coupler 130 to the other end 100b of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer type optical modulator 100.
Referring now to FIGS. 18A and 18B, the Mach-Zehnder interferometer type optical modulator 100 includes an n-type lower cladding layer 103, core layers 104a and 104b, p-type upper cladding layers 105a and 105b, and p-type contact layers 106a and 106b. The core layer 104a is interposed between the n-type lower cladding layer 103 and the p-type upper cladding layer 105a. The core layer 104b is interposed between the n-type lower cladding layer 103 and the p-type upper cladding layer 105b. The p-type contact layers 106a and 106b are disposed on the p-type upper cladding layers 105a and 105b, respectively. The upper electrodes 111a and 111b are disposed on the p-type contact layers 106a and 106b, respectively. A cathode electrode 112 is formed on the back of the n-type semiconductor substrate 101.
A part of the n-type lower cladding layer 103, the core layer 104a, the p-type upper cladding layer 105a, and the p-type contact layer 106a form a mesa structure 107a. The mesa structure 107a constitutes the optical waveguide 140b. Similarly, another part of the n-type lower cladding layer 103, the core layer 104b, the p-type upper cladding layer 105b, and the p-type contact layer 106b form another mesa structure 107b. The mesa structure 107b constitutes the optical waveguide 150b. Side surfaces of the mesa structures 107a and 107b are buried by, for example, a polyimide resin 108.
According to the Mach-Zehnder interferometer type optical modulator 100, the refractive indices of the core layers 104a and 104b can be changed by applying a reverse bias voltage between the cathode electrode 112 and the upper electrodes 111a and 111b. As a result, the phase of the light guided in the core layers 104a and 104b can be shifted.


Methods and apparatus to couple actuator stems and rod end bearings are described. An example apparatus includes a bearing having a body and a portion extending from the body in which the portion includes an internally threaded bore. An actuator stem has a first end that includes an internally threaded bore. An externally threaded stud threadably engages the bores of the rod end bearing and the actuator stem to couple the rod end bearing and the actuator stem.

Automated control valves such as, for example, rotary control valves, are often used in process control plants or systems to control the flow of process fluids. A rotary control valve typically includes an actuator (e.g., a pneumatic actuator, an electric actuator, a hydraulic actuator, etc.) operatively coupled to a shaft extending from a rotary valve via a lever. The lever converts a rectilinear displacement of an actuator stem into a rotational displacement of the valve shaft. Thus, rotation of the lever causes the valve shaft and a flow control member (e.g., a disk, a ball, etc.) coupled to the valve shaft to rotate to increase or restrict the flow of fluid through the valve.
To couple the lever to the actuator stem, a rod end bearing is typically employed. The rod end bearing may include an internally threaded bore (i.e., a female connection) that threadably receives an externally threaded end (i.e., a male connection) of the actuator stem. Alternatively, the rod end bearing may include an externally threaded end that threadably couples to an internally threaded bore of the actuator stem. In either case, the externally threaded portion of the rod end bearing and/or the actuator stem is typically formed by machining bar stock. However, for typical bar stock, the cold-worked, high strength material is concentrated near the outer portion of the bar stock, which is usually machined away during formation of the externally threaded end (e.g., the externally threaded end of the rod end bearing or, alternatively, the externally threaded end of the actuator stem). As a result, the externally threaded end is typically formed from the softer, weaker material near the core of the bar stock.

Apparatus and methods to couple actuator stems and rod end bearings


An electrosurgical device comprises an end effector, a cutting member, and en electromechanical driver. The end effector comprises a pair of jaws that clamp tissue. The jaws include electrodes that deliver RF energy to clamped tissue. The cutting member cuts tissue clamped between the jaws. The electromechanical driver drives the cutting member. A control module commands the electromechanical driver, and regulates the delivery of RF energy to the electrodes, based on a combination of user input and feedback signals from the electrodes and from the electromechanical driver. The device may provide tactile feedback to the user through the user input feature, based on a load encountered by the cutting member. The device may alert the user when the exterior of end effector makes incidental contact with tissue, to avoid inadvertently burning the tissue. The device may include a removable battery pack to power the electromechanical driver and the electrodes.

A variety of medical instruments have both moving components and electrical components. In some instances, the moving components are moved manually, such that electrical power that is provided to electrical components of the instrument is not also used to drive such manually moved components. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,500,176 entitled "Electrosurgical Systems and Techniques for Sealing Tissue," issued Dec. 31, 2002, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 7,416,101 entitled "Motor-Driven Surgical Cutting and Fastening Instrument with Loading Force Feedback," issued Aug. 26, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 7,738,971 entitled "Post-Sterilization Programming of Surgical Instruments," issued Jun. 15, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pub. No. 2006/0079874 entitled "Tissue Pad for Use with an Ultrasonic Surgical Instrument," published Apr. 13, 2006, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pub. No. 2007/0191713 entitled "Ultrasonic Device for Cutting and Coagulating," published Aug. 16, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pub. No. 2007/0282333 entitled "Ultrasonic Waveguide and Blade," published Dec. 6, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pub. No. 2008/0200940 entitled "Ultrasonic Device for Cutting and Coagulating," published Aug. 21, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pub. No. 2009/0209990 entitled "Motorized Surgical Cutting and Fastening Instrument Having Handle Based Power Source," published Aug. 20, 2009, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,657,174 on Feb. 25, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; and U.S. Pub. No. 2010/0069940 entitled "Ultrasonic Device for Fingertip Control," published Mar. 18, 2010, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,023,071 on May 5, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. As described in greater detail below, any such devices may be modified to include a motor or other electrically powered device to drive an otherwise manually moved component.
In addition, many medical devices that rely on some form of electric power may be adapted to contain most, if not all, of the required components within the medical device. More specifically, some medical devices may be adapted to use an internal or attachable power source instead of requiring the device to be plugged into an external power source by a cable. Merely exemplary devices that may be adapted to include a portable power source include any of the devices described in the references cited above, among others. Similarly, various ways in which medical devices may be adapted to include a portable power source are disclosed in U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/410,603, filed Nov. 5, 2010, entitled "Energy-Based Surgical Instruments," the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
While several medical devices have been made and used, it is believed that no one prior to the inventors has made or used the invention described in the appended claims.
The drawings are not intended to be limiting in any way, and it is contemplated that various embodiments of the technology may be carried out in a variety of other ways, including those not necessarily depicted in the drawings. The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present technology, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the technology; it being understood, however, that this technology is not limited to the precise arrangements shown.

Motor driven electrosurgical device with mechanical and electrical feedback


There are disclosed a color correcting relation extracting method capable of extracting a know-how of an image formation by a camera man, and a color correction method of reproducing the know-how. A color of a patch of a color chart is measured to obtain a colorimetry value, and the color chart is photographed by a television camera to obtain RGB data. A know-how for converting the colorimetry value into the RGB data is combined with a monitor characteristic conversion for converting the RGB data into the colorimetry value of a color of an image on a monitor, so that a know-how for a preferable image formation is obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a color correcting relation extracting method for extracting the association among colors before and after color correction in the event that there is used an input device for receiving an original image to outputting image data representative of colors of a received image which is subjected to a color correction for the original image, and a color correction method for reproducing the color correction.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a technical field of printing, a photograph and the like, in the event that an original image on a reversal film is transferred onto a printing paper or a photographic paper to make a printed matter or a photograph, it often happens that an operator applies a color correction to form a high quality of image having the tone of a color, which is visually preferable for a person, on the printed matter or the photograph.
Hitherto, for forming such a high quality of image, there is use a specified system for producing a printed matter or a photograph to optimize the system in accordance with experience of an operator of the system.
For example, in case of the printing, when an original image on a reversal film is read by a scanner to derive image data, the image data is corrected through an operation of the scanner by the operator. An image is printed in accordance with the corrected image data, so that a preferable tone of color image is produced. At that time, a correction parameter for correcting the image data derived through the scanner is optimized in accordance with know-how based on the experience of an operator of the scanner, taking into consideration properties of the system in its entirety including printing papers, printing ink and the like. That is, a know-how of image formation, in which an image having a preferable tone of color is formed from an original image on a reversal film, is possessed by the operator of the scanner. Here, it is assumed that the operator of the scanner optimizes the correction parameter for a combination of a certain film and printing ink so that an image having a preferable tone of color is obtained. However, in the event that the film and/or the printing ink are replaced by other film and/or printing ink, the correction parameter will be changed to an inappropriate correction parameter. Thus, in this case, there is a need to optimize the correction parameter again.
On the other hand, in case of the photograph, a reversal film is loaded on a laboratory system and adjusted light for exposure is projected onto the loaded reversal film, so that a corrected image is obtained. The corrected image thus obtained is printed on a printing paper to form an image having a preferable tone of color. At that time, a balance among R light, G light and B light for the exposure and an exposure time are optimized by an operator of the laboratory system and an automatic control mechanism of the laboratory system, taking into consideration properties of the system in its entirety including films, a light source, printing papers and the like. Further, also with respect to a combination of a sort of a film and a sort of a printing paper, there is selected such an optimum combination that a preferable tone of color image can be obtained. That is, a know-how of image formation, in which an image having a preferable tone of color is formed, is possessed by the operator of the laboratory system, a maker of the laboratory system and a maker of the film. Here, it is assumed that an exposure time or the like is optimized for a combination of a certain film and a certain printing paper so that an image having a preferable tone of color is obtained. However, for example, in the event that the film is replaced by another film developed newly, the combination of the film and the printing paper and the exposure time will be inappropriate for the new film. Thus, also in this case, there is a need to optimize the exposure time and the like again.
Thus, in both the cases of the printing and the photograph, there is a need to do over again an optimization to form an image having a preferable tone of color, whenever a film and the like is replaced by a new type of one according to a development of products.
Further, recently, as digital technology advances, it is increased that a transfer of images is performed among different industries and media. For example, in the event that instead of distribution of printed papers, images of the printed matter appears in a home page of an internet, the image of the printed matter will be converted into an image of a television, which is not so related to the printing industry hitherto. Further, for example, it begins that one shot of an image photographed by a home video is printed out by a printer of a personal computer, or outputted on a printing paper for a photograph. In the event that such a transfer of images is performed, it is desired that a high quality of image having a preferable tone of color as mentioned above is obtained at the received end of the image. However, according to the prior art, the above-mentioned know-how is merely allowed to be used only in the individual industries such as the printing industry and the photographic industry, but is not allowed to be used in a different industry on a common basis.

Color correcting relation extracting method and color correction method


The present invention provides a flexible, tamper-resistant authentication system, or personal authentication device (PAD), which can support applications in authentication, authorization and accounting. The PAD stores at least one public key associated with a certificate authority (CA) and receives one or more digital certificates, which may be authenticated based on the stored CA public keys. The PAD outputs a service key that, depending on the application, may be used to gain access to a controlled space, obtain permission for taking a certain action, or receive some service. The operation of the PAD and the nature of the service key may be determined by digital certificates that it receives during operation. Using a stored PAD private key that is kept secret, the PAD may perform a variety of security-related tasks, including authenticating itself to a user, signing service keys that it generates, and decrypting content on received digital certificates.

"Authentication," in general, is the process of determining that a person is who he or she claims to be. Airline travelers, for example, authenticate themselves at an airport by presenting to airline officials a photo-bearing document bearing the traveler's name, such as a driver's license or passport (a "certificate"), and the traveler's face (a "credential"), which can be matched with the photo on the document. In this example, an airline official checks the credential against the information on the "certificate" and, if it matches, the traveler is "authenticated" and allowed to board the airplane.
The notion of "authentication" is closely related to those of "authorization" and "accounting." An entity is typically authenticated before being allowed to receive a service, whereas accounting is performed after the service is provided.
Public key infrastructure (PKI) is a security architecture that has been developed to provide an increased level of confidence for exchanging information electronically over an insecure network. A PKI can include many different elements, but generally means the methods, techniques, and devices that together provide a secure infrastructure. PKIs can be used to authenticate the sender or recipient of electronic information and/or authenticate that the content of an electronic document or message has not been deliberately altered or otherwise modified. Generally, a PKI provides security by using a mathematical technique called public-key cryptography. Public-key cryptography uses a pair of mathematically related cryptographic keys, referred to as the "private key" (or "secret key") and the "public key." If one key is used to encrypt information, then only the related key can decrypt that information. If you know one of the keys, you cannot easily calculate what the other one is. As their names indicate, the private key is intended to be associated uniquely with one user and kept secret. The public key may be freely distributed and known to anyone.
Public-key encryption may be used to send information confidentially. For example, a sender may encrypt a message with the recipient's public key, which the sender has received from the recipient or obtained from a public directory. The recipient may then use his private key to decrypt the message.
"Digital certificates" and a "certificate authority" (CA) may be used to authenticate the identity of the entity associated with the public/private key pair. A CA is a trusted individual or organization (public or private) that issues, manages and revokes digital certificates. Although some applications, such as PGP, allow users to generate digital certificates themselves, a more "trusted" digital certificate may be obtained from a bona fide CA.
The CA may generate the public/private key pair in the digital certificate or sign the public key of a requester (after the CA verifies the identity of the requester). The CA verifies the credentials provided by the certificate requester and, upon confirming the requester's identity, digitally signs the digital certificate with the CA's private key.
A digitally-signed message or certificate may be authenticated by determining if the digital signature on the message or certificate is valid. When sending a signed message, the sender may also send his public key, alone or embodied in a digital certificate. A signed certificate will also indicate the identity of the CA that signed the digital certificate. The recipient of a digitally signed message or certificate may use the public key associated with the signer, as well as other information in the digital certificate, to determine if the signature is valid.
In conventional electronic authentication systems, authentication of digital certificates often requires a network connection between an authentication server (such as the server of the CA that issued a digital certificate) and the individual wishing to authenticate a document (or the device node where the individual is located). Typically, to authenticate a digital certificate, a user or a device using conventional authentication services, an entity must connect across a network to an authentication server, which then performs authentication at the network server. Faulty, disconnected or unsecured network and server conditions, such as a network or server under denial-of-service attacks, may undesirably result in defective or failed authentication.
There is thus a general need in the art for an authentication device and method overcoming at least the aforementioned shortcomings in the art. A particular need exists in the art for an authentication device and method overcoming disadvantages in authentication over networks under faulty network and server conditions.

Personal authentication device and system and method thereof

Industrial Technology Research Institute


This invention relates primarily to a therapeutic method comprising the use of a flexible outer cover that allows quick and easy alternating insertions of separate heat and cold packs, and is attached using an adhesive layer or safety pins to a garment at a location on the garment that is in close contact with an injured area of the body when the garment is worm, to provide alternating cold and hot or hot and cold therapeutic treatments and to a contrasting thermal device comprising a flexible outer cover for use in this method, and an article of manufacture comprising said flexible outer cover and other optional elements to form said contrasting thermal device.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the general field of medical devices and methods for thermal treatment of, e.g., cooling and heating, injured body parts to, e.g., alleviate pain and inflammation. In particular, it relates to a novel method of using an improved cover for contrasting thermal treatments for therapeutic purposes, i.e., alternating cooling and heating applications, wherein the non-constrictive cover allows quick and easy alternating insertions of separate heating and cooling elements. It relates to a method of using thermal devices, e.g., a flexible cover optionally having an adhesive area or areas which can accept safety pins and which can be applied to an injured body part, either directly or indirectly by attachment to clothing, and a method of providing a thermal device comprising said cover that can be used to apply heat to an injured body part with improved comfort, convenience, and availability.
2. Description of the Related Art
The desirability of using ice bags and heating pads for thermal therapy is well accepted. It has long been an accepted medical practice to apply a cooling element to the surface of a body in the vicinity of an injury to, e.g., reduce swelling. Ice bags enable the user to apply cold to an injury such as a bruise or sprain without unacceptable mess. On the other hand, applying a heating element, such as a "heat pack", at the appropriate time can also improve the healing process.
A common ice bag that is commercially available is the reusable type comprising a water-impermeable, commonly a rubber-lined, flexible bag having a tubular rigid neck and a removable cap. To use, the bag is filled with ice cubes or ice chips and closed with the cap, then the bag is applied to the bruised area of the body and held it in place by hand. Another type of cold pack that is commercially available is a refrigeratable gel cold pack which comprises a refrigerant or coolant gel material contained in a plastic housing which can be either flexible or relatively inflexible. The gel packs are stored in a freezer for chilling or cooling and are then ready for use. Also commercially available is a chemical pack which comprises two or more pouches for separately storing chemical reactants which can be mixed to produce an endothermic cooling mixture. A common home-use ice bag can be made using a commercially available reclosable plastic sandwich or freezer bag with a zipper seal, such as a Ziploc™ plastic bag filled with ice (Ziploc is a registered trademark of Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Mich.). By "reclosable" it is meant that the bag can be open and closed numerous times.
Similarly, a common hot pack that is commercially available is a gel hot pack which comprises a gel material contained in a flexible plastic housing. The gel packs are heated, e.g., in a microwave oven to a desired temperature and are then ready for use. Also commercially available is a chemical hot pack which comprises two or more pouches for separately storing chemical reactants which can be mixed to produce an exothermic heating mixture. Other hot packs comprise an oxygen activated, heat generating chemical composition contained in a housing that allows air to permeate when heat is needed. A versatile thermal gel pack that is commercially available can serve both as a cooling bag and a heating bag when it is cooled in a household freezer and is heated in a microwave oven, respectively.
One of the disadvantages of many thermal bags is that they need to be inconveniently held by hand to maintain contact with the injured body part. To overcome this inconvenience, several types of thermal bag devices comprising a holder for these bags have been disclosed. Some ice bag devices can be strapped around a body part, with, e.g., loop and hook mating Velcro™-type fastening straps. A cold pack is disclosed having extended perimeter with adhesive means to attach said thermal pack to a skin surface. Yet other means to keep the ice bags in the proximity of the injured body part are also disclosed, such as a jacket with a plurality of attached pockets to hold the thermal packs. These and other ice bag devices are described in detailed in the BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION section of U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 10/455,885, 10/455,886, and 10/455,888, all filed Jun. 6, 2003. These ice bag devices are usually of complicated design, large and bulky in size and/or expensive to produce and/or difficult to be washed for reuse.
Thermal pack devices that support hot packs or both hot and cold packed are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,900,035 issued Aug. 19, 1976 to Welch et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,566 issued Jul. 9, 1985 to Abare; U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,247 issued Jun. 30, 1987 to Van Cleve; U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,176 issued Mar. 19, 1991 to Daniel; U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,144 issued Feb. 25, 1997 to Simmons et al.,; U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,220 issued Apr. 21, 1998 to Brink; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,514,279 B1 issued Feb. 4, 2003 to Lavin, Jr. These thermal pack devices are usually of complicated design, large and bulky in size and/or expensive to produce and/or difficult to be washed for reuse.
Recent medical practices call for alternating hot and cold therapy, in which alternating hot and cold packs are applied to the proximity of the injured area, to relieve many symptoms, such as arthritis, osteoarthritis, sciatica, chronic bacterial prostatitis, and back problems and injuries. This contrasting treatment calls for, e.g., a heat application for about 5 to about 20 minutes which is immediately followed by a cold application for about 5 to about 20 minutes, and the cycle is repeated several times daily. The thermal pack devices of the prior art do not provide a quick and easy change over from hot to cold and back to hot again. Furthermore, said devices are usually of complicated design, large and bulky in size and/or expensive to produce and/or difficult to be washed for reuse.
Thus, there is a need for a quick and facile method to provide the alternating hot and cold applications wherein the hot and cold packs can be interchanged rapidly and easily, especially without changing the position of the device, and the thermal pack device can be applied to the injured area without being held by hand. Preferably such thermal pack device is compact and not bulky, so that preferably it can fit in a first-aid box along with other first-aid items. Preferably such thermal pack device is easily manufactured and used.


Compounds of formula I ##STR1## having the meanings indicated in the claims are outstandingly active substances for the production of medicaments for the prophylaxis and therapy of cardiovascular disorders, in particular arrhythmias; for the treatment of ulcers of the gastrointestinal region; or for the treatment of diarrheal illnesses.

The invention relates to compounds of formula I ##STR2## in which X, Y, R(1), R(2), R(3), R(4), R(5) and R(6) have the meanings indicated, their preparation and use, in particular as pharmaceuticals. The compounds affect the potassium channel opened by cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) or the I.sub.Ks channel and are outstandingly suitable as pharmacentically active compounds, for example for the prophylaxis and therapy of cardiovascular disorders, in particular arrhythmias, or for the treatment of ulcers of the gastrointestinal region or diarrheal illnesses.
In recent years in the field of pharmaceutical chemistry, the 4-acylaminochroman derivative class has been studied, and a few corresponding chromene derivatives have also been described. The most prominent representative of this class is cromakalim of formula A, and an example of the corresponding chromene is the compound of formula B (J. Chem. Soc. Perkin Trans. 1, 1991, 63-70). ##STR3## Cromakalim and other related 4-acylaminochroman derivatives are compounds which have a relaxant activity on smooth muscular organs. Thus, they are useful for lowering raised blood pressure as a result of vascular muscle relaxation and in the treatment of asthma as a result of the relaxation of the smooth musculature of the lungs. It is common to all these preparations that they act at the cellular level of smooth muscle cells and cause an opening of specific ATP-sensitive K.sup.+ channels of these cells. This increase in the negative charge in the cell (hyperpolarization) induced by the efflux of K.sup.+ ions counteracts via secondary mechanisms the increase in intracellular Ca.sup.2+ concentration which leads to cell activation and which, in turn, leads to muscle contraction.

Sulfonamide-substituted compounds, processes for their preparation, their use as a medicament or diagnostic, and pharmaceutical preparation comprising them


An integrated circuit package having a package substrate, an integrated circuit, and at least one solder ball is provided. The package substrate has first and second surfaces. The integrated circuit may be mounted on the first surface of the package substrate. The solder ball may be coupled to the second surface of the package substrate. The package substrate may include a substrate layer. The substrate layer may include a ground plane with an opening. The opening may be formed just above the solder ball. In one instance, the diameter of the opening is greater than the diameter of the solder ball pad.

Signal speed requirements of an integrated circuit package keep increasing with every new generation of integrated circuit packages. Generally, an integrated circuit package includes an integrated circuit die and a package substrate. The integrated circuit die is generally capable of satisfying its input-output speed requirements. However, the slow advancement in packaging technology places a limitation on the signal transmission speed of the integrated circuit package.
One of the known causes that may limit the signal transmission speed through a package substrate is capacitive coupling between the solder ball pads and a ground plane in the package substrate. For instance, when a signal is being transmitted through a solder ball pad, there may be an electric field fringing towards the ground plane. The fringing electric field may attract electrical charge on the ground plane to get concentrated in one location. The concentrated electrical charge in one location may produce parasitic capacitance that affects the signal being transmitted (i.e., the parasitic capacitance may degrade the electrical performance of the signal being transmitted). For example, the resultant signal may have a small signal bandwidth and a poor insertion/return loss at high frequencies.
It is within this context that the embodiments described herein arise.

Integrated circuit package with reduced pad capacitance


A hair styling brush with reverse airflow. The preferred styling brush has a contoured, bristled body for holding locks of hair in a curved or curled position. The body is perforated, and a blower in the brush draws air in through the perforations across the damp hair. This styling brush preferably is used with a conventional blow dryer or curling iron. When using a blow dryer, warm air from the blow dryer is directed at the lock of hair on the styling brush, while the blower in the styling brush pulls the warm air through the hair. Alternately, after a lock of hair has been styled on a curling iron, the lock then can be cooled rapidly using the styling brush. The styling brush is designed to direct the exhaust air toward the handle. In this way, the user can tell from the temperature of the exhaust when the hair is dry. More specifically, once the hair on the brush is dry, the exhaust air will begin to feel warmer as the evaporation process is no longer cooling it.

Hand-held blow dryers have rapidly become one of the most popular devices for drying hair. A styling brush is often used with a blow dryer, to style and curl the hair as it is dried. While the use of conventional styling brushes provides good styling capability, there remains a need to improve the ability of the styling brush to hold the lock of hair in a desired shape and to hasten the drying process. Further, there is a need to reduce the likelihood that hair will be damaged by over-exposed to the heated air. Still further, there is a need for a styling brush that can effectively cool the hair after it has been dried and while it is stabilized in the desired configuration. This post-styling cooling step makes the hair shafts look and feel smoother, enhances the volume and makes the hair less prone to tangles.

Hair styling brush with reverse air flow


A system and method are provided for implementing a geographic search mode in connection with a search engine. The method may include indexing geographic locations for resources available to the search engine in a search engine index. The method may additionally include determining a target location for a particular user upon receiving a user query from the particular user and searching the search engine index for geographic location matches matching the target location.

Through the Internet and other networks, users have gained access to large amounts of information distributed over a large number of computers. In order to access the vast amounts of information, users typically implement a user browser to access a search engine. The search engine responds to an input user query by returning one or more sources of information available over the Internet or other network.
In operation, the search engine typically implements a crawler to access a plurality of information sources and stores references to those information sources in an index. The references in the index may be categorized based on one or more keywords.
Often, users may want to search for resources such as businesses that are located in a specific geographic area. For instance, a user may want to locate a service near the user's home of office. In another example, a user may be searching for restaurants in a city that the user expects to visit.
Currently, when a user wants a search to be geographically focused, the user may access online yellow pages that provide names and phone numbers of businesses within the selected geographic area. Similar services include business locator services such as local services provided through Google or Yahoo. Alternatively, the user may insert the name of a geographic area in the user query. Problems arise using both of these traditional approaches. The online yellow pages resource often fails to provide sufficient information about the businesses. While the yellow pages may provide a business address and phone number, the user is forced to call the business to obtain information regarding services or fees as limited information is typically available through the yellow pages. The second approach, in which a user inserts a geographic area in the query string, will often cause incomplete and inaccurate results to be produced. Many potential results in the searched area may be omitted based on the keyword search and other results may be erroneously included as a result of the keyword search.
Accordingly, a solution is needed for providing a geographic online search tool that matches geographic locations rather than simply words from a user input query. Furthermore, a solution is needed that will provide results including more complete and accurate information in response to a user query.

System and method for providing a geographic search function


A process for reactive distillation wherein a carboxylic acid is reacted in a reaction section of a reactive distillation column with an alcohol under esterifying conditions in the presence of a catalyst to form an ester, wherein a first supply stream comprising the carboxylic acid, a second supply stream comprising the alcohol and a third supply stream comprising an inert entrainer are supplied to the reactive distillation column, wherein the first supply stream is supplied to the column at a first entry level located just above or at the top of the reaction section, the second supply stream is supplied to the column at a second entry level located in or just below the reaction section and below the first entry level, and the third supply stream is supplied to the column at a third entry level located in or below the reaction section and not above the second entry level and wherein a bottom stream comprising the ester formed and unreacted carboxylic acid is obtained and a top stream comprising unreacted alcohol, water and entrainer is obtained.

Reactive distillation for esterification reactions is known. In WO 01/27065 for example, a reactive distillation process for the preparation of ethyl acetate is disclosed wherein ethanol is reacted with acetic acid and/or acetic anhydride in the presence of a solid acidic catalyst. Acetic acid or anhydride or their mixture and ethanol are introduced separately into the reactive distillation column.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,028,215, a process for preparing esters from alcohol and carboxylic acid, in particular butyl acetate from butanol and acetic acid, is disclosed wherein an alcohol and a carboxylic acid are reacted in the presence of a heterogeneous acid catalyst.
A disadvantage of a reactive distillation process for the esterification of carboxylic acids with lower alcohols is that, in case the alcohol is not entirely consumed, a water/alcohol mixture is distilled over the top of the column. Recovery and recycling of the alcohol requires additional separation steps, usually one or more further distillation columns.
In a paper in Chemical Engineering and Processing 43 (2004) 411-420, Dimian et al. describe the use of a mass separation agent, usually called entrainer, in a reactive distillation process for the catalytic esterification of fatty acids with light alcohols that form homogeneous azeotropes with water. It is shown that adding an entrainer to the top of the distillation column overcomes limitations due to distillation boundaries. The entrainer enhances water removal from the reaction zone and, as a result, water can be separated from the top stream by simple decantation. In this paper the use of n-propyl-acetate as entrainer in the esterification of lauric acid with 1-propanol is exemplified. Hydrocarbons, both aliphatic and aromatic, oxygenates such as esters, ethers and ketones, and halogenated hydrocarbons are mentioned as suitable entrainers.
In EP 1 300 387, a process for the manufacture of an ester of lactic acid by reactive distillation over a heterogeneous catalyst is disclosed. An entrainer is used to separate water introduced with the reactants and water produced by the esterification reaction from the distillation column. The distillation column is filled with reactant alcohol and entrainer before start-up of the reaction. During the reactive distillation, additional entrainer may be added. It is not mentioned to which part of the column further entrainer is added.

Process for reactive distillation of a carboxylic acid


An apparatus and a method for automatically adjusting a focus in an image capturing device are provided. The method includes generating an image by capturing a subject through a lens when a flash unit is enabled, dividing the image into a plurality of windows, determining a brightest window from among the plurality of windows, and setting an Auto Focus (AF) detection area for performing an AF function centering on the determined window.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an image capturing device. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for automatically adjusting a focus in an image capturing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, the rapid development of image devices has accelerated the development of image capturing devices, such as cameras and camcorders equipped with an image sensor. These image capturing devices perform an Auto Focus (AF) function by which a subject is automatically in focus. However, since the AF function is performed centering on the central area of an image, an image capturing device cannot perform the AF function on a subject when the subject is not located in the central area of an image.

Apparatus and method for automatically adjusting focus in image capturing device


A braille forming apparatus which can properly form a large pattern and a wide line. A large pattern can be formed by an initial closed loop pattern, followed by forming a further pattern within the original closed loop pattern. A wide line can be formed by repeating this operation, or by utilizing specialized patterns in which a pen tip of the braille forming apparatus is not required to be lifted off of the braille sheet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a braille forming apparatus for forming a braille pattern on a braille sheet, and more particularly, the present invention is directed to a braille pattern forming apparatus which effectively forms a large pattern or a wide line pattern.
2. Discussion of the Background Art
In a background braille pattern forming apparatus, a braille sheet which is thick and which is made of a special material is set on a rubber platen and a pen tip which is hard and stick shaped presses against the braille sheet to form a braille pattern thereon. This operation results in forming a convex braille pattern on a platen side of the braille sheet.
In a background braille forming apparatus, it may be desirable to form a large pattern on the braille sheet, such as a large dot as shown in FIG. 9(a) or a large square pattern as shown in FIG. 9(b). In a background braille forming apparatus, such a large pattern is formed by placing the pen tip against the braille sheet and by moving the pen tip in a pattern corresponding to an outline of the desired pattern. For example, if the large dot as shown in FIG. 9(a) is desired to be formed on a braille sheet, in a background braille forming apparatus a pen tip contacts the braille sheet and moves in a circular closed loop pattern. If the large square pattern of FIG. 9(b) is desired to be formed on a braille sheet, the pen tip contacts the braille sheet and moves in a square closed loop pattern.
With such a background braille forming apparatus, if the large size pattern formed by moving the pen tip in the closed loop is of a reasonably large size, a braille pattern as shown in FIG. 10(a) is formed. However, if a very large size dot pattern as shown in FIG. 9(a) or a very large square pattern as shown in FIG. 9(b) is desired to be formed, a drawback occurs that a wave is formed in the center portion of such patterns, as shown in FIG. 10(b). That is, if a very large pattern is desired to be formed with the background braille forming apparatus as discussed above, as the pen tip in the background braille forming apparatus proceeds through its closed loop pattern, such a closed loop pattern does not extend to a very center portion of such a closed loop pattern, and as a result a wave is formed in the center portion of the closed loop pattern as shown in FIG. 10(b).
An operation of a further background braille forming apparatus to form a large size pattern is shown in FIG. 11. In such a further system, a large size braille pattern is formed by repeatedly moving a pen tip through a predetermined pattern in an X-Y direction, corresponding to the surface of the braille sheet.
More particularly, in the operation of this further background braille forming apparatus as shown in FIG. 11, a pen tip 23 of a braille writing apparatus is lowered towards a sheet S placed on a platen 21, as shown in FIG. 11(a). Then, as shown in FIG. 11(b), such a pen tip 23 contacts the sheet S on the platen 21 to form a convex point, which is a concavity from a view point of the platen 21. Then, as shown in FIG. 11(c), the pen tip 23 is moved in an X direction as it contacts the sheet S. The pen tip 23 is then lifted up from the paper sheet S as shown in FIG. 11(d). Then, in this background braille forming apparatus the pen tip 23 is displaced slightly in a Y direction and then the pen tip 23 again contacts the paper sheet S and repeats the steps as shown in FIGS. 11(a)-11(d). This results in the pen tip 23 forming a pattern as shown in FIG. 11(e). With this operation, a large pattern can be formed by repeatedly moving the pen tip 23 in predetermined directions.
The drawbacks with such a system as shown in FIG. 11 is that the pen tip 23 is repeatedly lifted up and down and repeatedly collides with the platen 21. This results in a problem that noise is formed in the system by the repeated collisions between the pen tip 23 and the platen 21. Moreover, such a system is slow by requiring a great amount of time in forming the pattern as a result of the repeated movements and lifting up and down of the pen tip 23.
Moreover, in the background braille apparatus as discussed above, when a wide line is desired to be formed, such a wide line is formed as a series of dots which repeat the motions as discussed above.
More specifically, if a wide line is desired to be formed in the system discussed with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, such a wide line is formed of a series of dots, in which each individual dot is formed by moving the pen tip 23 in the closed loop pattern. If a wide line is desired to be formed in the system discussed with reference to FIG. 11, such a wide line is formed as a series of dots, each individual dot being formed by the operation shown in FIGS. 11(a)-11(e). Such background systems of forming a wide line suffer from the same defects as discussed above in that a wave may appear in the center portion of each dot, as in the system discussed with reference to FIG. 10, and such a system may be very slow and create noise, as in the system discussed with reference to FIG. 11.

Braille forming apparatus for forming wide patterns and lines


A hermetically sealed pressure switch apparatus and method includes a metal bellows directly installed at an inlet port for providing hermetic sealing thereof. A spring (e.g. a wave spring) can be connected in parallel or series combination with the metal bellows. The metal bellows is capable of being extended when an input pressure is applied which in turn compress the wave spring. The compression of the spring transfers a required motion to a plunger associated with an electrical switch in order to actuate the electrical switch when a certain pressure relative to a perfect vacuum is attained. The metal bellows and the spring can be pre-compressed utilizing the plunger in order to maintain switch set point accuracy and spring stiffness.

In general, switches are utilized to switch devices from an open/off position to a closed/on position in order to control the operation of particular devices and/or systems. Pressure switches are widely utilized for controlling electrically operated devices by switching an electrical contact between open and closed circuit positions based on a preset fluid pressure threshold. Pressure switches provide a reliable indication of a fault indicative pressure while simultaneously obviating switch actuation caused by excess pressures. Such pressure-sensitive switches can be utilized in a wide variety of applications such as, for example, fuel, hydraulic, potable water, and engine oil pressure systems.
An absolute pressure switch essentially needs to maintain vacuum inside the pressure switch for precise measurement of a media such as a liquid or gas flowing through a system. Such absolute pressure switches can be utilized in aerospace applications in order to effectively regulate pressure relative to the aircraft system requirements. The majority of prior art absolute pressure switches are typically configured with an elastomeric diaphragm that is impinged upon by the media under pressure. The diaphragm may actuate the switch contacts of the pressure switch upon reaching a predetermined pressure. Such pressure switches, however, tend to operate only at relatively low pressure levels and are not sufficiently miniaturized, since they frequently occupy more space.
The elastomeric diaphragm may be affected by surrounding dust, which tends to damage the diaphragm, particularly when it is not properly sealed. Additionally, in harsh conditions (e.g., extreme temperatures) such diaphragms may stiffen at cold conditions, thereby leading to a change in a predetermined set point. Furthermore, these types of elastomeric diaphragms tend to breathe over a period of time, which induces drift in the set point.
Note that other types of conventional pressure switches may include the use of a push member, two contact points, a spring member and an enclosure, which receives all the parts therein. Such a pressure switch may improve the switching operation, but increases its overall size and manufacturing costs.
Based on the foregoing, it is believed that a need exists for a low cost, absolute pressure switch apparatus for providing hermetic sealing and maintaining switch set point accuracy at high and low temperature ranges. It is also believed that a need exists for an improved switch actuation mechanism, as described in greater detail herein.

Hermetically sealed pressure switch with composite actuation mechanism


A purified recombinant phytase enzyme derived from Escherichia coli B. The enzyme has a molecular weight of about 47.1 kilodaltons and has phytase activity. The enzyme can be produced from native or recombinant host cells and can be used to aid in the digestion of phytate where desired. In particular, the phytase of the present invention can be used in foodstuffs to improve the feeding value of phytate rich ingredients.

2.1.1—Brief Summary: Minerals are essential elements for the growth of all organisms. Dietary minerals can be derived from many source materials, including plants. E.g., plant seeds are a rich source of minerals since they contain ions that are completed with the phosphate groups of phytic acid molecules. These phytate-associated minerals satisfy the dietary needs of some species of farmed organisms, such as multi-stomached ruminants. Accordingly, ruminants do not require dietary supplementation with inorganic phosphate and minerals because microorganisms in the rumen produce enzymes that catalyze conversion of phytate (myo-inositol-hexaphosphate) to inositol and inorganic phosphate. In the process, minerals that have been complexed with phytate are released. The majority of species of farmed organisms, however, are unable to efficiently utilize phytate-associated minerals. Thus, for example, in the livestock production of monogastric animals (e.g., pigs, birds, and fish), feed is commonly supplemented with minerals &/or with antibiotic substances that alter the digestive flora environment of the consuming organism to enhance growth rates.
As such, there are many problematic burdens—related to nutrition, ex vivo processing steps, health and medicine, environmental conservation, and resource management—that are associated with an insufficient hydrolysis of phytate in many applications. The following are non-limiting examples of these problems:                1) The supplementation of diets with inorganic minerals is a costly expense.        2) The presence of unhydrolyzed phytate is undesirable and problematic in many ex vivo applications (e.g. by causing the presence of unwanted sludge).        3) The supplementation of diets with antibiotics poses a medical threat to humans and animals alike by increasing the abundance of antibiotic-tolerant pathogens.        4) The discharge of unabsorbed fecal minerals into the environment disrupts and damages the ecosystems of surrounding soils, fish farm waters, and surface waters at large.        5) The valuable nutritional offerings of many potential foodstuffs remain significantly untapped and squandered.
2.1.2—Nutritional Concerns: Many potentially nutritious plants, including particularly their seeds, contain appreciable amounts of nutrients, e.g. phosphate, that are associated with phytate in a manner such that these nutrients are not freely available upon consumption. The unavailability of these nutrients is overcome by some organisms, including cows and other ruminants, that have a sufficient digestive ability—largely derived from the presence of symbiotic life forms in their digestive tracts—to hydrolyze phytate and liberate the associated nutrients. However, the majority of species of farmed animals, including pigs, fish, chickens, turkeys, as well as other non-ruminant organisms including man, are unable to efficiently liberate these nutrients after ingestion.
Consequently, phytate-containing foodstuffs require supplementation with exogenous nutrients and/or with a source of phytase activity in order to ammend their deficient nutritional offerings upon consumption by a very large number of species of organisms.
2.1.3—Ex vivo Processing Concerns: In yet another aspect, the presence of unhydrolized phytate leads to problematic consequences in ex vivo processes including—but not limited to—the processing of foodstuffs. In but merely one exemplification, as described in EP0321004-B1 (Vaara et al.), there is a step in the processing of corn and sorghum kernels whereby the hard kernels are steeped in water to soften them. Water-soluble subtances that leach out during this process become part of a corn steep liquor, which is concentrated by evaporation. Unhydrolized phytic acid in the corn steep liquor, largely in the form of calcium and magnesium salts, is associated with phosphorus and deposits an undesirable sludge with proteins and metal ions. This sludge is problematic in the evaporation, transportation and storage of the corn steep liquor. Accordingly, the instantly disclosed phytase molecules—either alone or in combination with other reagents (including but not limited to enzymes, including proteases)—are serviceable not only in this application (e.g., for prevention of the unwanted slugde) but also in other applications where phytate hydrolysis is desirable.
2.1.4—Medical Concerns: The supplementation of diets with antibiotic substances has many beneficial results in livestock production. For example, in addition to its role as a prophylactic means to ward off disease, the administration of exogenous antibiotics has been shown to increase growth rates by upwards of 3-5%. The mechanism of this action may also involve—in part—an alteration in the digestive flora environment of farmed animals, resulting in a microfloral balance that is more optimal for nutrient absorption.
However, a significant negative effect associated with the overuse of antibiotics is the danger of creating a repository of pathogenic antibiotic-resistant microbial strains. This danger is imminent, and the rise of drug-resistant pathogens in humans has already been linked to the use of antibiotics in livestock. For example, Avoparcin, the antibiotic used in animal feeds, was banned in many places in 1997, and animals are now being given another antibiotic, virginiamycin, which is very similar to the new drug, Synercid, used to replace vancomycin in human beings. However, studies have already shown that some enterococci in farm animals are resistant to Synercid. Consequently, undesired tolerance consequences, such as those already seen with Avoparcin and vancomycin, are likely to reoccur no matter what new antibiotics are used as blanket prophylactics for farmed animals. Accordingly, researchers are calling for tighter controls on drug use in the industry.
The increases in growth rates achieved in animals raised on foodstuffs supplemented with the instantly disclosed phytase molecules matches—if not exceeds—those achieved using antibiotics such as, for example, Avoparcin. Accordingly, the instantly disclosed phytase molecules—either alone or in combination with other reagents (including but not limited to enzymes, including proteases)—are serviceable not only in this application (e.g., for increasing the growth rate of farmed animals) but also in other applications where phytate hydrolysis is desirable.
2.1.5—Environmental Concerns: An environmental consequence is that the consumption of phytate-containing foodstuffs by any organism species that is phytase-deficient—regardless of whether the foodstuffs are supplemented with minerals—leads to fecal pollution resulting from the excretion of unabsorbed minerals. This pollution has a negative impact not only on the immediate habitat but consequently also on the surrounding waters. The environmental alterations occur primarily at the bottom of the food chain, and therefore have the potential to permeate upwards and throughout an ecosystem to effect permanent and catastrophic damage—particularly after years of continual pollution. This problem has the potential to manifest itself in any area where concentrated phytate processing occurs—including in vivo (e.g. by animals in areas of livestock production, zoological grounds, wildlife refuges, etc.) and in vitro (e.g. in commercial corn wet milling, ceral steeping processes, etc.) processing steps.
2.1.6—Financial Concerns: The decision to use exogenously added phytase molecules—whether to fully replace or to augment the use of exogenously administered minerals &/or antibiotics—ultimately needs to pass a test of financial feasibility & cost effectiveness by the user whose livelihood depends on the relevant application, such as livestock production.
Consequently, there is a need for means to achieve efficient and cost effective hydrolysis of phytate in various applications. Particularly, there is a need for means to optimize the hyrolysis of phytate in commercial applications. In a particular aspect, there is a need to optimize commercial treatment methods that improve the nutritional offerings of phytate-containing foodstuffs for consumption by humans and farmed animals.
Previous reports of recombinant phytases are available, but their inferior activities are eclipsed by the newly discovered phytase molecules of instant invention. Accordingly, the instantly disclosed phytase molecules are counted upon to provide substantially superior commercial performance than previously identified phytase molecules, e.g. phytase molecules of fungal origin.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Recombinant bacterial phytases and uses thereof


The difficulties in incorporating transmission history into medical diagnostic software are non-obvious. These are addressed here with systems and methods for hyper-fractionation of transmission history in a way that allows the full power of this information to be used in medical diagnostic software.

The heritability of many diseases is well defined. Accordingly, information about relatives and their health or disease has become an essential part of history-taking in the process of medical diagnosis. However, it has been difficult to use such information about family history (or more generally all forms of history about "transmission" of diseases) in computerized medical diagnostic tools. In part, this is because of the complexity of medical genetics in which many different forms of inheritance are possible however, another significant barrier are other difficulties in representing such transmission history. There are 6 main types of inheritance patterns for diseases that have been well described in the medical literature:                1. Autosomal dominant: a gene on a non-sex chromosome causes disease when one copy is defective. If one parent has such a gene, each child typically has a 0.5 chance of getting the disease.        2. Autosomal recessive: a gene on a non-sex chromosome causes disease when both copies are defective. If both parents have such a gene, each child typically has a 0.25 chance of getting the disease.        3. X-linked dominant: a gene on an X chromosome causes disease when one copy is defective. Males typically have one X chromosome, females typically have two. Females typically get an X chromosome from each parent, males typically get one only from the mother.        4. X-linked recessive: a gene on an X chromosome causes disease when all copies are defective (typically one for males and two for females). Females typically get an X chromosome from each parent, males typically get one only from the mother.        5. Mitochondrial (dominant): a mitochondrial gene causes disease when a high percentage of copies are defective. Mitochondrial genes come essentially only from the mother.        6. Y-linked (dominant): a gene on the Y chromosome causes disease when defective. Only males have Y chromosomes and they are inherited from the father.These forms of transmission are further complicated by:        Spontaneous mutation—appearance of a genetic defect despite the presence of a normal gene genes in parents.        Penetrance—not all people with a pathogenic number of defective genes exhibit the disease. The fraction who exhibit the disease is called penetrance.        Consanguinity—close genetic relationship of parents, for example first cousins, increasing the chance of recessive diseases.        Non-paternity or other false reports of family history.In addition, transmission can be environmental or contagious.

Hyper-fractionation of transmission history for medical diagnostic software


The present invention provides compositions and methods for reducing bacterial contamination or infection in plants, animals, fabrics, and products therefrom. The present invention also provides compositions and methods for reducing human infections and the emergence of antibiotic resistance. In particular, the invention provides magnetic nanoparticles comprising bactericidal or bacteriostatic enzymes in one component, substrates for the enzymes in a second component, and a bactericidal chemical agent that works in combination or synergistically with the enzymes. The compositions are dormant and become active upon exposure to hydration, oxygen, or mixing.

Contaminating and infectious microorganisms significantly reduce the yield, quality, and safety of agricultural and animal products worldwide. The resulting economic losses are in the hundreds of billions of dollars annually in the United States alone. In addition, current methods for reducing plant and animal infections rely heavily on the use of antimicrobial chemicals that may result in fungicide and antibiotic resistance that, in turn, increases the probability of selecting for drug-resistant plant, animal, and human pathogens. These microbes have been selected to survive in the presence of medically and agriculturally important antimicrobial chemicals and are a significant threat to human health and food security.
For example, Antibiotic Resistant Microbes (ARM) are a growing public health concern because infections have become increasingly difficult and expensive to treat. Concern turns into crisis in hospital environments. Antibiotics of last resort such as vancomycin, are steadily becoming ineffectual against superstrains. Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), some of the most ubiquitous microbes in the environment, are now resistant to almost all antibiotics. CRE infections are so difficult to treat that 50% of patients infected by them die. In the 2013 Antibiotic Resistance Threat report, the CDC identifies three major concerns: 1) new active molecules are harder to discover and produce, 2) development costs are prohibitive, and 3) resistance spreads faster than ever. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that "[i]n the absence of urgent corrective and protective actions, the world is heading toward a post-antibiotic era, in which many common infections will no longer have a cure and [will], once again, kill unabated." (World Health Day, Combat Drug Resistance: No Action Today Means No Cure Tomorrow, Statement by WHO Director-General, Dr. Margaret Chan. Apr. 6, 2011, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2011/whd_20110407/en/.) In 2013, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimated that 70 percent of the bacteria that caused hospital-acquired infections were resistant to at least one of the relevant antibiotics. (Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, 2013, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Atlanta, Ga., http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/threat-report-2013/.) It has long been argued by public advocacy groups, such as the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics, that antibiotics are societal drugs. Individual use affects the entire community.
Such antibiotic resistance has become a worldwide concern now that the consequences of antibiotic overuse are being studied and reported. The CDC now estimates that in the U.S. at least 23,000 people die from multiple antibiotic-resistant bacteria infections every year. Id. In the U.S. alone, these superbug infections are responsible for $20 billion in excess healthcare costs, $35 billion in societal costs, and 8 million additional hospital stays each year. (Roberts et al., Clin. Infect. Dis. 49(8): 1175-84 (2009).)
In agriculture, seeds can spread plant bacterial and fungal diseases across farms, states, and countries. In some instances, seedlings fail due to "damping off." This is the death of a seedling before or shortly after emergence due to decomposition of the root and/or lower stem. Control of such diseases may begin with the seeds. Seed treatments should protect seeds from pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Thus, high-quality, disease-free seeds are an important part of obtaining higher plant yields and food safety.
In agriculture, bacteria can also contaminate animal environments in high density breeding operations. Pathogenic microbes such as Salmonella and Listeria entering the food chain cost hundreds of millions of dollars in product recalls and hospitalizations. (Hoffmann, S. and T. D. Anekwe, Making Sense of Recent Cost-of-Foodborne-Illness Estimates, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, 2013, http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib-economic-information-bulletin/eib118.aspx; Hoffmann et al., J. Food Prot. 75(7): 1292-1302 (2012).)
Some food borne pathogens are also known to be become antibiotic-resistant. Foodborne pathogens have a vast impact on Americans, causing 48 million illnesses, 28,000 hospitalizations, and at least 3,000 deaths each year. (http://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/2011-foodborne-estimates.html.) They also have a tremendous impact on businesses and the healthcare system resulting in annual costs of $14-$16 billion. This includes direct medical costs and value of time lost to illness. Bacteria are the primary culprits. They comprise four of the top five pathogens that contribute to illness, three of the top five that cause hospitalizations, and three of the top five that cause mortality.
Nematodes are microscopic worms that cause eighty billion dollars of crop loss in the world each year. Plant-parasitic nematodes threaten crops throughout the world. In fact, all crops are damaged by at least one species of nematode. They attack almost every part of the plant including roots, stems, leaves, fruits and seeds.
Some 5,000 species of nematodes are estimated to be parasites of vertebrate animals and humans. These species are often characterized in a larger group of worm parasites as helminths. Strategies for managing nematode parasites of domestic vertebrate animals include control of secondary hosts or vectors and the use of chemical anthelminthics. Roundworms can infect dogs, cats, cattle, sheep, pigs, and poultry.
Most parasitic roundworms have direct life cycles, i.e. the free-living stages that do not need an intermediate host for development. They can directly infect their final host where they migrate to their predilection sites and complete development to adults. Inside the final host, pregnant females produce thousands of eggs that are usually excreted with the feces of the host and contaminate pastures, rivers, lakes, etc.
Controlling plant pathogens relies heavily on synthetic chemicals to maintain high product yields. The public has shown increasing concern, however, over the effects that agrochemical residues have on human health and the environment. (Mark et al., FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 56(2): 167-77 (2006); Ritter et al., J. Tox. Environ. Health 9(6):441-56 (2006).) Farmers who use synthetic agrochemicals have more neurological problems that include headaches, fatigue, insomnia, dizziness and hand tremors. (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/pesticides/). Agrochemicals may also cause birth defects, nerve damage, cancer, decreased sperm motility and acute poisoning (Moses, AAOHN J., 37(3): 115-30 (1989); Reeves and Schafer Int'l J., Occup. Environ. Health 9(l):30-39 (2003): Carozza et al., Environ. Health Perspect. 116(4):559-65 (2008); U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2014, http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/risks.htm). Furthermore, protecting crops from fungal pathogens is particularly challenging for organic crops on which synthetic antifungal chemicals cannot be used.
Fungicides and antibiotics are widely used in developed agricultural systems to control disease and safeguard crop yield and quality. Over time, however, resistance to many of the most effective fungicides and antibiotics has emerged and spread in pathogen populations (Lucas et al., Adv Appl Microbiol., 90:29-92 (2015)). The widespread practice of routinely dosing farm animals with antifungals and antibiotics is contributing to this threat. Much of this use is for preventing, rather than treating, disease. Drug-resistant microbes carried by farm animals can spread to humans through consumption of contaminated food, from direct contact with animals, or by environmental spread, for example, in contaminated water or soil. Antibiotic and fungicide resistant pathogens of humans and farm animals are emerging and spreading at a rate that may not be contained by the development of new drugs.
Thus there is a significant need for new methods of controlling fungal, bacterial, oomycete, and nematode pathogens that cause agricultural contamination or infections as well as human infections.

Magnetically immobilized biocidal enzymes and biocidal chemicals