A shock absorbing hammer, comprising an elongated shaft (2) and a hammer head (1). An end portion (2a) of the shaft is obliquely oriented in a somewhat wider recess (6) in the hammer head (1) so as to permit a limited pivotal movement in one angular direction, the movement being damped by a shock absorbing material in said recess.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a shock absorbing hammer, comprising a shaft and a hammer head being provided with a shock absorbing material, e.g. in the form of a rubber material, a hydraulic cushioning material or the like, the purpose being to dampen the rebound force and vibrations imparted to the shaft when the hammer head hits an object during a swinging motion of the hammer.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are many examples of hammers of this general kind, see e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 2,451,217, U.S. Pat. No. 3,172,438, U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,784 and SE-B-462,616. The last-mentioned document discloses a hammer, wherein an end portion of the shaft is mounted in a recess in the hammer head so as to permit a limited pivotal movement, being damped by a shock absorbing material, in one angular direction from a rest position when the hammer head strikes an object during a swinging motion of the hammer, whereas mutual movement in the opposite angular direction from said rest position is inhibited. Accordingly, the hammer can either be used in the normal way for striking an object, e.g. a nail, with the hammer head or, alternatively, for withdrawing a fastener, e.g. a nail, by means of a claw portion at the back of the hammer head.
However, this known hammer is relatively complicated in its structure, namely with radially projecting lugs formed at the shaft end portion in order to ensure a direct surface contact between the shaft and the hammer head inside the recess, the latter being substantially parallel to but wider than the shaft end portion. In some embodiments there are also internal, especially adapted recess portions, in addition to a simple cylindrical bore in the hammer head, which make the production thereof even more complicated and expensive.


A method of manufacturing a surface-emitting backlight is provided with the steps of forming a lead frame and resin-made molded case by insert molding, attaching light sources, which are red, blue and green LED dies, to contacts of the lead frame provided in a hollow space of the molded case, forming a light guide section by filling the hollow space with a transparent or semitransparent resin, and thereafter attaching a reflector sheet, and lens sheets (or diffuser sheets) in accordance with the applications of the backlight.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a surface-emitting backlight and a surface-emitting backlight manufactured by the method.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional surface-emitting backlights used for liquid crystal displays, etc. is comprised of a light source, a transparent resin plate (light guide plate) for guiding light from the light source, a lower plate, a diffuser sheet or lens sheet, and an upper case. As the light source, an LED unit in which chip LEDs are attached to a board is used.
According to a conventional manufacturing method, the light guide plate, case, light source, and board of the light source are prepared as independent parts, and are assembled manually into the finished product.
However, according to this conventional method, in the case of a side-edge-type backlight that causes the light source to emit light horizontally with respect to its emissive surface, the upper case must have a certain thickness to allow the light source board to be attached to its side wall, and from this arises a problem that there is a limit to realizing smaller and thinner backlight.
Further, the chip LED has a narrow angle of radiation of light. Thus, in the case of an underneath-type-backlight that causes the light source to emit light vertically with respect to their emissive surface, a large area must be secured in their emissive surface for radiation of light. This requires the underneath-type-backlight to give a certain length to the optical path between the lower surface of the case to the emissive surface, hence making it difficult to implement smaller and thinner backlight.
Still further, the components of these backlights, which are manufactured and conveyed as independent parts, are susceptible to mechanical damage during conveyance and contamination with dust during assembly.
Even further, small liquid crystal displays use small backlights. Thus, manual assembly of the parts of such small backlights is extremely difficult to perform, hence imposing a problem that operating efficiency is impaired.
Especially, the conventional technique of attaching the light source board to the upper case requires that signal lines for supplying power to the light source be soldered to the board, and this operation is extremely cumbersome.

Method of manufacturing surface-emitting backlight, by molding contact member integrally with molded case


Self-propelled vehicles that include swiveling caster wheels and independent drive wheels are disclosed. The self-propelled vehicles are selectively steered in a caster wheel steering mode or a drive wheel steering mode. The vehicle includes a differential system that may include a differential valve that allows hydraulic fluid to be transferred between the left and right drive systems. The differential system may be operable during the caster wheel steering mode such as when the vehicle is driven for transport between sites.

Self-propelled implements such as agricultural implements are often used at various sites that are separated by large distances. The implement is transported on a trailer or is towed or propelled over the road system. Implements which include a dedicated propulsion system (e.g., sprayers, windrows or the like) may be difficult to steer at high speed as the implements are designed for field steering during their agricultural operation.
A need exists for new vehicles that are self-propelled, that are highly maneuverable during use and that are controllably steered at high speeds and that improve operator ride while providing sufficient maneuverability.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

Self-propelled vehicles including a differential system


An integrated lid for microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices is formed from a nitride layer deposited over a cavity containing movable parts for the device. Pillars are formed through openings within large area movable parts to support the lid over those parts. Slides are formed and moved under large etchant openings through the lid to allow the openings to be sealed by sputtering.

Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices typically include at least one freely movable structure within a recess formed in a substrate and covered by a "lid" or overlying layer. Often the lid includes openings therethrough to allow etchant to be employed in removing a sacrificial material fixing the movable structure in place until the enclosure surrounding the structure is completely formed. Such openings, if not too large, may be subsequently sealed by sputtering metal into the opening. However, openings through the lid that are too small may not allow sufficient etchant to pass through to etch the structure as desired. Accordingly, the size of the openings and/or the time required to perform an etch through the openings is constrained.
In addition, if the area that must be covered by an unsupported portion of the lid is too large, the lid becomes fragile or prone to deformation, fracture or breakage. In a worst case, problems with the lid may potentially interfere with free movement of MEMS device structure. A large number of small openings through the lid merely increases the fragility of the lid.
There is, therefore, a need in the art for an improved lid for MEMS device structures.


An electronic ticket management system mainly includes a vendor module, a ticket process module, a Web module, a ticket order module, a delivery module and a ticket verification module. After a consumer has purchased a ticket through a communication network, a service center transmits the information of the electronic ticket to a designated mobile communication device equipped with graphic display capability. When in use the consumer displays bar code graphics of the electronic ticket. Through a scanner at a ticket verification end the graphics of the electronic ticket on the mobile communication device can be captured, and identification result is verified online. Thus the total process does not have physical contact. The risk of carrying the currency can be prevented. The costs of manual operation and paper ticket can be saved. Therefore ticket processing efficiency increases.

Because of advance of technology nowadays many ticket purchase and commercial promotion activities are ordered or participated through telephone and Internet. Many users increasingly rely on the newest technologic means to resolve the ticket problem, such as for events that require to buy tickets in advance and verify the tickets for admission like cinemas, concerts, theaters, exhibitions, sport tournaments, theme parks, long distance transportation, etc. These new tools can even become authorizing means for any specific business promotional activity. Many users discover that the technology of electronic tickets provides great convenience.
While the present electronic ticket system can resolve the trouble of buying tickets onsite and save time, it still requires users to carry identification proof to take the physical tickets or coupons. Or the users have to print in advance related certificates to exchange the physical tickets or coupons. Some even require the users to directly print the authorized tickets or coupons. Some of the coupons have to be printed in colors to restrict the users from making a great amount of copies.
The approach set forth above that requires the users to take the physical tickets or print the authorized tickets creates a lot of problems, such as the tickets could be lost, forged or replicated. To keep the paper tickets is an out-of-date and low efficiency activity. It still exists today and does not have much improvement even though the technology has great progress.
Not fully paperless is a shortcoming of the conventional electronic ticket. This incurs many disadvantages previously discussed. It still leaves a lot to be desired. There are still rooms for improvement.


A method for vehicular communications and information reporting. First and second wireless Internet connections between respective first and second vehicles and a web-server are provided. First and second event information is transmitted, to the web-server, from the first and second vehicles. The first and second event information relates to the same event in visual range, respectively, of occupants of the first and second vehicles. The web server may transmit, to the first and second vehicles, confirmed event information derived from the first and second event information.

As people become more reliant on the Internet, the need arises to access the Internet from within a moving vehicle, such as a car or truck. This capability is currently provided by laptop computers having wireless Internet connectivity, hand-held devices such as PDAs, and an increasing number of cell phones, and should soon be widely provided in vehicles as standard, built-in equipment. For example, General Motors currently provides a limited Internet based communications system built-in to its more upscale vehicles which is marketed as "OnStar."
While the Internet can connect a vehicular traveler to a practically unlimited number of land-based computers, the computers have not been adapted to serve the special needs of the vehicular traveler. For example, there is often a desire, when traveling, to communicate with the unknown occupant of another vehicle that is in sight of the traveler. There is also often a desire, when traveling, to obtain specific local information that is useful to a traveler, such as local road status information, where the local information is provided or reported by travelers in other vehicles who are privy to the information. More generally, there is a need for a method and system for vehicular communications and information reporting to serve the vehicular traveler.

Method and system for vehicular communications and information reporting


The vehicle lamp of the present invention includes: a first light source that emits light for low-beam light distribution; a lens arranged in a front side of the first light source; a shade that is arranged between the first light source and the lens and forms a cut-off line of a low-beam light distribution pattern; a reflector that reflects light from the first light source towards the lens; and a second light source that is arranged between the first light source and the lens and emits light for high-beam additional light distribution. A rear focal point of the lens is located more to a front side than a second focal point which is a focal point on a front side of the reflector, and a lens optical axis of the lens is inclined forward and obliquely downward with respect to a lamp optical axis of the lamp.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a vehicular light (hereinafter, also referred to as a vehicle lamp) configured to be able to selectively perform a low-beam irradiation and a high-beam irradiation. The vehicular light includes a projection lens, a first light source that is located behind the projection lens and emits light that forms a light distribution pattern for low beam, a second light source that is located behind the projection lens and emits light that forms an additional light distribution pattern for high beam, and a shade that is located behind the projection lens and forms a cut-off line of the light distribution pattern for low beam. The vehicular light has an optical path converter that converts a part of the light emitted from the second light source in such a manner that the light travels between the light distribution pattern for low beam and the additional light distribution pattern for high beam.
For example, in Patent Literature 1, the optical path converter is formed on the upper light emission surface in an area above the lens optical axis of the projection lens. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 2 of Patent Literature 1, the optical path converter is formed with the upper and outer light emission surface of the projection lens as a curvature change processing surface that the upper light emission surface is curved towards behind greater (reducing the radius of curvature of the light emission surface) than the lower light emission surface in the area below the lens optical axis is.
Then, since such an optical path converter has a rear focal point located below the basic rear focal point (a rear focal point in an area other than the curvature change processing surface) of the projection lens, the light incident on the optical path converter is emitted so as to travel slightly downward. As a result, part of the light of the second light source emitted forward from the optical path converter travels towards between the light distribution pattern for low beam and the additional light distribution pattern for high beam.


A preferred embodiment of a novel paddle for use in racquet sports, and particularly table tennis, is disclosed. The paddle features a handle which is designed to comfortably conform to the player's grip while both enhancing total backhand play and allowing for ease of rotation to forehand play at any time on either side of the body. Thus, a paddle which eliminates ever being caught out of position.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to structures known as bats, racquets or paddles (hereinafter, "paddles") for use in ball games. It specifically relates to paddles for use in table tennis or ping pong games.
2. History of the Prior Art In most racquet sports, particularly table tennis and ping pong (hereinafter collectively referred to as "table tennis"), the paddle consists of a flat paddle surface ("blade") of varying shape attached to, and in the same plane of, a handle. As a result of this single plane configurations any effort to strike a ball so it moves in any direction other than in a perpendicular plane to the player's body requires the player to twist or bend his or her wrist in proportion to the angle of ball movement which is desired.
In addition, the player's movements are constrained by the need to either rotate the paddle up to 180 degrees or more around the player's body, or to change the hands holding the paddle, to allow a backhand shot to be made.
To explain, as opposed to the forehand side of the body, the backhand side is considered to be the one opposite the hand holding the paddle when the player is at rest. Similarly, the backhand side of the paddle is (as opposed to the forehand) that side which faces in the opposite direction of the palm of the hand which holds the paddle. To change play from forehand to backhand, therefore, the paddle must be fully rotated around the player's body from its forehand to its backhand side. Not only is this required rotation somewhat awkward to achieve, it also causes the player to lose much of the time available to address the ball to positioning the paddle for play.
Further, the traditional table tennis paddle consists of substantially cylindrical handle immovably attached to the paddle blade. Except for the possible presence on the handle of cushioning means (such as compressible foam), the handle does not conform structurally to the player's hand. As a result, it can only be gripped by allowing the hand to encompass the handle, leaving the paddle in a substantially perpendicular position with respect to the player's wrist. As a result, the most comfortable paddle position is not the one best suited for play, thus encouraging fatigue of the player's wrist and hand.
What is needed, therefore, is a paddle for racquet sports, and particularly for table tennis, which allows the player to comfortably make both forehand, backhand and angled strokes with minimal adjustment of the paddle position.


Systems and methods of providing fine grained control over MSS values of transport layer connections. A device intermediary to a plurality of clients and a plurality of servers can identify a first MSS value based on a MTU value of a VLAN interface responsive to a request to establish a transport layer connection. Device determines that a MSS value of the VLAN is less than the first MSS value. Device updates, responsive to the determination, the first MSS value to a second MSS value corresponding to the MSS value of the VLAN. Device determines that an MSS value specified by a profile configured for a virtual server of the device is less than the second MSS value. Device updates the second MSS value to the MSS value of the profile responsive to determining that the MSS value specified by the profile is less than the second MSS value.

Network devices are now capable of supporting a wide range of packet sizes. When a client establishes a connection with a server via a device intermediary to the client and the server, the client and the device can establish a first transport layer connection configured to have a first MSS value, while the device and the server can establish a second transport layer connection configured to have a second MSS value different from the first MSS value. As data is received by the device via the first transport layer connection in packets corresponding to the first MSS value, the device may need to resize the packets according to the MSS value of the second transport layer connection when transmitting the received data from the device to the server.

Systems and methods for providing fine grained control over MSS values of transport layer connections


The invention comprises a holding device having a body member with a central portion and two resilient legs extending therefrom in a first direction. The legs have engagement members for engaging a circuit board. The body member has a hook arm extending in a second direction from the central portion for engagemtne with a component. The hook arm has a first portion extending in the second direction and a resiliently deflectable portion extending towards the central portion. The resiliently deflectable portion being deflectable towards the first portion to allow passage through a mounting hole and has an end for engaging the component to secure the body member thereto. The body member secures the component to the circuit board.

There are numerous ways of securing an electrical connector to a circuit board. For example, the connector may be provided with mounting flanges having bores that align with corresponding apertures on the circuit board. Threaded fasteners can be extended through the bore and the board aperture.
In other arrangements, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,407, a holding device is inserted through an opening in a component and has resilient legs for engaging the circuit and securing the circuit board to the component. The mounting device includes one portion having a latch extending angularly from the plane of the mounting device. Further, the mounting device has barbs for securing the mounting device to the component. The mounting device also has legs with a first portion which are tapered outwardly and a second portion which is tapered inwardly to provide spring action transverse to the plane of the mounting device and to engage a hole in the circuit board.
In mounting components to boards, it would be desirable to provide a simple snap in board which can be easily made. It is also desirable to provide a secure connection between the component and the board.


A scanned beam image capture apparatus is adaptable to use in medical imaging applications.

Endoscopes, boroscopes, laparoscopes, and related visualization devices are used to visualize locations that may not be directly visible to the human eye. One method to relay an image uses coherent fiber bundles. These are flexible and can be long enough to allow the image chip to be part of an external base unit. Unfortunately, coherent fiber bundles frequently suffer from a coarse, often random pixel structure, and hence are viewed as a compromise between image quality and a small diameter flexible form. Another image relay approach is to use discrete lens elements in a short rigid cylindrical form. Over short relays, quite good image quality can be relayed. However, longer relays or smaller diameter leads to compromises. These problems have led to the appearance of video imagers.
Video medical imaging systems such as video endoscopes and video laparoscopes have been in general use since the 1980s. Laparoscopes are rigid devices that may be used in minimally invasive surgery. Typically, laparoscopes use a proximal, externally mounted hand piece that includes a digital camera. The digital camera collects video images through a series of rod lenses arrayed end-to-end inside a tube that extends into a body cavity of the patient. The camera returns its signal through wires to a console that often includes a display monitor. Also typically mounted on the console is a light source, often based on a xenon lamp. The light source sends light to the hand piece through an optical fiber, where a coupling is made. The light is then sent into the body cavity through optical fibers that run inside the laparoscope tube. Often, the optical fibers terminate at the distal end of the tube in a concentric ring, or partial arc around the periphery of the tube. In use, the illumination power is adjusted to give an image of appropriate brightness on the video monitor.
Endoscopes are typically flexible devices that may be used in diagnostic or other procedures. Modern endoscopes (and some laparoscopes) use a distal tip digital camera that collects light, converts it to an electronic signal, and sends the electronic signal up the flexible tube to a hand piece. The signal is then sent to a console for display similar to the manner of operation of laparoscopes. Illumination is sent to the body cavity in a manner similar to that of laparoscopes, except the illumination fibers typically terminate as a pair of apertures on each side of the camera lens. Endoscopes often include irrigation channels and working channels for instruments, in addition to a steering apparatus that may be used to aim the tip of the endoscope in the direction the clinician wishes to look or push the tube.
Endoscopes and laparoscopes may be end-looking or side-looking. In end-looking devices, the field-of-view is positioned directly in front of the end of the device. Side-looking devices may have their fields-of-view located 70°, or other angle off-axis from the end of the tube. The field-of-view varies according to the application. For instance, colonoscopes (a type of endoscope used to examine the colon) often have a 140° diagonal field-of-view, while laparoscopes may have fields-of-view closer to 70° diagonal.
Instruments may be passed down the working channel of many endoscopes. Forceps and other devices have been developed that may pass within the diameter of the working channel into the body cavity where the clinician uses them to take tissue samples, etc. In the field of laparoscopy, instruments are generally introduced to the procedure through separate small incisions. Often the instruments as well as the laparoscope pass through trocars, or rings that line the incisions to prevent undue binding or damage as well as maintain a seal.
Laparoscopes and endoscopes may use a pixelated sensor array such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) or complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device. In pixelated imagers, each pixel corresponds to an element of an array and each element receives light energy from a conjugate point in the field-of-view for a selected sampling interval. Each element converts light to an electrical signal proportional to the brightness of its conjugate point. This approach may force compromises in meeting the size and image quality requirements. In many cases, achieving the highest performance with such technologies implies imaging chips that are large. Some large chips depend on an optical system to relay the image from the interior of the body to the camera chip. In many cases, such sysetems also depend on strong illumination, typically derived from a 300-watt arc lamp coupled in by fiber bundle.
One announced video endoscope product has a pixel count of 850,000 and fits in a probe with tip diameter of 5.9 mm. To increase the number of pixels or decrease the probe diameter, one approach is to reduce the pixel size on the imaging chip. Smaller pixels (below 4 microns) frequently run into difficulties with electron diffusion, and hence scaling down may compromise resolution, such as by limiting sampled point density, for example, contrast ratio, and/or other aspects of the image. Pixel array technology may also suffer from the limitation of fixed pattern noise. This may have the form of both offset fixed pattern (which may dominate in low level regions) and gain fixed pattern (which may affect even high signal areas of the scene). Typical non-uniformity may approximate or exceed 1% of the average signal level. Thus with CCD and CMOS technologies it is frequently considered challenging to increasing the sampling density while also reducing instrument size.
Color distal video chip systems present further challenges. One choice is to use a single chip sensor and divide the sample points spatially by a factor of 3 (or by 4 in red and blue channels and by 2 in the green channel), with red, green, and blue color filters over individual pixels. This typically causes a loss of ⅔ of the light at the sensor plane. Conversely, a three-chip sensor, such as is used in high-quality cameras, is frequently bulky compared to a single chip and is incompatible with size constraints. Time sequential color is another approach, but this allows only ⅓ of the time for photon collection, or alternatively ⅓ the video rate. Another challenge is in crating a driver for a high bit rate data link that must somehow be contained in the small volume of the distal tip.
Thus, today's digital endoscopes and laparoscopes may suffer from limited image quality and dynamic range and often exhibit other undesirable artifacts. In the case of distal imaging systems in particular, diameter limitations have been a common hindrance to higher resolution. Conversely, resolution requirements have hindered diameter reductions.
Overview
According to one aspect, a scanned beam imaging device, which may be fabricated in the form of an endoscope for example, has advantages over present CCD imaging technology. Advantages can include some or all of an increase in image resolution, an increase in image quality, a reduction of light source power, and a reduction in package diameter.
According to another aspect, a scanned beam endoscope has a diameter of 5 millimeters.
According to another aspect, a scanned beam endoscope has a scanner capsule with a diameter of 2.5 millimeters (mm).
According to another aspect, a scanned beam imaging system may include a photonics module with red, green, and blue laser light sources at 635 nanometers (nm), 532 nm, and 473 nm wavelength, respectively.
According to another aspect the photonics module may combine light from the laser light sources using dichroic mirrors and launch the combined light into a single mode optical fiber.
According to another aspect, the combined light is transported down the single mode optical fiber to a distal location, which may be in a non-readily accessible location such as inside a body.
According to another aspect, light emerging from the distal end of the single mode optical fiber is formed into a beam and reflected off a first reflecting surface onto a bi-axial MEMS scanner. The bi-axial MEMS scanner then scans the beam over a two-dimensional field of view.
In one particular embodiment, the MEMS scanner had a 1.56 mm square mirror and scanned the beam at a horizontal (fast) scan angle of 6 degrees zero to peak mechanical at a (fast scan) frequency of 19.7 kilohertz (kHz). The vertical scan approximated a sawtooth waveform and progressively scanned the beam at a slow scan frame rate of 60 hertz (Hz).
According to other embodiments, the horizontal and vertical scans may be run at frequencies of several times the frame rate to produce a Lissajous scan pattern from which an image may be decoded.
According to one embodiment, the light from the distal end of the fiber passes through a hole in the MEMS scanner. The first reflecting surface is the inside of a meniscus lens that reflects a portion of the light, the rest of the light propagating through to the field-of-view as a non-scanned pattern. The reflected portion of the light is reflected to the MEMS scanner and scanned across at least a portion of the meniscus lens as a diverging beam. Scanned light that passes through the meniscus lens is focused to form a scanned beam with a desired shape, for example a semi-collimated beam having a waist of desired size at a desired distance. The shaped scanned beam thus sequentially illuminates spots on the target object.
According to one embodiment, the scanned beam had a power of 1 to 3 milliwatts (mw) that impinged the test object at a distance of 10 to 100 mm.
According to one embodiment, scattered light from the scanned beam was collected by several 3 mm diameter multimode fibers. The collected light propagated along the multimode fibers a distance of approximately 1 meter where it was converted to electrical signals by detectors.
According to one embodiment, the detected light was digitized and reconstructed to form an image of the test object with a resolution of 800 by 600 output pixels.
According to another embodiment, a scanned beam imaging device includes separable controller and tip sections.
According to another embodiment a controller can support a variety of tips.


The present invention includes methods for effecting phenotype conversion in a cell by transfecting the cell with phenotype-converting nucleic acid. Expression of the nucleic acids results in a phenotype conversion in the transfected cell. Preferably the phenotype-converting nucleic acid is a transcriptome, and more preferably an mRNA transcriptome.

Cellular phenotype is the conglomerate of multiple cellular processes involving gene and protein expression that result in the elaboration of a cell's particular morphology and function. It has been thought that differentiated post-mitotic cells have their genomes hard wired with little ability for phenotypic plasticity. Emerging evidence has, however, demonstrated the reversibility and flexibility of the cellular phenotype. It has been shown that fertile adult male and female frogs can be obtained by injecting endoderm nuclei into enucleated eggs (Gurdon J B, Elsdale T R, & Fischberg M (1958) sexually mature individuals of Xenopus laevis from the transplantation of single somatic nuclei. Nature 182:64-65). This result not only forms the foundation of the field in nuclear transplantation, but also provides evidence that the cytoplasmic components of a differentiated cell can support nuclear reprogramming. Generation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells by transfection transcription factors into dividing fibroblasts (Takahashi K & Yamanaka S (2006) Induction of pluripotent stem cells from mouse embryonic and adult fibroblast cultures by defined factors. Cell 126:663-676), followed by cell selection represent a new strategy to globally revert a mature cell into a different cell type. See: Huangfu D, et al. (2008) Induction of pluripotent stem cells from primary human fibroblasts with only Oct4 and Sox2. Nat Biotechnol 26:1269-1275; Kim J B, et al. (2008) Pluripotent stem cells induced from adult neural stem cells by reprogramming with two factors. Nature 454:646-650; Nakagawa M, et al. (2008) Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells without Myc from mouse and human fibroblasts. Nat Biotechnol 26:101-106; Maherali N, et al. (2007) Directly reprogrammed fibroblasts show global epigenetic remodeling and widespread tissue contribution. Cell Stem Cell 1:55-70; Okita K, Ichisaka T, & Yamanaka S (2007) Generation of germline-competent induced pluripotent stem cells. Nature 448:313-317; and Stadtfeld M, Nagaya M, Utikal J, Weir G, & Hochedlinger K (2008) Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Generated Without Viral Integration. Science 322:945-949. The need for re-differentiation of these ES-like-iPS cells into desired cell types, however, adds a layer of complexity that is difficult to control (Wernig M, et al. (2008) Neurons derived from reprogrammed fibroblasts functionally integrate into the fetal brain and improve symptoms of rats with Parkinson's disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 105:5856-5861; Hanna 3, et al. (2007) Treatment of sickle cell anemia mouse model with iPS cells generated from autologous skin. Science 318:1920-1923). Nevertheless, studies of nuclear reprogramming from genomic and epigenetic modification, as seen from somatic-cell-nuclear-transfer-cloned animals and iPS cells, suggests the flexibility of a differentiated phenotype as well as the dynamic changes of a genome (Maherali N, et al. (2007) Directly reprogrammed fibroblasts show global epigenetic remodeling and widespread tissue contribution. Cell Stem Cell 1:55-70).
Cardiomyocytes are one of the most sought after cells in regenerative medicine because of their role in repairing injured heart by replacing the lost tissue (Germani et al., 2007, Trends Mol Med 13(3): 125-33). Functional cardiomyocyte-like cells have been generated from embryonic stem cell, induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell and direct conversion of fibroblast using defined transcription factor transduction (Takeuchi et al., 2009, Nature 459(7247): 708-11; Boheler et al., 2002, Circ Res 91(3): 189-201; Zhang et al., 2009, Circ Res 104(4): e30-41; Ieda et al., 2010, Cell 142(3): 375-86). However, carcinogenesis and early senescence often develop in transcription factors induced cells (Knoepfler, 2009, Stem Cells 27(5): 1050-6; Feng et al., 2010, Stem Cells 28(4): 704-12). It has been shown previously that transfer of the transcriptome (TIPeR) from rat astrocyte into rat neuron converted the neuron into an astrocyte-like cell (Sul et al., 2009, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106(18): 7624-9).
Despite the development and refinement of the techniques discussed above, there remains a need in the art for methods and compositions for effecting phenotypic change in a cell. This invention addresses that need.

Transcriptome transfer produces cellular phenotype conversion

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania


An apparatus and method for measuring the surface deformation or displacement in objects. In one embodiment the apparatus includes an interference pattern generator which projects an interference pattern onto a detector mounted to the surface which is to be measured. As the surface deforms, the detector moves and sweeps across the interference pattern. By noting the changes in the light intensity, the deformation or displacement in the surface at the detector may be determined. In another embodiment, both the detector and the interference pattern generator are located on the surface and as the surface deforms, the relative change in the surface at the detector and the relative deformation or displacement of the surface at the interference pattern generator may be determined. In another embodiment a plurality of detectors and interference pattern generators are positioned to map the deformation or displacement of the surface at many locations on the surface.

The non-contact measurement of the surface deformation or displacement in large structures is important when active or passive measures are employed to correct or compensate for the deformation or displacement. For example, a large parabolic surface which is utilized as the reflector of microwave or optical radiation in a microwave or optical telescope is subject to wind and temperature deformations and variations in sag due to dish orientation. To correct for the distortions caused by such deformations either mechanical actuators are used to selectively correct the surface so as to counter the unwanted deformation or mathematical techniques are applied to correct the received signal as reflected by the deformed surface.
Further, such measurements are useful in determining the reaction of many kinds of physical structures to the effects of load even if deformation compensation is not to be applied. For example, the deformation of a building due to wind shear, the deformation of a bridge under traffic load, and the deformation of an airplane wing under flight conditions are all important measurements for the purpose of maintenance and safety.
In each case the amount of surface displacement or deformation which may be very small in magnitude, must be measured precisely, both if the compensation to be applied is to be effective and if the behavior of the structure under load is to be compared with the predicted behavior. Laser range finders may be used in such situations because such range finders permit small displacements to be measured accurately and precisely. However, the cost of such range finders typically requires that one range finder be used to measure the displacement of a surface at multiple points on the surface. In such a case, the displacement or deformation at the various points on the surface is measured sequentially, thereby precluding an accurate measurement of the displacement or deformation of the surface at any point in time.
The present invention provides an inexpensive system for making accurate surface displacement or deformation measurements.

Method and apparatus for detecting relative displacement using a light source


A cost-effective optical device is used for converting a photo-image into electronic signals with high resolution. The optical device includes a plurality of focusing units for receiving a plurality of sections of the photo-image respectively, and generating a plurality of corresponding focused image sections wherein the focusing units are mounted in specific locations for focusing the plurality of sections of the photo-image through various light paths and at various distance, and the plurality of corresponding focused image sections are magnified with the same ratio, a photoelectric conversion unit for sequentially converting the plurality of corresponding focused image sections into the electronic signals, and a light-reflecting unit mounted between the plurality of focusing units and the photoelectric conversion unit for sequentially transmitting the plurality of corresponding focused image sections to the photoelectric conversion unit.

Image processing is often heard of in photography and movies. The scanner is an indispensable part of this technology. Increasing the resolution of the scanner is investigated hard in order to get more clear images, but high cost is not avoidable with high resolution scanners. The operating principle of the conventional scanner is shown in FIG. 1. An article 11 is placed in the scanner to be scanned. The photo-image 12 of the article 11 is focused on a charge coupled device 15 by a lens set 14, and then is converted into electronic signals to form digital information. A mirror set 13 is used for reflecting the light, so the length of the light path does not have to be shortened even though the height of the scanner is reduced. When higher resolution is required, the number of cells for the charge coupled device 15 must be increased. The cost of the charge coupled device 15 is proportional to the square of the number of cells for it. Requiring higher resolution will thus cost much since the cost of a charge coupled device 15 is a great part of the production cost of a scanner. It is clear that high resolution and low cost are difficult to be harmonized according to the stated prior art.
Another prior art has been developed to obviate the trouble of high-cost. Please refer to FIG. 2 showing the working principle of a scanner according to the second prior art. The photo-image 22 of the scanned article 21 is divided into more sections. There are as many corresponding mirror sets 23, lens sets 24, and charge coupled devices 25 as the photo-image sections in this scanner. Different sections of the photo-image 22 are converted into electronic signals via the same steps as the first prior art by respective mirror sets 23, lens sets 24, and charge coupled devices 25. The electronic signals will be combined to form a full image later. Hence, the number of cells for a charge coupled device 25 is reduced, but the performance can be maintained to correspond to that achieved by the prior art with number of cells remained the same. This arrangement can reduce the cost, and the cost is proportional to the number of charge coupled devices 25. However, we still hope to make a big step forward in increasing resolution and decreasing cost.


Network devices of a digital network for communication between a plurality of devices have a source for transmitting data into the network, and sinks for receiving data from the network. Managers (logical controllers) to which priorities are assigned in a hierarchical order manage connections between sources and sinks. Before setting up a connection, a manager first queries a negotiation administrator to obtain a right to negotiate with other managers and to set up connections. When all other managers having higher priorities also have granted the connection, the manager connects sources and sinks.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a distributed network system for connecting a broad variety of electronic devices in a house with a common network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In modern multi-media networks for homes, several devices are connected together. Such devices can be complex multimedia devices like TV sets or DVD players. They can also be less complex devices like temperature controllers, or even very simple devices like jalousie actuators or light switches. All these devices are connected together via a common network.
A common standard for multi-media networks is the HAVI Standard. A home network based on this Standard is disclosed in EP 1044536. This Standard describes different nodes with different capabilities, from simple "base nodes" to complex "full nodes." A disadvantage is that even the relatively simple "base nodes" require complex and expensive interface hardware for communicating with other nodes. Furthermore, there is no satisfactory mechanism for resolution of resource conflicts as described in the following scenario: a first home inhabitant is listening to music in the bathroom, in the kitchen is another person who uses the intercom to call the bathroom, during this conversation a phone call arrives. There are now three applications: music, intercom, and phone which require access to loudspeakers in the bathroom. Now the applications affect each other—the music application is affected by the intercom application, and both are affected by the phone application.
The resource conflict can be resolved only by a "full AV node" which can act as a master controller, e.g. a central resource manager. Therefore a very complex central controller is required.
In the example of a home, we may expect the intercom to be from a different manufacturer than the DVD player. Furthermore, the DVD player may have been added to the network at a later time after installation of the network. This leads to the problem of how the applications can interact with each other in a sensible way, when they were unknown to each other at construction time. A solution provided in EP 1044536 uses an intelligent update method for updating the system by retrieving updated software. Often an import of software cannot be accepted for reliability and stability reasons, or simply because some devices are not updateable. Furthermore, an intelligent updating mechanism requires at least one complex "full node."

Distributed network system with hierarchical management of resources


The present invention provides a magnetic toner which is hardly influenced by an environment, and with which an image with high quality and excellent resolution can be stably even under low humidity. In the magnetic toner of present invention:                I) a ratio of an iron element content to a carbon element content present on the toner particle surface is less than 0.0010;        II) 50 number % or more of toner particles satisfy a relationship of D/C≦0.02 (C: projected area diameter of toner particles, D: minimum value for a distance between a magnetic iron oxide fine particle and the toner particle surface); and        III) 40-95 number % of toner particles satisfy a structure where 70 number % or more of the magnetic iron oxide fine particles in the respective toner particles are present up to a depth of 0.2 time as far as C from the toner particle surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic toner used for developing an electrostatic image which is formed according to an image forming method such as an electrophotographic method, an electrostatic recording method, a magnetic recording method, or a toner jet recording method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A large number of methods have been conventionally known as electrophotographic methods. A general electrophotographic method involves: forming an electrostatic latent image on an electrostatic image bearing member (hereinafter, referred to as "photosensitive member") using a photoconductive substance with various means; developing the latent image with toner to obtain a visible image (toner image); transferring the toner image onto a recording medium such as paper as required; and fixing the toner image onto the recording medium by means of heat, pressure, or the like to obtain a copied product.
Of such electrophotographic methods, a jumping development method using magnetic toner has been extensively used as a method with which a high-definition image with little fogging can be obtained. The jumping development method involves: applying a thin layer of insulating magnetic toner to a developer bearing member; frictionally charging the toner; and bringing the toner extremely close to (but not in contact with) an electrostatic latent image to be opposite to the latent image through the action of a magnetic field, to thereby develop the image.
However, a development method using magnetic toner inevitably poses a problem owing to the magnetic toner to be used. The problem is such that the flowability, environmental stability, and frictional chargeability of the toner reduce because a considerable amount of magnetic material in fine powder form is mixed and dispersed in the toner and part of the magnetic material is exposed to the toner particle surface. As a result, during long-term use, the magnetic material peels off the toner particles owing to the rubbing of toner particles with each other or the rubbing between a toner particle and a regulating member. Thus, the toner deteriorates, with the result that image failures such as a reduction in image density and uneven in density called sleeve ghost occur.
Many propositions have been conventionally made on the deterioration of image properties involved in the exposure of a magnetic material in terms of the toner structure.
For example, a special toner has been reported, in which only a specific part inside the particles contains a magnetic material particle. To be concrete, the special toner is a toner for pressure fixation manufactured through 2 to 3 steps including: the step of manufacturing a core particle; the step of allowing a magnetic material to dry-adhere to the core particle; and the step of forming a shell layer after the dry-adhesion, in which the magnetic material is present only in an intermediate layer of the toner particles (see JP 60-003647 A and JP 63-089867 A). A toner has also been reported, which is structured such that a resin layer having no magnetic material particles is formed in the vicinity of the toner particle surface to have a thickness equal to or greater than a predetermined thickness (see JP 07-209904 A).
However, it has been recently found out that a toner of such a form poses several problems in achieving an increase in image quality when the toner has a small average particle diameter, for example, an average particle diameter of 10 μm or less. One of the problems is that charge up easily occurs under a low-temperature and low-humidity environment. Such a toner as one described above in which only a specific part inside the particles contains a magnetic material particle has essentially no magnetic material present on the toner surface, so that the toner surface is composed of a resin. According to the studies made by the inventors of the present invention, the toner particle surface has a high resistance and directly reflects the charging property of the resin. Therefore, charge up is remarkable as the toner particle diameter reduces or the toner specific surface area increases.
In addition, each of JP 2001-312097 A (U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,969) and JP 2002-251037 A (U.S. Pat. No. 6,465,144) describes a magnetic toner manufactured by a polymerization method in which no magnetic material is present on the surface of the toner particles but a magnetic material is present in the vicinity of the toner particle surface. However, neither of those prior arts has made an investigation into embedding of an external additive into toner particles, so that the durability is susceptible to improvement.
In recent years, analog printers and analog copying machines have been gradually replaced with digital printers and digital copying machines. Such printers and copying machines have been strongly required to obtain high-resolution images excellent in latent image reproducibility, and to allow an increase in print speed and a reduction in power consumption.
A printer is taken as an example here. A ratio of power consumption at the fixation step to the total power consumption is considerably large, so that the power consumption increases with increasing fixation temperature. Furthermore, a problem such as curling of printed-out paper occurs with increasing fixation temperature. In view of such a circumstance, a reduction in fixation temperature has been strongly required.
To cope with such requirements, many investigations have been conventionally made into a reduction in fixation temperature of toner. Many propositions have been made on a substance having low softening point to be added to toner. For example, it has been reported that the dispersibility of a magnetic material in toner is increased and, at the same time, the fixability and offset resistance of the toner are improved by means of a special approach in which the magnetic material surface is treated with a substance having low softening point (see JP 09-319137 A, JP 01-259369 A, and JP 01-259372 A).
However, the compatibility between the low-temperature fixability and offset resistance of the toner is still susceptible to improvement even when such a magnetic material is used, specially an improvement in fixability has been insufficient. In particular, when a process speed is high, a time period during which the toner and a fixing unit are in contact with each other at the time of fixation is extremely short, so that the toner receives a limited heat quantity. Consequently, toner to be used in a high-speed printer requires a further reduction in fixation temperature.

Magnetic toner and method of manufacturing magnetic toner


A CT system is disclosed for phase-contrast and absorption imaging with a plurality of emitter-detector systems. In at least one embodiment, there are at least two emitter-detector systems and the at least two emitter-detector systems have a different distance between radiation focus and detector and there is a computational element for calculating phase-contrast images on the basis of the solution to the intensity transport equation. Moreover, at least one embodiment of the invention relates to a method for phase-contrast and absorption imaging using such a CT system by comparing attenuation images recorded at different distances of a detector from a multiplicity of projection angles by solving the intensity transport equation and reconstruction or comparison of two tomographic and three-dimensional image data records, reconstructed from projections, which were recorded at different distances.

CT systems for generating quantitative tomographic phase-contrast images with the aid of at least one phase grating in the beam path of the emitter-detector system, that is to say using interferometric measurement methods, are generally known. It is very demanding to produce the X-ray optical gratings required for this because they have to have structure geometries with a structure width of approximately 1 μm and a structure height of approximately 100 μm, corresponding to an aspect ratio of approximately 100. The use of said method in CT systems that can be used clinically is made more difficult as a result of this problem, which is difficult to solve technologically on a clinical scale.

CT system and method for phase-contrast and absorption imaging


According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile memory device includes first and second word lines, first and second bit lines, memory cells each including a resistance change memory element, a global word line including a first global word line portion including a first end portion, a global bit line including a first global bit line portion including a second end portion. The first and second word lines and the first global bit line portion have a first line width and a first line thickness, the first and second bit lines and the first global word line portion have a second line width and a second line thickness.

Nonvolatile memory devices in which memory cells each including a resistance change memory element are connected between word lines and bit lines have been proposed.
In the above nonvolatile memory devices, it is desirable that a voltage which does not depend on the positions of the memory cells be applied to a selected memory cell when a write or a read is executed to or from the selected memory cell.
However, conventionally, the voltage which does not depend on the positions of the memory cells has not necessarily been applied to the selected memory cell.

Nonvolatile memory device including memory element in equal cross-sectional area of word lines and bit lines


This invention relates to novel clarified hydrocolloids which substantially retain the physical properties of unclarified hydrocolloids. The invention also pertains to a novel process for making the clarified hydrocolloids. A process of producing a hydrocolloid which, when hydrated, forms a clear sol comprising: (a) soaking a hydrocolloid containing material dispersed in water until the hydrocolloid is hydrated; (b) stirring the hydrated hydrocolloid until a homogenous particulate containing sol is obtained; (c) removing insoluble particulates to produce a clarified sol; (d) removing remaining particulates in the clarified sol by filtration; and (e) recovering the clarified hydrocolloid from the filtrate.

Hydrocolloids made from naturally occurring gums are used extensively in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. Sols of most such hydrocolloids are opaque or translucent. When such hydrocolloids are clarified, the cost is usually uneconomical or there is inevitably a loss in the physical properties of the hydrocolloids compared to the unclarified colloids. This can, for example, include substantial loss in viscosity. Examples of naturally occurring gums used in making hydrocolloid sols are konjac, guar, locust bean and xanthan.
Konjac Glucomannan:
Konjac glucomannan, the first word sometimes spelled "konjak", is an acetylated glucomannan obtained from the tubers of the tropical plant, Amorphophallus konjac, commonly called "Devil's Tongue" because of its high content of oxalic acid. The konjac tuber is harvested following two or three year's growth, after which it has a diameter of 4-6″. Processing steps include slicing, placing the slices on racks, sun or open fire drying, pulverization, dry or wet milling to remove the oxalic acid and some of the starch content which adheres to the konjac sacs, followed by sifting or air classification. These oval sacs are about 2 mm long and are composed mostly of konjac glucomannan encased in a proteinaceous membrane. Starch granules adhere to the membrane and much of these can be removed by a 30% alcohol (aq) wash. Native konjac glucomannan has a wide variation of acetyl content since it is both a storage and a structural polysaccharide. The more acetylated forms of the konjac glucomannan are water-soluble and the more deacetylated forms are water-insoluble. This is a simplistic statement, however, since a whole spectrum exists with respect to degree of acetylation with some of the soluble species on the edge of insolubility and minor changes in environment, such as salt concentration, excessive heating, removal of protective hydrocolloids or other molecules, etc., can lead to insolubilization.
Crude konjac flour, the most common commercial form, is a well-known foodstuff in China and Japan and has recently gained FDA approval in the U.S. as a fat replacer in meat. This application is based on the fact that when konjac glucomannan is heated with alkali, about pH=˜7.5-11, deacetylation occurs and the resulting gel product is water insoluble and thermostable. The deacetylated gel or paste, commonly called "konnyaku" can even be fried at temperatures around 400° F. without melting or decomposing. If the gel formed by deacetylation is frozen and thawed, a tough, coherent spongeous mass is formed. Deacetylated konjac-containing films, foams, beads, and other forms can be prepared.
Konjac reacts with borate ion at alkaline pH to form amorphous gels as well as reacting synergistically with xanthan to form elastic gels.
As expected, there are numerous impurities in the crude, unclarified konjac. These include insoluble starches, cellulose, and nitrogen-containing impurities including proteins, many of which are derived from the konjac sac membrane. While crude konjac flours have numerous applications, as foods, as a soluble fiber source, as a fat replacement in meats, etc., the clarified form is preferable and in some applications, essential, for such applications as clear dessert gels, as a viscosifier or thickening agent for clear fluids, as clear capsules, films that are free from particulates, clear cosmetics (lotions and possibly gels in combination with clarified xanthan or borate), etc.
Guar Gum (Galactomannan):
Guar gum is a galactomannan polysaccharide obtained from the seed of the legume Cyanopsis tetragonolobus, an annual plant that grows mainly in and and semiarid regions of India and Pakistan. Guar is grown principally as a food crop for animals and as an ingredient in human foods and pharmaceuticals. The guar galactomannan is the major component in the seed endosperm, while the germ portion is mainly protein. In its commercial form, guar gum contains a significant number of impurities, including husks and other cellular debris, with the guar galactomannan comprising only about one-third of the product.
The guar galactomannan is composed of a backbone of (1→4)-linked β-D-mannopyranosyl units with single α-D-galactopyranosyl units connected by (1→6) linkages, with the ratio of galactose to mannose being about 0.55. There are many galactomannans in nature, each varying in this ratio which determines physical and chemical characteristics. Guar galactomannan is soluble in water to form viscous solutions. The actual viscosity values depend upon both the molecular weight and the purity. Guar gum imparts viscosity even in high ionic strength environments. Like konjac and locust bean gum, guar reacts synergistically with xanthan to form very viscous sols and/or gels, depending on proportions and concentrations. It also reacts with alkaline borate to yield amorphous gels.
Guar has numerous applications, some of which have been supplanted by guar derivatives. These range from oil drilling products to textile printing and dyeing to foods, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
Locust Bean Gum (Galactomannan):
Locust bean, carob, gum is a galactomannan polysaccharide obtained from the evergreen leguminous tree, Ceretonia siliqua L., which grows extensively in Spain is also cultivated in Italy, Cyprus and other Mediterranean countries. Locust bean gum is the refined endosperm of the seed and in its commercial forms locust bean gum contains a significant number of impurities, such as husk residue and cellular debris, depending on the grade.
Locust bean gum, like guar is a galactomannan having the same basic structure. However, there are considerably fewer galactose side-chains in the locust bean galactomannan. The galactose to mannose ratio is 0.25, compared with guar's 0.55. This lower degree of branching is responsible for differences in properties, especially solubility. While guar is mostly soluble in cold water, locust bean gum is not. Dispersions must be heated to about 85° C. to achieve full viscosity. Weak gels are formed when hot sols of locust bean gum are allowed to cool quiescently. Locust bean gum will gel in the presence of borate ion at alkaline pH. It will react synergistically with xanthan to form a gel and will impart elasticity to agar and κ-carrageenan. Locust bean gum is stable over a wide range of pH values, but is rapidly degraded by enzymes found in indigenous microbes.
While guar and guar derivatives have replaced locust bean gum in a number of applications because of cost-effectiveness considerations, locust bean gum is still used in dairy and frozen dessert applications, meat products, pet foods, and the textile industry.
Aloe Acemannan:
Aloe acemannan is a mannan first isolated from Aloe barbadensis (var. Miller) by McAnally at Carrington Laboratories and is pharmacologically active. In its commercial state, it contains fine water-insoluble particulates that impart turbidity to the sol. About 80% of the commercial product is a polysaccharide that is composed of a mannose backbone of from 5-50,000 linked units, with >75% being greater than 10,000. Commercial acemannan is partially water soluble and forms viscous sols. It, too, reacts synergistically with xanthan to form elastic gels and alkaline borate to form amorphous gels.
Xanthan Gum:
Xanthan gum is a so-called heteropolysaccharide obtained from the fermentation of Xanthamonas campestris. The polymer backbone is composed of (1→4)-linked β-D-glucopyranosyl units, the same as cellulose. Trisaccharide side chains are attached to alternate D-glucosyl units. These are composed of acetyl mannose, glucuronic acid, and mannose residues, with about half of the terminal mannose units containing pyruvate as a 4, 6 cyclic acetal. Many commercial xanthan gum products form somewhat turbid sols, although most of the cellular debris is removed by centrifugation as a processing step. A few higher-value commercial products form an essentially clear sol as a result of an additional filtration step in the processing.
Xanthan gum imparts high viscosity to aqueous solutions at low concentrations. It is compatible with a wide pH range (1-13), being quite stable at ambient temperature for all values. Xanthan gum sols will also add viscosity to solutions having high salt content. Xanthan interacts synergistically with galactomannans, such as guar gum and locust bean gum, and konjac glucomannan to significantly increase viscosity and/or form gels. With these unique properties and its GRAS listing as a food additive, xanthan gum has a wide range of applications, from oil well drilling to salad dressings, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.
Clarified Hydrocolloid Composites:
Hydrocolloid composites with varying components in varying weight/weight rations can be prepared by combining their sols and then recovering the product by one of any number of available methods. Although co-processed hydrocolloids and dry physical mixtures of hydrocolloids powders exhibit essentially the same solution properties, dispersion and water absorption properties can be significantly different and vary according to the relative proportions.
Clarified Hydrocolloid/Borate Interaction Products:
At pH values between about 7.5 and 9.0, the borate ion will interact with polymers containing cis-1,2-diols to form more viscous, amorphous systems. These polymeric diols can be synthetic, semi-synthetic, or natural. Some of the more common polymers which undergo this reaction are the polyvinyl alcohols; galactomannans, such as guar gum and locust bean gum; and glucomannans, such as konjac and Aloe (ace) mannans. Depending on the concentration of the polymer, or polymers if two or more are used, the borate, and other additives, if any, the consistency can vary from somewhat viscous fluids to crisp amorphous solids. At selected concentrations of the individual components, the reaction products behave like "healable" solids that will flow at body temperatures. Other soluble and insoluble materials can be added to impart desired properties, such as increased fluid absorption, fluid donation, elasticity, etc.

Clarified hydrocolloids of undiminished properties and method of producing same


A system and method manages Radio Access Network (RAN) resources to service packet data transmissions at Service Quality Levels (SQL) commensurate with packet data network SQLs. A Packet Data Serving Node (PDSN) receives a data packet from a coupled packet data network. The data packet is directed toward a Mobile Station (MS) serviced by the RAN and includes a packet SQL indicator that indicates the level of service provided by the data packet network. A corresponding set of RAN resources is allocated to meet the packet SQL indicator. If the set of RAN resources cannot be allocated, the data packet SQL indicator is remarked accordingly. In another operation, the BSC receives a data packet from a MS serviced by the RAN. The data packet is intended for a coupled packet data network and includes a packet SQL indicator. The BSC first determines a set of allocated RAN resources that are servicing the transmission of the data packet to the packet data network. The BSC then maps the allocated set of RAN resources to a RAN service quality level indicator. If the data packet SQL indicator is incorrectly marked, it is remarked by the PDSN. These operation provide support for both specific SQL operations and differential SQL operations.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to wireless networks; and more particularly to the service of packet data transmissions within such wireless networks at differentiated service quality levels.
2. Related Art
Wireless networks are well known. Cellular wireless networks support wireless communication services in many populated areas of the world. Satellite wireless networks are known to support wireless communication services across most surface areas of the Earth. While wireless networks were initially constructed to service voice communications, they are now called upon to support data communications as well.
The demand for data communication services has exploded with the acceptance and widespread use of the Internet. While data services have historically been serviced via wired connections, wireless users are now demanding that their wireless units also support data communications. Many wireless subscribers now expect to be able to "surf" the Internet, access their email, and perform other data communication activities using their cellular phones, wireless personal data assistants, wirelessly linked notebook computers, and/or other wireless devices. The demand for wireless network data communications will only increase with time. Thus wireless networks are currently being created/modified to service these burgeoning data service demands.
Significant performance issues exist when using a wireless network to service data communications. Wireless networks were initially designed to service the well-defined requirements of voice communications. Generally speaking, voice communications require a sustained bandwidth of approximately 4 kHz with minimum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and continuity requirements. Data communications, on the other hand, have very different performance requirements. Data communications are typically bursty, discontinuous, and may require a relatively high bandwidth during their active portions. To understand the difficulties in servicing data communications within a wireless network, consider the structure and operation of a cellular wireless network.
Cellular wireless networks include a "network infrastructure" that wirelessly communicates with mobile stations (MSs) within a respective service coverage area. The network infrastructure typically includes a plurality of base stations dispersed throughout the service coverage area, each of which supports wireless communications within a respective cell (or set of sectors). The base stations couple to base station controllers (BSCs), with each BSC serving a plurality of base stations. Each BSC couples to a mobile switching center (MSC). Each BSC also couples to a corresponding Packet Data Serving Node (PDSN), which also couples to the Internet. The wireless network infrastructure accessed by the PDSN, i.e., a coupled BSC and base stations coupled to the BSC is referred to as the Radio Access Network (RAN). The PDSN is a term specific to the CDMA standards. According to other standards, devices performing similar functions to the PDSN may be referred to as the SGSN and the GGSN (GPRS standard and UMTS standard), for example.
In operation, a MS communicates with one (or more) of the base stations. A BSC coupled to the serving base station routes voice communications between the MSC and the serving base station. The MSC routes the voice communication to another MSC or to the PSTN. BSCs route data communications between a servicing base station and the PDSN. Thus, voice communications and data communications are serviced via different communication paths within the wireless network.
The wireless link between the base station and the MS is defined by one of a plurality of operating standards, e.g., AMPS, TDMA, CDMA, GSM, etc. These operating standards, as well as new 3G and 4G operating standards define the manner in which the wireless link may be allocated, setup, serviced and torn down. These operating standards must set forth operations that will be satisfactory in servicing both voice and data communications. Unfortunately, these operating standards must define such operations in a limited resource environment. The RAN has a maximum set of available resource, e.g., cell/sector bandwidth, communication routing bandwidth, etc. At any given time, all MSs being serviced by the cell/sector must share these RAN resources and must be rationally divided among all serviced MSs (and those requesting service). Any rational division of RAN resources must consider current voice communication demands, current data communication demands, the expected duration of current data communication demands, and the outstanding communications requests, among a number of considerations. Needless to say, this task is daunting.
In most wireless networks, the RAN supports the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite of communication protocols. Communications serviced by this protocol suite are typically referred to as "IP communications." IP communications are packet switched communications, unlike voice communications serviced by the PSTN and many wireless networks, which are circuit switched. An IP network, such as the Internet (and other similar IP communication networks), are networks of data routing switches, communication paths, and interfaces to other networks, e.g., WANs, LANs, the PSTN, wireless networks, etc.
The throughput of any particular path through an IP network, e.g., latency and bandwidth, depends upon switch latency and data path loading. Differing types of IP communications have differing types of performance requirements, e.g., latency, bandwidth, frame error rates, etc. These requirements are generally referred to as IP service quality levels (IP SQL). The IP SQL may be specific, in which particular latencies and bandwidths are required. The IP SQL may also be differential (Diff-Serv, or DS) in which the required level of performance is a particular level of support relative to other levels of support. IP networks provide both of these types of IP SQLs. IP packets typically include an IP SQL indicator in their headers. Each switch or router in the servicing data path processes and routes IP packets based upon their IP SQL indicators.
Because wireless networks are both architecturally and functionally dissimilar to IP networks, no solution exists to provide wireless data communication services with an IP SQL. Currently, the RAN services data communications at a single SQL and provides no differentiation in SQLs. Thus, all IP communications are handled in the same manner by the servicing wireless network, independent of the IP SQL requested for a corresponding data communication.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a system and method that may be employed to coordinate the allocation of RAN resources with the SQL of a serviced data communication.

Apparatus and method for supporting differentiated packet data services within a wireless network


An event aware video system (EAVS) is to capture video frames during a first time period and process event portion of the video frames before transferring the processed data to a central computing system. The EAVS may establish a present no-event frame from the video frames, wherein a last frame of the video frames is marked as the present no-event frame if the difference between adjacent pair of frames of the video frames is less than a threshold value. The EAVS may establish an event frame, wherein a present frame captured after establishing the no-event frame is marked as the event frame if the difference between the present frame and a previous frame captured prior to the present frame is greater than the threshold value. The EAVS may generate the processed data by processing the event of the event frame.

Video surveillance systems generally comprise a plurality of video cameras and each video camera may capture the image of a specific area within the view of the video camera. The video cameras may capture the data and compress the video data before sending the compressed data to a central computing system.

Capturing event information using a digital video camera


A static random access memory (SRAM) cell includes a first to a fourth semiconductor thin plate that are provided on a substrate and are arranged parallel to each other. On respective semiconductor thin plates, there is formed a first four-terminal double-gate field effect transistor (FET) with a first conductivity type, a second and a third four-terminal double-gate FET which are connected in series with each other and have a second conductivity type, a fourth and a fifth four-terminal double-gate FET which are connected in series with each other and have the second conductivity type, and a sixth four-terminal double-gate FET with the first conductivity type. The third and the fourth four-terminal double-gate FETs form select transistors, and the first, second, fifth and sixth four-terminal double-gate FETs form a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) inverter.

Conventional SRAM cells consist of planar MOSFETs (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors) on silicon substrates such as bulk wafer or SOI (Silicon On Insulator) wafer.
However, it will be difficult for a bulk planar MOSFET to suppress increase of a short channel effect. This means that a leak current will increase.
In order to avoid this problem, Patent Document 2 mentioned below discloses a SRAM device using four-terminal double-gate FETs (Field-Effect Transistors) that is disclosed in Patent Document 1 mentioned below.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the four-terminal double-gate FET disclosed in Patent Document 1. The four-terminal double-gate FET comprises an SOI substrate having a layered structure of a semiconductor substrate 108 and an insulating film 107, a standing semiconductor thin plate 100 on the SOI substrate, a first gate that is on one side of the semiconductor thin plate 100 and consists of a first gate electrode 103 and a first gate insulating film 104, a second gate that is on the other side of the semiconductor thin plate 100 and consists of a second gate electrode 105 and a second gate insulating film 106, a source electrode 101 and a drain electrode 102, both of which are in contact with the standing semiconductor thin plate 100. Unlike FIG. 1, the source and drain electrodes can partly overlap with the first gate electrode 103 and the second electrode 105.
FIG. 2 shows symbols in a circuit diagram of the FET. The first gate electrode 103, the second gate electrode 105, the source electrode 101 and the drain electrode 102 correspond to 203, 204, 201 and 202, respectively, in an n-channel four-terminal double-gate FET 200, and correspond to 208, 209, 206 and 207, respectively, in a p-channel four-terminal double-gate FET 205.
When the four-terminal double-gate FET is used in a logic circuit, a logic signal which is an object of a signal processing is applied to the first gate, while the threshold voltage of the transistor which determines performance such as a processing speed is varied by a bias voltage applied to the second gate. The leakage current of the entire system can be reduced by changing the bias voltage applied to the second gate so as to select a high threshold voltage in a case when a low speed operation is permitted or to select a low threshold voltage in a case when a high speed operation is required.
A configuration example of an SRAM cell using the four-terminal double-gate FETs is disclosed in Patent Document 2. In this document, a flip-flop consists of the four-terminal double-gate FETs, where the first gate and the second gate of the p-channel FET is connected to each other, while the first gate and the second gate of the n-channel FET are used as a logic signal input gate and a threshold voltage control gate, respectively. Thereby, an off-state leakage current of the n-channel FET can be reduced by setting the threshold voltage of the n-channel FET in a standby state high.
Patent Document 3 and 4 mentioned below disclose two different device structures and fabrication methods thereof for further improving the performance of the four-terminal double-gate FET.
Patent Document 3 discloses a method for fabricating the insulating films of the first gate and the second gate such that they have different film thicknesses. By this method, it is feasible to enhance an effect of bias voltage applied to the second gate.
Patent Document 4 discloses a method for fabricating the insulating films of the first gate and the second gate such that they have different permittivities. The effect of bias voltage applied to the second gate can also be enhanced by this method.
Fabrication of such four-terminal double-gate FETs, the method of which are disclosed in each of the above patent document and therefore not described in detail here, is in general feasible by using a pattern as shown in FIG. 3. Here, 301 is a mask to form a fin, 302 is a mask to form gates, 303 and 304 are patterns to form contacts implemented in the mask of the same layer, that is 303 is a contact layer for the interconnection line for the fin, and 304 is a contact layer for the interconnection line for the gates. The gates which is crossing the standing semiconductor thin plate structure and depicted as a single FIGURE are deposited as shown in FIG. 3, and then may be separated so that the deposited gate structure formed on both sides of the standing semiconductor thin plate can act as the first gate and the second gate operating independently from each other.
However, the conventional SRAM has the following problems. In the SRAM circuit shown in Patent Document 2, leakage current can be reduced when the n-channel FET in the flip-flop is off. However, due to the property of the flip-flop circuit, when an n-channel FET in an inverter is off, an n-channel FET in the other inverter is on, so that the off current in this side cannot be reduced effectively. Therefore, a method for reducing the off current of a p-channel FET similarly to the n-channel FET is required.
In addition, although a circuit configuration to reduce a leakage current in the n-channel FETs is off is disclosed in Patent Document 2, a device structure, an arrangement method thereof and an interconnection method for integrating the FETs are not disclosed, and any appropriate method is not known. That is, although some effective layout methods are known for the conventional and standard device such as a planar MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect-Transistor) as described in, for example, Non-Patent Document 1, these methods can not be applied efficiently to the four-terminal double-gate FETs. Accordingly, it is required to realize a large scale integrated SRAM device by fabricating an SRAM cell using the four-terminal double-gate FETs in a small area.
The reason why the layout technique for the conventional MOSFETs can not be applied efficiently is that the four-terminal double-gate FET has two gates unlike the planar MOSFET, so that the number of contacts between the interconnection layers and the gates increases, which increases the area of the device. A new device layout which enables the interconnection lines to share gate contacts on the same node of the circuit topology as much as possible is required.
At the same time, as many contacts as possible connected to the same interconnection line are require to be aligned on a straight line in the new layout in order to reduce the complexity of the interconnection line and suppresses an increase in the area.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2002-270850    Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2005-260607    Patent Document 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2005-167163    Patent Document 4: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2005-174960    Non-Patent Document 1: J. Davis et al. "A 5.6 GHz 64 kB Dual-Read Data Cache for the POWER6 Processor", Visual Supplement 2006 to the Digest of Technical Papers of IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, p. 514

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology


The present invention discloses a backlight module that includes a liquid crystal glass and a front frame. The front frame includes at most three successively-connected side frame members. The three side frame members are positionable on and hold down the liquid crystal glass. The present invention also discloses a backlight module, which includes a liquid crystal glass and a front frame, of which the front frame includes at most two side frame members that are opposite to each other. The two side frame members re positionable on and hold down the liquid crystal glass. The present invention also discloses a liquid crystal display device that uses the backlight module. The backlight module and the liquid crystal display device using the backlight module according to the present invention improve firmness of bonding between the liquid crystal glass and the front frame and lowers down cost of the backlight module.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of liquid crystal displaying, and in particular to a backlight module and a liquid crystal display device.
2. The Related Arts
A liquid crystal display device comprises a display module. To display an image, the display module needs backlighting to serve as a light source. The backlight source that is currently used includes CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) and LED (Light-Emitting Diode). Currently, LEDs are used as a novel light source, which shows the advantages of high brightness and low power consumption. Consequently, the LED backlighting is getting prevailing and is considered a trend of future design. However, LEDs also generate a large amount of heat. To ensure the light emission efficiency and the lifespan of the LEDs, an arrangement of heat dissipation must be provided for the LEDs.
As shown in FIG. 5, a partial schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional backlight module is shown. A front frame 8 is formed of four side frame members connected end by end. Each side frame member holds down and thus retains a piece of liquid crystal glass 9 in position. However, it is noted that such a structure suffers the following deficiencies:
(1) Each of the side frame members shows a different hold-down capability (which refers to contact area between the front frame 8 and the liquid crystal glass 9), whereby for a side frame member that provides a relatively small hold-down capability, once falling during transportation, the liquid crystal glass often detaches from the side frame member having the relatively small hold-down capability, leading to undesired impact between the liquid crystal glass and the front frame, which causes breaking or other product defects.
(2) The conventional design of front frame that has four side frame members is adverse to intensification of backlight module and is costly.

Backlight module and liquid crystal display device

Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd


Closed-ended, linear, duplex (CELID) DNA molecules, recombinant AAV (rAAV), particles comprising CELID DNA, methods of making such molecules and particles, and therapeutic applications of such particles.

The delivery of therapeutic agents to individuals in need of treatment has historically been achieved either orally or by injection. While such administration is generally effective, it usually requires repeated administration, and results in systemic distribution, which is not always desirable. Moreover, although enzyme replacement therapies may remediate the loss of function caused by a genetic mutation, such treatments are typically restricted to alleviating symptoms, and do not address the underlying genetic defect.
A goal of modern medicine is to develop improved methods of treatment that require less frequent administration, that can be specifically targeted to organs and tissues, or metabolic or other pathways of illness, and/or that are suitable for treating the genetic defect underlying a genetic disorder or disease. One approach to achieving such treatment involves delivery of a heterologous DNA molecule into cells in a patient in need of such treatment. Once delivered, the heterologous DNA molecule can remain as an episome or extrachromosomal element in the nucleus, where it can be transcribed into RNA. The RNA may encode a protein, which can act within the cell, or which may be exported from the cell to act systemically, or in a paracrine, endocrine, or autocrine manner. The heterologous DNA molecule may also encode, regulatory RNA, such as miRNA or shRNA. Alternatively, the heterologous DNA molecule can be inserted into the cellular genome through homologous DNA recombination (or repair), non-homologous end-joining, transposase-mediated recombination, site-directed nuclease (e.g., zinc-finger or TALEN), or RNA-guided methodologies (e.g. CRISPR/Cas9). Delivery of the heterologous DNA can be carried out using various methods, one of which includes the use of a viral vector. While many viral vectors are available, adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors have become a favored vector among gene therapy researchers.
Vectors derived from AAV are particularly attractive for delivering genetic material because: 1. The vectors are incapable of autonomous replication, 2; the vectors can infect (transduce) a wide variety of non-dividing and dividing cell types; 3. the vectors can be systemically delivered to transduce liver, muscle, and brain; and, 4. the vectors can be administered locally to transduce photoreceptors or other cell types in the eye, intracranially to transduce specific regions of the brain, or intrathecally to transduce motor neurons and spinal neurons. Further, AAV vectors can be devoid of the virus structural genes, thereby eliminating some aspects of the natural host cell responses to virus infection. Moreover, wild-type AAVs have never been etiologically associated with any pathology in humans, and replication-deficient AAV vectors generally persist as episomes, thus limiting the risk of insertional mutagenesis or activation of oncogenes. In addition, AAV vectors can also be produced at high titer.
Adeno associated viruses (AAV) comprise the dependoparvovirus subfamily of the Parvoviridae. The dependoparvoviruses are distinct from the other members of this virus family by its dependence upon a helper virus for a productive infection. In the absence of a helper virus, in Rep-dependent process, AAV DNA has been shown to integrate in a locus specific manner into the q arm of human chromosome 19. The approximately 5 kb virion genome of AAV consists of a linear, single-stranded DNA molecule of either plus or minus polarity. Physically, the AAV particle is non-enveloped and the icosohedral capsid (T=1 symmetry) is approximately 20-25 nm in diameter. The genome of AAV contains three large open reading frames (ORFs): the left ORF, encoding non-structural replication (Rep) proteins (Rep78, Rep68, Rep52 and Rep40), which are involved in replication, gene regulation, encapsidation, and integration, and the right ORF, which encodes the structural capsid (Cap or VP) proteins, and the assembly activating protein (AAP) that is translated from a second ORF within the Cap ORF.
Flanking the AAV coding regions are two cis-acting nucleotide inverted terminal repeat (ITR) sequences, each of which are approximately 145 nucleotides in length. The ITRs contain interrupted palindromic sequences having the potential to fold into T-shaped hairpin structures, which serve as the origin of viral DNA replication. Within the ITR region, two elements have been described which are central to the function of the ITR: a GAGC repeat motif and the terminal resolution site RGTTGR (trs). The repeat motif has been shown to bind multimeric Rep 78 or Rep 68 when the ITR is in either a linear duplex or hairpin conformation. This binding serves to position Rep 68 or Rep 78 subunit for cleavage at the trs which occurs in a site- and strand-specific manner. The structure of the AAV genome has been well studied, is known to those skilled in the art, and is further discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,718,424, 8,283,1511, 8,927,269, and 9,115,373 all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Previous work has shown that in a permissive cell, heterologous DNA (i.e., non-AAV DNA) flanked by AAV ITRs can be packaged into AAV capsids, providing that the entire DNA construct is less than approximately 5 kb in size. The resulting capsid containing a vector genome is referred to as a recombinant AAV particle. Conventional methods to produce recombinant AAV (rAAV) particles rely on transient co-transfection of mammalian cells with plasmids that provide the AAV structural genes and the ITR-vector genome in trans and the adenovirus helper functions encoding the adenovirus early genes (e.g., E1a, E1b, E4orf6, and VARNA). Expression of the adenovirus proteins render the "permissive" for rAAV production and the resulting AAV gene expression (rep and cap) effectively establishes a "pseudo-infection". Such a cell is capable of ITR-mediated rescue and replication of the AAV vector genome (i.e., any DNA flanked by AAV ITRs), which is provided on a separate plasmid co-transfected into the cell. Expression of the p40 cap gene proteins, VP1, VP2, VP3, and AAP, results in capsid assembly, and the rescued (and replicated) vector genome can then be packaged into the capsids.
While such methods are useful for producing rAAV particles, imprecisions or inefficiencies in the rescue process can cause the rescued ITRs to remain associated with at least a portion of the original plasmid moiety, leading to encapsidation of non-vector DNA (i.e., plasmid "backbone" DNA). Thus, DNA in cis with the ITRs is packaged into AAV particles. Such plasmid DNA (pDNA), which may activate innate immune responses, is considered an impurity since it may be detrimental to therapeutic uses of the recombinant AAV particles. Moreover, plasmid DNA produced in bacterial cells comprises signature DNA methylation patterns, such 5-methyl-adenosine (5mA), and 6-methyl-cytosine (6mC), denoting its origin. Thus, improved methods of providing and delivering AAV vectors are needed. The present disclosure provides such methods, and offers other benefits as well.

Closed-ended, linear, duplex adenoassociated virus DNA, and uses thereof

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