A printing mail processing apparatus has an apparatus housing with a cassette bay therein, for removably receiving an exchangeable cassette. The cassette bay is closed by a cassette flap that has a finger on an underside thereof that interacts with a sensor. The sensor can detect, before exchange of a cassette that flap position for which a cassette extraction is possible. A microprocessor is connected to the sensor and uses the signal from the sensor to detect the position of the cassette flap. Given a closed cassette flap, the microprocessor causes voltage to be supplied to a chip reader unit mounted in the cassette bay. Given an opened cassette flap, the microprocessor causes voltage to be disconnected from the chip reader unit before each cassette exchange.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a cassette acceptance device with the capability to recognize the state of the cover of the cassette opening or bay in a printing mail processing apparatus or a similar printing billing or mail processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional thermotransfer franking machines of the type T1000 and Optimal commercially available from Francotyp Postalia & Co. KG do not have piracy protection for consumable material, i.e. an ink ribbon in a cassette. By means of an encoder, a microprocessor controller allows an ink ribbon conveyor to establish that an encoder disc is fastened on the same axle as a friction wheel, and the latter is likewise rotated. When the flap of the cassette bay is opened, a simple mechanism is activated and the friction wheel is raised from the ink ribbon of the cassette, which allows the cassette to be removed without causing damage. The operation of the machine is interrupted given a faulty ink ribbon transport.
The arrangement of a switch on the security housing of a franking machine is known from EP 1300807 A2; for different reasons, namely for protection for an operator so that if fingers of the operator are inserted into an opening of the franking machine, such as Ultimail®, also available from Francotyp Postalia & Co. KG, they are not crushed by the transverse movement of the printing carriage. This solution is only suitable for inkjet printing franking machines, particularly for exchange of ink cartridges via the opening that can be sealed by a flap. The flap is equipped with a stop that, upon opening of the flap, activates a switch inside the security housing, causing current supply to a motor of the transverse movement mechanism of the printing module to be interrupted. Adoption of this solution for thermotransfer franking machines with ink ribbon cassettes is not possible without difficulty since there no movement of the printing module nor an exchange of an ink cartridge. Moreover, recently mail carrier regulating authorities have begun to require a higher printing quality that is supported by piracy protection measures from the franking machine manufacturer (such as a chip applied on the consumable material).
DE 199 58 946 A1 discloses a thermotransfer franking machine with a microcomputer to which a contact or sensors is/are applied in order to indirectly establish the presence of exchanged consumable material based on a physical characteristic by means of an evaluation (implemented by the microprocessor) of measured sensor data and stored operating data. If a chip with identifying data is not arranged on the cassette, a chip card (provided for this purpose) must then be inserted into a slot of a chip card reader in order to read the identifying data. The exchange is thus permitted only some time later. Moreover, exactly where the sensors are arranged and which of these are used for evaluation is dependent on the franking machine type, because usually already-present sensors are used that do not specifically detect an exchange of consumable material.
A detector is known from DE 199 58 941 A1 that also reliably detects the removal or exchange of consumable material when the apparatus is deactivated and is not supplied with system voltage. For this purpose, the detector uses a typical lithium battery that supplies a memory with a memory-retention voltage. There is no discussion, however, as to exactly where the sensor is arranged relative to the cassette. According to one variant, piracy protection is possible for thermotransfer cassettes in the form of an electronically-programmable chip, but this presumes a precise alignment of the cassette with the chip relative to a reading unit (chip reader) and the application of a contact force on order to securely read the data. Given the use of a chip for the purpose of piracy protection, in operation an electrical voltage is applied across the chip. This document does not address preventing removal or circumvention of the cassette during the operating state, such that access to the activated reading unit is possible. Such an access would at least lead to operational interferences or to manipulation or even to destruction of the chip.

Cassette acceptance device with state recognition for a printing mail processing apparatus


A client-server relational database system includes a client computer connected to a server computer via a network. Data from the client computer is encrypted by the client computer and hosted by the server computer. The encrypted data is operated upon by the server computer to produce an intermediate results set. The intermediate results set is sent from the server computer to the client computer where it is operated upon by the client computer and then returned to the server computer where it is further operated upon by the server computer before being sent again from the server computer to the client computer in order to produce actual results.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to database management systems performed by computers, and in particular, to query optimization in encrypted database systems.
2. Description of Related Art
(Note: This application references a number of different publications, as indicated throughout the specification by one or more reference numbers. A list of these different publications ordered according to these reference numbers can be found below in the section entitled "References." Each of these publications is incorporated by reference herein.)
The widespread deployment and adoption of broadband communications, the resulting glut in bandwidth, and advances in networking have caused a generational shift in computing. The emerging grid infrastructure harnesses available computing and storage at disparate heterogeneous machines into a shared network resource. There is an on-going consolidation that results in the application service provider (ASP) model. Organizations outsource some of their core information technology (IT) operations (e.g., data centers) to specialized service providers over the Internet [7, 6]. Many organizations and users will be storing their data and processing their applications at remote, potentially untrusted, computers. One of the primary concerns is that of data privacy—protecting data from those who do not need to know.
There are two kinds of threats to privacy. Outsider threats from hackers and insider threats from, perhaps, disgruntled employees. Encrypting stored data [15] is one way to address outsider threats. Data is only decrypted on the server before computation is applied and re-encrypted thereafter. Encryption and decryption performance is a problem that can be addressed by hardware and by applying techniques to minimize decryption.
Insider threats are more difficult to protect against. Recent studies indicate that a significant fraction of data theft is perpetrated by insiders [5]. For example, how would one protect the privacy of data from the data base system administrator who probably has superuser access privileges?
If the end user (end user and client are used interchangeably herein) is on a secure environment, then one way to solve the insider threat problem is to store all data encrypted on the server and make it impossible to decrypt on the server (for example, only the end user is made aware of decryption keys). In this model, we assume computation against data stored at the server is initiated by the end user. Moreover, assume that it is possible to transform and split the computation into two parts: a server part of the computation is sent to the server to execute directly against encrypted data giving encrypted results, which are shipped to the client, which decrypts and performs a client part of the computation. This scheme, under appropriate conditions, addresses the problem of insider threats. The difficulty is that there is no know way to split general computations as required. However, an interesting subset of SQL techniques necessary for such computational transformations have been found [14]. An algebraic framework has also be shown in which these techniques may be applied. However, the problem of how to put these techniques together in an optimum manner has not been addressed.
There are six concepts needed to address the query optimization problem, as described in this application: 1) data level partitioning to improve the query partitioning schemes presented by previous work, 2) a novel operator that sends data in a round trip from the server to the client and back for evaluating logical comparisons as in sorting, 3) operator level partitioning to distribute the query processing tasks between the client and the server, 4) transformation rules that are required to generate alternate query execution plans in the optimizer 5) query plan enumeration to choose the best query execution plan, and 6) an enhanced storage model that is flexible enough to satisfy different performance and privacy requirements for different systems and applications. Each is explained and described in this application. By means of an example, it is shown that significant performance improvements are possible from application of the techniques in this application.

Query optimization in encrypted database systems

International Business Machines Corporation


Generating in real-time multiple gameplay videos in a cloud computing network of a mobile game played on multiple mobile devices is disclosed. A cloud-based video system of the cloud computing network receives gameplay state information of the mobile game played on the multiple mobile devices, where the gameplay state information associated with a mobile device describes the states of the mobile game while the game is played on the mobile device. The video system generates a gameplay map comprising the gameplay observed by the multiple mobile devices. Responsive to a viewer or a virtual director selecting the gameplay associated with a mobile device, the video system generates a gameplay video of the mobile game associated with the mobile device based on encoded audio frames and video frames of the mobile game played on the mobile device.

1. Field of Art
Described embodiments relates generally to video compression, and more particularly to processing mobile video gameplays in a cloud-based video processing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A mobile game is a video game played on a mobile device, such as a mobile phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), tablet computer, portable media player or calculator. The popularity of mobile games has increased along with the significant improvement of mobile devices in terms of storage and graphic capabilities. At the same time, mobile games have become increasingly sophisticated with the technological advances of the mobile devices.
Similar to what has happened to console and personal computer (PC) games, more and more mobile gamers want to share their achievements, fun and tips of playing video games with others in video sharing services, e.g., YOUTUBE™. One way to share games played on a mobile device is by recording a video of the gameplay, and rendering and encoding the video at the mobile device before posting this video in a video sharing service. One challenge for local video rending and encoding is the limitations of computational and power resources of the mobile device, which, in turn, presents serious limitations to the quality and length of the videos that can be created directly on the mobile device. Another challenge is the acceptable processing delay from encoding high quality video directly from the mobile device, where a long delay is expected to degrade user experience.

Cloud-based multi-player gameplay video rendering and encoding


A joint range of motion evaluation system includes a three-dimensional orientation device which generates Euler angle (azimuth, elevation, roll) data closely corresponding to the permitted angular ranges of motion for many joints in a patient's body. Thus, the system collects angular data corresponding to the same angular movements experienced through the joint to provide greater information with regard to its actual movement. This information is particularly useful in detecting abnormalities and disabilities of movement and in designing and monitoring patient rehabilitation. Specific positional data with respect to specific points on the patient's joint or other surrounding anatomy is not utilized.

Clinical evaluation of a patient's extremities, and more particularly the upper extremities including the hands, for disability can be a time-consuming process for skilled therapists and physicians. Because of the unique complexity of the hands' movements, multiple measurements must be taken across all joints of the fingers to determine their maximum angle of flexion and extension. There are fourteen joints or knuckles in a normal hand, and each of these must be measured in flexion and extension to arrive at a measure of the disability of the hand as is often required for proper clinical evaluation and for the patient to obtain compensation for an injury which has limited his range of motion. At present, a therapist must sit with a patient and manually measure each individual angle of flexion and extension for each joint with a goniometer by isolating the joint, aligning it with the legs of the goniometer, and manually recording the measured included angle. Not only is this process tedious and time-consuming, and thus expensive to perform, but less time remains for the therapist to perform physical therapy with the patient. During the course of a patient's treatment, it is desirable to repeat these measurements over the time course of therapy to assess a patient's progress. Unfortunately, because there is some subjective element in the use of the goniometer and the current standard technique used in making hand function measurements, the repeatability of any particular examination is relatively poor. The variance of measurements from therapist to therapist has been so large with the standard goniometer that the same therapist should measure the same patients for each evaluation session. This is often not possible in a busy therapy center. This leads to uncertainty and ineffectiveness in assessing the patient's functional status and in designing treatment protocols.
Some attention has been paid in the prior art to the problem of evaluating and measuring the range of motion in the knee. Examples of these are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,549,555 and 4,571,834. These references both contain the same disclosure relating to a knee laxity evaluator comprised of an instrumented seat, a restraint for restraining the thigh of the patient to the instrumented seat, a motion module consisting of a mechanical coupling extending between the seat and the patient's leg with a number of electromechanical rotary transducers for measuring the relative position of the leg, and a processor for analyzing the outputs of the seat and the motion modules to provide an indication of applied force and relative motion of the knee. The device disclosed is mechanically and operationally complex and is limited in its accuracy although it is probably adequate as measuring knee motion of a knee joint which is a very large joint whereas measuring finger motion requires much more delicate instrumentation.
Perhaps because of the bulky, mechanically complex construction of the device disclosed in these prior patents, the inventors herein are aware of a later commercial model of this device which is adapted for use with the spine which is comprised of a wand mounted at the end of a multi-jointed mechanical arm, the arm being adjustably mounted to a pole stand and having a rotary transducer at each of the joints of the arm. Apparently, a foot switch is also provided and the device is understood to be used by tracing an exterior outline corresponding to the perceived position of posterior elements and spinous processes in the spine with the wand as the foot switch is operated to input data corresponding to the shape of the spine to a computer which then performs an analysis including flexibilty and range of motion measurement. However, as with the prior art device disclosed in the patents mentioned above, the overall accuracy is limited by the use of the three rotary mono-angular (mono-articulated) single DOF transducers in the multi-jointed extension arm which are believed to generate only relative position data obtained by integrating a plurality of measurements over time, although the level of accuracy attainable is probably more than adequate for the measurement of the posterior elements of the dorsal and lumbar spine.
The inventors herein are also aware of a prior art device consisting of a "data glove" as is described generally in U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,291 and also in a Scientific American magazine article appearing on the cover and within the October 1987 issue. This device is essentially comprised of a glove which is slipped onto and encloses the hand and which contains a plurality of fiber-optic cables anchored at both ends to an interface board which run the length of each finger and doubles back. As the hand is measured, it is not visible to the operator. Each cable has a light-emitting diode at one end and a phototransistor at the other with the cables being treated so that light escapes when a finger flexes. Thus, a change in the amount of light received by the phototransistor, when converted into an electrical signal, is directly representative of a change in position or flexion of the finger such that the data glove can measure relative movement of the finger as it is flexed or extended. Additionally, an absolute position and orientation sensor is mounted near the wrist of the glove to provide a single absolute point of reference for the entire hand, although it does not provide data as to the position or angle of flexion or extension of any of the fingers themselves. The data glove provides simultaneous real time measurements concerning the relative motion or movement of the fingers but does not provide data corresponding to the absolute position of any of the fingers. Thus, to measure an angle of maximum flexion at each joint, the finger must first be placed in a known position and then the finger flexed to its position of maximum flexion as the output of the data glove is continuously monitored. The maximum angle of flexion may then be determined by comparing this known starting position with the angle of flexion computed by integrating continuously recorded measurements. Of course, there is some uncertainty in determining and repeating a known initial position and angle for a finger before it is flexed, especially if that finger is incapable of a full and complete range of motion. Once again, as with the prior art manual technique, and the rotary transducers of the prior art knee device, significant potential for error and subjectivity enter into the measurement of angles of flexion and extension with the data glove. There is no provision for competent human intervention in the operation of the data glove.
Still another problem in evaluating the hand is the complex nature of the wrist. Presently, in accepted standards of medical practice, the range of motion for the wrist is determined by having the patient grip a cylindrical object such as a pencil or the like, and holding the pencil in a vertical orientation which is defined as a neutral position. The patient is then told to rotate the pencil inwardly to its maximum extent and the angle is measured, and then to rotate the pencil outwardly to its maximum extent and that angle is measured as well. These angular measurements can then be used to determine the maximum pronation and supination. However, it is known that there is approximately 30.degree. of additional total rotation contained in the joints between the radius and ulna and the fingers such that these measurements are not the true measurements of the range of motion of the wrist. Thus, there exists no protocol or methodology in the prior art to properly fully evaluate the true range of motion of the wrist. Furthermore, none of the prior art devices discussed above are capable of generating data which accurately provides the range of motion for the wrist. This is partially due to the fact that it is difficult to visualize the radius and ulna as the wrist is rotated, and for the further reason that the prior art systems have errors of measurement which are significant in measuring the small distances which through the wrist rotates.
To solve these and other problems in the prior art, the assignee herein is also the assignee of U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,925, issued May 8, 1990, which discloses an upper extremity evaluation system which is particularly adapted to and useful in measuring the range of flexion and extension of the joints of the hand, wrist and elbow and automatically calculating a degree of disability in accordance with American Medical Association (AMA) standards commonly used by the courts and workers compensation boards in determining the financial compensation due to a patient for an injury. In a distinct departure from the prior art, that device adapts a three-dimensional spatial absolute position and orientation sensor into a computer measurement system which permits the convenient collection of data by a therapist corresponding to the absolute position of the proximal and distal segments at a joint in the fully extended as well as the fully flexed position. In other words, a therapist can quickly and conveniently enter data automatically into the computer which corresponds to the (x, y, z) position of the various joints of the patient's hand as the hand is manipulated into one of only several different positions and held for only a brief period of time therein. Because absolute (x, y, z) position data is measured and collected, much greater accuracy is attainable. Furthermore, because of the convenient methodology used to collect the data, an evaluation is also capable of a high level of repeatability. This has a dramatic impact on the accuracy of the initial assessment given to a patient, as well as the evaluation of treatment protocols through the course of the patient's rehabilitation. Still another advantage with that system is that accurate range of motion information can be easily collected by measuring the exact location of the radial and ulna styloid processes while the wrist is held in the neutral, supinated, and pronated positions. The computer may then eliminate the translation of these bones as they are moved from the computation to arrive at a true and accurate measure of the wrist's range of motion. Further information may also be obtained relating to the range of supination and pronation at the metacarpal level, which provide additional functional information of interest to the surgeon. However, perhaps the greatest advantage of the device is that it dramatically reduces the amount of therapists' time required to perform the clinical evaluation, and virtually eliminates the hand surgeon's time in evaluating the therapists' results. This is all achieved while significantly increasing the reliability and variability of the results.
Briefly, the protocol for entering data corresponding to the hand includes locating twenty-four specific points on the dorsal surface of the hand in a sequence which permits the most rapid data collection as well as to give maximum flexion values. As can be appreciated, this protocol can be routinely performed by an average therapist in less than two minutes. Data entry is achieved by touching the finger or hand with a wand or pointer, and pressing a foot switch when the wand or pointer is in the appropriate and desired location. This permits the therapist to choose the point in time for data entry to provide greater control over the evaluation.
A software package which operates on the control desktop personal microcomputer has been designed and developed by the inventors which guides and instructs the therapist as he/she proceeds through the evaluation process. This ensures a complete examination taken with the same methodology and helps improve the accuracy of results. In the prior art, significant inconsistencies of results are often noticed between therapists examining the same patient. With the present invention, these inconsistencies are thought to be significantly reduced. Furthermore, the software calculates angles of flexion and extension from the position data entered by the therapist and makes further calculations in accordance with AMA standards to arrive at the degree of disability. A hand surgeon may then review these results and verify them in accordance with accepted medical practice. However, because of the increased reliability brought to the measurement and data entry portions of the evaluation, the amount of time and involvement of the hand surgeon can be significantly reduced thereby significantly reducing the cost of the evaluation to the patient while improving the results obtained thereby.
As described above, the assignee's prior patented Upper Extremity Evaluation System is a dramatic improvement over the prior art. However, data is input to the device using a three-dimensional spatial absolute position sensor to locate the (x, y, z) coordinates of a series of points in space which correspond to particular points on a patient's hand. This methodology is useful and valuable, however, it does not represent a direct angular measurement of the range of motion of a joint utilizing the three orthogonal coordinates of motion generally permitted in many joints.
For purposes of explaining the principles and object of the present invention, the wrist will be used as an example. However, it should be understood that the present invention may be applied to any joint of the body and is particularly valuable and useful with respect to a joint permitting three degrees of freedom such as the wrist. As is well known, the hand may be moved in a generally horizontal plane which corresponds to an aximuth angle of movement through the wrist. Also, the hand may be moved generally in a vertical plane which corresponds to an elevational angular deflection in the wrist. Lastly, the hand may be rotated about the wrist to expose the palm upwardly and downwardly which generally corresponds to axial angular deflection through the wrist. These angular deflections, and their range of motion, are exactly the data of interest to be collected in determining the range of motion of the wrist for clinical purposes.
The same three-dimensional position and orientation device disclosed in the assignee's prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,925 referenced above includes sensors which can be used to measure Euler angles about a common source. This data is available in addition to the (x, y, z) data which is the subject of the prior patent mentioned herein. In order to more closely measure the actual angular deflection through a joint such as the wrist, the inventors herein have succeeded in designing and developing a joint evaulation system which utilizes the Euler angle information available with this system for directly measuring the angular deflection and hence range of motion of the joint. By utilizing Euler angles, and by directly positioning the sensors on the hand, variations in measurement caused by a therapist collecting data corresponding to inconsistent locations on the knuckles, or which might be caused by partially frozen joints which alter the normal path of movement of a joint are eliminated. Furthermore, not only are these variations eliminated, but close and accurate tracking of abnormal movements with electronically collected data is for the first time possible. This is because any cocking or tilting of one side of the joint with respect to the other as the joint is moved is readily indicated by a corresponding change in at least one of the Euler angles. As particular points are utilized in the assignee's prior patented system, variations from the norm in joint movement are not necessarily detected or indicated from the collected data. Thus, the system of the present invention which utilizes Euler angles (azimuth, elevation, roll) and a direct comparison of Euler angles to determine joint movement, represents an ability to collect data having still more accurate information with respect to the particular joint movement under evaluation. Thus, the present invention provides certain advantages over the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,925.
While the principal advantages and features of the present invention have been briefly described, a fuller understanding may be attained by referring to the drawings and description of the preferred embodiment which follow.

Joint range of motion analyzer using euler angle


Systems and methods which implement calibration for signal errors in a communication network, such as non-uniform frequency response, are disclosed. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a calibration signal is communicated through the network and a receiver at a subscriber premises operates to calibrate the received signal for any tilt introduced in the signal path between the source of the signal and the subscriber premises. Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide for monitoring of the performance of signal correction components, such as by providing a feedback path from the receiver. Monitoring of calibration performance may be utilized according to preferred embodiments for developing a more full understanding of the operation of the network, identify sources of network problems, and even predict system degradation and take appropriate action before service interruption results.

In communication systems, such as cable systems which distribute television and other signals over a large area, there are typically many components utilized in providing communication of signals between a source, such as at a cable plant, and receivers, such as at individual subscriber premises. However, such communication systems and their attendant components often introduce errors into the transmitted signals, such as signal distortion. For example, cable television signals are broadband (e.g., 50 MHz to 1 GHz), typically including as many as 100 frequency division television channels, and are often subject to network introduced tilt (non-uniform frequency response) over the frequencies of the communicated band.
Accordingly, cable distribution systems today implement devices, such as amplifiers and equalizers, to provide correction of tilt within the network band. For example, to provide tilt correction, a cable distribution system may employ amplifiers and equalizers distributed throughout the network. However, such tilt correction is generally provided for tilt correction at the point in the network the particular tilt correction device is deployed. Accordingly, even with a perfectly calibrated system, an amount of tilt is present in the signals as received by individual subscribers. For example, subscribers typically experience tilt associated with the network components deployed in the signal path disposed between each particular subscriber and a last tilt correction device in the network. Because each subscriber experiences an appreciably different signal path in this "last mile," it is typically not possible to compensate for the tilt assosicated with the last mile using typical deployment of correction devices.
Moreover, the amount of tilt correction provided by such devices must be calibrated to correspond to the amount of tilt experienced in the signal in the signal path leading to the tilt correction device. Introduction of additional components into this signal path, failure of particular components, and even time and temperature related operational changes may result in less than optimal tilt correction in the network. Recalibration of such devices typically requires dispatching of service personnel to the appropriate device locations.
There are presently no devices allowing the cable plant to verify maintenance or monitor the performance of the devices providing tilt correction in the system. Accordingly, if there is a problem in the cable network, the cable operator must typically rely upon the subscribers calling the cable plant with a trouble report. Only by these calls will the cable plant identify that there is a problem in the system and, often through correlating the location of the subscribers complaining and the types of complaints being registered, will the cable operator be able to isolate the source of the problem and, thus, dispatch service personnel to the appropriate location.
Accordingly, a need in the art exists for systems and methods which provide for signal calibration, such as signal tilt correction/calibration, for individual subscriber premises. A further need exists in the art for such systems and methods to provide feedback to a centralized operations center, such as a cable plant, with respect to calibration.

Receiver and system calibration system and method


The invention provides a composition comprising a mixture of extracts obtained from Atractylodes macrocephala, Astragalus membranaceus, Taraxacum mongolicum, Poria cocos, Ligusticum chuanxiong, Ligustrum lucidum, Codonopsis pilosula, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Hedyotis diffusa, Pseudostellaria heterophylla, and Viola philippica. The present invention further provides a method for treating metastatic breast cancer in a subject in need thereof, comprising: administering to said subject an pharmaceutically effective amount of the composition.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a herbal composition for treating metastatic breast cancer.
Description of Prior Art
Breast cancer, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women, was estimated to account for 23% (1.38 million) of new cancer cases and 14% (458,400) of cancer deaths worldwide in 2008. In Taiwan, breast cancer was the most common cancer among women, with an incidence of 9,049 cases per 100,000 population, and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in 2008. Despite advances in the treatment of breast cancer, it is estimated that 30-50% of women initially diagnosed with earlier stages of breast cancer eventually develop metastatic disease. Unfortunately, breast cancer has a poor prognosis following metastasis, and women with metastatic breast cancer have a limited survival of 18-24 months, and a 5-year survival rate of approximately 20%. The progression to metastatic disease is further exacerbated by the increasing use of chemotherapy in early-stage breast cancer, which has led to a corresponding increase in the number of metastatic breast cancer cases refractory to conventional treatments.
The currently available conventional treatment options for metastatic breast cancer include cytotoxic chemotherapy, endocrine/hormonal therapy, targeted biological therapy, radiation therapy, bisphosphonates, or combinations of these, and surgery in some cases. However, there is no global consensus and guidelines for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, and treatment is highly individualized and varies worldwide. Furthermore, due to the poor prognosis of metastatic breast cancer, the main goals of treatment are palliative rather than curative. Specifically, treatment is aimed at prolonging progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), managing or reducing disease symptoms, and achieving the best quality of life (QOL). However, the significant side effects, potential for the development of treatment resistance, and limited survival benefit associated with conventional treatments has prompted the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in patients with advanced malignancies.
The use of CAM has been on the rise, especially among patients with life-threatening diseases, such as cancer. In fact, it has been estimated that 48-98% of breast cancer patients use CAM, and the most commonly used CAM is herbal medicine. There are numerous reasons cited by breast cancer patients for using CAM, including strengthening the immune system, increasing QOL, treating or preventing the recurrence of cancer, stabilizing current condition, alleviating cancer-related symptoms, assisting conventional treatments, relieving symptoms and stress associated with side effects of conventional treatments, providing a feeling of control over life, reducing stress and detoxification, and compensating for failed conventional medical treatments. Although CAM is widely used by breast cancer patients, their safety and efficacy have been studied in very few randomized and controlled clinical trials.
Tien-Hsien Liquid Practical (THL-P), a Chinese herbal mixture, has been used as a CAM for over ten years. Recently, THL-P has been shown to have strong immunomodulating and anticancer effects via a number of preclinical in vitro and in vivo experiments. Specifically, THL-P has been shown to modulate the antigen-stimulated proliferation response and cytokine production of T-lymphocytes, inhibit cell growth and induce apoptosis in various human cancer cell lines, and possess anti-tumour, anti-angiogenic, anti-metastatic effects. Based on these promising findings, the inventors performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, phase IIa pilot trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy profiles of THL-P in patients with metastatic breast cancer refractory to conventional treatments.

Herbal composition for treating metastatic breast cancer


A system and method for detecting one or more anomalies in a plurality of observations is provided. In one illustrative embodiment, the observations are real-time network observations collected from a stream of network traffic. The method includes performing a discrete decomposition of the observations, and introducing derived variables to increase storage and query efficiencies. A mathematical model, such as a conditional independence model, is then generated from the formatted data. The formatted data is also used to construct frequency tables which maintain an accurate count of specific variable occurrence as indicated by the model generation process. The formatted data is then applied to the mathematical model to generate scored data. The scored data is then analyzed to detect anomalies.

Anomaly detection has been applied to computer security, network security, and identifying defects in semiconductors, superconductor conductivity, medical applications, testing computer programs, inspecting manufactured devices, and a variety of other applications. The principles that are typically used in anomaly detection include identifying normal behavior and a threshold selection procedure for identifying anomalous behavior. Usually, the challenge is to develop a model that permits discrimination of the abnormalities.
In computer security applications one of the critical problems is distinguishing between normal circumstance and "anomalous" or "abnormal" circumstances. For example, computer viruses can be viewed as abnormal modifications to normal programs. Similarly, network intrusion detection is an attempt to discern anomalous patterns in network traffic. The detection of anomalous activities is a relatively complex learning problem in which the detection of anomalous activities is hampered by not having appropriate data and/or because of the variety of different activities that need to be monitored. Additionally, defenses based on fixed assumptions are vulnerable to activities designed specifically to subvert these assumptions.
To develop a solution for an anomaly detection problem, a strong model of normal behaviors needs to be developed. Anomalies can then be detected by identifying behaviors that deviate from the model.


A transducer assembly may include a first layer of dielectric material and a pair of electrically conductive traces adjacent to the first dielectric layer. Each of the electrically conductive traces may include a first contact pad and a second contact pad. The first layer of dielectric material may include a pair of vias or openings formed therein to expose each of the first contact pads. A second layer of dielectric material may be attached to the first layer of dielectric material with the pair of electrically conductive traces disposed between the first and second layers of dielectric material. A transducer may be attached to the second layer of dielectric material and each second contact pad may be electrically connected to the transducer.

The present invention relates to monitoring structural health of an object, such as an aircraft or other vehicle, and more particularly to a structural health monitoring (SHM) transducer assembly and system that may utilize the SHM transducer assembly.
New, lightweight composite materials, traditional metallic materials, and other materials are being used and optimized in designs more extensively in the aerospace industry for commercial aircraft and other aerospace vehicles, as well as in civil infrastructure, ground transportation, and other industries. The new materials and new designs may be subject to extreme stresses or potential damage from an impact or other cause. For example near a fuselage cargo door surround of a commercial aircraft, baggage handlers often inadvertently collide with and cause impact damage to the airplane fuselage. Any such damage needs to be quickly and efficiently identified, located, and the size and extend determined so that any needed repairs can be performed and to reduce airplane maintenance costs and eliminate airplane cancellation and delays. To implement quick non-destructive evaluations that may be performed quickly to ensure minimal maintenance times, numerous transducers are required. To add such a new inspection system to an airplane or other structure with harsh in-service environments and cost competitiveness, the transducers must be low cost, be able to survive in harsh environments, and perform well over time.

Structural health monitoring (SHM) transducer assembly and system


The invention is relative to a thioctic acid with a predominant amount of an enantiomer and a novel modification, in the case of which the X-ray powder diffractograms show a characteristic reflex in the range of 23.4 to 22.7.degree. 2 theta(Cu) which shifts in the direction of the smaller angular values as the enantiomer content increases.

1. Field of the Invention
Alpha-lipoic acid is used in pharmaceutical formulations both in infusion solutions as well as in solid galenic formulations for oral use. Synthetically produced, racemic DL-alpha-lipoic acid, also designated as RS-thioctic acid, is used for this.
2. Background Information
An enantiomer of alpha-lipoic acid, R-thioctic acid, occurs as natural substance in practically all animal and vegetable cells. R-thioctic acid is of essential significance as coenzyme in the oxidative decarboxylation of alpha-keto acids (e.g. pyruvic acid). Thioctic acid is pharmacologically active and exhibits antiphlogistic and antinoceceptive (analgetic) as well as cytoprotective properties. An important medical indication is the treatment of diabetic polyneuropathy. Furthermore, thioctic acid is used in cosmetics as well as in the supplementation of nutrition, e.g. on account of its antioxidative action. The use of R-thioctic acid appears to be especially advantageous thereby since it is present in a form identical to nature (see also EP 0,572,922 A1) and is inserted only in the natural form as cofactor into the pyruvate-dehydrogenase complex (Oehring et al., Biol. Chem. Hoppe-Seyler 373, 333-335, 1992). According to recent results (Baur et al., Klin. Wochenschr. 1991, 69(15), 722-4) thioctic acid can possibly become significant in the combating of disease caused by HIV-1- and HTLV IIIB viruses.
In the case of the pure, optical isomers of thioctic acid (R and S form, that is, R-thioctic acid and S-thioctic acid), in contrast to the racemate the R enantiomer is primarily antiphlogistically and the S enantiomer primarily antinociceptively active (see also EP 0,427,247 A2). Therefore, in order to achieve a selective action the production and use of the pure enantiomers are of great importance.
A number of methods are known for the purposeful production of the pure enantiomers of R- or S-thioctic acid which methods generally contain an enantioselective synthesis stage for the production of a suitable chiral precursor or intermediate stage. All previously known methods require a high synthetic expense and exertions to deplete the undesired enantiomer and have up to the present not made an industrialscale use possible.
The melting range of the pure enantiomers of thioctic acid (47 to 49.degree. C.) is lower compared to the racemic compound (58-61.degree. C.). In the production of solid galenic formulations, which generally takes place under pressing or compacting, the use of pressure on the material is indispensable so that on the one hand a heating and on the other hand a melting of the thioctic acid takes place. Concentrated solutions of thioctic acid or its melts polymerize immediately and can no longer be converted into a crystalline form by cooling.
This effect is very pronounced in the case of pure enantiomers of thioctic acid due to the low melting point. The use of basic salts has been suggested for the desirable therapeutic use of the pure enantiomers (see also EP 702,953 A2).

Alpha-lipoic acid with novel modification


A method and an apparatus (300) for generating corrected quadrature phase signal pairs in a communication device are provided. The apparatus (300) includes a quadrature phase generator (310), programmable delay elements (320, 330) and a control circuit (360). The programmable delay elements (320, 330) receive a quadrature phase signal pair (signals I 312 and Q 314) from the quadrature phase generator (310). The control circuit (360) generates a control signal (362) based on outputs (325, 335) of the programmable delay elements (320, 330). The control signal (362) configures the programmable delay elements (320, 330). The programmable delay elements (320, 330) are configured to adjust delay between the signals I (312) and Q (314). The programmable delay elements (320, 330) are also used to adjust duty cycle for the quadrature phase signal pair to provide the corrected quadrature phase signal pair.

Quadrature phase generators are widely used for a variety of modulation and demodulation schemes in various wireless communication devices. Some of these schemes include Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) and Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) and the like. The quadrature phase generator takes a local oscillator (LO) signal and generates a pair of quadrature phase signals typically referred to as in-phase signal I and quadrature phase signal Q. The signals I and Q have frequency related to the LO frequency and have a phase difference of 90 degrees.
The design and topology of quadrature phase generators, along with the transmitter and receiver architectures within which they are used, vary for different communication devices. Several designs, such as divide-by-N flip flop circuits (where N is an even integer) and polyphase filters, exist. However, due to internal integrated circuit design and device tolerances, signal paths for the I and Q signals may have different propagation delays. As a result, the I and Q signals do not have an ideal quadrature phase difference of 90 degrees at the outputs of the quadrature phase generator. Any variation from the ideal quadrature phase difference of 90 degrees at the outputs of the quadrature phase generator is defined as a relative phase error between the I and Q signals.
FIG. 1 is an example illustrating error prone quadrature phase signal pairs ([I, Q] and [Ix, Qx]) generated by a typical quadrature phase generator. For the illustrated example, two error prone quadrature signal pairs should ideally be differentially related, i.e. in-phase signals I (0 degrees) 110 and Ix (180 degrees) 130, and the quadrature phase signals Q (90 degrees) 120 and Qx (270 degrees) 140 should have a phase difference of 180 degrees. However, due to the different propagation delays, the in-phase signals I 110 and Ix 130 have phase of 2 degrees and 179 degrees, and the quadrature phase signals Q 120 and Qx 140 have phase of 88 degrees and 271 degrees. Hence, the signals I 110 and Q 120 have a phase difference of 86 degrees (a relative phase error of −4 degrees) and the signals Ix 130 and Qx 140 have a phase difference of 92 degrees (a relative phase error of 2 degrees). The relative phase error for quadrature phase signal pairs subsequently results in errors in transmitting and receiving signals in a communication device.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a prior art communication device 200 utilizing quadrature phase generators 220, 270 for a transmitter 210 and a receiver 260. The transmitter 210 utilizes transmitter (TX) quadrature phase generator 220 for modulating data 231, 233 to be transmitted. The receiver 260 utilizes receiver (RX) quadrature phase generator 270 for demodulating a received signal, for instance, a prefiltered signal 285.
In the transmitter 210, pre-amplifiers 230, 232 amplify the data 231 and 233 respectively to provide amplified signals 241, 243. Subsequently, TX filters 240, 242 pre-filter the amplified signals 241, 243 to provide bandlimited I/Q baseband signals 251, 253 to mixers 250, 252 respectively. The TX quadrature phase generator 220 takes LO signal 205 and provides I signal 221 and Q signal 223. The LO I signal 221 is provided to mixer 250 while the LO Q signal 223 is provided to mixer 252. Mixer 250 up-converts the bandlimited I signal 251 with the LO I signal 221 to provide RF signals 255. Mixer 252 up-converts the bandlimited Q signal 253 with the LO Q signal 223 to provide RF signal 257. Ideally, RF signals 255, 257 are phase shifted 90 degrees, but in reality these signals are prone to error. A combiner 254 combines the RF signals 255, 257 to provide a modulated signal 259 to a TX antenna (not shown) for transmission.
In the receiver 260, a RX antenna (not shown) receives a signal 281 or 283. A switch 282 switches between the signals 281, 283 based on a desired band for demodulation. A pre-filter 280 filters a signal (281 or 283) from the switch 282 to provide a prefiltered signal 285 to a pre-amplifier 286. The pre-amplifier 286 subsequently amplifies the prefiltered signal 285 to provide signals 287, 289 to mixers 290, 292 respectively. The RX quadrature phase generator 270 takes the LO input 205 and provides I signal 271 and Q signal 273 which are respectively provided to mixers 290, 292. Mixer 290 down converts signal 287 with I signal 271, while mixer 292 down converts signal 289 with Q signal 273. Ideally, the mixers 290 and 292 generate baseband signals 291, 293 with a phase difference of 90 degrees, but in reality these signals are prone to error. RX filters 298, 299 filter the baseband signals 291, 293 to provide demodulated baseband signals I 295 and Q 297.
Due to the relative phase error between the signal I 221 and the signal Q 223, the modulated signal 259 generated by the transmitter 210 contains an undesirable sideband image. Similarly, the relative phase error between the signal I 271 and the signal Q 273 results in an undesirable sideband image in the demodulated baseband signals 295, 297 generated by the receiver 260. Subsequently, the undesirable sideband images for the receiver and the transmitter may result in severe errors in detection of data during digital demodulation (receiver) or modulation (transmitter).
Common approaches for avoiding the problems associated with the relative phase error include modifying the phase for the baseband signals (data 231, 233) to be transmitted to match the phase difference between the signals I 221 and Q 223. Similarly, the received signal 285 is down-converted to the demodulated baseband signals 295, 297 to detect relative phase error. The phase for signals 295, 297 are adjusted based on the detected relative phase error. However, as the baseband signals for the transmitted and received signals have different relative phase errors, a separate quadrature phase generator is required for the transmitter 210 and the receiver 260. Circuit complexity, parts count, board area, power consumption, controller and logic complexity, and cost are major challenges for the communication devices using the aforementioned approaches.
Other approaches for addressing the problem of relative phase error in quadrature phase generators have been suggested. Approaches require a phase detector and several additional components such as filters, and operational amplifiers, and integrators in a feedback path to provide a phase adjustment signal for adjusting the phase of the I and Q signals. Again, circuit complexity and parts count are major concerns for such approaches. Furthermore, these approaches require a separate phase adjustment signal for each signal generated by the quadrature phase generator which adds to the complexity of the control circuitry used in the quadrature phase generator.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus capable of generating I and Q signals without the aforementioned issues.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.

Method and apparatus for generating corrected quadrature phase signal pairs in a communication device


Collapsible furniture includes a frame structure configured to support weight, including a plurality of scissor members configured to fold and a plurality of upright members, each coupled to at least two of the scissor members. The collapsible furniture also includes a lock mechanism coupled to at least two of the scissor members and at least one of the upright members, configured to secure the collapsible furniture in a deployed position. In one aspect, the lock mechanism includes a housing, slidingly coupled to an upright member, configured to couple at least two of the scissor members to the upright member, a button member slidingly coupled to the housing, configured to extend through an opening on inner surface of the housing into the upright member when in a depressed position, and to extend outside outer surface of the housing when in an extended position, a spring plate, and a spring. Advantages of the invention include providing a safety feature in use of the collapsible furniture.

Collapsible furniture is known to provide relaxation as well as convenience and portability to furniture users, because the furniture can be easily transported and deployed. However, conventional collapsible furniture may pose safety hazards, especially to child furniture users, in that the furniture user's fingers or other body parts may be pinched in the furniture when it is deployed or collapsed.
Accordingly, what is needed is collapsible furniture that provides a safety feature to prevent injury during deployment and collapsing.


Systems and methods that request emergency services through an Internet-Protocol Television (IPTV) infrastructure. One embodiment comprises an IPTV network infrastructure comprising an IPTV server coupled to an IPTV set-top box of an end user that subscribes to IPTV services. The IPTV server receives a request for an emergency service from the end user through the IPTV set-top box. The infrastructure further includes a management server that receives the request for the emergency service from the IPTV server, and identifies information regarding the end user from an IPTV account of the end user. The infrastructure further includes a text message engine that receives the request for the emergency service from the management server, formats a text message for requesting the emergency service, inserts the information regarding the end user in the text message, and sends the text message to an emergency services center.

Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is a service through which television and other video content is delivered to an end user over a packet-switched network, such as the internet. An IPTV subscriber connects to an IPTV network in a similar way that a cable subscriber connects to a cable network. The IPTV subscriber receives a set-top box (STB) from the IPTV provider, and the set-top box connects to the IPTV backend over a packet-switched network. The physical connection between the IPTV backend and the set-top box, for example, may be a Digital Subscriber Line (xDSL), fiber, Ethernet, etc. One or more servers within the IPTV backend then provide the television content to the set-top box for viewing over the subscriber's television or other suitable display. The IPTV subscriber can view an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) displayed by the set-top box, and select programs or videos to watch.
IPTV providers maintain a committed Quality of Service (QoS) for the IPTV service so that the content being viewed by a subscriber is not interrupted. IPTV providers are competing with cable, Internet over-the-top (OTT), and satellite providers, so they want subscribers to have a high-quality viewing experience. Therefore, the IPTV network is a "closed" network that is specifically designed to deliver IPTV content.

Requests for emergency services through an IPTV network


The invention concerns an equipment for monitoring an immersion lithography device provided with a main light source and a projection optics for printing images on a wafer. The propagating medium extending from the projection optics to the wafer consists of a liquid (3). The equipment comprises: a chamber (51) for receiving at least part of said liquid (3), a diffraction grating (50) immersed in the chamber; a secondary light source (271) for emitting a secondary incident beam (20) towards the grating so as to obtain a diffracted beam; angle measuring members (57) capable of measuring at least one diffraction angle corresponding to a maximum intensity of an order of diffraction of the beam diffracted by the grating (500), and computing means (505) for calculating an estimate of a physical quantity concerning the refractive index of the liquid.

In a conventional lithographic device, a light source emits a light beam that passes through an optical projection device fitted with the mask so as to project an image of this mask onto the chip. The characteristics of the image projected, notably the resolution and field depth, are chiefly linked to the exposure wavelengths and the numerical aperture of the objectives used in the optical projection device. The trend to miniaturise integrated circuits involves improving these characteristics.
One method of improvement is to use ever shorter emission wavelengths. Thus, it has been possible to progress from the use of high pressure mercury vapour lamps operating at wavelengths of about 405 nm, then 365 nm, to the use of excimer lasers operating at wavelengths of 248 nm and then 193 nm, resulting in a substantial reduction in the emission wavelengths. Going any lower, so as to achieve a wavelength of 157 nm, for example, creates problems, especially in the production of optical projection devices.
Another, additional, method of improvement sets out to increase the numerical aperture of the optical devices.
Conventionally, the propagation medium that separates the optical projection device from the lithographic device of the silicon chips is air, in which the values of the numerical aperture are limited to 1. It is possible to increase the numerical aperture still further by replacing air with a liquid having an index greater than 1, for example water or any other suitable immersion liquid. This is known as "immersion photolithography".
However, the theoretical performance of immersion photolithography is far from being achieved in practice because, at this level, there are significant variations in the properties of the optical projection device, with its immersion liquid placed between the optical projection device and the silicon chip. Thus, the quality of the image projected and/or its magnification change as a function of the different operating parameters of the lithographic device, particularly the refractive index of the liquid, the emission wavelength of the light source, the temperature of the optical projection device, ambient temperature, and the temperature of the chip.
It is desirable to be able to control the variations in these parameters, as any variation of this type causes a degradation of the integrated circuits manufactured and/or a loss of yield which rapidly becomes unacceptable. For example, the working wavelength of the light source can be controlled with a precision of the order of 5.10−7; it is possible to control the temperature of the optical projection device and ambient temperature with a precision of the order of 0.005° C.
The refractive index of the liquid still remains. Variations in this index influence the quality (resolution) of the projected image and/or its magnification. The variations in the refractive index are linked to various reasons, for example the purity of the liquid, the emission wavelengths, the temperature of the liquid and the pressure of the liquid. These variations ought to be controlled with a precision comparable to that of the wavelength of the laser of the light source.
Existing equipment and methods of monitoring are still not entirely satisfactory, even the best ("Immersion Lithography Workshop", 27 Jan. 2004, published by the NIST, National Institute of Standards and Technology).
The invention sets out to improve the situation.

Equipment and method for monitoring an immersion lithography device

Societe de Production et de Recherches Appliquees (S.O.P.R.A.)


Method and apparatus for fishing for and/or communicating with subsurface apparatus. In a preferred embodiment, a subsurface logging-while-drilling (LWD) or measuring-while-drilling (MWD) apparatus is placed in tandem with a drill string near the bottom of a borehole. The LWD apparatus includes a surface retrievable component such as a nuclear source carrier with a fishing head facing upwardly. The carrier is releasably secured within the LWD apparatus with means such as a shear pin. A wireline conveyed tool having a downwardly facing latching mechanism includes a downhole powered latch for telescopically extending beyond the fishing head, forcing a latching lug radially inwardly below the fishing head, and moving axially upward to latch the fishing head. Further upward latch movement causes the fishing head to move upwardly until the shear pin shears which releases the carrier from the subsurface apparatus. The wireline tool with the attached carrier is then brought to surface with the wireline cable. In a preferred embodiment, the subsurface apparatus includes a secondary coil within its tubular housing. A primary coil is provided on the wireline tool such that upon the wireline tool landing within the subsurface apparatus, the primary coil is nested within the secondary coil. As a result, a bi-directional communication link is established from surface instrumentation to the subsurface apparatus via the wireline cable and the nested coils.

Commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,609 to Wraight et al., which issued Mar. 21, 1989 and is incorporated herein by reference, describes a logging-while-drilling (LWD) tool for performing radiation-based measurements of formation density and porosity while a borehole is being drilled. The LWD tool generally includes a tubular body adapted for tandem placement in the drill string. The tubular body is provided with an upwardly opening passage and an interior chamber for accommodating the insertion and removal of a carrier containing one or more energy radiating sources. The carrier is loaded and unloaded into the LWD tool at surface with shielding equipment and in a manner that is described in detail in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,359 to Wraight, which issued Jul. 4, 1989 and is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The carrier is provided with a fishing head at its upper end that extends upwardly into the tubular body's upwardly opening passage. Such fishing head is provided so that in the event the LWD tool should become stuck in the borehole, the carrier can be retrieved with a fishing tool deployed from the surface via a cable, down the flow path of the drill string, and into the LWD tool's upwardly opening passage. Once the fishing tool has grasped the fishing head, the cable is pulled on from surface with sufficient force to cause a retaining pin to shear off and allow the carrier to be freed from the LWD tool and brought to surface. A conventional fishing grapple such as that available from Otis Engineering Company of Dallas, Tex. has been used for this purpose.
It has been found that under certain adverse drilling conditions, retrieving the radiation source carrier from the LWD tool while it is downhole by using a conventional fishing tool can be difficult. For example, in a highly deviated well, the force applied at the surface might only be partially transferred to the carrier because of significant contact and associated friction between the cable and the interior of the drill string, and this amount of force remaining at the carrier's fishing head may not be enough to shear the retaining pin. Also, in very deep wells, because of the weight of the cable itself and because only a limited amount of force can be applied to the cable to begin with before it might break at the surface, the amount of force actually applied to the carrier's fishing head again might not be enough to shear the retaining pin. In such instances, wireline jars must be employed to free the carrier from the LWD tool. However, use of such jars may damage the carrier or separate the fishing head from the carrier, making it then difficult or impossible to grasp the fishing head and bring the carrier to the surface.
Another problem with prior art methods and apparatus for fishing for a downhole tool is that there is insufficient information at the well surface available to the operator concerning the progress and status of the carrier extraction process. In addition, there is lack of timely confirmation of when or if the extraction process has been successful.
Another feature of the LWD tool described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,609 is that it may operate either in a recorder or "real-time" mode, or both. The recorder mode is accomplished with an on-board recorder for recording the LWD measurements downhole for later retrieval or "down-loading" when the tool is returned to the surface. The real time mode is accomplished with a mud-pulse telemetry system that transmits the measurement information to the surface via sonic pulses created in the drilling fluid. In some instances, sufficient but sparse data are telemetered to the surface in real-time mode because of the limited bandwidth of the mud transmission medium. The term "sparse" is used here to mean that not all measured data is typically transmitted to the surface. For example, high density data is not routinely transmitted to the surface via the mud flow path, but is recorded on the on-board recorder. Unfortunately, if the LWD tool should become permanently stuck in the borehole and must be abandoned, the data recorded downhole is also lost forever.
In light of the prior art problems described above, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for removing downhole apparatus from an LWD tool while downhole with improved controllability and observability characteristics.
Another object of the invention is to provide a downhole fishing apparatus that is capable of applying its own extracting force directly to the downhole apparatus to be retrieved, such as a carrier for radiation sources in a logging-while-drilling tool, for the purpose of releasably extracting it from securement to the LWD tool.
A further object of the invention is to provide a downhole fishing apparatus with a bi-directional communication link to a downhole LWD tool via a wireline cable for the purpose of controlling the operation of the LWD tool from surface and for retrieving recorded information.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a downhole fishing apparatus with a bi-directional communication link to a downhole LWD tool for the purpose of monitoring the progress and status of the downhole extraction process being conducted by the fishing apparatus.

Apparatus and method for retrieving and/or communicating with downhole equipment


A culinary nut opening device can include a mount and a tool. The mount can be sized and shaped to securely and removably receive a finger or a thumb of a human user. The tool can extend from and be coupled to a portion of the mount. In varying examples, the tool can include a pick portion that is sized and shaped to fit at least partially within an opening of a culinary nut and have sufficient stiffness to allow the culinary nut to be pried open. A pick portion can extend ventrally, laterally, or dorsally from a side of the mount, or from a distal end of the mount. A culinary nut opening device can be provided with or packaged in a container of culinary nuts, or with other culinary nut opening devices (e.g., of different sizes), or with instructions for use.

Culinary nuts can include botanical nuts as well as seeds or fruit that, in cuisine, can be regarded as nuts. A culinary nut can include a nutshell carrying a nutmeat or fruit (collectively "nutmeat") in the nutshell. Some culinary nuts, for example, pistachios, can include a dehiscent opening, but the nutshell can still be difficult to pry apart to extract the nutmeat from within the nutshell. Some culinary nuts do not include a natural dehiscent opening and the opening process can be initiated by a nutcracker or the like. Yet, even after use of the nutcracker, the nutshell can still be difficult to pry apart. When the nutshell has been pried apart, it can be difficult to then grab a hold of and extract the nutmeat from the pried-apart nutshell.
U.S. Design Patent No. 263,917 to McCulley, which was filed on Mar. 10, 1980 and issued on Apr. 20, 1982, illustrates a nut picking device. U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,156 to Himelhoch, which was filed on Oct. 26, 1981 and issued on Jul. 31, 1984, illustrates a pistachio nut opening device. U.S. Pat. No. 4,177,698 to Grenecker, which was filed on Mar. 24, 1978 and issued on Dec. 11, 1979, illustrates a finger fit implement. U.S. Pat. No. 1,506,928, which was filed on Jan. 6, 1923 and which issued on Sep. 2, 1924 illustrates a knife. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0038159 A1 to White et al., which was filed on Sep. 5, 2008 and which published on Feb. 12, 2009, illustrates a thumb utensil with cutting board. U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,878 to Tozzi, which was filed on Oct. 20, 1980, and which issued on Jul. 20, 1982, illustrates a device for cutting flowers, fruit and the like.


A system and method for caching and managing data streams from a storage media is disclosed. The system includes a plurality of virtual buffers for a plurality of data streams. Each data stream correlates to a virtual buffer. The system also includes a cache memory to store the plurality of virtual buffers. The system also includes a stream manager to assign the plurality of data streams to the plurality of virtual buffers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of caching data streams on a storage media, such as a disk, and more particularly, to a system and method for managing the access of data streams between a storage media and a host.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Users may access large amounts of data, such as video and audio files, stored on a disk. The data may be read from or written to the disk in data streams. Most known modern disk drives may use caching schemes to improve the perceived performance of accessing and reading the data from the disk. Streams, such as audio and video, may have two main characteristics that separate them from classical storage access schemes. First, data streams may need specific caching to deliver the continuous flow of data on time. A data stream may deliver at, or very close to, a specific instant, as opposed to typical data accesses that are focused on delivery as soon as possible. Second, streaming data is transient in that once accessed, typically, the data may not be accessed again by the same stream. The data is accessed sequentially. Thus, any data that is "before" another block of accessed data may be discarded.
Synchronization and transient access to data may be compromised when multiple streams are involved, for example, when the system records a set of streams from a satellite dish while outputting another stream to a video monitor. In most cases, disturbances in the stream delivery may be handled with sufficiently large buffers. As a general rule, the size of the buffer may be made proportional to the throughput of the stream. The minimum margin of time to avoid hiccoughs is substantially 0.5 seconds, with on the order of 2.0 seconds being recommended in practical instances. The buffers, in turn, may become very large and costly, especially when the number of streams increase.
To guarantee on-time delivery of streaming data, each stream needs a large buffer to smoothen the irregularities of incoming and outgoing flows. One approach to manage multiple streams has been to use a round-robin algorithm to allocate the input/output ("I/O") streams to their fixed buffers. A buffer manager may assign and read buffers on a rotating basis. The buffers are not managed according to any priority. This approach manages the streams, but may not be optimal in delivering the data streams.
Another approach involves using a priority scheme that allocates I/O data streams according to the status of the buffers. For example, the fuller a read buffer is, the lower its priority may be. The priority approach may be more complicated and harder to program, but it improves the quality of the buffer management. Improvements may include decreased buffer size and the number of simultaneous streams that can be managed. For example, data streams of about 8 Mb/s in a shared environment may need buffers of about 1 MB per stream. If the number of streams approach 5 to 10, then this approach may be unrealistic due to memory constraints.
Thus, these approaches suffer from not allocating buffers according to priority, or having increasing amounts of memory dedicated to buffers. Another shortfall is not utilizing buffer space in an efficient manner. On average, each buffer is about half full, or half empty. The empty space in the buffer is not being utilized for data streaming operations and is useless to global buffering. The extra space may be helpful in handling disturbances, or hiccoughs, in the data stream, but is otherwise mis-allocated. Thus, current approaches to data, stream management may be wasteful, or inefficient.

System and method for caching data streams on a storage media


A self-adjusting gear pump is disclosed. The pump may be a crescent internal gear pump, a gerotor pump, or an external gear pump. The pump includes a pump housing, gear housing, first and second gears, a side plate housing with a side plate, a shim and an end plate. The side plate moves between a first position contacting the first and second gears and gear housing, and a second position contacting the end plate. The side plate is spring biased toward the first position. A method is disclosed for match grinding the crescent plate (if used), gear housing and gears as a unit to provide a uniform surface. The side plate housing and side plate are similarly match ground. An assembly method is disclosed which allows the crescent plate to be moved with respect to the gear housing so that clearances between the crescent and the gear teeth are eliminated.

In the diesel engine market it is common for fuel pumps (primarily rotary gear pumps) pumping low viscosity fluid (as low as 0.9 centistokes (cst)) to be required to run from very low speeds (below 100 RPM) and moderate pressures to relatively high speeds (in excess of 3000 RPM) at increasingly higher pressures. A problem with this is that gear pumps that are capable of running at higher speeds are typically not efficient at low speed operating points and gears pumps that have excellent low speed efficiencies are not typically capable of operating at elevated speeds. This creates a circular problem for the end user because in order for the pump to meet required flow rates at the lower speeds, it must be grossly oversized at the high speed conditions. This causes the end user to have a system that may produce two to three times more flow than they actually need at elevated speeds, requiring all of the excess flow to be dumped back to the system as unusable energy. With increasing demand for cleaner burning engines and more efficient systems, this is a large hurdle that needs to be overcome.
In addition, another problem that affects the performance and repeatability of one pump of the same type when compared to another is the problem of tolerance stack and machining variance from one pump to another. Due to cost and standard machining practices utilized when building and assembling pumps of this type, pump dimensions can vary (within tolerance) from part to part. These variances when added together can cause pump performance to be inconsistent between two pumps of the same design. These inconsistencies can also push pump efficiencies out of the acceptable range. The intent of this invention is to also minimize the effect of these machining variances and to create a more efficient and repeatable pump.
In the past others have tried several methods of improving the low speed efficiency of rotary pumps. Two of the most common methods include reducing mechanical clearances in the pump, and the addition of pressure biased or pressure balanced side plates. Both approaches have issues at low viscosities with elevated speeds and pressures.
When pumping low viscosity fluid, if the clearances in the pump are simply reduced there is a fine balancing act between good efficiency at low speed and enough clearance to keep the pump from seizing as it heats up and thermal expansion takes place. If the clearances are too wide the pump is not efficient. If the clearances are too tight the pump will have a mechanical failure, thus this method is very application specific and usually requires multiple iterations to get a compromised solution. This solution rarely provides an optimum pump sizing for both the low speed and high speed operating points.
The approach of using pressure biased side plates is a common and effective solution especially for low speed and low pressure applications with higher viscosity fluids. With this solution as pressure of the pump increases, the pressure behind the side plate increases, forcing the side plate tighter against the gears, thus closing the clearances in the pump tighter and tighter as pressure increases. This works well for high viscosity, low speed and moderate pressure applications and efficiencies have been shown to increase dramatically. However, with this concept as pressure increases greatly or speed increases greatly there is a large amount of heat generated due to friction. This heat eventually causes the side plates to fail and often seizes the pump.
The same is true with pressure balanced side plate designs. With this type of design the side plate is sized so that the pressure closing the side faces is nearly perfectly balanced so that the side plate does not rub as hard on the rotating gears as pressure increases. This concept works great for high viscosity and low to high pressure ranges, but is limited again to lower speeds operations. As speed increases, even though the side plates are balanced, the clearances remain the same thus heat is generated and the pump eventually fails.
In view of the above, there is a need for an improved gear pump design that improves both the low speed efficiency of the pump as well as creates a design that can still operate at the elevated speeds for extended periods.


An oscillator circuit, having an inverter with input and output terminals interconnected through a feedback resistance, operates in two modes. In a first mode, the input and output terminals are coupled to an external crystal resonator. In a second mode, an external clock signal is supplied to the input terminal. In the second mode, the input terminal is disconnected from the output terminal, and in addition, the output-drive capacity of the inverter is reduced, or the output terminal of the inverter is held at a fixed potential.

The present invention relates to an oscillator suitable for use in an integrated circuit such as a microcontroller.
Microcontrollers, also referred to as microcontroller units (MCUs) or single-chip microcomputers, use an on-chip oscillator circuit to generate an internal clock signal. The oscillator circuit conventionally comprises an inverter, the input and output terminals of which are coupled together through a feedback resistor, causing the inverter to oscillate between the high and low output states. The input and output terminals are also coupled to external leads of the microcontroller package.
In a first mode of operation, these external leads are coupled to an external crystal resonator, which determines the oscillation frequency of the inverter. In a second mode of operation, an external clock signal is supplied to the external lead coupled to the input terminal of the inverter, and the inverter oscillates at the frequency of the external clock signal. The other external lead may be left open, or a complementary external clock signal created by an external inverter may be supplied to this external lead.
To drive the external crystal employed in the first mode, the oscillator's inverter requires a high output-drive capacity, but this capability has unwanted consequences when the second mode is employed. If the external lead coupled to the output terminal of the inverter is left open, the high output-drive capacity of the inverter causes this external lead to radiate an alternating electromagnetic field with sharp transitions between the high and low states. These sharp transitions can easily generate electromagnetic interference (EMI) in other circuits nearby.
If a complementary external clock signal is supplied to this external lead from an external inverter, differences between the switching characteristics of the oscillator's inverter and the external inverter may create momentary short-circuit conditions, in which the output of one inverter is high while the output of the other inverter is low. The high output-drive capacity of the oscillator's inverter can generate considerable current flow through the external lead during these moments, again creating electromagnetic interference, not to mention unwanted dissipation of current and power.
Current and power are also dissipated unnecessarily in the feedback resistor during the second mode of operation, regardless of how the external leads are connected.

Dual-mode, crystal resonator/external clock, oscillator circuit


Provided is an alkali metal titanate which, when used as a constituent material of a friction material, is excellent in heat resistance and friction force and capable of effectively suppressing wear of a mating material disposed to face the friction material. The alkali metal titanate includes a sodium atom and a silicon atom. The content of the sodium atom is 2.0 to 8.5 mass %. The content of the silicon atom is 0.2 to 2.5 mass %. The ratio of the content of an alkali metal atom other than the sodium atom to the content of the sodium atom is 0 to 6.

Alkali metal titanates are materials useful for a friction material for a friction sliding member such as a brake lining, a disk pad, and a clutch fading, which constitutes a braking device for an automobile, a railway vehicle, an aircraft, an industrial machine, and the like.
Among the alkali metal titanates, potassium titanate is represented by the general formula K2O·nTiO2, wherein n is an integer of 1 to 12, and potassium hexatitanate, wherein n is 6, has a tunnel crystal structure. Friction materials containing the potassium hexatitanate fiber (fibrous particles) are known to be particularly excellent in heat resistance and the like.
For example, Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-114051) discloses a potassium titanate comprising a hollow spherical alkali metal titanate, the potassium titanate being obtained by spray-drying a solvent slurry of alkali metal titanate particles and an inorganic oxide powder having a Mohs hardness of 6 to 8 and heat treating the spray-dried product, and discloses that a brake material including the potassium titanate is suitable for improving wear resistance.

Alkali metal titanate, method for producing alkali metal titanate, and friction material


Looseness in the fit of a wristwatch to the wrist of a user is taken up by affixing a thin spacer to the back of the watch. The spacer is formed from a sheet of thermoplastic material with a pressure sensitive adhesive on a surface thereof, and is affixed to the watch, after cleaning of the watch if necessary, by pressing the pressure sensitive adhesive surface of the spacer against the watch. Spacers are packaged in spaced apart multiples on a display card, with a removable transparent film covering the spacers on the display card.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and article for adjusting the fit of a wristwatch between predetermined positions of a watchband to which the wristwatch is secured.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many wristwatches are retained on the wrist of a user by a watchband that has a plurality of spaced apart notches or positions for adjusting the size of the opening circumscribed by the watch and the band to the size of a user""s wrist. Unfortunately, the spacing between the adjustment positions of the notches or other adjustment positions, which typically can be of the order of xe2x85x9 inch-xc2xc inch, often results in a fit that is either a little too loose or a little too tight. In either case, such an ill-fit will cause annoyance or even discomfort to the user.
Various approaches to providing an adjustable fit watchband are taught by the prior art. Some of these approaches include those taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,007 (Walter et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,235 (Maekawa et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,879 (Piccone); U.S. Pat. No. 2,425,894 (Moyer); and U.S. Pat. No. 2,538,265 (Paston). Each of these references requires replacement of an existing ill-fitting watchband to correct an ill-fitting condition, and many rely on a plurality of spaced apart notches or other positions of adjustments to provide proper adjustment, which does not solve an ill-fitting condition resulting from finite line spacing between positions of adjustment.
According to the present invention there is provided a method of and article for adjusting the fit of an existing and otherwise ill-fitting watchband of a wristwatch between fixed positions of adjustments. According to the method of this invention, a thin spacer, for example a spacer of a thickness of approximately {fraction (1/16)} inch, made of a stiff rigid plastic is adhesively secured to the reverse side of the watch case, for example by a pressure sensitive adhesive on one of the opposed surfaces of the spacer. The use of the {fraction (1/16)} inch thick spacer will result in an adjustment of the link of the watchband of xe2x85x9 inch, which is often less than the spacing between the spaced apart positions of adjustments of the watchband. Thus, to practice the method of the present invention, the watchband is adjusted to a position in which the fit is a little too loose, then the fit is tightened by affixing the spacer to the reverse side of the watch case, after suitably cleaning the reverse side of the watch case to remove body oils or other surface contaminates thereon.
The article of the present invention is the spacer, which is preferably formed of a relatively inexpensive, durable stiff rigid plastic that can be placed in contact with the wrist of the user without causing an allergic reaction or other injury thereto. Further the spacer is sufficiently thin to resiliently conform with various irregularities that may be on the back of the watch. Nylon, polypropylene and polyethylene are examples of suitable materials for use in the manufacture of such spacers, and each can readily be provided with a suitable pressure sensitive adhesive on one of its surfaces to permit it to be applied to the reverse side of a watch case in a secure, but removable, manner. Such spacers can be readily packaged in multiples on a card with a peel-off tape covering the pressure sensitive adhesive, which is disposed next to the visible surface of the card as displayed in a retail store, with a suitable removable transparent film covering the spacers on the card.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of and article for adjusting the fit of a wristwatch. More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of and article for adjusting the fit of an existing, ill-fitting wristwatch.
For a further understanding of the present invention and the objects thereof, attention is directed to the drawing and the following brief description thereof, to the detail description of the preferred embodiment and to the appended claims.

Method and article for adjusting the fit of a wristwatch


An ammunition article comprises a polymer cartridge case formed of a polymer composition comprising a thermoplastic polymer, preferably the polymer composition having a density of less than 1.35 determined in accordance with ASTM D792, the polymer cartridge case having a first end, an opposing second end, and a chamber disposed between the first end and the second end for receiving a propellant; a projectile attached to the first end of the polymer cartridge case; a metal base insert joined to the second end of the polymer cartridge case; and a primer carried by the metal base insert; wherein the metal base insert and the polymer cartridge case remain joined together as a single piece assembly upon loading, firing and removal from a chamber of a firearm for a polymer case temperature of −65° F. (−54° C.) to 165° F. (74° C.).

This disclosure relates to ammunition articles, and in particular to lightweight ammunition articles comprising a polymer casing.
Small arms ammunition cartridges are used in a variety of firearms ranging from pistols to rifles and shotguns to heavier automatic weapons. Ammunition cartridges typically include a case, a bullet, a case primer, and a propellant or gunpowder. Some ammunition cases use aluminum or steel, however, nearly all conventional ammunition cases are made of brass alloy. There is a need by the Military to reduce the weight of ammunition to lessen the load a soldier carries into combat without sacrificing performance and operational capabilities of brass. Compared to brass, polymers are lightweight. However, there are numerous obstacles, which prevent polymeric materials from working as a drop-in replacement for brass with the greatest being the temperature range for which it must function. In particular, the low temperature requirement of −40° F. (−40° C.) has been one of the challenging technological barriers for polymers to overcome. There accordingly remains a need in the art for lightweight ammunition articles that can function properly in a wide operating temperature range.

Lightweight ammunition articles comprising a polymer cartridge case


A method and a system controls braking of a vehicle. The method includes: detecting a pedal stroke, booster negative pressure, and master cylinder hydraulic pressure; setting target master cylinder hydraulic pressure on the basis of the detected pedal stroke and the detected booster negative pressure in a case in which a magnitude of the detected booster negative pressure is smaller than a magnitude of predetermined reference booster negative pressure; and compensating for the master cylinder hydraulic pressure in a case in which the detected master cylinder hydraulic pressure is smaller than the predetermined target master cylinder hydraulic pressure.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method and a system for controlling braking of a vehicle, and more particularly, to a method and a system for controlling braking of a vehicle, which provide stable braking force by compensating for master cylinder hydraulic pressure in a case in which a required negative pressure is not formed at the time of braking.
2. Description of Related Art
A brake device is provided in a vehicle to decelerate or stop the vehicle being in a state of traveling as necessary.
The brake device generates braking force by converting kinetic energy of the vehicle being in a state of traveling into thermal energy by using frictional force and emitting thermal energy into the atmosphere.
Hydraulic pressure is generated in a master cylinder by an operation of a brake pedal, and the hydraulic pressure is transmitted to a wheel brake such that the vehicle is decelerated or stopped.
Engine negative pressure is generated in an intake stroke, and performance of negative pressure is determined by various factors such as a mechanical frictional load of an engine, efficiency of a transmission, and the like.
In a case in which the engine negative pressure is insufficient, because boosting force by a booster is small, a driver feels that a brake pedal is stiff and the braking force is insufficient at the moment when a magnitude of pressure in a brake hydraulic pressure line and a magnitude of tread force on the brake pedal are identical to each other.
In addition, in a case in which negative pressure, which is required to brake, is not sufficient, operational feeling for the brake pedal deteriorates, and because the braking force is insufficient, a problem of traveling safety may occur.
Accordingly, in order to achieve an improvement on engine negative pressure, a technology is being provided which secures stable brake performance with a method of compensating for the engine negative pressure by additionally including an electric vacuum pump.
However, as the high priced vacuum pump is further added, there are problems in that price competitiveness deteriorates because a manufacturing cost is increased, productivity deteriorates because a layout design and an assembly process are complicated, and fuel efficiency and engine output torque deteriorate because a weight is increased, and a load to drive the vacuum pump is shared.
The information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

Method and system for controlling braking of vehicle


The present invention discloses a microwave plasma generator which includes a chamber, a conductive inorganic substance, a trace gas and a microwave source. The conductive inorganic substance and the trace gas are housed in the chamber with an inner pressure about 0.001˜10 torr. By irradiating the conductive inorganic substance and exciting the trace gas, clean and uniform plasma will be generated. The plasma generator of this invention is easily operated and can be applied to semiconductor manufacturing processes, for example, material modification, etching/cleaning, roughing and ion doping/hybrid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microwave plasma generator, and particular to a microwave plasma generator which can be easily operated to generate clean and uniform plasma and applied to semiconductor manufacturing processes, for example, material modification, etching/cleaning, roughing and ion doping/hybrid.
2. Related prior Arts
Currently, plasma is applied in high technologies, for example, photoelectric devices and semiconductor manufacturing. The traditional plasma sources include the capacitive plasma source, the microwave plasma source, the inductive coupling plasma source, the electron cyclotron resonance plasma source, etc.
Among the above plasma sources, the microwave plasma source utilizes radio frequency electromagnetic waves to heat electrons and supply energy thereto. Features of the microwave plasma source can generate clean and high density plasma but not uniform. Therefore, the reactive chamber is limited in dimension. The electron cyclotron resonance plasma source utilizes electrons cycling in a magnetic field with a constant frequency and accelerating in a resonant frequency to generate uniform and high density plasma. However, the chamber of the electron cyclotron resonance plasma source is complicated. The inductive coupling plasma source utilizes a spiral coil as an electron source in a magnetic field to ionize a gas and generate plasma. The inductive coupling plasma source is easily achieved, but generally companioned with high temperature.
To comply with requirements in semiconductor manufacturing, it's necessary to develop a microwave plasma generator or source capable of generating stable and uniform plasma.