A system and method for performing an on-line check of a file system modifies various function calls within a file system layer of a storage operating system so that each time the particular inode is retrieved using the modified function calls, a check is performed on the inode and associated buffer trees before returning the requested inode to the calling process.

A file server is a computer that provides file service relating to the organization of information on storage devices, such as disks. The file server or filer includes a storage operating system that implements a file system to logically organize the information as a hierarchical structure of directories and files on the disks. Each "on-disk" file may be implemented as a set of disk blocks configured to store information, such as text, whereas the directory may be implemented as a specially-formatted file in which information about other files and directories are stored. A filer may be configured to operate according to a client/server model of information delivery to thereby allow many clients to access files stored on a server, e.g., the filer. In this model, the client may comprise an application, such as a file system protocol, executing on a computer that "connects" to the filer over a computer network, such as a point-to-point link, shared local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), or virtual private network (VPN) implemented over a public network such as the Internet. Each client may request the services of the filer by issuing file system protocol messages (in the form of packets) to the filer over the network.
A common type of file system is a "write in-place" file system, an example of which is the conventional Berkeley fast file system. By "file system" it is meant generally a structuring of data and metadata on a storage device, such as disks, which permits reading/writing of data on those disks. In a write in-place file system, the locations of the data structures, such as inodes and data blocks, on disk are typically fixed. An inode is a data structure used to store information, such as metadata, about a file, whereas the data blocks are structures used to store the actual data for the file. The information contained in an inode may include, e.g., ownership of the file, access permission for the file, size of the file, file type and references to locations on disk of the data blocks for the file. The references to the locations of the file data are provided by pointers, which may further reference indirect blocks that, in turn, reference the data blocks, depending upon the quantity of data in the file. Changes to the inodes and data blocks are made "in-place" in accordance with the write in-place file system. If an update to a file extends the quantity of data for the file, an additional data block is allocated and the appropriate inode is updated to reference that data block.
Another type of file system is a write-anywhere file system that does not overwrite data on disks. If a data block on disk is retrieved (read) from disk into memory and "dirtied" with new data, the data block is stored (written) to a new location on disk to thereby optimize write performance. A write-anywhere file system may initially assume an optimal layout such that the data is substantially contiguously arranged on disks. The is optimal disk layout results in efficient access operations, particularly for sequential read operations, directed to the disks. A particular example of a write-anywhere file system that is configured to operate on a filer is the Write Anywhere File Layout (WAFL™) file system available from Network Appliance, Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif. The WAFL file system is implemented within a microkernel as part of the overall protocol stack of the filer and associated disk storage. This microkernel is supplied as part of Network Appliance's Data ONTAP™ software, residing on the filer, that processes file-service requests from network-attached clients.
As used herein, the term "storage operating system" generally refers to the computer-executable code operable on a computer that manages data access and may, in the case of a filer, implement file system semantics, such as the Data ONTAP™ storage operating system, implemented as a microkernel, and available from Network Appliance, Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif., which implements a Write Anywhere File Layout (WAFL™) file system. The storage operating system can also be implemented as an application program operating over a general-purpose operating system, such as UNIX® or Windows NT®, or as a general-purpose operating system with configurable functionality, which is configured for storage applications as described herein.
An illustrative block diagram of an inode-based file system 100 is shown in FIG. 1. A file system information block 105 includes various metadata describing the file system. Linked to the file system information block 105 is a root inode 110 of the file system. The root inode 110 contains pointers inode file indirect blocks 115. These inode file indirect blocks 115 contain pointers to inode file direct blocks 120. Inode file direct blocks 120 point to inodes 122, which, in turn, contain pointers to indirect inodes 124. The indirect inodes 124 contain pointers to file data blocks 125(A-C). In the example of a WAFL-based file system, file data blocks 125(A-C) store 4 kilobytes (KB) of data.
Disk storage is typically implemented as one or more storage "volumes" that comprise physical storage disks, defining an overall logical arrangement of storage space. Currently available filer implementations can serve a large number of discrete volumes (150 or more, for example). Each volume is associated with its own file system and, for purposes hereof, volume and file system shall generally be used synonymously. The disks within a volume are typically organized as one or more groups of Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks (RAID). RAID implementations enhance the reliability/integrity of data storage through the redundant writing of data "stripes" across a given number of physical disks in the RAID group, and the appropriate caching of parity information with respect to the striped data. As described herein, a volume typically comprises at least one data disk and one associated parity disk (or possibly data/parity) partitions in a single disk) arranged according to a RAID 4, or equivalent high-reliability, implementation.
Known storage operating systems typically contain a program to check and repair an associated file system. Examples of such file system checking programs include the UNIX-based fsck program and the checkdisk command on Microsoft Windows®-based systems. These known file system checking programs typically execute while the file system being verified is offline. By "offline" it is meant that the file system is not available for data access by users of the file system.
An example of a known file system verification program is the WAFL Check program available from Network Appliance, Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif. The WAFL Check program executes on file servers running Network Appliance's Data ONTAP storage operating system and checks and repairs file systems using the WAFL file system.
The WAFL Check program operates in two phases: an mode phase and a directory phase. In the mode phase, the file system verification program looks at each buffer tree associated with an inode. A "buffer free" is a linked list of indirect and direct inode blocks which, in turn, point to file data blocks on the disks that comprise the file system. The WAFL Check program moves down each buffer tree and verifies that all pointers are valid and that no cross links occur. By "cross link" it is meant that an inode or file data block has multiple pointers to it.
In the directory phase, the WAFL Check program verifies the directory structure stored within the file system. In the example of the WAFL Check program, the checking process first goes through all of the file inodes of the file system and then through all of the directories of the file system. After making these two passes through the file system, and correcting any noted errors in the file system, the checking program completes.
In known examples, file system verification programs are executed when a user believes that there is a problem with the file system. For example, a crash or other file system failure may have occurred. A noted disadvantage of known file system checking programs is the substantial amount of time required to perform the file system check. As the file system is off-line and unavailable for data access by users, this checking time results in a prolonged period in which the data stored in a file system is unavailable to users.

System and method performing an on-line check of a file system


An apparatus includes a strain relief formed in helical shape and formed with a U-shaped channel. The strain relief can be used around a cable of a component or a spool extension of a fiber tray.

When terminating electrical conductors or fiber optic cables that need to mate to another cable or circuit card assemblies (CCAs), excess length is used to ensure that the connection can be made and that there will be proper strain relief to not cause a failure while manipulating into place. This excess length must be routed and secured so no damage will occur due to shock/vibration/handling after the connection has been made and the part has put into service.

Helical strain relief for electrical conductors, fiber optic cables, or other cables


An effective method for prolonging localization of therapeutics within the rat gastrointestinal tract of at least about 12 hours is provided. The method includes localization of therapeutic agents that are nanoparticulated or nanoencapsulated. Attractive forces between an orally administered magnetic dose and an external magnet were monitored and internal dose motion in real time using biplanar videofluoroscopy was visualized. Tissue elasticity was quantified as a measure of tissue health by combining data streams. The methods address safety, efficacy, and monitoring capacity of magnetically localized doses and show a platform for testing the benefits of localized drug delivery.

Gastrointestinal (GI), urogenital, and respiratory illnesses remain major public health problems. In the United States alone, about 650,000 persons are diagnosed with GI tract and urogenital cancers (tongue, esophageal, gastric, small intestine, colorectal, anal, bladder, pancreatic, kidney/renal, prostate, testicular, cervical and ovarian cancers) each year, resulting in about 200,000 deaths. Another 40 million are diagnosed with respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia, lung cancer, asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and cystic fibrosis. Food poisoning incidence from all causes is about 76 million resulting in about 5,000 deaths. Other GI tract disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, affect 1.4 million Americans.
Current treatments are insufficient for many of these diseases and disorders. Increased residence time in a particular region of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract would greatly improve the therapeutic benefit of many orally administered pharmaceuticals (Davis, S. S. Drug Discovery Today 10, 249-57, 2005). Controlling GI residence may also provide oral administration of therapeutics that currently are administered by injection (Chen, H. M., Langer, R. Pharm. Res. 14, 537-540, 1997; Goldberg, M., Gomez-Orellana, I. Nat. Rev. Drug Discovery 2, 289-95, 2003; Langer, R. Nature 392, 5-10 Suppl. S, 1998; Mathiowitz, E. et. al. Nature 386, 410-14, 1997; Whitehead, K., Shen, Z. C., Mitragotri, S. J. Controlled Release 98, 37-45, 2004), a benefit for cost savings and comfort of those affected by these diseases.

Methods and systems for prolonged localization of drug delivery


Disclosed is a method of refining of a high purity steel capable of effectively lowering impurities in molten steel into respective ultra-low ranges. In secondary refining for molten steel after a molten iron prerefining process and a converting process, a reducing agent and a flux are added on the bath surface within a ladle containing the molten steel decarburized in a converter so that the composition of slag on the bath surface is adjusted in such a manner that the total concentration of FeO and MnO becomes 5 wt % or less, and subsequently, impurities in the molten steel are effectively lowered into respective ultra-low ranges using a RH vacuum degassing unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to secondary refining of molten steel, and particularly, to a method of effectively lowering impurities (sulphur, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon) in molten steel to ultra-low ranges using a RH vacuum degassing unit.
2. Description of the Prior Technology
In secondary refining of molten steel, there has been known a method of supplying a flux in a vacuum vessel of a RH vacuum degassing unit for refining under desulphurization, wherein the flux freely falls on the bath surface within the vacuum vessel. Accordingly, for improving reaction rate, the flux in the form of fine powder must be used. This brings about a large disadvantage that the added flux is sucked through the exhaust system before reaching the bath surface of the molten steel. To cope with the disadvantage of using the fine powder flux, there has been proposed a method of using a massive flux; however, use of a massive flux degrades the reaction efficiency.
Also, there has been proposed a method of promoting the reaction while circulating both the molten steel and the flux by injecting a desulphurizing flux into the molten steel directly under a riser using the so-called immersion lance in the RH vacuum degassing unit disclosed in "Material and Process"; Vol 1. 1, p. 1189 (1988). This known technology, however, has disadvantages in that the immersion lance is short in its service life and is difficult in its management, and further, it is difficult to accurately guide both the injected gas and the flux in the riser and hence to manage the operation.
Further, there has been known a desulphurizing refining technology such as that disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. sho 63-114918. In this technology, a nozzle is provided on the inner wall of a vacuum vessel of a RH vacuum degassing unit in such a manner as to be inclined at 30.degree.-50.degree. with respect to the horizontal direction, and the desulphurization is performed by injecting 1.7-4.0 kg/t of a flux to the steel bath surface within the vessel. This known technology, however, is disadvantageous in that, since the flux is charged in the direction inclined to the steel bath surface, the catching efficiency of the flux to the molten steel becomes poor and the effective desulphurization is obstructed by the influence of the oxidizing potential of the slag on the steel bath.
Also, there has been such a technology as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. sho 53-92320, wherein molten steel is secondarily refined by injecting a powder flux on the steel bath within a RH vacuum vessel. However, this known technology is intended to lower the oxygen concentration in the molten steel, and does not refer to the composition of the slag in a ladle which is extremely important in the desulphurizing treatment. Therefore, it is entirely obscure whether or not the above technology is effective in a desulphurizing treatment which is the subject of the present invention.
Further, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. sho 58-9914 discloses a VOD process, wherein the desulphurization is performed by injecting a powder flux together with a carrier gas on the steel bath surface under the reduced pressure using a top-injecting lance. However, this known technology does not teach how the desulphurizing reaction is effected by oxidizing slag (ladle slag), which inevitably flows out upon tapping the molten steel from the primary refining furnace such as a converter to a ladle. Therefore, it is doubtful whether the above technology may be applicable for desulphurizing treatment in a RH vacuum degassing unit.
On the other hand, the melting of ultra-low carbon steel is commonly performed by the steps of decarburization and dephosphorization in the converter, and decarburization and deoxidation in a specified carbon concentration using a secondary refining unit such as an RH vacuum degassing unit or a DH unit. In the melting method of this type, it is important to rapidly perform the decarburization and deoxidation to the low concentration range, which is also desirable for improving the quality of the steel and for preventing the surface defects due to non-metallic inclusions.
To meet the above demand, there has been proposed technologies of effectively performing deoxidation. For example, "Iron and Steel"; No. 11, Vol. 76, pp. 1932-1939 discloses a technology of preventing re-oxidation of the steel bath due to oxides (iron oxide or manganese oxide) in the converter slag floating on the steel bath in the ladle through reduction of the converter slag. However, in this technology, it is impossible to rapidly measure the amount and the composition of the converter slag floating on the steel bath in the ladle, and accordingly, the reduction is made unstable. For example, when a reducing agent is excessively charged, it reacts with the dissolved oxygen in the molten steel, which brings about the lack of the oxygen amount required for decarburization, or which causes the rephosphorization accompanied with the slag reducing action.
Further, it has been pointed out that the essential decarburization is occasionally stagnated, particularly, in the ultra-low carbon range (for example, as disclosed in "Material and Process"; No. 1, Vol. 1. 3, pp. 168 to 171).
As described above, in the conventional technologies, it is not considered how to control the composition of the primary refining slag (ladle slag) discharged from the converter and the composition of the secondary refining slag produced in the ladle or in the vacuum vessel of the RH vacuum degassing unit, which makes it impossible to perform the effective desulphurization and deoxidation.
For example, the above conventional technologies disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Nos. sho 53-92320 and sho 63-114918 disclose the injection of the desulphurizing and deoxidizing flux; however, they do not refer to the composition of the slag in the ladle at all. On the other hand, in the technology proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. sho 58-9914, there appears the description on such a slag composition. The description, however, is made not on the operation of the RH vacuum degassing unit, but on the VOD process in which the slag is strongly stirred together with the steel bath. Further, the proposal relates to the technology of adjusting the basicity of the slag, and thus is not applicable for the RH vacuum degassing treatment.
Also, in addition to the problems of the conventional technologies, the melting of ultra-low sulphur steel has generally the following problem: namely, in the case of performing the desulphurization up to the ultra-low sulphur concentration region, it is necessary to increase the injected amount and the injecting time of the powder flux, and accordingly, the temperature drop due to the powder flux must be compensated by increasing the temperature of the molten steel. However, if the furnace tapping temperature is increased, the life of the refractories in the converter is deteriorated. Needless to say, a method of performing desulphurization while compensating the temperature in the RH vacuum degassing treatment has been sought; but it has not been established as yet.
Further, in the case that the desulphurization is performed by injecting a powder flux on the surface of the molten steel in the RH vacuum degassing unit, it is desirable that the powder is circulated between the vacuum vessel and the ladle together with the flow of the molten steel and is finally caught in the ladle. The powder, however, is commonly in the state of floating on the steel bath surface within the vacuum vessel and is not circulated. Conventional technologies have not solved this problem as yet.


A method of continuous testing of repetitive functional blocks provided on an integrated circuit (IC) which includes selecting one of the repetitive functional blocks at a time for testing, substituting a test repetitive functional block for a selected repetitive functional block, and testing the selected repetitive functional block during normal functional mode of the IC. An IC which includes repetitive functional blocks for performing corresponding functional block operations during normal functional mode of the IC, and a test system which performs continuous testing of each repetitive functional block while the functional block operations are performed during normal functional mode of the IC. One block may be tested during normal operation for each IC reset event without transferring or copying state information. Multiple blocks may be tested one at a time during normal operation by transferring state information between a selected block and a test block.

1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates generally to testing on integrated circuits, and more specifically, to a system and method for continuous testing of repetitive functional blocks on an integrated circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a global organization that prepares and publishes international standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies. These standards serve as a basis for national standardization and as references when drafting international tenders and contracts and the like. Stringent safety integration levels from newer standards, such as the international standard IEC 61508, are being applied to various applications including those that were not traditionally required to meet relatively strict safety integration levels. The stringent safety integration standards are, however, soon to be pervasive in many applications, thus raising the standards and level of entry for those applications subject to the standards.
The 65 nanometer (65 nm) process is currently an advanced lithographic node used in volume manufacturing of semiconductors, such as including complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) and the like. At the 65 nm lithographic node and beyond, design for manufacturability is important to assure adequate yield and reliability. Additionally, even traditionally reliable silicon structures may be less reliable when implemented using the more advanced lithographic nodes. For example, a D-type flip-flop (DFF), which is conventionally a relatively reliable silicon structure, becomes more sensitive to leakage current or soft errors at the higher technology nodes. Safe and reliable operation of deep submicron products is an increasing problem, particularly when these semiconductor products are used in applications and products that must meet more stringent industry standards, such as the international standard IEC 61508 and the like. Adequate yield and reliability also become more difficult to achieve technology advances.
It is desired to ensure safe and reliable operation and to ensure adequate yield and reliability of deep submicron integrated circuit (IC) semiconductor devices. Many such devices include repetitive functional blocks, such as multiple logical channel implementations, multiple processor cells, etc. It is desired to ensure proper operation of each repetitive functional block provided on the IC. It is desired to provide continuous testing of the functional blocks during normal operation of the IC.

Integrated circuit with continuous testing of repetitive functional blocks


A fuel system for a marine propulsion device controls the pressure of liquid fuel within a fuel rail by altering the pump speed of a fuel pump. The fuel pressure in the rail is measured by a pressure transducer which provides an output signal to a microprocessor that allows the microprocessor to select an operating speed for the fuel pump that conforms to a desired fuel pressure in the rail. By decreasing or increasing the operating speed of the positive displacement fuel pump as a function of the measured pressure in the rail, the microprocessor can accurately regulate the fuel pressure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a returnless fuel system for a marine propulsion device and, more particularly, to a fuel system that regulates fuel pressure within a fuel rail and controls the speed of a fuel pump motor in order to maintain a desired pressure within the fuel rail.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,670, which issued to Powell et al. on Oct. 7, 1997, describes a returnless fuel delivery system. A series-pass fuel pressure regulator in the system provides fuel of a regulated pressure to a fuel rail comprising at least one fuel injector. A bypass fuel pressure regulator provides fuel with a regulated pressure to the series-pass regulator. An in-line fuel filter is located downstream from the bypass regulator, such that only the fuel which reaches the series-pass regulator is filtered. A check valve is located downstream from the bypass regulator as well, to prevent fuel pressure bleed-down through the fuel pump and bypass regulator. A pressure relief valve is coupled to allow fuel with a pressure above a predetermined value to flow around the check valve.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,490, which issued to Rodgers et al. on May 19, 1998, describes a returnless fuel injection system for use with an internal combustion engine. The fuel system has a fuel pump, a throttle position sensor for sensing the power requested, and an engine control unit. The improvement comprises a fuel pump control circuit using three distinct duty cycle modulator circuits to control fuel pump speed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,253, which issued to Oyafuso et al. on Jul. 27, 1999, describes a fuel system priming method. The method is intended for use with a returnless fuel system and electronic fuel injection. It includes the steps of sensing fuel pressure rate of rise during priming. A fuel pump is first activated to pressurize the system and then the injectors are controlled for a short interval in response to the sensed rate of pressure rise to vent trapped air in the fuel system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,262, which issued to Finkbeiner et al. on Dec. 7, 1999, describes screw pins for a gear rotor fuel pump assembly. An in-tank type of electric motor fuel pump with a fuel inlet end cap, a fuel outlet cap, a case coaxially joining the end caps to form a pump housing, an electric motor mounted in the housing having a stator with spring-retained permanent field magnets surrounding the motor armature, and a gerotor pump in the housing rotatably driven by the motor armature is described.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,763, which issued to Bodzak et al. on Aug. 1, 2000, describes a fuel delivery pump with a bypass valve for a fuel injection pump for an internal combustion engine. The pump system includes a pair of gears that mesh with each other and are driven to rotate in a pump chamber. The gears deliver fuel from an intake chamber connected to a storage tank, along a supply conduit that is formed between the end face of the gears and circumference wall of the pump chamber, into a pressure chamber connected to the fuel injection pump. A conduit is integrated into a housing of the fuel delivery pump and connects the intake chamber to the pressure chamber. The conduit can be opened by means of a pressure valve disposed in it, wherein the pressure valve is functionally connected to a throttle valve that throttles the fuel supply into the intake chamber as a function of the controlled pressure on the control valve via the pressure chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,263, which issued to Bodzak et al. on Aug. 8, 2000, describes a fuel delivery pump with a bypass valve and an inlet check valve for a fuel injection pump for internal combustion engines. The pump has a pair of rotating displacing elements which deliver fuel from an intake chamber connected to a storage tank along a supply conduit that is formed between the end face of the rotating displacing elements and the circumference wall of the pump chamber into a pressure chamber connected to the fuel injection pump and with a bypass conduit which is integrated into a housing of the fuel delivery pump and connects the intake chamber to the pressure chamber and which is opened by means of a pressure valve disposed in it, wherein the intake chamber is closed with a check valve that operates counter to the fuel delivery direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,458, which issued to Zacher et al. on Oct. 2, 2001, describes an electric fuel pump. The pump is intended for use with an internal combustion engine in which a pump mechanism is provided in a housing for pumping fuel from an inlet to an outlet of the housing. A DC motor in the housing is drivingly connected to the pump mechanism, the fuel flowing through is the housing past the motor to the outlet. A module including a commutation circuit for the DC motor is sealed in the housing from the fuel which flows therearound and cools the module.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,344, which issued to Lucier et al. on Nov. 20, 2001, describes a deadheaded fuel delivery system using a single fuel pump. The fuel pump draws fuel from a fuel tank via a fuel supply network or a fuel supply line, transfers the fuel through a fuel connector and a fuel filter, and delivers the fuel to a vapor separator.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,553,974, which issued to Wickman et al. on Apr. 29, 2003, discloses an engine fuel system with a fuel vapor separator and a fuel vapor vent canister. The system provides an additional fuel chamber, associated with a fuel vapor separator, that receives fuel vapor from a vent of the fuel vapor separator. In order to prevent the flow of liquid fuel into and out of the additional fuel chamber, a valve is provided which is able to block the vent of the additional chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,145, which issued to Takahashi on Jun. 10, 2003, describes a fuel supply system for a four-cycle outboard motor. The engine includes a fuel injection system that includes a fuel pump, a plurality of fuel injectors, and a vapor separator. The vapor separator is in communication with the fuel pump and at least one fuel return line. The separator includes a vent for removing vapors from the fuel. The vapor separator also includes a canister position within the vapor separator below the vent.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,955, which issued to Griffiths et al. on Feb. 24, 2004, discloses a marine engine with primary and secondary fuel reservoirs. The system comprises first and second fuel reservoirs connected in fluid communication with each other. The first fuel reservoir is a fuel vapor separator which has a vent conduit connected in fluid communication with a second fuel reservoir. Under normal conditions, fuel vapor flows from the fuel vapor separator and into the second fuel reservoir for eventual discharge to the atmosphere.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,925,990, which issued to Konopacki on Aug. 9, 2005, discloses a method for controlling fuel pressure for a fuel injected engine. A fuel pressure control system for a fuel injected engine measures the fuel pressure at an outlet of a fuel pump and controls the operating speed of the fuel pump as a function of the difference between a desired pressure and a measured pressure. Signals are provided to the fuel pump which are pulse width modulated signals that have a pulse width determined as a function of the desired pressure at the outlet of the pump. The desired pressure is determined as a function of air flow into the engine, a desired air/fuel ratio which, in turn, is a function of engine speed and the load on the engine, and a desired fuel rate which is determined as a function of the air/fuel ratio and the air flow into the engine. The desired fuel rate is then used to select a pressure at the outlet of the pump which will result in the desired fuel rate.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,971,374, which issued to Saito on Dec. 6, 2005, describes a fuel supply system for an outboard motor. A vapor separator venting system vents fuel vapor from a fuel vapor separator through a vapor relief valve. The vapor relief valve is located in a high position on the outboard motor to ensure that liquid fuel does not reach the vapor relief valve.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/290,013, which was filed by Konopacki on Nov. 30, 2005, discloses a returnless fuel system module. A returnless fuel system module includes a fuel pump in a fuel pump cavity, a fuel pressure regulator in a fuel pressure regulator cavity, first and second transfer passages therebetween, and a heat exchanger integrally formed in the housing in thermally conductive relation with at least the bypass relief passage.
The patents described above are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in the description of the present invention.
A paper titled "Fuel Rail Pressure Relief", written by Ross Pursifull for the SAE technical paper series, discusses various fuel systems. It describes a major source of engine-off evaporative hydrocarbon emissions as being a result of fuel injector leakage. Methods and devices to relieve fuel rail pressure after key-off, and thus reduce leakage, are described in this paper. Impact on fuel manifold repressurization is also discussed. The basic principles governing this behavior, such as fuel thermal expansion, fuel vapor pressure, and dissolve gases in liquid, are described. Data is shown in this paper relating to fuel pressure relief.
Returnless fuel systems typically recirculate fuel, when more fuel is pumped to a fuel rail than is needed by the injectors connected to the fuel rail, by allowing a certain percentage of the pumped fuel to recirculate from the outlet of a fuel pump back to an inlet of the fuel pump or to a fuel reservoir. This recirculation of fuel requires energy to be expended and raises the temperature of the fuel that is recirculated. It would therefore be significantly beneficial if a fuel system could be provided which accurately maintains a desired pressure in the fuel rail without having to recirculate significant quantities of liquid fuel after it has been pressurized by the operation of a fuel pump.

Electronic voltage regulation for a marine returnless fuel system


A clutch drum in an automatic transmission houses therein a clutch mechanism through which the clutch drum is driven. The clutch drum is rotatably mounted on a fixed shaft forming part of a transmission housing and comprised of a drum main body having a cylindrical drum section which is spaced from and coaxial with the fixed shaft. The drum main body is formed of aluminum alloy. A cylindrical friction material is fixed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical drum section and frictionally contactable with a brake band wrapped around the drum main body. The brake is applied to the clutch drum upon tightening the brake band.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in a rotating drum in an automatic transmission, and more particularly to a frictionally sliding section of such a rotating drum.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many rotating elements such as clutch drums are assembled in an automatic transmission, in which most of them have not only a single function but also multi-functions. An example of such a rotating element is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,749 and shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings. In FIG. 3, a clutch drum 101 is arranged rotatable around a fixed shaft 102 of a transmission casing 103 and includes an inner body 104 which is rotatably mounted on the fixed shaft 102 and encases therein a multiple disc clutch 105 having clutch plates 106 as clutch elements. Additionally, the inner body 104 is formed with a cylinder 107 in which a piston 108 is slidably movably disposed. The piston 108 functions to push the multiple disc clutch 105, serving as an engaging member for the clutch plates 106. The clutch drum 101 further includes an outer body 109 fixed to the inner body 104 at an outer peripheral portion. The outer peripheral surface 109a of the outer body 109 serves as a brake drum which incorporates with a brake band 110 disposed around the outer body 109.
As discussed above, the clutch drum 101 accomplishes a variety of functions and therefore unavoidably has a function(s) which is undesirable for the other function(s). That is to say, for example, the clutch drum outer body 109 is usually formed of a steel thick plate. This largely increases the weight of the clutch drum outer body 109, thereby raising problems from view points of weight lightening, performance improvement and improvement in efficiency of obtaining space for parts.
In the case of using a metal for the material of a frictionally sliding section, the coefficient of friction of the frictionally sliding section increases as the surface roughness increases and therefore decreases as the surface roughness decreases. Also, in the brake of the automatic transmission, the coefficient of friction of the above-mentioned clutch drum 101 is a serious factor which largely affects a shift shock, a time required for shifting and the like. For example, if the clutch drum 101 is formed of aluminum or aluminum alloy, a weight-lightening for the clutch drum will be expected. However, such a clutch drum is relatively soft and therefore the surface roughness of the frictionally sliding surface in slidable contact with the brake band unavoidably changes for a relatively short period of time as a result of wear of the frictionally sliding surface caused under repetition of tightening and loosening the brake band.
Accordingly, the clutch drum outer body 109 is inevitably formed of the steel thick plate while the clutch drum inner body 104 is formed of a pressed steel thin sheet. The clutch drum inner and outer bodies 104, 109 are then welded to each other to be combined, thereby complicating the production process of the clutch drum 101. Additionally, even in the case where the clutch drum outer body is formed of a steel thick plate despite the above-discussed production difficulty, there remains a problem in that the surface roughness of the outer peripheral surface 109a of the clutch drum outer body 109 changes with a lapse of time or a repetition of tightening the brake band as shown in FIG. 4.
A similar problem is encountered around the hub section 104a. That is to say, the hub section 104a formed of the relatively soft material (aluminum alloy) makes its wear at positions in sliding contact with seal rings 111 located at the opposite sides of an oil passage 112 through which oil is supplied to the cylinder 107. This increases a rotating friction of the clutch drum 101 thereby causing a performance degradation and an increased noise level.


A liftable disk drive suspension load beam of spring steel comprises a base portion, a spring portion, an elongated beam portion having left and right edge rails, and a lift tip beyond the elongated beam portion. The beam portion has a longitudinally disposed flexure support tongue defining an attachment locus for attaching a flexure in cantilevered relation and having a situs for gimballing dimple contact with the flexure. The beam portion has left and right continued extents on either side of the tongue, these continued extents being, free of connection to said the support tongue fore and aft of the flexure attachment locus, the extents being joined beyond the attachment locus to support the lift tip from the elongated beam portion. The flexure tongue provides the flexure freedom of gimballing movement free of interference from the lift tip and the continued extents.

The loading and unloading of the slider or other read write device from a disk drive disk surface involves the lifting of the suspension carrying the device relative to the disk surface. This has been accomplished by lifting at the middle of the suspension or at the distal end. Generally, previous efforts whether at the middle or the end of the suspension are not easy to manufacture. Where ramps are used in the middle of the suspension for example, for relative displacement of the suspension and the ramp cam surface, added mass may affect suspension dynamics and interfere with the suspension load beam body. The distal or front-end lift technique also uses a ramp or cam that engages the lift tip projecting from the suspension. This type of lift has been criticized for adverse effects on the gimballing movement of the slider under the flexure. The flexure tongue has in previous efforts at a front lift experienced a bias at the dimple engaging the slider from the physical association of the tongue with the lift tip support. In manufacturing, formation of the lifter may adversely affect pitch and roll static attitude change and flatness. The presence of the lift tip may interfere with the flexure movement. In either case, previously known distal end lift tips have unduly limited performance of the suspension.


A method for separating, identifying and purifying small, conotoxin-like rigidly conformed peptides ("conopeptides") containing multiple Cys residues comprises forming a conoeffector library, each member of which has a nucleic acid encoding a potential conopeptide sequence. The conoeffectors are expressed such that they are exposed on the surface of a bacteriophage. These bacteriophage are screened for binding to a target protein molecule, and receptors in particular, to separate and bind phage having affinity for the target protein. Reiterative screening, if required, is used to enrich and yield a phage carrying the bound conopeptide of the desired specificity and affinity. The enriched phage are then subjected to DNA sequencing to determine the conopeptide sequence including the position of the Cys residues. The chemical structure information gathered, coupled with the binding specificities to the target protein, permits the genetic or synthetic preparation of a large variety of small rigidly conformed disulfide rich peptides as pharmaceutical, pesticidal or other bioactive candidates.

This application relates to a method of generating, screening and identifying small disulfide rich conopeptides having high affinity and specificity for selected target proteins using cloning, and particularly, fusion phage technology.
The marine gastropod mollusks belonging to the superfamily Conacea, (also called Toxoglossa) are distinguished by the general presence of a toxin gland and a hollow tooth for delivery. This superfamily, comprising approximately 4000 species, perhaps 10% of all molluscan species diversity, is one of the most successful of all marine taxa. There are three main groups or families, i.e. the cone (Conus), the tower shells (Terebra) and the slit shells (Turris). All species are predators, the vast majority using venom as the primary means for subduing prey.
One factor that contributes to the success of this group is the remarkable biochemistry of their venoms. Conacea venom may be particularly important to understand in all of its facets. The biologically active components of at least some of these venoms are an unprecedented diversity of small, conformationally rigid peptides having specifically located Cys residues and multiple disulfide bonds. These peptides are amenable to known methods for chemical synthesis and structure determination. In addition, they are directly translated from genes, and can therefore be manipulated by state of the art molecular biological technologies.
Most information developed thus far, including biochemical analysis of venoms, have been done on species of the Conus family. However, a direct biochemical analysis of the venoms from the various species of the Terebra and Turnis families has not yet been carried out. The roughly 500 species of the Conus family can be divided into three groups on the basis of the prey they feed on, i.e. the worm-hunting, mollusc-hunting and fish-hunting species. Venoms of at least one species of each of these groups has been analyzed and the major biologically active components have been identified as small peptides, typically of about 10 to 30 amino acids in length. A particular Conus venom may have well over 50 different small peptides, many of them with different pharmacological specificity. From the numerous peptides which have been purified from various Conus species, a number of generalizations have emerged which form the basis for the presently claimed invention. The peptides isolated from venom of all the various species within the Conacea superfamily are generically referred to in this description as "conotoxins".
Each conotoxin peptide appears to be specifically targeted to a macromolecular receptor, interfering with its normal function. The conotoxins can have very high affinities for their receptors. In the case of certain .omega.-conotoxins, for example, subpicomolar affinities are achieved for their high-affinity Ca++ channel targets. A key feature that contributes to the high affinity and specificity of the conotoxin peptides is attributed to their fixed, relatively rigid conformation. Normally, peptides in the 10 to 30 amino acid range would not have a specific fixed conformation because of their small size. Under most physiological conditions, it takes a polypeptide of about 40-50 amino acid residues before the sum total of non-covalent forces, (hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, and the like) is sufficient for a specific conformation to be stable. The vast majority of the conotoxin peptides are conformationally restrained by covalent cross-linking through multiple disulfide bonding. Typically between about 20 to 50% of all amino acids in a conotoxin peptide are Cys residues. Conotoxin peptides have some of the highest known densities of disulfide bonding in any biological system. Peptides from Conus venoms have been isolated that are only 12 amino acids long with three disulfide bonds. In general, only one disulfide bonded configuration of a particular toxin exhibits high affinity for the specific receptor target. Although some conotoxins have only two disulfide bonds (notably the .alpha.-conotoxins which target to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors), more commonly the major paralytic conotoxins found in Conus venom have three disulfide bonds (in the fish-hunting cones, the .mu.-conotoxins which target to muscle voltage-sensitive Na channels and the .omega.-conotoxins which target to presynaptic voltage sensitive Ca channels). For the latter, there are 16 possible disulfide bonded configurations. Folding smaller peptides into one specific configuration is a biochemical problem which the cone snails had to solve before they could efficiently use such small peptides as high affinity ligands for paralysing their prey.
Small, conformationally constrained peptides are ideal for a wide variety of biotechnology applications. Their small size facilitates access to specific target receptors. Specific cross-linking of disulfide bonds allows these small peptides to assume a relatively rigid structure that increases the probability of high affinity interaction with target molecules. Still, the variation of peptide structure afforded by variation in amino acid sequence in such peptides is enormous. Natural variants among peptides following this architectural design have been found to target a great diversity of target types.
One feature that has emerged from sequencing many conotoxin peptides is that most of them fall into characteristic patterns of disulfide forming Cys residue arrangements. The major, or standard framework, patterns are represented by the following formulas with Cys being represented by "C" and "--" representing a variable grouping of other amino acids:
______________________________________ "2-loop" framework CC--C--C (Formula I) Seq. ID NO: 15! "3-loop" framework CC--C--C--CC (Formula II) Seq. ID NO: 16! "4-loop" framework C--C--CC--C--C (Formula III) Seq. ID NO: 17! ______________________________________
These characteristic Cys arrangements are found as a dominant structural feature in conotoxin peptides from all three feeding classes of the Conus family and may be present in the venoms of all families within the Conacea superfamily. The conotoxin peptide sequence information from mollusk-hunting venoms is typical. Of 17 peptides sequenced sufficiently for assessing the Cys residue arrangement, two peptides had the standard 2-loop configuration (Formula I), five had the standard 3-loop structure (Formula II) and nine had the standard 4-loop framework (Formula III). One peptide did not fit a standard framework and had a minor 5-loop configuration. The actual disulfide bonding in at least one member of each of the standard frameworks has been determined. The disulfide bonds were formed between the first and third and second and fourth Cys residues in the 2-loop structure and between the first and fourth, second and fifth and third and sixth residues respectively in the 3-loop and 4-loop frameworks.
It is hypothesized that the standard loop structures are established in the conotoxins because the Conus snails have evolved genetic mechanisms for efficiently and rapidly generating variant sequences, mechanisms specifically geared to using the standard Cys frameworks. In this way, the Conus snails are able to achieve a remarkable sequence plasticity in their peptides and a corresponding pharmacological diversity even though the same Cys frameworks, and hence, disulfide bond configurations, are used again and again. For example, the major group of conotoxins which target to Na channels have a standard 3-loop framework but another conotoxin targeting to the same Na channel has the standard 4-loop framework. The two peptides have no apparent homology and appear to have evolved independently. In addition, 4-loop Ca channel targeted peptides, with no affinity for Na channels and no homology to the 4-loop Na channel peptide are present in the same venom. A single venom from a Conus snail comprises numerous small peptides, most of which exhibit standard 2-, 3- and 4-loop Cys frameworks. Despite the small numbers of different Cys frameworks, the diversity of peptides in any given Conus venom is truly remarkable. Moreover, each of the thousands of species of the Conacea superfamily may have its own distinctive complement of peptide sequences. In the data obtained from ten species of the Conus family, no single peptide sequence has been found to occur in more than one venom. Therefore, it is believed that there are many thousands of peptides in the Conacea venoms each having its own distinctive pharmacological properties. As illustrative, one may consider the .alpha.-conotoxins which are the major post-synaptic paralytic toxins targeting to acetylcholine receptors. It has been found that each fish-hunting species has its own set of .alpha.-conotoxins, having sequences different from any other species.
The pharmacological complexity of a single venom may be illustrated by examining the in vivo effects of injecting each peptide from one size fraction of a single Conus geographus venom. This experiment is described in detail in Olivera et al., (1990) Science 249, pp. 217-232. The venom was eluted into fractions on a Sephadex G-25 column. One major fraction was further separated by HPLC using a VYDAC C18 column and a trifluoroacetic acid-acetonitrile gradient. The elution profile showed numerous peaks when absorbance at 210 nm is plotted as a function of elution time. Each peak, consisting of either a single peptide or mixture of several peptides, was tested for biological activity by injecting from 0.5 to 2 nmol intracranially into mice and the CNS response elicited was recorded. In many cases the activity observed is either the symptomatology induced by the most potent component or a composite of symptoms from several peptides. Whether the activity is the result of a single conotoxin or mixture of conotoxins the following responses were observed, each coming from a single peak in this one size fraction, (1) head swinging, (2) circular motion, (3) dragging back legs, (4) sleeper/climbing, (5) uncoordinated, (6) twisted jumping, (7) paralysis, (8) kicking on back and scratching, (9) depressed activity, (10) comatose (lethal to at least one animal), (11) paralysis (lethal to at least one animal), (12) depressed activity, (13) trembling, (14) dragging (lethal to at least one animal), (15) depressed followed by hyperactivity (lethal to at least one animal), (16) normal, (17) scratching and convulsion (lethal to at least one animal), (18) convulsion and bleeding (lethal to at least one animal), (19) convulsion (lethal to at least one animal) and (20) normal.
It is apparent from the above that the conotoxins have distinctive properties which make them of particular interest for biotechnological applications. Although there is a remarkable pharmacologic diversity of conotoxins, each peptide is specifically targeted. In certain cases, the conotoxins are able to discriminate between closely related subtypes of a receptor target.
One reason for some of the unique properties of the conotoxins may well be a response to the relentless selection for rapid paralysis. The unusually small size of the conotoxin peptides may have evolved to facilitate the efficient dissemination of the toxins through the body of the prey. A small peptide of 10-30 amino acids will cross permeability barriers (such as the blood vessels of fish) much more quickly than a typical 50-90 amino acid proteinaceous toxin of snakes or scorpions. In this respect, the conotoxins can literally immobilize the prey 1-2 seconds after injection of the venom and effect complete paralysis a few seconds later.
Molecules of this type have an expanding usefulness as agents capable of targeting a vast variety of receptors and ion channels on the surface of many different cell types. These molecules will be useful in the design and testing of drugs targeting a variety of therapeutically important receptors, and in the design of agriculturally important agents such as pesticides. These peptides are unique ligands which potentially affect the function of their target proteins.
The major object of this invention is the de novo, snail-free generation of conotoxin-like peptides. Although the natural complement of conotoxins has many potential applications, the ability to produce novel peptides in vitro with predetermined target specificity would vastly expand this potential. It has been shown by Olivera et al., (1990) Science, 249, pp 217-232, which is incorporated herein by reference, that this general class of rigid, mulitple disulfide-linked peptides can be ligands of exquisitely refined specificity. At this time, no conotoxin-like peptide has yet been generated in vitro with a novel specificity. The invention described is drawn to a means of producing ligands with the same general characteristics as the natural conotoxins, i.e., peptides with high affinity and specificity for a target receptor, which can be chemically synthesized, and that have a relatively rigid conformation due to multiple disulfide bonds. When such peptides are bound to their receptor target, they affect the biological activity of that target. Such conotoxin-like peptides will, in this description, be called either "conoeffector peptides" or "conopeptides", terms which will be used interchangeably. Conoeffector peptides with particular biological activity will be identified by screening a general conopeptide library for clones which bind to a particular receptor protein and affect its biological activity. The conoeffector peptides so identified will yield sufficient chemical-structure information to allow peptidomimetic drug design. In addition, further rounds of screening could yield conopeptides with still more refined receptor or phylogenetic specificities.
Although the natural spectrum of peptides provided by the conotoxins is highly diverse, specific application will require peptides with receptor or phylogenetic specificities which may not be found directly in the set of natural conotoxin peptides. For example, in the field of pesticides, it may be desirable to have toxins that specifically kill only one order or insects, but do not affect other arthropods, nor animals in other phyla. Such specificity is unlikely to be found in the set of natural conotoxins because they are targeted in vivo either to vertebrates, mollusks, or three phyla of worms, and not to insect receptors. However, in principle, it should become possible to carry out phylogenetic focusing in vitro. Once a peptide structure has been found which targets to a particular target protein or receptor type, it should be possible to use molecular genetics to select variants with the desired phylogenetic specificity. Thus, in the case of insecticides, the lead structure might be a "broadly focused" or even a phylogenotically non-discriminating conotoxin structure which acts on the target insect. A library could then be constructed, each containing a variant of the lead conotoxin sequence. Variants can be selected to bind the target insect receptor, but show no binding to homologous receptors in other taxa.
The same reasoning will also apply to the design of conopeptides having other biological and/or pharmacological applications.
Several potential applications of in vitro-generated conoeffector peptides are based on the potential ability of the conopeptides to distinguish between closely related subtypes of a particular receptor target. A major problem in drug design, for example, is to rationally minimize side effects. In recent years, recombinant DNA technology has revealed that multiple subtypes exist for practically every cell-surface receptor involved in intercullular signaling and signal transduction. Although a drug may be targeted to a particular therapeutically relevant receptor target, it may interact with closely related subtypes as well. The latter interactions are the probable cause of the side effects of many drugs. Conceptually, the most straightforward way to circumvent this problem is to develop agents that only interact with therapeutically relevant receptor subtype targets with no cross reactivity to related receptor subtypes.
Conotoxin structures clearly have the potential for such refined pharmacological targeting. It has been demonstrated that certain conotoxins can exhibit remarkable receptor subtype discrimination. In particular, the .omega.-conotoxins, which target to calcium channels, show a tissue specificity with regard to calcium channels that is exhibited by no other ligand that has been designed by the pharmaceutical industry so far. Thus, the dihydropyridine drugs will affect calcium channels not only in skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle and smooth muscle but in neuronal tissue as well. In contrast, the .omega.-conotoxins target to certain neuronal calcium channel subtypes and show a >10.sup.8 fold discrimination index against calcium channels which are non-neuronal in the most favorable cases. This remarkable ability to discriminate between what are probably closely related receptors demonstrates that the basic conotoxin structural motifs are capable not only of having very high affinity for a particular receptor subtype, but a high discrimination index against closely related subtypes.
In principle, conoeffector peptides can be generated in vitro which affect the activity of the desired subtype of a particular receptor, but are screened not to bind other closely related subtypes at all. Therefore, this invention has the potential to provide the pharmaceutical industry with a rational methodology for designing drugs with minimal undesirable side effects. In principle, it should be possible to design an .omega.-conotoxin-like molecule that only is targeted to a single calcium channel subtype with no cross reaction against any other calcium channel, nor other receptors. This has great potential application, since calcium channels control many specific properties of nerve cells, including neurotransmitter release. Other specific applications include drugs for Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia and depression. The side effects of many therapeutically effective drugs for these conditions is a continuing problem. Some of the most effective drugs affect the metabolism of the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin. The biological effects of these neurotransmitters have been shown to be mediated through dopamine receptors and serotonin receptors, both of which are present as multiple subtypes, encoded by multiple genes. Many of these receptor subtypes have recently been cloned, and can thus be used to screen conopeptide libraries. The possibility of obtaining a small rigid peptide specifically targeted for agonist or antogonist activity to each dopamine receptor subtype would have obvious implications in drug development for Parkinsonism and schizophrenia.
The basis for using an in vitro approach for the focusing of conopeptides to specific protein targets requires a system into which conopeptide modules can be cloned. The sequence of the conopeptide module can be varied by inserting oligonucleotides with random nucleotide sequences in selected positions. The variant conopeptide sequences could then be screened for binding to receptors or other selected targets. Preferably the conopeptides will be cloned such that they are displayed on the surface of a carrier protein or in a cell compartment where they can be exposed and, if active, bound to a specified receptor or other target protein molecules.
A system wherein other peptides have been successfully cloned and screened for binding specificity has recently been described by two of the inventors herein and is referred to as "fusion phage", e.g. see Scott et al., Searching for Peptide Ligands with an Epitope Library, Science, 249, 386-390 (Jul. 20, 1990) which is incorporated herein by reference. "Fusion phage" are filamentous bacteriophage vectors in which foreign sequences are cloned into phage gene III and displayed as part of the gene III protein (pIII) at one tip of the virion.
In the fusion phage techniques of Smith et al., supra, a library was constructed of phage containing a variable cassette of six amino acids. The variable hexapeptide modules, when fused to the bacteriophage, provides a library for the screening methodology that can examine >10.sup.12 phages (or about 10.sup.8 -10.sup.10 different clones) at one time, each with a test sequence on the virion surface. The library obtained was used to screen monoclonal antibodies specific for particular hexapeptide sequences. The fusion phage system has also been used by other groups and libraries containing longer peptide inserts have been constructed as shown by Devlin et. al., (1990) Science 249, 404-406 and libraries displaying antibody variable domains are shown by McCafferty et.al., (1990) Nature 348, 552-554. The peptides, such as referred to by Smith et al. and Devlin et al., supra, have a disadvantage in the bacteriophage screening technique since they do not have rigid structure and usually have longer, flexible amino acid chains. In such long chain flexible peptides, potential interactive sites may tend to be masked by the folding of the peptide chain, thereby making it almost impossible to screen the library effectively. In addition, because the peptide inserts suggested by these articles are relatively flexible, the binding conformation may be assumed as only one of many alternative and thus the peptide module may not bind to a receptor site with as great affinity as is desirable. Indeed, the hexapeptide library of Scott et al., supra, has not produced binding clones for five different receptors used Scott, (1991) Trends in Biochemistry, (in press)!.
However, the conopeptide type molecules should be well suited for this type of screening since they have multiple disulfide bonds which give them a rigid structure that binds readily with the reactive sites of the receptors or other target protein molecules. Hundreds of millions of different conopeptides could be easily surveyed for tight binding to a receptor or other binding protein using a cloned library of conopeptides.
It would therefor be desirable to combine the structural information gleaned from the conotoxins with fusion phage technology in the design of such "conoeffector peptide" libraries. Such libraries would provide necessary information for identifying clones of phage bearing conopeptides which bind specifically, and with high affinity to a particular receptor and other target proteins, and affect their function. Once a clone has been isolated and identified as binding tightly to receptor, the encoded conoeffector peptide can be synthesized. Such receptor-targeted conopeptides could be used to obtain sufficient chemical-structural information to allow the design of any variety of pharmaceuticals, pesticides, or other bioactive agents limited only by the availability of appropriate receptor or other target protein molecules.

Method of obtaining small conformationally rigid conopeptides

The Curators of the University of Missouri


A pneumatic tire having a block type tread pattern improved in stone trapping, which comprises the tread portion provided with a mesh of grooves to define blocks, each block surrounded by at least one projection standing out from the groove bottom leaving spaces from the groove walls, the projection comprising alternate wide main portions and narrow coupler portions, the height of the wide main portions being in the range of from 10 to 25% of the groove depth, the height of the narrow coupler portions being not less than 5% but less than 10% of the groove depth, the length of each of the wide main portions being in the range of from 3 mm to 10 mm, the length of each of the narrow coupler portions being in the range of from 2 mm to 5 mm, and the width of the narrow coupler portions being in the range of from 1 mm to 2 mm.

The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire having projections standing out from the bottom of grooves in the tire tread to prevent stones from being trapped therein.
In vehicles which travel on dirt roads such as trucks, construction vehicles and the like, small foreign objects such as stones, pebbles and the like are liable to be trapped in the tread grooves on the tires of the vehicles.
While travelling, the trapped stones are repeatedly pressed against the groove walls and groove bottom. As a result, the groove bottom and the structure inside the tire (such as reinforcing cord layers) are often damaged seriously. Therefore, not only the durability of the tread portion but also the retread rate of the used tires decreases.
In order to avoid stone trapping, many ideas have been proposed. For example, in the laid-open Japanese patent application Nos. JP-A-60-189608 and JP-A-61-291203, a tire having a rib type tread pattern is disclosed, wherein a circumferentially and continuously extending zigzag groove is provided therein with circumferentially discontinuous projections. In U.S. Pat. No. 5160385, a tire having of a block type tread pattern is disclosed, wherein circumferentially continuously extending grooves are provided therein with circumferentially discontinuous projections. The circumferential grooves are interconnected by axial grooves, and some of the projections disposed at the junctions of the circumferential grooves and axial grooves have branches which extend into the axial grooves but immediately end.
In general, stone trapping is liable to occur in a central tread region where ground pressure is relatively high. If a block pattern tire is made according to the above-mentioned assumptions, then in the center tread center region, stones are still liable to be trapped in the circumferential groove between the projections and also in the axial grooves. Thus, the tire may be damaged.

Pneumatic tire including at least one projection


An improved backpack which includes a pack and a single shoulder strap. The single shoulder strap extends from a top corner of the pack to the lower corner on an opposite side from the top corner. The single shoulder strap allows the backpack wearer greater freedom of movement than conventional two shoulder strap backpacks.

Conventional backpacks have two shoulder straps extending from the top to the bottom on the relevant side of the backpack. In numerous sport and leisure-time activities there are more or less pronounced movements of the arms at an angle to the direction of locomotion, frequently in the form of a pendulum movement, for example in inline skating or roller skating. The two shoulder straps of known backpacks greatly impair these arm movements.


The present invention provides a stereoscopic display comprising an indicator for teaching to a user the position where a stereoscopic image is viewed. The stereoscopic display for separating light beams from a left eye image and a right eye image which are displayed on a display panel into left image light beams and right image light beams and supplying the left image light beams and the right image light beams to a viewer comprises a light emitting unit composed of a green light emitting diode and a red light emitting diode and a barrier plate arranged in front of the light emitting unit on the side of the viewer and having a slit through which part of the light beams from the light emitting diode are passed toward the viewer. The light emitting unit and the barrier plate are so constructed that light beams incident on the right and left eyes through the slit are light beams from the light emitting diodes in the same color in a stereoscopic view position which is the position where a stereoscopic image is viewed, while being light beams from the light emitting diodes in different colors in a pseudo-stereoscopic view position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a stereoscopic (3-D) display capable of viewing a stereoscopic image without using special glasses, and more particularly, to an indicator for teaching to a viewer the position where a stereoscopic image can be viewed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A stereoscopic display capable of viewing a stereoscopic image without using special glasses has been conventionally known. In the stereoscopic display, a parallax barrier, a lenticulated lens, and the like are arranged on the side of a viewer of a display screen of a display panel such as a liquid crystal display panel. Consequently, the stereoscopic display separates light beams from a left eye image and a right eye image which are displayed on the display panel into left image light beams and right image light beams and supplies the left image light beams and the right image light beams to the viewer. The viewer views a stereoscopic image.
FIG. 28 is a diagram showing the principle of a stereoscopic display capable of viewing a stereoscopic image without using special glasses using a parallax barrier. The stereoscopic display is constituted by a back light 1, a liquid crystal display panel 2, and a parallax barrier 3. In the liquid crystal display panel 2, vertical columns of left eye pixels L and vertical columns of right eye pixels R are alternately formed. In the parallax barrier 3, a lot of slits 3a and light shading portions 3b which extend in the vertical direction are alternately formed. There is sufficient binocular parallax for a human being to perceive a stereoscopic image between a left eye image composed of the left eye pixels L and a right eye image composed of the right eye pixels R.
In the stereoscopic display, when light beams emitted from the back light 1 pass through the liquid crystal display panel 2, the light beams passing through the left eye pixels L become left eye image light beams 4L upon being modulated by left eye image information, and the light beams passing through the right eye pixels R become right eye image light beams 4R upon being modulated by right eye image information. The left eye image light beams 4L and the right eye image light beams 4R reach the viewer upon being laterally separated by the parallax barrier 3. The viewer who desires to view a stereoscopic image puts his or her head in a predetermined position. The left eye image light beams 4L are incident on the left eye 5L of the viewer through the slits 3a. The right eye image light beams 4R are incident on the right eye 5R of the viewer through the slits 3a. Consequently, the viewer can recognize a stereoscopic image by the above-mentioned binocular parallax. The predetermined position where the viewer can recognize a stereoscopic image is taken as a stereoscopic view position. At this time, the right eye image light beams 4R are not incident on the left eye 5L of the viewer upon being intercepted by the light shading portions 3b. The left eye image light beams 4L are not either incident on the right eye 5R of the view upon being intercepted by the light shading portions 3b.
In the stereoscopic display, when the head of the viewer is positioned outside the stereoscopic view position, the right eye image light beams 4R are incident on the left eye 5L of the viewer, and the left eye image light beams 4L are incident on the right eye 5R of the viewer. Consequently, the viewer cannot recognize a good stereoscopic image. The above-mentioned position is taken as a pseudo-stereoscopic view position.
In order to enjoy a stereoscopic image, therefore, the viewer must first find out a stereoscopic view position where a good stereoscopic image can be viewed and fix his or her head in the position. When the head deviates from the stereoscopic view position while the stereoscopic image is being enjoyed, the head must be put in the stereoscopic view position again.


The aim of the invention is to use at least one lipid extract obtained from the fruit seeds of the mirabelle tree as an agent for preparing a cosmetic product for locally active (topical) use for skin and hair, lips, mucous membranes and/or appendages of the skin.

This invention relates to the area of cosmetology, especially applications to the skin (cutaneous) and hair (capillary) and the objective is use of at least one lipid extract from the seed of the fruit of the mirabelle tree or the mirabelle in cosmetics, and cosmetic products (cosmetics) which contain at least one such extract.
The mirabelle is the fruit of a tree (mirabelle tree) which belongs to a very common genus (Prunus type, Rosaceae family) which includes especially the almond (prunus amygdalus) and the following edible fruits: apricot (prunus armeniaca), cherry (prunus avium, prunus cerasus), the peach (prunus persica), plums (prunus domestica, a genus which contains many subgenera). The exact botanical designation of the plants is prunus, of the subgenus Punophora, of the genus Insitisia, of the variety mirabelle.
The cultivation of the mirabelle tree which has taken place in northeast France since Roman times has developed out of the Mosel Departement, especially around the city of Metz.
Thus in 1994 the mirabelle harvest in France was estimated at seven million tons and the current primary sales areas of the fruit are canning factories (70%), distilleries (17%), fresh fruit consumption (12%).
A comparison of the oil content of the seeds of the different fruits of the Prunus genus except for the mirabelle and their fatty acid composition has been published in the xe2x80x9cCharacterization of the seed oil and meal from apricot, cherry, nectarine, peach and plumxe2x80x9d Kamel B. S. and Kakuda Y., Journal of the American Oil Chemists"" Society, 1992, vol. 69, no. 5, pp.492-494.
This article enables especially the statement that oils obtained from seeds and almonds of these different fruits have very similar fatty acid compositions and offer an interesting source for oleic acids (52-66%) and linoleic acids (28-35%).
Moreover it is known that almond seeds of edible fruits of the Prunus genus contain oils, of which some are used in cosmetics or pharmacology (sweet almonds, apricots).
Thus EP-A-0 105 876 discloses pharmaceutical compositions which contain especially a vegetable oil of the Prunus genus, preferably almond oil, and which are used to treat skin conditions (dermatological conditions).
In addition JP-A-01 313 414 and JP-A-01 038 014 relate to cosmetics which promote hair growth and which contain besides oil the extracts of plants, including prunus persica or prunus armeniaca.
But there is no publication known to the inventor which relates to the use of extract from mirabelle seeds in the area of cosmetics.
But the inventor has ascertained that lipid extracts which have been obtained from mirabelle seeds have special properties and very good tolerance, for which reason they can be directly used in cosmetic products (cosmetics).
In addition, mirabelle seeds, especially in the cultivation and processing areas of these fruits, offer an extensive and economical raw material, evaluation of which is of interest.
The main object of this invention is therefore the use of at least one lipid extract which is obtained from the seeds of the fruits of the mirabelle tree as an agent for preparation of a cosmetic product for locally acting (topical) use in the area of the care of the skin, lips, mucous membranes and/or appendages of the skin.
According to a first feature of the invention the lipid extract consists of oil or one or more lipid fractions which were extracted from the almond-shaped seeds within the pits of the fruits of the mirabelle tree by a process which was chosen in the group formed by extraction by hot or cold pressure, extraction by solvents and extraction by supercritical CO2.
At least the indicated lipid extract can be added to the cosmetic product in raw, refined, deodorized or refined and deodorized form.
As examples for illustration, but not for limitation, two processes are described below relating to oil recovery from mirabelle seeds.

Use of at least one lipid extract obtained from the fruit seed of the mirabelle tree

Laboratoires Serobiologiques (Societe Anonyme)


A multi air conditioning system for adjusting the amount of refrigerant flowing into indoor units determined to be in a stopped state, to improve the overall system efficiency, and a method for operating the multi air conditioning system. The method includes determining whether or not some indoor units are in a stopped state; measuring temperatures of heat exchangers of the indoor units in the stopped state; and changing opening degrees of valves installed in those indoor units determined to be in the stopped state to change the amount of refrigerant flowing therein if the temperatures of the heat exchangers of the stopped indoor units deviate from a reference range.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi air conditioning system and a method for operating the same, and more particularly to a multi air conditioning system, which adjusts opening degrees of indoor units in a stopped state to control the optimum amount of refrigerant flowing into indoor units in an operating state, and a method for operating the multi air conditioning system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a multi air conditioning system comprises one outdoor unit, a plurality of indoor units connected to the outdoor unit, and electric valves for adjusting the amount of refrigerant entering into the indoor units.
The above conventional multi air conditioning system operates compressors in a cooling mode or a heating mode, and adjusts opening degrees of the electric valves installed in the indoor units, thus controlling the amount of refrigerant entering into the indoor units. In case that predetermined temperatures of the indoor units differ from each other, the indoor units are operated at different operating capacities so as to optimally condition air in indoor spaces, in which the indoor units are installed.
Further, when some indoor units of the plural indoor units are stopped, the opening degrees of the electric valves installed in the indoor units in a stopped state are maintained to predetermined values, and the opening degrees of the electric valves installed in the indoor units in an operating state are changed to proper values according to the operating conditions of the multi air conditioning system. Korean Patent Laid-open No. 2003-0073358 discloses the conventional multi air conditioning system in detail, and is incorporated herein by reference.
When only some of the plural indoor units are operated, the above-described conventional multi air conditioning system maintains the electric valves of those indoor units in the stopped state to have constant opening degrees regardless of the operating conditions of the overall system. Thus, the conventional multi air conditioning system is disadvantageous in that the overall system efficiency is decreased when the amount of the refrigerant flowing into the indoor units in the operating state is not proper.
That is, when the opening degrees of the electric valves of the indoor units in the stopped state are excessively high, a large amount of the refrigerant flows into the stopped indoor units whereas a small amount of the refrigerant flows into the indoor units in the operating state, thereby reducing the heating and cooling efficiency of the system.
On the other hand, when the opening degrees of the electric valves of the stopped indoor units are excessively low, the refrigerant scarcely flows into those stopped indoor units, and part of the refrigerant is trapped in heat exchangers of the stopped indoor units (particularly, in the heating mode), thereby reducing the amount of the refrigerant circulating into the refrigerant route and thus reducing the heating and cooling efficiency of the system.

Multi air conditioning system and method for operating the same


A memory device including an interface circuit for data conversion according to different endian formats includes an interface circuit that performs data conversion with hardware in a data transfer path inside the memory device in accordance with a memory bank, a processing element (PE), and an endian format of a host device. The interface circuit is (i) between a memory physical layer interface (PHY) region and a serializer/deserializer (SERDES) region, (ii) between the SERDES region and the memory bank or the PE, (iii) between the SERDES region and a bank group input/output line coupled to a bank group including a number of memory banks, and (iv) between the PE and bank local input/output lines coupled to the memory bank.

The inventive concepts relate to memory devices, and more particularly, to memory devices including an interface circuit for data conversion according to an endian format.
Applications such as higher performance and/or graphics algorithms are data-intensive and/or computation-intensive. Machine learning applications, such as neural networks, may include a large number of operations, including a large amount of computational and memory requirements. Therefore, machine learning applications require a computing system with large computational and memory capabilities to more accurately train or learn different data sets. To perform some of computational operations of a computing system as internal processing, a processor-in-memory (PIM) type processor device is being developed. Through the internal processing of a memory device, the computational operation load of a computing system may be reduced.
A high bandwidth memory (HBM) is a high performance random access memory (RAM) interface for 3D stacked dynamic RAM (DRAM). The HBM may be used for memory-centric and computationally intensive neural networks or other artificial intelligence (AI). This is due to an increase in training data set size, an increase in model parameters, and an increase in intermediate results of processing. In addition, the HBM is configured to execute a PIM function, and may include processing elements (PEs) that perform internal processing, such as arithmetic computations such as addition and multiplication, and logical computations such as exclusive OR (XOR).
The HBM may transmit and receive data through a data bus based on a command from a host using the HBM. The data bus may include, for example, a bus of 64 bits where bytes are regarded as atomic units and may be split into byte-wide lanes. However, a bus endian used by the data bus in the host may be different from a bus endian used by the HBM. For example, the host may use a big-endian bus, whereas the HBM may use a little-endian bus.

Memory device including interface circuit for data conversion according to different endian formats


The compound p-aminophenol is prepared by catalytically hydrogenating nitrobenzene in an acidic reaction medium containing an amine of the formula (I) ##STR1## wherein R represents an alkyl group having from 6 to about 20 carbon atoms; R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are the same or different, and are represented by the formula --[(CH.sub.2).sub.m O].sub.n H, wherein m is an integer of from 1 to about 5 and n is an integer of from 1 to about 10.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in a process for the preparation of p-aminophenol from nitrobenzene.
2. Description of the Background Art
The compound p-aminophenol (PAP) is an important chemical intermediate used in the preparation of the analgesic acetaminophen. A number of other derivatives having a wide variety of industrial applications may also be prepared from PAP. One method for preparing PAP involves the catalytic hydrogenation of nitrobenzene in an acid medium. In this process, phenylhydroxylamine is first formed, and this intermediate promptly rearranges in the acid reaction medium to form PAP.
Henke, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 2,198,249) reportedly were the first to disclose a process for the preparation of PAP by the catalytic hydrogenation of nitrobenzene in an acid medium.
A number of process variations have since been disclosed. For example, Spiegler (U.S. Pat. No. 2,765,342) studied the reaction extensively. Among the factors explored by Spiegler was the effect on reduction rate and p-aminophenol yield of including a surfactant selected from among quaternary ammonium compounds and several non-quaternary compounds. Among the quaternary ammonium compounds used was dodecyl trimethylammonium chloride. The non-quaternary compounds investigated include two simple tertiary amine salts: triethylamine sulfate and tributylamine sulfate, as well as dioctadecyl propyleneamine dioleate. From a plot of rate and yield data, Spiegler concluded that the rate/yield performance of all of the quaternary ammonium compounds examined was superior to that of the non-quaternary compounds.
Later, Brown et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,535,382) reported that certain nonionic polyether polyol surfactants could be substituted for Spiegler's quaternary ammonium compounds.
R.G. Benner (U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,416) used the Henke et al. approach of charging all the nitrobenzene at once, but used a carbon-supported platinum catalyst and quaternary ammonium surfactant, preferably dodecyl trimethylammonium chloride, as disclosed by Spiegler. Benner purposely interrupted the hydrogenation well before all the nitrobenzene had been consumed. In the presence of two liquid phases, aqueous and nitrobenzene, a carbon-supported platinum catalyst is preferentially wetted by the nitrobenzene, so most of the catalyst is suspended in the nitrobenzene layer, permitting the removal of the upper aqueous solution of PAP and aniline by decantation. The PAP is then recovered from the aqueous layer and purified.
While Benner proposed quaternary ammonium salts as the surfactant, other surfactants have been utilized, including amine oxide (Sathe, U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,138) and amine salts (Derrenbacher, U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,249). Use of these surfactants tends to result in formation of stable emulsions, which makes separation of the desired PAP product difficult.
There remains a need in the art for improvements in the process for preparing p-aminophenol by catalytic hydrogenation of nitrobenzene.

Surfactant improvement for para-aminophenol process

Mallinckrodt Specialty Chemicals Company


A power supply for a computer system manager, wherein the power supply has its own secondary power source operable when input power to the system manager no longer meets preset threshold values. The power supply functions in one of a discrete number of power modes depending upon the amount of energy available from either the computer input power or the secondary power source. The power supply switches to one of the group of power modes to conserve secondary power when the computer input power is no longer available. The power modes are controlled by a power mode controller which selectively directs power to discrete components of the system manager as a power conservation technique. The power mode controller always energizes the random access memory of the system manager in order to maintain data integrity. Upon detecting insufficient energy within the secondary power source, the power mode controller terminates all power flow from the power supply, including power flow to the random access memory, at which point the entire system has lost all data and configuration settings.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a power supply for a computer system, and more particularly to a power supply controller which monitors operating power of the computer system and upon detection of out-of-threshold supply power switches the system to battery power, which in turn has the ability to shut off certain non-essential components of the system in order to conserve battery power and system memory.
2. Description of Related Art
The power supply to a computer or computer system carries the responsibility of providing power usable to the computer. Because most computers require voltage and current different from that generated and transmitted by the local utility company, the computer power supply must convert the in-coming voltage and current to a voltage and current employable by the computer itself. For instance, most utilities in the United States produce power at 120 volts, in a 60 hertz, sinusoidal alternating current. The computer, however, requires in many cases, direct current at a significantly reduced voltage level. Thus, the power supply transforms the "utility power" into "computer power."
While power supplies for computers have existed for as long as computers requiring the power have existed, most power supplies heretofore known merely effectuate the proper power conversions without considerable interaction with the computer. As a result, little if any monitoring of the incoming power occurred. If, the local utility experienced a "brown-out" as is common during the summer months in hot climates, the power supply merely would attempt to transmit the low quality power to the computer. Often times, this poor power did not meet the manufacturer's power specifications and either would cause the computer to discontinue operation, lose data or potentially damage delicate components of the system.
Once the power level causes termination of computer operations all data and configurations stored within the computer evaporate. Most computer systems and power supply components thereof do not include a secondary power source for the computer when primary power either lacks the required quality or completely fails. Further, many of the power supplies commonly employed within computers and computer systems which do have some sort of battery back-up, fail to include life-extending control measures which increase the back-up power period. By prioritizing components which receive the alternate power flow, the secondary power source can function for considerably longer periods than if the entire system received power. Moreover, once secondary power is established the ideal system would continue to monitor the primary power source to determine if operating criteria returns; upon restoration of the primary power the ideal system would then reinstate the normal operating mode.
The need for such a power controller also exists within a system manager. A system manager typically interfaces with a network manager or network operating system to output operational data pertaining to the system and network management. The system manager, as a data collection device, requires continual monitoring of the power supply in order to maintain the data compiled during its cycle of operation. Further, the power supplies currently available do not meet the demands of such a system manager, which demands include analysis aspects of performance management and predictive failure aspects of fault analysis. Each of these analysis require observation of the input and supply power and safety measures designed to protect the volatile data stored by the system manager.
Thus, a power supply which monitors and controls the flow of supply power to a computer or computer system is needed. Further desired within such a power controller is secondary power source, or battery back-up, that saves the volatile data within the computer's memory until the main power returns to an acceptable level. In addition, it is desired that the secondary or battery back-up power last as long as possible, which life-extending measures would require selective operations of critical computer components.

Power supply for computer system manager


A system and method to reduce verification time by sharing memory between multiple test patterns and performing results checking after each test pattern executes one time is presented. A test pattern generator generates multiple test pattern sets, each of which including multiple test patterns. Each test pattern set is executed by a corresponding thread/processor until each test pattern included in the test pattern set has executed at least once. After all test patterns have executed at least once, a test pattern executor performs a memory error detection check to determine whether the system is functioning correctly. Since the invention described herein waits until all test patterns have executed before performing a memory error detection check, less time is spent on memory error detection checks, which allows more time to execute test patterns.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a system and method for increasing error checking performance by calculating CRC values after multiple test patterns. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method to reduce verification time by sharing memory between multiple test patterns and performing memory error detection checks after each test pattern executes one time.
2. Description of the Related Art
A processor test team typically employs test patterns to verify and validate a system design. Processor testing tools exist whose goal is to generate the most stressful test pattern for a processor. In theory, the generated test pattern should provide maximum test coverage and should be interesting enough to stress various timing scenarios on the processor. The whole technology of these tools sits in the logic of building these test patterns.
Verifying and validating a processor using test patterns typically includes three stages, which are 1) test pattern build stage, 2) test pattern execution stage, and 3) validation and verification stage. Result comparison, such as CRC checks, plays a crucial role in the validation and verification stage. A challenge found, however, is that each result comparison requires a portion of the overall test cycle, which leaves less time for the test pattern execution stage.
What is needed, therefore, is a system and method that optimizes results checking in order to increase processor design verification and validation.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for increasing error checking performance by calculating CRC calculations after multiple test patterns for processor design verification and validation

International Business Machines Corporation


A double pole, single throw switch for high current applications employs two sets of contacts, closed or opened by a toggle lever operating movable contacts on resilient arms into and out of engagement with fixed contacts. The chambers containing the sets of contacts are separated from a spring chamber which contains a flat spring to control the orientation of the toggle lever. Barriers between the spring chamber and each of the contact chambers prevents flashover between the contact sets.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to electrical switches for switching high current sources to high current loads.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art switches use coil springs to engage the toggle lever and establish the open and closed positions of the switch. When used in high current applications the proximity of the contacts and the coil spring could lead to flash-over, which could destroy or damage the switch. Attempts to place barriers within the switch housing between the coil spring and each of the sets of contacts resulted in a switch too wide to fit within enclosures such as a standard single gang box. The width of the switch could be decreased by decreasing the diameter of the coil spring and putting thin barriers between the coil spring and each of the sets of contacts. This generally made the switch unusable for high current situations.