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1. A method for creating a filter, the method comprising: sampling noise during an inter-frame gap of a received signal; sampling a data frame preamble from within a data frame of the received signal; and computing filter coefficients based on the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap and the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame. 2. The method as in claim 1 wherein the filter is structured and arranged to filter received signals communicated across power lines. 3. The method as in claim 1 further comprising synchronizing the received signal to identify the data frame preamble. 4. The method as in claim 3 wherein synchronizing the received signal comprises: sampling a randomly located portion of the received signal; generating a pre-filter based on the randomly located portion of the sampled received signal; applying the pre-filter to the received signal; and identifying the data frame preamble based on the received signal after applying the pre-filter. 5. The method as in claim 1 wherein computing the filter coefficients includes: generating noise filter coefficients from the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap; generating channel filter coefficients from the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame; and generating the filter coefficients based on the noise filter coefficients and the channel filter coefficients. 6. The method as in claim 5 wherein the noise filter coefficients are generated from the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap and the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame. 7. The method as in claim 5 wherein generating the channel filter coefficients includes: identifying channel filter coefficients based on a threshold criteria; and updating the channel filter coefficients that are identified based on the threshold criteria. 8. The method as in claim 7 wherein updating the channel filter coefficients includes performing an excision algorithm. 9. The method as in claim 7 wherein updating the channel filter coefficients includes modifying the channel filter coefficients. 10. The method as in claim 9 wherein modifying the channel filter coefficients includes reducing a magnitude of the channel filter coefficients that are identified based on the threshold criteria. 11. The method as in claim 7 wherein updating the channel filter coefficients includes performing a smoothing algorithm. 12. The method as in claim 7 wherein updating the channel filter coefficients includes replacing the channel filter coefficients with replacement channel filter coefficients. 13. The method as in claim 12 wherein the replacement channel filter coefficients include channel filter coefficients not identified based on the threshold criteria. 14. A system for creating a filter, comprising: means for sampling noise during an inter-frame gap of a received signal; means for sampling a data frame preamble from within a data frame of the received signal; and means for computing filter coefficients based on the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap and the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame. 15. The system of claim 14 wherein the filter is structured and arranged to filter received signals communicated across power lines. 16. The system of claim 14 further comprising means for synchronizing the received signal to identify the data frame preamble. 17. The system of claim 16 wherein the means for synchronizing the received signal comprises: means for sampling a randomly located portion of the received signal; means for generating a pre-filter based on the randomly located portion of the sampled received signal; means for applying the pre-filter to the received signal; and means for identifying the data frame preamble based on the received signal after applying the pre-filter. 18. The system of claim 14 wherein the means for computing the filter coefficients includes: means for generating noise filter coefficients from the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap; means for generating channel filter coefficients from the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame; and means for generating the filter coefficients based on the noise filter coefficients and the channel filter coefficients. 19. The system of claim 18 wherein the noise filter coefficients are generated from the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap and the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame. 20. The system of claim 18 wherein the means for generating the channel filter coefficients includes: means for identifying channel filter coefficients based on a threshold criteria; and means for updating the channel filter coefficients that are identified based on the threshold criteria. 21. The system of claim 20 wherein the means for updating the channel filter coefficients includes means for performing an excision algorithm. 22. The system of claim 20 wherein the means for updating the channel filter coefficients includes means for modifying the channel filter coefficients. 23. The system of claim 22 wherein the means for modifying the channel filter coefficients includes means for reducing a magnitude of the channel filter coefficients that are identified based on the threshold criteria. 24. The system of claim 20 wherein the means for updating the channel filter coefficients includes means for performing a smoothing algorithm. 25. The system of claim 20 wherein the means for updating the channel filter coefficients includes means for replacing the channel filter coefficients with replacement channel filter coefficients. 26. The system of claim 25 wherein the replacement channel filter coefficients include channel filter coefficients not identified based on the threshold criteria. 27. A computer program stored on a computer readable medium or a propagated signal for creating a filter, comprising: a sampling code segment that causes the computer to sample noise during an inter-frame gap of a received signal and to sample a data frame preamble from within a data frame of the received signal; and a computing code segment that causes the computer to compute filter coefficients based on the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap and the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame. 28. The computer program of claim 27 wherein the filter is structured and arranged to filter received signals communicated across power lines. 29. The computer program of claim 27 further comprising a synchronizing code segment that causes the computer to synchronize the received signal to identify the data frame preamble. 30. The computer program of claim 29 wherein the synchronizing code segment includes: a sampling code segment that causes the computer to sample a randomly located portion of the received signal; a generating code segment that causes the computer to generate a pre-filter based on the randomly located portion of the sampled received signal; an applying code segment that causes the computer to apply the pre-filter to the received signal; and an identifying code segment that causes the computer to identify the data frame preamble based on the received signal after applying the pre-filter. 31. The computer program of claim 27 wherein the computing code segment includes: a first generating code segment that causes the computer to generate noise filter coefficients from the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap; a second generating code segment that causes the computer to generate channel filter coefficients from the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame; and a third generating code segment that causes the computer to generate the filter coefficients based on the noise filter coefficients and the channel filter coefficients. 32. The computer program of claim 31 wherein the noise filter coefficients are generated from the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap and the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame. 33. The computer program of claim 31 wherein the third generating code segment includes: an identifying code segment that causes the computer to identify channel filter coefficients based on a threshold criteria; and an updating code segment that causes the computer to update the channel filter coefficients that are identified based on the threshold criteria. 34. The computer program of claim 33 wherein the updating code segment includes a performing code segment that causes the computer to perform an excision algorithm. 35. The computer program of claim 33 wherein the updating code segment includes a modifying code segment that causes the computer to modify the channel filter coefficients. 36. The computer program of claim 35 wherein the modifying the code segment includes a reducing code segment that causes the computer to reduce a magnitude of the channel filter coefficients that are identified based on the threshold criteria. 37. The computer program of claim 33 wherein the updating code segment includes a performing code segment that causes the computer to perform a smoothing algorithm. 38. The computer program of claim 33 wherein the updating code segment includes a replacing code segment that causes the computer to replace the channel filter coefficients with replacement channel filter coefficients. 39. The computer program of claim 38 wherein the replacement channel filter coefficients include channel filter coefficients not identified based on the threshold criteria. 40. A method for adaptively filtering a data frame of a received signal, the method comprising: generating coefficients for an adaptive filter based on at least noise from within an inter-frame gap and a preamble of the data frame; and filtering the data frame by applying the adaptive filter to the data frame. 41. The method as in claim 40 wherein the data frame is communicated across power lines such that filtering the data frame includes applying the adaptive filter to the data frame communicated across the power lines. 42. The method as in claim 40 wherein generating the coefficients for the adaptive filter includes: sampling noise during an inter-frame gap of a received signal; sampling a data frame preamble from within a data frame of the received signal; and computing filter coefficients based on the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap and the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame. 43. The method as in claim 42 further comprising synchronizing the received signal to identify the data frame preamble. 44. The method as in claim 43 wherein synchronizing the received signal comprises: sampling a randomly located portion of the received signal; generating a pre-filter based on the randomly located portion of the sampled received signal; applying the pre-filter to the received signal; and identifying the data frame preamble based on the received signal after applying the pre-filter. 45. The method as in claim 42 wherein computing the filter coefficients includes: generating noise filter coefficients from the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap; generating channel filter coefficients from the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame; and generating the filter coefficients based on the noise filter coefficients and the channel filter coefficients. 46. The method as in claim 45 wherein the noise filter coefficients are generated from the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap and the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame. 47. The method as in claim 45 wherein generating the channel filter coefficients includes: identifying channel filter coefficients based on a threshold criteria; and updating the channel filter coefficients that are identified based on the threshold criteria. 48. The method as in claim 47 wherein updating the channel filter coefficients includes performing an excision algorithm. 49. The method as in claim 47 wherein updating the channel filter coefficients includes modifying the channel filter coefficients. 50. The method as in claim 49 wherein modifying the channel filter coefficients includes reducing a magnitude of the channel filter coefficients that are identified based on the threshold criteria. 51. The method as in claim 47 wherein updating the channel filter coefficients includes performing a smoothing algorithm. 52. The method as in claim 47 wherein updating the channel filter coefficients includes replacing the channel filter coefficients with replacement channel filter coefficients. 53. The method as in claim 52 wherein the replacement channel filter coefficients include channel filter coefficients not identified based on the threshold criteria. 54. A system for adaptively filtering a data frame of a received signal, comprising: means for generating coefficients for an adaptive filter based on at least noise from within an inter-frame gap and a preamble of the data frame; and means for filtering the data frame by applying the adaptive filter to the data frame. 55. The system of claim 54 wherein the data frame is communicated across power lines such that the means for filtering the data frame includes means for applying the adaptive filter to the data frame communicated across the power lines. 56. The system of claim 54 wherein the means for generating the coefficients for the adaptive filter includes: means for sampling noise during an inter-frame gap of a received signal; means for sampling a data frame preamble from within a data frame of the received signal; and means for computing filter coefficients based on the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap and the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame. 57. The system of claim 56 wherein the filter is structured and arranged to filter received signals communicated across power lines. 58. The system of claim 56 further comprising means for synchronizing the received signal to identify the data frame preamble. 59. The system of claim 58 wherein the means for synchronizing the received signal comprises: means for sampling a randomly located portion of the received signal; means for generating a pre-filter based on the randomly located portion of the sampled received signal; means for applying the pre-filter to the received signal; and means for identifying the data frame preamble based on the received signal after applying the pre-filter. 60. The system of claim 56 wherein the means for computing the filter coefficients includes: means for generating noise filter coefficients from the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap; means for generating channel filter coefficients from the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame; and means for generating the filter coefficients based on the noise filter coefficients and the channel filter coefficients. 61. The system of claim 60 wherein the noise filter coefficients are generated from the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap and the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame. 62. The system of claim 60 wherein the means for generating the channel filter coefficients includes: means for identifying channel filter coefficients based on a threshold criteria; and means for updating the channel filter coefficients that are identified based on the threshold criteria. 63. The system of claim 62 wherein the means for updating the channel filter coefficients includes means for performing an excision algorithm. 64. The system of claim 62 wherein the means for updating the channel filter coefficients includes means for modifying the channel filter coefficients. 65. The system of claim 64 wherein the means for modifying the channel filter coefficients includes means for reducing a magnitude of the channel filter coefficients that are identified based on the threshold criteria. 66. The system of claim 62 wherein the means for updating the channel filter coefficients includes means for performing a smoothing algorithm. 67. The system of claim 62 wherein the means for updating the channel filter coefficients includes means for replacing the channel filter coefficients with replacement channel filter coefficients. 68. The system of claim 67 wherein the replacement channel filter coefficients include channel filter coefficients not identified based on the threshold criteria. 69. A computer program stored on a computer readable medium or a propagated signal for adaptively filtering a data frame of a received signal, comprising: a generating code segment that causes the computer to generate coefficients for an adaptive filter based on at least noise from within an inter-frame gap and a preamble of the data frame; and a filtering code segment that causes the computer to filter the data frame by applying the adaptive filter to the data frame. 70. The computer program of claim 69 wherein the data frame is communicated across power lines such that the filtering code segment causes the computer to apply the adaptive filter to the data frame communicated across the power lines. 71. The computer program of claim 69 wherein the generating code segment includes: a sampling code segment that causes the computer to sample noise during an inter-frame gap of a received signal and to sample a data frame preamble from within a data frame of the received signal; and a computing code segment that causes the computer to compute filter coefficients based on the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap and the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame. 72. The computer program of claim 71 wherein the filter is structured and arranged to filter received signals communicated across power lines. 73. The computer program of claim 71 further comprising a synchronizing code segment that causes the computer to synchronize the received signal to identify the data frame preamble. 74. The computer program of claim 73 wherein the synchronizing code segment includes: a sampling code segment that causes the computer to sample a randomly located portion of the received signal; a generating code segment that causes the computer to generate a pre-filter based on the randomly located portion of the sampled received signal; an applying code segment that causes the computer to apply the pre-filter to the received signal; and an identifying code segment that causes the computer to identify the data frame preamble based on the received signal after applying the pre-filter. 75. The computer program of claim 71 wherein the computing code segment includes: a first generating code segment that causes the computer to generate noise filter coefficients from the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap; a second generating code segment that causes the computer to generate channel filter coefficients from the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame; and a third generating code segment that causes the computer to generate the filter coefficients based on the noise filter coefficients and the channel filter coefficients. 76. The computer program of claim 75 wherein the noise filter coefficients are generated from the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap and the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame. 77. The computer program of claim 75 wherein the third generating code segment includes: an identifying code segment that causes the computer to identify channel filter coefficients based on a threshold criteria; and an updating code segment that causes the computer to update the channel filter coefficients that are identified based on the threshold criteria. 78. The computer program of claim 77 wherein the updating code segment includes a performing code segment that causes the computer to perform an excision algorithm. 79. The computer program of claim 77 wherein the updating code segment includes a modifying code segment that causes the computer to modify the channel filter coefficients. 80. The computer program of claim 79 wherein the modifying the code segment includes a reducing code segment that causes the computer to reduce a magnitude of the channel filter coefficients that are identified based on the threshold criteria. 81. The computer program of claim 77 wherein the updating code segment includes a performing code segment that causes the computer to perform a smoothing algorithm. 82. The computer program of claim 77 wherein the updating code segment includes a replacing code segment that causes the computer to replace the channel filter coefficients with replacement channel filter coefficients. 83. The computer program of claim 82 wherein the replacement channel filter coefficients include channel filter coefficients not identified based on the threshold criteria. 84. A filter derived from a combination of coefficients, the coefficients used to derive the filter comprising: coefficients derived from noise sampled during a period between data frames and a received data frame preamble; and coefficients derived from the received data frame preamble and a transmitted data frame preamble. 85. The filter of claim 84 wherein the coefficients derived from the noise include an average of the coefficients derived from the noise over a period of time. 86. The filter of claim 84 wherein the coefficients derived from the received data frame preamble include an average of the coefficients derived from the data frame preamble over a period of time. 87. The filter of claim 84 wherein the filter derived from the combination of the coefficients includes an average of the filters derived from the combination of the coefficients over a period of time. 88. The filter of claim 84 wherein the coefficients derived from the noise include an average of the noise over a period of time. 89. The filter of claim 84 wherein the coefficients derived from the received data frame preamble include an average of the data frame preamble over a period of time. 90. A method for receiving a signal transmitted through at least first and second communication paths over a single communication medium, the method comprising: sampling the signal over the communication paths to realize a first sampling from the first communication path and a second sampling from the second communication path; synchronizing the first sampling and the second sampling; and combining the first sampling and the second sampling to generate a signal representative of the signal transmitted through the first and second communication paths. 91. The method as in claim 90 wherein synchronizing the first sampling and the second sampling includes: independently synchronizing the first sampling and the second sampling; and adjusting for a delay difference between the first and the second communication paths based on the independent synchronization of the first sampling and the second sampling. 92. The method as in claim 90 wherein the first communication path includes line-neutral path. 93. The method as in claim 90 wherein the second communication path includes a neutral-ground path. 94. A system for receiving a signal transmitted through at least first and second communication paths over a single communication medium, comprising: means for sampling the signal over the communication paths to realize a first sampling from the first communication path and a second sampling from the second communication path; means for synchronizing the first sampling and the second sampling; and means for combining the first sampling and the second sampling to generate a signal representative of the signal transmitted through the first and second communication paths. 95. The system of claim 94 wherein the means for synchronizing the first sampling and the second sampling includes: means for independently synchronizing the first sampling and the second sampling; and means for adjusting for a delay difference between the first and the second communication paths based on the independent synchronization of the first sampling and the second sampling. 96. The system of claim 94 wherein the first communication path includes line-neutral path. 97. The system of claim 94 wherein the second communication path includes a neutral-ground path. 98. A computer program stored on a computer readable medium or a propagated signal for receiving a signal transmitted through at least first and second communication paths over a single communication medium, comprising: a sampling code segment that causes the computer to sample the signal over the communication paths to realize a first sampling from the first communication path and a second sampling from the second communication path; a synchronizing code segment that causes the computer to synchronize the first sampling and the second sampling; and a combining code segment that causes the computer to combine the first sampling and the second sampling to generate a signal representative of the signal transmitted through the first and second communication paths. 99. The computer program of claim 98 wherein the synchronizing code segment causes the computer to: independently synchronize the first sampling and the second sampling; and adjust for a delay difference between the first and the second communication paths based on the independent synchronization of the first sampling and the second sampling. 100. The computer program of claim 98 wherein the first communication path includes line-neutral path. 101. The computer program of claim 98 wherein the second communication path includes a neutral-ground path. 102. A method of pre-filtering a received signal to improve synchronization, the method comprising: sampling a randomly located portion of the received signal; generating a pre-filter based on the randomly located portion of the sampled received signal; applying the pre-filter to the received signal; and identifying a data frame preamble based on the received signal after applying the pre-filter to improve synchronization. 103. The method as in claim 102 wherein: sampling the randomly located portion of the received signal includes sampling within noise; and generating the pre-filter includes generating the pre-filter based on the sampled noise. 104. The method as in claim 103 wherein the received signal includes data and noise. 105. The method as in claim 102 wherein sampling the randomly located portion of the received signal includes sampling a portion of the received signal at a randomly selected location. 106. The method as in claim 102 wherein the pre-filter includes a hybrid prediction filter that produces a desired response as an inverse of a value related to a portion of the received signal. 107. A system of pre-filtering a received signal to improve synchronization, comprising: means for sampling a randomly located portion of the received signal; means for generating a pre-filter based on the randomly located portion of the sampled received signal; means for applying the pre-filter to the received signal; and means for identifying a data frame preamble based on the received signal after applying the pre-filter to improve synchronization. 108. The system of claim 107 wherein: the means for sampling the randomly located portion of the received signal includes means for sampling within noise; and the means for generating the pre-filter includes means for generating the pre-filter based on the sampled noise. 109. The system of claim 108 wherein the received signal includes data and noise. 110. The system of claim 107 wherein the means for sampling the randomly located portion of the received signal includes means for sampling a portion of the received signal at a randomly selected location. 111. The system of claim 107 wherein the pre-filter includes a hybrid prediction filter that produces a desired response as an inverse of a value related to a portion of the received signal. 112. A computer program stored on a computer readable medium or a propagated signal for pre-filtering a received signal to improve synchronization, comprising: a sampling code segment that causes the computer to sample a randomly located portion of the received signal; a generating code segment that causes the computer to generate a pre-filter based on the randomly located portion of the sampled received signal; an applying code segment that causes the computer to apply the pre-filter to the received signal; and an identifying code segment that causes the computer to identify a data frame preamble based on the received signal after applying the pre-filter to improve synchronization. 113. The computer program of claim 112 wherein: the sampling code segment causes the computer to sample within noise; and the generating code segment causes the computer to generate the pre-filter based on the sampled noise. 114. The computer program of claim 113 wherein the received signal includes data and noise. 115. The computer program of claim 112 where in the sampling code segment causes the computer to sample a portion of the received signal at a randomly selected location. 116. The computer program of claim 112 wherein the pre-filter includes a hybrid prediction filter that produces a desired response as an inverse of a value related to a portion of the received signal.
<SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>In data communications, wideband transmission may be used. However, the received signal may be impaired by noise and frequency-dependent channel attenuation. For example, an entire portion of the transmitted signal may fall into an attenuation null and be severely attenuated. In addition, the intersymbol interference (ISI) could degrade the signal causing a high bit error rate which may render an error correction engine useless.
<SOH> SUMMARY <EOH>In one general aspect, a filter is created by sampling noise during an inter-frame gap of a received signal, sampling a data frame preamble from within a data frame of the received signal, and computing filter coefficients based on the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap and the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame. Implementations may include one or more of the following features. For example, the filter may be structured and arranged to filter received signals communicated across power lines. The received signal may be synchronized to identify the data frame preamble. The received signal may be synchronized by sampling a randomly located portion of the received signal, generating a pre-filter based on the randomly located portion of the sampled received signal, applying the pre-filter to the received signal, and identifying the data frame preamble based on the received signal after applying the pre-filter. The filter coefficients may be computed by generating noise filter coefficients from the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap, generating channel filter coefficients from the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame, and generating the filter coefficients based on the noise filter coefficients and the channel filter coefficients. The noise filter coefficients may be generated from the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap and the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame. The channel filter coefficients may be generated by identifying channel filter coefficients based on a threshold criteria and updating the channel filter coefficients that are identified based on the threshold criteria. The channel filter coefficients may be updated by performing an excision algorithm. The channel filter coefficients may be updated by modifying the channel filter coefficients. The channel filter coefficients may be modified by reducing a magnitude of the channel filter coefficients that are identified based on the threshold criteria. Additionally or alternatively, the channel filter coefficients may be updated by performing a smoothing algorithm. The channel filter coefficients may be updated by replacing the channel filter coefficients with replacement channel filter coefficients. In one implementation, the replacement channel filter coefficients may include channel filter coefficients not identified based on the threshold criteria. In another general aspect, adaptively filtering a data frame of a received signal includes generating coefficients for an adaptive filter based on at least noise from within an inter-frame gap and a preamble of the data frame and filtering the data frame by applying the adaptive filter to the data frame. Implementations may includes one or more of the following features. For example, the data frame may be communicated across power lines such that the data frame may be filtered by applying the adaptive filter to the data frame that is communicated across the power lines. The coefficients for the adaptive filter may be generated by sampling noise during an inter-frame gap of a received signal, sampling a data frame preamble from within a data frame of the received signal, and computing filter coefficients based on the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap and the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame. The received signal may be synchronized to identify the data frame preamble. The received signal may be synchronized by sampling a randomly located portion of the received signal, generating a pre-filter based on the randomly located portion of the sampled received signal, applying the pre-filter to the received signal, and identifying the data frame preamble based on the received signal after applying the pre-filter. The filter coefficients may be computed by generating noise filter coefficients from the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap, generating channel filter coefficients from the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame, and generating the filter coefficients based on the noise filter coefficients and the channel filter coefficients. The noise filter coefficients may be generated from the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap and the data frame preamble sampled from within the data frame. The channel filter coefficients may be generated by identifying channel filter coefficients based on a threshold criteria and updating the channel filter coefficients that are identified based on the threshold criteria. The channel filter coefficients may be updated by performing an excision algorithm. The channel filter coefficients may be updated by modifying the channel filter coefficients. The channel filter coefficients may be modified by reducing a magnitude of the channel filter coefficients that are identified based on the threshold criteria. Additionally or alternatively, the channel filter coefficients may be updated by performing a smoothing algorithm. The channel filter coefficients may be updated by replacing the channel filter coefficients with replacement channel filter coefficients. In one implementation, the replacement channel filter coefficients may include channel filter coefficients not identified based on the threshold criteria. In another general aspect, a filter is derived from a combination of coefficients. The coefficients used to derive the filter include coefficients derived from noise sampled during a period between data frames and a received data frame preamble and coefficients derived from the received data frame preamble and a transmitted data frame preamble. Implementations may include one or more of the following features. For example, the coefficients derived from the noise may include an average of the coefficients derived from the noise over a period of time. The coefficients derived from the received data frame preamble may include an average of the coefficients derived from the data frame preamble over a period of time. The filter derived from the combination of the coefficients may include an average of the filters derived from the combination of the coefficients over a period of time. The coefficients derived from the noise may include an average of the noise over a period of time. The coefficients derived from the received data frame preamble may include an average of the data frame preamble over a period of time. In another general aspect, receiving a signal transmitted through at least first and second communication paths over a single communication medium includes sampling the signal over the communication paths to realize a first sampling from the first communication path and a second sampling from the second communication path, synchronizing the first sampling and the second sampling, and combining the first sampling and the second sampling to generate a signal representative of the signal transmitted through the first and second communication paths. Implementations may include one or more of the following features. For example, the first sampling and the second sampling may be synchronized by independently synchronizing the first sampling and the second sampling and adjusting for a delay difference between the first and the second communication paths based on the independent synchronization of the first sampling and the second sampling. The first communication path may include line-neutral path. The second communication path may include a neutral-ground path. In another general aspect, pre-filtering a received signal to improve synchronization includes sampling a randomly located portion of the received signal, generating a pre-filter based on the randomly located portion of the sampled received signal, applying the pre-filter to the received signal, and identifying a data frame preamble based on the received signal after applying the pre-filter to improve synchronization. Implementations may include one or more of the following features. For example, sampling the randomly located portion of the received signal may include sampling within noise and generating the pre-filter may include generating the pre-filter based on the sampled noise. The received signal may include data and noise. A portion of the received signal may be sampled at a randomly selected location. In one implementation, the pre-filter may include a hybrid prediction filter that produces a desired response as an inverse of a value related to a portion of the received signal. These general and specific aspects may be implemented using a system, a method, or a computer program, or any combination of systems, methods, or computer programs. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

Method and apparatus for three label microarrays
A method of and apparatus for directly visualizing printed microarrays are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of (a) generating labeled probes labeled with a first label, (b) constructing a microarray with the labeled probes, wherein the microarray comprises a plurality of probe spots, and (c) examining the microarray to determine the amount of probe present at each probe spot.
1. A method of directly visualizing microarrays, comprising the steps of: a) generating labeled probes labeled with a first label, b) constructing a microarray with the labeled probes, wherein the microarray comprises a plurality of probe spots, and c) examining the microarray to determine the amount of probe present at each probe spot. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the probes are DNA molecules. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the probes are selected from the group consisting of cDNA and oligonucleotides. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the probe is selected from the group consisting of proteins and antibodies. 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the labeled probes are attached to the microarray surface via electrostatic and covalent bonds. 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first label is fluorescent. 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the labeled probes are labeled with fluorescein. 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the label is selected from the group consisting of fluorescent, radioactive, phosphorescent and luminescent labels. 9. The method of claim 5 wherein the examination of step (c) is via the detection of relative fluorescence units and is by the use of a confocal laser scanner. 10. The method of claim 1 wherein a preferred amount of probe has been determined and the microarrays are evaluated using this preset amount. 11. The method of claim 5 wherein the fluorescently labeled probes of step (a) are generated via labeled primers. 12. The method of claim 2 wherein the labeled probes are between 10 and 100,000 base pairs in length. 13. The method of claim 2 wherein the probes comprise 1 label molecules per DNA strand on average. 14. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising the step of (d) exposing the microarray to labeled target molecules wherein the labeled target molecules are labeled with a second and third label. 15. The method of claim 14 comprising the additional step of (e) examining the microarray to determine the amount of target bound to the probes. 16. The method of claim 1 wherein the microarray comprises a poly-lysine-coated glass slide. 17. The method of claim 2 wherein DMSO/1.5 M betaine is used during the attachment of the probes to the microarray. 18. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) comprises measurement of image quality as assessed by software which employs a spatial and intensity-dependent algorithm for spot detection and signal segmentation. 19. The method of claim 1 wherein the microarrays possess a density of 3,000-10,000 probes/slide. 20. A printed microarray comprising a) a surface, and b) labeled probes attached to the surface in a plurality of spots, wherein each probe is labeled with a first label, wherein the probe is selected from the group consisting of spotted oligonucleotides, cDNA, protein and antibodies. 21. The microarray of claim 20 wherein the probe is DNA. 22. The microarray of claim 20 wherein the probe is selected from the group consisting of nucleic acids, protein, and antibodies. 23. The array of claim 20 wherein the surface is a glass slide. 24. The array of claim 20 wherein the surface is coated with a coating selected from the group consisting of poly-L-lysine, aminosaline, epoxy, and aminoallyl. 25. The array of claim 20 wherein the first label is fluorescent. 26. The array of claim 25 wherein the first fluorescent label is fluorescein. 27. The array of claim 20 wherein the first label is selected from the group consisting of fluorescent, luminescent, radioactive or phosphorescent labels.
<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The cDNA microarray platform has great potential to generate new insights into human disease (Dhanasekaran, et al., 2001; Garber, et al., 2001; Hedenfalk, et al., 2001; Hegde, et al., 2001; Schena, et al., 1995; Schena, et al., 1996; Sorlie, et al., 2001). The use of cDNA microarrays begins with construction of the array, where typically, hundreds to thousands of cDNA probes are amplified by PCR, purified, and printed onto coated glass slides (typically poly-L-lysine or amino saline). In a typical experiment, slides are fixed, blocked, and are finally hybridized with Cy3- and Cy5-labeled cDNA targets derived from the two biological samples being compared for differential gene expression. After hybridization, the array is analyzed with a fluorescence scanner and the relative amounts of an mRNA species in the original two samples is defined as a ratio between the two fluorophores at the homologous array element using specially designed software (Eisen and Brown, 1999; Hegde, et al., 2000; Schena, et al., 1995; Schena, et al., 1996; Wang, et al., 2001). This useful technology, however, possesses recognized data quality/reproducibility issues, that can limit its application to complex biological systems (Kerr and Churchill, 2001; Lee, et al., 2000). High experimental variability can arise through laboratory technical problems as well as normal biological variation (Pritchard, et al., 2001). Yue, et al., (2001), using Saccharomyces cerevisiae probes and complementary in vitro transcripts, demonstrated that the amount of DNA bound to the glass slide is dependent, in part, on the concentration of the DNA printed and that the amount retained by the slide is critical for good quality differential expression data (Yue, et al., 2001). The range of detected values of known transcript ratios was compressed when elements were printed at concentrations less than 100 ng/ul in water. Printing at more dilute printing concentrations exacerbated ratio compression to the point where input transcript ratios of 30:1 or 1:30 were detected as output ratios close to 1:1, illustrating that limiting bound probe results in an underestimation or failure to detect differential gene expression (Yue, et al., 2001). The concentration of DNA printed, the printing buffer selected, and the glass coating will influence the amount of DNA retained by the slide after processing. Commonly used printing solutions include 3×SSC (saline sodium citrate), 50% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and water (Eisen and Brown, 1999; Yue, et al., 2001). Diehl, et al., (2001) found that the addition of the PCR additive betaine, which is known to normalize base pair stability differences, increase solution viscosity, and reduce evaporation rates, also greatly enhances probe binding to poly-L-lysine coated slides (Diehl, et al., 2001; Henke, et al., 1997; Rees, et al., 1993). Furthermore, probe saturation of the glass slide was obtained at a lower printing concentration of 250 ng/ul when betaine was present versus >500 ng/ul in printing solutions without betaine, which can greatly increase the number of potential slides produced from a single library amplification (Diehl, et al., 2001).
<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In one embodiment, the invention is a method of directly visualizing printed microarrays, comprising the steps of: (a) generating labeled probes labeled with a first label, (b) constructing a microarray with the labeled probes, wherein the microarray comprises a plurality of probe spots, and (c) examining the microarray to determine the amount of probe present at each probe spot. In one preferred form of the invention, the labeled probes are either cDNA or oligonucleotides and the first label is fluorescent. In another embodiment, the labeled probes are proteins or antibodies. In one embodiment, the labeled probes are labeled with a fluorescent probe, such as fluorescein, and the examination of step (c) is via the detection of relative fluorescence units and is by the use of a confocal laser scanner. In one embodiment of the invention, the labeled DNA probes are between 10 and 100,000 base pairs in length and the probes comprise 1 fluorescent label molecule per DNA strand on average. In another embodiment, the invention comprises the method described above additionally comprising the steps of (d) exposing the microarray to labeled target molecules, wherein the labeled target molecules are labeled with a second and third label, preferably a fluorescent label, and (e) examining the microarray to determine the amount of target hybridized to the probes. In another embodiment, the invention is a microarray comprising (a) a surface and (b) labeled DNA probes attached to the surface in a plurality of spots, wherein each probe is labeled with a first fluorescent label.

Error correction process and mechanism
Performing soft error correction includes receiving a word at a soft correction engine (310a, 310b) capable of operating in more than one correction mode, identifying soft bit positions within the word, and automatically generating a number of possible results (370) for the received word using combinations of the soft bit positions and more than one correction mode. The soft correction engine (310a, 310b) may include a Golay engine.
1. A method for performing soft error correction, the method comprising: receiving a word at a soft correction engine capable of operating in more than one correction mode; identifying soft bit positions within the word; and automatically generating a number of possible results for the received word using combinations of the soft bit positions and the more than one correction modes. 2. The method as in claim 1 wherein the several possible results include default results and alternate results, the method further comprising selecting among at least one of the default results and alternate results within the several possible results as possible correct solutions based on a metric representing a likelihood of correctness. 3. The method as in claim 2 wherein the metric includes a lowest partial correction count value. 4. The method as in claim 1 further comprising inputting at least one result from among the number of possible results into an error handling engine for error detection. 5. The method as in claim 4 wherein the error handling engine includes a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) engine. 6. The method as in claim 1 further comprising inputting a default result and an alternate result from among the several possible results into an error handling engine for selection of a correct solution as between the default result and the alternate result. 7. The method as in claim 6 wherein the error handling engine includes a CRC engine. 8. The method as in claim 6 wherein inputting the default result and the alternate result includes inputting the default result and the alternate result that differs from the default result by one or more words into the error handling engine for selection of the correct solution as between the default result and the alternate result. 9. The method as in claim 1 wherein the soft correction engine includes a Golay engine. 10. The method as in claim 1 wherein receiving the word includes receiving the word at a first soft correction engine and further comprising: receiving the word at a second soft correction engine that is capable of operating in more than one correction mode and is structured and arranged to operate in parallel with the first soft correction engine; performing, in parallel, soft error correction on the received word at both the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine; and automatically generating a number of possible results for the received word at both the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine. 11. The method as in claim 10 wherein the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine include a Golay engine. 12. A system for performing soft error correction, comprising: means for receiving a word at a soft correction engine capable of operating in more than one correction mode; means for identifying soft bit positions within the word; and means for automatically generating a number of possible results for the received word using combinations of the soft bit positions and the more than one correction modes. 13. The system of claim 12 wherein the several possible results include default results and alternate results, further comprising means for selecting among at least one of the default results and alternate results within the several possible results as possible correct solutions based on a metric representing a likelihood of correctness. 14. The system of claim 13 wherein the metric includes a lowest partial correction count value. 15. The system of claim 12 further comprising means for inputting at least one result from among the number of possible results into an error handling engine for error detection. 16. The system of claim 15 wherein the error handling engine includes a CRC engine. 17. The system of claim 12 further comprising means for inputting a default result and an alternate result from among the several possible results into an error handling engine for selection of a correct solution as between the default result and the alternate result. 18. The system of claim 17 wherein the error handling engine includes a CRC engine. 19. The system of claim 17 wherein the means for inputting the default result and the alternate result includes means for inputting the default result and the alternate result that differs from the default result by one or more words into the error handling engine for selection of the correct solution as between the default result and the alternate result. 20. The system of claim 12 wherein the soft correction engine includes a Golay engine. 21. The system of claim 12 wherein the means for receiving the word includes means for receiving the word at a first soft correction engine and further-comprising: means for receiving the word at a second soft correction engine that is capable of operating in more than one correction mode and is structured and arranged to operate in parallel with the first soft correction engine; means for performing, in parallel, soft error correction on the received word at both the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine; and means for automatically generating a number of possible results for the received word at both the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine. 22. The system of claim 21 wherein the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine include a Golay engine. 23. A computer program stored on a computer readable medium or a propagated signal for performing soft error correction, comprising: a receiving code segment that causes the computer to receive a word at a soft correction engine capable of operating in more than one correction mode; an identifying code segment that causes the computer to identify soft bit positions within the word; and a generating code segment that causes the computer to automatically generate a number of possible results for the received word using combinations of the soft bit positions and the more than one correction modes. 24. The computer program of claim 23 wherein the several possible results include default results and alternate results, further comprising a selecting code segment that causes the computer to select among at least one of the default results and alternate results within the several possible results as possible correct solutions based on a metric representing a likelihood of correctness. 25. The computer program of claim 24 wherein the metric includes a lowest partial correction count value. 26. The computer program of claim 23 further comprising an inputting code segment that causes the computer to input at least one result from among a number of possible results into an error handling engine for error detection. 27. The computer program of claim 26 wherein the error handling engine includes a CRC engine. 28. The computer program of claim 23 further comprising an inputting code segment that causes the computer to input a default result and an alternate result from among the several possible results into an error handling engine for selection of a correct solution as between the default result and the alternate result. 29. The computer program of claim 2S wherein the error handling engine includes a CRC engine. 30. The computer program of claim 28 wherein the inputting code segment causes the computer to input the default result and the alternate result that differs from the default result by one or more words into the error handling engine for selection of the correct solution as between the default result and the alternate result. 31. The computer program of claim 23 wherein the soft correction engine includes a Golay engine. 32. The computer program of claim 23 wherein the receiving code segment causes the computer to receive the word at a first soft correction engine and further comprising: a receiving code segment that causes the computer to receive the word at a second soft correction engine that is capable of operating in more than one correction mode and is structured and arranged to operate in parallel with the first soft correction engine; a performing code segment that causes the computer to perform, in parallel, soft error correction on the received word at both the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine; and a generating code segment that causes the computer to automatically generate a number of possible results for the received word at both the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine. 33. The computer program of claim 32 wherein the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine include a Golay engine. 34. A system for performing soft error correction, comprising a soft correction engine capable of operating in more than one correction mode and that is structured and arranged to: receive a word at the soft correction engine; identify soft bit positions within the word; and automatically generate a number of possible results for the received word using combinations of the soft bit positions and the more than one correction modes. 35. The system of claim 34 wherein: the several possible results include default results and alternate results; and the soft correction engine is structured and arranged to select among at least one of the default results and alternate results within the several possible results as possible correct solutions based on a metric representing a likelihood of correctness. 36. The system of claim 35 wherein the metric includes a lowest partial correction count value. 37. The system of claim 34 further comprising an error handling engine that is structured and arrange to receive at least one result from among the number of possible results for error detection. 38. The system of claim 37 wherein the error handling engine includes a CRC engine. 39. The system of claim 34 further comprising an error handling engine that is structured and arranged to receive a default result and an alternate result from among the several possible results for selection of a correct solution as between the default result and the alternate result. 40. The system of claim 39 wherein the error handling engine includes a CRC engine. 41. The system of claim 39 wherein the error handling engine is structured and arranged to receive the default result and the alternate result that differs from the default result by one or more words for selection of the correct solution as between the default result and the alternate result. 42. The system of claim 34 wherein the soft correction engine includes a Golay engine. 43. The system of claim 34 wherein the soft correction engine includes a first soft correction engine and further comprising a second soft correction engine that is capable of operating in more than one correction mode and that is structured and arranged: to operate in parallel with the first soft correction engine; to perform, in parallel, soft error correction on the received word at both the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine; and to automatically generate a number of possible results for the received word at both the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine. 44. The system of claim 43 wherein the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine include a Golay engine. 45. An error correction mechanism, comprising: a soft error correction engine that performs soft error correction on a stream of bits and produces at least one result with a default and an alternative; and an error handling engine that selects among the default and the alternative for the result produced by the soft error correction engine. 46. The mechanism of claim 45 wherein the soft error correction engine includes a Golay engine. 47. The mechanism of claim 45 wherein the error handling engine includes a CRC engine. 48. The mechanism of claim 45 wherein the soft error correction engine and the error handling engine are structured and arranged to operate in series. 49. The mechanism of claim 45 wherein the alternative differs from the default by one or more words and the error handling engine selects among the default and the alternative for the result produced by the soft error correction engine. 50. A method for performing error correction, the method comprising: performing, at a soft error correction engine, soft error correction on a stream of bits and producing at least one result with a default and an alternative; and selecting, at an error handling engine, among the default and the alternative for the result produced by the soft error correction engine. 51. The method as in claim 50 wherein the soft error correction engine includes a Golay engine. 52. The method as in claim 50 wherein the error handling engine includes a CRC engine. 53. The method as in claim 50 wherein the soft error correction engine and the error handling engine are structured and arranged to operate in series. 54. The method as in 50 wherein the alternative differs from the default by one or more words such that selecting, at the error handling engine, includes selecting, at the error handling engine, among the default and the alternative that differs from the default by one or more words for the result produced by the soft error correction engine. 55. A system for performing error correction, comprising: means for performing, at a soft error correction engine, soft error correction on a stream of bits and producing at least one result with a default and an alternative; and means for selecting, at an error handling engine, among the default and the alternative for the result produced by the soft error correction engine. 56. The system of claim 55 wherein the soft error correction engine includes a Golay engine. 57. The system of claim 55 wherein the error handling engine includes a CRC engine. 58. The system of claim 55 wherein the soft error correction engine and the error handling engine are structured and arranged to operate in series. 59. The system of 55 wherein the alternative differs from the default by one or more words such that the means for selecting includes means for selecting, at the error handling engine, among the default and the alternative that differs from the default by one or more words for the result produced by the soft error correction engine. 60. A computer program stored on a computer readable medium or a propagated signal for performing error correction, comprising: a performing code segment that causes the computer to perform, at a soft error correction engine, soft error correction on a stream of bits and produce at least one result with a default and an alternative; and a selecting code segment that causes the computer to select, at an error handling engine, among the default and the alternative for the result produced by the soft error correction engine. 61. The computer program of claim 60 wherein the soft error correction engine includes a Golay engine. 62. The computer program of claim 60 wherein the error handling engine includes a CRC engine. 63. The computer program of claim 60 wherein the soft error correction engine and the error handling engine are structured and arranged to operate in series. 64. The computer program of claim 60 wherein the alternative differs from the default by one or more words such that the selecting code segment causes the computer to select, at the error handling engine, among the default and the alternative that differs from the default by one or more words for the result produced by the soft error correction engine. 65. A method for error detection and correction, the method comprising: receiving a default word and an alternate word at an error handling engine; calculating a first remainder for the default word and a second remainder for the alternate word; selecting the default word as a correct result when the first remainder matches a transmitted remainder; and selecting the alternate word as the correct result when the second remainder matches the transmitted remainder. 66. The method as in claim 65 wherein the error handling engine includes a CRC engine. 67. The method as in claim 65 wherein receiving the default word and the alternate word includes receiving the default word and the alternate word from a soft error correction engine. 68. The method as in claim 67 further comprising: performing soft error correction at the soft error correction engine to produce the default word and the alternate word; and sending the default word and the alternate word to the error handling engine. 69. The method as in claim 67 wherein the soft error correction engine includes a Golay engine. 70. A system for error detection and correction, comprising: means for receiving a default word and an alternate word at an error handling engine; means for calculating a first remainder for the default word and a second remainder for the alternate word; means for selecting the default word as a correct result when the first remainder matches a transmitted remainder; and means for selecting the alternate word as the correct result when the second remainder matches the transmitted remainder. 71. The system of claim 70 wherein the error handling engine includes a CRC engine. 72. The system of claim 70 wherein the means for receiving the default word and the alternate word includes means for receiving the default word and the alternate word from a soft error correction engine. 73. The system of claim 72 further comprising: means for performing soft error correction at the soft error correction engine to produce the default word and the alternate word; and means for sending the default word and the alternate word to the error handling engine. 74. The system of claim 72 wherein the soft error correction engine includes a Golay engine. 75. A computer program stored on a computer readable medium or a propagated signal for error detection and correction, comprising: a receiving code segment that causes the computer to receive a default word and an alternate word at an error handling engine; a calculating code segment that causes the computer to calculate a first remainder for the default word and a second remainder for the alternate word; and a selecting code segment that causes the computer to select the default word as a correct result when the first remainder matches a transmitted remainder and that causes the computer to select the alternate word as the correct result when the second remainder matches the transmitted remainder. 76. The computer program of claim 75 wherein the error handling engine includes a CRC engine. 77. The computer program of claim 75 wherein the receiving code segment causes the computer to receive the default word and the alternate word from a soft error correction engine. 78. The computer program of claim 77 further comprising: a performing code segment that causes the computer to perform soft error correction at the soft error correction engine to produce the default word and the alternate word; and a sending code segment that causes the computer to send the default word and the alternate word to the error handling engine. 79. The computer program of claim 77 wherein the soft error correction engine includes a Golay engine. 80. A system for error detection and correction, comprising an error handling engine that is structured and arranged to: receive a default word and an alternate word at the error handling engine; calculate a first remainder for the default word and a second remainder for the alternate word; select the default word as a correct result when the first remainder matches a transmitted remainder; and select the alternate word as the correct result when the second remainder matches the transmitted remainder. 81. The system of claim 80 wherein the error handling engine includes a CRC engine. 82. The system of claim 80 further comprising a soft error correction engine and wherein the error handling engine is structure and arranged to receive the default word and the alternate word from the soft error correction engine. 83. The system of claim 82 wherein the soft error correction engine is structured and arranged to: perform soft error correction at the soft error correction engine to produce the default word and the alternate word; and send the default word and the alternate word to the error handling engine. 84. The system of claim 82 wherein the soft error correction engine includes a Golay engine. 85. A method for performing soft error correction, the method comprising: receiving a multiple bit word at both a first soft correction engine and a second soft correction engine that are structured and arranged to operate in parallel; performing, in parallel, soft error correction on the received multiple bit word at both the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine; and outputting a first correction result at the first soft correction engine and a second correction result at the second soft correction engine. 86. The method as in claim 85 wherein performing in parallel soft error correction includes performing in parallel soft error correction on the received multiple bit word at both the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine concurrently. 87. The method as in claim 85 wherein performing in parallel soft error correction includes generating a first correction value at the first soft correction engine and a second correction value at the second soft correction engine, and further comprising selecting among the first correction result and the second correction result based on a lower value between the first correction value and the second correction value. 88. The method as in claim 85 wherein the first and second soft correction engines each include a Golay engine. 89. A system for performing soft error correction, comprising: means for receiving a multiple bit word at both a first soft correction engine and a second soft correction engine that are structured and arranged to operate in parallel; means for performing, in parallel, soft error correction on the received multiple bit word at both the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine; and means for outputting a first correction result at the first soft correction engine and a second correction result at the second soft correction engine. 90. The system of claim 89 wherein the means for performing in parallel soft error correction includes means for performing in parallel soft error correction on the received multiple bit word at both the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine concurrently. 91. The system of claim 89 wherein the means for performing in parallel soft error correction includes means for generating a first correction value at the first soft correction engine and a second correction value at the second soft correction engine, and further comprising means for selecting among the first correction result and the second correction result based on a lower value between the first correction value and the second correction value. 92. The system of claim 89 wherein the first and second soft correction engines each include a Golay engine. 93. A computer program stored on a computer readable medium or a propagated signal for performing soft error correction, comprising: a receiving code segment that causes the computer to receive a multiple bit word at both a first soft correction engine and a second soft correction engine that are structured and arranged to operate in parallel; a performing code segment that causes the computer to perform, in parallel, soft error correction on the received multiple bit word at both the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine; and an outputting code segment that causes the computer to output a first correction result at the first soft correction engine and a second correction result at the second soft correction engine. 94. The computer program of claim 93 wherein the performing code segment causes the computer to perform in parallel soft error correction on the received multiple bit word at both the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine concurrently. 95. The computer program of claim 93 wherein the performing code segment causes the computer to generate a first correction value at the first soft correction engine and a second correction value at the second soft correction engine, and further comprising a selecting code segment that causes the computer to select among the first correction result and the second correction result based on a lower value between the first correction value and the second correction value. 96. The computer program of claim 93 wherein the first and second soft correction engines each include a Golay engine. 97. A system for performing soft error correction, comprising: a first soft correction engine; and a second soft correction engine, wherein the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine are structured and arranged to operate in parallel and to: receive a multiple bit word at both the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine; perform, in parallel, soft error correction on the received multiple bit word at both the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine; and output a first correction result at the first soft correction engine and a second correction result at the second soft correction engine. 98. The system of claim 97 wherein the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine are structured and arranged to perform in parallel soft error correction on the received multiple bit word at both the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine concurrently. 99. The system of claim 97 wherein the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine are structured and arranged to generate a first correction value at the first soft correction engine and a second correction value at the second soft correction engine, such that selecting among the first correction result and the second correction result is based on a lower value between the first correction value and the second correction value. 100. The system of claim 97 wherein the first and second soft correction engines each include a Golay engine. 101. A method for performing soft error correction, the method comprising: receiving a word at a soft correction engine; selecting a soft bit position other than a bit with a lowest correlation value; and evaluating the selected bit for soft error correction. 102. The method as in claim 101 wherein the soft correction engine includes a Golay engine. 103. The method as in claim 01 further comprising: selecting a bit for soft error correction based on the evaluation; and performing soft error correction on the selected bit. 104. A system for performing soft error correction, comprising: means for receiving a word at a soft correction engine; means for selecting a soft bit position other than a bit with a lowest correlation value; and means for evaluating the selected bit for soft error correction. 105. The system of claim 104 wherein the soft correction engine includes a Golay engine. 106. The system of claim 104 further comprising: means for selecting a bit for soft error correction based on the evaluation; and means for performing soft error correction on the selected bit. 107. A computer program stored on a computer readable medium or a propagated signal for performing soft error correction, comprising: a receiving code segment that causes the computer to receive a word at a soft correction engine; a selecting code segment that causes the computer to select a soft bit position other than a bit with a lowest correlation value; and an evaluating code segment that causes the computer to evaluate the selected bit for soft error correction. 108. The computer program of claim 107 wherein the soft correction engine includes a Golay engine. 109. The computer program of claim 107 further comprising: the selecting code segment that causes the computer to select a bit for soft error correction based on the evaluation; and a performing code segment that causes the computer to perform soft error correction on the selected bit. 110. A system for performing soft error correction, comprising a soft correction engine that is structured and arranged to: receive a word at the soft correction engine; select a soft bit position other than a bit with a lowest correlation value; and evaluate the selected bit for soft error correction. 111. The system of claim 110 wherein the soft correction engine includes a Golay engine. 112. The system of claim 110 wherein the soft correction engine is structured and arranged to: select a bit for soft error correction based on the evaluation; and perform soft error correction on the selected bit.
<SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>In a data communication system, it is important to have reliable data transmission over a transmission medium. There are numerous factors that may affect the reliability and integrity of the data transmitted. For example, the reliability and integrity of the data transmitted may be affected by the transmitting system, the transmission medium, and/or the receiving system.
<SOH> SUMMARY <EOH>In one general aspect, performing soft error correction includes receiving a word at a soft correction engine capable of operating in more than one correction mode, identifying soft bit positions within the word, and automatically generating a number of possible results for the received word using combinations of the soft bit positions and the more than one correction modes. Implementations may include one or more of the following features. For example, the several possible results may include default results and alternate results. Within the several possible results, possible correct solutions may be selected from among at least one of the default results and alternate results based on a metric representing a likelihood of correctness. The metric may include a lowest partial correction count value. At least one result from among the number of possible results may be inputted into an error handling engine for error detection. The error handling engine may include a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) engine. In one implementation, from among the several possible results, a default result and an alternate result may be inputted into an error handling engine for selection of a correct solution as between the default result and the alternate result. The error handling engine may include a CRC engine. The default result and the alternate result that differs from the default result by one or more words may be inputted into the error handling engine for selection of the correct solution as between the default result and the alternate result. The soft correction engine may include a Golay engine. In another implementation, the word may be received at a second correction engine that is capable of operating in more than one correction mode and that is structured and arranged to operate in parallel with the first correction engine. Soft error correction may be performed, in parallel, on the received word at both the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine. Both the first soft correction engine and the second correction engine may automatically generate a number of possible results for the received word. The first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine may include a Golay engine. In another general aspect, performing error correction includes performing, at a soft error correction engine, soft error correction on a stream of bits and producing at least one result with a default and an alternative and selecting, at an error handling engine, among the default and the alternative for the result produced by the soft error correction engine. Implementations may include one or more of the following features. For example, the soft error correction engine may include a Golay engine. The error handling engine may include a CRC engine. The soft error correction engine and the error handling engine may be structured and arranged to operate in series. The alternative may differ from the default by one or more words and the error handling engine may select among the default and the alternative for the result produced by the soft error correction engine. In another general aspect, error detection and correction includes receiving a default word and an alternate word at an error handling engine, calculating a first remainder for the default word and a second remainder for the alternate word, selecting the default word as a correct result when the first remainder matches a transmitted remainder, and selecting the alternate word as the correct result when the second remainder matches the transmitted remainder. Implementations may include one or more of the following features. For example, the error handling engine may include a CRC engine. The default word and the alternate word may be received from a soft error correction engine. Soft error correction may be performed at the soft error correction engine to produce the default word and the alternate word and the default word and the alternate word may be sent to the error handling engine. The soft error correction engine may include a Golay engine. In another general aspect, performing soft error correction includes receiving a multiple bit word at both a first soft correction engine and a second soft correction engine that are structured and arranged to operate in parallel. Soft error correction is performed in parallel on the received multiple bit word at both the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine. A first correction result is outputted at the first soft correction engine and a second correction result is outputted at the second soft correction engine. Implementations may include one or more of the following features. For example, soft error correction may be performed in parallel on the received multiple bit word at both the first soft correction engine and the second soft correction engine concurrently. A first correction value may be generated at the first soft correction engine and a second correction value may be generated at the second soft correction engine such that selecting among the first correction result and the second correction result may be based on a lower value between the first correction value and the second correction value. The first and second soft correction engines each may include a Golay engine. In another general aspect, performing soft error correction includes receiving a word at a soft correction engine, selecting a soft bit position other than a bit with a lowest correlation value, and evaluating the selected bit for soft error correction. Implementations may include one or more of the following features. For example, the soft correction engine may include a Golay engine. A bit for soft error correction may be selected based on the evaluation and soft error correction may be performed on the selected bit. These general and specific aspects may be implemented using a system, a method, or a computer program, or any combination of systems, methods, or computer programs. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

Job analysis
A process and system for generating a job value for a job that can be used to provide a definitive measure of contribution of the job to an entity. The process involves generating an impact value representing effect of the job on an entity, generating an input value representing attributes of the job, and generating the job value on the basis of the impact value and the input value. The impact value is determined on the basis of an accountability value and a job type value. The accountability value represents results expected from the job by the entity, and the type value represents the significance of the job to the entity. The input value is determined on the basis of a knowledge value, and an integration value, and an interpersonal value. The knowledge value represents the level of knowledge required to perform the job. The integration value represents the level the job requires the coordination, integration and direction of resources. The interpersonal value represents the level of skill required to relate to and lead other parties.
1. A process for generating a job value for a job, including: generating an impact value representing effect of said job on an entity; generating an input value representing attributes of said job; and generating said job value on the basis of said impact value and said input value. 2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said job value provides a definitive measure of contribution of the job to the entity. 3. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said job value is used to set remuneration for said job. 4. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said job value is used to determine the allocation of jobs within said entity. 5. A process as claimed in claim 1, said impact value is determined on the basis of an accountability value and a job type value. 6. A process as claimed in claim 5, wherein the accountability value represents results expected from the job by the entity. 7. A process as claimed in claim 5, wherein the type value represents the significance of the job to the entity. 8. A process as claimed in claim 7, wherein the type value has different values for a team leader, a team member and a support role. 9. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said input value is generated based on: Impact=3(Acc−1)+(3−Type)−(Integer(Acc/2)−2 when >0) where Acc represents the accountability value. 10. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input value is determined on the basis of a knowledge value, an integration value and an interpersonal value. 11. A process as claimed in claim 10, wherein the knowledge value represents the level of knowledge required to perform the job. 12. A process as claimed in claim 10, wherein the integration value represents the level the job requires the coordination, integration and direction of resources. 13. A process as claimed in claim 10, wherein the interpersonal value represents the level of skill required to relate to and lead other parties. 14. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said input value is determined on the basis of: Input=2Kn+In(or (2In−3) when In>3)+Ip where Kn represents the knowledge value, In represents the integration value and Ip represents the interpersonal value. 15. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said job value is generated by adding said impact value to said input value 16. A process for generating a job design value for a job, including: generating an accountability value representing results expected from the job by an entity; generating a type value representing the significance of the job to the entity; and generating said job design value on the basis of said accountability value and said type value. 17. A process as claimed in claim 16, wherein said job design value is used to determine whether the job has been allocated correctly for the entity. 18. A process as claimed in claim 16, wherein the type value has different values for a team leader, a team member and a support role. 19. A process as claimed in claim 15, wherein said job design value is generated on the basis of: JD=Acc−Type−k, where Acc is the accountability value, Type is the type value and k is a constant. 20. A process as claimed in claims 1 and 16, wherein an organisational effectiveness value is generated on the basis of said impact value, said input value, said job design value, and impact of related jobs. 21. A computer system adapted to execute the process of any one of the preceding claims. 22. Software stored on memory having a code for executing steps of a process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 20.
<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>One of the inherent difficulties in commerce is being able to generate a definitive measure of work or the contribution of work and jobs. The ability to identify, define, measure and compare the contribution of work or jobs to an entity, such as an employer, can prove to be particularly significant in determination of remuneration for employees, succession planning, negotiating with organisations, such as unions, and disputes involving dismissal of an employee. The ability to provide definitive measures can also be used to justify remuneration packages, at all levels in a company or organisation. The ability to provide a definitive measure however, and in particular one that is accepted by society, has to date proved elusive. It is desired however to provide a method and system that can be used to generate a definitive measure or at least provide a useful alternative to existing methods and systems.
<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In accordance with the present invention there is provided a process for generating a job value for a job, including: generating an impact value representing effect of said job on an entity; generating an input value representing attributes of said job; and generating said job value on the basis of said impact value and said input value. Preferably said impact value is determined on the basis of an accountability value and a job type value. The accountability value represents results expected from the job by the entity. The type value represents the significance of the job to the entity. The type value may have different values for a team leader, a team member or a support or advisory role. Preferably the input value is determined on the basis of a knowledge value, an integration value and an interpersonal value. The knowledge value represents the level of knowledge required to perform the job. The integration value represents the level the job requires the coordination, integration and direction of resources. The interpersonal value represents the level of skills required to relate to and lead other parties. The present invention also provides a process for generating a job design value for a job, including: generating an accountability value representing results expected from the job by an entity; generating a type value representing the significance of the job to the entity; and generating said job design value on the basis of said accountability value and said type value. The present invention also provides a method of generating an organisational effectiveness value on the basis of said impact value, said input value, said job design value, and impact of related jobs. The present invention also provides a system having components for executing the steps of any one of the above methods. The present invention also provides software having code for executing the steps of any one of the above methods.

Contact element for an electrical plug connection
A contact element as part of a plug connector is described, which is mountable in a connector housing and provides a contact zone to establish an electrical connection, which may be disconnected again, with a mating connector having at least one blade. The contact zone has at least two contact parts that are positioned at a distance from each other and are provided to receive the blade, each contact part having two contact points.
1-14. (Canceled) 15. A contact element for cooperating with a plug connector, comprising: a structure that is mountable in a connector housing and provides a contact zone to establish a disconnectable electrical connection with a mating connector having at least one blade, wherein: the contact zone includes at least two contact parts that are positioned at a distance from each other and are provided to receive the at least one blade, and each contact part has two contact points. 16. The contact element as recited in claim 15, wherein: the at least two contact parts have a wave-like shape in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the contact element. 17. The contact element as recited in claim 15, wherein: the at least two contact parts have a spoon-like shape in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the contact element. 18. The contact element as recited in claim 15, wherein: the contact parts form a single piece with a remainder of the contact element. 19. The contact element as recited in claim 15, wherein: at least one of the at least two contact parts includes a wider design than a width of the at least one blade to be contacted. 20. The contact element as recited in claim 15, wherein: at least one of the at least two contact parts is positioned at a distance to a longitudinal axis of a remainder of the contact element. 21. The contact element as recited in claim 19, further comprising: a contact bridge by which the distance is producible. 22. The contact element as recited in claim 15, further comprising: contact legs, wherein: the at least two contact parts include four contact parts provided at free ends of the contact legs. 23. The contact element as recited in claim 15, further comprising: contact legs, wherein: the at least two contact parts include eight contact parts provided at free ends of the contact legs. 24. The contact element as recited in claim 15, wherein: the at least two contact parts are positioned parallel in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the contact element. 25. The contact element as recited in claim 15, wherein: the at least two contact parts are positioned at a defined angle to a longitudinal axis of the contact element. 26. The contact element as recited in claim 15, wherein: the contact element is a stamped component. 27. The contact element as recited in claim 15, wherein: the contact element has a one-piece design. 28. The contact element as recited in claim 15, wherein: the contact element has a two-piece design.
<SOH> BACKGROUND INFORMATION <EOH>Electrical plug-and-socket connections are provided in order to establish a connection between a socket part and a plug part, the socket part usually having contacts that are received by pins, blades, or the like which are located in the mating connector, so that electrical contact may be established between the plug connector and the mating connector. This electrical plug-and-socket connection may be disconnected again. To establish the electrical plug-and-socket connection, the blade located in the mating connector penetrates into an opening provided in the plug connector, contacting the contact element there. The contact element has a clamp-like design, and contacts the blade between the clamp-type contact parts. Pushing the blade further into the contact causes the spring-like contact parts to spread and to slide along the surface of the blade during the process of insertion. In the final position, the blade of the mating connector is usually enclosed to a large extent by the contact element of the plug connector, the actual-contact surface being between the contact parts of the contact element and of the blade. A connecting cable is attached to the contact element, and is guided out of the housing of the plug connector by sealing elements (elastomers). A cable is also attached to the blade, which is guided out of the mating connector in the same way. In particular when cable vibrations or other movements occur, for example micromotions or vibrating motions in motor vehicles, motions occur directly in the contact zone, i.e., between the contact parts of the contact element and the blade, which may result in friction corrosion between the contact element and the blade.
<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>An object of the present invention is to refine presently known plug-and-socket connections in such a way that high insertion forces are avoided, and in addition friction corrosion is prevented or at least limited, in particular in the case of vibrating motions. The object is achieved in that the contact element has at least two contact parts in its contact zone that are positioned at a distance from each other and are provided to receive the blade; each contact part has two contact points. According to the present invention, a plurality of contact points of the respective contact parts in an elastic arrangement are created, so as to create a redundant contact principle. Furthermore, as a result of the creation of multiple contact points in combination with additional elastic properties, self-centering of the respective blade occurs in the event of oscillating or rocking motions. Because of the adjacent arrangement of multiple contact points in the insertion direction, lower insertion forces are needed, so that at the beginning of insertion half of the contacts contribute to the friction. This results in a gentle introduction of the respective blade into the connector. Preferably, contact parts and contact element constitute a one-piece component. Because of the length and the material thickness of the contact part designed in this way, the rigidity of the entire contact arrangement may be adjusted and adapted to the particular surface layer. In addition, to ensure higher contact forces, a corresponding spring may be provided. An additional significant advantage of the present invention is the fact that due to the one-piece design the contact element is producible in a single stamping process, so that cost-effective manufacturing is possible. Since the individual contact parts are preferably positioned at a distance from the longitudinal axis of the actual contact element, it is possible to design the width of the contact parts freely and in accordance with the particular application. As a result, wider contact points may also be created, so that currents of greater amperage may also be transmitted. The unrestricted design of the free end of the contact element (side opposite the contact zones) leaves it up to the particular designer as to whether to provide a crimp connection or a permanent connection with the corresponding cable harness. One particular embodiment of the present invention provides four contact parts on one contact element, clamp-like contact parts being positioned on one side or the other along the longitudinal extension of the contact element. That results in the formation of eight contact points in all, which results in very high redundancy. This design is suited for very wide blades, for example over 3 mm. In an additional embodiment of the present invention, the actual contact element has a U-shaped design and thus has two contact legs. Located at the free ends of the respective contact legs are the contact parts, which have a wave-like design in their longitudinal extension, a contact bridge which establishes the connection between the contact part and the contact leg pointing away from the free end of the contact legs. In the additional particular embodiment in which a total of four contact parts are provided, the contact bridge extends to both sides and has a contact part at each of its ends. Another advantageous embodiment of the present invention may involve having the latter made in one piece.

Cell culture method for obtaining prostate-like acini
The invention relates to a method for the formation of prostate like acini; acini derived by said method; cells or cell-lines derived from said acini; methods to identify agents capable of inhibiting the proliferation and/or mobility of cancerous prostate cells; agents identified by said method; and methods to identify novel markers of prostate cell differentiation or of cancerous prostate cells.
1. An in vitro method for the formation of prostate-like acini comprising: i) providing a cell culture vessel comprising: a) prostate derived epithelial cells; b) a collagen-based cell support matrix to which the cells in (a) can attach and proliferate; c) cell culture medium with supplemented serum, a stromal fraction and a suitable ratio of the hormones oestrogen and dihydrotestosterone, or functional derivatives thereof; ii) providing conditions which promote the growth and differentiation of said prostate derived cells in said vessel. 2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said stromal fraction is provided in a separate insert in said cell culture vessel, but in liquid contact with the other components of the supplemented cell culture medium, which allows said cells contained in said stromal fraction to proliferate but prevents cell contact with the prostate derived epithelial cells contained in said vessel. 3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said prostate cells are human epithelial cells. 4. A method according to claim 3 wherein said epithelial cells are derived from prostate glands which have been maintained as explants for at least 7 days. 5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said prostate derived cells are non-cancerous. 6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said prostate derived cells are cancerous. 7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said epithelial cells are primary prostate epithelial cells. 8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said prostate derived epithelial cells are genetically engineered by recombinant techniques. 9. A method according to claim 8 wherein said prostate derived cells are transformed with an oncogene. 10. A method according to claim 9 wherein said oncogene is a viral oncogene. 11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said viral oncogene is selected from the group consisting of: Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) E6 and E7 oncogenes, and SV40 T antigen. 12. A method according to claim 1, wherein serum is provided at between about 0.5%-4% (v/v). 13. A method according to claim 12 wherein serum is provided at about between 1%-3% (v/v). 14. A method according to claim 13, wherein serum is provided at about 2% (v/v). 15. A method according to claim 1, wherein oestrogen is provided at about 10 ng/ml and dihydrotestosterone at about 10−7M. 16. A cell culture composition comprising a collagen based cell support; stroma, oestrogen and dihydrotestosterone. 17. A composition according to claim 16 wherein oestrogen is provided at about 10 ng/ml and dihydrotestosterone at about 10−7M. 18. A prostate like-acinus formed by the method according to claim 1. 19. A cell derived from the prostate acinus formed by the method according to claim 1. 20. A method to identify agents capable of inhibiting the proliferation of cancerous prostatic cells comprising: i) providing culture conditions and at least one cancerous acinus according to claim 18; ii) adding at least one agent to be tested; and iii) monitoring the anti-proliferative activity of the agent with respect to the cells comprising the cancerous acinus. 21. A method to identify agents capable of inhibiting the motility of cancerous prostatic cells comprising: i) providing culture conditions and at least one cancerous acinus according to claim 18; ii) adding at least one agent to be tested; and iii) monitoring the motility of cells comprising the cancerous acinus. 22. An agent identified by the method according to claim 21. 23. A method to identify markers of prostate cell differentiation comprising: i) providing a prostate acinus according to claim 18; and ii) determining the presence of a RNA or protein molecule indicative of prostate cell differentiation. 24. A method to identify markers of prostate cell transformation comprising: i) providing a prostate acinus according to claim 18 and ii) determining the presence of a RNA or protein molecule indicative of prostate cell transformation. 25. An in vitro method to analyse the development of cancerous prostatic cells from normal prostatic cells comprising exposing acini according to claim 18 to at least one agent capable of inducing prostatic cell transformation. 26. A method according to claim 25 wherein said normal prostatic cells are transformed with an oncogene. 27. A method according to claim 26 wherein said oncogene is a viral oncogene. 28. A method according to claim 27 wherein said viral oncogene is a human papilloma virus oncogene. 29-30. (Canceled) 31. An agent identified by the method according to claim 20.



Voice registration method and system, and voice recognition method and system based on voice registration method and system
Disclosed is a voice registration method for voice recognition, comprising the steps of analyzing a spectrum of a sound signal inputted from the outside; extracting predetermined language units for a speaker recognition from a voice signal in the sound signal; measuring the loudness of each language unit; collecting voice data on registered(background) speakers including loudness data of the plurality of background speakers as a reference onto voice database; determining whether the loudness of each language unit is within a predetermined loudness range based on the voice data base; learning each language unit by using a multi-layer perceptron in the case that at least a predetermined number of language units arc within the predetermined loudness range; and storing data on the learned language unit as data for recognizing the speaker. With this configuration, loudness of a speaker is considered at learning for registering his/her voice and at verifying a speaker, so that it is possible to more correctly verify the speaker.
1. A voice registration method for voice recognition, comprising the steps of: analyzing a spectrum of a sound signal inputted from the outside; extracting predetermined language units for a speaker recognition from a voice signal in the sound signal; measuring the loudness of each language unit; collecting voice data on registered(background) speakers including loudness data of the plurality of background speakers as a reference onto voice database; determining whether the loudness of each language unit is within a predetermined loudness range based on the voice data base; learning each language unit by using a multi-layer perceptron in the case that at least a predetermined number of language units are within the predetermined loudness range; and storing data on the learned language unit as data for recognizing the speaker. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the voice analyzing step includes the steps of: representing the voice signal of the speaker as a spectrum; and compressing the spectrum by uniformly allocating filter banks to a speaker recognition region in which a voice characteristics of the speaker is to be recognized. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the speaker recognition region is 0˜3 KHz in which the filter banks are uniformly allocated, whereas over 3 KHz the intervals of the filter banks become logarithmically increased. 4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of employing a plurality of phonemes selected from nasals, vowels, and approximants which include relatively lots of continuous sound as the language units, wherein the language unit extracting step includes the steps of making a plurality of frames by dividing the spectrum into several parts, and extracting a frame having the language unit among the frames. 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the loudness measuring step is comprised of calculating an energy value of the frame having the language unit of the spectrum. 6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of extracting maximum and minimum loudness by analyzing the voice spectrum of the background speakers stored in the voice database and by calculating the energy value of the frame having the language unit, wherein the loudness determining step is comprised of determining whether the number of the frames having the loudness within the maximum and minimum loudness occupies a predetermined rate on more. 7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of forming a plurality of reference patterns to every language unit of the plurality of background speakers, and forming a plurality of speaker patterns to every language unit of the plurality of speakers, wherein the learning step includes the step of learning a pattern characteristics of the speaker by comparing the reference patterns with the speaker patterns according to a back-propagation algorithm. 8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of making learning groups as many as the number of language units of the background speakers by employing the plurality of reference patterns to every language unit of one background speaker as a learning group, wherein the learning step is comprised of learning the pattern characteristics of the speaker by comparing the reference patterns of every learning group with the plurality of the speaker patterns. 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the storing step is comprised of storing the plurality of speaker patterns of every language unit and the loudness of every language unit as a speaker recognition data. 10. The method according to claim 2, wherein the storing step is comprised of storing the plurality of speaker patterns of every language unit and the loudness of every language unit as a speaker recognition data. 11. The method according to claim 3, wherein the storing step is comprised of storing the plurality of speaker patterns of every language unit and the loudness of every language unit as a speaker recognition data. 12. The method according to claim 4, wherein the storing step is comprised of storing the plurality of speaker patterns of every language unit and the loudness of every language unit as a speaker recognition data. 13. The method according to claim 5, wherein the storing step is comprised of storing the plurality of speaker patterns of every language unit and the loudness of every language unit as a speaker recognition data. 14. The method according to claim 6, wherein the storing step is comprised of storing the plurality of speaker patterns of every language unit and the loudness of every language unit as a speaker recognition data. 15. The method according to claim 7, wherein the storing step is comprised of storing the plurality of speaker patterns of every language unit and the loudness of every language unit as a speaker recognition data. 16. The method according to claim 8, wherein the storing step is comprised of storing the plurality of speaker patterns of every language unit and the loudness of every language unit as a speaker recognition data. 17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of requesting the speaker to re-utter in the case that at least the predetermined number of language units are not within the predetermined loudness range. 18. A speaker recognition method for recognizing whether a speaker is a registered speaker, comprising the steps of: analyzing a spectrum of a sound signal inputted from the outside; extracting predetermined language units for a speaker recognition from a voice signal in the sound signal; measuring the loudness of each language unit; determining whether the loudness of each language unit is within a predetermined loudness range; calculating a speaker score by calculating the probability that the language unit will belong to the speaker through a multi-layer perceptron, and by averaging the probability, in the case that at least a predetermined number of language units are within the predetermined loudness range; and verifying that the speaker is registered when the speaker score is beyond a threshold value by comparing the calculated speaker score with the predetermined threshold value which is a predetermined minimum speaker score for verifying the registered speaker. 19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the speaker score can be calculated from the following equation Score speaker = 1 M ⁢ ∑ i = 0 M - 1 ⁢ P ⁡ ( L ⁢ ⁢ U i ) where P(LUi) is a score of the probability that the enquiring speaker is the background speaker of an ith language unit frame, and M is the number of language unit frame extracted from an isolated word. 20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the speaker score can be calculated on the basis of weight of the language units given according to verifiability. 21. A voice recognition system for voice recognition, comprising: a voice analyzer analyzing a spectrum of a sound signal inputted from the outside; a voice extractor extracting a voice signal from the sound signal and extracting predetermined language units for recognizing a speaker from the voice signal; voice database storing therein background speaker voice data including the loudness of a plurality of reference background speakers; a loudness determiner determining the loudness of each language unit, and determining whether the loudness of each language unit is within a predetermined loudness range on the basis of the voice database; a learner learning the language unit in the case that at least the predetermined number more of the language units are within the predetermined loudness range; a memory storing data on the learned language units as recognition data for the speaker; and a controller controlling operations of the voice analyzer, the voice extractor, the loudness determiner and the learner when a voice is inputted, and storing the recognition data for the speaker in the memory. 22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the voice analyzer represents the voice signal of the speaker as a spectrum, and compresses the spectrum by allocating filter banks to a speaker recognition region in which the speaker is to be recognized, at a predetermined interval rate. 23. The system according to claim 22, wherein the speaker recognition region is 0˜3 KHz in which the filter banks are uniformly allocated, whereas over 3 KHz the intervals of the filter banks become logarithmically increased. 24. The system according to claim 23, wherein the voice extractor makes a plurality of frames by dividing the spectrum into several parts, and extracting a frame having phonemes selected from nasals, vowels, and approximants, which include relatively lots of continuous sound as the language units the language unit, among the plurality of frames. 25. The system according to claim 24, wherein the loudness determiner calculates an energy value of the frame having the language unit of the spectrum. 26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the loudness determiner previously determines maximum and minimum loudness by analyzing the voice spectrum of the background speakers stored in the voice database and by calculating the energy value of the frame having the language unit, and determines whether the number of the frame having the loudness within the maximum and minimum loudness is beyond a predetermined rate. 27. The system according to claim 26, wherein the voice extractor forms a plurality of reference patterns corresponding to every language unit of the plurality of background speakers, and forms a plurality of speaker patterns to every language unit of the plurality of speakers; makes a plurality of learning groups by employing the plurality of reference patterns to every language unit of one background speaker as one learning group. 28. The system according to claim 27, wherein the learner learns a pattern property of the speaker by comparing the reference patterns with the speaker patterns according to a back-propagation algorithm. 29. The system according to claim 28, wherein in the memory are stored the plurality of speaker patterns of every language unit and the loudness of every language unit as a speaker recognition data. 30. The system according to claim 29, wherein the controller requests the speaker to re-utter in the case that at least the predetermined number more among all language units of the isolated word is within the predetermined loudness range. 31. A speaker recognition method for recognizing whether a speaker is a registered speaker, comprising: a voice analyzer analyzing a spectrum of a voice signal inputted from external sound signals; a voice extractor picking out voice signals among inputted sound and abstracting predetermined language units for recognizing the speaker from the voice signals; a loudness determiner determining the loudness of each language unit, and determining whether the loudness of each language unit is within a predetermined loudness range; a speaker score calculator calculating a speaker score by calculating probability of that the language unit will belong to the speaker, and by averaging the probability; and a controller controlling the speaker score calculator to calculate the speaker score in the case that at least the predetermined number more among all language units is within the predetermined loudness range, and ascertaining that the speaker has been registered when the speaker score is beyond a threshold value by comparing the calculated speaker score with the predetermined threshold value which is a predetermined minimum speaker score for ascertaining the registered speaker. 32. The system according to claim 31, wherein the speaker score can be derived from Score speaker = 1 M ⁢ ∑ i = 0 M - 1 ⁢ P ⁡ ( L ⁢ ⁢ U i ) Where P(LUi) is a probability score of that the enquiring speaker is the background speaker of an ith language unit frame, and M is the number of language unit frame abstracted from the isolated word. 33. The system according to claim 32, wherein the speaker score calculator calculates the speaker score on the basis of the language units according to discrimination.
<SOH> BACKGROUND ART <EOH>Generally, a security system has been mostly used for a national security and an industrial security, but is recently used for a personal security and a computer security. Especially, the development of computer network systems including Internet has brought the problem that a computer network system becomes increasingly vulnerable to attack and therefore individual information is likely to leak out through networking such as electronic commerce, the Internet, etc. To prevent the problem, in the case of a computer system, there have been developed several methods for allowing only a specified person to access to the computer system. The methods may be classified into a method using an ID, a password, a certification key, etc. and a method using a biological property. The biological property is comprised of a voice, a fingerprint, lines of a finger or a palm, a retinal pattern, etc. The voice is a universal and simple means to express a human's intention. As technologies using the voice, there have been proposed a voice recognition system for perceiving the voice, a speaker recognition system for recognizing a speaker uttering the voice, etc. In the speaker recognition system, a user does not need to use an ID and a password to prevent an illegal use. Further, only a sound card and a microphone, which are generally provided in a personal computer system, are adequate to perform the speaker recognition system. Furthermore, in the speaker recognition system, the personal computer system can be controlled to operate in response to the voice of a specified person. The speaker recognition may be classified into speaker identification and speaker verification in terms of a recognition method. The speaker identification is to identify a speaker of an inputted voice, and the speaker verification is to accept or reject a speaker by verifying the voice of the speaker. A general process of the speaker recognition will be described as follows. First, if a speaker inputs his/her voice to a speaker recognition system in order to register himself/herself, a waveform of the inputted voice signal is represented as a spectrum. The spectrum is analyzed so as to pick out an isolated word, thereby sampling phonemes from the word. Herein, the phonemes are predetermined so as to be employed as a reference for recognizing the voice. Thereafter, the speaker recognition system makes a pattern for each phoneme of a speaker, and subsequently compares it with patterns of the predetermined phonemes, thereby learning the speaker's characteristics. If the learning is completed, the speaker's pattern is registered. Later on, if a voice is newly inputted to the speaker recognition system, the speaker recognition system makes a pattern based on the new-inputted voice through the above analyzing process, and subsequently compares it with the voice pattern of the registered(background) speaker, thereby accepting or rejecting the speaker. In the conventional speaker recognition system, a new-made pattern is compared to the voice pattern of the registered speaker stored in a database. However, the voice stored in the database is recorded under ideal conditions such as little noise, a highly efficient microphone, the uniform loudness of voice, etc., and therefore the voice stored in the database indicates only a special example of the actual voice. In the case of inputting the voice uttered in the conditions different from the voice stored in the database, the performance of the voice recognition system is influenced. Particularly, the loudness of voice makes a significant influence on the performance of the system. Thus, in the voice recognition system, it is necessary to provide voice learning and speaker verification in consideration of the influence of the loudness of voice.
<SOH> BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS <EOH>The present invention will be better understood and its various objects and advantages will be more fully appreciated from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a voice recognition system according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a graph showing a filter bank of the voice recognition system according to the present invention; FIG. 3 is a graph showing a rate of middle distance variation between registered speakers according to the filter bank allocation of FIG. 2 ; FIG. 4 is a graph showing variance degree of the registered speakers according to the filter bank allocation of FIG. 2 ; FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the process of picking out an isolated word in the voice recognition system according to the present invention; FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the process of registering a voice in the voice recognition system according to the present invention; and FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the process of verifying a speaker in the voice recognition system according to the present invention. detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"?

Gamma three protease
Gamma three protease is provided, a novel aspartyl class protease that is capable of taking part in the processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP) to Aβ peptide. Gamma three protease may be involved in the development and/or progression of Alzheimers disease. Methods of identifying inhibitors of gamma three protease, useful in the prevention or treatment of Alzheimers disease, are disclosed.
1. A membrane preparation from eukaryotic cells containing γ3 protease having an Mr of approximately 60 kDa to 120 kDa during gel filtration analysis where the γ3 protease is catalytically active and has an activity that: is not susceptible to inhibition by L-685,458; is susceptible to inhibition by Pepstatin A; displays a pH optimum of 6.0; cleaves a substrate having an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ.ID.NO.:3 between positions 40 and 41 of SEQ.ID.NO.:3 or between positions 42 and 43 of SEQ.ID.NO.:3; where the membrane preparation has been prepared by a method comprising: (a) lysis of cells expressing γ3 protease to produce a lysate; (b) low speed centrifugation of the lysate to form a pellet and a supernatant from the lysate; (c) high speed centrifugation of the supernatant from step (b) to form a pellet and a supernatant from the supernatant from step (b); and (d) resuspension of the pellet from step (c) to form the membrane preparation; and (e) determining that the membrane preparation contains catalytically active γ3 protease by incubating the membrane preparation in the presence of a suitable substrate of γ3 protease under suitable conditions such that the γ3 protease cleaves at least a portion of the substrate into product and identifying product produced from the substrate by the γ3 protease. 2. The membranes of claim 1 where the eukaryotic cells are presenilin-1/presenilin-2 double knockout cells or HeLa cells. 3. The membranes of claim 1 where low speed centrifugation is carried out by centrifuging at from about 750×g to about 1,500×g at a temperature of about 2° C. to about 10° C. for about 5 minutes to about 20 minutes and high speed centrifugation is carried out by centrifuging at from about 75,000×g to about 150,000×g at a temperature of about 2° C. to about 10° C. for about 30 minutes to about 90 minutes. 4. The membranes of claim 1 where low speed centrifugation is carried out by centrifuging at about 1,000×g at a temperature of about 4° C. for about 10 minutes and high speed centrifugation is carried out by centrifuging at about 100,000×g at a temperature of about 4° C. to about 60 minutes. 5. The membranes of claim 1 where step (e) is carried out in the presence of an inhibitor of γ-secretase or at a pH of about 5.8 to 6.2. 6. Purified γ3 protease prepared by a method comprising: (a) solubilizing the membranes of claim 1 in a zwitterionic detergent; (b) centrifuging the solubilizing membranes to obtain a supernatant; (c) passing the supernatant over an affinity column to bind γ3 protease in the supernatant to the affinity column; (d) eluting γ3 protease from the affinity column. 7. The purified γ3 protease of claim 6 where the zwitterionic detergent is CHAPS or CHAPSO at a concentration of about 1% to 2% (w/v) and the affinity column is a Pepstatin A affinity column. 8. A method of preparing a membrane suspension containing γ3 protease comprising: (a) lysis of cells expressing γ3 protease to produce a lysate; (b) low speed centrifugation of the lysate to form a pellet and a supernatant from the lysate; (c) high speed centrifugation of the supernatant from step (b) to form a pellet; (d) resuspension of the pellet from step (c) to form the membrane suspension; (e) determining that the membrane suspension from step (d) contains catalytically active γ3 protease is by incubating the membrane suspension in the presence of a suitable substrate of γ3 protease under suitable conditions such that the γ3 protease cleaves at least a portion of the substrate into product and identifying product produced from the substrate by the γ3 protease; where the γ3 protease has an Mr of approximately 60 kDa to 120 kDa during gel filtration analysis and has an activity that: is not susceptible to inhibition by L-685,458; is susceptible to inhibition by Pepstatin A; displays a pH optimum of 6.0; cleaves a substrate having an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ.ID.NO.:3 between positions 40 and 41 of SEQ.ID.NO.:3 or between positions 42 and 43 of SEQ.ID.NO.:3. 9. The method of claim 8 where step (e) is carried out in the presence of an inhibitor of γ-secretase or at a pH of about 5.8 to 6.2. 10. An assay for γ3 protease comprising: (a) providing a source of γ3 protease; (b) incubating the γ3 protease in the presence of a suitable substrate under suitable conditions such that the γ3 protease cleaves the substrate into product; and (c) determining the amount of product produced from the substrate by the γ3 protease. 11. The assay of claim 10 where step (b) is carried out in the presence of an inhibitor of γ-secretase or at a pH of about 5.8 to 6.2. 12. A method of identifying an inhibitor of γ3 protease comprising: (a) incubating: (i) a source γ3 protease; (ii) a substrate of γ3 protease: in the presence and in the absence of a substance; (b) determining whether the substrate has been cleaved by the γ3 protease; where, if the substrate has been cleaved by γ3 protease to a lesser extent in the presence as compared to the absence of the substance, then the substance is an inhibitor of γ3 protease. 13. The method of claim 12 where the source of γ3 protease is a membrane preparation containing γ3 protease. 14. The method of claim 13 where the membrane preparation comprises membranes isolated from eukaryotic cells, the membranes containing γ3 protease having an Mr of approximately 60 kDa to 120 kDa during gel filtration analysis where the γ3 protease is catalytically active and has an activity that: is not susceptible to inhibition by L-685,458; is susceptible to inhibition by Pepstatin A; displays a pH optimum of 6.0; cleaves a substrate having an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ.ID.NO.:3 between positions 40 and 41 of SEQ.ID.NO.:3 or between positions 42 and 43 of SEQ.ID.NO.:3. 15. The method of claim 12 where the substrate of γ3 protease is a polypeptide comprising all of SEQ.ID.NO.:3; a polypeptide comprising positions 10-70 of SEQ.ID.NO.:3; a polypeptide comprising positions 15-65 of SEQ.ID.NO.:3; a polypeptide comprising positions 20-60 of SEQ.ID.NO.:3; a polypeptide comprising positions 25-55 of SEQ.ID.NO.:3; a polypeptide comprising positions 30-50 of SEQ.ID.NO.:3; a polypeptide comprising positions 3149 of SEQ.ID.NO.:3; a polypeptide comprising positions 3248 of SEQ.ID.NO.:3; a polypeptide comprising positions 3347 of SEQ.ID.NO.:3; a polypeptide comprising positions 3446 of SEQ.ID.NO.:3; a polypeptide comprising positions 35-45 of SEQ.ID.NO.:3; or a polypeptide comprising positions 3644 of SEQ.ID.NO.:3. 16. The method of claim 12 where the substrate comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of: SEQ.ID.NO.:2, SEQ.ID.NO.:3, SEQ.ID.NO.:4, SEQ.ID.NO.:5, and SEQ.ID.NO.:7. 17. The method of claim 13 where the γ3 protease: has an Mr of approximately 60 kDa to 120 kDa during gel filtration analysis: is not susceptible to inhibition by L-685,458; is susceptible to inhibition by Pepstatin A; displays a pH optimum of 6.0; cleaves a substrate having an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ.ID.NO.:3 between positions 40 and 41 of SEQ.ID.NO.:3 or between positions 42 and 43 of SEQ.ID.NO.:3. 18. The method of claim 12 where step (a) is carried out in the presence of an inhibitor of γ-secretase or at a pH of about 5.8 to 6.2. 19. The method of claim 18 where the inhibitor of γ-secretase is selected from the group consisting of: L-685,458, 1, BrA-1, 1-Bt, and BrA-1-Bt.
<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Alzheimer's disease is a common, chronic neurodegenerative disease, characterized by a progressive loss of memory and sometimes severe behavioral abnormalities, as well as an impairment of other cognitive functions that often leads to dementia and death. It ranks as the fourth leading cause of death in industrialized societies after heart disease, cancer, and stroke. The incidence of Alzheimer's disease is high, with an estimated 2.5 to 4 million patients affected in the United States and perhaps 17 to 25 million worldwide. Moreover, the number of sufferers is expected to grow as the population ages. A characteristic feature of Alzheimer's disease is the presence of large numbers of insoluble deposits, known as amyloid plaques, in the brains of those affected. Autopsies have shown that amyloid plaques are found in the brains of virtually all Alzheimer's patients and that the degree of amyloid plaque deposition correlates with the degree of dementia (Cummings & Cotman, 1995, Lancet 326:1524-1587). While some opinion holds that amyloid plaques are a late stage by-product of the disease process, the consensus view is that amyloid plaques are more likely to be intimately, and perhaps causally, involved in Alzheimer's disease. A variety of experimental evidence supports this view. For example, Aβ, a primary component of amyloid plaques, is toxic to neurons in culture and transgenic mice that overproduce Aβ in their brains show significant deposition of Aβ into amyloid plaques and significant neuronal toxicity (Yankner, 1990, Science 250:279-282; Mattson et al., 1992, J. Neurosci. 12:379-389; Games et al., 1995, Nature 373:523-527; LaFerla et al., 1995, Nature Genetics 9:21-29). Mutations in the APP gene, leading to increased Aβ production, have been linked to heritable forms of Alzheimer's disease (Goate et al., 1991, Nature 349:704-706; Chartier-Harlan et al., 1991, Nature 353:844-846; Murrel et al., 1991, Science 254:97-99; Mullan et al., 1992, Nature Genetics 1:345-347). Presenilin-1 (PS1) and presenilin-2 (PS2) related familial early-onset Alzheimer's disease (FAD) shows disproportionately increased production of Aβ1-42, the 42 amino acid isoform of Aβ, as opposed to Aβ1-40, the 40 amino acid isoform (Scheuner et al, 1996, Nature Medicine 2:864-870). The longer isoform of Aβ is more prone to aggregation than the shorter isoform (Jarrett et al, 1993, Biochemistry 32:4693-4697). Injection of the insoluble, fibrillar form of Aβ into monkey brains results in the development of pathology (neuronal destruction, tau phosphorylation, microglial proliferation) that closely mimics Alzheimer's disease in humans (Geula et al., 1998, Nature Medicine 4:827-831). See Selkoe, 1994, J. Neuropathol. Exp. Neurol. 53:438447 for a review of the evidence that amyloid plaques have a central role in Alzheimer's disease. Aβ, a 39-43 amino acid peptide derived by proteolytic cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), is the major component of amyloid plaques (Glenner & Wong, 1984, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 120:885-890). APP is actually a family of polypeptides produced by alternative splicing from a single gene. Major forms of APP are known as APP 695 , APP 751 , and APP 770 , with the subscripts referring to the number of amino acids in each splice variant (Ponte et al., 1988, Nature 331:525-527; Tanzi et al., 1988, Nature 331:528-530; Kitaguchi et al., 1988, Nature 331:530-532). APP is membrane bound and undergoes proteolytic cleavage by at least two pathways. In one pathway, cleavage by an enzyme known as α-secretase occurs while APP is still in the trans-Golgi secretory compartment (Kuentzel et al., 1993, Biochem J. 295:367-378). This cleavage by α-secretase occurs within the Aβ portion of APP, thus precluding the formation of Aβ. In another proteolytic pathway, cleavage of the Met 671 -Asp 672 bond (numbered according to the 751 amino acid protein) by an enzyme known as β-secretase occurs. This cleavage by β-secretase generates the N-terminus of Aβ. The C-terminus is formed by cleavage by a second enzyme known as γ-secretase. The C-terminus is actually a heterogeneous collection of cleavage sites rather than a single site since γ-secretase activity occurs over a short stretch of APP amino acids rather than at a single peptide bond. Peptides of 40 or 42 amino acids in length (Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42, respectively) predominate among the C-termini generated by γ-secretase. Aβ1-42 is more prone to aggregation than Aβ1-40, is the major component of amyloid plaque (Jarrett et al., 1993, Biochemistry 32:4693-4697; Kuo et al., 1996, J. Biol. Chem. 271:4077-4081), and its production is closely associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease (Sinha & Lieberburg, 1999, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96:11049-11053). The bond cleaved by γ-secretase appears to be situated within a transmembrane domain of APP. It is unclear as to whether the C-termini of Aβ-40 and Aβ1-42 are generated by a single γ-secretase protease with sloppy specificity or by two distinct proteases. For a review that discusses APP and its processing, see Selkoe, 1998, Trends Cell. Biol. 8:447453. Much interest has focused on the possibility of inhibiting the development of amyloid plaques as a means of preventing or ameliorating the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. To that end, a promising strategy is to inhibit the activity of β- and γ-secretase, the two enzymes that together are responsible for producing Aβ. This strategy is attractive because, if the formation of amyloid plaques as a result of the deposition of Aβ is a cause of Alzheimer's disease, inhibiting the activity of one or both of the two secretases would intervene in the disease process at an early stage, before late-stage events such as inflammation or apoptosis occur. Such early stage intervention is expected to be particularly beneficial (see, e.g., Citron, 2000, Molecular Medicine Today 6:392-397). To that end, various assays have been developed that are directed to the identification of compounds that may interfere with the production of Aβ or its deposition into amyloid plaques. U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,870 is directed to methods of monitoring the processing of APP by detecting the production of amino terminal fragments of APP. U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,811 is directed to methods of identifying inhibitors of the production of amino terminal fragments of APP. U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,846 is directed to methods of detecting soluble Aβ by the use of binding substances such as antibodies. Esler et al., 1997, Nature Biotechnology 15:258-263 described an assay that monitored the deposition of Aβ from solution onto a synthetic analogue of an amyloid plaque. The assay was suitable for identifying compounds that could inhibit the deposition of Aβ. However, this assay is not suitable for identifying substances, such as inhibitors of γ-secretase, that would prevent the formation of Aβ. Thus, the assay of Esler is directed to a step that is further along in the formation of amyloid plaque than is the assay described in this application. Various groups have cloned and sequenced cDNA encoding a protein that is believed to be β-secretase (Vassar et al., 1999, Science 286:735-741; Hussain et al., 1999, Mol. Cell. Neurosci. 14:419427; Yan et al., 1999, Nature 402:533-537; Sinha et al., 1999, Nature 402:537-540; Lin et al., 2000, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:1456-1460) but the identity of γ-secretase has been more elusive. A pair of proteins known as presenilin-1 and presenilin-2 are viewed as possible candidates (Selkoe & Wolfe, 2000, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:5690-5692). Presenilin-1 (PS1) and presenilin-2 (PS2) are polytopic membrane proteins that are involved in γ-secretase-mediated processing of APP. The most common cause of familial early-onset Alzheimer's disease is the autosomal dominant inheritance of assorted mutations in the PSi gene (Sherrington et al., 1995, Nature 375:754-760). These PSi mutations lead to increased production of Aβ1-42 (Scheuner et al., 1996, Nature Medicine 2:864-870; Duff et al., 1996, Nature 383:710-713; Borchelt et al., 1996, Neuron 17:1005-1013). Similarly, certain mutations in PS2 cause familial early-onset Alzheimer's disease and increased generation of Aβ1-42 (Levy-Lahad et al., 1995, Science 269:970-973). Cultured isolated neurons from PS1-deficient mice exhibit reduced γ-secretase-mediated cleavage of APP (De Strooper et al., 1998, Nature 391:387-390). It was suggested that PS1 might influence trafficking of APP and/or γ-secretase or it might play a more direct role in proteolytic cleavage of APP. Directed mutagenesis of two conserved transmembrane-situated aspartates in PS1 was shown to inactivate γ-secretase activity in cellular assays, suggesting that PS1 is either a required diaspartyl cofactor for γ-secretase or is itself γ-secretase, an intramembranous aspartyl protease (Wolfe et al., 1999, Nature 398:513-517). Moreover, Li et al., 2000, Nature 405:689-694 made photoactivatable derivatives of a highly specific and potent aspartyl protease transition state analog inhibitor and found that the inhibitor selectively labeled presenilin fragments. Despite results such as those described above, it is still uncertain whether PS1 and PS2 are responsible for the γ-secretase activity that is relevant to the processing of APP in connection with Alzheimer's disease. It is desirable to identify all the proteases that may have γ-secretase activity and thus may be involved in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, the identification and purification of novel proteins possessing γ-secretase activity is valuable. The availability of such novel proteases would allow for the development of assays to discover inhibitors of such proteases. Such inhibitors are likely to be valuable in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention is directed to γ3 protease, a novel aspartyl class protease that is capable of taking part in the processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP) to Aβ peptide. Since the deposition of Aβ in the brains of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease is believed to play an important role in the development of this disease, γ3 protease may be involved in the development and/or progression of Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, inhibitors of γ3 protease may have utility in the prevention or treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Methods of identifying such inhibitors are disclosed. Also disclosed are membrane preparations containing partially purified γγ3 protease as well as methods of further purifying γ3 protease and identifying cDNA encoding γ3 protease.

Selective one-motion door opening mechanism for door latch of vehicle
The present selective type one-motion door opening mechanism comprises a ratchet lever (32) for opening a vehicle door, an open lever (22) displaceable by an outside open handle (25), a lock lever (23) displaceable between an unlocked position (U) in which a displacement of the open lever is transmitted to the ratchet lever and an locked position (L) in which the displacement of the open lever is not transmitted to the ratchet lever, a sub-lever (35) being rotated by an inside open handle (19), and a selector pin (41) displaceable between an effective position (X) and to a ineffective position (Y). The rotation of the ratchet lever returns the lock lever to the unlocked position. The selector pin at the effective position transmits the rotation of the sub-lever to the ratchet lever, and selector pin at the ineffective position transmits the rotation of the sub-lever to the open lever.
1. A one-motion door opening mechanism for a vehicle door latch device comprising: a ratchet lever for opening a vehicle door when rotated; an open lever being displaced by a door opening rotation of an outside open handle of the door; a lock lever displaceable between an unlocked position in which a displacement of the open lever is transmitted to the ratchet lever so as to rotate the ratchet lever and an locked position in which the displacement of the open lever is not transmitted to the ratchet lever; a sub-lever being rotated by a door opening rotation of an inside open handle of the door; and a selector pin displaceable between an effective position and a ineffective position; wherein said ratchet lever is constituted so as to be able to return the lock lever located in the locked position to the unlocked position when rotated; wherein said selector pin, when located in the effective position, rotates the ratchet lever by a rotation of the sub-lever so that both of a returning of the lock lever to the unlocked position from the locked position and an opening of the vehicle door are made possible; wherein when said selector pin is switched to the ineffective position, the selector pin transmits the rotation of the sub-lever to the ratchet lever only through the open lever. 2. The one-motion door opening mechanism for the vehicle door latch device according to claim 1, wherein the ratchet lever, the open lever and the sub-lever are coaxially pivoted by a single common shaft. 3. The one-motion door opening mechanism for the vehicle door latch device according to claim 2, wherein said sub-lever comprises a long hole extending to a radial direction of the common shaft, and said selector pin is switched over to the effective position and the ineffective position by sliding within the long hole. 4. The one-motion door opening mechanism for the vehicle door latch device according to claim 3, wherein said ratchet lever comprises an engaging concave portion which does not engage with the selector pin in the ineffective position, but engages with the selector pin in the effective position. 5. The one-motion door opening mechanism for the vehicle door latch device according to claim 3, wherein said open lever comprises the engaging groove which does not engage with the selector pin in the effective position, but engages with the selector pin in the ineffective position. 6. The one-motion door opening mechanism for the vehicle door latch device according to claim 1, wherein a clutch mechanism which can releases a connection between the inside open handle and the sub-lever is provided between the inside open handle and the sub-lever. 7. The one-motion door opening mechanism for the vehicle door latch device according to claim 6, wherein, when the vehicle drives, the clutch mechanism release the connection between the inside open handle and the sub-lever. 8. A one-motion door opening mechanism for a vehicle door latch device comprising: a ratchet lever for opening a vehicle door when rotated; an open lever being displaced by a door opening rotation of an outside open handle of the door; a lock lever displaceable between an unlocked position in which a displacement of the open lever is transmitted to the ratchet lever so as to rotate the ratchet lever and an locked position in which the displacement of the open lever is not transmitted to the ratchet lever; an inner lever being rotated by a door opening rotation of an inside open handle of the door; and said ratchet lever being arranged to return the lock lever of the locked position to the unlocked position when rotated; wherein the inner lever and the inside open handle are connected through a clutch mechanism which is switched over to a connection state and a non-connection state; wherein said clutch mechanism is constituted so as to be switched over to the non-connection state when a running state of the vehicle is detected by a speed sensor of the vehicle and to the connection state when the stopping sate is detected. 9. The one-motion door opening mechanism for the vehicle door latch device according to claim 8, wherein said clutch mechanism is provided in the middle of a wire or a rod which connects the inner lever and the inside open handle.
<SOH> BACKGROUND ART <EOH>In general, in the prevailing vehicle door latch device used hitherto, when a lock mechanism is in a locked state, a door is not opened by a door opening operation of an open handle. However, in the door latch device added with the one-motion door opening mechanism, even when the lock mechanism is in the locked state, a return to an unlocked state of the lock mechanism and an opening of the door are almost simultaneously performed by the door opening operation of an inside open handle. The one-motion mechanism is a very convenient mechanism. However, since the one-motion mechanism makes it possible to release the locked state and open the door by the operation of the inside open handle, it is generally adopted only to the door latch device of the driver's door. The one-motion mechanism is a mechanism closely related to another mechanism of the door latch device, and is designed with another mechanism at the same time. Hence, it has been practically impossible to add the one-motion door opening mechanism to the door latch device having no one-motion mechanisms at a later time. Because of the described reason above, heretofore, the door for other than the driver's seat has been unable to enjoy the convenience of the one-motion door opening mechanism.
<SOH> BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a one-motion door opening mechanism which can be switched over to an effective state and an ineffective state. A door latch device comprising such a one-motion door opening mechanism can be adopted to all the doors, and if safety is ensured at the user's responsibility, almost all people can enjoy the convenience of the one-motion door opening mechanism. Moreover, it is another object of the present invention to provide a clutch mechanism, which can invalidate the one-motion door opening mechanism while running. A serious accident due to misuse of the one-motion door opening mechanism can be prevented substantially by the employment of this clutch mechanism.

Vaccine
The invention provides a vaccine comprising secreted protein derived from Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis (M. ptb) substantially free of whole organisms of that species either dead or alive. The secreted protein may be obtained from a culture of M. ptb with the microorganisms being removed by centrifugation and subsequent filtration. The vaccine may be used for vaccination against Johne's disease.
1. A vaccine comprising secreted protein derived from Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis (M. ptb) which is substantially free of whole organisms of that species either dead or alive. 2. A vaccine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the secreted proteins are obtained from a culture of M. ptb. 3. A vaccine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the microorganisms are of an attenuated strain. 4. A vaccine as claimed in claim 3 wherein the strain is the Weybridge vaccine strain. 5. A vaccine as claimed in claim 1 which comprises an adjuvant. 6. A vaccine of claim 1 which comprises a serum albumin. 7. A vaccine as claimed in claim 2 wherein the secreted proteins are obtained from a microorganism culture, the microorganisms being removed by centrifugation and subsequent filtration. 8. A vaccine against Johne's disease comprising a supernatant of a Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis culture which does not contain whole organisms of that species, either dead or alive. 9. A method for vaccinating an animal against Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis comprising administering a vaccine as claimed in claim 1 to the animal. 10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the animal is a ruminant. 11. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the ruminant is a sheep. 12. Use of the supernatant defined in claim 7 for the preparation of a medicament for vaccinating an animal against Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis.
<SOH> BACKGROUND ART <EOH>Johne's disease ( paratuberculosis ) is a chronic, contagious infection with the acid-fast-staining bacillus Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis ( M. ptb ). The disease affects ruminants and is characterised by emaciation and intermittent diarrhoea or softening of faeces. Johne's disease is a major disease of cattle, sheep, goats, deer, and camels (Beeman et al, The Compendium 11,1415 (1989)). The currently favoured treatment is with a living vaccine (Neoparasec, Merial). This vaccine contains live organisms of the Weybridge strain, an attenuated strain of M. ptb. Killed vaccines are also known. The existing vaccines have two disadvantages. Carcasses of animals treated with the vaccines contain whole organisms which are not readily distinguishable from tuberculosis organisms. In addition both types of vaccines leave injection site lesions which can be easily confused with tuberculosis lesions. An object of the present invention is to prepare a vaccine against Johne's disease in which the above disadvantages are either not present or are reduced.


Characterisation of service quality for an information transmission in a communication network
The invention relates to a communication network, comprising a call control level (CCL), a resource control level (RCL) and at least one endpoint (A), associated with an information transfer, whereby a request (RQ) for a quality of service (QoS), determined for an information transfer is only exhaustively verified at the call control level (CCL). Subsequently, an encoded token (T) is formed and transmitted to the resource control level (RCL) by means of the endpoint (A). The above verifies a QoS request (RQ) coming from the endpoint (A), merely by means of the decoded token (T). Where successful the communication network is configured such that information with the QoS verified as above is transmitted. The invention permits an efficient secure and accurate provision of QoS in integrated speech and data networks. In particular extensive modifications to existing routers in the resource control level (RCL) are avoided. Furthermore, on regular repeated transmission of the token (T) a consistent provision of the available QoS and a secure and precise billing for the information transfer are supported.
1. A method for saving data (QoS) for characterizing the quality of service for a data transmission performed in at least one communication network comprising: recording the data at least for each data transmission for which a specific quality of service has been promised beforehand by at least one endpoint of the data transmission; transmitting the data thus recorded to at least one separate instance; and storing the data by the separate instance. 2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the instance is arranged in the Call Control Level of a communication network which includes a Call Control Level and a Resource Control Level. 3. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein the instance is assigned to a Call Controller provided in the Call Control Level. 4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the data is saved together with additional data for charging for the data communication. 5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the data in the case of a bidirectional data transmission characterizes the quality of service for both transmission directions. 6. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the data is transmitted to the instance after the data transmission. 7. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the data is transmitted by the endpoint to the instance in available, standardized signalling messages. 8. A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein the data is inserted as project-specific elements into the available standardized signalling messages. 9. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the data is transmitted by the endpoint to the instance in at least one additional, separate message. 10. A computer program product for performing a method for saving data for characterizing the quality of service for a data transmission in at least one communication network, the method comprising: recording the data at least for each data transmission for which a specific quality of service has been promised beforehand by at least one endpoint of the data transmission; transmitting the data thus recorded to at least one separate instance; and storing the data by the separate instance. 11. A separate entity for performing a method for saving data for characterizing the quality of service for a data transmission in at least one communication network, the method comprising: recording the data at least for each data transmission for which a specific quality of service has been promised beforehand by at least one endpoint of the data transmission; transmitting the data thus recorded to at least one separate instance; and storing the data by the separate instance. 12. An endpoint including facilities for performing a method for saving data for characterizing the quality of service for a data transmission in at least one communication network, the method comprising: recording the data at least for each data transmission for which a specific quality of service has been promised beforehand by at least one endpoint of the data transmission; transmitting the data thus recorded to at least one separate entity; and storing the data by the separate entity. 13. An endpoint in accordance with claim 12, wherein the facilities are so constructed that the method is performed for each data transmission. 14. An endpoint in accordance with claim 13, whereby wherein the facilities are so constructed that the data for characterizing the quality of service for a data transmission is continuously recorded for each data transmission. 15. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein the data is saved together with additional data for charging for the data communication. 16. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein the data in the case of a bidirectional data transmission characterizes the quality of service for both transmission directions. 17. A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein the standardized signalling messages are NH.225.0 and/or NSIP. 18. A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein the standardized signalling messages are used to indicate the termination of a data transmission.



Butt welder and butt welding method and butt welded product
Disclosed are a butt welding apparatus, a butt welding method, and a product manufactured by the butt welding method. Two electrode rollers (3, 4) are disposed on both the front and back sides of a thick sheet member (1) and on both the front and back sides of a thin sheet member (2) whose end surfaces (1A, 2A) are butted. The electrode rollers (3, 4) are applied with power, melt the butt portion (6) of the sheet members (1, 2) with electric resistance heat, and joint the butt portion. Further, the electrode rollers (3, 4) have a length bridging across the sheet members (1, 2) and are composed of first portions (3A, 4A) arranged as small diameter portions on the side of the thick sheet member (1) and second portions (3B, 4B) arranged as large diameter portions on the side of the thin sheet member (2). The first portions (3A, 4A) come into contact with the thick sheet member (1) and presses it before the second portions (3B, 4B) come into contact with the thin sheet member (2). Thus, the end surface (1A) of the thick sheet member (1) swells and deforms toward the thin sheet member (2) and reliably comes into contact with the end surface (2A) of the thin sheet member (2). As a result, power is applied between the end surfaces (1A, 2A) even if the end surfaces (1A, 2A) are not finished by polishing and the like.
1. A butt welding apparatus having a pair of two electrode members disposed on both the front and back sides of two welding sheet members whose end surfaces are butted and each having a thickness bridging across the welding sheet members for melting the butt portion of the two welding sheet members with electric resistance heat by supplying power between the electrode members and jointing the welding sheet members, characterized by comprising press portions formed in the pair of electrode members for pressing one of the two welding sheet members in the thickness direction thereof and for swelling and deforming the end surface of the one welding sheet member, which faces the other welding sheet member, toward the other welding sheet member by pressing the one welding sheet. 2. A butt welding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that one of the two welding sheet members is a thick sheet member having a large thickness and the other of them is a thin sheet member having a small thickness, the thick sheet member is butted to the thin sheet member by dislocating both the front and back surfaces of the thin sheet member with respect to both the front and back surfaces of the thick sheet member and disposing the thin sheet member within the thickness of the thick sheet member, each of the pair of electrode members has a first portion on the side of the thick sheet member and a second portion on the side of the thin sheet member, the first and second portions being disposed side by side in the thickness direction of the electrode members, and the second portions project in the press direction with respect to the first portions acting as the press portions. 3. A butt welding apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the first portions of the pair of electrode members have a thickness extending toward the thin sheet member across the butt portion of the thick sheet member and the thin sheet member. 4. A butt welding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the two welding sheet members have the same thickness, these welding sheet members are butted by causing both the front and back surfaces of the welding sheet members to be in agreement with each other, each of the pair of electrode members has a first portion on the side of one of the two welding sheet members and a second portion on the side of the other of them, the first and second portions being disposed side by side in the thickness direction of the electrode members, and the second portions retract in a direction opposite to the press direction with respect to the respective first portions acting as the press portions. 5. A butt welding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that one of the two welding sheet members is a thick sheet member having a large thickness and the other of them is a thin sheet member having a small thickness, the thick sheet member is butted to the thin sheet member by causing one of both the front and back surfaces of the thick sheet member to be in agreement with one of both the front and back surfaces of the thin sheet member without step, one of the pair of electrode members disposed on the side of the surfaces of the thick and thin sheet members where a step is arisen has a first portion on the side of the thick sheet member and a second portion on the side of the thin sheet member, the first and second portions being disposed side by side in the thickness direction of the electrode members and the second portion projecting more than the first portion in the press direction, the other electrode member comes into contact with both the thick and thin sheet members, and the portion of the other electrode member corresponding to the thick sheet member and the first portion of the one electrode member act as the press portions. 6. A butt welding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that one of the two welding sheet members is a thick sheet member having a large thickness and the other of them is a thin sheet member having a small thickness, the thick sheet member is butted to the thin sheet member by causing one of both the front and back surfaces of the thick sheet member to be in agreement with one of both the front and back surfaces of the thin sheet member without step, one of the pair of electrode members disposed on the side of the surfaces of the thick and thin sheet members in agreement with each other without step has a first portion on the side of the thick sheet member and a second portion on the side of the thin sheet member, the first and second portions being disposed side by side in the thickness direction of the electrode members, the first and second portions project toward the thick and thin sheet members in the same amount, the other of the electrode members also has a first portion on the side of the thick sheet member and a second portion on the side of the thin sheet member, the first and second portions being disposed side by side in the thickness direction of the electrode members, the second portion of the first and second portions projects more than the first portion toward the thin sheet member, the second portion of the one electrode member and the first portion of the other electrode member have electric conductivity, the first portion of the one electrode member and the second portion of the other electrode member have an electric insulating property, and the first portion of the one electrode member and first portion of the other electrode member act as the press portions. 7. A butt welding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the pair of electrode members are composed of electrode rollers rolling with respect to the two welding sheet members. 8. A butt welding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the pair of electrode members have a length extending along the butt portion of the two welding sheet members and are composed of block electrodes for applying a press load to the welding sheet members. 9. A butt welding apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the butt portion of the two welding sheet members extends non-linearly, and the pair of electrode members have a shape extending in correspondence to the butt portion. 10. A butt welding apparatus according to claim 7, characterized by comprising a cooling liquid dropping unit for dropping a cooling liquid onto a portion just behind a portion butt welded by the electrode rollers in the two sheet members. 11. A butt welding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by comprising an anti-oxidation gas supply unit for supplying an anti-oxidation gas onto at least a portion butt welded by the pair of electrode members in the two welding sheet members. 12. A butt welding method of butting end surfaces of two welding sheet members and jointing the butt portion of the two welding sheet members by melting the butt portion with electric resistance heat by supplying power between a pair of two electrode members disposed on both the front and back sides of the welding sheet members and each having a length bridging across the welding sheet members, characterized by comprising the steps of: pressing one of the two welding sheet members in the thickness direction thereof by the pair of electrode members being applied with power and swelling and deforming the end surface of the one welding sheet member, which faces the other welding sheet member, toward the other welding sheet member; and securing the contact state between the end surfaces through the swelling and deformation. 13. A butt welding method according to claim 12, characterized in that one of the two welding sheet members is a thick sheet member having a large thickness and the other of them is a thin sheet member having a small thickness, the thick sheet member is butted to the thin sheet member by dislocating both the front and back surfaces of the thin sheet member with respect to both the front and back surfaces of the thick sheet member and disposing the thin sheet member within the thickness of the thick sheet member, power is applied to the thick sheet member while pressing it by the pair of electrode members, and, thereafter, power is also applied to the thin sheet member by causing the pair of electrode members to come into contact with the thin sheet member. 14. A butt welding method according to claim 12, characterized in that the two welding sheet members have the same thickness and are butted by causing both the front and back surfaces of the welding sheet members to be in agreement with each other, power is applied to the one of the two welding sheet members while pressing the one welding sheet member by the pair of electrode member, and, thereafter, power is also applied to the other welding sheet member by causing the pair of electrode members to come into contact with the other welding sheet member. 15. A butt welding method according to claim 12, characterized in that one of the two welding sheet members is a thick sheet member having a large thickness and the other of them is a thin sheet member having a small thickness, the thick sheet member is butted to the thin sheet member by causing one of both the front and back surfaces of the thick sheet member to be in agreement with one of both the front and back surfaces of the thin sheet member without step, power is applied to the thick sheet member while pressing it by the pair of electrode members, and, thereafter, power is also applied to the thin sheet member by causing the pair of electrode members to come into contact with the thin sheet member. 16. A butt welded product manufactured from a tailored blank manufactured by a butt welding method according to claim 15, characterized in that the product forms a part of a vehicle body of a vehicle by being used as an inner panel coupled with an outer panel and the surface on the side without step is disposed as an outward surface facing the outer panel. 17. A butt welded product according to claim 16, characterized in that the inner panel is an inner panel for each door attached to the main portion of the vehicle body by hinges which are coupled with the thick sheet member of the thick and thin sheet members forming the inner panel. 18. A butt welded product manufactured from a tailored blank manufactured by a butt welding method according to claim 15, characterized in that the butt welded product is used as a dashboard of a vehicle, the thin sheet member forms an upper side and the thick sheet member forms a lower side, and the surface without step faces the side of a vehicle inside space formed in front of a driver's seat. 19. A butt welding method according to claim 12, characterized in that one of the two welding sheet members is a thick sheet member having a large thickness and the other of them is a thin sheet member having a small thickness, the thick sheet member is butted to the thin sheet member by causing one of both the front and back surfaces of the thick sheet member to be in agreement with one of both the front and back surfaces of the thin sheet member without step, and power is applied to the thick and thin sheet members through a path obliquely passing through the butt portion by the pair of electrode members while pressing the thick sheet member by the electrode members. 20. A butt welded product manufactured from a tailored blank manufactured by a butt welding method according to claim 19, characterized in that the product forms a part of a vehicle body of a vehicle by being used as an inner panel coupled with an outer panel, and the surface on the side without step is disposed as an outward surface facing the outer panel. 21. A butt welded product according to claim 20, characterized in that the inner panel is an inner panel for each door attached to the main portion of the vehicle body by hinges which are coupled with the thick sheet member of the thick and thin sheet members forming the inner panel. 22. A butt welded product manufactured from a tailored blank manufactured by a butt welding method according to claim 19, characterized in that the butt welded product is used as a dashboard of a vehicle, the thin sheet member forms an upper side and the thick sheet member forms a lower side, and the surface without step faces the side of a vehicle inside space formed in front of a driver's seat.
<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Technical field The present invention relates to a butt welding apparatus for and a butt welding method of melting and jointing a butt portion where end surfaces of two welding sheet members are butted to each other with electric resistance heat generated by power applied between a pair of two electrode members, and to a butt welded product manufactured by the butt welding method. 2. Background art FIG. 21 shows a conventional butt welding apparatus. Two welding sheet members 101 , 102 having the same thickness are set to the welding apparatus with end surfaces 101 A, 102 A butted to each other. Each of electrode rollers 103 , 104 disposed on both the front and back surface sides of the sheet members 101 , 102 has a thickness bridging across the sheet members 101 , 102 , and power is applied between the electrode rollers 103 , 104 when the sheet members 101 , 102 are welded. When the power is applied between the electrode rollers 103 , 104 while they press both the sheet members 101 , 102 , the metal material of the sheet members 101 , 102 is melted and a nugget 105 is formed in the sheet members 101 , 102 at a central portion in the thickness thereof where an electric resistance is increased in the sheet members 101 , 102 by the resistance heat of the power flowing in the thickness direction of both the sheet members 101 , 102 . Further, since the power also flows through a path passing through a butt portion 106 where the end surfaces 101 A, 102 A are butted to each other, the butt portion 106 is also melted at a central portion in the thickness thereof by the heat generated by the contact resistance of these end surfaces 101 A, 102 A. Thus, the nugget 105 is formed so as to bridge across both the sheet members 101 , 102 . Then, when the electrode rollers 103 , 104 move along the butt portion 106 while rolling or when the sheet members 101 , 102 move with respect to the electrode rollers 103 , 104 that are free to move at a definite position, the nugget 105 , which can joint the sheet members 101 , 102 with a large amount of strength, is formed over the entire length of the butt portion 106 . To form the nugget 105 bridging across both the sheet members 101 , 102 , an electrically conductive state must be secured by causing the end surface 101 A of the sheet member 101 to be butted to come into contact with the end surface 102 A of the sheet member 102 . Thus, conventionally, both the end surfaces 101 A, 102 A are polished over the entire lengths thereof prior to butt welding so as to secure a contact state of the end surfaces 101 A, 102 A in the butt welding. Therefore, conventionally, welding sheet members, for example, sheared in predetermined sizes by a shearing apparatus cannot be butt welded in a sheared state and must be subjected to finish processing to the end surfaces 101 A, 102 A prior to a welding operation, which increases a working cost and a working time. An object of the present invention is to provide a butt welding apparatus and a butt welding method capable of eliminating processing such as polishing, and the like for finishing the end surfaces of two welding sheet members to be butted prior to butt welding, and to provide a butt welded product capable of being manufactured by the butt welding method.
<SOH> BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS <EOH>FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a butt welding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a view showing a butted state of two sheet members shown in FIG. 1 at the cross-sectional position of the two sheet members when butt welding starts using electrode rollers as electrode members; FIG. 3 is a view showing a state following the start of the butt welding at the cross-sectional position of the same sheet members as those shown in FIG. 2 ; FIG. 4 is a view showing a state further following the state of FIG. 3 at the cross-sectional position of the same sheet members as those shown in FIG. 2 ; FIG. 5 is a view showing a state in which the butt welding is finished at the cross-sectional position of the same sheet members as those shown in FIG. 2 ; FIG. 6 is a view showing butt welding according to another embodiment at the cross-sectional position of two sheet members when welding starts; FIG. 7 is a view showing a state in which the butt welding is finished at the cross-sectional position of the same sheet members as those shown in FIG. 6 as to the embodiment of FIG. 6 ; FIG. 8 is a view showing butt welding according to still another embodiment at the cross-sectional position of two sheet members when welding starts; FIG. 9 is a view showing a state in which the butt welding is finished at the cross-sectional position of the same sheet members as those shown in FIG. 8 as to the embodiment of FIG. 8 ; FIG. 10 is a view showing butt welding according to a further embodiment at the cross-sectional position of two sheet members when welding starts; FIG. 11 is a view showing a state in which the butt welding is finished at the cross-sectional position of the same sheet members as those shown in FIG. 10 as to the embodiment of FIG. 10 ; FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of a vehicle using a product manufactured from a tailored blank composed of thick and thin sheet members according to the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9 and the embodiment of FIGS. 10 and 11 as an inner panel of a door disposed to a side of the vehicle; FIG. 13 is a sectional perspective view of a main portion of the door of FIG. 12 ; FIG. 14 is a sectional view of FIG. 13 taken along a line S 14 -S 14 ; FIG. 15 is a back perspective view of a vehicle using a product manufactured from a tailored blank composed of thick and thin sheet members according to the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9 and the embodiment FIGS. 10 and 11 as an inner panel of a back door; FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a dashboard lower panel as a product manufactured from a tailored blank composed of thick and thin sheet members according to the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9 and the embodiment FIGS. 10 and 11 when the dashboard lower panel is viewed from the side of a vehicle inside space such as an engine room and the like disposed in front of a driver's seat; FIG. 17 is a longitudinal sectional view of the dashboard lower panel of FIG. 16 ; FIG. 18 is a perspective view schematically showing a butt welding apparatus that shows an embodiment using block electrodes as electrode members; FIG. 19 is a plan view of FIG. 18 ; FIG. 20 is a view similar to FIG. 19 and shows an embodiment in which the block electrodes as the electrode members extend non-linearly in correspondence to the butt portion of two sheet members; and FIG. 21 is a view showing a conventional butt welding apparatus at the cross-sectional position of sheet members. detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"?

Organic semicondutor element
The present invention relates to an organic semiconductor thin film suitably employed in electronics, photonics, bioelectronics, or the like, and a method for forming the same. The present invention further relates to a solution for an organic semiconductor used to form the organic semiconductor thin film and an organic semiconductor device using the organic semiconductor thin film. The transistor of the present invention is manufactured by forming sequentially a gate electrode (2), an insulator layer (3), a source electrode and drain electrode (4, 4) on a glass substrate (5), applying thereto a 0.05% (by mass) solution of pentacene in o-dichlorobenzene and drying the solution to form an organic semiconductor thin film (1). The present invention provides a transistor with superior electronic characteristics because the organic semiconductor thin film (1), which can be formed easily at low cost, is almost free of defects.
1. A solution for organic semiconductors comprising a polyacene and a solvent at least comprising a polyacene dissolving solvent capable of dissolving said polyacene, wherein said polyacene dissolving solvent is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, lactones and carbonates. 2. The solution for organic semiconductors according to claim 1, wherein said polyacene is represented by the chemical formula (1): wherein at least one of the functional groups from R1 to R10 comprises one or more of groups selected from the group consisting of aliphatic hydrocarbons such as alkyls, alkenyls and alkynyls, aromatic hydrocarbons, alkoxyls, halogens, acyls, esters, ethers, aminos, amides, cyanos, silyls and photoreactive groups, and the others of said functional groups are hydrogen atoms; and n represents an integer of from 2 to 7. 3. The solution for organic semiconductors according to claim 1, wherein said polyacene is represented by the chemical formula (1): wherein at least one of the functional groups R2, R3, R7 and R8 comprises one or more groups selected from the group consisting of aliphatic hydrocarbons such as alkyls, alkenyls and alkynyls, aromatic hydrocarbons, alkoxyls, halogens, acyls, esters, ethers, aminos, amides, cyanos, silyls and photoreactive groups, and the others of said functional groups as well as R1, R4, R5, R6, R9 and R10 are hydrogen atoms; and n represents an integer of from 2 to 7. 4. The solution for organic semiconductors according to claim 1, wherein said polyacene is represented by the chemical formula (1): wherein at least one of the functional groups R1, R4, R5, R6, R9 and R10 comprises one or more groups selected from the group consisting of aliphatic hydrocarbons such as alkyls, alkenyls and alkynyls, aromatic hydrocarbons, alkoxyls, halogens, acyls, esters, ethers, aminos, amides, cyanos, silyls and photoreactive groups, and the others of said functional groups as well as R2, R3, R7 and R8 are hydrogen atoms; and n represents an integer of from 2 to 7. 5. The solution for organic semiconductors according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon is a dihalogenated aromatic hydrocarbon. 6. The solution for organic semiconductors according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said polyacene is contained in an amount of from 0.01 to 8% by mass and said polyacene dissolving solvent is contained in an amount of from 10 to 99.99% by mass based on the total mass. 7. The solution for organic semiconductors according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein electron-donating molecules or electron-accepting molecules capable of forming a charge-transfer complex with said polyacene are present in an amount of 10% or less by mass based on the total mass. 8-9. (canceled) 10. The organic semiconductor thin film containing a polyacene, wherein said polyacene is represented by the chemical formula (1): wherein at least one of the functional groups R2, R3, R7 and R8 comprises one or more groups selected from the group consisting of aliphatic hydrocarbons such as alkyls, alkenyls and alkynyls, aromatic hydrocarbons, alkoxyls, halogens, acyls, esters, ethers, aminos, amides, cyanos, silyls and photoreactive groups, and the others of said functional groups as well as R1, R4, R5, R6, R9 and R10 are hydrogen atoms; and n represents an integer of from 2 to 7. 11. The organic semiconductor thin film containing a polyacene, wherein said polyacene is represented by the chemical formula (1): wherein at least one of the functional groups R1, R4, R5, R6, R9 and R10 comprises one or more groups selected from the group consisting of aliphatic hydrocarbons such as alkyls, alkenyls and alkynyls, aromatic hydrocarbons, alkoxyls, halogens, acyls, esters, ethers, aminos, amides, cyanos, silyls and photoreactive groups, and the others of said functional groups as well as R2, R3, R7 and R8 are hydrogen atoms; and n represents an integer of from 2 to 7. 12. An organic semiconductor thin film formed from the solution for organic semiconductor described in any one of claims 1 to 4 from by vaporizing said solvent. 13. An organic semiconductor thin film formed from the solution for organic semiconductor described in claim 7 by vaporizing said solvent, wherein at least part of said electron-donating molecules or said electron-accepting molecules are removed. 14. The organic semiconductor thin film according to any one of claims 10 or 11, wherein said organic semiconductor thin film is a crystalline organic semiconductor thin film formed on a substrate; and the long axis of the molecule of said polyacene is perpendicular to the surface of said substrate. 15. The organic semiconductor thin film according to any one of claims 10 or 11, wherein carrier mobility is 0.03 cm2/V·s or more. 16. The organic semiconductor thin film according to any one of claims 10 or 11, wherein denaturation is present due to the reaction of said photoreactive group to radiation energy. 17. A method for manufacturing an organic semiconductor thin film, wherein an organic semiconductor thin film formed from the solution for organic semiconductor described in any one of claims by vaporizing said solvent is doped with electron-donating molecules or electron-accepting molecules capable of forming a charge-transfer complex with said polyacene. 18. A method for manufacturing an organic semiconductor thin film from the solution for organic semiconductor described in any one of claims 1 to 4 by vaporizing said solvent, wherein at least one of temperature gradient, electric field and magnetic field is applied to control the crystal growth of said polyacene. 19. An organic semiconductor device comprising an organic containing a polyacene, wherein said polyacene is represented by the chemical formula (1): wherein at least one of the functional groups R2, R3, R7 and R8 comprises one or more groups selected from the group consisting of aliphatic hydrocarbons such as alkyls, alkenyls and alkynyls, aromatic hydrocarbons, alkoxyls, halogens, acyls, esters, ethers, aminos, amides, cyanos, silyls and photoreactive groups, and the others of said functional groups as well as R1, R4, R5, R6, R9 and R10 are hydrogen atoms; and n represents an integer of from 2 to 7. 20. The organic semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein the carrier mobility of said organic semiconductor thin film is 0.03 cm2/V·s or more. 21. A transistor comprising a gate electrode, an insulator layer, a source electrode, a drain electrode and a semiconductor layer, wherein said semiconductor layer comprises an organic semiconductor thin film containing a polyacene, wherein said polyacene is represented by the chemical formula (1): wherein at least one of the functional groups R2, R3, R7 and R8 comprises one or more groups selected from the group consisting of aliphatic hydrocarbons such as alkyls, alkenyls and alkynyls, aromatic hydrocarbons, alkoxyls, halogens, acyls, esters, ethers, aminos, amides, cyanos, silyls and photoreactive groups, and the others of said functional groups as well as R1, R4, R5, R6, R9 and R10 are hydrogen atoms; and n represents an integer of from 2 to 7. 22. The transistor according to claim 21, wherein the carrier mobility of said organic semiconductor thin film is 0.03 cm2/V·s or more. 23. A method for manufacturing the organic semiconductor device according to claim 19 or claim 20, or the transistor according to claim 21 or 22, wherein any electrode, any insulator layer and any semiconductor layer of said organic semiconductor device is formed by printing or applying the solution of claims 1 to 4. 24. A display comprising a pixel face consisting of a large number of pixels, wherein the organic semiconductor device according to claim 19 or claim 20, or the transistor according to claim 21 or 22, is allocated to each of said pixels. 25. A method for manufacturing the display according to claim 24, wherein the electrode, insulator layer and semiconductor layer of said organic semiconductor device or said transistor are formed by printing or applying a solution.
<SOH> BACKGROUND ART <EOH>Organic semiconductor devices require milder film-forming conditions than conventional inorganic semiconductor devices. Because it is possible to form semiconductor thin films on various substrates and at ordinary temperature, there are expectations for low cost and flexible nature by forming thin films on polymer films and the like. Organic semiconductor materials thus far studied include polyphenylenevinylene, polypyrrole, polythiophene, oligothiophene, as well as polyacenes such as anthracene, tetracene and pentacene. It has been reported that polyacenes, in particular, have high crystallinity due to their strong intermolecular cohesive force, resulting in high carrier mobility and resultant superior semiconductor device characteristics. The form of polyacene applied to a device includes a vapor deposition film or single crystals, and its application to transistors, solar cells and lasers has been studied (Shone et al., Science, 289, p 559 (2000); Shone et al., Science, 287, p 1022 (2000); Dimitrakopourasu et al., Journal of Applied Physics, 80, p 2501 (1996); Shone et al., Nature, 403, p 408 (2000); and Croke et al., IEEE Transaction On Electron Devices, 46, p 1258 (1999)). However, because these vapor deposition films and single crystals are formed in a vacuum vessel, they require expensive and complex equipment and in the case of single crystals, devices suitable for use have been limited in size. On the other hand, a method for forming a thin film of pentacene that is a kind of polyacene by applying a solution of a pentacene precursor on a substrate and heating it has been reported (Brown et al., Journal of Applied Physics, 79, p 2136, (1996)). Since polyacenes are hardly soluble, a soluble precursor was used to form a thin film, which was heated to convert into a polyacene. However, the method using a precursor required treatment at a temperature as high as 150° C. to convert the precursor to a polyacene. In addition, non-reacted portions remained because a complete conversion to the polyacene was difficult, and denaturation due to high temperature occurred. Polyacenes having substituents have been reported by Takahashi et al. (Journal of American Chemical Society, 122, p 12876 (2000)), Graham et al. (Journal of Organic Chemistry, 60, p 5770 (1995)), Anthony et al. (Organic Letters, 2, p 85 (2000)) and Miller et al. (Organic Letters, 2, p 3979 (2000)). These reports describe derivatives of various polyacenes having introduced substituents, but no description has been given as to their characteristics as organic semiconductor materials and a method for forming thin films. Hence, it is an object of the present invention to solve the problems with prior art described above and provide a solution for organic semiconductor that can be used to easily form a defectless organic semiconductor thin film with high crystallinity at a low cost. Another object of the present invention is to provide a defectless organic semiconductor thin film and a method for forming the same. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an organic semiconductor device with superior electronic characteristics.
<SOH> BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS <EOH>FIG. 1 is a conceptual drawing showing a transistor manufacturing system comprising linearly arranged printers; FIG. 2 is an X-ray diffraction pattern of a naphthacene thin film; FIG. 3 is an X-ray diffraction pattern of a pentacene thin film; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a field effect transistor that is an embodiment of the invention organic semiconductor device; FIG. 5 is a current/voltage curve of a field effect transistor; FIG. 6 is an X-ray diffraction pattern of a tetramethylpentacene thin film; FIG. 7 is a current/voltage curve of a transistor using tetramethylpentacene thin films; FIG. 8 is an X-ray diffraction pattern of a tetrahexylpentacene thin film; FIG. 9 is a current/voltage curve of a transistor using tetrahexylpentacene thin films; FIG. 10 is an X-ray diffraction pattern of a tetrabutylpentacene thin film; FIG. 11 is an X-ray diffraction pattern of a tetrapropylpentacene thin film; FIG. 12 is a current/voltage curve of a transistor using tetrapropylpentacene thin films; FIG. 13 is an X-ray diffraction pattern of a bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene thin film; FIG. 14 is a current/voltage curve of a transistor using bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene thin films; and FIGS. 15A to 15 E are cross-sectional views showing the manufacturing steps of transistors using organic semiconductor thin films in accordance with a printing method. detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"?

Computer-based methods of designing molecules
The invention features a method of generating an immunogenic compound with the ability to induce an immune response to a molecule produced by a pathogenic agent, e.g., a infectious agent or a tumor cell. Also included in the invention are an immunogenic compound generated by the method of the invention and a method of inducing an immune response in a mammal that involves administering the immunogenic compound to the mammal.
1. A computer-assisted method of generating an immunogen, the method requiring use of a programmed computer comprising a processor and an input device, the method comprising: (a) providing a pathogenesis factor (PF), or a fragment of a PF, comprising a region with low polymorphism, wherein the region is in an active conformation; (b) obtaining data on the region in the active conformation, wherein the data can be used to determine the three-dimensional structure of the region in the active conformation; (c) inputting to the input device the data; (d) determining, using the processor, the three-dimensional structure of the region in the active conformation; (e) designing a compound comprising a domain that includes at least one epitope with the ability to induce the production in a mammal of an antibody that binds to the region in the active conformation, (f) producing the compound; and (g) determining whether the compound is an immunogen in a mammalian host. 2. A process of manufacturing a compound, the process comprising: carrying out the method of claim 1; and, after determining that the compound is an immunogen, manufacturing the compound. 3. A method of testing a compound for prophylactic activity, the method comprising administering a compound made by the method of claim 2 to a mammal and testing for the presence in the mammal of antibodies that inhibit the pathogenicity of a pathogenic agent of which the PF is (a) a component or (b) an altered form of a component, wherein the presence in the mammal of antibodies that inhibit the pathogenicity of the pathogenic agent is an indication that the compound has prophylactic activity against the pathogenic agent. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the PF is a component, or an altered form of a component, of an infectious microorganism. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the infectious microorganism is a microorganism that replicates inside a cell. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the microorganism is a virus. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the virus is a retrovirus. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the retrovirus is simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). 9. The method of claim 5, wherein the microorganism is a protozoan parasite. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the protozoan parasite is a malarial protozoan parasite. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the PF is merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP-1) or ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (RESA). 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the PF is selected-from the group consisting of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein-1(PfEMP-1), Plasmodium falciparum 332 antigen (Pf332), Rosettin, merozoite surface protein-2 (MSP-2), serine stretch protein (SERP), glutamate-rich protein (GLURP), apical membrane antigen-1 (AMA-1), and histidine-rich protein-2 (HRP-2). 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the PF is: (a) a naturally occurring polypeptide; (b) an altered form of a naturally occurring polypeptide; or (c) a molecular complex comprising two or more subunits, each subunit being either of (a) or (b). 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the PF comprises a complex of retroviral envelope glycoproteins. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the PF comprises three recombinant SIV gp140 polypeptides. 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the PF is a component, or an altered form of a component, of a cancer cell. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the PF is prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA). 18. The method of claim 4, wherein the microorganism is a bacterium. 19. The method of claim 5, wherein the PF, or a wild-type form of the PF, mediates entry of the microorganism into a cell. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the cell is a CD4+ cell. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the CD4+ cell is a T cell. 22. The method of claim 20, wherein the CD4+ cell is a monocyte or a macrophage. 23. The method of claim 19, wherein the cell is an erythrocyte. 24. The method of claim 1, wherein the PF is provided in a crystalline form and the data are a criteria data set comprising three-dimensional atomic coordinates. 25. A compound made by the process of claim 2. 26. A method of inducing an immune response in a mammal, the method comprising administering the compound of claim 25 to the mammal. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the immune response is a protective immune response. 28. The method of claim 26, wherein the compound is administered parenterally to the mammal. 29. The method of claim 26, wherein the compound is administered intranasally or transcutaneously.
<SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>In view of the human and economic devastation inflicted by infectious diseases such as AIDS and malaria and malignant diseases such as breast and prostate cancer, it is imperative that immunogens be developed that can be used as prophylactic and/or therapeutic agents against them.
<SOH> SUMMARY <EOH>The inventors have discovered a computer-based method for designing a compound useful for eliciting antibodies specific for a particular pathogenic agent. The method involves identifying the three-dimensional (3-D) structure of a segment of a pathogenic agent-derived, biological molecule (e.g., a protein) (designated herein as a pathogenic factor) that is likely to be an effective pathogenic agent-specific immunogen. Having obtained the 3-D structure of such a segment, a compound (e.g., a peptide) with essentially the same 3-D structure as the segment is synthesized and tested for its ability to elicit the production of antibodies in a mammalian host; such antibodies will preferably (though not necessarily) be protective from the pathogenic effect of a relevant pathogenic agent. A compound with the capacity to elicit the production of antibodies can then be manufactured. More specifically, the invention features a computer-assisted method of generating an immunogen. The method requires the use of a programmed computer that includes a processor and an input device. The method involves: (a) providing a pathogenesis factor (PF), or a fragment of a PF, that contains a region with low polymorphism, the region being in an active conformation and being on an external surface of the PF; (b) obtaining data on the region in the active conformation, the data being useful for the determination of the three-dimensional structure of the region in the active conformation; (c) inputting to the input device the data; (d) determining, using the processor, the three-dimensional structure of the region in the active conformation; (e) designing a compound containing a domain that includes at least one epitope with the ability to induce the production in a mammal of an antibody that binds to the region in the active conformation; (f) producing the compound; and (g) determining whether the compound is an immunogen in a mammalian host. The PF can be a component, or an altered form of a component, of an infectious microorganism. In addition, the antibody that binds to the region in the active conformation can be an antibody that binds to a plurality of (e.g., two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 150, 200, 300, 500, 750, 1000, 1,500, 2000, 3,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 30,000, or all) strains (or isolates) of the infectious microorganism. The infectious microorganism can be a microorganism that replicates inside a cell. It can be a virus, e.g., a retrovirus such as simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The microorganism can also be a protozoan parasite, e.g., malarial protozoan parasite, and the PF can be, for example, merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP-1), ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (RESA), Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein-1(PfiMP-1), Plasmodium falciparum 332 antigen (pf332), Rosettin, merozoite surface protein-2 (MSP-2), serine stretch protein (SERP), glutamate-rich protein (GLURP), apical membrane antigen-i (AMA-1), or histidine-rich protein-2 (HRP-2). Alternatively the microorganism can be a bacterium such as any of those listed herein. The PF, or a wild-type form of the PF, can mediate entry of the microorganism into a cell. Such a cell can be a CD4+ cell such as a T cell or a monocyte or a macrophage. The cell can also be, for example, an erythrocyte. The PF can be: (a) a naturally occurring polypeptide; (b) an altered form of a naturally occurring polypeptide; or (c) a molecular complex comprising two or more subunits, each subunit being either of (a) or (b). The PF can include a complex of retroviral envelope glycoproteins or recombinant forms of such proteins, e.g., it can contain three recombinant SIV gp140 polypeptides. The PF can also be a component, or an altered form of a component, of a cancer cell, e.g., prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) or any other tumor cell surface molecule. The PF can be provided in a crystalline form and the data can be a criteria data set that includes three-dimensional atomic coordinates. The invention also includes a process of manufacturing a compound. The process involves: carrying out the above-described computer-assisted method of generating an immunogen; and, after determining that the compound is an immunogen, manufacturing the compound. Another aspect of the invention is a method of testing a compound for prophylactic activity. The method involves administering a compound manufactured by the above-described method of manufacturing a compound to a mammal and testing for the presence in the mammal of antibodies that inhibit the pathogenicity of a pathogenic agent of which the PF is (a) a component or (b) an altered form of a component. In this method, the presence in the mammal of antibodies that inhibit the pathogenicity of the pathogenic agent is an indication that the compound has prophylactic activity against the pathogenic agent. Another aspect of the invention is a compound manufactured by the above-described process of manufacturing a compound. The invention provides a method of inducing an immune response in a mammal. The method involves administering the above-described compound of the invention to the mammal. The compound can be administered to the mammal parenterally, intranasally, transcutaneously, or by any other route recited herein. The immune response can be a protective immune response and, as such, is preferably protective against a plurality of (e.g., two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 150, 200, 300, 500, 750, 1000, 1,500, 2000, 3,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 30,000, or all) strains (or isolates) of the infectious microorganism. As used herein, “immunogenic” means capable of eliciting a functional immune response in a B precursor cell. As used herein, a B precursor cell is a B lymphocyte that, subsequent to activation, can produce antibody molecules. Activation of a B precursor cell can be, without limitation, by recognition of an antigen by an antigen specific immunoglobulin receptor on the B precursor cell. Thus, a B precursor cell can be a “virgin” B lymphocyte that has never previously been activated or a “memory” B lymphocyte that has previously been activated or the progeny of such a B lymphocyte. As used herein, “antigenic” means capable of being recognized by an effector B lymphocyte or an antibody molecule. Thus, a substance is antigenic if it is recognized by an antigen specific receptor on, for example, a B lymphocyte producing antibody molecules or by an antibody molecule physically unassociated with a B lymphocyte. “Polypeptide” and “protein” are used interchangeably and mean any peptide-linked chain of amino acids, regardless of length or post-translational modification. As used herein, an expression control sequence that is “operably linked” to a coding sequence is incorporated into a genetic construct so it effectively controls expression of the coding sequence. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. In case of conflict, the present document, including definitions, will control. Preferred methods and materials are described below, although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention. All publications, patent applications, patents and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. The materials, methods, and examples disclosed herein are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting. Other features and advantages of the invention, e.g., designing efficacious immunogens, will be apparent from the following description, from the drawings and from the claims.

Disc recording medium, recording method, disc drive device
It is an object of the present invention to improve reliability of defect management. By providing a plurality of management data areas each including a defect management area typically in a lead-in zone of a disc inner-side region enclosed by a circumference having a predetermined radius on a disc-shaped recording medium, reliability of the defect management can be obtained. In addition, by placing a plurality of the defect management areas (information areas Info1 and Info2) at locations, which are separated from each other in the radial direction of the disc-shaped recording medium, sandwiching a recording/reproduction condition adjustment area OPC having a relatively large size, the reliability of the defect management areas can be further improved. Furthermore, by providing each of the defect management areas with a plurality of recording areas, which include a currently used recording area for recording defect management information and spare recording areas each usable as a substitute for the currently used recording area, the currently used recording area can be replaced with one of the spare recording areas in accordance with an update count of the currently used recording area or error status of this currently used recording area.
1. A disc-shaped recording medium comprising a recording/reproduction condition adjustment area and a plurality of management data areas each including a defect management area, which are formed in a disc inner-side region enclosed by a circumference having a predetermined radius on said disc-shaped recording medium, wherein said management data areas are placed at locations, which are separated from each other in the radial direction of said disc-shaped recording medium, sandwiching at least said recording/reproduction condition adjustment area. 2. The disc-shaped recording medium according to claim 1 wherein said defect management area has a plurality of recording areas, which include a currently used recording area for recording defect management information and spare recording areas each usable as a substitute for said currently used recording area. 3. A disc recording method for forming a recording/reproduction condition adjustment area and a plurality of management data areas each including a defect management area in a disc inner-side region enclosed by a circumference having a predetermined radius on a disc-shaped recording medium by placing said management data areas at locations, which are separated from each other in the radial direction of said disc-shaped recording medium, sandwiching at least said recording/reproduction condition adjustment area. 4. The disc recording method according to claim 3 wherein said defect management area has a plurality of recording areas, which include a currently used recording area for recording defect management information and spare recording areas each usable as a substitute for said currently used recording area. 5. A disc recording method for recording information onto a disc-shaped recording medium comprising a recording/reproduction condition adjustment area and a plurality of management data areas each including a defect management area, which are formed in a disc inner-side region enclosed by a circumference having a predetermined radius on said disc-shaped recording medium, wherein: said management data areas are placed at locations, which are separated from each other in the radial direction of said disc-shaped recording medium, sandwiching at least said recording/reproduction condition adjustment area; and said defect management area is formed as a region having a plurality of recording areas, which include a currently used recording area for recording defect management information and spare recording areas each usable as a substitute for said currently used recording area, said disc recording method comprising the steps of: determining an update count of said currently used recording area or error status of said currently used recording area in an operation to record said defect management information onto said disc-shaped recording medium to give a determiation result to serve as a basis for determining whether or not said defect management information should be recorded in any specific one of said spare recording areas; and setting said specific spare recording area as said substitute for said currently used recording area in case said defect management information is recorded in said specific spare recording area. 6. A disc drive apparatus for recording information onto a disc-shaped recording medium comprising a recording/reproduction condition adjustment area and a plurality of management data areas each including a defect management area, which are formed in a disc inner-side region enclosed by a circumference having a predetermined radius on said disc-shaped recording medium, wherein: said management data areas are placed at locations, which are separated from each other in the radial direction of said disc-shaped recording medium, sandwiching at least said recording/reproduction condition adjustment area; and said defect management area has a plurality of recording areas, which include a currently used recording area for recording defect management information and spare recording areas each usable as a substitute for said currently used recording area, said disc drive apparatus comprising recording means for recording and reproducing said information onto and from said disc-shaped recording medium and control means for: determining an update count of said currently used recording area or error status of said currently used recording area in an operation to record said defect management information onto said disc-shaped recording medium to give a determination to serve as a basis for determining whether or not said defect management information should be recorded in any specific one of said spare recording areas; and recording management data for setting said specific spare recording area as said substitute for said currently used recording area in case said defect management information is recorded in said specific spare recording area.
<SOH> BACKGROUND ART <EOH>As a technology for recording and reproducing digital data onto and from recording media, there has been provided a data-recording technology to be applied to optical discs used as the recording media. The optical discs to which the data-recording technology is applied include magneto optical discs. Examples of the optical disc are a CD (Compact Disc), an MD (Mini-Disc), and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc). An optical disc is a generic name of recording media to which a laser beam is radiated to get reflected light in order to read out a signal representing changes in reflected beam. The optical disc is a disc-shaped recording medium made of a metallic thin plate protected by a plastic enclosure. Optical discs are classified into two categories, namely, a reproduction-only type and a recordable type, which allows user data to be recorded on the disc. Examples of the optical disc pertaining to the reproduction-only category include a CD, a CD-ROM, and a DVD-ROM, which are already known. On the other hand, examples of the optical disc pertaining to the recordable category include those known as an MD, a CD-R, a CD-RW, a DVD-R, a DVD-RW, a DVD+RW, and a DVD-RAM. User data can be recorded onto an optical disc pertaining to the recordable category by adoption of recording techniques such as a magneto-optical recording method, a phase-change recording method, and a pigment-film-change recording method. The pigment-film-change recording method is also referred to as a write-once recording method, which allows data to be recorded only once and allows no overwriting of new data on already recorded data. The pigment-film-change recording method is suitable for an application to preserve data and the like. On the other hand, the magneto-optical recording method and the phase-change recording method allow new data to be written over already recorded data and are thus adopted in a variety of applications to record a variety of contents such as musical data, video data, game software, and application programs. In addition, a high-density optical disc known as a DVR (Data & Video Recording) has been developed in recent years to drastically increase the storage capacity. In order to record data onto an optical disc pertaining to the recordable category by adoption of recording techniques such as the magneto-optical recording method, the phase-change recording method, and the pigment-film-change recording method, it is necessary to provide a guiding means for carrying out tracking along a data track on the disc. For this reason, a groove is formed on the optical disc as a pre-groove. A groove or a land is then used as the data track. A land is a member resulting on the optical disc as an area sandwiched by two adjacent grooves. A land has a cross section with a shape resembling a plateau. In addition, in order to be able to record data at any desired location on a data track, the address of each location on the data track needs to be embedded in the track. Such addresses are typically embedded in the data track by wobbling the groove serving as the track. That is to say, a track used for storing data is formed in advance on the disc as a pre-groove with its side walls having wobbled faces to represent addresses. By forming such a groove on the disc in advance, an address can be fetched from wobbling information conveyed by a reflected beam so that, even the address is not recorded on the track as pit data or the like, for example, data can be recorded and reproduced at a desired location on the track. Thus, by adding address information embedded in a wobbling groove as described above, for example, it is no longer necessary to provide discrete address areas on the track as areas for recording address information as pit data so that the capacity of recording actual data can be increased by the sizes of the address areas, which become available for storing actual data. It is to be noted that absolute time (address) information expressed by such a wobbling shape of a groove is referred to as an ATIP (Absolute Time In Pregroove) or an ADIP (Address In Pregroove). By the way, management of defects on the optical disc is executed. This management is referred to simply as defect management. The defect management is management for cataloging the address of each defect area. If spare recording areas are provided on the optical disc to each serve as a substitute for a defect area, the defect management is also management for managing addresses of the spare recording areas. A defect area is an area that data can no longer be recorded onto and reproduced from due to an injury or an other defect existing therein. The defect management is an important technique for preventing a failure from occurring in the system due to such an injury or a defect. In the defect management, addresses of defect areas that data can no longer be recorded onto and reproduced from and addresses of spare recording areas are cataloged on a defect list. Thus, the defect list is a list used for cataloging information of importance to the defect management. A high-density disc such as a DVR developed in recent years has a cover layer (a substrate) having a thickness of 0.1 mm in the dick thickness direction in its physical structure. In such a structure, phase-change marks are recorded and reproduced under a condition set by combining the so-called blue laser and an objective lens with an NA of 0.85. The blue laser is a laser beam having a wavelength of 405 nm. An optical disc with a diameter of 12 cm allows data of the amount of about 23.3 GB (gigabytes) to be recorded onto and reproduced from the disc provided that the data is recorded as phase-change marks on tracks with a track pitch of 0.32 microns and a line density of 0.12 microns/bit, a 64 KB data block is used as a recording/reproduction unit, and the disc has been formatted at a format efficiency of 82%. A data zone on the optical disc is an area in which user data is recorded in and reproduced from. As a result of a formatting process of the optical disc, an area having a radius of 24 mm and a circumference having a radius of 58 mm becomes available as the data zone. An inner-side area enclosed by the circumference having a radius of 24 mm on the optical disc serves as a lead-in zone. Used for storing defect management information, a defect management area is formed at a predetermined location in the lead-in zone. Two defect management areas may be provided. In this case, the two defect management areas are formed at predetermined adjacent locations in the lead-in zone. A plurality of management areas such as, typically, two defect management areas, need to be formed because, if defect management information can no longer be read out from one of the two defect management areas for some reasons, the defect management information can still be read out from the other defect management area. With the two defect management areas formed at adjacent locations in the lead-in zone, however, it is quite within the bounds of possibility that defect management information can no longer be recorded and reproduced into and from both the two defect management areas when an injury is inflicted on the disc portion allocated to the two defect management areas. That is to say, the reliability of the defect management is not sufficient. At a typical rotational speed of the optical disc, about 1.9 data blocks each having a size of 64 KB can be recorded onto a track on the circumference having a radius of 24 mm in one rotation of the optical disc. The data zone used for recording user data has a large recording capacity of 23.3 GB. 18432 clusters in the data zone can be allocated as spare recording areas. Since such clusters have a size of about 1.207959552 GB, their size is only about 5% of the data zone used for recording user data. A defect list with a size of 8 bytes per entry will have a length of 147.456 KB and will occupy 3 clusters. As described above, a defect management area including a defect list stored therein is formed as an area consisting of a plurality of clusters as described above. In this case, since about 1.9 data blocks each having a size of 64 KB can be recorded onto a track on the circumference having a radius of 24 mm in one rotation of the optical disc, with the two defect management areas formed at adjacent locations in the lead-in zone, it is quite within the bounds of possibility that defect management information can no longer be recorded and reproduced correctly into and from both the two defect management areas when an injury is inflicted on the disc portion allocated to the two defect management areas as explained above.
<SOH> BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS <EOH>FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a groove formed on a disc implemented by an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the wobbling shape of the groove formed on the disc implemented by the embodiment; FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a wobble signal obtained as a result of MSK and HMW modulations according to the embodiment; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a disc layout implemented by the embodiment; FIG. 5A is an explanatory diagram showing a state of wobbling in an RW zone implemented by the embodiment; FIG. 5B is an explanatory diagram showing a state of wobbling in a PB zone implemented by the embodiment; FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a modulation method provided for prerecorded information in accordance with the embodiment; FIGS. 7A, 7B , 7 C, and 7 D are diagrams showing ECC structures of phase-change marks used in the embodiment; FIGS. 8A, 8B , 8 C, and 8 D are diagrams showing ECC structures of prerecorded information used in the embodiment; FIG. 9A is an explanatory diagram showing a frame structure of information recorded as phase-change marks in accordance with the embodiment; FIG. 9B is an explanatory diagram showing a frame structure of prerecorded information according to the embodiment; FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a lead-in zone according to the embodiment; FIGS. 11A and 11B are explanatory diagrams each showing an information area according to the embodiment; FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the data structure of a DMA according to the embodiment; FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the data structure of a DDS of the DMA according to the embodiment; FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing a defect list stored in the DMA according to the embodiment; FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing an entry of the defect list stored in the DMA according to the embodiment; FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing an ISA and an OSA of a data zone according to the embodiment; FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing a disc drive apparatus implemented by an embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 18 shows a flowchart representing a process carried out by the disc drive apparatus implemented by the embodiment. detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"?

Disk recording medium, disk manufacturing method, and disk drive apparatus
A disk recording medium which can implement a recording method having a high degree of reliability for additional information is disclosed. The disk recording medium has a recording and reproduction region into and from which first data can be recorded and reproduced in accordance with a rewritable or write-once-read-many recording method and from which second data recorded in the form of wobbling of a groove can be reproduced. The second data includes address information and additional information. The additional information of the second data is coded in accordance with a first error correction method, and the coded additional information and the address information are recorded in a state coded in accordance with a second error correction method.
1. A disk recording medium comprising: a recording and reproduction region into and from which first data can be recorded and reproduced in accordance with a rewritable or write-once-read-many recording method and from which second data recorded in the form of wobbling of a groove can be reproduced, wherein the second data includes address information and additional information an additional information is coded in accordance with a first error correction method, and the coded additional information and the address information are recorded in a state coded in accordance with a second error correction method. 2. A disk recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the first error correction method is same as the error correction method used for the first data. 3. A disk recording medium according to claim 2, wherein the additional information is error correction coded such that, to the additional information of a unit of m smaller than a code length n in error correction coding of the first data, m-n dummy data are added so as to have a code length equal to n. 4. A disk recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the additional information is recorded at least in a lead-in zone in the recording and reproduction region. 5. A disk production method for a disk recording medium having a recording and reproduction region into and from which first data is to be recorded and reproduced in accordance with a rewritable or write-once-read-many recording method, said disk production method comprising the steps of: generating second data by coding additional information in accordance with a first error correction method and coding the coded additional information and address information in accordance with a second error correction method; and forming the recording and reproduction region by spirally forming a groove wobbled based on the second data. 6. A disk production method according to claim 5, wherein the first error correction method is same as the error correction method used for the first data. 7. A disk production method according to claim 6, wherein the additional information is error correction coded such that, to the additional information of a unit of m smaller than a code length n in error correction coding of the first data, m-n dummy data are added so as to have a code length equal to n. 8. A disk production method according to claim 5, wherein the additional information is recorded at least in a lead-in zone in the recording and reproduction region. 9. A disk drive apparatus which performs recording or reproduction onto or from a disk recording medium which has a recording and reproduction region into and from which first data can be recorded and reproduced in accordance with a rewritable or write-once-read-many recording method and from-which second data recorded in the form of wobbling of a groove can be reproduced, the second data including address information and additional information, the additional information being coded in accordance with a first error correction method, the coded additional information and the address information being recorded in a state coded in accordance with a second error correction method, said disk drive apparatus comprising: readout means for reading out the second data from the wobbled groove of the disk recording medium; address decoding means for performing error correction decoding in accordance with the second error correction method for the second data read out by said readout means to obtain the address information and the additional information coded in accordance with the first error correction method; and additional information decoding means for performing error correction decoding in accordance with the first error correction method for the additional information coded in accordance with the first error correction method and obtained by said address decoding means. 10. A disk drive apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first error correction method is same as the error correction method used for the first data, and said additional information decoding means further performs error correction decoding and error correction coding for the first data. 11. A disk drive apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said additional information decoding means adds, to the additional information of a unit of m smaller than a code length n in error correction coding of the first data, m-n dummy data to perform error correction decoding for the data having a code length equal to n. 12. A disk drive apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the additional information is obtained from the second data read out from a lead-in zone in the recording and reproduction region by said readout means.
<SOH> BACKGROUND ART <EOH>As a technique for recording and reproducing digital data, a data recording technique is available which uses an optical disk (including a magneto-optical disk) such as, for example, a CD (Compact Disc), an MD (Mini-Disc) and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) as a recording medium. The optical disk is a general term for recording media of the type wherein laser light is illuminated upon a disk formed from a thin metal plate protected with plastic and a signal is read from a change in reflected light from the disk. Optical disks are divided into those of the type which can be used only for reproduction as known as, for example, a CD, a CD-ROM and a DVD-ROM and those of the type on which user data is recordable as known as an MD, a CD-R, a CD-RW, a DVD-R, a DVD-RW, a DVD+RW and a DVD-RAM. For optical disk of the recordable type, a magneto-optical recording method, a phase change recording method, a pigment film change recording method or the like is used to allow recording of data. The pigment film change recording method is also called write-once recording method and allows data recording only once but does not allow re-writing, and therefore, it is suitably used for data storage applications and so forth. Meanwhile, the magneto-optical recording method and the phase change recording method allow rewriting of data and are utilized for various applications beginning with recording of various kinds of contents data such as music, videos, games, application programs and so forth. Further, a high density optical disk called DVR (Data & Video Recording) disk has been developed in recent years and exhibits a significant increase in capacity. In order to record data onto a disk which allows recording by the magneto-optical recording method, pigment film change recording method or phase change recording method, guide means for performing tracking of a data track is required. To this end, a groove is formed in advance as a pregroove, and the groove or a land (a location of a trapezoidal cross section positioned between grooves) is used as a data track. Also it is necessary to record address information in order to allow data to be recorded at a predetermined position on a data track. Such address information is sometimes recorded by wobbling a groove. In particular, while a track onto which data is to be recorded is formed in advance, for example, as a pregroove, side walls of the pregroove are wobbled in accordance with address information. Where side walls of a pregroove are wobbled in this manner, upon recording or upon reproduction, an address can be read from the wobbling information obtained as reflected light information. Thus, even if, for example, pit data or the like representative of addresses is not formed on the track in advance, data can be recorded or reproduced at a desired position. Where address information is added as a wobbling groove in this manner, for example, if address areas are provided discretely on tracks, then it is unnecessary to record addresses, for example, as pit data, and the recording capacity for actual data can be increased by an amount by which the address areas can be eliminated. It is to be noted that absolute time (address) information represented by such a wobbling groove as described above is called ATIP (Absolute Time In Pregroove) or ADIP (Address In Pregroove). Incidentally, particularly with a rewritable disk, it is necessary to record, in addition to address information and information (user data) which is recorded and reproduced by a user, attributes of the disk and recording and reproduction powers, pulse information and so forth as numerical values for use for control as additional information in advance on the disk similarly to the address information. For such additional information, a high degree of reliability is required. The reason why a high degree of reliability is required is that, for example, if attributes or additional information for control is not obtained accurately, then an apparatus on the user side cannot execute such a control operation for establishing optimum recording conditions correctly. As a method of recording such information on a disk in advance, it is known to form emboss pits on a disk. However, if it is intended to achieve high density recording and reproduction onto and from an optical disk, the prerecording method by emboss pits is disadvantageous. In order to achieve high density recording and reproduction onto and from an optical disk, it is necessary to form the groove with a reduced depth. With a disk produced with a stamper such that a groove and emboss pits are formed at a time, it is very difficult to form the groove and the emboss pits with different depths from each other. Therefore, it cannot be avoided to make the depth of the emboss pits equal to the depth of the groove. However, where the depth of the emboss pits is small, there is a problem that a signal of a good quality cannot be obtained from the emboss pits. For example, where an optical system including a laser diode of a wavelength of 405 nm and an objective lens of NA=0.85 is used and phase change marks are recorded and reproduced with a track pitch of 0.32 μm and a linear density of 0.12 μm/bit onto and from a disk having a cover (substrate) thickness of 0.1 mm, a capacity of 23 GB (GigaBytes) can be recorded onto and reproduced from an optical disk having a diameter of 12 cm. In this instance, the phase change marks are recorded onto and reproduced from the groove formed spirally on the disk, and in order to suppress the medium noise to achieve high density, preferably the depth of the groove is set to approximately 20 nm, that is, λ/13 to X/12 with respect to the wavelength λ. On the other hand, in order to obtain a signal of a good quality from the emboss pits, preferably the depth of the emboss pits is λ/8 to λ/4. After all, a good solution to a common depth to the groove and the emboss pits cannot be obtained. From such a situation as just described, a method of recording necessary additional information in advance in place of emboss pits is demanded. Besides, it is demanded to record the additional information with a high degree of reliability.
<SOH> BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS <EOH>FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a groove of a disk of an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating wobbling of the groove of the disk of the embodiment; FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating a wobble signal to which MSK modulation and HMW modulation of the embodiment are applied; FIGS. 4A to 4 E are diagrammatic views illustrating the MSK modulation of the embodiment; FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an MSK demodulation circuit for demodulating an MSK modulated wobble signal of the embodiment; FIG. 6 is a waveform diagram of an inputted wobble signal and a synchronous detection output signal of the embodiment; FIG. 7 is a waveform diagram of an integrated output value of a synchronous detection output signal of an MSK stream of the embodiment, a hold value of the integrated output value and MSK demodulated modulation object data; FIGS. 8A to 8 C are waveform diagrams illustrating HMW modulation of the embodiment; FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an HMW demodulation circuit for demodulating an HMW modulated wobble signal of the embodiment; FIG. 10 is a waveform diagram of a reference carrier signal of the embodiment, modulation object data and a second order harmonic signal waveform generated in response to the modulation object data; FIG. 11 is a waveform diagram of a generated HMW stream of the embodiment; FIGS. 12A and 12B are waveform diagrams of a synchronous detection output signal of an HMW stream of the embodiment, an integrated output value of the synchronous detection output signal, a hold value of the integrated output value and HMW demodulated modulation object data; FIG. 13 is a schematic view showing a disk layout of the embodiment; FIGS. 14A and 14B are schematic views illustrating wobbling in a PB zone and an RW zone of the embodiment; FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a modulation method of prerecorded information of the embodiment; FIG. 16 is a schematic view illustrating an ECC structure of a phase change mark of the embodiment; FIG. 17 is a schematic view illustrating an ECC structure of prerecorded information of the embodiment; FIGS. 18A and 18B are diagrammatic views illustrating a frame structure of phase change marks and prerecorded information of the embodiment; FIGS. 19A and 19B are diagrammatic views illustrating a relationship between a RUB and an address unit of the disk of the embodiment and a bit block which forms an address unit; FIG. 20 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a sync part of an address unit of the embodiment; FIGS. 21A and 21B are diagrammatic views illustrating monotone bits in the sync part of the embodiment and modulation object data; FIGS. 22A and 22B are diagrammatic views illustrating a first sync bit in the sync part of the embodiment and modulation object data; FIGS. 23A and 23B are diagrammatic views illustrating a second sync bit in the sync part of the embodiment and modulation object data; FIGS. 24A and 24B are diagrammatic views illustrating a third sync bit in the sync part of the embodiment and modulation object data; FIGS. 25A and 25B are diagrammatic views illustrating a fourth sync bit in the sync part of the embodiment and modulation object data; FIG. 26 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a bit configuration of a data part in the address unit of the embodiment; FIGS. 27A to 27 C are diagrammatic views illustrating a signal waveform of ADIP bits representative of a bit “1” of the data part of the embodiment and modulation object data; FIGS. 28A to 28 C are diagrammatic views illustrating a signal waveform of ADIP bits representative of a bit “0” of the data part of the embodiment and modulation object data; FIG. 29 is a view illustrating an address format of the embodiment; FIG. 30 is a view illustrating address information contents by ADIP bits of the embodiment; FIG. 31 is a block diagram of an address demodulation circuit of the embodiment; FIGS. 32A to 32 E are diagrams illustrating control timings of the address demodulation circuit of the embodiment; FIGS. 33A to 33 C are waveform diagrams of signals when HMW demodulation is performed by the address demodulation circuit of the embodiment; FIGS. 34A to 34 C are waveform diagrams of different signals when HMW demodulation is performed by the address demodulation circuit of the embodiment; FIG. 35 is a view illustrating disk information of the embodiment; FIG. 36 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an ECC format for main data of the embodiment; FIG. 37 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an ECC format for disk information of the embodiment; FIG. 38 is a block diagram of a disk drive apparatus of the embodiment; and FIG. 39 is a block diagram of a mastering apparatus of the embodiment. detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"?

Delimbing apparatus
A delimbing apparatus for the delimbing of trees, which can be connected to a moving vehicle via a boom system, said apparatus comprising a frame part (3) and a delimbing head (4). The frame part (3) is provided with gripping elements (15), by means of which it is fastened against the trunk of the tree at a desired height for the time of the delimbing work. The apparatus comprises a delimbing head (4) which is separate from the frame part and is provided with a gripping device (12) by means of which it grips the trunk of the tree and is moved by drive means (13) along the tree trunk, and at least one delimbing cutter (11) and a feed and control cable (10) for transmitting operating power, connected between teh delimbing head (4) moving along the trunk of the tree and the frame part (3).
1. Delimbing apparatus for the delimbing of trees, which can be connected to a moving vehicle via a boom system, said apparatus comprising a frame part (3) and a delimbing head (4), characterized in that the frame part (3) is provided with gripping elements (15), by means of which it is fastened against the trunk of the tree at a desired height for the time of the delimbing work, and that the apparatus comprises a delimbing head (4) which is separate from the frame part and is provided with a gripping device (12) by means of which it grips the trunk of the tree, drive means (13) for moving the delimbing head along the tree trunk and at least one delimbing cutter (11), and a feed and control cable (10) for transmitting operating power and/or control, connected between the delimbing head (4) moving along the trunk of the tree and the frame part (3). 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the delimbing head is provided with at least one cutter (8) for cutting branches and/or the trunk. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive means are wheels or rollers rotated by a drive motor and controlled by a control unit. 4. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive means are inclinable, so that the delimbing cutter can be caused to move in a desired direction along the trunk of the tree. 5. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the delimbing cutter is fitted in conjunction with the gripping device, and the gripping device (12) comprises controllable elements that can be tightened around the trunk of the tree, such as a controllable accordion-type tightening device. 6. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the frame part (3) is so shaped that it widens conically downward, allowing the delimbing head to be easily parked in an initial position. 7. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the frame part (3) of the delimbing head is connected to the boom system via a swivel joint that allows the frame part to be turned in a desired direction, which makes it easier to delimb trees standing close by each other side by side and one behind the other, without moving the vehicle. 8. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the boom system connecting the frame part (3) of the delimbing head to the vehicle is substantially A-shaped. 9. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the boom system between the frame part (3) of the delimbing head and the vehicle is fitted to the vehicle so as to be fully rotatable. 10. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the cable between the delimbing head (4) and the frame part (3) follows the trunk of the tree and moves parallel to it. 11. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the delimbing head (4) is coupled to the apparatus by means of bayonet couplers, so that it can be replaced to suit the forest type and the trunk diameter. 12. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the top cutter (8) fitted to the delimbing head can be turned between vertical and horizontal positions, so that, in addition to cutting the tree, it can also be used for cutting branches. 13. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the controllable elements are edged laminae that are arranged in a curved shape bending around the trunk of the tree. 14. Method for delimbing standing trees, characterized in that it is based on supplying energy to a separate delimbing head (4) via a feed cable (10), which delimbing head uses said energy to climb up the tree by making use of the trunk of the tree, cutting off the branches that it encounters as it advances. 15. Method for delimbing standing trees, characterized in that the separate delimbing head cuts the trunk into pieces of desired length as it is coming down, and that the tree is finally cut at the root.

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