Abstract:
The present invention relates to methods for screening body fluids or tissues for antibodies, including neutralizing and isotype-specific antibodies, against lysosomal enzymes administered as part of enzyme replacement therapy.
Abstract:
An exemplary chip card holder used in a portable electronic device for holding a chip card is provided. The chip card holder includes a body member, a card receiving space disposed on the body member, an elastic piece and a releasing piece. The elastic piece is disposed at one end of the card receiving space and is configured for elastically resisting against the chip card to provide a pushing force to the chip card. The releasing piece is releasably disposed at the other end of the card receiving space opposite to the elastic piece and being configured to hold and release the chip card. The chip card locking device has simple structure and is easy to operate to lock or unlock the chip card.
Abstract:
Disclosed are example open channel detection techniques at a light emitting diode (LED) driver of an LED system. The LED driver does not enable its LED channels before normal operation so as to inhibit current flow through the LED channels during start-up. While the LED channels are disabled, the LED driver compares the voltages at the LED channel inputs with a predetermined voltage to determine whether an operational LED string of an associated LED panel is connected to the LED channel. In the event that an LED channel is determined to be an “open” channel, the LED driver further disables the LED channel for the following normal operational mode. Otherwise, if the LED channel is determined to be connected to an operational LED string, the LED driver enables the LED channel for the normal operational mode, during which the LED channel can be selectively activated for light output subject to display data for the LED panel.
Abstract:
A semiconductor network is interposed between first and second multiple-port interfaces each having high-voltage, intermediate-voltage and ground ports to form a switch assembly. The assembly includes a primary switch circuit, a support network, internal and external-port circuits and internal and external-port control circuits. The primary switch circuit is coupled to high-voltage ports of the multiple-port interfaces and to the support network. The internal and external-port circuits are coupled to intermediate-voltage ports of the multiple-port interfaces, the internal and external-port control circuits and the support network. The internal-port control circuit is coupled to the internal-port circuit, the support network and a ground port of a first multiple-port interface. The external-port control circuit is coupled to the external-port circuit, the support network and a ground port of the second multiple-port interface. The assembly has a low-leakage current in both open and closed states when exposed to a range of high voltages.
Abstract:
According to one exemplary embodiment, a voltage up-conversion circuit includes a modulated voltage generator circuit, where the modulated voltage generator circuit is configured to receive an input voltage and generate a modulated voltage, and where the modulated voltage generator circuit includes at least one transistor. The voltage up-conversion circuit further includes a switching circuit coupled to the modulated voltage generator circuit, where the switching circuit is configured to couple the modulated voltage to a load capacitor when the modulated voltage is at a high level and decouple the modulated voltage to the load capacitor when the modulated voltage is at a low level. In the voltage up-conversion circuit, the load capacitor reaches a voltage greater a breakdown voltage of the at least one transistor in the modulated voltage generator circuit. The breakdown voltage can be a reliability breakdown voltage.
Abstract:
A distributed collaborative computer system is provided that comprises a plurality of server computers interconnected via a high-speed link. Client computers can connect to any available server computer and start or join a conference hosted on either the server computer to which the client computer is connected or any other server in the system. As a result, the system and method of the present invention is easily scalable to support an arbitrary number of participants to a conference by merely adding the appropriate number of server computers to the system. In addition, by replicating the conference information on more than one server computer, the single point of failure limitation is eliminated. In fact, if a server hosting or participating in a conference malfunctions, the failure is detected by other server computers and the client computer is able to reconnect to the conference through a new server computer.
Abstract:
The invention provides microparticles for sustained release formulation for physostigmine, pyridostigmine and other therapeutically active carbamates. The microparticles comprise the active compound and a biodegradable polymer such as polyester, poly(phosphate), poly(anhydride), poly(ortho ester), or mixture thereof. In one embodiment, the polymer is poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide). The desired release pattern of the active compound may be readily attained by varying the type and amount of the polymer used, including by using a mixture of two polymers, one of which is more hydrophobic. The invention also provides a method of preparing the microparticles and in one embodiment, the microparticles may be prepared by spray drying.
Abstract:
A flow of liquids is carried out on a microscale utilizing surface effects to guide the liquid on flow paths to maintain laminar flow. No sidewall confining structure is required, minimizing resistance to flow and allowing laminar flow to be maintained at high flow rates. The guiding structure has flow guiding stripes formed on one or both of facing base and cover surfaces which are wettable by a selected liquid to direct the liquid from a source location to a destination location. The regions adjacent to the guiding stripes on the base and cover surfaces are non-wettable. The smooth interface between the gas and liquid along the flowing stream allows gas-liquid reactions to take place as a function of diffusion across the interface without mixing of the gas and liquid. Liquid-liquid flows may also be guided with such structures.
Abstract:
A copper bonding pad is directly supported by a copper via pad structure, the copper via pad structure having substantially the same geometry and dimensions as the copper bonding pad. The combination of the copper bonding pad and the copper via pad structure results in an increase in effective thickness of the copper bonding pad. Due to this effective increase in the bonding pad thickness, the bonding pad is more tolerant to the potential dishing problem caused by the CMP process. Additional metal pad structures and via pad structures are used below the bonding pad. The additional metal pad structures and via pad structures comprise alternating segments of interconnect metal and dielectric fillers, and alternating segments of via metal and dielectric fillers, respectively. The alternating segments of interconnect metal and dielectric fillers and the alternating segments of via metal and dielectric fillers prevent or reduce the potential dishing problem that otherwise exists in damascene and CMP processing. The alternating segments of interconnect metal and dielectric fillers and the alternating segments of via metal and dielectric fillers are arranged such that there are a number of columns of solid metal support under the bonding pad. The columns of solid metal support significantly improve the poor mechanical support otherwise provided by the low dielectric constant materials that are presently used in fabrication of modern copper integrated circuits. The columns of solid metal support also improve thermal conductivity of the bonding pad.
Abstract:
A dispersion mitigating interleaver assembly has a first unbalanced Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) assembly which includes first and second output ports and which has first transmission vs. wavelength curve and a first dispersion vs. wavelength curve. The dispersion mitigating interleaver assembly also includes a second unbalanced MZI assembly which has a second transmission vs. wavelength curve and a second dispersion vs. wavelength curve. The second unbalanced MZI assembly receives an output from one of the first and second output ports of the first unbalanced MZI assembly. The second transmission vs. wavelength curve is substantially the same as the first transmission vs. wavelength curve and the second dispersion vs. wavelength curve is substantially opposite with respect to the first dispersion vs. wavelength curve, such that dispersion is substantially cancelled by the cooperation of the first and second unbalanced MZI assemblies.