540results about How to "Minimization" patented technology

The present inventors succeeded in improving the antibody constant region to have increased stability under acid conditions, reduced heterogeneity originated from disulfide bonds in the hinge region, reduced heterogeneity originated from the H chain C terminus, and increased stability at high concentrations as well as in discovering novel constant region sequences having reduced Fcγ receptor-binding, while minimizing the generation of novel T-cell epitope peptides. As a result, the present inventors successfully discovered antibody constant regions with improved physicochemical properties (stability and homogeneity), immunogenicity, safety, and pharmacokinetics.

The invention features a method for multiplexed analysis of a plurality of target nucleic acid sequences in a sample. The method provides a derivative nucleic acid for each target sequence analyzed and present in the sample.

A helical antenna has a helix supported by a helix support. The helix support includes at least one piece of flexible sheet having its two surfaces covered with a layer antistatic material. The flexible sheet is curlable into a revolution surface configuration to form a revolution surface-shaped support section for at least partially supporting a portion of the helix component there around. A grounding mechanism electrically grounds the external sheet surface to the helix and the two sheet surfaces to one another when in the revolution surface configuration while a locking mechanism locks the flexible sheet in the revolution surface configuration. The combination of the helix and the flexible support renders the antenna structurally relatively rigid in all directions.

Disclosed is a system, method, and program for joining a multi-column table and at least two satellite tables. Each satellite table is comprised of multiple rows and at least one join column and each multi-column table is comprised of multiple rows and join columns corresponding to the join columns in the satellite tables. A query including predicates is received. A join predicate column comprises the satellite table and multi-column table join column to which at least one query predicate applies. A determination is then made as to whether there is at least one index on the multi-column table including at least one column for one join predicate column. One index is selected. The ordering of the join predicate columns in the selected index is used to determine the join order of the satellite tables and the multi-column table. The satellite tables and multi-column tables are then joined in the determined join order.

The present invention provides reaction mixtures that include blocked oligonucleotides comprising 2′-terminator nucleotides. The blocked oligonucleotides are rendered extendible when the 2′-terminator nucleotides are removed from the oligonucleotides, e.g., via pyrophosphorolysis. The reaction mixtures can be used in various nucleic acid polymerization and/or amplification assays, among many other applications. In addition to reaction mixtures, the invention also provides related methods and reaction mixtures.

A silicon-based IR photodetector is formed within a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) structure by placing a metallic strip (preferably, a silicide) over a portion of an optical waveguide formed within a planar silicon surface layer (i.e., “planar SOI layer”) of the SOI structure, the planar SOI layer comprising a thickness of less than one micron. Room temperature operation of the photodetector is accomplished as a result of the relatively low dark current associated with the SOI-based structure and the ability to use a relatively small surface area silicide strip to collect the photocurrent. The planar SOI layer may be doped, and the geometry of the silicide strip may be modified, as desired, to achieve improved results over prior art silicon-based photodetectors.

A washing machine in which a liquid balance weight is mounted at a surface portion of a drum where a spider is also mounted is disclosed. The washing machine comprises a drum for receiving laundry, a spider mounted at a surface portion of the drum and having a plurality of legs, a drive shaft mounted to the spider, and a liquid balance weight mounted at the surface portion of the drum where the spider is also mounted. The liquid balance weight has a plurality of seating recesses for receiving the plurality of legs of the spider, respectively.

Semiconductor wafers, circuit boards and similar multi-layer structures are optically inspected at high speeds with the aid of preferably a pair of oppositely and inclinedly directed laser beams at inclined angles to the vertical and the wafer surface to cause fluorescence by a photoresist layer carrying conductor patterns, defects in which are to be inspected, and using preferably a time-delay-integration CCD imaging camera for recording a fluorescent resist surface image accentuating the non-fluorescing conductor pattern thereupon, while masking all light from layers therebelow.

A method for seasoning a chamber and depositing a low dielectric constant layer on a substrate in the chamber is provided. In one aspect, the method includes seasoning the chamber with a first mixture comprising one or more organosilicon compounds and one or more oxidizing gases and depositing a low dielectric constant layer on a substrate in the chamber from a second mixture comprising one or more organosilicon compounds and one or more oxidizing gases, wherein a ratio of the total flow rate of the organosilicon compounds to the total flow rate of the oxidizing gases in the first mixture is lower than the total flow rate of the organosilicon compounds to the total flow rate of the oxidizing gases in the second mixture.

Provided is a non-pneumatic wheel (100) for a vehicle, and a wheel (100), suspension (200; 200-1), and tire (300) used therein that are capable of ensuring driving stability because there is no air chamber between a wheel (100) and a tire (300) to blowout. They are also capable of ensuring good road holding, preventing standing waves, reducing brake fade and cornering force, providing good handling and ride comfort, staying quiet when rolling, and are economical and environmentally friendly. The non-pneumatic wheel (100) includes a wheel (100), a shock absorbing member (220; 220-1) coupled to an outer periphery of the wheel (100) and absorbing or attenuating noise and vibration due to external shock, a plurality of resilient members (230; 230-1; 230-2) arranged around and coupled to an outer periphery of the shock absorbing member (220; 220-1) in a radial direction and having a plurality of resilient rings (230-1a) that are resiliently deformed in response to an external force, resilient links (240) respectively coupled to the resilient rings (230-1a) to evenly transmit external shock to the resilient rings (230-1a), rail plates (270) to which sliders (261) formed at both ends of the resilient links (240) are slidably coupled, and a tire (300) having a plurality of coupling grooves (321) formed along an inner periphery such that the rail plates (270) are inserted into the coupling grooves (321).

High-yielding method for chemical hydrolysis of lignocellulose into monosaccharides. The process of the invention can additionally be applied to cellulose, xylan and related biomass polysaccharides, such as galactan, mannan, or arabinan. The method is employed for hydrolysis of a biomass polysaccharide substrate. The process is carried out in an ionic liquid in which cellulose is soluble in the presence of catalytic acid at a temperature sufficiently high to initiate hydrolysis. Water is added to the reaction mixture after initiation of hydrolysis at a rate controlled to avoid precipitation yet avoid undesired sugar dehydration products such ad HMF. Hydrolysis product is useful as feedstock for fermentations including fermentation processes for ethanol, butanol and other fuels.

A method for forming an electrophotographic image and a device for forming an image on a transfer material by the steps for charging, exposing, developing and transferring, and recovering the toner remained untransferred in the step for cleaning by recovering, wherein the toner used in the step for developing has a total surface area ratio Z of additive, which is calculated by Z=(Ht·Wt)/(H·W), satisfies 0.5≦Z≦1.5, the electrophotographic photoconductor used comprises at least a photosensitive layer and a filler-containing protective layer provided on a conductive support in that order, and the angle of repose of the toner to the protective layer surface of the electrophotographic photoconductor is 30° or less.

An aromatic dicarboxylic acid is purified by oxidizing m-xylene or p-xylene to produce crude isophthalic acid or crude terephthalic acid, respectively. The products of the oxidizing step are hydrogenated in the presence of a palladium catalyst. Carbon monoxide is introduced during the hydrogenation step. The palladium catalyst is provided on a carbon substrate. The products of the oxidizing step are dissolved in a solvent, which may be water, prior to the hydrogenation step. The products of the oxidizing step may be dissolved at an elevated temperature, above the normal boiling point of the solvent. The oxidation step produces isophthalic acid, 3-carboxybenzaldehyde and fluorenones in the case of oxidizing m-xylene and produces terephthalic acid, 4-carboxybenzaldehyde and fluorenones in the case of oxidizing p-xylene. It may be helpful to monitor the disappearance of 3-carboxybenzaldehyde in the case of oxidizing m-xylene and 4-carboxybenzaldehyde in the case of oxidizing pxylene, and reducing the amount of carbon monoxide when the rate of disappearance is below a predetermined minimum. After the hydrogenation step, the isophthalic acid or terephthalic acid may be crystallized. The carbon monoxide may be maintained at a concentration of 100 to 500 ppm based on added hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Other aromatic dicarboxylic acids may also purified by this procedure.

In an exemplary communication system, a multiplicity of mobile terminals are to share a communication link with a host processor communicating through base transceivers. The mobile terminals evaluate communication signals being transmitted to one or more of the mobile transceivers and according to the evaluation of such signals, each mobile terminal independently selects a relatively high data rate or a lower more conservative data rate for communication with the host processor. The mobile terminal enters a dormant state after a fixed period elapses during which the mobile unit is not engaged in communication with the base station. Periodically, the mobile terminal reenters active state in receive mode for a brief interval and if no polling signal or other message directed to the mobile terminal is present, the mobile terminal returns to dormant state. When a signal is directed to the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal remains in active receive mode until a fixed period after a communication session is completed and then returns to dormant/active cycling. A base station utilizing a dormant polling protocol transmits polling sequences to a plurality of remote transceivers during periods of heavy loading. During periods of low loading, the base station stops polling and enters into a dormant state, listening for communication request from the remote transceivers. Upon receiving such a request, the base station immediately responds by servicing the requesting remote transceiver. In this way, the base station provides optimized utilization of the communication channel during periods of heavy and light loading conditions.

There is provided a non-contact, passively suspended blood pump that includes (a) a housing; (b) a pump rotor within the housing, wherein the pump rotor has a first end and a second end, and an axis of rotation; (c) a first axial thrust bearing across a first axial gap, between the first end and the housing, that axially suspends the first end; (d) a second axial thrust bearing across a second axial gap, between the second end and the housing, that axially suspends the second end; (e) a first radial hydrodynamic bearing that radially suspends the first end; and (f) a second radial hydrodynamic bearing that radially suspends the second end. Determining pump differential pressure by monitoring rotor axial position allows automatic physiologic control.

A combustor for a gas turbine engine has a head end portion that carries at least one fuel/air nozzle. Each fuel/air nozzle includes a premixed pilot nozzle having premix conduits that are configured with concentric axes that direct the fuel/air mixture axially from the premixed pilot nozzle. The premixed pilot nozzle can include an annular channel disposed radially outwardly from the premix and including air jets that direct air radially outwardly from the premix conduits.