A matrix pin print head of the hinged clapper armature construction includes several pin systems which, in each case, include a magnetic yoke limb pair (2), an electromagnetic coil (3), a hinged clapper armature (4), and a print pin (1). The multiple pin system further includes an electromagnetic coil support (13), which is produced by way of sintering or precision-casting, and which forms a single-piece component together with a base plate and the magnet yoke limb pairs (2). In a system with a low number of pins such as nine pins, the electromagnetic coil support (13) exhibits radially outwardly individual magnet yoke limbs (2a) and an armature guide, wherein the individual hinged clapper armatures (4) are precisely positioned and without cause for a loss of magnetic energy. In each case, the magnetic yoke limbs are directed toward a pin engagement point (8) or, respectively, to a pin attachment position (8b). The radial inner magnet yokes are formed to a closed, circular, or polygonal ring (17). Guide means (18), coordinated in each case to a course of pivot motions of the hinged clapper armatures (4), are coordinated to the hinged clapper armatures (4), where the guide means (18) cooperate with the receiving means (19) at the closed ring (17).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a matrix print head of hinged-clapper-armature construction with several pin systems, which comprise in each case a magnet yoke limb pair, an electromagnetic coil, a hinged clapper armature, and a print pin, and which includes further an electromagnetic coil support, which is produced of a sintered material or by precision casting and which forms a single-piece component together with the base plate and the magnet yoke limb pairs.
2. Brief Description of the Background of the Invention Including Prior Art
Such a matrix pin print head is known, for example, from the German Patent Application DE-A1-3,412,855 or from the U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,038. These conventional constructions exhibit U-shaped magnet yoke arm pairs. In this case, the yoke arms are of a rectangular cross-section. However, such a construction requires too large a space and surface area. The problem of position and mold errors occurs during the production. In case of sintered parts or, respectively, of precision casted parts, filling deficiencies occur in the production tool. Such filling deficiencies result in nonuniformities of the magnetic flux. The magnetic flux depends, among others, on the density of the material employed. In addition, calibration problems of the workpiece are generated. All difficulties are even further increased when the number of the pin systems employed is increased. Thus, in case of 18-pin or 24-pin systems and systems with even more pins, where the nominal diameter remains the same, it is possible only with great difficulty to coordinate the armatures relative to their angle side to the respective magnet yoke limbs or, respectively, to guide the armatures.

Matrix print head of hinged-clapper-armature construction


A pressure pad comprises a plenum chamber, adapted to be conneceted to a pressurized-fluid supply means, having a pair of parallel slit nozzles formed in a top wall, and the chamber is arranged underneath a path of a strip. The plenum chamber is provided with holes in the top wall and at least two obstructions on the top wall. The holes are arranged on imaginary lines that extend between the nozzles on both sides of the top wall and central portions thereof point to adjacent edges of the path. Each of the obstructions comprises at least one obstructing wall arranged on either side of one of the imaginary lines. The lines may have V-, Arch- or Bracket-shaped configurations.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a floater-type heat treating furnace, especially floatation-type pressure pads which are designed to float a continuous strip of material, e.g. aluminum, copper or steel, on a fluidized bed as the strip moves through the furnace. The pressure pad can be located both over and underneath the strip.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pressure pads are widely used to float metal strips of easily deformed materials through a heat treating furnace because such strips can be damaged if they contact rigid rolls which normally support and move metal strips through the furnace.
Generally, as shown in FIG. 7, each pad 40 comprises a plenum chamber 41. The plenum chamber 41 comprises two parallel rows or lines of jet nozzles 42,42' which extend one edge to the another edge of a strip and are perpendicular to the movement of the strip S. They are designed to direct streams or jet of fluid such as gas from a plenum chamber 41 to float the strip S. Each row of jet nozzles 42,42' may consist of a continuous slit or slot which is coextensive with the width of the strip S. These nozzles 42,42' are designed to create static pressure by blowing gas against the strip.
With prior pressure pads 40, previous to this invention, large amount of fluid moves toward edges of the strip S and then escapes from the area underneath the strip S easily. By not containing the fluid properly, area B of the effective static pressure underneath the strip S tends to be small. Consequently, it has been difficult to float strips steadily and results in fluttering or scratching, especially when hot fluid is used because of low density of hot fluid gas. Therefore, it has taken large amount of fluid to float strips.

Floatation pressure pad for metal strips


A damper for decreasing a piping vibration capable of enhancing the efficiency in decreasing the piping vibration and adjusting the weight of a weight portion according to the type of the compressor and the shape of the pipe applied to the compressor by separating a fixed portion from a weight portion such that the fixed portion makes a direct contact with a pipe and the weight portion has an interval from the pipe without making a direct contact with the pipe, in which the damper installed on the pipe to decrease the vibration includes a fixation part provided with a coupling hole formed therein to be coupled to the pipe, and coupled and fixed to the pipe such that the coupling hole makes contact with an outer circumferential surface of the pipe, and a weight part connected to the fixation part.

1. Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a damper for decreasing a piping vibration to decrease the vibration of a pipe.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an air conditioner includes a compressor to compress refrigerant gas at high temperature and high pressure; a condenser configured to radiate heat from the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas transported from the compressor and also configured to gradually phase-change the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas to a liquid state; an outdoor part having a capillary pipe to pressurize the refrigerant into a low-temperature liquid state and a gas state as the refrigerant is transported from the condenser after being phase-changed into a liquid state; an indoor part having an evaporator configured to maintain an indoor at a low temperature by taking away the heat of the indoor as the evaporator passes through and evaporates the refrigerant that is provided in the low-temperature liquid state and in the gas state and transported from the capillary pipe, and at the same time, configured to transport the evaporated refrigerant gas to the compressor again; and a connecting pipe part to connect the indoor part and the outdoor part.
In a case of a household air conditioner and an industrial air conditioner, the household air conditioner and the industrial air conditioner includes a cycle in which refrigerant circulates by using a copper pipe from the compressor to the condenser, from the condenser to the evaporator, and then from the evaporator to the compressor.
The pipe connected with the compressor is directly subjected to vibration during the operation of the compressor, and a crack may be generated in the pipe when the piping vibration is generated on a large scale.
In such a situation, a weight material is added to decrease the piping vibration.
By adding a weight material to a particular position of the entire pipe, the natural frequency of the pipe is moved to a lower frequency band while avoiding the operating frequency of the compressor, thereby decreasing the piping vibration.
In a conventional method of adding a weight material, the pipe and the weight material made of rubber are integrally fixed to each other by a fixation clip or a cable tie.
In the case of the structure above, however, although the natural frequency of the pipe line is moved to a lower frequency band, the effect in decreasing the vibration is not large.
Thus, in a case of a pipe applied to a constant speed compressor operated at a constant speed, only a predetermined frequency range is needed to be avoided, thereby having an improvement in the vibration with the structure as the above.
However, if a weight material having the structure as the above is applied to a pipe applied to an inverter compressor that is operated in a considerably wide frequency range, the frequency is moved but the decrease of the vibration does not take place, thereby a difficulty occurs within the range of the operating range of frequency.


A timepiece comprises a display including a light emitting element. A detector detects ambient light around the timepiece and a switch is switchable into first and second operating modes. When the switch is in the first mode the light emitting element is illuminated at a first brightness level when the detected ambient light is below a predetermined level and the light emitting element is not illuminated when the detected ambient light is above the predetermined level. When the switch is in the second mode, the light emitting element is illuminated at a second brightness level which is greater than the first brightness level.

1. [Field of Industrial Application]
The present invention relates to a timepiece with a light emitting device, in which a light emitting element is mounted on the display portion (e.g., hands, letters or clockface) of the timepiece.
2. [Prior Art]
There exists in the prior art a timepiece with a light emitting device, in which a light emitting element such as an EL (Electro Luminescence) element is mounted on the display portion (e.g., hands, letters or clockface) of the timepiece so that it may be easily observed even when the surroundings are dark as in the nighttime.
In this timepiece with the light emitting device, the brightness of the light emitting element is as low as possible so that the power consumption may be minimized.
3. [Problems to Be Solved]
In the aforementioned timepiece with the light emitting device of the prior art, the illumination of the light emitting element cannot be sufficiently recognized even if it is demonstrated when the surroundings are bright as in the daytime. If the brightness of the light emitting element is so increased that it can be sufficiently recognized even in the daytime, the power consumption is accordingly increased to raise a disadvantage that the battery runs out within a short time.


Synthetic lubricating oils having a predetermined alkylaromatic structure are prepared from a mixture of mono- or dialkenyl benzene with an aliphatic olefin by free-radical reaction in the presence of ditertiary-butyl peroxide, for example. Equivalent napthalene derivatives may be substituted for the dialkenyl benzene. The oils that are formed exhibit a high Viscosity Index, and a low pour point. The viscosity of the synthetic lube stock produced may be controlled by changing the amount of peroxide used.

Refining suitable petroleum crude oils to obtain a variety of lubricating oils which function effectively in diverse environments has become a highly developed and complex art. Although the broad principles involved in refining are qualitatively understood, there are quantitative uncertainties which require considerable resort to empiricism in practical refining. Underlying these quantitative uncertainties is the complexity of the molecular constitution of the precursor crude fractions. Because these crude fractions boil above about 550.degree. F., the molecular weight of the constituents is high and these constituents display almost all conceivable structures and structure types including molecules that contain, in addition to carbon and hydrogen, metals, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur, collectively referred to hereinbelow simply as "heteroatoms". This complexity and its consequences are referred to in "Petroleum Refinery Engineering", by W. L. Nelson, McGraw Hill Book Company, Inc., New York, N.Y. 1958 (Fourth Edition), relevant portions of this text being incorporated herein by reference for background.
The basic notion in lubricant refining is that a suitable crude oil, as shown by experience or by assay, contains a quantity of lubricant base stock oil having a predetermined set of properties such as, for example, appropriate viscosity, oxidation stability, and maintenance of fluidity at low temperatures. The process of refining to isolate that lubricant base stock currently consists of a set of subtractive unit operations which removes the unwanted components. The most important of these unit operations include distillation to recover one or more fractions boiling above about 600.degree. F., solvent refining, and dewaxing, which basically are physical separation processes in the sense that if all the separated fractions were recombined one would reconstitute the crude oil.
Other processes such as hydrofinishing or clay percolation may be used if needed to reduce the nitrogen and sulfur content or improve the color of the lubricating oil stock.
A lubricant base stock, e.g. a refined petroleum oil or high boiling synthetic oils of this invention, may be used as such as a lubricant, or it may be blended with another lubricant base stock having somewhat different properties. Or, the base stock, prior to use as a lubricant, may be compounded with one or more additives which function, for example, as antioxidants, extreme pressure additives, and V.I. improves. As used herein, the term "base stock", regardless whether or not the term is further qualified, will refer only to a hydrocarbon oil without additives.
Viscosity Index (V.I.) is a quality parameter of considerable importance for lubricating oils to be used in automotive engines and aircraft engines which are subject to wide variations in temperature. This index is a series of numbers ranging from 0 to 100 which indicate the rate of change of viscosity with temperature. A Viscosity Index of 100 indicates an oil that does not tend to become viscous at low temperature or become thin at high temperatures. Measurement of the Saybolt Universal Viscosity of an oil at 100.degree. and 210.degree. F., and referral to correlations, provides a measure of the V.I. of the oil. For purposes of the present invention, whenever V.I. is referred to it is meant the V.I. as noted in the Viscosity Index tabulations of the ASTM(D567), published by ASTM, 1916 Race St., Philadelphia Pa., or equivalent.
To prepare high V.I. automotive and aircraft oils the refiner usually selects a crude oil relatively rich in paraffinic hydrocarbons, such oils being referred to commonly as "paraffin base" or "mixed base" crudes, since experience has shown that crudes poor in paraffins, such as those commonly termed "naphthene-base" crudes, yield little or no refined stock having a V.I. above about 40. (See Nelson, supra, pages 80-81 for classifications of crude oils). Suitable stocks for high V.I. oils, however, also contain substantial quantities of waxes which result in solvent-refined lubricating oil stocks of high pour point, i.e. a pour point greater than +25.degree. F. Thus, in general, the refining of crude oil to prepare acceptable base stocks ordinarily includes dewaxing to reduce the pour point to a target value less than +25.degree. F.
Factors which include the increasing shortage of high quality crudes suitable for lubricant production, the inherent limitations imposed by the complex, variable compositions of petroleum, and the increasing demand from engine manufacturers for lubes with exceptionally high V. I. and stability, have led refiners to seek synthetic oils suitable for use as lube base stock. Illustrative of materials that have been proposed are those described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,665 to Pellegrini et al., which describes the preparation of transformer oils by Friedel-Crafts condensation of benzene and decene oligomers; U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,491 to Dressler et al. which describes the preparation of synthetic oil by reacting alpha olefins with naphthalene over a heterogeneous acid catalyst; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,794 to Yoshida et al. which describes preparation of synthetic oils by reacting naphthalene and olefins with a Friedel-Crafts catalyst. U.S. Pat. No. 3,594,320 to Orkin describes upgrading a hydrocracked mineral oil either alone or admixed with a synthetic hydrocarbon fluid by treatment with an organic peroxide. U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,737 to Chester et al. describes preparation of synthetic oils by polymerizing olefins with a zeolite catalyst and, in a second stage, treating the resulting olefin oligomer with a ditertiary-alkyl peroxide. Other patents relating to the acid-catalyzed alkylation of aromatic hydrocarbons with olefins include U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,134; U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,834; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,072. The above-described patents all are incorporated herein by reference for background purposes.
One of the principle problems encountered with acid catalyzed alkylation of aromatic hydrocarbons is that, in general, the catalyst is not particularly selective, making it difficult to efficiently prepare only one specific aromatic derivative. For example, it is difficult to prepare a monoalkylbenzene in good single-pass yield without forming di- and higher alkylbenzenes. Also, it is difficult to form a specific dialkylbenzene isomer, since the catalyst has the ability to readily trans-alkylate and interconvert isomers.
It is an object of this invention to provide a novel synthetic alkylaromatic lube base stock. It is a further object of this invention to provide a synthetic hydrocarbon lube base stock having an exceptionally high V.I. It is still another object of this invention to provide a process for selectively manufacturing a tailored alkylaromatic hydrocarbon oil boiling above 600.degree. F. and having an exceptionally high V.I. These and other objects will become apparent to one skilled in the art on reading this entire specification including appended claims.


An improved reel is described. The reel includes a fine-tuning structure for adjusting the length of wires or cords drawn from the reel and a button component for winding the wires or cords. Thereby, the length of cords or wires is adjusted to a desired level in multiple stages as necessary, and the cords or wires of such reel are collected quickly and smoothly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a reel, and more particularly, to an improved structure of a reel including a fine-tuning structure for adjusting the length of wires or cords drawn from the reel and including a button component for winding the wires or cords, which is used to control reeling in and out the cords or wires of manifold devices such as electronic products, computers, phones, and communication equipment.
2. Description of Related Art
As the technology is progressed ceaselessly, the structures of computers, phones, as well as electric and communication equipment are developed to meet the requirements of the present market. However, it is always inconvenient to store the cords or wires of these devices. To solve the problem, various kinds of reels are provided to collect the cords or wires and control the length of cords or wires in use.
Referring to FIG. 1, a reel 10 is utilized by pulling out the wires or cords 101 at two ends with hands, which is single-staged. That is, the reel 10 is not fixed until the cords thereof are completely drawn out. In order to roll up the cords 101, users need to drag and release the cords 101 at two ends simultaneously, and thereby the cords 101 are collected automatically. Another kind of reel 10 belongs to a multi-staged reel, in which the cords 101 are drawn out and fixed in multiple stages. Though the cords 101 can be fixed in multiple stages while being pulled, it is difficult to define the length of the cords 101 and then adjust the length. Moreover, it is still unfavorable to reel out the cords 101 at two ends concurrently because the process needs to be repeated several times for entire collection of the cords 101.
In view of the aforesaid disadvantages, there is a need not only to adjust and define the length of cords or wires in use, but also to wind the cords or wires through such an easy approach as pressing a button. Hence, a reel that satisfies the concerns of convenience and utility is investigated and filed as an US patent application, which has been granted as U.S. Pat. No. 7,147,177 now.
Based on the granted patent, an improved structure of a reel is further investigated and provided in this application.


The stretchable porous film of the present invention includes voids in a surface thereof, in which: the stretchable porous film has an air permeability measured with an Oken-type air permeability meter of less than 99,999 sec/100 cc; the stretchable porous film has such an extending direction that an air permeability measured with the Oken-type air permeability meter in a state in which the stretchable porous film is extended by 100% becomes less than 60,000 sec/100 cc; and the stretchable porous film has such a pulling direction that when, in a hysteresis test, the stretchable porous film is pulled from a width of 20 mm and an inter-chuck distance of 30 mm to an inter-chuck distance of 60 mm at a pulling speed of 50 mm/min and held for 1 minute, and then the pulling of the inter-chuck distance is released, a residual strain becomes 10 mm or less.

Various stretchable films are adopted for stretchable articles such as sanitary articles, for example, a sticking plaster.
Such stretchable film is required to have not only excellent stretchability but also excellent air permeability in some applications. For example, a conventional and typical sticking plaster (see, for example, Patent Literature 1) has some degree of waterproof property because polyvinyl chloride is used as the polymer component of the stretchable film of the sticking plaster. However, the sticking plaster has poor air permeability, and hence involves a problem in that a maceration phenomenon in which during the bonding of the sticking plaster to a skin, the skin of a portion having bonded thereto the sticking plaster becomes stuffy to whiten occurs.


A filter method for adapting a computing load to a computing capacity of a car-to-x communication system, in which method car-to-x messages are received and/or sent using the car-to-x communication system and the received car-to-x messages require processing by the car-to-x communication system. The filter method decides which of the received car-to-x messages to process and which of the received car-to-x messages to discard.

"Vehicle-to-X communication systems", which are designed to transmit both traffic-related data and a range of service data such as entertainment applications, for instance, are known in the prior art. Vehicle-to-X communication in such systems is based both on data transfer amongst vehicles (vehicle-to-vehicle communication) and on data transfer between vehicles and infrastructure equipment (vehicle-to-infrastructure communication).
The high level of reliability and data integrity required of information transmitted by vehicle-to-X communication means that such information must additionally be provided with a complex security signature and/or data encryption.
Analyzing such a security signature or decoding such data encryption, however, is associated with a relatively high level of computing effort. Moreover, particular situations arise, for instance passing a heavily used town-center junction at rush hour, in which such a large number of vehicle-to-X messages are received that processing all the received vehicle-to-X messages likewise is only possible by providing a relatively large amount of computing power.
With traditional surround sensors, the amount of data to be processed is set by the design of the transducer, and the hardware and software for the processing steps can be adjusted accordingly to this largely constant amount of incoming data, whereas in contrast, in a vehicle-to-X communication system, the amount of data depends on a multiplicity of factors such as the proportion of other vehicles and infrastructure equipped with the technology, the vehicle density etc., and ranges from zero messages per second (travelling along a lonely country road) to the theoretical physical maximum of potentially several thousand messages per second (approx. 1000 with regard to a currently envisaged channel, ITS-G5 CCH at 6 Mbit/s gross).
Therefore hardware and software of a vehicle-to-X communication system must be designed for a reasonable amount of data. Currently such figures are calculated from supposedly realistic scenarios, e.g. 400 messages per second. The behavior of the system for greater amounts of data is undefined, however.

Filter method for adapting a computing load


Control of anonymous file transfer protocol server using exit programs: FTP and anonymous FTP communications are enabled and controlled by operating a server logon exit program to deny or authorize a logon request based on any combination of a user authentication string and/or client network address; and operating a request validation exit program to deny or authorize an action request based on any combination of type of request, user, client network address, and specific data requested.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to communication between computer systems, and more particularly to the control of anonymous file transfer protocol server using exit programs.
2. Background Art
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is the standard application for transfer of files between computers attached to Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) networks, including the Internet. FTP is a "client/server" application, such that a user runs a program on one computer system, the "client", which communicates with a program running on another computer system, the "server". The interface between the FTP client and server programs is officially defined by two Request For Comment (RFC) memoranda approved by the Internet Architecture Board of the Internet Society:
Postel, J. B., and Reynolds, J. K. "File Transfer Protocol (FTP)", RFC959, October, 1985.
Braden, R. (editor). "Requirements for Internet Hosts--Application and Support", RFC1123, October, 1989.
Normal operation of FTP requires the user to enter a user identifier and password for authentication on the server system. However, some system owners have the need to make some data files available as "public" data. To facilitate the transfer of such files, an informal protocol known as "anonymous FTP" has been developed which allows a user to obtain data from an FTP server without requiring normal user identifier and password authentication. There is no formal specification of anonymous FTP, but the following informational RFC describes its use:
Deutsch, P., Emtage, A., and Marine, A. "How to Use Anonymous FTP", RFC1635, May, 1994.
Anonymous FTP presents several problems to any owner of a server system which allows it:
1. How is access to the "public" data controlled?
2. How is data which are not considered to be "public" protected?
3. How can the system owner obtain statistics about access to public data?
It is an object of this invention to provide a system and method for overcoming these problems in the prior art by enabling selective denial or approval of anonymous logon requests based on any combination of a user authentication string and/or client network address; and selective denial or approval of anonymous action requests based on any combination of type of request, user, and/or client network address, and or the specific data requested.

System and method for enabling and controlling anonymous file transfer protocol communications

International Business Machines Corporation


A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) of improved current collecting efficiency including, an anode, a cathode, an electrolytic layer between the anode and the cathode, and a current collector in an interior space defined by the anode and comprising a current collecting wire layer having a multiple-layered structure including a metal wire and a coating layer on an outer circumferential surface of the metal wire and having a higher melting point than that of the metal wire.

1. Field
Aspects of embodiments of the present invention relate to solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs).
2. Description of Related Art
A fuel cell is a cell that converts chemical energy generated by oxidation into electric energy. Fuel cells are an eco-friendly technology that generate electric energy from materials such as oxygen and hydrogen, which are abundant on the Earth.
In fuel cells, an electrochemical reaction is performed as an inverse reaction of the electrolysis of water by respectively supplying oxygen and fuel gas to a cathode and an anode, respectively, thereby producing electricity, heat, and water. Therefore, fuel cells produce electricity at high efficiency while causing minimal pollution.
A process of producing electricity using fuel cells will be briefly described. Hydrogen is supplied to the anode, and the supplied hydrogen is decomposed into hydrogen ions and electrons. Then, the hydrogen ions are moved to the cathode through an electrolytic membrane, and the electrons are moved to the cathode through an external electrical wire, thereby generating electric power.
In fuel cells, a majority of the material discharged in the electricity generating process is only water. Hence, there is little to no concern about pollution, and energy generation efficiency is improved by about 40% or more when compared with existing electricity generation technologies. Since certain mechanically moving parts are not required, which are required in general heat engines, fuel cells have various advantages, such as miniaturization, less noise, etc.
Fuel cells are classified into alkaline fuel cells (AFCs), phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFCs), molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs), polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), as determined according to a kind of electrolyte used.
Among these types of fuel cells, SOFCs are widely used because the position of an electrolyte is easily controlled, there is no concern about the exhaustion of fuel, and the lifetime (lifespan) of a material (and therefore, the SOFC) is long.
SOFCs are generally classified as tube-types or plate-types according to a shape of a unit cell. In the case of general tube-type SOFCs, a material used as a current collecting wire has low electrical conductivity, but has a high increase in resistance under a high-temperature atmosphere (e.g., high temperature conditions). Therefore, the inherent properties of the material cause the current collecting efficiency to be substantially lowered, due to an increase in resistance and a decrease in conductivity of the current collecting wire in the process of collecting current. Moreover, when the entire volume, e.g., length, of each unit cell is enlarged to increase the electricity generation capacity of the SOFC, the current collecting wire is necessarily lengthened. Accordingly, the total resistance of the current collecting wire is also increased, and a voltage drop is increased at the same time. Therefore, degradation of performance results from voltage loss.

Solid oxide fuel cell comprising a coated wire current collector


It is intended to provide a medicament and a method for treating cancer comprising a compound having MDM2 inhibiting activity and a compound having FLT3 inhibiting activity in combination. The present invention provides a medicament comprising (3′R,4′S,5′R)—N-[(3R,6S)-6-carbamoyltetrahydro-2H-pyran-3-yl]-6″-chloro-4′-(2-chloro-3-fluoropyridin-4-yl)-4,4-dimethyl-2″-oxo-1″,2″-dihydrodispiro[cyclohexane-1,2′-pyrrolidine-3′,3″-indole]-5′-carboxamide or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and N-(5-tert-butyl-isoxazol-3-yl)-N′-{4-[7-(2-morpholin-4-yl-ethoxy)imidazo[2,1-b][1,3]benzothiazol-2-yl]phenyl}urea or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in combination, and a treatment method using these compounds or salts in combination.

p53 is known as an important factor for inhibiting canceration of cells. p53 is a transcription factor that induces the expression of genes involved in the cell cycle and cellular apoptosis in response to various stresses. p53 is thought to inhibit canceration of cells by a transcription regulating function thereof. In fact, deletion or mutation of the p53 gene is observed in about half of human cancer cases.
Meanwhile, overexpression of murine double minute 2 (MDM2), a type of E3 ubiquitin ligase, is known as a factor for canceration of cells that are cancerated in spite of the presence of normal p53. MDM2 is a protein whose expression is induced by p53. MDM2 negatively regulates p53 by binding to the transcription activity domain of p53 to decrease the transcription activity of p53, exporting p53 out of the nucleus, and mediating degradation of p53 by acting as an ubiquitination ligase against p53. Therefore, it is thought that inactivation of functions of and degradation of p53 are promoted in cells in which MDM2 is overexpressed, resulting in canceration (Non Patent Document 1).
Paying attention to such functions of MDM2, many approaches have been attempted using substances that inhibit the suppression of p53 functions by MDM2 as candidate anti-tumor agents. Examples of MDM2 inhibitors targeting the MDM2-p53 binding site have been reported, which include spirooxindole derivatives (Patent Documents 1 to 15 and Non Patent Documents 1 to 3), indole derivatives (Patent Document 16), pyrrolidine-2-carboxamide derivatives (Patent Document 17), pyrrolidinone derivatives (Patent Document 18), isoindolinone derivatives (Patent Document 19 and Non Patent Document 4) and dispiropyrrolidine compounds (Patent Document 20).
FLT3 is a protein belonging to receptor tyrosine kinase class III together with KIT, FMS and PDGFR, etc., and is thought to be involved in the hematopoietic system (Non Patent Documents 5 to 8). Its structure has an extracellular region composed of five immunoglobulin-like domains, one juxtamembrane region (JM domain), two tyrosine kinase domains (TK1 and TK2) divided by a kinase insert domain (KI domain), and a C-terminal domain. FLT3 is highly expressed in brain, placenta, liver and hematopoietic stem cells (Non Patent Documents 6 to 9).
A ligand of FLT3 (FL) is expressed in stromal cells of bone marrow and stimulates stem cells, either alone or in collaboration with other cytokines (Non Patent Documents 10 to 13). The ligand-receptor interaction between FL and FLT3 is considered to have important functions in the hematopoietic system.
Meanwhile, high expression of FLT3 is observed in most cases in samples of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or acute lymphatic leukemia (ALL) patients, and high expression of FLT3 is also seen in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). It is also known that growth of AML cells is more remarkably enhanced than that of ALL cells by stimulation of FL (Non Patent Documents 14 to 18). The FLT3 gene is the gene that is most frequently mutated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases, and either of internal tandem duplications (ITDs) in the juxtamembrane region (Non Patent Document 19) or a mutation in the FLT3 activation loop region (Non Patent Document 20) is confirmed in approximately 30% to 35% of patients. The mutation of FLT3-ITD or the activation loop region is associated with constitutive activation of tyrosine kinase activity.
N-(5-tert-Butyl-isoxazol-3-yl)-N′-{4-[7-(2-morpholin-4-yl-ethoxy)imidazo[2,1-b][1,3]benzothiazol-2-yl]phenyl}urea (quizartinib) having FLT3 inhibiting activity is known to have anti-tumor activity. Treatment of various cancers using quizartinib has been proposed in documents. Various dosing regimens have been reported. See, for example, Patent Documents 21 to 23 (which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety). Also, the effects of combined use of quizartinib and anthracycline, a topoisomerase inhibitor or a tumor cell metabolic antagonist have been reported (Patent Document 24).
As for the relation between an MDM2 inhibitor and a FLT3 inhibitor, it has been reported that administration of an MDM2 inhibitor is preferred for patients whose cells contain FLT3 having an activating mutation (Patent Document 25). This document also states that combined administration of a FLT3 inhibitor and an MDM2 inhibitor is preferred for patients whose cells contain FLT3 having an activating mutation, but it does not disclose specific effects of the combined use of specific drugs.
There are various reports on the effects of combined use of various MDM2 inhibitors and various anti-tumor agents (Patent Documents 26 to 29).

Method for treating cancer by combined use


A pencil lead containing flake graphite which has an ab face having a flatness of at least 2 μm or less and in which an aspect ratio of an a axis or a b axis in the ab face to a c axis is 5 or more is provided with a structure in which nanoparticles having a mv value of 0.05 to 2 based on 100 of a volume average diameter (mv value) of the graphite and having a sphericity of 0.1 to 20 nm or nanoparticles having a mv value of 0.05 to 2 based on 100 of a volume average diameter (mv value) of the graphite and having a specific surface area of 200 to 600 m2/g are brought into contact with the ab face of the graphite or a structure in which they are adhered to the ab face of the graphite.

In general, important characteristics required to pencil leads are good writing feeling, a good color developing property of the drawn lines and high mechanical strength.
In order to provide a solid drawing material which is increased in an oil-impregnable effective pore volume and a surface area in a solid drawing material such as a pencil lead and further enhanced in compressive strength and has smooth writing feeling, a satisfactory color developing property and satisfactory drawn line intensity and which has a small abrasion amount and a good erasing property and is less liable to be stained when rubbing the drawn lines with a finger and a production process for the same, the present applicant proposes a solid drawing material prepared by forming a solid drawing material lead body by subjecting a blend composition for a solid drawing material containing at least a nanomaterial (nanoparticles) to burning treatment or non-burning treatment and filling pores of the above solid drawing material lead body with a lubricant (refer to, for example, patent document 1).
Further, it is known as well that a production process for a lead body prepared by adhering in advance a part or all of fine particles having an average particle diameter of 100 nm or less to a surface of a tabular extender to prepare a fine particle-adhered tabular extender, mixing and kneading it with lead body materials and then molding the mixture by extrusion molding is provided for the purpose of providing a process for producing a pencil lead which is an extrusion-molded lead body capable of forming a thick film containing fine particles in a high concentration by writing (refer to, for example, patent document 2). The above technique includes the content disclosed in patent document 1 described above. A thickness of the film described in the above patent document 2 is obtained by expressing merely power for masking the ground by a numerical value, and it is not related to the visual color (intensity) and the writing feeling.
On the other hand, the following defects are present in the evaluation item called "touch in writing" or "writing feeling" in patent document 1 described above. That is to evaluate it based on feeling obtained when a tester draws lines by a one-sidedly abraded face for a short time while maintaining a posture taken in starting the test without almost changing a writing face of the mechanical pencil. The one-sidedly abraded face is a face which is abraded and flat, and therefore the lines are written by a face which is almost abraded and flat until finishing writing since initiating it.
Accordingly, it has been found that when a lead to be tested is applied to a product developed by the present applicant which is put recently on the market and gains public favor (a mechanical pencil, trade name: "KURUTOGA", manufactured by Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd., international application WO2007/142135 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,417)), to be specific, when the test is carried out by applying it to a mechanical pencil of a type in which a lead is rotated whenever written to always carry out writing by a fresh part, the problem that such writing feeling that has so far been obtained is not reproduced is brought about.
That is, even if nanoparticles are simply mixed by the art described in patent document 1 and the like described above to form solid drawing materials, favorable evaluations of excellent drawn line intensity, writing feeling in actual writing and a static•dynamic frictional coefficient which is a typical index thereof have not been able to be obtained. When measuring a static•dynamic frictional coefficient for a solid drawing material obtained by simply mixing nanoparticles, the problem that the evaluation item called "the touch in writing" or "the writing feeling" described above is not always reproduced depending on a production process and a constitution of the lead body has been found.
As described above, the existing state is that pencil leads which have better and smoother writing feeling and high strength and which provide drawn lines with a deep and brilliant black color and a production process for the same are desired earnestly for pencil leads prepared by using nanomaterials (nanoparticles) and pencil leads used for a mechanical pencil of a type in which a lead is rotated whenever written to always carry out writing by a fresh part in addition to pencil leads used for conventional mechanical pencils, wood case pencils and the like.    Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-138031 (claims, examples and others)    Patent document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-115211 (claims, examples and others)

Pencil lead and production process for the same


An image capture apparatus that performs interval shooting to acquire a plurality of captured images photographed with a predetermined photographing interval includes: an image capture unit; an image capture condition determination unit; and an interval shooting processing unit. The image capture unit is configured so as to be able to control focus. The image capture condition determination unit determines a photographing condition of an apparatus. The interval shooting processing unit controls focus of the image capture unit so as to change a focus control method for each photography in the interval shooting according to a photographing condition of the apparatus determined by the image capture condition determination unit.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image capture apparatus, an image capture method, and a storage medium.
Related Art
Conventionally, for photographing lenses, since the refractive index of a lens changes from temperature difference or a barrel holding the lens expands from temperature difference, a photographing condition such as focus will change, a result of which adverse effect occurs in the photographed image, for example, due to defocusing where the focusing position is displaced. Technology for mounting a temperature correction mechanism as in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2012-242427, for example, has been disclosed as a countermeasure thereto. In particular, for interval shooting (time lapse photography), since the influence due to temperature changes is great, a technology of changing the recording pixel region depending on temperature as in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2007-129414, for example, has been disclosed as a countermeasure thereto.

Image capture apparatus performing interval shooting, image capture method and storage medium


A method is provided for forming a semiconductor-detection device that provides internal gain. The method includes forming a plurality of bottom trenches in a bottom surface of an n-doped semiconductor wafer; and forming a second plurality of top trenches in a top surface of the semiconductor wafer. The bottom surface and the top surface are opposed surfaces. Each of the bottom trenches is substantially parallel to and substantially juxtaposed to an associated one of the top trenches. The method further includes doping the semiconductor wafer with at least one p-type dopant to form a p-region that defines at least one n-well within the p-region, wherein a p-n junction is formed substantially at an interface of the n-well and the p-region; and removing a portion of the bottom surface to form a remaining-bottom surface, wherein a portion of the n-well forms a portion of the remaining-bottom surface.

The present invention relates generally to semiconductor detectors for detecting electromagnetic radiation and configured to provide internal gain from detected radiation. More specifically, the present invention relates to an avalanche photodiode and method of manufacture therefor.
For several decades photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) have been prevalently used for sensing light for medical imaging, particle physics research, and the like. High energy particle physics experiments often include the use of hundreds and even thousands of PMTs to detect particles of various masses, various energies, and various angles of incidence. Different sized PMTs and different sensitivity PMTs are often used in particle detection experiments to provide for the detection of photons and particles having various properties. One example of a detector that includes a number of PMTs is the Super Kamiokande detector in Japan. The Super Kamiokande detector includes an approximately 50,000 ton tank of pure water viewed by over 11,000 photomultiplier tubes that are each approximately 50 centimeters in diameter.
One advantage of PMTs in particle detection applications is their relatively large amplification, which is often about 106. PMTs also provide the advantage of generating relatively low noise signals, which enables these devices to achieve high sensitivity for single particle detection. Although PMTs have been relatively prevalently used for particle detection applications, PMTs also have a number of inherent limitations. Specifically, PMTs are relatively costly, and large PMTs generally are not easy to mass produce. Further, PMTs are generally not operable under pressures exceeding a few atmospheres as the glass from which PMTs are fabricated tends to implode. Further yet, PMT sensitivity is often limited to a relatively small wavelength band, and the optical quantum efficiency of PMTs is also relatively low. Further still, PMTs generally are not operable under relatively high magnetic fields as these magnetic fields tend to push avalanche electrons from their intended paths within the PMTs. And, PMTs tend to be bulky. As a result, in many medical imaging applications, high energy applications, and nuclear physics applications, there remains a need for alternative designs of large photosensors that address the limitations of PMTs.
One solid state substitute for PMTs is the avalanche photodiode (APD). An APD is a semiconductor device that may be reverse biased near the breakdown region of the device such that multiple charges are generated in this region as a result of the absorption of an incident photon. The generated charge is amplified in the APD as a result of a cascading effect as the charge is accelerated by the reverse bias potential applied across the p-n junction of the device. An APD (similar to a PMT) exhibits internal gain created by an impact ionization process in the device, but an APD (disparate from a PMT) exhibits relatively high optical quantum efficiency. For example, the optical quantum efficiency of an APD may be four times (or more) higher than the optical quantum efficiency of a PMT. Further, APDs tend to exhibit a wider spectral response as compared to PMTs. Further yet, APDs tend to be insensitive to externally applied magnetic fields, unlike PMTs.
Early APDs were often discrete devices having beveled edges to prevent premature voltage breakdown at the sides of these APDs to thereby achieve "high" gain. See, for example, the beveled edge APDs described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,293,435, 3,491,272, and 3,449,177 of Huth. Specifically, beveled edges are used to reduce the peak surface electric field (i.e., the electric field across the p-n junction in the area where the p-n junction meets the surface of the APD structure) substantially below the peak bulk electric field (i.e., the electric field across the p-n junction in the body of the device where the p-n junction is disposed substantially parallel to the surfaces of the device to which the bias voltage is applied). Reducing the peak surface electric field generally inhibits breakdown at the surfaces and provides, instead, for primary breakdown in the bulk. Breakdown at the surfaces tends not to contribute measurable signal current and tends to contribute leakage currents as well as other undesired effects, such as device noise. For example, the peak surface electric field may have a value about 70% or less than the value of the peak bulk electric field to provide that the APD breaks down in the bulk.
Beveling is typically achieved via manual fabrication processes, such as grinding, and as a result, the cost of fabricating beveled edge APDs is generally high (˜$1000 for a 1-2 square centimeter (cm2) device). Relatively large APDs that are typically commercially available and that have this design are typically about 2 cm2 or less. Due to the high cost and relatively small size of beveled edge APDs, these APDs tend not to be suitable for many medical imaging applications and high energy physics applications.
Methods have been investigated to avoid the beveled configuration of APDs. U.S. Pat. Nos. having numbers 5,670,383 and 5,446,408 of Piccone. However, the described APDs in these patents tend to have a relatively thin portion, which renders these APDs relatively fragile. The disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,670,383 and 5,446,408 are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
Therefore, the need exists for new APDs and new APD manufacturing techniques, wherein the APDs are relatively robust and easy to fabricate at relatively low cost.

Large area semiconductor detector with internal gain


An instrument for determining the location of a channel and for creating a channel through bone tissue for suturing ligament, tendon, or muscle tissue to the bone during arthroscopic surgery, the instrument comprising a pair of compound levers (12) and (14) with handles (18a) and (18b) at a first end (24a) and (24b), a pair of semicircular pincers (36a) and (36b) comprising jaws at a second end (30a) and (30b). The jaws and body of the instrument (10) are inserted through a cannula and adjacent to the bone to be channeled. The jaws are opened to the desired separation, locating the end points (37a) and (37b) on the bone to be channeled and closing the jaws to create the channel.

While arthroscopic surgery involving the knee has been practiced for quite some time, arthroscopic surgery on other joints, such as the shoulder, is a relatively new endeavor. A number of problems are encountered in such surgery that are not encountered in arthroscopic surgery of the knee. These problems include working through a thicker layer of skin and muscle tissue than is found in the knee. Other problems include reattaching torn tendons, ligaments, or muscle tissue to bone and the problem of having to work in close proximity to neurovascular structures.
Thus, with such problems, there arises a need for instruments designed to be insertable through a small incision, yet able to reach a remote location at which the repair is to be performed. For example, with the recent advent of arthroscopic surgery to the shoulder, such as in the repair of torn rotator cuff tendons, a new set of instruments and procedures is helpful. As part of the procedure disclosed in the '132 application, a channel (or tunnel) is to be formed in the greater tuberosity of the humerus (shoulder). The traditional method of performing such surgery involves open surgery requiring a large longitudinal wound across the operation site, working through the muscles and exposing the injured tendon. Arthroscopic surgery is preferred, however, especially in view of the quicker recovery time and lessened trauma to the patient. However, arthroscopic surgery requires instruments having a low profile, which are capable of being partially inserted through small incisions in the patient to perform a variety of functions at the operation site located remotely within the patient's body.
In repairing a torn rotator cuff, a channel or tunnel is created through the bone through which suture material can be passed. Presently, such a method of creating a channel employs a pick-type device located at the distal end of a rod. However, problems involved with a pick include the inability to determine exactly where it will emerge when forced through the bone. The "pick method" of creating a channel is, at best, a method of estimating the radius of curvature of the channel and the ultimate end point of the channel where it emerges through the surface of the bone.
What is needed is a device for locating both end points and creating a channel of predetermined radius of curvature between those twin points that can be inserted through a small puncture wound for arthroscopic use. The device of the present invention provides for just such an instrument. More specifically, the device of the present invention provides for a low profile compound lever awl with a pair of semicircular pincer jaws. The use of such a tool allows for a low profile and therefore ease of insertion into the patient, as through a cannula, while also providing for a device to locate and fix the end points of the channel to be created and to positively determine the path of such a channel between the end points.

Augmented awl for creating channels in human bone tissue


Example methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to capture and compress telematics data are disclosed herein. An example computer-implemented method, executed by a processor, to represent telematics data includes identifying, with the processor, a physical intersection of roads, identifying, with the processor, virtual lines crossing the roads, assigning, with the processor, ordinals to the virtual lines, representing, with the processor, a physical traversal through the physical intersection captured in first telematics data by a pair of the ordinals, and storing the pair of the ordinals in second compressed telematics data.

Telematics is a method of monitoring a vehicle. By combining a location determination system (e.g., the global positioning system (GPS)) data with on-board monitoring data it's possible to record and map where a car is, how fast it's traveling or a rate of acceleration, how it is being driven (e.g., directly, based on indications of driver operation such as application of brake or gas pedals, or indirectly, e.g., high acceleration values may correlate to poor driving behavior), and, in some examples, cross reference that information with how a car is operating internally.
Working with both time and spatial driving data can be a challenge for telematics. In particular, most spatial software does not natively process temporal data, leading to difficulties in working with driving data in which a car crosses an intersection more than once in a trip.
The figures depict embodiments of this disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternate embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles set forth herein.
In general, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawing(s) and accompanying written description to refer to the same or like parts. The figures are not to scale. Connecting lines or connectors shown in the various figures presented are intended to represent example functional relationships and/or physical or logical couplings between the various elements.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods and apparatus to compress telematics data

STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY


A transfer apparatus for a vehicle has an input shaft which is connected to pinion shafts so as to rotate together with the pinion shafts in a transfer casing. Pinion gears, provided on the pinion shafts, mesh with first and second differential side gears provided around the input shaft. A first output shaft is formed as a unitary body with the first differential side gear. Since a clutch mechanism is disposed on one side of and beside the first output shaft, the entire transfer apparatus structure is compact in both axial and radial directions of the input shaft. The second differential side gear is connected to a sprocket, which connected to a second output shaft. In order to transfer rotation of either the input shaft or the second differential side gear to the clutch mechanism, either a differential casing or a portion extending from the sprocket is provided so as to connect with the clutch mechanism. A bearing providing stable support is provided around the differential casing so as to enable the differential casing to rotate.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a transfer apparatus which transmits drive power from an engine of a vehicle to a front wheel, a rear wheel, or both a front wheel and a rear wheel of the vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to a transfer apparatus equipped with a differential mechanism in which an input shaft and a plurality of pinion shafts are connected to each other.
2. Description of Related Art
In four-wheel-drive vehicles, transfer apparatuses equipped with center differential lock mechanisms have previously been used for transmitting drive power from engines to front and rear wheels. Transfer apparatuses which employ differential mechanisms having bevel gearing in order to reduce their sizes in radial directions are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,923,113 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1-164,629. By using a differential mechanism having bevel gearing, the size of the mechanism, in a radial direction thereof, can be reduced as compared to a center differential mechanism having planetary gearing. Moreover, when a speed differential arises between the front and rear wheels, the speed differential is absorbed by the center differential mechanism, so that the occurrence of slip is effectively prevented.
However, by using a differential mechanism having bevel gearing, even though the size of the mechanism in its radial direction is reduced, its size in the axial direction is large or long. This is because in the center differential mechanism, a sprocket for transmitting drive power to the front wheels of the vehicle, a center differential lock mechanism and a differential limit mechanism are disposed, in this order, in the axial direction. As a result, it is difficult to obtain an overall compact transfer apparatus structure.
In another previously known transfer apparatus, a clutch mechanism, forming at least part of a differential limit mechanism for limiting a speed differential between the front and rear wheels, is provided at the periphery of a bevel gear. This is because the clutch mechanism is provided between differential side gears which mesh with differential pinion gearing provided at a pinion shaft. Consequently, because the clutch mechanism is provided, the size of the transfer apparatus, in a radial direction, becomes larger than is acceptable. As a result, it is difficult to obtain a compact apparatus.
Additionally, since the clutch mechanism is inevitably provided at the periphery of the bevel gear, it is also difficult to support an input shaft within a transfer casing. This can cause the input shaft to be unstably supported.


A semiconductor device is provided, which contains a memory bank including M primary word lines and R replacement word lines, a row/column decoder, and an array of redundancy fuse elements. A sorted primary failed bit count list is generated in a descending order for the bit fail counts per word line. A sorted replacement failed bit count list is generated in an ascending order of the M primary word lines in an ascending order. The primary word lines are replaced with the replacement word lines from top to bottom on the lists until a primary failed bit count equals a replacement failed bit count or until all of the replacement word lines are used up. Optionally, the sorted primary failed bit count list may be re-sorted in an ascending or descending order of the word line address prior to the replacement process.

Despite best efforts, many memory dies are manufactured with defective memory cells. Such memory dies may be "repaired" into operational memory dies by utilizing redundancy cells. For example, word lines connected to at least one defective memory cell may be logically replaced with a redundancy word line connected to a row of redundancy memory cells. A memory die that includes defective memory cells distributed over more word lines than the total number of redundancy word lines may not be repaired, and thus, may have to be discarded.

Memory repair using optimized redundancy utilization

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited


The present invention relates to a baton for self-protection is composed of a cylindrical handle, a locking piece, a switch, a first telescoping rod, a second telescoping rod, and a spring. The handle is covered by a grip. The locking piece is coupled to the center portion of a locking piece fixing section inserted into one end of the handle and has a locking projection provided in predetermined positions of both ends thereof. The switch is mounted in the rear side of the locking piece fixing section. The first telescoping rod has a widened portion and tapered portion formed in both ends thereof so as to be telescoped inside the handle. The second telescoping rod is housed in the first telescoping rod, and a step portion of the second telescoping rod at one end thereof is closely coupled to the locking projection of the locking piece. The spring is mounted in the handle so as to elastically support the first and second telescoping rods.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an expandable baton for self-protection. In the expandable baton for self-protection, multiple telescoping rods which are elastically coupled to each other inside a cylindrical handle are elastically expanded by a switch operation so that the expandable baton is enlarged. Therefore, the expandable baton can be used for self-protection in an emergency and can be conveniently carried in the retracted state at normal times.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, as various violent crimes for unspecific persons increase, various self-protection tools are being developed. Particularly, women buy and use various self-protection tools such as a stun gun and gas gun.
However, the self-protection tools such as a stun gun and gas gun are composed of a complex mechanic device. Therefore, it is inconvenient for women to carry them because they are heavy in comparison with the size thereof. Further, when the mechanic device malfunctions or is taken by the opposite person in an emergency, it can be used as another weapon of violent crimes.
Therefore, various batons for self-protection have been developed, which can be easily used by women, can be carried in the retracted state, and can be expanded in a longitudinal direction in an emergency so as to be used as a self-protection tool. Batons for self-protection, which have been developed in the initial stage, have such a structure that multiple telescoping rods are simply stacked and coupled inside a handle. Therefore, whenever a user uses the baton, the telescoping rods should be drawn out by hand. Alternately, when a user flourishes the baton, the telescoping rods are expanded by the inertia of his/her arm.
The construction of the conventional baton for self-protection has been disclosed in Korea Utility Model Registration No. 317338, and a schematic structure thereof will be described as follows.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the conventional baton for self-protection in the retracted position. As shown in FIG. 1, the baton for self-protection has such a structure that a tip-end rod 10 and an intermediate rod 20 are sequentially housed in a handle rod 30. At normal times, the baton for self-protection can be carried by retracting the three-stage rods. When the baton for self-protection is expanded for use, a force is applied to a direction where the baton is brought down with the handle rod 30 being held, so that the intermediate rod 20 and the tip-end rod 10 are extracted from the handle rod 30.
In this case, an elasticity supporting piece is fixed to a handle lid spirally coupled to the handle rod by a screw. Between the elasticity supporting piece and the inner surface of the handle rod, base portions of the tip-end rod 10 and the intermediate rod 20 are elastically locked so that the fixed state is maintained.
Further, when the conventional baton for self-protection is expanded, the tip-end rod 10 and the intermediate rod 20 are sequentially extracted from the handle rod 30 and are supported by levers 11 and 12, so that the expanded state is maintained.
In the conventional baton for self-protection having such a structure, the elasticity of the elasticity maintaining piece can be lost, the elasticity maintaining piece bringing the end portions of the tip-end and intermediate rod 10 and 20 in close contact with the inner surface of the handle rod 30. In this case, since the tip-end and intermediate rods 10 and 20 cannot be fixed inside the handle rod 30, they moves inside the handle rod 30 due to self-weight, which makes it impossible to retract the baton to the minimum size.
If an elastic strength of the elasticity maintaining piece is set to be larger than a predetermined range when the baton for self-protection is manufactured, the ends of the tip-end and intermediate rods 10 and 20 are not taken off between the elasticity maintaining piece and the inner surface of the handle rod 30, so that the tip-end and intermediate rods 10 and 20 cannot be reliably drawn out in an emergency.
Another baton for self-protection having a similar structure has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Publication No. 6,056,643. The baton for self-protection has a similar problem.
In order to solve such a problem, a baton for self-protection having an improved structure has been disclosed in Korea Patent Publication No. 2002-66239. In the baton for self-protection, a switching unit formed of an elastic member is elastically provided across a holding section at the leading end of a hollow tube body and a flexible tube, and the flexible tube is telescoped inside the hollow tube body by an elastic force. The baton for self-protection is automatically expanded by the switching unit.
However, the appearance of the baton for self-protection is not beautiful because the hollow tube body of the switching unit is exposed outside. Further, a plurality of components such as a pressing button, a leaf spring, a fastening pin, a locking member and the like, composing the switching unit, are assembled in a complex manner, thereby increasing a manufacturing cost. The size of the baton for self-protection inevitably increases because the components of the switching unit are assembled so as to be exposed outside. Furthermore, as constituting members as well as the switching unit are repeatedly driven, the locking force in the assembled portion is weakened so that a breakdown rate increases.


A fluorescent lamp dimmer, for use with one or more fluorescent lamps where large ratios of luminous differences are required, which includes apparatus for powering the arc current for the fluorescent lamps from a source of pulsating voltage of variable pulse width and variable frequency both of which can be changed by relatively small amounts and still produce very large changes (15,000:1) in luminescence.

1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to apparatus for use in dimming fluorescent lamps and, more particularly, to a high efficiency circuit having a large dimming range ratio suitable for use in applications such as flat panel displays where ambient light may change from very dim to very bright as, for example, in an aircraft environment.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
Fluorescent lamp dimming circuits for use in general area lighting are well known in the prior art. For example, co-pending applications Serial No. 39,111 entitled "Time Delay Initialization Circuit", Serial No. 239,193 entitled "Notch Cutting Circuit with Minimal Power Dissipation", and Serial No. 39,209 entitled "Power Control Circuit for Inductive Loads", all of which were filed Aug. 31, 1988, and are assigned to the assignee of the present invention, show a fluorescent lamp dimming system in which the alternating signal supplying the power to the lamp is cut with a notch of variable width so as to reduce the power applied to the lamp and thereby provide the desired dimming.
While such circuits are useful for general area lighting where the ratio between the brightest and the dimmest is not very large, in some applications there is a need for fluorescent light dimming in which the dimming ratio is desired to be greater than, for example, 10,000:1. Such an application is found in aircraft, and especially military aircraft, where display systems in the form of color liquid crystal flat panels are used. These displays need a back lighting system to make information visible to the pilot under ambient lighting conditions that may go from near blackness at night to extreme bright glare facing into the sun. Since it is also desired that the back lighting color not change over the dimming range, fluorescent lights are preferred since their color is not altered by dimming but rather by the selection of the appropriate composition of phosphorus coating within the lamp. Accordingly, the brightness of the fluorescent lamp needs to vary by a large amount in order for the pilot to be able to view the display under all ambient light conditions. It is also desirable that the change be rather exponential, because under dark conditions the variation in luminance necessary to accommodate changes in ambient light are far less than the variation in luminance necessary under very bright conditions. Accordingly, it is desired that control of the output of the fluorescent lamps vary the brightness of the lamps by a relatively small amount under dark ambient light conditions, but by a relatively large amount under bright sunlight conditions and a log or exponential response is preferred. The system should also be free of swirls, flicker and discontinuities, be capable of withstanding temperatures from about -55.degree. C. to +75.degree. C. with a smooth response to the pilot's dimming command, and be able to provide a large number of cold starts and hours of operation while maintaining a high circuit efficiency. In some cases, the dimmer needs to drive multiple lamps (for reliability) in parallel and, accordingly, electrical isolation is needed so that if a lamp fails it will not affect the luminance output of the remaining lamps.
While some companies have provided fluorescent backlight assemblies, to date the best dimming range is no greater than 1,000:1, the efficiency of such lamps is believed to be only around 50% and such lamps are believed to have some luminescence instabilities.


Methods for partially decontaminating radioactive waste wherein the waste is first mixed, or brought in contact, with at least one corrosive medium. Activation energy is then supplied to the corrosive medium, so that at least a portion of the radionuclide present in the waste is converted into at least one gaseous reaction product, or is dissolved, by hydrogen or hydrogen ions, oxygen or oxygen ions, and/or halogen (for example chlorine) or halogen ions from the corrosive medium. The aim is that of decontaminating a 12C/13C-containing porous solid waste, which is contaminated with the 14C radionuclide. For this purpose, CO2 and/or hydrogen are applied as corrosive media to the waste, so that at least a portion of the waste is reacted to form at least one gaseous reaction product, wherein the process temperature is selected so that the 14C radionuclide is enriched in the reaction product over 12C/13C.

When used in nuclear reactors, graphite becomes contaminated with various radiotoxins, which are formed by the neutron activation of impurities contained in the graphite and/or by the neutron activation of the ambient atmosphere and/or by nuclear fission. These radiotoxins pose a particular problem for disposal if these are highly volatile, such as tritium (3H) for example, are long-lived and volatile, such as 36Cl, or emit highly penetrating radiation, such as 60Co.
In addition, the carbon that is present in the graphite itself, having an atomic weight of 13, is activated to form radiocarbon (14C). The capture cross-section for this reaction is only 0.0009 barns; however this should not be disregarded because of the significant concentration of 13C of 1.11%. In addition, 13C is generated by the neutron capture of 12C (0.0034 barns) during exposure to radiation and thus also increasingly contributes to the formation of 14C. Furthermore, radiocarbon is generated by the neutron activation of nitrogen having an atomic mass of 14. At 99.64%, 14N accounts for the majority of naturally occurring nitrogen. The cross-section for neutron capture with subsequent emission of a proton is 1.81 barns. In addition, radiocarbon forms via the oxygen isotope having an atomic mass of 17, which occurs naturally in an abundance of 0.039%, by way of neutron capture (0.235 barns) with subsequent emission of an alpha particle. In the neutron field, nitrogen and oxygen can be either a constituent of the reactor atmosphere or part of chemical bonds in reactor materials.
Radiocarbon differs from the stable isotopes of carbon only in the atomic mass thereof. Thus, this basically exhibits the same chemical behavior as the remaining isotopes of carbon. This is also reacted in biological processes as stable carbon and is not recognized as a foreign substance. The release thereof into the biosphere should therefore be avoided. This is also the reason why the threshold values for the final storage and for the potential release of radiocarbon are extremely stringent.
The radiotoxins, and here 14C in particular, form only a fraction of several ppm (parts per million) in the overall mass of the graphite, however these are distributed substantially homogeneously over the entire volume thereof, so that the entire volume is considered radioactive waste, which in some countries is categorized as intermediate-level waste (ILW) or, due to the half life of 5730 years, as long-lived low-)evel waste (LLLW). Because final storage capacities are scarce and expensive, a need therefore exists for selectively removing radiotoxins from the graphite and concentrating the same in such an amount that the remaining graphite can either be categorized as low-level waste (LLW), or that even safe levels are measured and this can be reused.
A method is known from DE 10 2004 036 631 A1 for selectively removing radiocarbon by way of a chemical reaction at elevated temperatures. To this end, a gaseous corrosion medium is loaded against outer and inner surfaces of the graphite, wherein only a few percent of the graphite corrode, but a large portion of the radiocarbon is released. The method takes advantage of the realization that the majority of radiocarbon has become concentrated in the vicinity of the inner surfaces in the pore system of the graphite, since the radiocarbon is assumed to be essentially created by the activation of adsorbed nitrogen or oxygen in the pore system of the graphite, and thus to be oxidized with preference.
Improvement potential is considered to exist to the effect that a significant amount of radiocarbon and/or other radioactive isotopes remains in the waste after the method is carried out.

Method for partially decontaminating radioactive waste


A magnetic position detection apparatus includes a substrate, a magnet, a bridge circuit including first through fourth magneto-electric converting elements formed on the substrate, and a detection circuit. A substrate surface is substantially perpendicular to a magnet magnetization direction. The second and third magneto-electric converting elements are, when viewed along the magnet magnetization direction, disposed to be on or in the vicinity of a straight line passing through a center point of a magnetic pole of the magnet and parallel to a straight line perpendicular to both the magnet magnetization direction and the magnetic mobile object. The first and fourth magneto-electric converting elements are disposed so that, when not opposed to the magnetic mobile object, a component of a substrate of a magnetic field to be applied thereto is substantially same as that of a magnetic field to be applied to the second and third magneto-electric converting elements.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic position detection apparatus that magnetically detects a movement of a magnetic mobile object.
2. Background Art
There is a detection apparatus formed of a magneto-electric converting element and a magnet to magnetically detect a movement of a magnetic mobile object. The magneto-electric converting element referred to herein means an element whose electric resistance value varies with a magnetic field applied thereto, such as an MR (Magneto-Resistance) element. Because a magnetic field to be applied to the magneto-electric converting element by the magnet varies in association with a movement of the magnetic mobile object opposed to the magnet, the movement of the magnetic mobile object can be detected as a variance of the electric resistance value.
For example, a magnetic position detection apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3682052 (Patent Document 1) is, as is shown in FIG. 19, provided to be spaced apart from a magnetic mobile object 500, which has a radially-protruding tooth portion on a circumference thereof and rotates in a circumferential direction, above a plane surface of the magnetic mobile object 500. The magnetic position detection apparatus includes a processing circuit portion 502 having a bridge circuit formed of first and second magneto-electric converting elements 501a and 501b, a magnet 503 that applies a magnetic field to the first and second magneto-electric converting elements 501a and 501b in a direction of a rotational axis line 504 of the magnetic mobile object 500, and a flux guide 505. When viewed along the direction of the rotational axis line 504, the second magneto-electric converting element 501b is disposed substantially on a center line in a circumferential width dimension of the magnet 503 while the first magneto-electric converting element 501a is displaced toward the magnetic mobile object 500 with respect to the second magneto-electric converting element 501b. Owing to this configuration, a differential output is obtained from outputs of the first and second magneto-electric converting elements 501a and 501b.
Further, the flux guide 505 made of a magnetic material is provided between the processing circuit portion 502 and the magnet 503 to prevent dispersion of a magnetic flux. The flux guide 505 has a pair of protrusions mutually opposing with a spacing in the circumferential direction of the magnetic mobile object 500. The second magneto-electric converting element 501b is disposed substantially on a center line between a pair of the protrusions. The first magneto-electric converting element 501a is disposed on the side of one of the protrusions.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 3682052
According to the magnetic position detection apparatus in the related art disclosed in Patent Document 1, the bridge circuit is formed of the first and second magneto-electric converting elements 501a and 501b and, as is shown in FIGS. 20A and 20B, the first and second magneto-electric converting elements 501a and 502a are disposed with a spacing N. Accordingly, there is a difference between times at which the first and second magneto-electric converting elements 501a and 501b are opposed to a tooth portion or a slot portion of the magnetic mobile object 500 in association with a movement of the magnetic mobile object 500. This time difference gives rise to a phase difference in variance of the electric resistance values of the respective magneto-electric converting elements 501a and 501b. Hence, a differential output of the bridge circuit varies more abruptly than in a case where the bridge circuit is formed of a single magneto-electric converting element (the other one is a resistor made of non-magnetic metal). Spatial resolution can be thus enhanced.
Incidentally, in a case where the bridge circuit is formed of a plurality of magneto-electric converting elements, when the electric resistance values of the respective magneto-electric converting elements are not equal, that is, in a case where detection sensitivities to a magnetic field of the respective magneto-electric converting elements and a magnetic field to be applied thereto are not the same, such differences appear as a differential output of the bridge circuit.
For example, in a case where magneto-electric converting elements have magnetic anisotropy, the sensitivity varies with a change of an angle at which the magnetic field is applied to the magneto-electric converting elements. Even when the magnetic position detection apparatus is present solely and not opposed to a magnetic mobile object, sensitivities of the respective magneto-electric converting elements differ due to a difference in angle at which the magnetic field is applied to the respective magneto-electric converting elements by the magnet. When magnetic anisotropy varies depending on performance of the magneto-electric converting elements, such a variance in magnetic anisotropy is reflected on a differential output of the bridge circuit formed of a plurality of the magneto-electric converting elements, thereby causing a variance of the differential output.
In a case where a magnetic position detection apparatus having a bridge circuit formed of a plurality of magneto-electric converting elements as in Patent Document 1 above is manufactured, a magnetic characteristic (sensitivity) of the magneto-electric converting elements and a combining position of the magneto-electric converting elements and the magnet (a magnetic field applied to the respective magneto-electric converting elements) vary from apparatus to apparatus in manufacturing. Accordingly, a variance of the sensitivity together with a variance of the magnetic field increases a variance of the differential output of the bridge circuit in comparison with cases where the bridge circuit is formed of a resistor made of non-magnetic metal or where the bridge circuit is formed of a single magneto-electric converting element and a resistor made of non-magnetic metal. The manufacturing variances may be controlled strictly or adjustments may be performed during the fabrication sequence as countermeasures. However, either countermeasure makes the manufacturing difficult and further increases the manufacturing costs.
Also, in a case where sensitivities differ among a plurality of magneto-electric converting elements forming the bridge circuit as described above, a difference in sensitivity also appears for temperatures. Because a temperature characteristic of a differential output of the bridge circuit is large, the temperature characteristic varies considerably.


Systems and methods are presented for the dynamic aggregation of communications network bandwidth. Communication devices are bonded in a community in which the communication resources of a bonded device can be used to transfer data on behalf of another bonded device. In an exemplary embodiment, communication devices are bonded wirelessly to share wireless wide area network communication channels. Bandwidth aggregation is performed dynamically based on user communication requirements and the current states of the bonded communication devices. Methods are presented by which communication devices can be automatically bonded when a predetermined bonding condition is satisfied. The methods and systems of the invention optimize utilization of communication resources in a cost-effective manner that provides a user high quality service as well as location mobility.

Because data network connectivity is considered essential in a majority of businesses and enterprises, most companies provide some type of wide area network (WAN) connection, such as an Internet connection, to their employees. Often the WAN connection is provided in the employee's office at the company's business location. For enterprises that operate field or sales offices, those remote sites may also be wired for internet connectivity, even though the offices may have few if any employees present on a regular basis. In addition, many employees, for example sales representatives or service technicians, are required to spend a significant amount of time traveling outside the office. To accommodate these employees, an employer may also provide wireless internet access via subscription to a Wireless WAN (WWAN). Consequently an enterprise may incur costs for three types of internet connections: principal business location connectivity, remote site connectivity, and wireless connectivity for mobility, even though a fair portion of the resources may remain underutilized or idle. Thus, from a business operations perspective, it would be desirable to maximize utilization of the WAN resources while ensuring that users have access to the resources they need to productively conduct company business.
As mentioned above, many enterprises provide wireless mobile connectivity for their employees. With the continued growth in the use of laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld computers and other wireless devices, Wireless Wide Area Networks (WWANs) are playing an increasingly significant role in facilitating communications around the globe. Unlike Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) networks that provide wireless communication in accordance with IEEE 802.11(a), (b) and (g) protocols within a limited geographical area, for example within a building, WWANs use cellular technology to provide wireless transfer of data over large geographical areas via communication protocols that include encryption schemes that provide secure communications. Devices that communicate over WWANs have a built in radio that allows them to transmit and receive data over the wireless network.
The WWAN bandwidth available to a user is dependent on the type of cellular network and the signal strength at the user's location. There are several types of WWANs in operation today, the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), the Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) and the High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), to name a few. A user with an EDGE card that enables communication over the EDGE network can typically be allocated a bandwidth of 100 kbs. UMTS subscribers can receive 250-300 kbps of bandwidth, while HSGPA subscribers can be allocated 500-700 kbs of bandwidth by the network provider. Although the bandwidth allocated by the carrier network to an individual subscriber can be sufficient to nominally support the user's communication needs, there are some applications that can demand a higher bandwidth than that allocated by the network in order to operate at a desired quality of service. For example the user may wish to participate in a videoconference which typically requires high data rates. For these applications the network bandwidth allocated to the user can be insufficient to support the desired application, or may support it in a slow or degraded manner that the user deems unacceptable. Consequently, although the user may enjoy the mobility that a WWAN offers, he can be stymied in his attempt to use the WWAN to conduct the operations that he desires. It would be advantageous to the user to be able to increase his bandwidth when necessary to accommodate high data rate applications.
A user can obtain higher data rates, on the order of 7 Mbps for the 802.11(b) protocol, and up to around 50 Mbps under 802.11(a) and (g) protocols, by connecting to a Wi-Fi network. Communication over a Wi-Fi network requires that a user's laptop, PDA, or other mobile device be equipped with a Wi-Fi radio and also requires that a user have access to a Wi-Fi hotspot. Although Wi-Fi networks have been operable for many years, the number of hotspot locations remains disappointingly limited; consequently, users may not be assured of hotspot access at a particular location. Often deployed in airports, hotels, or other public venues, hotspot locations are prone to becoming congested, resulting in degraded performance, or even loss of access when a maximum number of users has been reached. In addition, when accessing a public hotspot the security of the communications conducted may prove to be a legitimate concern, particularly for a user conducting company business. Finally, a further disadvantage of using a Wi-Fi network for high data rate Internet access is that a Wi-Fi network operates within a much smaller coverage area, requiring a user to be within close proximity of a hotspot, and thereby limiting the mobility of a user.
In the past, bandwidths have been increased for devices by aggregating multiple wired connections. For example three 56.6 kbps modems can be linked to provide an aggregated bandwidth of 169.8 kbps. However the maximum bandwidth acquired is limited by the number of physical connections available. Further, aggregation performed in this manner is static, rather than dynamic in response to user needs. More importantly, aggregation of wired connections provides increased bandwidth only to users communicatively coupled with the wired connections. For example, a host can be coupled to the aggregated connections and users access the bandwidth via the host. Consequently, bandwidth aggregated in this manner does not address the increased bandwidth needs of mobile, wireless users.
A further consideration related to providing Internet connectivity is the fact that an internet connection, while being paid for by the subscriber, can actually be idle, i.e., not used for data transfer, for a considerable amount of time. There are two primary reasons for this idle state: (1) the device is not being used by the user, and (2) the device is being used, but the device is not actively engaged in the transfer of data over the connection. This is because a user will often download a web page or file, which may take only a few seconds, then spend several minutes perusing the loaded page. Consequently, within a particular enterprise, one employee may be reading a web page while his WAN connection remains idle. Meanwhile, other employees may wish to engage in sessions that require high data rates, such as videoconferences, but are unable to do so because their WAN connections will not support the high data rate required to conduct the conference. Thus, while one employee has access to resources that he does not currently need, another employee has insufficient resources to perform a desired operation.
Therefore, there is a need for systems and methods that dynamically increase the bandwidth available to a user in response to a user's communications requirements. There is also a need for systems and methods that dynamically optimize the utilization of network resources in a cost-effective manner. Finally, there is a need for systems and methods that provide a user high quality communication services along with location mobility.

Systems and methods for dynamic aggregation of bandwidth


The invention relates to a clamping chuck head for clamping a workpiece to be processed. The clamping chuck head comprises a rotatably supported clamping chuck having a first set of clamping segments for clamping a workpiece on a first perimeter area, an operating device for operating the first set of clamping segments, wherein the operating device comprises at least one spring element which closes the first set of segments for clamping the workpiece due to its bias; and a main sleeve in which the first set of segments is arranged, wherein the main sleeve is rotatably supported in the clamping chuck head on two bearings axially spaced from each other and the operating device is essentially arranged in an axial direction between the two bearings or in the area of the bearings.

DE 32 47 586 C2 describes a horizontal lathe for both-end-processing by means of an open and driven clamping head. The clamping head is supported on the outer perimeter by means of a journal bearing and an axial bearing and a rotary gear rim is laterally arranged next to the bearings for driving by means of a belt. On the horizontal lathe each of both ends of a clamped workpiece is associated to one tool unit for processing the ends. For loading and unloading the blank and the readily processed workpiece a loading and unloading device can be activated. The clamping of the workpiece is carried out by inclined disk lamellas being bent by clamps. The bending of the lamellas is carried out by screw thread sleeves comprising disk lamellas, which are twistable by axially displaceable operating devices. The operating devices have to be axially displaced as separate elements.
DE 38 26 985 C1 and DE 36 20 231 C1 disclose each a horizontal lathe including a center drive for both end processing of a workpiece. The workpiece is rotatably supported in two clamps, wherein at least one of the clamps is driven. Short workpieces can not be processed on both ends with adjacent clamps.
The clamping chuck head of DE 41 05 688 C2 is provided to be mounted in a rotatably driven housing. Within the clamping chuck head a double set of clamping segments is provided, which can be operated by an operating device. The clamping of a workpiece is carried out by biasing two disk (Belleville) springs after the operating device has been released. By operating the operating device the disk springs are compressed and by compressing two slideable clampings release the clamping jaw segments so that the workpiece can be removed. For operating the operating device a plate including bolts is arranged outside the clamping chuck head, wherein the bolts act on the operating devices and the plate itself is tilted by a hydraulic device arranged outside the clamping chuck head.
The clamping chuck head of GB 21 51 166 is rotatably mounted and enables processing of a workpiece on both ends. Also here a double set of clamping segments is operated by means of an operating device to be externally applied, wherein the clamping segments of both sets are connected to each other and axially displaced while operating.

Center drive machine and clamping device therefore