Integrated circuits such as programmable logic device integrated circuits are provided that have memory arrays. The memory arrays can be tested using configurable built in self test circuitry. The built in self test circuitry may have test control register circuitry and configurable state machine logic. The state machine logic may perform at-speed tests on a memory array and may provide test results to external equipment for analysis. A tester may be used to provide test control settings to the test control register circuitry. The test control settings may include march element settings for a march sequence. During testing, the configurable state machine logic may use the march element settings to generate march sequences. March sequences that have been generated in this way may be used in testing the memory array.

This invention relates to memory testing, and more particularly, to configurable built in self test circuitry for performing memory tests.
Memory is widely used in the integrated circuit industry. Memory arrays are formed as part of integrated circuits such as application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic device integrated circuits, digital signal processors, microprocessors, microcontrollers, and memory chips.
Integrated circuits are generally tested before being sold. Testing can reveal memory faults that arise during device manufacturing. For example, testing may reveal that a particular memory array cell is stuck at a logical one value or that it is impossible to read data from a particular memory array cell. Identifying errors such as these allows integrated circuits to be repaired or discarded as appropriate.
It is often desirable to perform memory tests at normal clock speeds. Such tests, which are sometimes referred to as at-speed memory tests, may reveal faults that would otherwise not appear and therefore help to ensure that memory on an integrated circuit has been thoroughly tested.
In order to adequately test a memory array on an integrated circuit, it is often desirable to design the integrated circuit so that it incorporates internal testing circuitry. Such testing circuitry, which is sometimes referred to as built in self test circuitry can be used to perform at-speed tests on the memory array. If the tests indicate that a fault is present, the integrated circuit that contains the fault may be repaired or discarded.
In a typical configuration, a hardwired built in self test circuit is included on an integrated circuit. During testing, the hardwired built in self test circuit applies test vectors to the memory array to determine whether the memory array contains faults. If desired, a so-called soft built in self test circuit can be implemented from programmable logic resources on a programmable logic device integrated circuit.
Although hardwired and soft built in self test circuitry allows memory arrays to be tested at speed, the built in self test circuitry can consume a relatively large amount of circuit resources. This is particularly true when the built in self test circuitry is designed to run a number of different tests. For example, a built in self test circuit that has been designed to run five different memory tests might require roughly five times as much circuit real estate as a built in self test circuit that has been designed to run a single memory test.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to produce built in self test circuitry that can be configured to perform different memory tests without consuming significant amounts of circuit resources.

Configurable built in self test circuitry for testing memory arrays


Apparatus and methods to wirelessly charge batteries within a radius of a power source. A power transmitter generates a power signal of specific configuration which is received by the power charger. The power charger harvests the received power signal and stores the energy contained within for the purpose of charging target battery or batteries.

Many commonly used items require batteries. The two most common battery types are disposable and rechargeable. If a device uses a rechargeable battery, the device must be physically plugged into a charging receptor for recharge. Depending on the intended use of the device, it is often desirable to use the device with rechargeable batteries; however, it is not always convenient to worry about plugging in the device for recharging.
Nikola Tesla described the effects of transmitting energy through natural media, the basis for all radio transmissions. The present invention uses the principals set forth in his work for the specific purpose of harvesting the power of a transmitted power signal to charge batteries.
It is therefore an object of this invention to reduce or eliminate the need for a physical connection when recharging batteries by establishing a process for wirelessly charging batteries within a predetermined radius of a power transmitter.

Wireless battery charger via carrier frequency signal

Abstract: The typical uses of this invention are but not limited to the home, car, office, and work place. Anywhere where rechargeable batteries are used in a device where they need to be placed or physically removed from the device for recharge by conventional wired chargers, this invention provides method to prolong battery life in such a way to extend the time between a physical wired recharge or eliminate such events all together.


In one aspect, an apparatus for performing chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) magnetic resonance imaging on a region of an object being imaged is provided. The method comprises at least one coil capable of being operated to emit radio frequency (RF) signals, at least one detector capable of detecting nuclear magnetic resonance signals, and at least one controller to operate the at least one coil to provide at least one inversion sequence to the region to flip at least some spins in the region by a desired flip-angle, operate the at least one coil to provide at least one first pulse sequence at a first frequency offset from a peak resonant frequency of water by a first amount in a first direction to magnetize at least one exchange group in the region, operate the at least one coil to provide at least one second pulse sequence at a second frequency offset from the peak resonant frequency of water by the first amount in a second direction opposite the first direction, operate the at least one detector to measure a first signal emitted from the region as a result of providing the at least one first pulse sequence after a predetermined time interval after applying the first inversion sequence, and operate the at least one detector to measure a second signal emitted from the region as a result of providing the at least one second sequence at the predetermined time interval after applying the at least one inversion sequence, wherein the predetermined time interval is selected such that positive contrast is achieved with respect to the first signal relative to the second signal.

Chemical exchange processes in tissue may be visualized using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) employing a chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) methodology. CEST imaging exploits the ability of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to resolve different signals arising from protons of different molecules. CEST techniques operate by detecting the exchange mediated saturation transfer between bound and bulk protons by utilizing exchanging groups (e.g., —OH and —NH) of small organic molecules. In particular, the transfer of magnetization from the exchange group and/or contrast agent attenuates the bulk water signal. This attenuation of the bulk water signal can be measured and used to provide contrast in MRI.
FIG. 1A illustrates the principle behind CEST techniques. In particular, FIG. 1A illustrates exchange kinetics ka and kb between the bulk protons (A) and the bound protons (B). When RF irradiation is applied at a frequency of the chemical shift of an exchanging group (e.g., —OH or —NH) as shown in FIG. 1B (RF ON), the RF saturation is transferred to the surrounding bulk water molecules resulting in a relatively small yet detectable decrease in the strong water signal (i.e., negative contrast is generated). CEST imaging is relatively sensitive to the environment of the exchanging group and/or contrast agent and has found a number of applications such as the detection of pH, metabolite levels, protein depletion, etc.
CEST techniques may be supplemented or complemented by using paramagnetic complexes as MRI contrast agents. Such techniques are referred to as PARACEST. For example, exogenous paramagnetic lanthanide complexes exhibit slow exchange kinetics between an inner coordination site and bulk water and show large chemical shifts for lanthanide-bound water molecules. Similar to the CEST effect, PARACEST contrast is generated via application of a saturating RF sequence at a frequency corresponding to the chemical shift of the water protons bound to the paramagnetic complex. Utilization of PARACEST may provide several advantages over CEST, for example, PARACEST techniques may provide increased sensitivity enabling detection of the paramagnetic contrast agents in the microMolar concentration range.

Positive magnetic resonance imaging contrast methods and apparatus using chemical exchange saturation transfer

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Inc.


Anions containing sulfur and oxygen, e.g. thiosulfate, can be catalytically reduced using a protonated anion ion exchange resin as a catalyst. The process is preferably conducted in an aqueous system and at a pH below about 8.

Several manufacturing processes, for example, photochemical processes and photoprocessing, paper manufacturing, petroleum refining, flue gas desulfurization, the production of inorganic chemicals, and canning processes, generate waste waters containing undesirable high concentrations of sulfur oxyanions. By sulfur oxyanions is meant water-soluble, inorganic sulfur-oxygen anions such as thiosulfate (S.sub.2 O.sub.3.sup.2-), tetrathionate (S.sub.4 O.sub.6.sup.2-) and trithionate (S.sub.3 O.sub.6.sup.2-) and the like. Sulfur oxyanions exhibit a chemical oxidation demand (COD) and a biological oxygen demand (BOD), parameters that are subject to environmental regulation discharge limits. Environmental regulations also limit the discharge of silver, which is contained in the waste water generated from some of the above said manufacturing processes and, most notably, from photoprocessing or industrial processes involving the use or manufacture of photochemicals. Consequently, further treatment of waste water to lower the silver content and to destroy the inorganic sulfur oxyanions is necessary.

Catalytic destruction of sulfur-oxygen anions


A graded electrode is described. The graded electrode includes a substrate; and at least two electrode layers on the substrate forming a combined electrode layer, a composition of the at least two electrode layers being different, the combined electrode layer having an average level of the property that changes across the substrate. Fuel cells using graded electrodes and methods of making graded electrodes are also described.

Electrochemical conversion cells, commonly referred to as fuel cells, produce electrical energy by processing reactants, for example, through the oxidation and reduction of hydrogen and oxygen. A typical polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprises a polymer membrane (e.g., a proton exchange membrane (PEM)) with catalyst layers on both sides (catalyst coated membrane (CCM)). The catalyst coated PEM is positioned between a pair of gas diffusion media layers (DM), and a cathode plate and an anode plate are placed outside the gas diffusion media layers. The components are compressed to form the fuel cell.
In order to form a CCM, the electrode ink can be deposited directly on the PEM, or it can be deposited on a decal substrate and transferred to the PEM.
Depending on the fuel cell design, catalyst coated diffusion media (CCDM), in which the catalyst is coated on the DM rather than the PEM, sometimes have advantages over CCM. Gas diffusion media in PEM fuel cells are normally composed of a layer of a conductive porous substrate, such as carbon fiber paper or carbon cloth, with a microporous layer (MPL) thereon. The MPL normally contains carbon powders and hydrophobic fluoropolymers. Traditionally, CCDM are prepared by coating a catalyst containing ink directly on the gas diffusion layer, more precisely onto the MPL.
Typically, in the fuel cell, the operating conditions are not uniform from the stack inlet to the stack outlet. For example, relative humidity (RH) increases from the inlet to the outlet, while O2 partial pressure decreases.
Therefore, there is a need for adjusting the electrode/MEA properties along the flow direction.

Fuel cell electrodes with graded properties and method of making


Broadly speaking, the present techniques provide methods, apparatus and systems for monitoring operation of a device. More particularly, the present techniques provide methods for monitoring operation of a device by observing state transitions which occur during the running of a device process following a firmware update, and either comparing the observed state transitions to a state transition map generated within the device or comparing the observed state transitions to a state transition model in, or associated with, the firmware update.

There are ever increasing numbers of devices within the home, office buildings or the outdoor environment that have processing and communication capabilities which allow such devices to interact with other processing devices and cloud services. Everyday objects and relatively small-scale processing devices may be connected to each other and to central platforms as part of the "Internet of Things" (IoT). For example, a heating system in the home may gather information from various temperature sensors and control the activation of heaters based on the gathered information; a factory pollution monitoring sensor may gather information from various chemical sensors and arrange maintenance based on the gathered information; whilst a healthcare provider may use wireless sensors, such as a heart rate monitor to track the health of patients while they are at home. In the cases described above, the data is generally forwarded to a cloud service on the internet.
Such IoT devices tend to be wireless and battery-operated, as wired devices are expensive to install and may not be scalable. The lifetime of battery-powered devices may be sufficiently long for their required purpose, and some may be wirelessly chargeable. However, a malicious attack on an IoT device could significantly or entirely drain the device battery, such that, for example, a device lifetime of ten years is reduced to half a day. This vulnerability may make battery-powered IoT devices expensive and undesirable.
The present disclosure broadly provides technologies to improve the security and operational lifetime of devices.

Systems and methods for monitoring state transitions


The present invention relates to a fan control system, which comprises a controller and a detection circuit. The controller controls a fan. The detection circuit detects at least one state of the fan control system, and generates a confirmation signal according to the at least one state. The confirmation signal represents the state of the fan control system.

A general fan controller controls the turning of a fan according to loading when the power is supplied to the fan control system. For example, high loading is accompanied by high temperatures. Thereby, the fan controller controls the turning of a fan in high loading. Nonetheless, during the manufacturing process of fan control systems, when the power is just supplied to a fan control system or a fan control system is just booted, the fan controller will control the fan not to turn under the control rules according to loading. In other words, when the power is just supplied to the fan control system or the fan control system is just booted, the loading is low and the fan is controlled not to turn. Consequently, during the manufacturing process of fan control systems, it is not possible to know if the fan control system can operate normally to control fan.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a fan control system, which may let observer know immediately if the fan control system operates normally during the manufacturing process of the fan control system or when the fan control system is booted.


A wear insert comprised of cemented metal carbide is welded to a workpiece made of steel or cemented metal carbide without causing fracturing of the carbide or creating residual stresses that reduce the impact resistance of the part. The part is fabricated using a microwave sintering process prior to welding.

Cemented metal carbides and other cermets, polycrystalline diamond (PCD), and cubic boron nitride (CBN), and combinations of them, have been used for many years for cutting tools, hard facing, wear inserts, cutting inserts, and other wear parts and surfaces in various types of tools because of their desirable properties of hardness, toughness and wear resistance. Cemented metal carbide refers to a carbide of one of the group IVB, VB, or VIB metals which is pressed and sintered in the presence of a binder of cobalt, nickel, or iron and the alloys thereof. The most common example of a cemented metal carbide used in downhole applications is tungsten carbide (WC). Polycrystalline diamond is made by sintering powdered diamond in the presence of a catalyst, such as a cobalt alloy or nickel, resulting in intercystalline bonding between individual diamond crystals. The diamond can be synthetic or natural diamond, cubic boron nitride, or wurtzite boron nitride as well as combinations thereof. PCD is typically utilized in wear applications as a crown layer attached to a base comprised of cemented WC. Such an insert is sometimes referred to as a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC).
Drill bits, rock mills and other earth boring tools used in oil and gas exploration are examples of tools that make use of wear resistant inserts for surfaces that will be subject to substantial abrasion and wear. Examples of inserts with abrasion resistant wear surfaces include abrasive jet nozzles, long life wear parts, carbide cutting tools, carbide wire drawing dies, cold heading dies, valve components (including seats), scuff plates, saw blades, deflector plates, milling tools, finishing tools, and various types of components for down hole tools, such as cutters and other inserts for earth boring bits (including rotary and drag bits) and bearing wear surfaces, such as mud-lubricated radial bearings and thrust bearings. An example of diamond bearing comprising a composite having a crown formed of PCD on a substrate of cemented carbide is as described by U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,440. Examples of cutters, bearings, and other types of inserts made from cemented metal carbides and PCD, and methods of manufacturing them, can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,500,226; 6,315,066; 6,126,895; 6,066,290; 6,063,333; 6,011,248; 6,004,505; 5,848,348; 5,816,347.
Inserts made from cemented metal carbide, PCD and cermets are joined to other components of a tool by either press fitting or brazing the insert. Brazing involves melting between two work pieces a filler metal having a melting point below the melting point of each of the work pieces, thereby forming a bond between the two work pieces. Examples of filler metal used for brazing are various alloys of cobalt. Brazing does not cause melting of either of the work pieces. Welding, on the other hand, requires heating adjacent portions of two work pieces above their respective melting points to form a pool of molten material, called weld pool, resulting in material from each piece inter-diffusing to form a bond that joins the pieces when cooled. Welding can be done either with or without the presence of a filler material.
Generally speaking, welding cemented metal carbide is not feasible or recommended due to stresses caused by heating of the cemented metal carbide. Although cemented metal carbides are very hard, tough, and resistant to wear, they are also relatively brittle. A small amount of strain can lead to its fracture. Furthermore, the more wear resistant, or harder, cemented tungsten carbide is made, the less tough and resistant to fracture it is. Uneven heating of a cemented metal carbide part leads to large temperature gradients across the part, which induces substantial stress across the part due to different degrees of thermal expansion caused by the uneven heating. Additionally, metal carbides also have a substantially different coefficient of thermal expansion as compared to stainless steel, which is the type of metal of which the bodies of and moving parts of down hole tools are fabricated due to is corrosion-resistance, strength and machinability. Heating a cemented metal carbide part and a steel part hot enough to melt the respective materials at the boundary between the two pieces creates substantial stress on the cemented metal carbide part when it cools. The stress typically leads to fracturing of the cemented metal carbide part during welding. If it does not immediately fracture, the residual stress within the part leads to substantially heightened susceptibility to fracturing when loaded, making the part not feasible for use, especially on downhole tools likely to experience high impact loads.

Tool with welded cemented metal carbide inserts welded to steel and/or cemented metal carbide


A first substrate is formed to include a surface on which a first record layer is formed, and which includes an inner circumferential portion on which a ring-shaped member is provided. Ultraviolet curing resin is dropped onto part of the surface which is located inward of the ring-shaped member, and the first substrate is then spun to coat the first record layer with the ultraviolet curing resin. Furthermore, a second substrate is formed to include a surface on which a second record layer is formed, and the second substrate is spun to coat the second record layer with ultraviolet curing resin. Then, the first and second record layers are made to face each other, and the first and second substrates are bonded to each other by the ultraviolet curing resin.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disk which includes a plurality of information record layers, and allows information to be recorded/reproduced on/from the information record layers with a laser beam.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, information in optical disks has been recorded at a higher density. As a result, pits or grooves formed in optical disks have been required to be formed at a higher density. Furthermore, e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 9-138970 discloses a multi-layer optical disk which has a plurality of layers having pits or grooves, and allows information to be optically read from one side of the optical disk.
For example, a dual-layer optical disk is provided as the multi-layer optical disk. One of the both sides of the dual-layer optical disk has a first substrate on which a first information record layer is formed, and the other has a second substrate on which a second information record layer is formed. The first and second information record layers are provided opposite to each other, and bonded to each other by a transparent ultraviolet curing resin. Each of the above information record layers is a phase change record layer which enables information to be recorded therein by utilizing a phase change occurring due to irradiation of a laser beam, or a read-only reflection layer having a surface which is formed to have pits representing information.
By way of example, a conventional method of bonding substrates by performing spin-coating will be explained.
In the conventional method, ultraviolet curing type resin is dropped onto an information record layer of a substrate such that it is ring-shaped coaxial with the substrate. It is spun for a predetermined time period to coat the substrate such that the surplus part of the ultraviolet curing type resin is removed from the substrate, as a result of which the ultraviolet curing type resin is provided to have a predetermined thickness. After preparing two substrate coated with ultraviolet currying type resin in such a manner, the following steps are carried out: the surfaces of the substrates which are coated with the ultraviolet curing type resin are made to face each other; the centers of the substrates are put together by using a center pin; the substrates are bonded together in a vacuum; and ultraviolet rays are radiated onto the substrates for a predetermined time period, thereby curing the ultraviolet curing type resin. As a result, a spacer layer (adhesive layer) having a predetermined thickness is provided.
However, when a spacer layer is formed by the above spin-coating method, part of the spacer layer which is located on an inner circumferential part of a disk tends to be thin, since the ultraviolet curing type resin has viscosity and the position onto which the resin can be dropped is limited to a specific position. In dual-layer DVD-ROMs currently on the market, a problem such as a malfunction does not occur, even when the spacer layer on the inner and outer circumferential portions of the disk is uneven in thickness. This is because an optical pickup is optimally designed.
In recent years, dual-layer optical disks containing information recorded at a higher density has been made, by adopting a method of increasing the NA of a laser beam for recording/reproducing to decrease the diameter of the laser beam. As such a dual-layer optical disk, if a dual-layer optical disk including a spacer layer having a non-uniform thickness is adopted, a serious problem such as a focus error or crosstalk occurring between layers arises.
Consequently, the recording/reproducing characteristics and reliability of the optical disk remarkably lowers.
In order to the above problems, the following method is tried: a spacer layer is formed of an adhesive sheet having a uniform thickness such that the spacer layer is uniformly formed in thickness over the entire surface of a dual-layer optical disk. However, this method requires a new step of removing a separator attached to the adhesive sheet, during a step of bonding substrates together. Furthermore, if the step of removing the separator from the adhesive sheet is carried out for a short time period, there is a strong possibility that the record layer may be damaged by a mechanical stress acting when the separator is removed from the adhesive sheet. On the other hand, if the step of removing the separator is carried out for a long time period, the productivity of optical disks lowers.
Furthermore, it can be considered that in manufacturing light-transmissivesive substrates, the thicknesses thereof are strictly managed to reduce the variance in thickness between the transmissive-light substrates, thereby compensating for the unevenness of the spacer. However, this method also lowers the yield, and remarkably lower the productivity.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Optional disk and method for manufacturing the same


An OLED device is disclosed. The OLED device disposes a voltage divider and a switch unit in the output stage of a power supplier, thereby lowering the level of a supply voltage VDD, which is applied to a driver IC in an emission interval, below that of the supply voltage which is applied to the driver IC in a non-emission interval. Accordingly, the OLED device can reduce electric power consumption.

1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates to an organic electro-luminescence display device adapted to reduce electric power consumption by lowering the level of a supply voltage VDD, which is applied to a driver IC (integrated circuit) in an emission interval, below that of the supply voltage which is applied to the driver IC in a non-emission interval.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
As the information society grows, display devices capable of displaying information have been widely developed. These display devices include liquid crystal display (LCD) devices, organic electro-luminescence display (OLED) devices, plasma display devices, and field emission display devices.
Among the above display devices, OLED devices are self-luminescent display devices which electrically excite a fluorescent organic-compound to emit light. Such OLED devices have several desirable features such as a low driving voltage, a thin size, and so on. Moreover, OLED devices have a wide viewing angle and a fast response time, both of which prevent the disadvantages found in LED devices. In view of these points, OLED devices have received a significant amount of attention as next-generation display devices.
An OLED device includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix. Each of the pixels includes a switching transistor, a storage capacitor, a drive transistor, and an organic light emission diode (OLED).
A data voltage is applied to the drive transistor by a switching operation of the switching transistor. The drive transistor derives a driving electric current from the data voltage. The OLED emits light corresponding to the driving electric current. The storage capacitor maintains the data voltage during one frame period. The switching transistor and the drive transistor are elements which increase the quantity of electric current as the temperature rises. The OLED is an element which emits light in proportion to a quantity of electric current received.
The OLED device is divided into a panel displaying an image and a driving portion for driving the panel. The driving portion includes a gate driver for driving a plurality of gate lines arranged on the panel, and a data driver for driving a plurality of data lines arranged on the panel. The driving portion can further include a timing controller for controlling the timing of both the gate driver and the data driver. Also, the driving portion can include a power supplier which generates a supply voltage VDD using an input voltage applied from an external power supply unit. The supply voltage VDD is used to drive the gate driver, the data driver, and the timing controller.
The supply voltage VDD generated in the power supplier usually maintains a constant level regardless of whether the OLED device is in an emitting interval or a non-emitting interval. Due to this, the electric power consumption of the power supplier increases. Furthermore, the electric power consumption of the OLED device which includes this power supplier increases.

Voltage divider for supplying a reduced voltage to an OLED display during the light emission interval


A clamping device for a wire or cable (2), the end of which has to be attached in a housing (10) includes two clamping bodies (7, 8) with interacting conical surfaces. One clamping body (7) is arranged for receiving and passing through the cable (2), which has to be secured. The second clamping body (8) is arranged to exert pressure against the first clamping body for frictional securing of the cable. The clamping bodies are arranged in such a manner that when the tension in the cable increases the clamping bodies enclose the cable more tightly. The invention is particularly suitable for tools that have to be lowered into a well by the cable.

The present invention relates to a cable connection device for attaching an end of a cable to a tool, such as an instrument for use in an oil and/or gas well, which device comprises a housing and a clamping device for securing the cable, which clamping device is attached to the housing and comprises a first clamping body enclosing the cable and a second clamping body attached to the housing.
Several methods exist for attaching a cable or a wire to an end piece. A common method is to shrink the cable on, but this has the disadvantage that it produces unacceptable shear forces in the cable, which may result in short-circuiting of the wires inside the cable. This method is therefore used mostly for wires. Another method is to employ compression sleeve round the cable and a nut, which is screwed over the compression sleeve, thus causing the compression sleeve to clamp round the cable, securing it by means of friction. This provides better control over the clamping forces acting on the cable, since the clamping force is related to the extent to which the nut is tightened. However, this also has the drawback that substantial point forces can be created, which are so great that the cable is destroyed and breaks, or the wires in the cable short-circuit.
It is therefore desirable to provide a clamp connection that provides the least possible clamping force against the cable during normal use, but which offers the opportunity of increasing the clamping force in special cases, up to but not exceeding the cable""s breaking strength.
In the present invention a clamping effect is achieved which acts on the cable over a greater area and which is least where the cable enters the connection. In addition the object is achieved that the clamping effect is increased the higher the tension is in the cable.
This is achieved by the second clamping body having an internal sloping surface, and the first clamping body having an external sloping surface, where the said surfaces interact in order to clamp round the cable and hold it securely.
The connection device according to the invention is particularly suitable for use during intervention in oil or gas wells where a tool or a measuring instrument, which is suspended in a cable or wire, has to be lowered into the well. The cable is employed as a suspension means, i.e. the instrument is lowered or pulled up again by means of the cable. The connection therefore has to be strong enough to hold the tool. Since the cable may creep, it is important that the clamping forces are not greater than is necessary in order to hold the cable. However, the tool or the instruments sometimes become stuck in the well, in which case it is desirable to increase the tension in the cable to its breaking strength without the connection working loose. The connection device according to the invention provides a very good distribution of the clamping force over the connection, which also increases with increasing pulling force.


Software at an online contributor website receives a list of websites having online publications. The software gathers counts of user signals for each online publication on each of the websites on the list. And the software determines content descriptors for each of the online publications. The software then counts the online publications at each website associated with each of the content descriptors and counts the user signals at each website associated with each content descriptor. The software displays the content descriptors for each website in a graphic in a graphical user interface, where the size of each content descriptor in the graphic reflects the count of online publications associated with the content descriptor and where the color of each content descriptor in the graphic reflects the count of user signals associated with the content descriptor.

In order to attract audience and effectively compete, editors of websites hosting online publications often apply a content strategy that addresses questions such as the following: What should we write about? How many articles should we publish per day? How should we allocate resources between competing stories? Which stories should we promote? In the context of online publishing, content strategy also typically involves search engine optimization (SEO), e.g., using keywords in online publications that will result in high rankings in search results returned by search engines.
Social media optimization (SMO) is similar to SEO, but, as its name implies, involves optimizing online publications so that they are more easily disseminated through social networking and social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, bit.ly, etc.
Recently, social networking and social media websites have added social signals (e.g., Facebook likes, Twitter tweets, and bit.ly clicks) that allow users to socially express interest in content or share content with others. These websites have also exposed application programming interfaces (APIs) that allow the tracking of social signals.
At the present time, there is a paucity of tools that use SMO or social signals to facilitate content-strategy decisions.

Analyzing content demand using social signals


A permanent magnet rotating machine control system and method includes an estimator that calculates an estimate of the machine""s rotor speed. The estimator receives energization feed back from the machine in a first rotating reference frame and outputs the rotor speed estimate in a second rotating reference frame. A controller receives a rotor speed demand and the rotor speed estimate, and outputs control signals for controlling energization of the machine in response to the rotor speed demand and rotor speed estimate signals. The first rotating reference frame rotates at the commanded rotor speed, and the second rotating reference frame rotates at the estimated actual rotor speed.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to control of a rotating machine, and more particularly, to sensorless control of a permanent magnet rotating machine.
2. Description of Related Art
Permanent magnet machines, such as brushless permanent magnet motors, are well known. For example, a permanent magnet motor typically includes a stator with phase windings therein and a rotor with permanent magnets arranged to rotate relative to the stator. Position sensing devices are provided to indicate the rotor position with respect to the stator. The phase winding energization is generally controlled by solid state switches that are responsive to the rotor position indications provided by the position sensor to energize the windings in the proper commutated sequence. The phase windings may be energized by sine wave excitation or by angle controlled square wave excitation, for example.
The phase winding excitation depends on a scheme for synchronizing electromagnetic fields with the rotor permanent magnets. This includes tracking the angular position of the rotor, which carries the permanent magnets, via the position sensors. The rotor position sensors, however, can be quite expensive. Depending on the level of motor control required to perform a particular function, this cost can represent an appreciable portion of the motor""s cost. In addition, sensors take up space within a motor housing as does their associated wiring. Still further, sensors can fail, resulting in a significant degradation of the motor""s performance or even causing the motor to become inoperative.
To eliminate the need for position sensors, various xe2x80x9csensorlessxe2x80x9d motor constructions have been proposed. Unfortunately, the known sensorless schemes for PM motors have been largely unsatisfactory. For example prior art sensorless PM machines tend to be susceptible to noise problems, and performance tends to vary with rotor speed. Moreover, typical known sensorless PM machines only function for sine wave or 120 degree square wave excitation of the machine.
Thus, a need exists for a high performance sensorless control system for rotating PM machines that addresses the shortcomings of the prior art.
In one aspect of the present invention, a permanent magnet rotating machine, such as a permanent magnet AC motor, and a control system for such a machine includes an estimator that calculates an estimate of the machine""s rotor speed. The estimator receives energization feed back from the machine in a first rotating reference frame and outputs the rotor speed estimate in a second rotating reference frame. A controller receives a rotor speed demand and the rotor speed estimate, and outputs control signals for controlling energization of the machine in response to the rotor speed demand and rotor speed estimate signals.
In other aspects of the invention, a method of controlling a permanent magnet rotating machine includes receiving a rotor speed demand and generating a rotor speed command in response to the speed demand. A first rotating reference frame rotating at the commanded rotor speed is generated, and phase winding energization feed back is transformed from a stationary reference frame to the first rotating reference frame. The actual speed of the machine""s rotor is estimated, and a second rotating reference frame rotating at the estimated actual rotor speed is generated. The energization feed back is transformed from the first rotating reference frame to the second rotating reference frame, and phase energization commands are calculated. The phase energization commands are transferred from the second rotating reference frame to the stationary reference frame for application to the machine phase windings.
The use of the two rotating reference frames improves performance of the control system across the machine""s speed range. In exemplary implementations, a rotor position command is calculated based on the rotor speed command and the first rotating reference frame is generated based thereon. The actual rotor position may be estimated based on estimates of the magnet induced flux linkage.

Sensorless control system and method for a permanent magnet rotating machine


Many herbicidal compositions have been developed and are presently used. However, weeds to be controlled are various in types and their emergence extends over a long period. Accordingly, it is desired to develop a herbicidal composition which has a broad herbicidal spectrum, a high activity and a long lasting effect. The present invention provides a herbicidal composition comprising, as active ingredients, (a) flazasulfuron or its salt, and (b) amicarbazone or its salt.

Patent Document 1 discloses a solid herbicidal composition comprising flazasulfuron or its salt, and a certain surfactant. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a composition comprising amicarbazone and a herbicidal compound. However, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose or suggest nothing about the specific combination of the herbicidal composition of the present invention, not to mention the synergistic effect obtainable by such a combination.


A network device located in the data path between a user computer and a server stores application data, processing instructions, and/or rule sets. By storing user computer-specific application data, processing instructions, and/or rule sets in the data path between the user computer and the server, the invention reduces the complexity of the web server, improves the handling of server failure, and increases the overall scalability and performance of the system.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to improving performance and scalability in web-enabled applications, and, specifically, to the use of an in-line network device for storing application-layer data, instructions, and/or rule sets.
2. Description of Background Art
On the World Wide Web (i.e. the "web"), it is frequently desirable to store application-layer data and/or programming instructions for web-based applications. For example, many applications need to maintain application data to retain state relating to previous interactions with that same client. For example, a user may indicate certain preferences regarding the display of a particular website, and it may be desirable to associate those preferences with the user computer for future visits.
However, standard mechanisms for storing such data provide only a very limited capability and do not scale well as multiple web servers are added to handle increased traffic. Certain methods, such as cookies, create scalability and performance issues and also can raise privacy and security concerns. Such cookies are also subject to limitations in size and quantity.
Other techniques for storing data on the user computer include ASP.NET ViewState, hidden form fields, and URL query strings. However, all of these techniques require extensive communication of data (and in some cases instructions) between servers and client computers, creating performance and scalability issues.
Such techniques often provide no efficient, scalable, generalized, secure method of storing data, or for transmitting such information between client and server. Furthermore, such techniques are often inefficient when used in the context of a load-balanced multiple-server environment. Data transmitted from a client to one of the servers in the multiple-server environment, and stored on the designated server, may not be easily retrievable by other servers. This forces subsequent requests to be directed to the same server, even when load conditions may have changed, causing another server to have greater availability of capacity. This static association between a user computer and a web server reduces the effectiveness of load balancing. Load balancing techniques have difficulty assigning page requests to web servers evenly when a large portion of incoming page requests must necessarily be assigned to a specific web server.
Application data can be stored in a server external to the web server. However, storing application data external to the web server introduces several extra steps. In order to process a request, the web server must receive the request, determine the need for application data, request the application data from the external server, wait for a response, process that response, write the updated application data back to the external state server, and finally return the web request. These extra steps introduce delay, complexity, and the potential for failure.
What is needed is a method for effectively embedding application-layer data in standard network messages between clients and servers, in a manner that supports redundancy and is compatible with load-balancing techniques, and without adding unnecessary complexity or steps to the method of the web server.

In-line network device for storing application-layer data, processing instructions, and/or rule sets


A steering column for a motor vehicle, which can be adjusted at least in the longitudinal direction thereof, comprises a carrying unit fixed to the chassis, an adjusting unit that rotatably supports the steering spindle, and a tensioning mechanism, in the open state of which the steering column can be adjusted and in the closed state of which the set position is fixed and which comprises at least one locking part (16), which in the closed state of the tensioning mechanism is tensioned with an engagement part, wherein the adjusting unit is connected to the engagement part such that it is held non-displaceably in the longitudinal direction of the steering column relative to the engagement part during normal operation, and can be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the steering column relative to the engagement part while absorbing energy in the event of a crash. The engagement part interacts with at least one bending wire or strip, of which at least one section is carried along by the adjusting unit during the displacement of the adjusting unit relative to the engagement part, wherein the bending wire or strip deforms during the displacement of the adjusting unit relative to the engagement part.

The invention relates to a steering column for a motor vehicle, which is at least adjustable in its longitudinal direction. The steering column comprises a support unit connectable with the chassis of the motor vehicle, a setting unit rotatably bearing supporting a steering spindle, and a clamping mechanism. In the opened state of the clamping mechanism, the setting unit is at least displaceable with respect to the support unit in the longitudinal direction of the steering column and, in the closed state of the clamping mechanism, the set position of the setting unit in normal operation is secured in position with respect to the support unit. The clamping mechanism comprises at least one arresting part which, in the closed state of the clamping mechanism, is tightened together with an engagement element and, in the opened state of the clamping mechanism, is spaced apart from the engagement element. The setting unit is connected with the engagement element so that the setting unit in normal operation is held nondisplaceably in the longitudinal direction of the steering column with respect to the engagement element, and in the event of a crash is dislocatable in the longitudinal direction of the steering column with respect to the engagement element with the absorption of energy.
Steering columns which are adjustable for the adaptation of the position of the steering wheel to the seating position of the driver are known in various embodiments. Apart from adjustable steering columns which are only adjustable in length or height and inclination direction, respectively, steering columns are known which are adjustable in length as well as also in height and inclination.
As a safety measure in the event of a vehicle crash, it is known to realize the steering column in a section adjoining the steering wheel-side end such that it is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the steering column with the absorption of energy. A conventional form of implementation provides for this purpose that the support unit, with respect to which the setting unit in the opened state of the clamping mechanism, which unit rotatably supports the steering spindle, is adjustable for setting the position of the steering column, is connected with a chassis part applied on the vehicle chassis such that it is displaceable with respect to the chassis part under the consumption of energy. Such a design is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,877 A.
DE 28 21 707 A1 discloses a non-generic, since not adjustable, steering column, in which the jacket tube rotatably bearing the steering spindle includes bilaterally projecting lobes, which lobes are connected by means of securement blocks and bolts penetrating therethrough on the chassis. In the event of a crash, the lobes can become detached from the securement blocks whereby a dislocation of the jacket tube becomes possible. Herein, between the securement blocks and the lobes, U-shaped bending strips are provided on which, during the dislocation of the jacket tube, deformation work is carried out. The bending strips are herein enclosed in chambers of the lobes and are in contact on opposing side walls of the chamber such that the rolling radius of the particular bending strip is limited and predetermined in its deformation.
An adjustable steering column comprising a setting unit rotatably supporting the steering spindle and a support unit, with respect to which the setting unit, in the opened state of a clamping mechanism, for setting the position of the steering columns is at least adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the steering column, is disclosed in EP 0 598 857 B1. In the event of a crash, the setting unit can become dislocated in the longitudinal direction of the steering column with respect to the support unit or a clamp bolt of the clamping mechanism. For the energy absorption bending strips or bending wires are provided entrained by the setting unit and placed about the clamp bolt, which are deformed. A disadvantage of this solution is that the possible dislocation path or the characteristic of the energy absorption in the case of this device depends on the particular set length of the steering column.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,961,146 A, further, discloses a non-generic steering column adjustable only in the height direction in normal operation. Similarly to the manner previously described, about the clamp bolt of the clamping mechanism is provided a U-shaped curved bending wire, which, in the event of a crash, is entrained by the setting unit becoming dislocated with respect to the clamp bolt in the longitudinal direction of the steering column, wherein bending work is performed.
A steering column of the type described in the introduction is disclosed in WO 2007/048153 A2. In the closed state of the clamping mechanism, the engagement element is prevented by the arresting part of the clamping mechanism from becoming displaced with respect to this arresting part. The setting unit can become displaced with the absorption of energy with respect to the engagement element in the longitudinal direction of the steering column. For the absorption of energy, a bolt is disposed on the engagement element, which bolt projects into an elongated hole of an energy absorption part disposed on the setting unit, and during its dislocation in the event of a crash widens this elongated hole. To attain a defined energy absorption, the material properties of the energy absorption part must, in reproducible manner, be precisely fixed in the proximity of the elongated hole.
Similar steering columns are also disclosed in EP 0 849 141 A1 and EP 1 464 560 A2. The engagement elements are guided such that they are displaceable in the manner of a carriage by guidance parts in the longitudinal direction of the steering column, wherein they are retained under friction closure with respect to the guidance parts or deform these parts with the consumption of energy. In the case of a friction-closure retention, the clamping force of the clamping mechanism enters into the extent of the energy absorption and with a plastic deformation of the guidance parts, their material properties must be realized such that it is reproducible in a precisely defined manner.


A device testing system of the type in which an electronic test head is mounted for pivotal movement about three orthogonal axes. Cables are connected between a test cabinet and the test head to carry electronic signals. The test head is directly mounted to, and the cable is introduced to the test head through, a split ring cable pivot.

A. Field of Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a system for testing electronic devices in which an electronic test head is positioned to connect to and dock with a handler of the device to be tested. More specifically, this invention relates to a pivot by which cable can be attached to and move with a movable test head.
B. Description of Related Art
In the automatic testing of integrated circuits and other electronic devices, special device handlers have been used which place the device to be tested in position. The electronic testing itself is done by a large and expensive automatic testing system which includes a test head which connects to and docks with the device handler. The test head uses high speed electronic timing signals so that the electronic circuits must be located as close as possible to the device under test. Accordingly, the test head is densely packaged with electronic circuits in order to achieve the high speed testing of the sophisticated devices.
A positioner, able to move along a support structure, carries the test head to the desired location at which the test head is positioned to connect to and dock with the device handler. The test head is attached to the positioner so that the test head can achieve six degrees of freedom.
A major problem is connecting a heavy cable, extending from a cabinet containing part of the automatic testing system, into the test head. Because the test head can be moved to a desired location and into a desired position, the heavy cable must move with the test head.
Conventional arrangements used to provide synchronized movement between the test head and cable fall generally into two categories: cable pivot-type and tumble-type arrangements.
In the tumble type, the cable is slung beneath the test head so that it connects to the side of the test head opposite the mechanism by which the test head is attached, at its center of gravity, to the positioner. This arrangement avoids the complexity and expense of a cable-pivot type approach. It allows the cable to hang beneath the test head to beyond the side of the test head, however, for a number of different orientations of the test head. Thus, the cable often gets in the way of the operator of the test system and very large test systems are limited in how low they may be positioned before the cables will touch the floor when the test head is in its down position. Moreover, the tumble-type arrangement requires a lengthy cable because it extends completely across the bottom of the test head for certain orientations of the test head.
A variety of cable pivot-type arrangements are known. In one, the test head is also held at its center of gravity by the positioner. The cable and positioner are attached to the test head on opposite ends of the test head. One disadvantage of this type of arrangement is that it cannot access, from underneath, horizontal plane handlers which are built like two pedestal office desks; the positioner stands where one pedestal of such a desk would be located.
A second cable pivot-type arrangement involves passing the cable through the mechanism by which the test head is attached to the positioner. This mechanism is arranged to permit pivotal movement of the test head. Typically, such mechanisms include an inner ring which, through bearings, is spaced from and able to rotate in an outer ring. One disadvantage of these mechanisms is that installation or removal of the test head requires that the cables be unplugged from the test system. The task of decabling and recabling a test system may take one half to one full day, puts a very expensive system out of commission, and risks damage. Another disadvantage is that the mechanism is expensive: the bearings themselves and the precise machining necessary to load the bearings in the ring are costly.
In order to avoid the necessity of unplugging the cables, it is known to provide the rings as split rings, connected by a C-clamp. When connected, the geometry of the split ring components makes it difficult to mount the ring directly to the test head; instead, additional structure is required to mount the test head to the inner diameter of the ring.
With the above discussion in mind, it is one object of the present invention to provide a device testing system which protects the cables which interconnect the test head to the test system. Continual bending, twisting, and insertion/removal of such cables is inherent when the system is used to test a variety of probers and handlers. Accordingly, the fatigue life of the cables is an important concern. Because fatigue life of materials from which cables are made decreases with increasing stress and the applied stress is proportional to the length of cable over which a bend or twist occurs, it is advantageous to control the length of the cable encompassing the bend or twist.
Another object is safety and ease of operation of the test head positioning system. Related objects are to allow installation or removal of the test head without unplugging the test head cable from the test system and to provide a system which properly balances the test head in the cable pivot arrangement for acceptable handling. Still another object is to provide a system able to test a variety of probers and handlers, including those built like pedestal desks, and to position especially large test heads low to the ground without having the cables touch the floor. It is also advantageous to allow mounting of the test head directly to the cable pivot arrangement. Finally, an object of the present invention is to provide a system which can be manufactured cost efficiently, especially by eliminating alignment tolerance requirements.


A method for enhanced digital content presentation is provided that includes assigning, to each member of members of a social network of a user, a respective knowledge score, the knowledge score being representative of accuracy in the member predicting positive impressions of the user. The members of the social network are surveyed for an indication of which one or more options for digital content are expected to have a positive impression on the user. Based on the surveying, selected digital content based on the one or more options that are expected to have a positive impression on the user, as indicated by the surveying, is selected. The selected digital content is presented to the user. An indication of whether the selected digital content had a positive impression on the user is received from the user.

Targeted advertising to certain demographic groups based on data-mined aggregated data can deliver positive ad impressions of products, services, and brands. These advertisements ("ads") generally target specific demographic groups within a population to which the subject matter of the ads are predicted to be statistically relevant. Often times these targeted ads are delivered to specific targeted users of social networking sites, such as Facebook or Twitter.
However, data mining techniques are limited in that they cannot access information that individuals have not shared or otherwise supplied as part of the data being mined. Such information might include sensitive or confidential information, for instance. Such information, referred to herein as a user's "offline backstory" or "backstory", is present for virtually all social network users, though they tend not to explicitly post such information on social network sites for obvious reasons. Accordingly, certain ads that are statistically likely to be useful or positively welcomed by many users of a particular demographic may in fact leave a negative impression with a targeted user of that demographic when the statistical predictions are at odds with the user's backstory.

Using a social network to enhance targeted digital content presentation

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A humanized form of an anti-idotype antibody to CEA, e.g., hW12, has conserved immunoreactivity. The clinical benefits of anti-CEA antibodies are maximized by using the humanized anti-idotype as a clearing agent for anti-CEA antibodies or antibody fragments. The humanized anti-idotype also can be used as an immunogenic vaccine.

The present invention relates to chimeric and humanized anti-idiotype antibodies that specifically bind carcinoembryonic antigen antibodies. The invention further relates to the uses of the chimeric and humanized anti-idiotype antibodies as clearing agents in therapeutic methods, as a vaccine, and to detect in biological fluid samples the presence of an antibody or fragment thereof that specifically binds CEA.
The use of targeting monoclonal antibodies conjugated to radionuclides or other cytotoxic agents offers the possibility of delivering such agents directly to the tumor site, thereby limiting the exposure of normal tissues to toxic agents. (Goldenberg, Semin. Nucl. Med., 19:332 (1989)). In recent years, the potential of antibody-based therapy and its accuracy in the localization of tumor-associated antigens have been demonstrated both in the laboratory and clinical studies (see., e.g., Thorpe, TIBTECH, 11:42 (1993); Goldenberg, Scientific American, Science and Medicine, 1:64 (1994); Baldwin et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,925,922 and 4,916,213; Young, U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,163; U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,095; Irie et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,196,337; Hellstrom et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,134,075 and 5,171,665). In general, the use of radiolabeled antibodies or antibody fragments against tumor-associated markers for localization of tumors has been more successful than for therapy, in part because antibody uptake by the tumor is generally low, ranging from only 0.01% to 0.001% of the total dose injected (Vaughan et al., Brit. J. Radiol., 60:567 (1987)). Increasing the concentration of the radiolabel to increase the dosage to the tumor is counterproductive generally as this also increases exposure of healthy tissue to radioactivity.
Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a 180,000-Da glycoprotein expressed in most adenocarcinomas of endodermal-derived digestive-system epithelia and in some other types of cancer such as breast cancer and non-small-cell lung cancer. One of the main advantages of the CEA system is that AB1 anti-CEA have been extensively used as radioimmunodetection agents in cancer patients. One such antibody, MN-14, is a murine IgG1K monoclonal antibody (Mab) with high affinity (KD=10xe2x88x929M) for human CEA. In cancer patients, 131I-MN-14 targets CEA-producing tumors effectively, and radiolabled MN-14-Fabxe2x80x2 can detect lesions as small as 2 cm in diameter.
Rat anti-idiotype antibody (rWI2) against an anti-carcinoembryonic antigen antibody (MN-14) has been considered as a potential idiotype vaccine, capable of eliciting an Ab3 response in immunized animals. Losman et al., Int. J. Cancer 56:580-584 (1994). It has also been shown that WI2 can serve as an effective clearing agent improving tumor/nontumor ratios and reducing myelotoxicity, when used to remove excess radiolabeled MN-14, as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,846, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. However, its use is limited by the short biological half life of the rat Ab, due to rejection by the human host.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a chimeric anti-idiotype Ab with anti carcinoembryonic-antibody properties, a humanized anti-idiotype Ab with anti carcinoembryonic-antibody properties as an immunological reagent useful in clearing an organism of anti-CEA antibody initially used as a cancer treatment, diagnostic, or vaccine, where the anti-idiotype Ab has the immunogenic properties of a human MAb in a human patient, and to provide an anti-idiotype Ab with anti carcinoembryonic-antibody properties which can serve as a detection agent or vaccine. It is another object of the present invention to provide DNA constructs encoding such antibodies.
To achieve these objectives, in one aspect of the invention, a chimeric anti-idiotype antibody or fragment thereof which specifically binds to the idiotype region of an anti-CEA monoclonal antibody is provided, comprising the rWI2 light chain and heavy chain variable regions, or silent mutations thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the heavy chain variable region comprises the ratWI2VK sequence (SEQ ID NO:18) shown in FIG. 1 and the light chain variable region comprises the RatWI2VK sequence (SEQ ID NO:22) shown in FIG. 2.
In another aspect of the invention, a humanized anti-idiotype antibody or fragment thereof which specifically binds the idiotype region of an anti-CEA monoclonal antibody is provided, comprising rWI2 CDR regions and humanized FR regions. In a preferred embodiment, the heavy chain variable region comprises the KOLWI2VH-1 or the KOLWI2VH-2 sequence (SEQ ID NOS:19 or 20 respectively) shown in FIG. 1 and the light chain variable region comprises the REIWI2VK or the REIWI2VKRS sequence (SEQ ID NOS:22 or 23 respectively) shown in FIG. 2.
In another aspect of the invention, an isolated polynucleotide encoding the heavy chain or the heavy chain variable region of a chimeric or humanized antibody or antibody fragment which specifically binds the idiotype region of an anti-CEA monoclonal antibody is provided, comprising sequences encoding at least two rWI2 heavy chain CDRs, selected from the group of CDRs consisting of:
the complementary determining region -1 (CDR-1) sequence (SEQ ID NO:1) NYWMT,
the complementary determining region -2 (CDR-2) sequence SITSTGGTYHAESVKG, (SEQ ID NO:2) and
the complementary determining region -3 (CDR-3) sequence DDYGGQSTYVMDA (SEQ ID NO:3).
In another aspect of the invention, an isolated polynucleotide encoding the light chain or the light chain variable region of a chimeric or humanized antibody or antibody fragment which specifically binds the idiotype region of an anti-CEA monoclonal antibody is provided, comprising sequences encoding at least two rWI2 CDRs, selected from the group of CDRs consisting of:
the complementary determining region -1 (CDR1) sequence RASQDIGNYLR (SEQ ID NO:4),
the complementary determining region -2 (CDR2) sequence GATNLAA (SEQ ID NO:5), and
the complementary determining region -3 (CDR3) sequence LHHSEYPYT (SEQ IS NO:6).
In another aspect of the invention, an isolated first expression vector comprising a gene for the chimeric WI2 heavy chain and an isolated second expression vector comprising a gene for the chimeric WI2 light chain are provided.
In another aspect of the invention, an isolated first expression vector comprising a gene for a humanized WI2 heavy chain and an isolated second expression vector comprising a gene for a humanized WI2 light chain are provided.
In another aspect of the invention, a host is provided, comprising an isolated first vector comprising a gene for the chimeric WI2 heavy chain and an isolated second expression vector comprising a gene for the chimeric WI2 light chain, or an isolated first expression vector comprising a gene for a humanized WI2 heavy chain and an isolated second expression vector comprising a gene for a humanized WI2 light chain.
In another aspect of the invention, a method of stimulating an immune response in a patient against cancers expressing carcinoembryonic antigen is provided, which comprises administering to a patient an effective amount of a vaccine comprising a humanized anti-idiotype antibody or fragment which specifically binds the idiotype region of an anti-CEA monoclonal antibody, conjugated to a soluble immunogenic carrier protein, optionally in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable vaccine adjuvant.
In another aspect of the invention, a method of diagnosis or treatment of a patient is provided, wherein an antibody or antibody fragment that specifically binds CEA is used as a targeting, pre-targeting or therapy agent, either as such or as a component of a conjugate, the improvement to the method consisting of an anti-idiotype antibody used to clear non-targeted antibody or antibody fragment.
In another aspect of the invention, a method of detecting the presence of an antibody or fragment that specifically binds CEA, in a fluid biological sample, comprising contacting the sample with rWI2, or a chimeric anti-idiotype antibody or antibody fragment which specifically binds the idiotype region of an anti-CEA monoclonal antibody, or a humanized anti-idiotype antibody or antibody fragment which specifically binds the idiotype region of an anti-CEA monoclonal antibody, and detecting binding of said anti-idiotype antibody or antibody fragment to an antibody idiotype or antibody idiotype fragment in said sample.

Humanization of an anti-carcinoembryonic antigen anti-idiotype antibody and use as a tumor vaccine and for targeting applications


Methods and apparatus for fabricating a rotor blade for a gas turbine engine are provided. The rotor blade includes an airfoil having a first sidewall and a second sidewall, connected at a leading edge and at a trailing edge. The method includes forming the airfoil portion bounded by a root portion at a zero percent radial span and a tip portion at a one hundred percent radial span, the airfoil having a radial span dependent chord length C, a respective maximum thickness T, and a maximum thickness to chord length ratio (Tmax/C ratio), forming the root portion having a first Tmax/C ratio, forming the tip portion having a second Tmax/C ratio, and forming a mid portion extending between a first radial span and a second radial span having a third Tmax/C ratio, the third Tmax/C ratio being less than the first Tmax/C ratio and the second Tmax/C ratio.

This application relates generally to gas turbine engine rotor blades and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for reducing vibrations induced to rotor blades.
Gas turbine engine rotor blades typically include airfoils having leading and trailing edges, a pressure side, and a suction side. The pressure and suction sides connect at the airfoil leading and trailing edges, and span radially between the airfoil root and the tip. An inner flowpath is defined at least partially by the airfoil root, and an outer flowpath is defined at least partially by a stationary casing. For example, at least some known compressors include a plurality of rows of rotor blades that extend radially outwardly from a disk or spool.
Known compressor rotor blades are cantilevered adjacent to the inner flowpath such that a root area of each blade is thicker than a tip area of the blades. More specifically, because the tip areas are thinner than the root areas, and because the tip areas are generally mechanically unrestrained, during operation wake pressure distributions may induce chordwise bending or other vibrational modes into the blade through the tip areas. Vibratory stresses, especially chordwise bending stresses (stripe modes), may be localized to the blade tip region. Over time, high stresses may cause tip cracking, corner loss, downstream damage, performance losses, reduced time on wing, and/or high warranty costs. Moreover, continued operation with chordwise bending or other vibration modes may limit the useful life of the blades.
To facilitate reducing tip vibration modes, and/or to reduce the effects of a resonance frequency present during engine operations, at least some known vanes are fabricated with thicker tip areas. However, increasing the blade thickness may adversely affect aerodynamic performance and/or induce additional radial loading into the rotor assembly. Accordingly, to facilitate reducing tip vibrations without inducing radial loading, at least some other known blades are fabricated with a shorter chordwise length in comparison to the above described known blades. However, reducing the chord length of the blade may also adversely affect aerodynamic performance of the blades.

Methods and apparatus for reducing vibrations induced to airfoils


Open roof construction for a vehicle having a roof assembly with a panel and a mechanism for closing and opening a roof opening. The moving mechanism comprises two stationary guides extending at least partly in a non-parallel manner along opposite longitudinal edges of the roof opening and two pivot arms each having a first end movably attached to the panel and a second end connected to one of the stationary guides. Each pivot arm is provided with at least one guide member, whereas the movable panel comprises at least two guide parts along which the guide members will move when the respective pivot arms pivot around a respective pivot axis. The shape of said guide parts is such that as a result of the cooperation between corresponding guide members and guide parts the movable panel may be moved in a vertical and/or horizontal direction.

The discussion below is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
A type of open roof construction for a vehicle, includes a stationary roof part, a roof opening provided therein, a panel which is movable between closed and open positions for closing and opening. A moving mechanism includes two stationary guides extending at least partly in a non parallel manner along opposite longitudinal edges of the roof and two pivot arms which each operate between a respective one of the stationary guides and the movable panel. Each pivot arm at a first end, is movably attached to the movable panel with a substantially vertically extending pivot axis and at an opposite second end of the pivot arm, is guided by said respective one of the stationary guides. Each pivot arm in the region of its second end is provided with at least one guide member, whereas the movable panel comprises at least two guide parts along which the respective guide members will move when the respective pivot arms, as a result of the cooperation between the stationary guides and said pivot arms, pivot around a respective pivot axis.
Such an open roof construction is known from EP-A-2 380 763 in the name of applicant. According to this state of the art, the use of non parallel stationary guides makes it possible to design the open roof construction in accordance with the (transverse) curvature of the roof of the vehicle. The pivot arms provide a compensation for the varying distance between the stationary guides, such that, notwithstanding the curved shape of the stationary guides, basically the use of standard constructional means remains possible.


A central control system includes a method for monitoring a plurality of trains throughout a transit system having computer for maintaining a train location table tracking the location of the trains throughout the system and for detecting and recording false train occupancy indications. The system is designed to handle a large number of false occupancy designations and to associate each train with a physical track circuit location.

The present invention relates to central control systems for monitoring the location of a plurality of trains within a transit system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a centralized electronic control system which utilizes interlocking circuits and false occupancy correction factors to monitor train locations.
Central tracking systems monitor a number of trains along a transit system by assigning train designators to individual trains and section designators to individual sections of the track throughout the transit system and by monitoring the occupancy of those track section by the various trains in the system. If a particular train is in a particular track section, that section is said to be occupied. The presence of a train within the section will trigger a sensor in the track, alerting the control system which will alert the central control computer that that portion of the track is occupied. However, it occasionally arises that a section of the track system will indicate occupancy when in fact that portion of the track system is not occupied, this is referred to as a false occupancy.
A false occupancy occurs when a track circuit signals an occupancy at a location where the central control system does not expect an occupancy to occur. In situations where track circuits on both sides of a newly received occupancy signal ere previously unoccupied, the control system does not expect an occupancy to occur. The central control system will therefore classify this type of an occupancy as a potential false occupancy.
A false occupancy can be caused by a variety of different factors, such as input/output (I/O) failure, signal wire failure or an external event that may cause a track to become shorted or the track circuit to become shorted. In a train control system with automatic train control, a false occupancy will not allow other trains to proceed through the falsely occupied section of track as long as the cause of the occupancy indication signal is unknown.
The methods utilized by existing track control systems present limitations in the presence of false occupancies. Once a false occupancy has been located at a particular track section, a train cannot be tracked through the section. The presence of the false occupancy will obscure tracking of the train. There is a maximum number of false occupancies that can be accommodated by a system. When a system becomes overloaded with a greater number of false occupancies, train tracking becomes impossible.

Method for tracking trains through multiple false track circuit occupancies

AEG Westinghouse Transportation Systems, Inc.


The production or treatment of articles, particularly cylindrical support cops, involves the transportation of the articles between an upstream station and a downstream station, with the speed of supply of the articles from the upstream station being greater than the speed of operation of the downstream station. This is overcome by the provision of a plurality of the downstream stations. Provided between the upstream station and the plurality of downstream stations is an article distributing system operable to distribute the articles to any of the plurality of downstream stations. The distributing system is operated to selectively distribute the articles to the plurality of downstream stations as a function of the operating conditions thereof.

The present invention relates to a system and process for producing or treating cylindrical articles and also to an apparatus employable in such system and process. More particularly, the present invention relates to such a system, process and apparatus involved in the production or manufacture of cylindrical supports, hereinafter referred to as cops, for reels or cones of yarn, etc., used in the textile industry.
The production of such cylindrical supports or cops currently is achieved by a manufacturing process essentially including the following four basic manufacturing steps:
1) production of a basic, unfinished tube, normally of cardboard;
2) drying such tube;
3) cutting the tubes cut-to-length; and
4) finishing and trimming.
Special spiral winding machines produce the tubes in continuous pieces having different sizes and wall thicknesses in accordance with particular production needs. Such semi-finished tubes then are cut into several equally sized tubes having a length of approximately 120 to 130 cm, which then are loaded by hand into containers that then are brought to drying equipment to dry or set-up glue applied previously by the winding step. Such drying equipment may be of the chamber or tunnel type, while the holding time in such drying equipment varies according to the wall thickness and type of materials employed in forming the cops. After such drying step, the tubes are carried to a cutter where the dried tubes are cut to their final length according to the actual size requirements, that usually call for a length ranging from approximately 100 to approximately 300 mm. After this cutting-to-length operation, an automatic device transfers the cut-to-length tubes or cops to a "finishing" or "trimming" machine which performs finishing operations on the outer surface and opposite ends of the tubes, or to a boxing or packaging machine. The final trimming or finishing step is necessary to achieve the final characteristics of the product itself, and particularly is employed to provide the final product with required centering marks, yarn fastening slots, as well as rounded end edges of the finished cops. These operations usually are carried out by a finishing and trimming machine, hereinafter simply referred to as trimming machine, although such machine also can achieve boxing or cartoning of the finished cops.
The conventional feed system used to load the trimming machine achieves transfer of one cop at a time by means of a relatively small pneumatic system, i.e. a piston-cylinder arrangement. The use of such a pneumatic system, although ensuring high reliability of transfer of the cops, does not enable high feed rates to be obtained. This is due to the fact that the operation of the piston during each feed cycle includes a backward stroke that does not contribute to feeding. As a result, the highest obtainable feeding rate for such a system cannot exceed approximately 100 to 120 articles per minute.
Therefore, currently employed processes and systems for manufacturing cylindrical cops are rigid and inflexible. As a direct result thereof, and due to the fact that all of the various above described machines normally are arranged in series, i.e. in sequence along a single production line, the highest possible production rate of the entire line cannot exceed the rate of operation of the slowest machine in the line, i.e. normally the trimming machine. In other words, the production rate and efficiency of conventional production lines are limited by the rate of operation of and feed to the trimming machine.
Under practical production conditions and requirements however, the need frequently arises for manufacturing cops of widely varying sizes, i.e. of different lengths, diameters and wall thicknesses. As a result, there seldom occurs a situation that the entire production line can be fully efficiently saturated in all portions and functions thereof, i.e. all of the winding machine, drying machine, cutting machine and trimming machine being operated to capacity at the same time. Therefore, the conventional system inherently involves poor utilization of production capacity due to the practical impossibility of exploiting the full output capabilities of all of the machines of the production line. This inevitably results in an increased unit cost of each of the several types of cops that need to be produced on the production line.
Another factor substantially increasing the unit cost of the cops results from the time that inevitably is wasted when it is necessary to set-up the production line for accommodating new models or versions of the product. In other words, the down time required when the need arises to change the machines of the production line from one model of cop to another may be as high as four to six hours for the trimming machine, while the remaining machines of the continuous production line can be set-up and adjusted to the new requirements in a much shorter time, for example approximately 30 minutes to adjust the winding and wrapping machine to a new size and thickness of the tube and of the cutting machine to cut a different length of the cops. Therefore, down time of the production line in such situations substantially is primarily due to the need for setting up and adjusting the trimming machine to the characteristics of the new product. This generally is due to the fact that the trimming machine is the most complex machine in the production line, due to the numerous trimming operations that it is required to perform.
Thus, the typical and inherent disadvantages of current manufacturing systems and processes for the production of cylindrical supports or cops are the following:
1) The conventional production line is a rigid, single-model line including various machines arranged in series in a sequential arrangement, and as a result the manufacture of products with different final characteristics and initiating from a single feeding line is impractical;
2) The production output rate of the conventional production is limited by the rate of operation of the final trimming machine which normally is fed by pneumatic means;
3) The conventional production line requires substantial set-up times for product model changes. This disadvantage is accentuated by the fact that the actual set-up time necessary for the most complex machine again is the final trimming machine. As a consequence, the resultant very long down times of the entire production line considerably effect both direct and indirect manufacturing costs.

System and process for producing or treating cylindrical articles and apparatus employable therein


A process is disclosed for the production of an anticoagulant composition which allows for the accurate analysis of blood electrolyte concentrations. Also disclosed is the anticoagulant composition produced in accordance with the disclosed method and an apparatus containing said composition useful in the selection and sampling of blood.

The analysis of whole blood requires the use of an anticoagulant, typically in the collection apparatus, in order to prevent coagulation of the collected blood sample prior to its analysis. The use of heparin, both in dry and liquid form, is known, as is its ability to bind a certain portion of the electrolyte within the blood sample (e.g. sodium, potassium and/or calcium ions). This electrolyte binding is undesirable since it effectively prohibits an accurate analysis of blood electrolyte concentration, particularly sodium, potassium and calcium ion concentrations. The measurement of calcium ion concentration has recently received increased attention in the field of cardiac medicine in view of the heart's sensitivity to calcium ion concentration and the recent development of blood gas machines to monitor the concentration thereof.
Various solutions to the problems associated with this electrolyte binding by heparin have been heretofore proposed. For instance, Radiometer A/S of Copenhagen has previously marketed anticoagulant compositions for use in connection with blood sampling apparatus in the form of capillary tubes having a coating on the inner wall of the tube of dry sodium heparinate. These compositions are further said to contain a specified amount of calcium chloride in an effort to compensate for the blood's calcium anions which will be bound by the heparinate once in solution. The use of this composition therefore does not provide a complete solution to the aforementioned problem since this composition introduces additional sodium and chloride ions into the blood sample, thereby altering an accurate analysis of the concentration of sodium and chloride within the blood sample. Moreover, the added calcium ions represent only a replacement for an approximation of those expected to be bound by the heparin component. Therefore, an analysis for calcium ion concentration within the collected sample while improved, is not rendered totally accurate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,000 (assigned to Radiometer A/S) discloses a method for treating a blood sample with an anticoagulant as well as a blood sampling device. The disclosed method involves contacting a collected blood sample with (a) an anticoagulant capable of binding cation species within the blood and (b) an additive including selected cationic species in the amounts compensating for proportions of these cation species bound by the anticoagulant. The disclosed method still does not represent a true solution to the aforementioned problems, however, since again the cationic species present in the additive represent only estimations of the cations expected to be bound rather than the true and exact amounts.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a process for the production of an anticoagulant composition.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a method for treating blood with anticoagulant which allows for accurate analysis of the sodium, potassium and calcium ions present therein.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which is both a container for the claimed anticoagulant and useful in the practice of the claimed method.

Process for the production of an anticoagulant composition


A glass run 20 includes a glass run body 21 and a lip 22. The glass run body 21 is assembled to a glass run attachment plate 10 of a window frame 3, and the lip 22 made of an elastic material covers a flange 11 of the window frame 3. The lip 22 is formed to bend from the outside toward the inside of the passenger compartment with respect to the flange. The lip 22 includes a recess 22d formed on an interior face of a portion, of the lip, covering a protrusion of the flange 11. The recess 22d acts as a pivot of a change in a shape of the lip 22 when the lip 22 is opened.

The present disclosure relates to a glass run to be disposed on a window frame of an automotive door. In particular, the present disclosure belongs to a technical filed of a construction which involves assembling the glass run to the window frame from the outside of a passenger compartment.
There are several types of doors provided to a side of a car. One type of those doors has a window frame holding a circumferential edge of a window glass. The door having this window frame is provided with a glass run to seal a gap between the window frame and the window glass.
A glass run disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Translation of PCT Application) 2008-518135 is assembled to the window frame from the outside of a passenger compartment. Specifically, the window frame is provided with: a glass run attachment plate, to which a glass run body is assembled, extending in the inside-outside direction of the passenger compartment; and a flange protruding downward from the glass run attachment plate facing the inside of the passenger compartment. Meanwhile, a lip covering the flange of the window frame is integrated with the glass run body. The lip is formed to cover the flange of the window frame from the protrusion of the flange. With respect to the flange, the lip extends from the outside to the inside of the passenger compartment, and then goes around the flange toward a base end of the flange.
Furthermore, a glass run, such as the one disclosed in the above patent publication, is secured to the window frame from the outside of the passenger compartment. This glass run, referred to as a "hidden type" is provided from the outside of the passenger compartment to cover up a part of the window frame. Such a glass run can be adopted to fulfill a request for the sake of, for example, a design issue of a car.
The lip of the glass run disclosed in the patent publication covers the flange of the window frame while assembled to the flange, and thus is clearly visible. Hence, beneficially, the lip is designed to have relatively high stiffness to reduce move with respect to the flange and unnecessary change in shape after assembled.
In the case of the glass run to be assembled from the outside of the passenger compartment, the glass run attachment plate for assembling the glass run body extends in the inside-outside direction of the passenger compartment; whereas, the flange extends in the vertical direction. That is, the glass run attachment plate and the flange are different in extending direction. Thus, in a first step, the glass run body is moved from the outside of the passenger compartment and assembled to the glass run attachment plate as described above. Required after that is a second step; that is, to assemble the lip to the flange.
However, if the lip is designed to have high stiffness out of the need to reduce the movement and change in shape while assembled to the flange, assembly-related problems below could arise in both of the first and second steps.
Specifically, in the first step, the glass run body is moved from the outside to the inside of the passenger compartment to be assembled to the glass run attachment plate. Here, the lip makes contact with a face of the flange toward the outside of the passenger compartment, and creates a push-back force toward the outside of the passenger compartment. The high stiffness of the lip as described above increases the push-back force of the lip. Since this increased push-back force acts against (toward the outside of the passenger compartment) the assembling direction of the glass run body, it makes increasing an assembly force of the glass run body. As a result, the glass run body requires extra force to be assembled, and makes the assembly work for the glass run difficult. In particular, this problem will be more remarkable if the shape of the assembled glass run is different from that of the molded glass run, and the lip creates a large push-back force.
The second step involves assembling the lip to the flange. The glass run body has already been secured to the glass run attachment plate, and hardly moves with respect to a door frame. Here, the lip is positioned outside of the passenger compartment with respect to the flange. In this position, the shape of the lip needs to be changed so that the lip opens, and, while maintaining the opening, the lip needs to be brought toward the inside of the passenger compartment via the protrusion of the flange. In this case, the high stiffness of the lip could cause a problem; that is, extra force is required to open and keep opening the lip, making the assembly work difficult.
Conceived in view of the above problems, the present disclosure facilitates assembly of a glass run to a door frame from an outside of a passenger compartment, and, when a lip covering a flange of the door frame is formed into a single piece with the glass run, provides the lip with sufficient stiffness to keep the lip of the assembled glass run from moving and changing in shape.