An artificial cardiac pump includes an impeller (3) rotatably supported on a fixed shaft body (2) in a housing (1) and a drive mechanism rotating the impeller, wherein blood is taken in from the front side and force-fed to the rear side by the rotation of the impeller (3). The shaft body (2) is connected between a front side fixed body (5) fixed to a straightening plate (4) joined to the housing (1) at the front of the impeller (3) and a rear side fixed body (7) fixed to a diffuser (6) joined to the housing (1) at the rear of the impeller (3). The impeller (3) further includes a sleeve (8) having an inner peripheral surface opposed to the outer peripheral surface of the shaft body (2) through a minute clearance and front and rear end faces opposed to the rear end face of the front side fixed body (5) and the front end face of the rear side fixed body (7) through minute clearances, and an impeller (9) joined to the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve (8). The drive mechanism further includes a polar anisotropical permanent magnet (10) enclosed in the sleeve (8) and a rotating field generator (11) enclosed in the housing (1).

In the conventional art, an artificial cardiac pump comprises a rotatable impeller so as to be taken and force-fed blood. In general, artificial cardiac pumps can be divided into a group of axial-flow propeller pumps and a group of rotary/centrifugal pumps. Upon comparing the group of the axial-flow propeller pumps with the group of rotary/centrifugal pumps, the group of the axial-flow propeller pumps has an advantage in view of down-sizing. Hereinafter, an artificial cardiac pump with an axial-flow propeller pump will be described.
For example, a conventional artificial cardiac pump comprises a rotor such as an impeller, wherein both ends of the rotor are rotatably supported in a housing and a polar anisotropic permanent magnet is installed in the rotor, and a motor stator such as a rotary magnetic flux generator, wherein the motor stator surrounds with a peripheral of the rotor and is installed in the housing. By magnetic co-relation between the polar anisotropic permanent magnet and the motor stator, the rotor can be rotated with respect to the housing. Under such a structure, a characteristic of an artificial cardiac pump having a typically axial flow propeller pump can be obtained. That is, blood is taken from the front side and force-fed to the rear side by rotating the impeller.
In the above conventional art, a rotor comprises a rotational axial member of which both sides are supported, and impeller wing-components protruded from an outer peripheral surface of the rotational axial member [i.e. Japanese Patent Publication 2001-523983 (pages 23-26, FIGS. 4 and 9)]. Another rotor further comprises a shroud adjoined at an outer peripheral surface of the impeller and coaxially located with respect to the rotational axial member [i.e. U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,705]. In the former case, a polar anisotropic permanent magnet is installed in the rotational axial member. In the latter case, a polar anisotropic permanent magnet is installed in the shroud. In the former case of the artificial cardiac pump, the shroud is unnecessary and a structure thereof can be simplified. Therefore, it is advantageous in view of down-sizing. On the other hand, in the latter case of the artificial cardiac pump, the anisotropic permanent magnet and the motor stator can be alternatively and closely arranged. Therefore, it is advantageous in view of a motor driving effort for rotating a rotor.
However, in the above described conventional artificial cardiac pumps, both sides of the rotor are supported by fixed receiving parts of the housing in a contact relation. Thus, both sides are worn down and burned, such that mechanical loss and damages occur. In addition, blood is apt to be adhered/condensed around abraded powder as a core. Finally, a blood flowing route such as a blood vessel becomes narrower and a thrombus would occur.
Concerning such problems, the inventors provide an artificial cardiac pump having a housing in which a rotor is rotatably supported in a non-contact relation. An improved artificial cardiac pump provided by the inventors will be described with reference to FIG. 3.
As shown in FIG. 3, the improved artificial cardiac pump comprises a cylindrical housing 101, a rotor 103 rotatively supported in the housing 101 in a non-contact relation, a plurality of board-shaped diffuser components 106 protruded from an inner wall of the housing 101 at a rear side with respect to the rotor 103, a rear side fixing body 107 connected with an inner side edge of the diffuser 106 and an axial body 102 fixed on a front end surface 107a of the rear side fixing body 107. Thereby, a fixed axial body 102 is coaxially arranged with respect to a central axis X′ in the housing 101.
The axial body 102 has an outer peripheral surface 102a on which an inner peripheral surface 108a of a sleeve 108 is circularly fitted. The sleeve 108 is rotatably and movably supported with respect to the axial body 102 along an axial direction. A plurality of impeller wing-components 109 are protruded from and fitted on an outer peripheral surface of the sleeve 108. Further, at an outer edge of the impeller, a cylindrical shroud 120 is coaxially fitted with respect to the sleeve 108. The housing 101 includes a circular shroud receiving groove 101a into which the shroud 120 is installed. An inner wall of the circular shroud receiving groove 101 closely confronts with an outer peripheral surface of the shroud 120. The rotor 103 is formed by the sleeve 108, the impeller 109 and the shroud 120.
Inside of the shroud 120, polar anisotropic permanent magnets 110 are radially arranged with respect to the central axis X′. At a front side thereof, a ring-shaped shroud 120 is installed in the shroud 120. The polar anisotropic permanent magnets produce magnet flux perpendicular to the outer peripheral surface of the shroud 120. The permanent magnet 110 produces magnetic flux parallel to the outer peripheral surface of the shroud 120. On the other hand, in the housing 101a motor stator 111 is arranged at a peripheral portion of a shroud receiving grooved portion 101a in order to surround the shroud 120, wherein the motor stator 111 comprises an electromagnetic coil for producing magnetic flux towards the outer peripheral surface of the shroud 120. In front of the shroud receiving groove portion 101 in the housing, a ring-shaped permanent magnet 122 is installed so as to produce magnetic flux perpendicular to the front end surface of the shroud 120.
In accordance with such an improved artificial cardiac pump, rotational force is transmitted to the polar anisotropic permanent magnets 110 of the motor stator 111 by conducting electric current having different phases such as three phase electric current in an electromagnetic coil. Thus, the sleeve 108, the impeller 109 and the shroud 120 of the rotor are integrally rotated around the fixed axial body 102 in the housing 101. Thereby, blood is sucked from the front side and taken into the housing 101. The blood is pressurized by the impeller 109 and flown into the diffuser 106. A hydrodynamic status is recovered to a static status, while the blood is discharged to a rear side. In FIG. 3, a blood flowing route is shown as white arrows.
A blood pressure level at a rear side (downstream) with respect to the impeller 109 is higher than that at a front side thereof (upstream). Under the above structural condition, a load is applied on the rotor itself along a direction from the rear side to the front side. As the result, the front end surface of the shroud 120 is moved towards a front end surface of the shroud receiving groove portion 101a in the housing. However, a repulsion force between the permanent magnets 121 and the permanent magnet 122 is produced since the same magnetic poles face each other. Thus, a contact/collision between the shroud 120 and the housing 101 can be prevented. A portion of the high pressurized blood in the rear side portion of the impellers 109 is flown to an end surface of the shroud receiving groove portion 101a of the housing 101, a rear side surface of the shroud 120, an outer peripheral surface of the shroud 120 and a gap between the front end surface and the housing 101 in order by utilizing a blood pressure difference. Thus, the blood stream is joined with blood at the front side portion of the impellers 109, that is, the blood taken into the housing 101.
The blood pressure difference as described above is utilized to support the rotor 103. That is, the sleeve 108 is supported with respect to the axial body 102 in a non-contact relation. The portion of the high pressurized blood at the rear side portion of the impeller 109 is introduced to a micro gap between an outer peripheral surface 102a of the axial body 102 and an inner peripheral surface 108a of the sleeve 108 from a back side with respect to the sleeve 108 through a gap between the front end surface 107a of the rear fixed body 107 and the rear end surface 108c of the sleeve 108. Then, the blood is joined with the blood taken into the housing by forwardly force-feeding the blood through the micro gap. Accordingly, while the rotor 103 is rotating, blood is flown into the gap between the axial body 102 and the sleeve 108 as a lubricant fluid. The rotating rotor 103 is supported with respect to the axial body 102 in the non-contact relation.
As described above, in the above improved artificial cardiac pump, the rotor 102 is supported and rotated in the housing 101 in the non-contact relation so that mechanical loss (damage) and thrombus which occur in the conventional artificial cardiac pump in which a rotor is supported in a contact relation can be remarkably avoided.
However, the improved artificial cardiac pump as described above comprises a shroud 120 as one of components. Therefore, there are the following drawbacks. The shroud 120 is an outer-most wall of the rotor with respect to a radial direction. At first, unless a weight balance condition is even in the shroud 120, a dynamic balance of the rotor becomes very large in a rotational condition. The rotor cannot be rotated smoothly and such a situation is baneful for the non-contact relation and the rotor would be vibrated. The shroud 120 is the outer-most wall of the rotor with respect to the radial direction. Mechanical loss and damage caused by rotating the rotor in blood cannot be ignored. Particularly, the polar anisotropic permanent magnets 110 that rotate the rotor 103 by confronting with the motor stator 111 is installed in the rotor. Therefore, an unbalanced weight condition is apt to occur in the rotor, even if a degree of the unbalanced weight condition is small.
Second, while the rotor 103 is rotated, blood is (reversely) flown into a gap between the shroud receiving groove portion 101a and the shroud 120 in the housing so that an efficiency of the pump is restricted. If the gap between the shroud receiving grooved portion 101a and the shroud 120 becomes narrower so as to improve the efficiency of the pump, a large shearing force is applied to blood flown therein, because a peripheral rotational speed of the shroud 120 is higher than that of the shroud receiving grooved portion 101a. The large shearing force depends on a rotational speed difference between the shroud 120 and the shroud receiving grooved portion 101a. Under this situation, an outer peripheral membrane of a number of red blood corpuscles are damaged, so that a specific effect of the red blood corpuscle itself is lost and blood is dissolved.
A purpose of the present invention is to resolve the above described drawbacks. An artificial cardiac pump according to the present invention can reduce the above mechanical loss based on a structure that an impeller is supported and rotated in a housing in a non-contact relation and improve pump efficiency.


The present disclosure provides methods of identifying or certifying an animal that consumed a traceable diet comprising a C1 metabolizing microorganism.

Estimates of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) seafood range between 13 and 31% of total worldwide catch. This creates an enormous challenge for regulators who want to manage seafood stocks sustainably. If the harvest rates of a seafood stock cannot be reliably monitored, then the health of the seafood stock remains unknown. Additionally, IUU fishing provides a haven for other human rights abuses of vulnerable populations, including slave labor, human trafficking, and unsafe labor practices.
Most retailers, processors, and wholesalers prohibit IUU caught fish from their shelves, warehouses and processing plants. Additionally, companies commonly prohibit slave labor and human rights abuses in their supply chains, but massive seafood fraud, mislabeling of seafood, and commingling of seafood from different sources prevent enforcement.
The only way to ensure IUU and slave labor derived seafood is kept out of the supply chain is through rigorous traceability programs. These initiatives include monitoring vessels, registration of catches with local authorities, and tracing harvested seafood as it moves from one company to another.
Seafood traceability has traditionally depended on easily falsified paper records that travel with the shipment identifying source, species, and quantity. These data have been digitized and even incorporated into digital blockchains; however, such traceability programs depend upon labels that are linked to the seafood. These labels, whether digital or physical, are not intrinsic to the seafood itself, are usually attached to the packaging, and can be tampered with or removed.
Stable isotopes are naturally occurring variants of a specific element with one or more extra neutrons. Unlike radioactive isotopes, stable isotopes do not decay into other elements and on a global basis maintain a constant ratio to the reference element over time. There has been some development in the use of stable isotope to identify food fraud. However, further innovation is needed in the use of stable isotopes for identifying food fraud involving seafood and livestock.

Compositions and methods for tracing the diet of an animal


The invention relates to a cooling module for an engine (1) of a motor vehicle. Said cooling module comprises a heat exchanger (4), at least one fan (16) and a coolant pump (8), whereby a modular frame (3) forms an integral part of the cooling module (2) and the coolant pump (8) is disposed within and/or on said modular frame.

The invention relates to a cooling module for the engine of a motor vehicle in DE 195 34 108 A1 discloses a radiator for a cooling-water circuit of a motor vehicle engine, the cooling-water circuit being driven by an electric-motor centrifugal pump which is arranged entirely or partially within the radiator or such that it is directly adjacent to the radiator.
Furthermore, WO97/23713 discloses a cooling arrangement having a heat exchanger module, a fan module, a cooling-pump module, and an electronic system control module, the individual modules being connected to one another. The fan module is arranged directly behind the rear side of the radiator and comprises an electrically driven cooling fan which conducts ambient air across the radiator. The cooling-pump module, which pumps engine cooling water through the engine and the radiator, and the electronic system control module, which controls the operation of the cooling fan and of the pump motor, are likewise fixed on the fan module.

Cooling module for the engine of a motor vehicle


A method for connecting two components in a fluid-tight manner for producing a fluid-tight unit is provided. The method includes a step of providing at least one first component that is solder-plated on one side, wherein the first component has a cutting burr on a side facing away from the solder-plated surface. The method further includes a step of connecting, in particular soldering, the first component to a second component in a fluid-tight manner, in order to produce the fluid-tight unit, wherein the solder-plated surface of the first component faces the second component when connecting the first and second components in a fluid-tight manner.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for the fluid-tight connection and a cooling unit.
2. Description of the Background Art
In the field of heat exchanger technology, metal sheets or other components are connected together, particularly soldered, to produce cooling tubes or other heat exchanger components. A composite made of a plurality of metal sheets lying one on top of another, which are connected by soldering into a solid and fluid-tight unit, is suitable for different applications, inter alia, for the production of complex channel or bearing structures for heating or cooling tasks, for example, for the cooling of battery cells.
A method for producing a heat exchanger with a plate sandwich structure is described, for example, in German Offenlegungsschrift No. DE 195 28 116 B4, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,383. During the production of the structures, the mechanical cutting processes inevitably produce burrs in the individual sheets. These burrs are counterproductive for the subsequent soldering, because the burrs act as spacers between the sheets. Relatively small gaps in this case can also lead to faulty soldering or to leakiness. Burrs must therefore be removed mechanically. This is time-consuming and therefore costly. If the burrs are on the solder-plated side, the solder is also removed by this.
Further, for economic reasons, sheets solder-plated in a planar manner are used, which can lead locally to a surplus of solder and thereby to undesirable narrowing or obstructions in the channels.

Method for a fluid-tight connection of two components for producing a fluid-tight cooling unit


In a method of manufacturing an optical semiconductor element including at least the steps of forming a mask having a stripe-like gap or interval on a semiconductor substrate, epitaxially growing a semiconductor ridge including an active layer on only an exposed gap portion of the semiconductor substrate, and epitaxially growing a semiconductor cladding layer to cover the ridge, the thickness of the active layer is substantially the same as the width of the active layer.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an optical semiconductor element and, more particularly, to a method of manufacturing an optical semiconductor element having an epitaxially grown ridge.
As an optical amplifier, a rare-earth (Er, Nd, or the like) added optical fiber amplifier, and a semiconductor laser amplifier (to be abbreviated to as an LD amplifier hereinafter) are expected to be useful in optical communications. Of these amplifiers, an LD amplifier especially has compactness so that it should be appropriate to compact integrated components, and can cope with any wavelengths for optical communications. Thus, various techniques associated with LD amplifiers have been developed, and the following technical reports have been announced.
1) K. Magari et. al. IEEE photonics Technology Letters Vol. 2 (1990) pp. 556 PA1 2) M.S. Lin et. al. IEEE Journal of quantum Electronics Vol. 26 (1990) pp. 1,772-1,778 PA1 3) I. Cha et. al. Electronic Letters Vol. 25 (1989) No. 18 pp. 1,241-1,242 PA1 4) S. Cole et. al. Electronics Letters Vol. 25 (1989) pp. 314-315 PA1 5) N. A. Olsson Electronics Letters Vol. 25 (1989) pp. 1,048-1,049
When an LD amplifier is put into a practical application, the improvement of the gain, a decrease in dependency of the gain on polarization of incident light (polarization dependency; a TE-TM gain difference), and a decrease in ripple of the gain depending on the wavelength of incident light should be attained. In the references 1 and 2, the polarization dependency can be almost eliminated, and a sufficient internal gain (up to 25 dB) is obtained. In the reference 3, the ripple of the gain is almost eliminated.
The polarization dependency of the gain in the LD amplifier is eliminated by adopting a strained quantum well structure (reference 1), a buried double-hetero structure having an active layer with a small width (up to 4,000 .ANG. or less) (reference 2), or a structure having a thick active layer (reference 4). However, for these conventional structures, there are the following problems. In the LD amplifier using the strained quantum well structure of the reference 1, it is difficult to grasp the proper composition of the layers, and to control the composition on the manufacturing. Therefore, the demand has arisen for a method allowing easier manufacturing.
The LD amplifier having the narrow active layer of the reference 2 has a difficulty in its manufacturing process, and it is difficult to form this LD amplifier with good reproducibility. When the narrow active layer is formed, a compound semiconductor including the active layer is incised into a narrow (4,000-.ANG. wide) mesa-stripe shape. It is very difficult to realize this incision process by a conventional wet etching process with good reproducibility.
In the LD amplifier having the thick active layer of the reference 4, since the injected carrier density in the active layer is decreased upon driving of the LD amplifier, a decrease in gain inevitably occurs. For the above-mentioned causes, it is not easy to manufacture an LD amplifier, which has a small polarization dependency, and can provide a sufficient gain (up to 20 dB or higher), by the conventional technique.
As a problem on the characteristics of the LD amplifier, the ripple of the gain must be considered. The ripple is caused by reflection of signal light propagating through a waveguide in the amplifier on the facet of an LD amplifier element.

Method of manufacturing optical semiconductor element


A multiplicity of field effect type semiconductor memory elements are formed perpendicular to a surface of a semiconductor wafer. Charge carriers are transported in the semiconductor bulk perpendicular to the surface and a potential barrier is formed in the current path to accomplish storing. Since the bulk mobility of a semiconductor is far larger than the surface mobility, the transit time of the carriers is much improved. Furthermore, since each structure of the memory cells is formed perpendicular to the semiconductor surface, the surface occupation area per memory cell is reduced. Thus, a high-speed and high-density semiconductor memory device is provided.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory, and more particularly it pertains to a high-speed and high-density semiconductor memory.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Semiconductor memories are under development of higher integration density and larger capacitance. In random access memories (RAM), the density of 16 Kilobits per chip is now popular. As the integration density has increased to such a level, a reduction in the surface occupation area per memory cell will be required accordingly. In most of the 4 kilobit RAM's, one memory cell is formed with one lateral transistor structure, which in most of the 16 kilobit RAM's, the transistor structure is further simplified into the charge coupled type. In both cases, the basic concept or the equivalent circuit of a memory cell is "one transistor per memory cell" and this will not be simplified further. Namely, in a memory cell, there is a region for storing information, another region for extracting this information to the outside of the cell, and a further region between these two for controlling (or at least helps controlling) the transfer of the memory. Then, the integration density of memory cells in a semiconductor memory is determined largely by the surface occupation area of one transistor or the like which works as a memory cell. The so-called MOS FET type memory cell and the charge coupled device type memory cell can be roughly classified as the surface structure cell which inevitably accompany relatively large surface occupation area. Furthermore, since the electron and the hole mobilities in the surface of a semiconductor body (surface mobilities) are usually lower than those in the bulk (bulk mobilities) due to various surface state such as trapping levels (for example in silicon the surface mobility is about one third to one fifth of the bulk mobility), the carrier transit time becomes low in the surface region and the high speed-operation is at least partially limited thereby.
The inventory of the present invention has proposed a new type of field effect transistor (now called "static induction transistor") which has a low series (source to intrinsic gate) resistance and can show non-saturating drain current versus drain voltage characteristics disclosed in his U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 817,052 and 576,541, and stated in "IEEE Trans. Electron Devices" ED-22, 185 (1975). The static induction transistor has many advantages such as that the gate parasitic gate (source-gate and gate-drain) capacitance is very small, that the gate region resistance can be very low, that charge carriers are drifted by an electric field and that the space charge storage effect is very small. Therefore, the application of the static induction transistor is of much interest in various fields. However, although some developments in the integrated circuits by the use of the static induction transistor have been made and proposed, there still is hardly any proposal with respect to the memory device.

High-speed and high-density semiconductor memory


A method of testing a frequency synthesizer over a predetermined frequency range using a delay unit complying with a spectral delay distribution model modeling a spectral delay distribution of the delay unit over the predetermined frequency range. The method comprises generating at least one test signal with the frequency synthesizer according to at least one test command; passing the at least one test signal through the delay unit so as to obtain at least one delayed test signal; measuring at least one shift of a signal attribute between the delayed test signal and the test signal; estimating an accuracy of the frequency synthesizer by comparing the at least one measured shift with an expected shift, the expected shift being derived from the spectral delay distribution model of the delay unit and from the at least one test command.

Frequency synthesizers can be analog or digital devices. Frequency synthesizers are electronic devices enabling generating a range of frequencies from a single fixed reference oscillator. Frequency synthesizers (also referred to as synthesizers in the following) are commonly found in many modern systems such as communication systems (mobile phones, radio receivers, etc.) or radar systems and different technologies coexist for frequency synthesizer implementation. Traditionally, a common technology for implementing synthesizers is phase locked loop (PLL) modules but recent technical developments have driven migration towards more modern direct digital synthesizer (DDS) modules.
Frequency synthesizers are generally required to provide precise frequencies and therefore a regular check of frequency synthesizers can often be beneficial. Synthesizer testing is aimed at determining whether an actual frequency of the synthesizer output signal coincides with a frequency command (i.e. a requested frequency). Synthesizer testing equipment generally requires access to the input/output of the synthesizer and a frequency analyzer to analyze the output signal.
However, because of the space required for such testing equipment and the need for direct access to the input/output of the synthesizer, such systems remain generally confined to laboratory testing and are not contemplated when the synthesizer is integrated (i.e. enclosed) in a complex electronic system. For example, FIG. 1 shows a surveillance system 500 comprising a radar equipment 300. The radar equipment 300 comprises a frequency synthesizer 100. The surveillance system 500 may comprise a controller 400 (also referred as built-in-test—BIT—controller) configured to carry out test procedures of the radar equipment 300. However, notably because of space limitations for adding a specific frequency test equipment, current radar BIT systems do not include a special test for the frequency synthesizer 100 of the radar 300. Additionally, communication and radar systems commonly function in a frequency range comprised between 1 and 100 GHz and testing equipment is not commonly available for the high frequencies of said frequency range.
Some other synthesizer testing methods involve a power detection unit at the output of the synthesizer. For example, the output of the synthesizer is provided with a coupler for directing a portion of the synthesizer output signal to a power detection unit such as a simple diode. Even though such testing methods present the advantage of being easy to integrate into an electronic system, these methods only enable to detect whether the synthesizer outputs a signal or not, and do not provide precise spectral information regarding the output signal. Therefore, these methods cannot precisely ensure that the frequency output of the synthesizer exactly coincides with a frequency command. Nevertheless, it can be noted that methods involving a power detection unit have been largely implemented for testing analog frequency synthesizers such as PLL modules since these methods enable to effectively detect PLL modules dysfunctions. However, such methods do not provide successful results with more recent DDS direct digital synthesizers.

System and method for testing frequency synthesizer


A method of operating a variable speed compressor, the variable speed compressor in electrical communication with a computing element and the computing element in electrical communication with a sensing device, the method including operating the computing element to transmit a control signal to the compressor to operate in an operational mode, operating the computing element to receive outdoor air temperature data from the sensing device, operating the computing element to determine an operational run time value of the compressor based in part on the outside air temperature data, operating the computing element to determine an estimated day period based in part on the control signal, and operating the compressor at an operational speed based in part on the outdoor air temperature data, the operational run time value, and the estimated day period.

Variable capacity HVAC systems are typically controlled by electronic thermostats containing microprocessors which continuously monitor indoor air temperature and/or indoor air humidity. The thermostat temperature set point, and/or indoor air humidity set point is/are compared to the sensed or monitored temperature, or humidity value and the microprocessor in the thermostat evaluates a specific differential to generate a control signal.
To typically control a variable capacity compressor, as is found in some HVAC systems, the compressor speed and/or capacity are communicated to the thermostat over a communicating system bus via a software protocol. However, a thermostat containing a microprocessor configured to communicate commands and receive data over a system bus increases the cost of the HVAC system, which may create a barrier for users to enjoy the comfort and economic benefits of a variable capacity HVAC system.
Accordingly, there exists a need to control a variable speed compressor without the need for expensive communicating control, or the added features that a communicating control offers.

System and method for operating a variable speed compressor


A method of providing IP telephony services maps a telephony signaling protocol called party number nature of address indicator to an Internet signaling protocol nature of address indicator and a telephony signaling protocol called party number numbering plan indicator to an Internet signaling protocol numbering plan indicator.

The present invention relates generally to the field of Internet telephony, and more particularly to a method of and system for providing address definition for public switched network terminated calls that use Internet telephony services.
The existing public switched telephone network (PSTN) environment provides a rich set of telephony services. In order to work properly, the services depend on address information that is carried as part of the call setup process. This address information includes the called party number and two qualifiers to the called party number. These qualifiers are the nature of address (NOA) and the numbering plan indicator (NPI).
The called party number and the qualifiers are used in the PSTN to determine how to handle calls. The nature of address can be subscriber, national, or international. The numbering plan indicator can be public (E. 164) or private. A dialed number address with NOA and NPI values indicating the called party number is an international public number will be routed differently than the same number that has NOA and NPI values indicating that it is in a private numbering plan.
Efforts are currently underway to extend the services to devices connected to Internet protocol (IP) networks. One protocol that has been developed to handle the called related signaling in the IP based networks is the session initiation protocol (SIP). The addressing mechanism built into the SIP specification supports only global and local numbers. The SIP specification does not support the NOA and NPI qualifiers used in the PSTN. As a result, is not possible to support all of the existing PSTN services when one leg of a call must pass through an IP network or terminate to the device on an IP network.
The present invention provides a method of and system for providing IP telephony services by mapping a telephony signaling protocol called party number nature of address indicator to an Internet signaling protocol nature of address indicator and mapping a telephony signaling protocol called party number numbering plan indicator to an Internet signaling protocol numbering plan indicator. The present invention is preferably implemented by extending the session initiation protocol (SIP) invite request called party URL to include a nature of address parameter and a numbering plan parameter. The system of the present invention provides a gateway that performs the mapping.

Address definition for IP telephony services


In scheduling and controlling the upgrading of major assets such as a capital ship, the need for upgrades to various elements found on ships are determined, and the upgrade of each piece of equipment is documented as a change product. The change product documentary information is entered into a database, and correlated with information identifying those major assets, which use such products, thereby associating one or more major assets with a change product order. The major assets are scheduled for upgrade on some basis. A promised delivery date of alteration kits, manuals, or other material is obtained from the various vendors. The database may be interrogated at any time in relation to a major asset upgrade, to thereby determine the promised delivery date of the most distant delivery date of yet-undelivered material. The most distant delivery date is deemed to be the integrated logistic support date.

In the context of lifetime support and depot operations, it may be necessary from time to time to upgrade or update a major piece of equipment, such as a ship or aircraft. In the case of a ship, these upgrades or updates are planned years in advance, and the necessary parts and equipment are procured in advance of the upgrade. Many of these parts and equipments have long procurement times. The steps of the methods necessary to perform the upgrades are also planned well in advance of the actual implementation of the upgrade. The equipments and materials needed for the upgrades will, in general, not become available simultaneously, but rather must accumulated over a period of time of months or even years, thus requiring key business partners to participate in real-time, dynamic exchange of lifetime support and depot operational components.
When a ship or other major item is to be upgraded, there is a planned starting date for the job, which may be related to availability of a dry-dock or other major site or equipment. It is very important to assure that the parts and equipment accumulation is finished or completed by the starting date for the project. It is also important to maintain records which make it possible to predict the projected date by which all the materials will have been accumulated. This record keeping is difficult because many of the required materials arrive as parts of a "alteration kit" of parts, one of which is associated with each aspect of the upgrade. For example, the materials and equipment for upgrade of a particular radar or electronics system of the ship is shipped as a single assemblage. If two such radar or electronic equipments are in use on the ship, two alteration kits must be available, one for each unit. Each alteration kit is associated with a bill of lading, which identifies the alteration kit and gives the kit part number. Inside the alteration kit packaging, or associated therewith, is a alteration instruction manual, which includes a list of parts which should be in the alteration kit. In order to verify that all the necessary parts are contained in each alteration kit when it is received at the site at which materials for the upgrade are accumulated, the alteration kit is opened and inventoried against the alteration instruction manual. The materials must then be repackaged in accordance with specifications in readiness for shipping from the material accumulation site to the upgrade work site. At some point in the accumulation process, lifetime support and depot operations collaborate on the status of critical logistical elements, which indicate what particular components of the necessary alteration kit or kits have been delivered, but as to undelivered materials, has only a manufacturer's promised delivery date upon which to rely. The scheduling of the upgrade is, of course, based upon the promised delivery dates. If these dates are not met, the materials cannot be shipped to the upgrade site so as to arrive in time for the scheduled starting date. If the materials do not arrive on the manufacturer's promised date, then, the upgrade cannot begin, and the upgrade site, as for example a dry-dock, has a ship sitting therein on which work cannot be started, at least as to the missing alteration kits. Such late-arriving alteration kits can be stored until a later scheduled upgrade time, possibly years in the future, but cannot be installed during this particular scheduled upgrade interval.
Spare parts must be provided for those parts of a ship, which are likely to break down during operation. Spare parts may be included in an alteration kit, or they may arrive separately. When the spare parts are part of an alteration kit, the spare parts provided therewith must be correlated with the list of on-board spare parts so that they can be checked off as received. Spare parts received separately from an alteration kit can be simply checked off the spare parts list.
Each ship upgrade requires upgrading of the technical manuals associated with the upgraded equipment so that the upgraded equipment may be properly maintained. If the technical manual is classified, it must be treated differently than spare parts. Documentation must be provided for the handling of the technical manuals, and their arrival in time for the upgrade must be considered.
Preventive maintenance schedule documentation can be handled in the same manner as technical manuals. In addition to technical manuals required for maintenance, technical manuals and instructions must be provided for each upgrade to be performed.
The difficulty of maintaining records and of making the determination is further compounded by the fact that different classes of ships may have equipments in common. For example, a radar or communication system may find use not only in a given class of naval vessels, such as destroyers, but also in some other class of ships, such as cruisers or even tankers. In some cases, similar ships of the navies of other countries may be impacted.
The determination of the status of completion of accumulation of all the alteration kits, spare parts, and manuals and other documentation associated with upgrades is a very difficult task.
Improved methods are desired for the determination of the status of accumulation of the necessary equipments for an upgrade of a major asset.

Installation support information system collaborative tool


Embodiments of the present invention disclose a protective hinge cover for a mobile computing device. According to one embodiment, the protective hinge cover includes an inner cavity area for receiving the mobile device along with a rotatable attachment member formed therein. In addition, a plurality of coupling features are utilized to facilitate attachment of the hinge cover with the mobile computing device. Moreover, the rotatable attachment member and housing frame are configured to provide a movable and stable structure for the mobile computing and also allow for adjustment by an operating user so as to provide multiple viewing angles via a hinge mechanism associated with the rotatable attachment member.

The emergence and popularity of mobile computing has made portable electronic devices—due to their compact design and light weight—a staple in today's marketplace. Though the portability of these mobile computing devices makes them highly conducive for easy transport, their thin frame and fragileness makes them easily susceptible to damage and failure caused by rough transportation conditions, liquid spills, or accidental drops. Consequently, many users elect to guard their valuable mobile device from damage using a protective sleeve, cover, or carrying case. However, most device casings are unable to provide a platform for presenting the associated display at multiple viewing angles without adding undesirable thickness to the protective cover and overall form factor.

Protective hinge cover for a mobile computing device

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A method and apparatus for controlling a discontinuous transmission process. Audio information is digitized and provided to a vocoder. A voice activity level is determined from the digitized audio signal, and if voice activity is present, active vocoder frames are generated at a predetermined output rate. If voice activity is not detected, inactive vocoder frames are generated. During transitions between periods of speech activity and speech inactivity, transition frames are generated, the transition frames comprising background noise information.

I. Field
The disclosed embodiments pertain generally to the field of wireless data communications, and more specifically to a method and apparatus for controlling vocoder frame generation in a discontinuous transmission communication system.
II. Background
Wireless communications have become commonplace in much of the world today. In many digital wireless communication systems, audio information, typically voice, is transmitted between wireless communication devices and other end units via infrastructure equipment. Examples of various communication systems include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, global system for mobile communications (GSM) systems, wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) systems, as well as others.
In many wireless communication systems, human speech is converted into electronic signals and digitized. The digitized speech is often provided to a vocoder, which is a well known device in the art for compressing the digitized speech signal for efficient wireless transmission. The output of the vocoder comprises vocoder frames, which are discrete "packages" of bits representing the compressed digitized speech. Vocoders may operate using either fixed or variable rate encoding techniques, both of which are well known in the art. In either case, vocoders operate to take advantage of natural pauses, or lapses, inherent in human speech to provide bandwidth compression. In some communication systems using fixed rate vocoders, vocoder frames are not transmitted during periods of speech inactivity, thereby reducing the bandwidth necessary for the communication.
Several problems are inherent in the fixed rate vocoder application. First, the transition from periods of speech activity to periods of speech inactivity may be noticeable to users. Another problem is that the background noise inherent in most telephonic communications is not preserved as the communication transitions from periods of speech activity to periods of speech inactivity. These problems are exacerbated in communication systems employing secure communication techniques, such as public key encryption techniques.
In a fixed rate vocoder application, it would be desirable to preserve the background noise during such transitions so that users do not perceive noticeable sound quality differences.

Discontinuous transmission (DTX) controller system and method


A chip resistor includes: a resistor body having a front surface and a mounting surface which face in opposite directions; a pair of electrodes which are disposed on both sides of the resistor body with the resistor body sandwiched therebetween and are in electrical conduction with the resistor body; and a protective film covering a portion of the resistor body, wherein a plurality of grooves, which does not penetrate through the resistor body, is formed in the front surface of the resistor body.

One type of chip resistor having low resistance which is suitable for current detection uses a metal plate resistor body made of a Cu—Ni alloy or a Ni—Cr alloy to achieve low resistance in the order of mΩ.
In such a chip resistor, an adjustment is made to achieve target resistance by forming a trimming groove in a portion of the metal plate resistor body sandwiched between a pair of electrodes by means of laser machining using a laser trimming device. For such a chip resistor, there is a need to provide a higher precision of resistance at a demand for further advancement of products.
For example, there has been proposed a method for achieving the target resistance of the chip resistor by forming the trimming groove in the portion of the metal plate resistor body by means of punching instead of laser machining. However, since the position and shape of punching holes for formation of the trimming groove are determined depending on a sheet metal plate which is a collection of metal resistor plates, this method has a difficulty in performing the resistance adjustment with high accuracy based on the individual metal resistor plates. In addition, since there is a need for an additional dedicated device to form the punching holes, there are problems related to investment and device development in association with the necessity of a new production facility for introduction of the device.

Chip resistor and method for manufacturing the same


A handbrake operating linkage for a railroad tank car, in which a hand wheel used to provide tension in the linkage is located on a lateral side of the car body, near an end of the car and at a height permitting a person standing on the ground alongside the tank car to set the handbrake. The hand wheel is located on the car at an end of the car opposite the end at which an airbrake cylinder-and-piston assembly is located, and the linkage extends from an airbrake cylinder lever to the hand wheel by way of a direction-reversing lever and a bell crank, avoiding a requirement for parts of the linkage to pass through direction-changing sheave wheels.

The present invention relates to railroad tank cars, and in particular to a handbrake arrangement for a railroad tank car.
Most railroad tank cars have handbrake arrangements that allow brakes to be set on both trucks by operation of a handwheel located at an end platform on the tank car. Conventional arrangements, however, require a person to climb onto the end of the tank car to operate the handbrake, and there is a resulting risk of injury.
In a conventional handbrake linkage a chain, or a combination of a chain and tension-carrying rods, extends from a lever normally operated by a pneumatic cylinder-and-piston assembly that is part of an airbrake system to a winch operated by the handwheel located on the end platform at the end of the tank car nearer to the airbrake cylinder-and-piston assembly. The chain conventionally extends through three or more sheave blocks, however, in order to avoid interference with the wheeled truck, as the chain extends to the handbrake winch, with the result that a significant amount of friction opposes take-up of the handbrake-operating chain and thus adds difficulty to the process of setting the handbrake effectively.
In order to reduce or eliminate the risk of injury to personnel and also to facilitate having handbrakes reliably set, it is desired to have a handbrake arrangement that enables brakes to be set on both trucks of a railroad tank car without the necessity for a person to climb up onto the car and with a reduced amount of friction opposing the setting of the handbrake.

Handbrake operating linkage for railroad tank car


An optical network and an optical signal modulation method thereof are provided. The optical network includes an optical fiber and a remote node (RN). The RN receives a continuous carrier wave from the optical fiber and modulates the continuous carrier wave to generate a first frequency offset carrier wave The frequency of the first frequency offset carrier wave is different from that of the continuous carrier wave. A first user device re-modulates and loads data to the first frequency offset carrier wave to generate a first upstream signal. The frequency of the first upstream signal is the same as that of the first frequency offset carrier wave. The RN inputs the first upstream signal into the optical fiber.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to an optical network capable of changing the frequency of an optical signal and an optical signal modulation method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional optical network. The optical network includes a head-end 110, an optical fiber 120, and a wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) 130. The head-end 110 includes a plurality of laser sources. A single laser source 111 is demonstratively illustrated in FIG. 1. The laser source 111 provides a continuous carrier wave 151. The WDM 112 combines and outputs the continuous carrier waves emitted by all the laser sources through multiplexing. The continuous carrier wave 151 enters the optical fiber 120 via an optical circulator (OC) 113. Ideally, the cross section of an optical fiber should be a perfect round. However, actually, it may not be so perfect. Thus, the continuous carrier wave 151 produces a reflected wave 152 after traveling every small distance in the optical fiber 120, and this reflected wave 152 is the so-called Rayleigh backscattering noise.
At the other end of the optical fiber 120, the WDM 130 separates the continuous carrier waves provided by the laser sources and provides the continuous carrier waves to a plurality of user devices. For example, a user device 140 receives the continuous carrier wave 151 emitted by the laser source 111, and the user device 140 modulates and loads data to the continuous carrier wave 151 to generate an upstream signal 153. The WDM 130 combines and inputs the upstream signals generated by all the user devices into the optical fiber 120 through multiplexing. These upstream signals also produce reflected waves when they pass through the optical fiber 120. These reflected waves are received and re-modulated by the user devices and output toward the head-end 110 as the Rayleigh backscattering noises of the upstream signals. For example, the upstream signal 153 produces a Rayleigh backscattering noise 154.
Foregoing upstream signals are input into a WDM 114 via the OC 113 of the head-end 110. The WDM 114 filters the upstream signals to separate them. The head-end 110 includes a plurality of receivers for receiving all the upstream signals. A single receiver 115 is demonstratively illustrated in FIG. 1, and which receives the upstream signal 153.
Besides the upstream signal 153, the Rayleigh backscattering noise 152 of the continuous carrier wave 151 and the Rayleigh backscattering noise 154 of the upstream signal 153 are also received by the receiver 115, and these signals have the same wavelength. Accordingly, the reception of the upstream signal 153 is interfered by the Rayleigh backscattering noises 152 and 154.

Optical network and optical signal modulation method thereof

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A paper ejection unit included in a print apparatus for stacking printed paper to provide a print apparatus for making it possible to provide compatibility between large-capacity stacking of short-size paper frequently used and easiness of handling printed paper of large size. Attention is focused on the fact that the weight of paper that can be handled safely is determined by the paper stack height for each paper size, and it is made possible to change the paper stackable amount for each paper size by a paper stack table moved down gradually with an increase in the stack amount of printed paper and a paper stack table height detector for detecting the position of the paper stack table.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a paper ejection unit in a print apparatus which includes the paper ejection unit and a image formation unit.
2. Background Art
Hitherto, when a predetermined table height detector provided in a paper ejection unit in a print apparatus detects a paper stack table moved down with an increase in the stack amount of printed paper, the paper ejection unit has been determined full of paper, the paper stack operation of the paper ejection unit has been stopped, and a message indicating that the paper ejection unit is full of paper has been displayed on an operation section of the image formation apparatus.
For example, in an image formation apparatus using electrophotography, such as a copier or a laser beam printer, a paper ejection unit for stacking paper ejected from the image formation apparatus needs to be compatible with various paper sizes and stack a large amount of paper with the widespread use of a high-speed image formation apparatus compatible with various paper sizes. The sizes of paper most frequently used with the image formation apparatus are short sizes of A4, B5, letter, etc. If 2,000 or more sheets of paper of large sizes of B4, A3, leisure, etc., are stacked in an image formation apparatus having a paper ejection unit capable of stacking 2,000 or more sheets of paper of the short sizes (75 g/m2), the total weight containing a printed paper taking-out cage exceeds 20 kg and thus a problem occurs in handling of the operator.
In JP-B-7-115794, the paper-full stack amount is changed based on paper size information.
In related art, the paper top face is detected for detecting the paper stack amount. However, if print is stopped midway or the apparatus is powered down at the time, a problem remains in paper stack amount detection at the restart time if the paper top face is detected for detecting the paper stack amount.
It is an object of the invention to solve the above-described problems. Attention is focused on the fact that the weight of paper that can be handled safely is determined by the paper stack height for each paper size, and it is made possible to change the paper stackable amount for each paper size by a paper stack table moved down gradually with an increase in the stack amount of printed paper and a paper stack table height detector for detecting the position of the paper stack table.

Paper ejection unit in a print apparatus


The automatic adjustment of output power of a transmitter is described. In one embodiment, an optical transmitter is directed to transmit a pulse of light over a communications link, such as a fiber optic cable, and a timer is started with reference to the transmission. An output tap of the transmitter is monitored to detect the transmission of the pulse of light and any reflection events which occur due to the transmission. A final reflection event is identified, along with a timing associated with the final reflection event using the timer. A length of the communications link is estimated based on the timing. An updated output power for the transmitter is calculated based on the estimated length of the communications link. The output power for the transmitter can be reduced when the length of the link is less than that expected, while maintaining a minimum power margin at a receiver.

An optical communications link can be embodied as a single end-to-end optical circuit. An optical fiber is one example of an optical link. In most cases, optical fibers are flexible, transparent fibers made by drawing glass or plastic to a suitably small diameter. Optical fibers can be used as a means to transmit light in fiber-optic communications and to permit data transmission over relatively longer distances and at relatively higher bandwidths than wire cables. Optical fibers are also preferable in some cases because signals travel along them with less loss and without electromagnetic interference.
An optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) is an optoelectronic instrument that can be used to evaluate an optical link or fiber. An OTDR is similar in function to a time domain reflectometer for copper wires, but used to characterize optical links. An OTDR transmits one or more optical pulses into an optical link and analyzes any light that is reflected or scattered back. The scattered or reflected light can be used to evaluate the optical link. This is similar to the way that a time domain reflectometer measures reflections caused by changes in the impedance of wires under test.

Automatic optical reflectometer power adjustment

MACOM TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS HOLDINGS, INC.


A fastener including a head defining a hexalobular drive hole, a shaft, threads and a pointed end. The hexalobular drive hole can include points having an outermost portion, and the head can include an outer surface, where a thickness of about 0.01 inches to about 0.04 inches is defined between the outer surface and each respective point. The outer surface can be cylindrical, and can transition to a tapered portion that is joined with the shaft. The tapered portion can be frustoconical, angled and/or curvilinear. A related method of installation is provided for advancing the fastener into the side of a first board at an angle to fasten the first board to an underlying second board.

The present invention relates to a fastener, and more particularly to a screw including a screw head and a related method of installation.
There are a variety of commercially available fasteners that are designed to fasten a work piece, such as a wooden board or a composite element, to a substrate, such as a subfloor, joist or other underlying support structure. In many cases, these fasteners are in the form of threaded screws including: a large, bugle-shaped head to which an installation drive attaches (for example, a Phillips or star drive screw head); a shaft that projects from the head; threads on the shaft, and a sharpened point, which centers the screw on a location, and initially pierces the board so that the screw can advance into it. These types of screws are typically drilled downward, in an orthogonal manner, into the top of a board to fasten the board to an underlying support, such as a joist. Most of the holding power of such screws come from the bugle-shaped head engaging the board.
Recently, there have been developments in construction techniques and fastener technology that attach boards to a subfloor or underlying joist with screws, but that attempt to conceal the heads of those screws. This is achieved by advancing the screws at an angle through the sides of the boards, rather than the exposed upper surface or tops of the boards, and subsequently into an underlying support structure. When boards are placed side-by-side one another, these "side angled screws" are relatively unnoticeable by an observer looking straight down at the boards. Of course, at an angled view of the board, where portions of the sides of the boards may be visible, the screw heads may be somewhat visible, but usually not overly conspicuous.
In many applications, where the aforementioned screws are drilled through the sides of the boards, they are drilled at an angle relative to the top and bottom surfaces of the boards. Accordingly, much of the holding force of the screw is applied via the shaft or body of the screw, rather than via the head of the screw, as with conventional bugle-head deck screws.
The heads of such side angled screws include a drive feature in which a tool head of a rotary tool can be inserted to rotate the screw and advance it into the board. A common type of drive feature on conventional deck screws is a six-pointed, star-shaped patterned hole. Screws including these types of drive features are usually referred to as star drive head screws. One particular type of star drive is sold under the "TORX" trade name.
Star drive screws, and in particular, TORX head screws, come in a variety of sizes. TORX head sizes are described using the capital letter "T" followed by a number. Smaller numbers correspond to smaller dimensions of the respective screw head features. Common size TORX drives for bugle-type deck screw heads include T-15 and T-25. In contrast to bugle-type deck screws, the conventional side angled screws mentioned above are much smaller in size. For example, conventional side angled screw TORX drives are size T-10. A T-10 drive measures, point-to-point, only 0.107 inches, and only has a maximum torque range of 3.7 Nm to 4.5 Nm.
Because the screw heads of side angled screws are outfitted with such a relatively small T-10 screw drive, only a relatively low amount of torque can be applied to the screws before the TORX screw drive feature is prone to stripping. This can be particularly problematic where the boards or joists into which the side angled screws are drilled are particularly dense, either from being cold or being constructed from a wood or composite that is dense. It also can be problematic where a user improperly sets their installation tool to a high torque, and ends up stripping out the head. It can further pose issues where the screws are constructed from inferior metals or by using manufacturing techniques that lack quality control.
Accordingly, there remains room for improvement to the drive features of side angled deck screws, other features of those screws and related methods of installation.

Threaded fastener and related method of installation


Provided is a bonding structure of a metal member and a composite-material member which comprises a composite-material member and a metal member adhesively bonded to the composite-material member through an adhesive bonding surface therebetween. The metal member has a slit extending along the adhesive bonding surface to form a thin-walled portion between the adhesive bonding surface and the slit.

Generally, in an adhesive bonding portion between a metal member and a composite-material member, material characteristics, such as coefficient of thermal expansion and stiffness, change discontinuously, which causes a situation where stress concentration is likely to occur therein, resulting in debonding. Thus, the occurrence and development of the debonding between the metal member and the composite-material member lead to fracture of a structure including the adhesive bonding portion between the metal member and the composite-material member.
For example, a tank made of composite material (composite-material tank) is lightweight as compared to a tank made of metal (metal tank), so that it is expected to be used as an alternative to an existing metal tank, in the aerospace and automotive fields, etc. Under the current technologies, it is necessary to provide a metal mouthpiece in a connection portion with a pipe or the like. Thus, a tank cannot be entirely made of composite material, i.e., it inevitably has an adhesive bonding portion between a metal member and a composite-material member. Generally, in the adhesive bonding portion between the metal member and the composite-material member, material characteristics, such as coefficient of thermal expansion and stiffness, change discontinuously, which causes a situation where stress concentration is likely to occur therein, resulting in debonding, as mentioned above. The overall strength of the tank is borne by the composite material. Thus, the occurrence and development of the debonding between the metal member and the composite-material member lead to fracture of the tank.
Particularly, when the tank is used for storing cryogenic propellant (such as liquid hydrogen or liquid oxygen) in the aerospace field, it is placed in a situation where debonding is highly likely to occur and develop, because fracture toughness of an adhesive material is substantially decreased at cryogenic temperatures. With a view to preventing such debonding, a technique has been proposed in which, for an inner shell in which a peripheral portion around an opening of a tank is made of metal and an outer shell made of composite material, a fixing means is provided in the peripheral portion around the opening to constrain the inner shell and the outer shell with respect to each other (the following Patent Document 1).
Meanwhile, as for a gas reservoir tank to be used at normal temperature or an automobile fuel tank, there is no possibility of the debonding problem as long as a size and internal pressure thereof are maintained at current levels, because fracture toughness of an adhesive material is relatively high at normal temperature. However, differently from an index (strength) typically used in design, an index (energy release rate) governing the debonding increases in proportion to the second power of pressure (in the strength index, the first power of pressure) and increases in proportion to the first power of size (in the strength index, does not depend on size). Thus, if such a tank is increased in internal pressure and/or size in future, it is predicted that debonding between the metal member and the composite-material member also becomes a problem.
The bonding structure of the metal member and the composite-material member, with the adhesive bonding portion between the metal member and the composite-material member, is also used: in a satellite body, as a bonding structure of a thrust tube made of composite material (composite-material thrust tube), and a bracket made of metal (metal bracket), wherein the metal bracket is used to join the composite-material thrust tube and a top and/or bottom panel together; and, in a rocket, as a bonding structure of a skin plate made of composite material (composite-material skin plate) and formed to constitute a tail fin, and a fitting and joined to a rocket body, wherein the fitting is used to join the composite-material skin plate and the rocket body together. In these bonding structures, debonding between a metal member and a composite-material member also becomes a problem.

Bonding structure of metal member and composite-material member


A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array section including a plurality of pixels, a pixel drive line controlling driving the pixels in each row, a signal line reading an analog signal of the pixels in each column, a pixel drive unit driving the pixels to perform a readout through the pixel drive line, and a readout circuit capable of converting the analog signal into a digital signal. At least the number of pixel drive lines or the number of signal lines is more than one, and the pixels of each pixel group are connected to different lines of either the pixel drive lines or the signal lines. The pixel drive unit sequentially drives the pixels in the pixel group at shifted timings, and the readout circuit includes an analog-to-digital converter sequentially receiving analog signals from the pixel group and sequentially converting the analog signals into digital signals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid-state imaging device such as a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor and a camera system.
2. Description of the Related Art
As such a solid-state imaging device (image sensor), a charge coupled device (CCD), the CMOS, and the like are widely used in practice.
In general, with the solid-state imaging device such as the CCD and the CMOS image sensor, an analog signal obtained by a photoelectric conversion element was converted into digital data to be recorded using an analog-to-digital (AD) converter separate from the solid-state imaging device.
Presently, to increase the processing speed and to reduce the size, the solid-state imaging device and the AD converter are integrated in one chip or one package.
As solid-state imaging devices that operate at high speed, various devices are proposed (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2006-340044, 2006-80861, and 2003-234967).
The solid-state imaging device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-340044 not only integrates one or more AD converters but also integrates thousands of AD converters in a column parallel manner, resulting in high speed.
The solid-state imaging device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-80861 includes a column parallel sample and hold circuit, in which a plurality of columns share a pipelined AD converter, resulting in high speed.
The solid-state imaging device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-234967 also includes the column parallel sample and hold circuit and uses the pipelined AD converter, like the technology disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-80861 described above.

Solid-state imaging device and camera system


An airbag system including an airbag and gas generating device provided with deployment control devices that enable the airbag to be at least partially deployed before it is inflated with gas from the gas generating device, and to a method of deploying the airbag.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to an airbag device and its triggering process.
2. Prior Art
The former patent applications from the same inventor (German applications 197 12 782.7, 197 26 878.1, 197 33 896.8, 100 13 759.8, 100 25 417.9, European patent applications 98 105 551.0, 99 936 335.1, 00 112 432.0 and 00 125 150.3, international patent applications PCT/DE 99/01564, PCT/DE 00/02625, PCT/DE 00/02892, PCT/DE 00/02391, PCT/DE 01/01379, PCT/DE 01/01594 as well as the German utility model applications 298 09554.8, 298 19165.2, 298 20722.2, 299 0500.9, 299 05919.7, 299 08946.0, 299 10059.6, 299 13628.0 200 11391.7, 200 12707.1, 200 16554.2, 201 02990.6 and 201 09976.4) in general deal with an airbag device as well as with its layout, triggering method and the airbag guide, and in connection with "active" to open airbag lids and their central mechanism. The complete disclosure of these earlier applications is included in the present invention.
Today's airbags protect people during an accident when the distance between the person and the airbag outlet is appropriate. Within 40 milliseconds the gas floats into the airbag. Measured on the outlet of the gas generator chamber at an opening of 20 cm2 the speed of the gas is 280 km/h and the pressure can be 60 bars when something stops the gas flow. This energy is like bullet and kills people when they are not belted and as a result are too close to the airbag outlet.
To fulfill the US Law FMVSS 208 starting September 2000.
1. all airbags fire in 2 stages
2. airbag outlet is on top of the instrument panel
3. load detection mats which can tell if the passenger is heavy, light or if it is a child seat, are used
4. in development is a video detection of the movement of the occupants; and
5. seat belt or no seat belt detection.
All these measures are necessary as a "state of the art" to switch off the bag, or fire only one stage of the cartridge when a child seat is in use or a child is the seated passenger. This amounts in addition costs up to $200 and leaves many problems unsolved.
A better solution would be to let the airbag deploy with an alternative in the law: With LOW RISK DEPLOYMENT.
If an airbag can not be fully deploy as designed because an OOP (out of position) occupant does not let it deploy, the pressure can rise up to 40 bars and 7500 Newton power. This situation will kill the occupant.
Patent applications exist like the German utility model 201 09976.4, where the central gas flow is moved by 90° tangentially to the side.
The following invention achieves a further improvement.
One object of the invention is to set up a system and its function for a simple fool proof and low cost mechanism to reduce the aggressiveness of the airbag at its outlet, to eliminate severe injuries to the occupants.
To achieve this object the invention creates an airbag module and defolding mechanism perpendicular to current defolding. We call it "Active Defolding"
The advantage of this active defolding is to achieve a larger deployment base and pass by the occupant in the beginning when the bag defolding is aggressive.
Furthermore the mechanism includes the opening of the lids first, and directs the airbag deployment into a non aggressive direction.
The airbag gas has a very low weight, and it usually has a speed of 280 km/h passing a hole of 20 cm2 size. Based on the physical law mass divided by two times velocity squared, it will move the airbag about 10% to the side. This is used today as state of the art.
The present invention preliminarily uses the pressure of the gas. When for example "stopping" the gas on its through pass of 20 cm2 up to 50 bars more can be achieved for a moment without influencing the gas flow to the bag considerably.
With appropriate technical measures a power of 20 cm2×50 bars can be achieved. The law is pressure times area. This is approximately 500 times more power for a tailored transverse defolding than today's airbags use with just the gas flow.
To obtain the pressure, the gas will be caught for a little moment inside of tubes, hoses or guide bags. These elements open lids and direct, with their power, the defolding of the final bag to a tailored direction. After 1 or 2 milliseconds the pressure will exceed a predetermined level such that the tubes will open, the hoses will crack, or the sewing of the guide bags will opened on their ends and the gas will continue its flow into the bubbles of the final airbag on the sides of the OOP-occupant. These mechanical aids will move the gas outlet to new less aggressive locations or at least divide the center gas outlet into multiple gas outlets.
Furthermore the airbag may be packaged underneath defroster grids, loudspeaker covers, moldings and other existing covers. The tubes and hoses as well will be able to move the airbag from these locations to the "protection" location in a turn. As a result the airbag layout can be achieved in such a manner that the instrument panel shell will not be damaged. After the crash the airbag module and the molding will have to be replaced only.
As a result up to 2 insurance classes can be saved in some countries like Germany.

Airbag device and triggering process therefore


A turning roll system for rotating a cylindrical workpiece about a workpiece axis comprises a pair of idler rollers cooperating with a pair of drive rollers to support the workpiece. To oppose axial drift of the workpiece, each idler roller is rotatably journalled on a respective idler axle such that the axis of rotation of the idler roller is oriented obliquely relative to a pivot axis of the idler axle. The idler axles may be pivoted about their respective pivot axes to adjust the orientation of the idler roller axes relative to the workpiece to introduce an axially directed force component acting on the workpiece to counter axial drift. Pivoting of the idler axles may be automatically controlled based on a signal generated by a drift sensor arranged to detect axial drift of the workpiece.

Turning roll systems of the type mentioned above generally comprise a pair of drive rollers spaced laterally from each other to frictionally engage opposite sides of a cylindrical workpiece at a first axial location, and a pair of idler rollers spaced laterally from each other to engage opposite sides of the workpiece at a second axial location spaced apart from the first axial location along an axis of rotation of the workpiece. The drive rollers are connected to a motor drive operable to rotate the drive rollers to thereby rotate the workpiece about its axis of rotation, referred to herein as the "workpiece axis." The idler rollers cooperate with the drive rollers to provide rolling support for the workpiece, but the idler rollers are not motor-driven. Typically, the drive rollers and idler rollers rotate about respective axes of rotation that are parallel to the workpiece axis. Due mainly to imperfections in the cylindrical shape of the workpiece, rotation of the workpiece about the workpiece axis may be accompanied by slight axial drift of the workpiece which can cause misalignment of weld seams.
Conventional anti-drift turning roll systems control the axial movement of the cylindrical workpiece or vessel by shifting the idler rollers vertically or horizontally in proportion to the amount of drift. This method is effective in controlling drift, but may result in significant vertical or horizontal movement of the workpiece which can interfere with the welding process.
Other anti-drift turning roll systems are based on adjusting the axis of rotation of one or more of the rollers to extend obliquely relative to the workpiece axis to introduce an axial force component counteracting the drift. Anti-drift turning roll systems of this type are summarized below.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,865,690 discloses a mechanically self-adjusting system wherein a pair of follower rollers 16 are arranged in abutment one with each end face of a tire 6 fitted around the circumference of the workpiece. The abutment follower rollers 16 are coupled by respective lever arms 15 to a trunnion bracket 9a supporting a roller 8 on one side of the workpiece. The trunnion bracket 9a is connected by a pair of parallel pivotal links 9b to an opposite side trunnion bracket 9a carrying a second roller 8 such that the two trunnion brackets 9a and two links 9b form a parallelogram linkage. When the workpiece is in a desired neutral axial position, the parallelogram linkage is in the form of a rectangle and the axes of rotation a-a of rollers 8 are parallel to the axis of rotation of the workpiece. When axial drift of the workpiece occurs as detected by follower rollers 16, the lever arms 15 transfer motion to the parallelogram linkage such that the rollers 8 and their rotational axes become angled obliquely with respect to the workpiece axis of rotation. A screw-thread effect returns the workpiece to its neutral axial position, and corresponding action of the follower rollers 16 and lever arms 15 returns the parallelogram linkage to its rectangular state.
British Patent No. 940,261 describes various embodiments. In an embodiment illustrated by FIG. 1, one of the four rollers 2 of the turning roll system can be turned by pivoting its sub-frame 4 about a vertical axis to adjust the axis of rotation of the roller 2 out of its neutral orientation parallel to the workpiece axis to an angled orientation nonparallel to the workpiece axis to counter axial drift. Another embodiment illustrated by FIGS. 2 and 3 works in a similar manner, wherein the axle 5 of a compensating roller 6 is mounted to pivot about a vertical axis. FIGS. 4 and 5 show a further embodiment wherein the axle 12 of a compensating roller 13 is mounted for pivotal motion about an axis defined by pivot pin 14 extending normal to the tangential plane at the point of contact between roller 13 and the workpiece. In this embodiment, the roller axis is parallel to the workpiece axis in a neutral configuration, and the roller axis may be pivoted in the tangential plane to be nonparallel to the workpiece axis for countering axial drift. FIG. 6 teaches another embodiment wherein a pair of rollers 25 on opposite sides of the workpiece are mounted on a common sub-frame 28 mounted for pivotal motion about a vertical pivot axis defined by pivot pin 29. The rotational axes of rollers 25 are parallel to the workpiece axis when the rollers 25 are in a neutral state, and the rotational axes of rollers 25 are adjusted to be nonparallel to the workpiece axis by pivoting the sub-frame 28 about pivot pin 29. Finally, an embodiment depicted in FIG. 7 teaches the use of abutment rollers 52 engaging end faces of the workpiece and coupled by a linkage 53 to pivot a sub-frame of compensating roller 50 about a vertical axis. Here again, the roller axis is parallel to the workpiece axis in a neutral state, and is urged out of parallel to counter axial drift of the workpiece.
British Patent No. 1,034,201 discloses an anti-drift adjustment mechanism wherein a trunnion bracket 12 carrying a pair of rollers 13 for engaging a side of the workpiece is pivotally mounted in a base or frame 10. The trunnion bracket 12 is coupled to a screw mechanism 20, 21, 22 such that rotation of the screw pivots the trunnion bracket 12 to adjust the roller axes slightly out of a neutral orientation parallel to the workpiece axis to an oblique orientation in which the rollers counteract axial drift of the workpiece.
British Patent No. 2,106,810 describes a turning roll system wherein a set of rollers 20 for engaging the workpiece is carried on a support 30 mounted to pivot about a generally vertical shaft 32 that is tilted laterally inward toward the workpiece. Rollers 20 rotate about axes that are parallel to the workpiece axis when the support 30 is in a neutral pivot position. A stylus 22 is biased to engage an end face of the workpiece to sense axial drift, and a signal indicative of axial drift is transmitted to electronic control means for operating a motor 44 and gearing to pivot support 30 about shaft 32 such that the roller axes are adjusted out of parallel with the workpiece axis to oppose the sensed axial drift.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,621 presents a turning roll system wherein three sets of rollers 24 are mounted on axially displaceable carriages 3, and a fourth set of rollers 24 is mounted on an axially fixable carriage. A mechanism 25, 27, 29 for each carriage 3 converts an axial movement of the carriage to a swivel movement of a roller holder 15, 20 on the carriage about a swivel axis 16 to adjust the roller axes out of a neutral orientation parallel to the workpiece axis to a drift counteracting orientation nonparallel to the workpiece axis.
While the solutions discussed above provide generally adequate results, they are mechanically complex. For example, the roller supports must be mounted to pivot about an axis that is vertical or generally vertical (inclined toward the workpiece), and a pivoting mechanism for the entire roller support must be provided.
In each case, the prior art solution provides a neutral orientation of the roller axes that is parallel to the workpiece axis.
It is also noted that none of the prior art systems discussed above pivots the roller support on one side of the workpiece in an opposite pivot direction from the roller support on the other side of the workpiece to impart additive axial force components to evenly oppose axial drift.


The present invention relates to a method for reducing common mode current in power electronic equipment comprising two or more active front end (AFE) components (1) coupled in parallel between an AC supply grid (2) and a DC-link (3). A duty cycle of pulse width modulation (PWM) for the AFE components (1) is determined, and an error signal is derived based on the determined duty cycle of PWM and on a common mode current of the AFE components (1). A correction voltage is derived, based on the error signal, and a DC voltage control signal is derived based on the derived correction voltage and a measured DC voltage of the DC-link (3) and/or a DC voltage reference. The power electronic equipment is controlled in accordance with the derived DC voltage control signal. The present invention also relates to a method for starting active front end (AFE) components (1) of power electronic equipment comprising two or more AFE components (1) coupled in parallel between an AC supply grid (2) and a DC-link (3).

AFE converters are power electronic components used in power electronic systems. Such an AFE utilises power semiconductor devices controlled by signal electronics, followed by a filter circuit. Moreover, an AFE allows bidirectional power exchange between AC voltage source and DC-link. AFEs can also be coupled in parallel, but in order to do so, a paralleling control method is needed.
Previously a paralleling control method for paralleled AFEs connected to the same AC voltage source and same DC-link has been applied. This method adjusts the pulse width modulation (PWM) period length to minimize circulating common mode current, which effectively synchronises the triangular PWM carriers. According to this method, paralleling of AFEs without the need of interconnecting the control systems is provided. By omitting the interconnection of control systems enables a better scalability, but makes load balancing more challenging.
Usage of modern low inductance magnetics, such as powder cores, in combination with faster switching power electronics will result in a lower common mode inductance. Any error in DC voltage feedback will thus result in the common mode current being much greater compared to a design solution with low switching frequency and high filter inductance. A higher common mode current will result in higher losses in the converter, thus the efficiency of the AFE will be reduced. Therefore, a new method is needed in order to reduce these common mode currents in order to improve the efficiency of the AFE.

Method for reducing common mode current in power electronic equipment


A steering torque feedback assembly for a vehicle steering column includes a housing, a first gear rotatably mounted within the housing about a first rotatable axis and being configured to rotate with, or being connected to, a vehicle steering column, first and second electric motors mounted within the housing, each having a rotatable output shaft, second and third gears rotatably mounted within the housing and engaged with the first gear, and first and second reduction gearing connecting the output of the first and second motors and a respective one of the second and third gears.

Autonomous vehicles are intended to be used primarily in an autonomous mode, in which control of the vehicle is carried out without manual intervention. However, it is desirable for autonomous vehicles to be controllable manually if necessary or desired, and for that reason, vehicle controls such as a steering wheel (typically having a "steer-by-wire" operation) must be provided.
In such steer-by-wire arrangements, a hand wheel (steering wheel) is connected to one end of a shaft whose angular displacement is measured to generate a signal which is used to control the orientation of the steering wheels of the vehicle. The arrangement is commonly also provided with an electric motor connected to the shaft in order to provide a sensation of road feel to the driver.
In such arrangements, an electric motor typically drives a worm screw engaged with a worm gear which rotates with the shaft to which the steering wheel is connected. It is desirable to take steps to bias the worm screw into engagement with the worm gear in order to reduce gear rattle which occurs when the torque and direction of the motor are reversed.

Torque feedback assembly for a vehicle steering column


Each of branched ink supply passages 42ai to 42an and 42bi to 42bn in a driving substrates 32 is constituted of a parallel passage portion 46a and a narrow passage portion 48a. An ink from an ink supply opening 32a is supplied to a receptacle portions 50 respectively receiving heater portions 32ai to 32an and 32bi to 32bn via the branched ink supply passages 42ai to 42an and 42bi to 42bn.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bubble jet head arranged in opposition to a printing surface of a printing medium for ejecting an ink toward the printing surface by a pressure of a bubble, and an bubble jet apparatus employing such bubble jet head.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a bubble jet head, there are an edge shooter type and a side shooter type, in general. In the edge shooter type bubble jet head, ink ejection openings are provided on an edge portion as downstream portion with respect to heater portions as ink heating portions provided for respective of a plurality of branched ink passages for delivering an ink from an ink storage portion. On the other hand, in the side shooter type bubble jet head, the ink ejection openings are provided in opposition to the heater portions provided for respective of a plurality of the branched ink passages.
In the side shooter type bubble jet head, high work efficiency of an electrical energy to be supplied to the heater portion is achieved for relatively short distance between the ejection opening forming surface and heating surfaces of the heater portions. On the other hand, the side shooter type bubble jet head is advantageous in that even when it is left for a while without being actuated and then printing operation is resumed in such condition, possibility of ejection failure incapable of ejecting ink droplet for increased viscosity of the ink due to evaporation of volatile component contained in the ink, can be significantly reduced.
In the side shooter type bubble jet head, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 152068/1989, for example, there has been proposed one, in which the heater portion is disposed within a receptacle portion, one end of which is opened to an ink supply passage, and surrounded in order to reduce vibration of meniscus upon ejection of the ink and not to interfere ejection of the ink droplet, and a narrow passage portion (in the publication, it is referred to as "local restricting portion") is provided between a portion in the vicinity of an opening portion of a common ink supply passage and ends of respective ink supply passages.
On the other hand, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 16365/1993, for example, there has been proposed one, in which bubble in expanded condition as heated by a heating surface of the heater portion is communicated with atmosphere in the vicinity of the ink ejection opening, and the ink covering the bubble and the ink in the vicinity of the ink ejection opening are continuous without being blocked by the bubble, so as to be employed in the side shooter type bubble jet head to efficiently eject relatively small ink droplet without spraying.
In such bubble jet head, for speeding up the printing operation, it becomes important to shorten a period for refilling of ink, as important factor for setting a driving frequency.
However, as in the foregoing example, when the heater portion is arranged within the receptacle portion and surrounded therein, and the descending cross sectional area passage portion (narrow passage portion) is provided between the opening portion of the common ink supply passage and the ends of respective ink supply passages, it is possible to increase flow resistance due to presence of the narrow passage portion. Thus, limitation should be caused in shortening of refilling period of the ink. On the other hand, upon high speed printing, residual bubble in the ink which should cause adverse effect of ejection speed of the ink droplet and ejecting direction of the ink droplet, can be retained within the ink supply passage due to presence of the narrow passage portion.
On the other hand, as noted above, when the bubble in the expanded condition as heated by the heating surface of the heater portion is communicated to the atmosphere in the vicinity of the ink ejection opening, and the ink covering the bubble and the ink in the vicinity of the ink ejection opening are continuous without being blocked by the bubble, since meniscus which becomes relatively large (after ejection of ink droplet (after cutting the ink droplet)) is caused, it becomes particularly necessary to reduce flow resistance. Therefore, influence of the narrow passage portion for the refilling period of the ink is significant.

Bubble jet head and bubble jet apparatus employing the same


This invention provides polypeptides having lyase activity, polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides, and methods of making and using these polynucleotides and polypeptides. In one aspect, the invention is directed to polypeptides having ammonia lyase activity, e.g., phenylalanine ammonia lyase, tyrosine ammonia lyase and/or histidine ammonia lyase activity, including thermostable and thermotolerant activity, and polynucleotides encoding these enzymes, and making and using these polynucleotides and polypeptides. The polypeptides of the invention can be used in a variety of pharmaceutical, agricultural and industrial contexts.

Phenylalanine ammonia lyases (PAL, EC 184.108.40.206) catalyze the deamination of phenylalanine to trans-cinnamic acid and ammonia (FIG. 5). In nature, they facilitate the committed step in phenylpropanoid pathways to produce lignins, coumarins, and fiavonoids. Depending on the source of the enzyme, PALs may show varying selectivity towards phenylalanine and tyrosine derivatives (those active on tyrosine derivatives are known as tyrosine ammonia lyases (TALs)). Histidine ammonia lyases (HALs, EC 184.108.40.206) are distinct from PALs in that they have a substrate preference for histidine over phenylalanine or tyrosine. HALs catalyze the abstraction of ammonia from histidine to form urocanoic acid.
Most of the phenylalanine ammonia lyases (PALs) currently described are from plant origins where the enzyme plays a central role in plant metabolism. Recently, PALs have been identified in fungi and a very limited number have been identified in bacteria. HALs have also been identified in plants and fungi. Unlike PALs, HALs have been found to be widespread in bacteria. Synthetic applications of HALs tend to be rather limited compared to PALs. Some niche applications have been developed such as the synthesis of radiolabeled urocanoic acids as tracers of histidine metabolism. There may be potential to expand applications of HALs by discovery of enzymes with greater stability to oxygen.
Up until the late 1990s, it was thought that histidine and phenylalanine ammonia lyases utilized a dehydroalanine cofactor in their catalytic mechanism. However X-ray crystallographic studies have shown that the cofactor is actually 3,5-dihydro-5-methylidine-4H-imidazol-4-one (MIO), which is formed by cyclization and dehydration of a conserved active site Ala-Ser-Gly sequence. Enzyme mechanistic studies have led to two main proposals on the catalytic mechanism of phenylalanine ammonia lyases (PALs), as shown in FIGS. 6a and 6b. In both mechanisms A and B, the MIO group acts as a powerful electrophile; in mechanism A the MIO group reacts with the amino group of Phe, while in mechanism B it reacts with the aromatic side chain in a Friedel-Crafts-type reaction.
Applications of PALs include the manufacture of phenylalanine and tyrosine as well as phenylalanine and tyrosine derivatives. Applications include utilizing the enzymes to degrade phenylalanine, tyrosine, and derivatives to manufacture cinnamic acid, para-hydroxycinnamic acid and derivatives. Fields of use include manufacture of bulk and fine chemicals for industrial, medicinal and agricultural use, as well as the direct application of the enzymes themselves for an enzyme substitution therapy.
For example, PALs have been investigated for an enzyme substitution therapy for the treatment of phenylketonuria (PKU), an inherited metabolic disease caused by a deficiency of the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase. PKU is one of the most commonly inherited metabolic disorders, affecting an estimated 50,000 people in the developed world or 30,000 people in the United States. It occurs in approximately 1 in 10,000 (0.01%) babies born in the US. PKU is an inborn error of amino acid metabolism caused by a phenylalanine hydroxylase defect (PAH). Untreated patients with PKU often show mental retardation or otherwise impaired cognitive function. Currently the only treatment for PKU is strict dietary control via a low-phenylalanine diet. A few pharmaceutical modalities to treat PKU are under investigation. One of these approaches is the use of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) as an enzyme replacement therapy. Several reports of applying a PAL (R. toruloides) to decrease phenylalanine serum levels in murine models have been published. However, developing a form of this enzyme with sufficiently high activity and stability has proven difficult. One concept was the application of PAL as an oral treatment to break down phenylalanine in the gut. PAL therapy is also being considered for use with CLEC™ (crystallized enzyme crystal) methodology to stabilize the enzyme for oral delivery. Degradation of phenylalanine by PAL treatment yields trans-cinnamate which has very low toxicity. In addition, PAL therapy has the advantage that it does not require exogenous cofactors to degrade Phe. There is a need for more PAL enzymes to extend the utility of this versatile enzyme class, especially PALs of bacterial origin. Bacterial PALs potentially offer greater catalytic versatility than plant and fungal enzymes since their natural cellular roles are likely more diverse.

Lyase enzymes, nucleic acids encoding them and methods for making and using them

Abstract: X═NO2, Cl, Br, NH2, OH, H, alkyl at one or several o, m, and p positions R═H or alkyl.