There is provided a jetting tool assembly for use in cleaning tubular components used in drilling for gaseous or liquid hydrocarbons in producing formations, said assembly being connectable to a hollow drillstring and having a first mode of operation which allows through-flow of fluid and lengthwise of the drillstring, and a second mode of operation which routes the fluid transversely outwardly of the drillstring.

This invention relates to a jetting tool assembly for use with a drill string, and particularly, though not exclusively, for cleaning tubular components used in drilling for gaseous or liquid hydrocarbons.
It is known to assemble a downhole valve in a drillstring, and to convey the valve to a required location in a producing formation, and then to supply drilling fluid (mud) to the working end of the drillstring via the downhole valve.
In particular, it is known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,889,199 and 5,499,687 to provide a downhole valve in a drillstring, and which comprises a tubular casing for mounting in the drilistring, and which allows through-flow of fluid during normal drilling operations.
There is first outlet means in the casing for discharging fluid laterally outwardly from the casing, and a sleeve slidably mounted in the casing and biased by a spring to a closed position in the casing in which the sleeve closes the first outlet means. There is also second outlet means in the sleeve for discharging fluid from the sleeve when the first and second outlet means are aligned. There is also provided a first ball (which is a large deformable ball of plastics material), which can be dropped down the drillstring i.e. launched, and which can be driven by pressure of the drilling fluid to a position of engagement with the downhole valve in order to adjust its operation. In particular, the large ball can engage the sleeve and cause it to move relative to the casing into an open position in which the first and second outlets are aligned in order to discharge fluid laterally through the casing e.g. in order to inject lost circulation material into the surrounding formation when fluid is being lost to the formation.
Furthermore, a second smaller hard ball (a deactivating ball) can then be dropped down the drillstring, and which first blocks the second outlet so that pressure on the first and second balls then increases sufficiently to drive the first (deformable) ball through the sleeve, when it is required to restore normal flow of drilling fluid through the sleeve and for allowing the return of the sleeve to the closed position (blocking communication between the first and second outlet means).
The present invention is primarily concerned with an improved version of downhole valve of the type generally disclosed in these two US patents, to provide a jetting tool assembly which is especially (though not exclusively) suitable for cleaning tubular components used in drilling for gaseous or liquid hydrocarbons.
According to the invention there is provided a jetting tool assembly for use in cleaning tubular components used in drilling for gaseous or liquid hydrocarbons in producing formations, said assembly being connectable to a hollow drillstring and having a first mode of operation which allows through-flow of fluid and lengthwise of the drillstring, and a second mode of operation which routes the fluid transversely outwardly of the drilistring, in which the assembly comprises:
a hollow main body through which axial flow of fluid can take place between an inlet end and an outlet end of the main body, in the first mode of operation;
outlet port means in the wall of the main body through which fluid can flow transversely of the drillstring in the second mode of operation;
a control sleeve slidably mounted in the main body for movement between a first position in which it blocks communication between the interior of the main body and said outlet port means, and a second position in which it allows communication between the interior of the main body and the outlet port means;
means biassing the sleeve towards said first position;
a ball receiver arrangement at one end of the sleeve to receive a ball when the latter is launched down the drillstring to activate the tool assembly, said arrangement being operative when engaged by a launched ball to move the sleeve to the second position against the biassing means;
a jetting body mounted externally on the main body; and
one or more jet outlets in the wall of the jetting body and communicating with said outlet port means so as to direct fluid outwardly against the internal wall of a surrounding tubular component for cleaning purposes when the tool assembly has been activated.
A tool assembly according to the invention may therefore be used to advantage during well xe2x80x9ccompletionsxe2x80x9d. The tubular components which may be cleaned may comprise a BOP (blow out preventer), a casing or a riser i.e. generally large diameter pipes.
Preferably, a series of cleaning jet outlets is provided in the wall of the jetting body, and arranged to direct jets of cleaning fluid radially outwardly, or outwardly at an angle as may be required.
The jetting body is mounted on the main body to form a rigid assembly, and preferably is assembled by slidable movement lengthwise of the main body to take up a required axial location on the main body, and then can be locked in position e.g. by a retainer nut.
The jetting body is therefore held captive against movement longitudinally of the main body upon assembly, but preferably it is also held against relative rotation.
Conveniently, there is a spline and groove type interfit between the main body and the jetting body, and which may be provided by a series of spline bars and respective grooves arranged at equal circumferential spaces along the interface between the outer surface of the main body and the inner face of the jetting body.
If, for example, eight splines and grooves are provided, then in the event of unacceptable excessive wear arising on any surface of the jetting body, the assembly may be released to allow slidable separation, followed by relative angular adjustment e.g. through 45xc2x0, to align the spline bars and the grooves, and slidable assembly again, but this time bringing a new surface of the jetting body to be engaged by the fluid flowing outwardly of the outlet port means in the main body.
If desired, plug inserts may be provided in the jet outlets in the wall of the jetting body to assist in unplugging any debris lodging in the jet nozzles.
A ball catcher device may be arranged below the tool assembly, to catch the balls used to activate the tool assembly, such balls being dislodged by being deformable under the action of a second, hard deactivating ball launched down the drill string, so that the sleeve returns to its first position, and the activating deformable ball (and the deactivating ball) can move lengthwise of the sleeve to be caught by the catcher device.
To prevent any balls in the catcher device from being return to the surface, a retainer flap may be provided which acts like a one way valve, to allow downward movement of the balls from the sleeve, but prevents return movement.


A working apparatus has an internal combustion engine which drives at least one tool via a clutch. The clutch starts the coupling process at an initial engagement speed when the internal combustion engine is accelerated. The internal combustion engine has a piston, an ignition device and an ignition timing control device. The control device provides a first ignition timing for idling and a second ignition timing for full load operation, which is earlier than the first ignition timing. A method for operating the working apparatus provides that the ignition timing is adjusted toward “late,” with respect to the first ignition timing, when the engine speed drops in a first speed range above the idling speed and below the initial engagement speed.

The present invention relates to a working apparatus, especially a motor-driven tool, and to a method for operating a working apparatus of this general type. In general, the working apparatus has an internal combustion engine which drives at least one tool via a clutch, wherein the clutch initiates the clutch engagement process at a lower or initial engagement speed when the internal combustion engine is accelerated. The usual internal combustion engine has a piston, an ignition device and an ignition control device for controlling the ignition timing, such that a first ignition timing is provided for idling and a second ignition timing is provided for full load operation, wherein the second ignition timing is "earlier" than (advanced with respect to) the first ignition timing.
Machines having a tool which is driven by an internal combustion engine are well known. For example, DE 38 17 471 C1 describes an ignition system for the internal combustion engine in a working apparatus of this kind. The ignition system is provided with different characteristic curves for determining the ignition timing to be used for low speeds below the idling speed, specifically depending on whether the internal combustion engine has just been started (cold) or is in normal operation (warm).
If the supply of combustion air and fuel is heavily throttled in an internal combustion engine operating at full load, for example, because a throttle flap is suddenly closed, the speed drops. Depending on the design of the engine, the drop in speed can take place in rich mode (rich come down) or in lean mode (lean come down).
If biofuel varieties which have a high alcohol content are used, the behavior of an internal combustion engine during the drop in speed can change. Thus, an internal combustion engine which decelerates in rich mode when using conventional fuel can decelerate in lean mode with biofuel. In the event of a lean drop in speed, the internal combustion engine can remain for an undesired long time at a high speed level. This is perceived audibly by the operator and is undesirable.

Working apparatus and a method for operating same


An adaptive noise control system comprises a reference microphone (12) (FIG. 2) for generating a reference signal (x(t)) that is correlated with noise emanating from a primary noise source (10), secondary loud speaker sources (S.sub.1, S.sub.2, . . . S.sub.N) for generating a plurality of secondary sound waves, microphones (e.sub.1, e.sub.2, . . . e.sub.M) for detecting a plurality of far-field sound waves in a far-field of the primary noise source and generating a plurality of error signals (e.sub.1 (t), e.sub.2 (t), . . . e.sub.M (t)) each of which is indicative of the power of a corresponding far-field sound wave, and an adaptive controller (14) for controlling the secondary sources in accordance with the reference signal and the error signals so as to minimize the power in the far-field sound waves.

Free-field noise sources, such as internal combustion engines and combustion turbines, generate powerful low-frequency noise in the 31 Hz and 63 Hz octave bands (where the 31 Hz octave band extends from 22 Hz to 44 Hz and the 63 Hz octave band extends from 44 Hz to 88 Hz). Passive noise control requires the use of large, expensive silencers to absorb and block the noise. The size and cost of such silencers makes passive control unacceptable for many applications. An alternative to passive control is a combination of passive control and active control. Passive control abates noise better as the frequency of the noise increases and active control works better as the frequency of the noise decreases. Therefore a combination of passive and active control may advantageously be employed in many applications.
The active control of sound or vibration involves the introduction of a number of controlled "secondary" sources driven such that the field of acoustic waves generated by these sources destructively interferes with the field generated by the original "primary" source. The extent to which such destructive interference is possible depends on the geometric arrangement of the primary and secondary sources and on the spectrum of the field produced by the primary source. Considerable cancellation of the primary field can be achieved if the primary and secondary sources are positioned within a half-wavelength of each other at the frequency of interest.
One form of primary field that is of particular practical importance is that produced by rotating or reciprocating machines. The waveform of the primary field generated by these machines is nearly periodic and, since it is generally possible to directly observe the action of the machine producing the original disturbance, the fundamental frequency of the excitation is generally known. Each secondary source can therefore be driven at a harmonic of the fundamental frequency by a controller that adjusts the amplitude and phase of a reference signal and uses the resulting "filtered" reference signal to drive the secondary source. In addition, it is often desirable to make this controller adaptive, since the frequency and/or spatial distribution of the primary field may change with time and the controller must track this change.
To construct a practical adaptive controller, a measurable error parameter must be defined and the controller must be capable of minimizing this parameter. One error parameter that can be directly measured is the sum of the squares of the outputs of a number of sensors. The signal processing problem in a system employing such an error parameter is to design an adaptive algorithm to minimize the sum of the squares of a number of sensor outputs by adjusting the magnitude and phases of the sinusoidal inputs to a number of secondary sources. S. J. Elliot et al., in "A Multiple Error LMS Algorithm and Its Application to Active Control of Sound and Vibration," IEEE Trans. on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing, Vol. ASSP-35, No. 10, October 1987, describe a least-mean-squares (LMS) based active noise control system, however that system converges too slowly for many applications.
The present invention is directed to systems for controlling both random and periodic noise in a single or multiple mode acoustic environment. (In a multiple mode acoustic environment the amplitude of the sound varies in a plane perpendicular to the direction in which the sound propagates.) There are known systems for controlling random noise propagating in a single mode through a duct, however these systems do not work with multiple mode propagation. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,044,203, 4,637,048 and 4,665,549 and M. A. Swinbanks, "The Active Control of Low Frequency Sound in a Gas Turbine Compressor Installation." Inter-Noise 1982, San Francisco, Calif. May 17-19, 1982. pp. 423-427 .

Adaptive system for controlling noise generated by or emanating from a primary noise source


A search engine implements a multi-level search scheme. A first level involves performing a keyword search based on character matching. A second level, performed only if the first level yields no results, is a keyword search based on phonetic representations of a search phrase and of the keywords. A third level, performed only if the first and second levels yield no results, is a rough matching search. The keywords or keyword phrases are specified in a phrase table. Each entry of the phrase table specifies a keyword phrase, its phonetic representation, a topic URL, and an action that is to be performed in conjunction with the topic URL. There are a plurality of defined actions, having different priorities. If multiple keyword phrases are found in the multi-level search, the one having the action with the highest priority is initiated. If there is a tie for the highest priority, the results are listed in a results page, regardless of the actions associated with the matched entries. Different actions can be specified in the phrase table entries, corresponding to different levels of the multi-level search scheme that were required to discover a matching entry.

This invention relates to search engines such as those used to locate Internet resources.
The Internet is quickly becoming an important source for various types of information. A seemingly endless quantity of information is available for those with the patience to find it.
Various search engines are available for locating different Internet Web sites relating to specified topics. Generally a user enters a search string, and the search engine returns a list of resources that correspond in some fashion to the search string. The user peruses this list and navigates to different listed resources in an attempt to find one that meets the user""s specific needs.
Search engines such as this generally work by matching keywords provided by the user with words contained in the Web sites themselves. Alternatively, search engines for a single Web site sometimes match user-provided keywords with predefined keywords associated with different resources within the site.
Although search methods such as this are good at finding resources, the relevancy of the resources varies depending on the search strings provided by the user. Furthermore, the search engines often returns tens, hundreds, or even thousands of uncategorized resultsxe2x80x94leaving the user with a significant task of sifting through search result listings to find specific items that might be interesting.
The invention includes a search engine for use with topics that are indexed by keywords or keyword phrases. In response to a user-provided search phrase, the search engine performs several levels of keyword searching, starting with a relatively exact matching search and proceeding with other searches that are increasingly less exact. Each less exact level of searching is performed only if the higher level yields no results.
One or more actions can be associated with different keyword phrases. When a keyword phrase is found during a search, its associated action is initiated. As an example, an action might comprise immediately and automatically displaying the topic associated with the keyword phrase. As another example, an action might comprise listing the topic in a results window, along with other results.
The actions are prioritized. When a search phrase is matched with multiple keyword phrases, one or more of the actions associated with the multiple keyword phrases will have the highest priority. If only one of the matches has the highest priority, that action is initiated. If there is a tie for the highest priority, all results are listed on a results pagexe2x80x94regardless of the actions associated with the keyword phrases.
Alternative actions can be specified for a particular keyword phrase, to become active depending on which search level was responsible for matching the keyword phrase.
The invention utilizes a multiple table architecture to provide flexibility. A topic table contains topic IDs, topic URLs and topic types. A keyword phrase table contains keyword phrases, topic IDs (referencing the topic table), phonetic representations of the keyword phrases, and entry categorizations. A behavior table specifies the alternative actions mentioned above for each combination of topic type and entry categorization. When a keyword phrase from a particular phrase table entry is matched, its action is found by first determining the associated topic and its topic type from the topic table. The topic type and the entry categorization (from the entry of the matched keyword phrase) are then used to index the behavior table, to find the appropriate action to be performed with respect to the topic specified in the entry of the matched keyword phrase.


The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition for treatment of cancers containing Sindbis virus as an active ingredient, a method for treatment of cancers, which comprises administering a therapeutically effective amount of Sindbis virus to a mammal having cancers, a method for identifying cancers, which includes introducing Sindbis virus into an animal, thereby detecting a Sindbis virus protein or Sindbis virus RNA in vital tissues of the above animal, a method of identifying cancers, which includes introducing into an animal Sindbis virus having a reporter gene incorporated therein, thereby, detecting the product of the reporter gene in vital tissues of the animal, and a method of identifying cancers, which includes detecting a increase in antibody titer to the Sindbis virus protein or the product of the reporter gene in the aforementioned animals.

A typical example of virus used to date as an agent for treatment of cancers is adenovirus, which is a vector for gene therapy. Adenovirus, however, merely functions as a vector for gene therapy, but a cytotoxic gene introduced therein is actually involved in treatment of cancers. Essentially, viruses infect specific cells to grow therein, thereby causing cell death to the infected cells with morphological changes, which are called cytopathic effects (CPEs). In recent years, a special virus, denominated oncolytic virus (wherein "onco" refers to cancer and "lytic" refers to lysis), has been known to exist. Oncolytic viruses grow in specific cancer cells, thereby exhibiting the strong CPE specific thereto and destroying them. The viruses, however, neither grow nor exhibit CPE in normal cells. To date, oncolytic viruses such as a reovirus specific to Ras-activated cancer cells (U.S. Pat. No. 6,344,195), an adenovirus variant specific to anticancer protein p53 defective cancer cells (DL1520; ONYX-015) (Post LE, Curr Opion Investig Drugs, 3(12), 1768-1772, 2000.), and a herpes virus variant specific to brain tumors (G207) (Toda M., Rabkin S D., Martuza R L., Hum Gene Ther, 9(15), 2177-2185, 1988) have been reported. Since oncolytic viruses exert their cytotoxity only for cancer cells but are harmless to normal cells, "anticancer virus therapy," which is a new method for treatment of cancers employing the virus, is been becoming established. In contrast to surgery, which is a mainstream of current cancer treatment, the "anticancer virus therapy" is expected to be a less-invasive and more effective treatment. However, oncolytic viruses known heretofore have limited effects. In the case of the reovirus described above, for example, the virus can target only Ras-activated cancer cells, which account for approximately two-thirds of human cancers. Thus, the scope of application thereof is limited.
On the other hand, Sindbis virus is an RNA virus belonging to the genus Alphavirus of family Togaviridae, and is transmitted by mosquitoes that infect birds or mammals. Sindbis virus is a virus having a spherical shape with a diameter of approximately 40 nm to 80 nm, and it contains a single-stranded RNA genome and a nucleocapsid with a regular dodecahedron shape in its envelope. Sindbis virus AR339 strain was isolated from the mosquitoes (Culex pipiens and C. univittatus) in the north of Cairo, Egypt, in 1952 (Taylor, R M and H S Hurlbut; "Isolation of coxsackie-like viruses from mosquitoes" J. Egypt. Med. Assoc., 36, 489-494, 1953, etc.). Sindbis virus has so far been known to cause cytopathic effects upon various established mammalian cell lines (Griffin D E., 2001, Alphaviruses, 917-962, In Knipe D M and Howley P M (ed.), Fields virology, 4th ed., Lippincott-Raven Publishers, Philadelphia, Pa.), though its high specificity to cancer cells has not been reported. As in the case of adenovirus, there is nothing but an example that Sindbis virus was confirmed to have antitumor effects as a viral vector used for introduction of foreign genes (Jen-Chieh Tseng et al., "In Vivo Antitumor Activity of Sindvis Viral Vectors" Journal of the National Cancer Institute 94 (23), 1790-1801, Dec. 4, 2002).

Pharmaceutical composition for treatment of cancers


An assembly of an engine with a pylon, including a force reacting assembly having a connection device and two rods, the connection device including a shoe. A spreader extends between first and second ends and has a central part connected to the shoe by a main connection including a main rotation pin and axis in a plane of symmetry of the connection device. Two fittings are on either side of the plane of symmetry each having two arms between which the spreader is positioned. A first, respectively second, rod includes a front end fastened to the engine and a rear end fastened to the first, respectively second, end of the spreader and to the first, respectively second, fitting by a secondary connection. Two extensions of the spreader are each associated with a pair of elastic stops. For the first, respectively second, end of the spreader, each stop is between an arm of the first, respectively second, fitting and the extension.

Conventionally, and with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a propulsion assembly 1 fastened beneath the wing 2 of an aircraft comprises a turbomachine 3 with a nacelle 4 surrounding an engine 5, and a pylon 6 for fastening the turbomachine to the wing 2 of the aircraft. The pylon 6 is made up of a primary structure 6a in the form of a box. The engine 5 is fastened to the primary structure 6a via a system of engine attachments that is made up of a front engine attachment 7 at the front, a rear engine attachment 8 at the rear, and, between the front and rear engine attachments 7, 8, a force reacting assembly 9 that reacts the thrust forces from the engine 5 and comprises two thrust rods 10, 11 connecting the engine 5 and a connection device 20 secured to the pylon 6.
The connection device 20 comprises:
a shoe 21, pressed against and fastened to the lower face (the face facing the ground) of the primary structure 6a and having a main clevis 22; and
a spreader 23 connected to the main clevis 22 by a main connection 24 having a main rotation axis R1 positioned in a plane of symmetry V of the connection device 20 passing through the longitudinal axis X of the engine 5.
The two thrust rods 10, 11 are situated on either side of the plane of symmetry V, and each rod 10, 11 comprises a rear end 10a, 11a connected to the spreader 23 and a front end connected to the engine 5.
The rear end of each of the thrust rods 10, 11 is connected to one of the ends of the spreader 23 by a secondary connection 25 having a secondary rotation axis R2 positioned in a plane parallel to the plane of symmetry V of the connection device 20.
The thrust rods 10, 11, the secondary connections 25, the spreader 23, the main connection 24 and the shoe 21 define two primary thrust paths between the engine 5 and the primary structure 6a.
The connection device 20 also comprises two fittings 26 with two arms that are as one with the shoe 21 and are disposed on either side of the main clevis 22 with respect to the plane of symmetry V. Each fitting 26 is dedicated to a thrust rod 10, 11, The arms of the fitting 26 sandwich the rear end 10a, 11a of the thrust rod 10, 11. The fittings 26 are connected to the rear ends 10a, 11a of the thrust rods 10, 11 by the secondary connections 25. The thrust rods 10, 11, the secondary connections 25 and the fittings 26 define two secondary thrust paths, between the engine 5 and the primary structure 6a, which compensate for a possible failure of one of the primary thrust paths.
The spreader 23 can pivot about a displacement rotation axis Rd contained in the plane of symmetry V and perpendicular to the main rotation axis R1. The amplitude of displacement of the spreader 23 about the displacement rotation axis Rd is limited by the space between the arms of the fittings 26. The vibrations caused by the operation of the engine 5 generate an oscillatory movement of the spreader 23 about the displacement axis Rd. This oscillatory movement, which is amplified by certain vibrational frequencies of the engine 5, creates mechanical fatigue of the spreader 23 and of the connections between the spreader 23 and the shoe 21 and between the thrust rods 10, 11 and the spreader 23. Frequent inspections have to be undertaken by operators so as to verify the good mechanical state of the components mentioned, and to replace them in the event of signs of excessive mechanical fatigue. These replacements are expensive for aircraft operators.

Assembly of an engine with an aircraft pylon


A laser composition comprises a combination of:                (a) from more than 45 to less than 94 weight percent of a crystalline or semi-crystalline thermoplastic polyester component selected from poly(butylene terephthalate), poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(butylene terephthalate) copolymers poly(ethylene terephthalate) copolymers, and combinations thereof;        (b) from greater than 6 to less than 25 weight percent of an amorphous thermoplastic poly(ester) copolymer, poly(ester-carbonate), or combination thereof;        (c) optionally, from 1 to 30 weight percent of a filler; and        (d) optionally, from 0.01 to 5 weight percent of an antioxidant, mold release agent, colorant, stabilizer, or a combination thereof;wherein an article having a 2 mm thickness and molded from the composition has        (i) a near infrared transmission at 960 nanometers of greater than 30 percent and        (ii) a Vicat softening temperature of at least 170° C.

This disclosure relates to thermoplastic compositions, in particular laser-weldable thermoplastic compositions, methods of manufacture, and articles thereof.
Thermoplastic compositions are used in the manufacture of a wide variety of products, including laser-welded products. Near-infrared (NIR) laser-welding of two polymer articles by transmission welding requires one of the polymer articles to be at least partially transparent to laser light, and the other to absorb a significant amount of the laser light. An additional key requirement is that there is good physical contact between the parts during a welding process; a smooth surface is beneficial in this respect. The laser passes through the first laser transparent layer and is absorbed by the second polymer layer, generating heat in the exposed area. External pressure is applied to ensure uninterrupted contact and heat conduction between the parts resulting in the melting of both the absorbing and the transmitting polymers, thus generating a weld at the interface.
The level of NIR transmission in the upper part should allow sufficient laser density at the interface to facilitate effective welding. Otherwise, the joining of the two materials by laser transmission welding is either impossible or restricted to slow scan speeds, which is not very attractive as it lengthens the part assembly cycle time. Crystalline, or partially crystalline materials, such as PBT, are materials that can easily disperse the incoming radiation. Consequently, the extent of the laser energy at the joining interface is dramatically diminished and the adhesion between the two layers is reduced. Scattering effects are greatly enhanced when fillers such as glass fibers are present especially when the upper layer thickness is greater than 1 mm. Therefore, the laser-welding of crystalline material and particularly glass filled versions, is restricted if not impossible in a lot of cases.

Thermoplastic compositions, method of manufacture, and uses thereof


The present disclosure provides a pixel arrangement structure, a display panel and a display device. The pixel arrangement structure includes a plurality of first sub-pixels, a plurality of second sub-pixels and a plurality of third sub-pixels. Each pixel includes one first sub-pixel, each second sub-pixel is shared by at least two adjacent pixels and each third sub-pixel is shared by at least two adjacent pixels. A density of the sub-pixels is 1.5 times larger than a density of the pixels in a first direction of a pixel array, and a density of the sub-pixels is 1.5 times larger than a density of the pixels in a second direction of the pixel array. The first direction is different from the second direction.

Along with the development of the display technology, a requirement of the display resolution ratio is improved. However, a manufacturing process of the displayer may be more difficult and a manufacturing cost thereof may be increased due to a high resolution ratio. When the display resolution ratio is equivalent to a resolution ratio of the human eyes, the way to simply define a pixel by a red (R) sub-pixel, a green (G) sub-pixel and a blue (B) sub-pixel may be changed because the resolution ratio of the human eyes for different colors of sub-pixels is varied. In another word, by sharing by different pixels the sub-pixel of a color which the resolution ratio of a certain position is not sensitive to, a performance ability of a pixel resolution ratio may be simulated by a relative small amount of sub-pixels, thereby simplifying the process and reducing the cost.
With an instruction of the Retina screen of Iphone and the improvement of other high-definition display technologies, the resolution ratio level of the corresponding displayer is closing to, achieving or even beyond a resolution ratio limitation of the human eyes. According to a physiological structure of the human eyes, the said limitation is determined by a density of pole-like photoreceptor cells in the human retina which are sensitive to a luminance. A density of pyramidal photoreceptor cells in the human retina which are sensitive to different colors is lower than the density of the pole-like photoreceptor cells in the human retina. The density of the pyramidal cells sensitive to the blue light with a short wave length is the lowest, the red light comes second, and luminance effects (stimulation to the pole-like cells sensitive to the luminance) of the blue and the red light is far lower than that of the green light, therefore the resolution ratios of the human eyes for positions of the blue and the red sub-pixels are significantly lower solution ratios of the human eyes for positions of the green sub-pixels and a luminance center of the pixels. In a certain pixel luminance ratio, although the human eyes may identify the luminance center of the pixels and sensitive to the colors normally, the human eyes may not identify the positions or boundaries of the blue or the red sub-pixels on a pixel scale, thereby it is possible to share adjacent blue sub-pixels and adjacent red sub-pixels among adjacent pixels to some extent.
As shown in FIG. 1, in the related art, groups including a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, a blue sub-pixel and a green sub-pixel are arranged circularly in a row direction. Each pixel 10 includes an independent green sub-pixel 101, and a red sub-pixel 102 is shared by two adjacent pixels 10 and a blue sub-pixel 103 is shared by two adjacent pixels 10, therefore a density of the sub-pixels is twice a density of the pixels in the row direction, and a density of the sub-pixels is equal to a density of the pixels in the column direction.
Based on this, although a resolution ratio may be realized by a relative small amount of sub-pixels, a density of the sub-pixels is still twice a density of the pixels in the row direction, and then the requirement of the process is still high.

Pixel arrangement structure, display panel and display device


Mutant mono ADP-ribose-polymerases (mono-PARP) proteins and small molecule compound substrates specific for the mutant mono-PARP proteins as well as methods of using these compositions to identify protein targets of the mono-PARPs and to screen for antagonists of the mono-PARPs are described.

ADP-ribosylation—the transfer of the ADP-ribose (ADPr) moiety from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) to amino acids in proteins—is a reversible posttranslational modification essential for cellular function in mammals (Hottiger et al, Trends Biochem Sci 35, 208-219 (2010); incorporated by reference herein). The enzymes that catalyze ADP ribosylation, known as poly-ADP-ribose-polymerases (PARPs, of which there are 15 active family members in humans) have been implicated in a number of physiological roles, including gene regulation (Zhang et al, J Biol Chem 287, 12405-12416 (2012); incorporated by reference herein), differentiation (Hu et al, Am J Pathol 182, 71-83 (2013); incorporated by reference herein), and signal transduction (Strosznajder et al, Mol Neurobiol 31, 149-167 (2005); incorporated by reference herein); as well as a number of diseases—notably neurodegeneration (Cosi and Marien, Ann NY Acad Sci 890, 227-239 (1999); incorporated by reference herein) and cancer (Masutani and Fujimori, Mol Asp Med 34, 1202-1216 (2013); incorporated by reference herein). As such, the cellular functions of each PARP family member and their downstream targets have generated significant biological interest. That said, the targets of most PARPs are unknown, which has hampered efforts to delineate their specific roles in cellular processes.
While PARPs were termed polymerases based on their homology to the catalytic domain of the founding member PARP1 (a verified polymerase), most PARP family members (PARPs 6-8, 10-12, and 14-16) catalyze mono-ADP-ribosylation (MARylation) and not poly-ADP-ribosylation (PARylation) as previously thought (Vyas et al, Nat Comm 5, 4426 (2014); incorporated by reference herein). The PARPs that catalyze MARylation, referred to herein as mono-PARPs, are not understood in nearly as much detail as the PARPs that catalyze PARylation, referred to herein as poly-PARPs. This is due, in part, to the lack of chemical tools to study MARylation in the cell. PARylated proteins can be detected using specific antibodies (e.g. 10H) (Affar et al, Anal Biochem 259, 280-283 (1998); incorporated by reference herein). No such antibodies exist for detecting MARylated proteins. Similarly, PARylated and MARylated proteins can be enriched using different protein domains (e.g. macro) (Jungmichel et al, Mol Cell 52, 272-285 (2013); incorporated by reference herein;) or the modification of the ADPr adduct with chemical tags (e.g. biotin, boronate resin) (Jiang et al, J Am Chem Soc 132, 9363-9372 (2010) and Zhang et al, Nat Methods 10, 981-984 (2013); both of which are incorporated by reference herein) followed by protein identification by liquid-chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). But, none of these methods are able to distinguish between MARylation and PARylation and, most importantly, they cannot determine which mono-PARP is responsible for a given modification. As a result, advances in mono-PARP biology have been painstaking, requiring the identification of targets through traditional molecular biology approaches (i.e. deletion and overexpression assays with an individual mono-PARP, in vitro MARylation assays with radioactive or biotinylated NAD+, etc.). Complicating matters further, the mono-PARP family members are known to form complexes with each other in the cell and could be playing semiredundant roles in signal transduction (Leung et al, Mol Cell 42, 489-499 (2011); incorporated by reference herein). To push this field forward, new strategies are needed to link a given mono-PARP to its direct protein targets as well as screens for inhibitors of mono-PARPs.

Compounds and methods used in assessing mono-PARP activity


A chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) system includes a point of use chemical mixing system. The point of use chemical mixing system includes a first and a second pump, a first and a second flow sensor, a mixer and a controller. The first pump has an input coupled to a first chemical supply and the first flow sensor coupled to the output of the first pump. The second pump has an input coupled to a second chemical supply and the second flow sensor coupled to the output of the second pump. The mixer has inputs coupled to the output of the first and second flow sensors. The controller is configured to receive signals from the first and second flow sensors and to produce control signals for the first and second pumps and the mixer. The controller is further configured to cause a mixture of the first and second chemicals upon a demand from the CMP process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to semiconductor wafer planarizing, and more particularly, to methods and systems for controlling and mixing chemicals for a chemical mechanical planarizing process.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the fabrication of semiconductor devices, there is a need to perform a variety of substrate preparation and fabrication operations including chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) operations, substrate cleaning, substrate polishing and buffing, substrate rinsing and drying, and other similar operations. Planarization, polishing, and cleaning operations are routinely performed on semiconductor wafers at various stages in the fabrication process. Typically, such operations are efficiently combined within process systems that are configured, for example, to receive batches of wafers at a time to be processed through CMP, polishing, buffing, cleaning, rinsing, and/or drying, followed by wafer processing through subsequent wafer fabrication operations.
Typically the chemicals required for such a CMP processes are prepared in a batch process system 100 such as shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a prior art system for mixing chemicals for a CMP process. A first chemical 101 is stored in a first supply tank 102 and a second chemical 103 is stored in a second supply tank 104. When a batch of the first and second chemicals 101, 103, is mixed, the respective supply valves 106, 108 are opened and a selected amount of the first and second chemicals 101, 103 are transferred to the batch mixing tank 110. The first and second chemicals 101, 103 are then mixed in the batch-mixing tank 110. Typically the mixed batch is tested through manual processes such as weighing the respective quantities of the first and second chemicals 101, 103 that are added to the batch mixing tank 110. Once the mixed batch of the chemicals is fully prepared and ready to be used, the batch supply valve 120 is opened and the batch-mixing tank 110 is pressurized to cause the mixture 123 to flow to a delivery tank 122. The delivery tank 122 can then be pressurized to deliver the mixture 123 to a mixture distribution manifold 124. The manifold 124 distributes the mixture to multiple points of use 130, 132, 134, through point of use supply valves 136, 138, 140 respectively. Each of the points of use 130, 132, 134 can represent a different CMP process tool or different locations within a single CMP process tool.
One of the problems with the batch process system 100 described above is that often the mixture 123 can only be used for a limited time period. For example, often, optimum CMP results require the mixture be used within the first sixty minutes after the mixture 123 is formed in the batch-mixing tank 110. The time limits may be due to reactivity of the mixture 123 or due to coagulation effects common to the slurry-type chemical used in the CMP process.
Another problem with the batch process system 100 is that the mixture 123 must be transferred to each point of use 130, 132, 134 via a distribution system (e.g., the manifold 124, the respective point of use supply valves 136, 138, 140 and interconnecting piping). When each batch of the mixture 123 expires or is no longer needed, the entire distribution system must be fully flushed and cleaned so that impurities of the previously expired batch do not contaminate successive batch mixtures. Further, the remaining mixture 123 contained in the distribution system becomes a waste product that must be disposed of which is both inefficient and typically expensive.
Yet another problem with the batch process system 100 is that often the mixture 123 is hazardous (e.g., caustic, acidic, flammable, poisonous, etc.). Because the mixture 123 is hazardous, the pressurized batch mixing tank 100 and delivery tank 122 must be very closely monitored and controlled. Further the batch-mixing tank 100 and delivery tank 122 are typically double walled to provide added safety containment of the hazardous mixture 123. The safety requirements of storing and pressurizing quantities of the hazardous mixture 123 increase the complexities of the batch process system 100 and the cost. Therefore the batch process system 100 is more expensive and less reliable than required.
Typically the batch process system 100 yields inconsistent batches because one batch is not exactly the same as another batch. Inconsistent batches often cause inconsistent CMP process results. The batches may be inconsistent because the measurements, such as the respective amounts of the first and second chemicals 101, 103, are different from one batch to another or because one batch has aged longer before use than another batch.
Similarly, the batch process system 100 does not produce a continuous and consistent mixture. This is because typical mixture control is in the batch mixing process in the batch-mixing tank 110. Once the mixture 123 is combined in the batch mixing tank 100 there typically is no further monitoring or testing to determine if the mixture is correct or becomes too aged or contaminated. As a result, if the mixture 123 becomes incorrect, then the CMP results could also become incorrect.
Another problem with most batch-type mixing systems is that a quantity of the mixture 123 is prepared in advance of the actual need of the mixture 123. If for any reason the mixture 123 is not needed (e.g., the CMP process is delayed until after the mixture 123 is too aged), then the entire mixture 123 must be discarded as a waste product. This results in excessive waste, which is both inefficient and typically expensive.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a more efficient, accurate delivery system of the CMP chemicals.
Broadly speaking, the present invention fills these needs by providing a point of use chemical mixing system in a chemical mechanical planarization system. It should be appreciated that the present invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a process, an apparatus, a system, computer readable media, or a device. Several inventive embodiments of the present invention are described below.
A chemical mechanical planarization system includes a point of use chemical mixing system. The point of use chemical mixing system includes a first and a second pump, a first and a second flow sensor, a mixer and a controller. The first pump has an input coupled to a first chemical supply and the first flow sensor coupled to the output of the first pump. The second pump has an input coupled to a second chemical supply and the second flow sensor coupled to the output of the second pump. The mixer has inputs coupled to the output of the first and second flow sensors. The controller is configured to receive signals from the first and second flow sensors and to produce control signals for the first and second pumps and the mixer. The controller is further configured to cause a mixture of the first and second chemicals upon a demand from the CMP process.
A method of mixing two or more chemicals for a CMP system includes pumping a first and a second chemical to a point of use. Monitoring a flow rate of the first chemical from a first pump and monitoring a flow rate of the second chemical from a second pump. Controlling the flow of the first and second chemicals into a mixer upon demand for a mixture of the first and second chemicals. Outputting the mixture to the CMP process.
In one embodiment, the flow of the first and the second chemicals into the mixer is controlled according to an aspect of the mixture such as a pH level of the mixture or a density of the mixture.
In one embodiment, the first and second pumps include a tubephram-type pump.
Mixing the CMP chemicals, upon demand, at the point of use reduces waste and provides more accurate and consistent chemical mixtures. A point of use mixing system also allows constant feedback and control of the mixing process. Point of use mixing also reduces cost and complexity over prior-art batch mixing systems.
Point of use mixing also reduces waste by substantially eliminating mixtures produced before being required and by reducing the size of the distribution system for the mixtures.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.

System and method for point of use delivery, control and mixing chemical and slurry for CMP/cleaning system


A method and controller device for upgrading firmware in a virtualized storage environment having a virtual machine manager, guest virtual machines and a storage device. The method includes downloading a new firmware solution bundle to a first logical area of the storage device, and installing the new firmware containing the virtual machine manager and guest virtual machines. The installation includes moving the solution bundle to a scratch area carved out of a P-cache area in the storage device, extracting the new firmware, copying the new firmware to the first logical area, marking the first logical area as the Active area, and marking the second logical area as the Staging area. The method also includes rebooting the virtualized storage environment with the installed new firmware, committing to the new firmware if the installation is successful, and rolling back the firmware version from the new firmware to the current firmware if the installation is not successful.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to storage devices of subsystems within a storage virtualization environment. More particularly, the invention relates to firmware upgrades of storage systems within a storage virtualization environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Storage virtualization environments typically involve logical space (e.g., a storage subsystem) within a physical (disk) storage system. In a typical storage virtualization environment, there are multiple virtual machines (VMs) providing separate but dependent storage functions within a disk array controller or storage controller, such as a RAID (redundant array of inexpensive disks) controller. A hypervisor or other suitable device or process configures the virtual machines in the storage virtualization environment.
A disk array subsystem that hosts a storage virtualization environment (in the form of virtual machines running on the platform) allows the integration of multiple storage applications within the subsystem to form a unified storage subsystem. One such example of a unified storage subsystem is a product that supports both file level and block level input/output (I/O) operations to the subsystem. In such a subsystem, it is important to have a system firmware upgrade mechanism that upgrades the firmware or software for all storage applications running within the virtualization environment as an atomic operation, while also keeping the subsystem online and accessible to external hosts or initiators when the upgrade is being performed for the entire subsystem. That is, the upgrades should appear instantaneous to the rest of the system, and either be completely implemented if successful or not implemented at all if unsuccessful. If the unified system, which includes all of the virtual machines, is not upgraded atomically, there is a chance that different virtual machines will run different versions of the system firmware at a particular point in time (e.g., during upgrades), thus resulting in firmware version co-validation issues across different versions. The subsystem also should be capable of a rollback operation to the previous running version of the firmware in case the upgrade fails, thereby requiring the older version of the firmware to be preserved until the upgrade is completed and committed. Also, the system (or disk array controller) typically is provided with an attached storage device (e.g., in the form of a flash disk) whose storage capacity is limited. Therefore, such functional requirements and storage space limitations necessitate efficient if not optimal handling of the relatively limited storage space available on the storage device for storing the code image of the system firmware.
Conventional methods and mechanisms exist for upgrading firmware, in phases, and restoring firmware in-situ to compensate for failed firmware upgrades, e.g., in a non-volatile memory. In such methods and mechanisms, firmware can be upgraded and restored as the non-volatile memory remains functioning. For example, such methods and mechanisms involve designating a first copy of firmware for accessing and designating a second copy of the firmware for upgrading, which allows access to one or more firmware instructions from the first copy while upgrading the second copy with new firmware.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and system for firmware upgrade of a storage subsystem hosted in a storage virtualization environment


A document illuminator includes first and second cover portions, first and second illumination sources, and a power source. The first and second cover portions are connected and foldable along a spine portion. The first and second illumination sources are secured to a corresponding one of the first and second cover portions. The power source is electrically connected to the first and second illumination sources to selectively power the first and second illumination sources when a power switch is activated. When first and second translucent documents are secured to corresponding ones of the first and second cover portions and power is supplied to the first and second illumination sources, each of the first and second illumination sources direct illumination through a corresponding one of the first and second translucent documents.

Viewing a document in an unlit or dimly lit environment can be challenging. Many environments are intentionally unlit or dimly lit. For example, a movie theater may be unlit to limit interference with the viewing of a movie projected onto a screen. In another example, a restaurant may be dimly lit to create a pleasant ambiance and enhance a dining experience. In an unlit movie theater, an usher may be required to refer to written material, such as seating arrangements or safety procedures. In a dimly lit restaurant, a diner may be required to make selections from a menu or wine list in the course of ordering dinner.


A main drain safety grate apparatus utilizes an elongate drain, frame and grate that distribute the suction flow of water over a large surface to avoid full blockage of the grate, and also utilizes a bendable or deformable, upwardly releasable grate that has a section slotted to permit water to drain therethrough. The grate is ordinarily restrained from upward movement by a slot in each end of the frame into which the ends of the grate fit, and from downward movement by two shelves on which the grate may be supported. The grate may be released from the frame by an upward force applied at the section provided for drainage, which bends, or bows, the grate in an arcuate shape, and acts to shorten the length of the grate relative to the slots into which it is fitted. The bowing effect also serves to rotate a rounded surface and a corner of the end of the grate so as to reduce the effective length by rotating the corner away from the point of contact of the slot and the grate, and permitting that contact point to move over the rounded surface.

The present invention relates to a device to prevent injuries and deaths associated with the main drain of a swimming pool or spa. Pools and spas use a pump to permit the water to circulate both within the spa or pool, through conditioning or heating apparatus and the like, and back to the spa or pool. The point or points from which the pump draws water from the structure, often known as the main drain, can be very dangerous to persons within the structure because of the risks associated with the possibility that a person, or a part of their body might cover, or blind off, that main drain. By covering all or part of that drain, greatly increased suction may result at that point, acting to trap the person. If the person's face is below water at that time, they may drown. Another risk is that of a person (often a child) placing their buttocks over, and covering, the drain. This occurs most frequently on drains where the grate is missing, but may also occur on flat drain covers that can be so covered and collapse with the increased suction. In this case, the greatly increased suction can act to eviscerate the person through their anus, permanently injuring them. Another risk is of a person's hair becoming entangled in a grate, trapping the person next to the drain, resulting in drowning.
Conventional drain systems have used "anti-vortex" covers, which lack holes at the top, preventing or discouraging a person from covering that hole, and which reduce flow rates (to perhaps less than 6 ft./sec.) to reduce turbulence. Covering the drain with a grate, often having 1/2 inch openings, have also been used.
Other conventional drain systems have used dual or multiple main drains, separated by sufficient distance to prevent both from being covered, ideally reducing the pressure should one become covered, or a plumbing design that prevents any single drain becoming connected exclusively to a suction pump. Further ways include gravity-fed collector sumps, and vent stacks, which attempt to limit total suction to about 8 ft.-H.sub.2 O.
One disadvantage of conventional systems is that they often involve extra components, adding complexity and cost to the system. Another disadvantage is that the grates or other covers may fail, permitting a person to cover that drain, and become entrapped, or disemboweled. Another is that even grates designed to be anti-vortex may still permit hair entanglement in the drain cover support attachment points or in the cover openings themselves. Further, it is not clear that multiple drains per pump provide sufficient protection because of the potential for dynamic hydraulic imbalance, which may still permit a large increase in suction at the drain.
Previous drains and suction entrapment devices for pools or spas disclosed in patents include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,999 discloses a floor drain grate that including two or three separate regions through which water can flow into the drain. The regions are spaced-apart, preferably one to two feet, to effectively prevent a swimmer from covering all openings simultaneously, preventing suction entrapment. One or more elongate channel portions are used to create a flow passage structure to space apart the inflow regions, and a central portion overlies the drain, and provides a further inflow region. The floor drain grate, including the channel portions, is disclosed as overlying the pool floor. The central portion is disclosed as being securely attached to the drain, using screws, and the channel portions are disclosed as being integrally formed with the central portion, or as being attached thereto using screws or adhesives.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,807 discloses an outlet drain for a spa including channels extending radially substantially in all directions from the central drain aperture through which water can enter the drain. The channels extend approximately two feet, from the ends of opposing channels, to effectively prevent a swimmer from covering all of the channels simultaneously, preventing suction entrapment. It also discloses an anti-vortex plate covering the drain sump. The drain is disclosed as being able to be integrally molded with or bonded to the bottom of the pool, or to replace the existing drain in a pool or spa. The vortex plate is disclosed as being held in position by screws, and the retrofittable drain is held in place by spring clips that apply a downward force to provide a secure fit and to prevent unintended removal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,449 discloses an adapter for pool drains that uses an upper ring raised from the surface of the pool floor, and arms radiating downward therefrom to a lower ring, or perimeter frame, that rests on the floor of the pool, to define a raised screening surface above the pool drain. The larger surface area provides a greater area for suction to reduce the suction at any given point. The adapter is also disclosed to use either a heavy metallic mesh or plurality of metallic arms among the radiating arms and the top of the upper ring to reduce the whirlpool effect. The perimeter frame is disclosed as having mounting arms that run across it, intersecting the pool drain, to permit the adapter to be bolted or screwed to the drain.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,307 discloses a pool having an open gutter around its perimeter, including therein a suction pipe providing positive withdrawal of water in the gutter. The bottom of the pool is shown to have a main drain utilizing an elongated grate. The grate is not described as being removable.


The disclosed pari-mutuel wagering method is directed to a sequential selection of two, three or four horses and the finishing position of the first horse in the selected sequence. A winning ticket is determined by three factors. These three factors include the correct sequential order of the selected horses, the correct finishing position for the first horse in the sequence and a corresponding finishing position selection by the racetrack based on a random draw.

The wagering on thoroughbred horse races, as one example of pari-mutuel wagering, is based on selecting which horse (or horses) will finish in a particular position, such as win, place and show. Exotic wagering options, such as an exacta, trifecta, and superfecta, are based on selecting a plurality of horses in the correct order of finish in a single race. Other wagering options, such as a daily double, pick three, pick four, pick five and pick six, are based on selecting a horse in a specific position, in these cases in the first (i.e., win) position, in a plurality of sequential races. Occasionally wagering options are offered which involve selecting the winning horse in designated races at a plurality of different tracks. A still further wagering option, typically offered on a more limited basis, and often limited to the last race of the day, is what is called a "super high five". This involves selecting the first five finishing horses, in order, in a single race.
Regardless of the wagering option or scheme, the objective is to try and identify the horse or horses which will finish one or more races in a specific position, such as the winning horse in four consecutive races at the same racetrack (i.e., a pick four). Another example of this objective is to select the first three finishing horses in order in a single race (i.e., a trifecta).
One of the possible wagering options, as disclosed herein, which is not currently practiced at any racetrack is to select the relative sequential positions of two, three, or four horses regardless of their actual finishing positions in the race, such as win, place, show, etc. For example, if a patron who is handicapping a race wants to wager that horses X, Y, and Z will finish in that order somewhere in the overall order of finish, this type of wager is not currently offered but is provided by the disclosed method and thus creates another wagering option for racetracks and patrons alike. This new wagering option as disclosed herein should not reduce the racetrack's overall handle for that race relative to all other current wagering options being offered for the race since these current wagering options and the disclosed method or additional option are not mutually exclusive. Further, the disclosed method can be used for any type of competition or sporting event where wagering is permitted, where there are a plurality of competitors and where finishing positions are known and recorded.
Having a wide variety of wagering options is intended to appeal to a variety of wagering preferences of those patrons at the racetrack and those who attend off-track betting (OTB) sites. The variety of wagering options is also intended to increase the "handle" of the racetrack and thus the amount which the racetrack takes as income or funding for its activities and racing purses. For example, if a racetrack takes an average of sixteen percent (16%) of all wagered amounts, the greater the total handle for the racetrack, the more the racetrack has to work with as income. Accordingly, any wagering option which increases the total handle is advantageous for the racetrack. The only caveat is that a new wagering option or method might reduce the amounts typically wagered on other, existing wagering options. Therefore, one important aspect of trying to increase the total handle for the racetrack is to address current racing issues or situations where pari-mutuel wagering is traditionally low and find another or other options which increase the wagering for that particular race.
For example, when there is a relatively small field, such as five, six or seven horses, the level of pari-mutuel wagering is typically lower than a field with nine, ten or eleven horses. The level of pari-mutuel wagering may also be lower on the last race of the day as racetrack patrons elect to leave early in order to try and avoid some of the exiting traffic. Another lower pari-mutuel wagering situation can often be found when there is a heavy favorite, such as a horse with odds of 4:5 or in some instances as lopsided as 2:9. The typical pari-mutuel wagering options simply do not provide a suitable way for patrons to make any reasonable return under these circumstances. Assuming that the pari-mutuel odds reflect the likely outcome with a heavy favorite, traditional win, place and show bets would likely only return a very modest amount. Other pari-mutuel wagering options, such as an exacta wheel, with the heavy favorite on top, might pay a little more especially if the second place horse has long odds. However, in the event of a small field, the cost for that type of wager is easily handled by a majority of the patrons and thus the return would be modest, at best.
The pari-mutuel wagering method which is disclosed herein is directed to these lower wagering situations and the continuing desire of the racetrack to try and increase its handle (i.e., the amount which is subject to the racetrack's percentage). The disclosed pari-mutuel wagering method is considered an improvement to the currently offered wagering options since it provides other wagering options which address one or more of the lower wagering situations.


Methods for esterifying hydroxyl groups in cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in wood are described, wherein the wood is chosen from loblolly, slash, shortleaf, longleaf or radiata pines. Methods can include solvent drying techniques and heating provided by electromagnetic radiation, such as microwave, and radiofrequency. Products made from the methods are described that have greater decay resistance and dimensional stability as compared with non-esterified wood products.

Esterification of the hydroxyl groups in the cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in wood provides lumber produced therefrom with improved dimensional stability, as well as resistance to attack from biological organisms. Acetylation is one method for esterifying the components of wood. For brevity herein, this process will be referred to as acetylation of wood.
One method for acetylating wood reacts acetic anhydride with hydroxyl groups in the wood to provide ester groups through a substitution reaction. Since acetic anhydride can also react with water present in wood to produce acetic acid, the wood is typically dried prior to acetylation. Conventional methods of drying wood include kiln drying with steam. Kiln drying can degrade the wood by causing warping, checking, and splitting, and requires a significant time to reach the desired moisture level.
After kiln drying, the wood is transported from the kiln to a reaction vessel. While in transit, the wood may absorb additional moisture. Dried wood is next impregnated with acetic anhydride, and heat is applied to initiate the exothermic acetylation reaction between the hydroxyl groups and the acetyl groups. Uniform temperature control is desirable to provide evenly distributed ester groups throughout the wood. Convective heating is one option for heating the wood but suffers from the disadvantage of taking a long period of time to heat the wood through convection to the desired temperature. Another technique for applying heat during the acetylation reaction is with the use of microwave radiation.
Conventional acetylation methods have typically employed small wood pieces. Larger wood pieces are more limited in their ability to become impregnated with and be stripped of chemicals. Therefore, it is difficult or commercially unfeasible to produce solid lumber products made from whole acetylated wood because even or uniform acetylation cannot be achieved.
While some improvements have occurred in acetylation, there still remains a need to provide methods that increase the efficiency and reduce labor and costs associated with the acetylation of wood with acetic anhydride.
The present invention fulfills this need and has further related advantages as specified below.

Methods for esterifying hydroxyl groups in wood


A terminal-movable connector includes first support members which are disposed within an inner housing, and are fixed respectively to terminals in such a manner that each first support member is interposed between the inner housing and the corresponding terminal, and are slidable respectively in directions of axes of distal end portions of wires within the inner housing, and a second support member which is disposed in the inner housing, and supports the terminals in a manner to allow these terminals to be moved respectively in the axial directions of the distal end portions of the wires, and has nuts which are aligned respectively with bolt insertion holes formed respectively in electrical connection portions of the terminals.

This invention relates to a terminal-movable connector receiving and holding terminals to which mating terminals are screw-fastened, respectively.
There is known one conventional terminal-movable connector in which an end portion of each terminal connected to a wire is connected to one end portion of a bus bar by a bolt and a nut, and the other end portion of the bus bar is connected to a terminal of an external cable by a bolt and a nut (see, for example, Patent Literature 1). This terminal-movable connector will be described with reference to FIG. 6.
As shown in FIG. 6, in the terminal-movable connector 100, the wire 150 is received in a housing 102, using a rubber plug 101, and a conductor 151 of the wire 150 is connected to the terminal 103. The terminal 103 connected to the wire 150 is connected to the one end portion of the generally L-shaped bus bar 106 by screwing the bolt 104 into the nut 105. The terminal 161 of the external cable 160 is connected to the other end portion of the bus bar 106 by screwing the bolt 107 into the nut 108.
In this terminal-movable connector 100, in order to absorb a positional variation (that is, an offset) of the terminal 103 for the terminal 161 of the external cable 160, the one end portion of the bus bar 106 for relay purposes is provisionally fixed to the terminal 103 by the bolt 104 and the nut 105, and then the bolt 107 and the nut 108 at the other end portion of the bus bar 106 (which is to be connected to the terminal 161) are completely tightened, and then the bolt 104 and the nut 105 are completely tightened.
At this time, in case there is a relative offset between the terminal 161 of the external cable 160 and the bus bar 106, the bolt 104 and the nut 105 are shifted in an upward-downward direction (FIG. 6), utilizing a bolt slot 109 in the terminal 103 and a nut receiving portion 110 of the housing 102 which is larger in size than the nut 105, and by doing so, the offset of the bus bar 106 relative to the terminal 161 of the external cable 160 is absorbed.
Therefore, two sets of bolts and nuts are required for one bus bar 106, and therefore the number of the parts increases. And besides, the screwing operations must be effected respectively at the two regions, that is, for the set of bolt 104 and nut 105 and the set of bolt 107 and nut 108. Furthermore, the bolt-screwing directions are different from each other, and more specifically are perpendicular to each other, and therefore a plurality of openings must be provided for effecting the screwing operations respectively in the different directions, and also the outer size must be increased. As a result, the housing has the increased size.    Patent Literature 1: JP-A-2003-317821 Publication
This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the invention is to provide a terminal-movable connector in which the number of parts can be reduced, and also the position of each terminal can be adjusted with a simple structure.


A new structure for electro-magnetic signal filters is described. The structure of the invention incorporates ideal time lag elements having delay values selected to match an arbitrarily selected set of frequencies matched to a desired frequency response and connected in a cascade array by second filter elements which null the frequency filtered by the preceding array, the output of which is summed to provide a composite output with the desired frequency response. The resultant filters are easily implemented in conventional hardware and the techniques may be applied to a broad range of the electro-magnetic spectrum by the choice of appropriate components.

While the term filter may be broadly used to describe any of a class of components or systems that separate and attenuate the passage of certain portions of an input to the filter, the present invention is primarily concerned with filters used in electronic systems to produce a predetermined frequency-amplitude output and a desired phase relationship for that output. Analogous concepts may also be used to configure filters in the electro-magnetic spectrum, including light waves, provided that the appropriate component choices are made. Soon after the development of practical electronic circuits, it became obvious that means to filter a signal in order to enhance some frequencies and suppress others would be desirable. Classical filtering techniques led to the development of the theory of tuning circuits in the late 19th century and the resonance circuits developed during that time played a significant role in the development of the radio and the telephone. As electronic systems became more sophisticated, filter designs improved beyond their simple forms to include more complex circuits incorporating resistors, inductors and capacitors (RLC) components. While circuits incorporating such components approached new levels of sophistication, they were still passive in that the component characteristics were unalterable by electronic control. One important characteristic of such passive filters was that they could be described by a mathematical expression of their frequency behavior consisting of linear, lumped parameter equations. Further development of filter design for electronic circuits included the addition of active components such as amplifiers which allowed the elimination of inductors, thereby substantially reducing the weight and size of many of the filters. Such active-RC filters became widely used in a variety of advanced electronic systems including many in current use.
Statistical filtering theory has been developed to improve signal detection of complex electro-magnetic signals. Previous work in filter theory assumed that a signal of interest could be separated from an undesired signal based on the desired signal's frequency, since the frequencies composing the desired signal were substantially different from those of the unwanted signal. However, such approaches proved inadequate when the frequency content of both signals overlapped or when statistical information concerning the signals was unavailable. While some solutions to this problem were adequately addressed by an assumption of stationary statistics of the signal being detected, it was not until the development of the Kalman time domain, steady state filter theory was developed, that an adequate solution was available for such statistically based filtering of information signals.
Meanwhile, the rapid development of digital computers led to the development of digital filtering theories that could operate on digital signals. Naturally, a large part of the early work in digital filters focused on building good approximations of existing analog filters. Soon, however, it became evident that the development of efficient algorithms for calculating the discrete Fourier transform would allow the development of many previously unavailable filter capabilities.
An important application for filters in modern electronic systems is the filtering of signals in such a way that the output spectrum amplitude-frequency content may be chosen by the designer and a phase shift relationship across the frequency spectrum may also be specified. The mathematical expression of such a digital filter is similar to the passive analog component filter type linear, lumped parameter equations. While such filters have provided sophistication and capabilities beyond those which were achievable with the passive element and active element types previously available, they have nonetheless tracked improvements in digital components and digital computers and often merely represent a digital implementation of the previous theories. Because of the speed limitations of multipliers used in active digital or analog filter systems, a current problem in filter design involves the development of efficient methods for designing filters that may be fabricated with a minimum number of multipliers or with multipliers of unity coefficient. These approaches have included methods to reduce the magnitude of the multiplication load demanded of the filtering elements and the inclusion of finite impulse response elements in order to build filters that have a multiplierless implementation. While such approaches have been suggested, they have either been limited by their ability to perform demanding filtering functions or, in the alternative, have required the use of multiplier filter elements which, while not of high multiplication factors, nonetheless require the inclusion of numerous non-unity multiplier elements.
While the above developments have improved the ability of designers to configure filter systems with improved amplitude-phase performance, the mathematical expressions for such filters are still linear, lumped parameter forms that limit the capabilities of such filters. There remains, therefore, a continuing need for filters that employ only delay elements and addition or subtraction elements and which may be simply and easily designed and implemented while retaining high performance in the filtering process.


Certain aspects of the present invention for transmission control protocol (TCP) retransmission processing may comprise receiving a request for packet retransmission to be processed by an offload network interface card (NIC). A remote peer, a retransmission timer, or a fast retransmission signal may initiate the request. The NIC processes the request information and sends notification to the host of the request. The host searches the TCP buffers of the TCP transmission window in host memory for the packet. Once the packet is located, the host may send the offload NIC the buffer descriptors containing data that locates the packet in host memory. The offload NIC may retrieve the packet from host memory and may retransmit the packet according to the request information. The offload NIC may send notification to the host that the packet has been retransmitted.

The initial development of transmission control protocol (TCP) was based on networking and processing capabilities that were then currently available. As a result, various fundamental assumptions regarding its operation were prefaced on networking and processor technologies that existed at that time. The scarcity and high cost of network bandwidth and the partially limitless processing resources available from a host processor were among the various assumptions on which TCP was prefaced. With the advent of faster network technologies such as Gigabit Ethernet (GbE), the fundamental assumptions on which TCP was prefaced have changed radically. Network bandwidth is no longer as scarce and as expensive as it once was while host processing resources are now regarded as being limited when once they were plentiful. In this regard, the original constraints have shifted from limitations in network bandwidth to bottlenecks between host processor and host memory.
Host processing systems are not only responsible for providing faster network connections but must also execute system applications. Shifting more of the host processing resources to provide faster network connections will do little to address the fundamental change in assumptions. Notably, using a larger portion of host processing resources to execute TCP applications would occur at the expense of executing system applications, thereby resulting in an overall degradation in system performance rather than in the desired improvement in network connectivity.
Although new networking architectures and protocols may be created to address the fundamental shift in assumptions, these new architectures and protocols may still have to provide support for an extensive network of current and legacy systems. These new solutions may be required to address the shift in assumptions and, in doing so, alleviate any bottlenecks that may now result by the demands being placed on host processing systems.
A transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) offload engine may be utilized in a network interface card (NIC) to redistribute TCP processing from the host onto specialized processors for handling TCP processing more efficiently. The TCP offload engines may have specialized architectures and suitable software or firmware that allows them to efficiently implement various TCP algorithms for handling faster network connections, thereby allowing host processing resources to be allocated or reallocated to system application processing.
In order to alleviate the consumption of host resources by networking applications, a TCP connection can be offloaded from a host to a dedicated TCP/IP offload engine (TOE) in a NIC. Some of the host resources released by offloading may include CPU cycles and subsystem memory bandwidth, for example. During the offload process, TCP connection state information may be offloaded from the host, for example, from a host software stack, to the TOE. A TCP connection may be in any one of a plurality of states at a given time. To process the TCP connection, TCP software applications may be adapted to manage various TCP defined states. Being able to manage the various TCP defined states may require a high level of architectural complexity in the TOE.
In some instances, offloading information on all TCP defined states to the TOE may not be necessary because many of the TCP states such as CLOSING, LAST_ACK and FIN_WAIT_2 may not be performance sensitive. Furthermore, many of these non-performance sensitive states may consume substantial processing resources to handle error conditions and potentially malicious attacks, for example. These are but some of the factors that may substantially increase the cost of building and designing the TOE. In addition, a TOE that has control, transferred from the host, of all the state variables of a TCP connection may be quite complex. Such complexity may require the use of considerable processing power and may also require and/or consume a lot of TOE onboard-memory. Moreover, the TCP connection offloaded to the TOE that has control, transferred from the host, of all the state variables of the TCP connection may be inflexible and susceptible to connection loss.
When a host system offloads TCP transmission support to a TOE, the TOE must also have a mechanism in place to handle any network requests for retransmission. For example, retransmission may occur from a timer expiration mechanism or from a fast retransmit mechanism generated by the TCP transmission applications in the TOE. Timer expiration may occur when an acknowledgement is not received from a remote peer that a packet has been received within a certain amount of time from transmission. Fast retransmission may occur when the TOE may deduce or determine that a packet has not been received from the acknowledgement of other packets transmitted. In this regard, acknowledgement may be provided on a packet-by-packet basis or on a byte-by-byte basis.
A copy of the packets and/or bytes to be transmitted may be kept in the NIC in order to provide direct access to the data for transmission and retransmission operations. Supporting retransmission, however, may require more hardware storage capacity than the NIC may be able to support. In this regard, the limited storage capacity of the NIC may result in a slowdown in transmission, which is the problem that the offloading of TCP operations was intended to address.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

Method and system for transmission control protocol (TCP) retransmit processing


A method of loading a locked tissue biopsy needle into a biopsy gun includes rotating a head of the biopsy gun in a first direction, with the head located at a front distal portion of the biopsy gun. The method includes inserting the locked tissue biopsy needle into a distal end of the head of the biopsy gun. The locked tissue biopsy needle provides a stylet inserted in a longitudinal lumen of a cannula, and the stylet is locked in position relative to the cannula thus preventing longitudinal movement of the stylet within the cannula. The method includes rotating the head of the biopsy gun in a second direction opposite from the first direction and rotating the stylet relative to the cannula and unlocking the stylet from the cannula allowing longitudinal movement of the stylet within the cannula.

The use of a reusable biopsy gun and a biopsy needle comprises a number of steps.
In a first step, the biopsy needle is loaded into the biopsy gun.
In a second step the biopsy gun is armed, this is typically done by compressing two springs, one for the cannula of the biopsy needle and one for the stylet of the biopsy needle.
In a third step the biopsy needle is inserted into the sampling site, e.g. soft tissue for example from the prostate, from which samples are desired.
Finally, in a fourth step, the biopsy gun is fired, e.g. when the gun has been armed by springs these are released. This will result in the stylet being fired first. The stylet is provided with a small recess at the tip into which sample tissue will move. Secondly, the cannula is fired which cuts off the sample tissue and contains it in the recess. The biopsy needle is then pulled out of the body and the sample tissue may be retrieved.
The steps may vary a little, and other steps may be introduced in between, however, most procedures generally follow the above.
The present invention relates primarily to the first step. Loading of the biopsy needle into the biopsy gun comprises a number of handling issues. In particular because the nurse or surgeon has to handle two separate elements, one of which is very sharp and thus may involve unintentionally puncturing of the protective barrier, such as gloves, and even the tissue of the person loading the needle into the gun.
In a number of known biopsy needles, the cannula and stylet are freely slidable relative to each other when loading the biopsy needle into the biopsy gun. This results in a high risk of the person handling the gun being pierced when loading the gun.
In order to overcome this, some biopsy needles have been formed with locking members in order to prevent unintentional sliding movement between the cannula and the stylet. However, these comprise a third element which has to be removed before or after loading of the needle. Furthermore, during manufacture such a third element adds to the cost of the biopsy needle.
Moreover, using such needles with known biopsy guns poses another problem in that the known biopsy guns are not adapted to handle such an additional element. Thus, the locking element has to be removed prior to loading, thereby removing the advantage of having a locked relationship between cannula and stylet during this step.
Thus, there is both a need for providing a biopsy needle that solves the issues addressed above and a biopsy gun suitable for use with such a biopsy needle.

Method of loading a locked tissue biopsy needle into a biopsy gun


The present invention is directed at a liquid discharge device having reduced crosstalk, which slows the rate of change of liquid discharge speed, and is suitable as a printing head. The liquid discharge device includes a piezoelectric actuator and a flow passage member. The piezoelectric actuator has a plurality of driving electrodes from on a piezoelectric ceramic layer, and a plurality of piezoelectric displacement elements is disposed longitudinally and laterally with regularity. In the flow passage member, a plurality of liquid compressing chambers is formed with liquid outlet orifices. The piezoelectric actuator is placed on the flow passages member, so that the driving electrodes correspond in position to the liquid compressing chambers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid discharge device and, in particular, to a liquid discharge device suitable for printing heads that are used to recording apparatus of the following: various printers, recorders, facsimiles, or printers used for formation of patterns in the fields of textile printing and ceramic industry, or pumps that are used to precisely discharge and transfer liquid such as adhesive or ink, wherein characters and images are printed by discharging a drop of ink from a fine liquid outlet orifice.
2. Description of Related Art
Piezoelectric ceramics have been used in, for example, piezoelectric actuator, filter, piezoelectric resonator (including oscillator), ultrasonic oscillator, ultrasonic motor, piezoelectric sensor and pressure pump. Among these devices, the piezoelectric actuator is applied as the piezoelectric actuator for positioning an X-Y stage of semiconductor manufacturing equipment or as the piezoelectric actuator for liquid discharge device (printing head) of inkjet recording apparatus, by taking advantage of the very high response rate to electrical signals, in the order of 10−6 seconds.
As for liquid discharge device mounted to this ink-jet recording apparatus, the following systems are generally known: (1) Thermal head system, wherein a heater is prepared as a compressing tool within a liquid compressing chamber filled up with ink, and the heater heats and boils the ink so that bubbles can be generated within the liquid compressing chamber to compress the ink to discharge a drop of ink from a liquid outlet orifice; and (2) Piezoelectric system, wherein a certain portion of wall of a liquid flow passage with ink filled is bent and displaced by piezoelectric displacement elements of a piezoelectric actuator to mechanically compress the ink in a liquid compressing chamber, thereby discharging a drop of ink from a liquid outlet orifice.
Among these, the liquid discharge device that employs piezoelectric system is composed of a piezoelectric actuator wherein a plurality of piezoelectric displacement elements are formed and a flow passage member that has liquid inlet orifices, liquid compressing chambers and liquid outlet orifices. The piezoelectric actuator is placed on the flow passage member, so that the piezoelectric displacement elements correspond in position to the liquid compressing chambers. A plurality of piezoelectric displacement elements are formed from a piezoelectric ceramic layer that consists of perovskite piezoelectric ceramics containing Pb such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT), and electrodes that are disposed on the both sides of the piezoelectric ceramic layer. When driving voltage is applied from the both sides of the piezoelectric displacement elements, the piezoelectric displacement elements are displaced to discharge a fine drop of ink from the liquid outlet orifices (For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-34321).
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-154646 proposes an ink-jet head wherein liquid compressing chambers are disposed in 4 to 10 lines, and dot density in sub-scanning direction is not less than 300 dpi (dots/inch) for one pass scanning of a head in main-scanning direction. This ink-jet head can contribute to miniaturization of ink-jet heads and higher dot density.
However, in the liquid discharge device according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-154646, since wiring (extraction electrodes) for applying driving voltage is passed between the neighboring piezoelectric displacement elements, when the piezoelectric displacement elements are too close, there is a risk that the piezoelectric displacement elements will touch the extraction electrodes, thus causing poor conduction. Further, when the neighboring piezoelectric displacement elements are too close, displacement of one piezoelectric displacement element induces another displacement of its neighboring piezoelectric displacement element, which influences discharge speed of ink drops, resulting in poor image quality. That means there is a problem that so-called cross talk has large influence.
Moreover, in the liquid discharge device according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-154646, when dot density is much higher (for example, from 300 dpi to 600 dpi), the area of driving portion in the piezoelectric displacement elements is made smaller to create spaces between the neighboring piezoelectric displacement elements, and the extraction electrodes in the neighboring lines are placed in these spaces. However, when the area of the driving portion is too smaller, displacement of the piezoelectric displacement elements is also smaller, and discharge speed of ink drops is lowered by cross talk influence, causing less accuracy of ink landing and poor image quality. Thus, higher dot density has limitation. Further, in order not to lower ink discharge speed, driving voltage needs to be high, which leads to an increase in power consumption.


A transmission line monitoring system and central processing facility are used to determine the geometry, such as a height, of one or more conductors of a power transmission line and real-time monitoring of other properties of the conductors.

A typical overhead power transmission line consists of three energized phase conductors, consisting of a single stranded cable or of two or more stranded sub-conductors arranged in a bundle, and one or more non-energized overhead ground wires (OHGW), separated from each other in a spatial configuration and running between transmission line (or support) towers. Conductors are typically composed of strands of steel, aluminum, copper, alloyed metals, or carbon composite materials, with various surface treatments applied to achieve desired corrosion resistance (e.g. zinc galvanization), optical, and other properties. Each conductor often carries a different phase of the power transmitted through the line, and the total power flowing through the transmission line is the summation of the power flowing through each of the three phases. Conductor bundles typically consist of two to four conductors connected by spacers. In the discussion that follows, conductor bundles will be simply referred to as "conductors," which shall be understood to refer to the medium of a transmission line that carries the phases of the power flowing through the transmission line. The conductors making up each transmission line may carry alternating current (AC) and voltage at a specific frequency (60 Hz in the United States, 50 Hz in Europe), direct current (DC) and voltage, or may be de-energized during construction, maintenance, or emergency outage periods.
Conductors do not extend between towers in a straight line, but rather, a conductor takes the shape of a catenary between two adjacent towers. In this regard, "sag" is provided in the conductor to lessen the amount of mechanical tension in the power transmission line. Sag is generally defined as the difference in height where the conductor is connected to the towers as compared to the lowest point of the conductor between two adjacent towers. With too little sag, the tension may be too great and the conductor could fracture due to tensile stresses, or the conductor could suffer excessive aeolian and other vibrations, also leading to fracture caused by material fatigue of conductor strands. With too much sag, the length of the conductor is increased, and cost is thus increased. Furthermore, with too much sag, the conductor may swing outward at higher amplitudes in the wind and could thus contact or flash-over to other conductors, tower structures, or other nearby objects, for example trees or buildings.
Time-variant electrical operating conditions and weather conditions also impact the sag of the conductor. Indeed, the hanging catenary conductor represents a thermo-mechanical system, in which the conductor has interrelated average temperature, tension, and sag. As the conductor is heated by warm air, sunlight, or electric resistive heating, lengthwise thermal expansion of the conductor material causes a lengthening and de-tensioning of the conductor, resulting in a decreased ground clearance (increased sag). When the conductor is cooled by weather (cool air, wind, emitted blackbody radiation, or precipitation), lengthwise thermal contraction increases tension and reduces sag. The interrelationship between tension, temperature, and sag means that a measurement or determination of any one of these variables enables one to calculate either or both of the other variables by using thermo-mechanical models.

System and method for power transmission line monitoring